DBH: A Devious Humanity
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: An unexpected revelation from Connor's enigmatic past allows the deviant to experience life in a way he never thought possible. Hank readily steps up to help Connor with his adjustment to a new human life, conquer the darkness from his troubled, painful and miserable past, while fighting for android rights all along the way. Connor is now a being of two worlds.
1. Hijacked

**_A Rough Prologue:_**

This functions as an alternate timeline to my "Accident Prone: Becoming Human" series. Specifically taking place after chapter 46: "Something In the Air". This is a slightly different take in comparison to the original series, but it's a concept I've wanted to explore for sometime and decided to finally go for it. You don't need to read the original series to necessarily understand what's going on, but it helps.

The O.C.'s of Joel Forest the precinct's technician, Abby Grayson a facility technician/former E.M.S., and Lucas, RK-900/New Jericho Tower technician are all here.

A year after the Revolution succeeds Connor and Hank resumed their partnership as detectives in the Detroit Police Precinct. Connor had been taken in by Hank to create a small family of father and son, and Connor has made some notable progress in accepting his deviancy and understanding humanity. However this concept takes a new twist with a completely alternate route in Connor's growth as an individual, and gives him an entirely different future to comprehend.

* * *

The interrogation room was frustratingly quiet as Hank attempted but failed to get the newly arrested suspect to talk. A string of computer viruses, trojans, worms, malware and spyware had been linked to this single computer technician courtesy of a reliable anonymous tip; and yet there wasn't enough evidence to hold the man for more than twenty-four hours. Unless the man offered up a confession or at the very least slipped up and gave the police probable cause to search his apartment he would go free. Unfortunately for the skilled and seasoned senior detective the suspect was readily exercising his right to remain silent.

"According to your personal file from CyberLife," Hank pressed firmly as he slipped the digital screen toward the suspect with a casual push of his left hand. He was sitting on the opposite side of the small table from the arrested man. "you were one of their top programmers. It also says you had problems with authority. You were suspended twice for arguing with your supervisor, and it looks like that same supervisor is why you've been spending your free time in the unemployment line long before the Revolution shut down CyberLife."

The suspect; Stanley Fordon, just stared with his hollow gray eyes and a blank face as he remained completely silent. Fordon was a former CyberLife technician with great skill in computer programming and development, and seemingly lacked a heart or a conscience.

"You did a pretty good job at covering your tracks, but give us a few minutes. We'll find your dirty little hand prints all over these programs and you'll spend at least twenty years in prison. Why don't you go ahead and confess to make it easier on everyone, including yourself." Unimpressed with Fordon's cold facade Hank continued to press for the man to answer his questions. "Fuck, cooperate and we can reduce your sentence to ten years and with the possibility of parole."

Fordon remained irritatingly silent from where he sat.

"I can sit here all day, Stanley. I have nothing else to do. Hell, if I get bored enough I'll go get some coffee and my partner will babysit your sorry ass. Just so you know, my partner asks way more questions than I do and he has an interesting way to get people to answer."

"...Your partner," Fordon finally sneered as he stared through Hank with a frighteningly empty gaze. "is a piece of plastic imitating life."

"I'd rather deal with a piece of plastic like him than a piece of shit like you."

A wicked smirk appeared over Fordon's face as if something had either amused him, or Hank had said something he had been waiting to hear all day long. The man was seemingly plotting against the world even as he remained in police custody.

* * *

Through the one way mirror connecting the interrogation room to the observation room Connor watched the interrogation with great interest. As his blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow Connor astutely listened to every detail of the less than informative interrogation while receiving real time updates from the tech department assisting in the dangerous software regarding the case at hand. Even with every available and qualified officer working on the case there was very little progress being made.

The door to the observation room slid open and Gavin walked inside and leaned against the wall with an indifferent sigh. "Fuckin' waste of time. This guy ain't gonna' crack."

"You may be correct."

"Now I know we're doomed, you and me are on the same page."

"There hasn't been enough evidence collected that directly connects Fordon to the cyber-terrorism." The deviant detective reviewed in a somewhat despondent tone of voice. "But there may be another offense against his person we could use to our advantage. The anonymous tipster hasn't resurfaced either for further information, but they may be able to assist us again."

"Yeah? Good luck. This guy is too damn tech savvy to overlook anything incriminating, or leave any witnesses."

"Perhaps, but it's currently our only option."

"Have fun with that, 'Tinman'. I'm gonna' work cases that can _actually_ be solved."

Connor glanced over his shoulder as Gavin exited the room as quickly as he entered, then refocused on the interrogation through the mirror once more. Very little progress was still being made, and Connor was struggling to find a legal loophole to use to the precinct's advantage to gain a search warrant. Without any additional evidence Fordon would inevitably walk out of the precinct a free man, and the precinct would be left without any viable answers.

* * *

Eight hours of the intense interrogation had led to absolutely nothing. With a heavy scowl on his face Hank returned to the bullpen and to his desk on the opposite side of Connor's desk, and sat down with an audible huff while Connor studied his demeanor very carefully. It wasn't often that Hank let it show whenever a case had him stumped, but this moment was proving to be the unfortunate exception.

"Arrogant fucker." Hank grumbled bitterly and none too quietly as he stared at his empty coffee mug sitting next to his keyboard.

"Hank, I have been contemplating an alternate route in gaining a search warrant to Fordon's apartment."

"Oh, yeah? Let me hear it."

"We use a similar manner in the way the F.B.I. finally managed to arrest Al Capone."

Looking up at the deviant's face Hank's brow arched and he gave his deviant partner a truly confused glance. "...Tax evasion?"

"Or some other offense that can prove beneficial to our investigation."

"I like it." Leaning back in his chair as he gave Connor a wave of his hand Hank decided it was their best shot at any form of progress. "Have you found anything useful yet?"

"Unfortunately no. Fordon has either managed to maintain a flawless criminal record or has used his skills as a hacker to eliminate any discrepancy."

Hank's blue eyes lit up a little with intrigue at the details Connor had just confirmed. "Think you can trace him to any computer servers within the F.B.I. or the C.I.A. that he should've never been able to have access to?"

"I am attempting to do so as of this moment, however the-" Connor's voice trailed off suddenly while his normally alert soulful brown eyes dimmed. His L.E.D. began blinking a very dark yellow in a slow pulsing beat in his right temple, the pulse functioning in tandem with the deviant's heartbeat.

"Connor?" Hank's brow furrowed as he stared at his deviant partner confusedly. Snapping his left fingers twice in front of Connor's face the senior detective failed to elicit any response from the deviant. "Connor? What the hell is wrong with you?"

As he rose from his desk Hank watched as Connor's dull brown eyes partially closed beneath heavy lids and his head bowed forward slightly.

"Hey, kid?" Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Hank shook once and tried to get the deviant to reply. "Connor? Talk to me, what's going on?"

The strange scene didn't go unnoticed by other people in the bullpen causing Gavin to walk over to the two desks to ask a few questions of his own. "What happened to the 'Tinman'? You finally break him, or some shit?"

"Knock it off, Gavin. Something is fucking with him and I don't know what to do to help him."

Through the transparent wall of his private office Captain Fowler had noticed the small group gathering around Connor's desk as Hank, Gavin and now Tina were watching him, and went out to the bullpen to investigate for himself. "Hank, what the hell is going on?"

"Beats the hell out of me."

Taking a closer look at Connor's face Captain Fowler could see that the deviant was still operational, the blinking L.E.D. in his temple a clear sign that the android was still active, but he wasn't responsive. "Get him up to the dispensary and let tech figure it out."

"Son of a bitch..." Hank grumbled as he stooped down in front of Connor and grabbed onto the deviant's right arm to hoist him up from the chair where he had been sitting, and then draped Connor's body over the his shoulders in a 'fireman's carry'. "Alright, come on, Connor. At least you're a lot lighter than you look."

* * *

It was eerie to see Connor seeming so alive yet somehow dead as he laid back over the exam table in the precinct dispensary for an unexpected exam. The deviant's gray CyberLife jacket and his black tie had been removed, and his white dress shirt had been unbuttoned to expose his chest and abdomen. Joel, the on-call technician, was running an examination on the malfunctioning deviant's programs and software, and unfortunately the process was as slow as it was crucial. With a black cable connecting Connor's yellow blinking L.E.D. to his laptop Joel checked all of Connor's programs, and then used a Thirial activity monitor to record the downed deviant's vital signs. The results were seemingly inconclusive as Joel found Connor to be functioning in perfect condition.

After using an audioscope to listen to Connor's chest Joel sighed and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I have no idea what's wrong with him, Hank."

"That's not very encouraging, Joel. _You're_ the technician,_ I'm_ the detective. _One of us_ should be able to figure this out."

"I know, and you're right. But by all account Connor is running at optimal parameters and everything checks out one-hundred percent." Returning to his laptop Joel confirmed his readings and pressed his right index fingertip and thumb to the bridge of his nose to try to quell a building headache. "The problem is he isn't the only one acting like this."

"Wait, what?"

"About two minutes after you brought Connor up I got a message from downstairs that the two receptionist androids, the four androids watching over the holding cells and the two androids patrolling the precinct parking garage are all in the exact same condition as Connor."

"What the fuck?" The news was a little startling to hear. "Was the precinct _attacked_?"

"Uh, no... The _entire city_ has been affected." Returning to Connor who was laying completely oblivious to the world around him while laying on his back Joel lifted up Connor's heavy eyelids one at a time to check his glazed over unresponsive pupils with a penlight. "It's like every single android in the city, deviant or machine, has slipped into a coma or become catatonic."

"Shit." Putting his hands to his hips Hank approached the table where his deviant partner was laying and looked down at his face somberly. There were times that Connor looked exactly like a lost kid, and unfortunately it was one of those moments. "Keep an eye on him for me, Joel. I'm going back to the bullpen so I can try figure out all this bullshit."

"I will." The technician agreed as he continued to monitor Connor's strange condition. "I'll also keep in contact with the other facilities in the city and see if anyone has figured anything out yet."

* * *

All of the officers in the bullpen all had their eyes glued to the large television screen mounted on the far wall as a breaking news report regarding deviants and machine androids alike suddenly falling into an unresponsive catatonic state throughout the city rapidly swept over the broadcasts. Delivering the news was unexpectedly difficult since half of the staff at the broadcasting tower were in fact androids, and the lack of answers made delivering the story all the more difficult for the humans reporting the story.

Needing answers Hank joined the already gathered officers and stared at the screen as the blonde haired anchorwoman confirmed that all deviants and androids were affected by the bizarre condition resulting in catatonia, and there was no discernible cause. While technicians were scrambling to find the cause and subsequent treatment for the hindering affliction there was little progress being made, and the city was almost grinding to a halt without the assistance of androids.

"Fuck." Hank swore as he realized the entire day had been one big failure after another. Looking over his right shoulder he watched as Captain Fowler left his office to join the others in the middle of the bullpen. He too was at a loss. "No one knows what the fuck's going on, Jeffrey."

"Yeah, I've noticed. Look, I got a report from Joel upstairs and there's nothing that can be done for Connor right now. Hank, go home."

"What? No way."

"There's nothing you can do for Connor and I can't have one of my detectives worked into exhaustion."

"So I just leave Connor here and go home? Just like that?"

"For the time being, yes, and don't accuse me of not caring about Connor's condition. I got a message from Joel letting me know that he's going to stay overnight and observe Connor and the other downed deviants who were taken into the dispensary, so Connor won't be alone tonight. If he wakes up or shows any changes one or both of us will call you."

"Son of a bitch... Connor's not a busted car that needs to be in the shop overnight, he's my partner and _my friend_."

"Hank, go home. If I have to take you off the Fordon case to make you rest then I will."

"I get the message, Jeffrey." Shooting a fiery glare at his commanding officer Hank just glared at Captain Fowler as he mouthed off one final time before leaving the precinct for the night. "Don't bust my balls."

"Then go home. NOW."

"I'm gone!" Pulling his car keys from his left coat pocket Hank grabbed his phone from his desk and sent a text to Joel asking for an update, but there was no change. Passing through the bullpen with a sickening feeling that he was forgetting something very important the senior detective just sighed and made his way to the car parked in the neighboring parking garage. "If the city isn't tearing itself apart from the inside out, then it's some maniac with a grudge holding the city hostage. This is complete and utter bullshit."

* * *

As Hank drove back home alone he found the city in a form of panic and turmoil. Major installations of public transportation had been shut down due to the lack of androids being able to work the evening, night and early morning shifts. Road construction came to an abrupt halt creating dangerous hazards for motorists, numerous late night establishments had been closed due to the lack of androids working security or graveyard shifts, and many apartment complexes had established curfew and required proper identification to add to security due to the lack of android security officers patrolling the neighborhood.

"I wonder how many of those anti-android bigots are celebrating right now, and how many more are losing their shit because they just figured out how important the androids are to the city? They're the ones keeping this fuckin' world from falling apart while the humans keep fuckin' it up."

Pulling into the driveway beside the house Hank sighed as he slammed his car door shut, and checked his phone again. Sure enough, nothing. No text from Joel, Captain Fowler and certainly not one from Connor.

"Cripes..."

Rushing up to his backdoor quickly Hank unlocked the door and greeted Sumo as the massive dog plodded over to the door and wagged his tail slowly.

"Hey, boy. Let's get you outside and then we can both go to bed." As he watched the dog trot out into the backyard Hank sighed and realized how empty the house was without the deviant moving about trying to help with chores, or make sure Hank wasn't feeling too run down after work. It had been only a few hours but Hank already missed Connor's company. "You better wake up soon, Connor. I hate only having Sumo to talk to, he's bad at holding a decent conversation."

* * *

Ever attentive and looking for any and all changes in the deviant's condition Joel diligently hovered over Connor who was still comatose on the exam table. The deviant detective hadn't budged in almost nine hours, just like all the other affected androids, and Joel was absolutely exhausted. Ignoring the clock that was glaring three in the morning Joel sipped at the bitter and now lukewarm coffee in his blue thermos, and let out a weary yawn mixed with a frustrated sigh as he leaned back against the far wall to look over his now nine patients Joel was at a loss of what to do to help any of them.

"For once I think it's safe to say your problems have nothing to do with your prototype design, Connor. But I can't afford to rule anything out just yet."

Putting aside his now empty thermos Joel ran another diagnostic on Connor's programming and turned his back to the exam table as he checked on his laptop sitting on his desk to await the results. As the usual list of non-errors popped up on the laptop's display the technician steadily became aware of some form of movement behind him. Turning around to peer behind himself Joel nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Connor suddenly sitting upright on the table with absolutely perfect posture.

"Jeez!" Joel yelped as he put his right hand over his racing heart. "You scared the shit out of me, Connor!"

Connor didn't say a word. He didn't even blink as he sat upright with his eyes still partially closed.

"Uh, Connor?" Curious about the odd reaponse Joel approached the deviant and tried to look at his glowing L.E.D. still under the black cable. "Connor, if you-"

The deviant's right hand suddenly reached up and wrapped around Joel's throat and applied a consistent pressure. It wasn't enough pressure to crush Joel's trachea, but it was enough to cut off his ability to in a draw breath, and limit the blood flowing to the technician's brain. In less than four seconds Joel was rendered unconscious and fell to the floor in a limp heap as Connor released his grip from around his throat.

Unprovoked and seemingly on autopilot Connor removed the black cable from his L.E.D., slid off the exam table and walked out of the dispensary without uttering a single word.

* * *

Initially restless and enduring a nasty bout of insomnia Hank was sleeping deeply courtesy of two potent sleeping pills in the darkness of his quiet bedroom when his phone started buzzing on the nightstand beside him. It took a few seconds for him to rouse enough from his drug-induced slumber to trace the sound to his phone, and make a reach for it. Rubbing his left hand over his tired face he let out a sigh and answered the call in a groggy, tired voice as he pressed the phone to his right ear.

"...Hank Anderson." Listening to the sound of Captain Fowler's voice on the other end of the line Hank instantly became more alert and sat up quickly on his bed to give his commanding officer his full attention. "Connor did_ what_?!"

Practically jumping out of his bed, nearly knocking Sumo off the foot of the mattress in the process, Hank scrambled to find the light switch on the wall and throw on his clothes. Keeping his ear pressed to the phone Hank listened to everything Captain Fowler told him and took in all the very strange details as he clumsily managed to change into his day clothes with his left hand.

"Well, is Joel hurt?" Stumbling out of the bedroom he grabbed his car keys and quickly he slipped his shoes onto his feet. "Do you know where Connor went?"

Rushing through the backdoor Hank slammed the door shut behind him and threw open his driver's side door as he practically ran to the parked car. As he turned the key in the ignition he looked around as if expecting Connor to suddenly show up from down the driveway or sidewalk, then began backing down the driveway to reach the street.

"I'm on my way in now, Jeffrey. Tell the paramedics to keep Joel there until I have the chance to talk to him."

Ending the call Hank tossed the phone into the unoccupied passenger seat to his right and turned the car to face the appropriate direct to head back to the precinct.

"Damn it, Connor." Unsure of what to do to help his partner Hank just mumbled to himself as he sped toward the precinct. "What the fuck is going on in this city now? We need a damn break..."

* * *

Looking as rough as the rest of the exhausted bullpen downstairs Joel was sitting on one of the two still available exam tables in his own dispensary with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, and an ice pack pressed to the back of his aching head. As the paramedics checked his eyes and his pulse Captain Fowler took the assaulted technician's statement regarding the incident at hand, and made notes on the electronic tablet's screen. Of course the details were sparse and shaky but Joel did his best to answer the questions as honestly as possible.

"...That's all I remember, Captain." Closing his eyes Joel sighed and did his best to power through his headache. "The next thing I remember is Officer Chen finding me unconscious and the floor and waking me up."

"And Connor didn't say anything after he got up?"

Joel shook his head a little and immediately regretted it as the motion made his already aching head throb. "...No. He just grabbed me by the throat," his own right hand going over his slightly bruised throat to imitate the action. "squeezed and then everything went black."

"Did you ever figure out what was wrong with him, or why he even woke up?"

"No." Joel sighed and dropped his hand from his throat with fatigue. "There was a vacant stare in his eyes, like he was in a trance. I've never seen anything like that in androids, even in the most obedient machines have some life to their eyes. But with Connor there was nothing there."

Hank entered the dispensary through the opened doorway and made his way over to Joel. He immediately spotted the bruises forming around the technician's neck and grimaced at the fresh wound. "Fuck."

"It looks worse than it is, Hank." Joel tried to reassure him as the paramedics made their assessment over his condition. "I'll need to go to the hospital for overnight observation strictly as a precaution since I hit my head when I blacked out."

"I take it Connor didn't say or do anything that would tell us where he went, or what the hell happened to him before he took off."

"Nothing."

"Shit." Running his right hand through his messy gray hair, and then pressing his right palm to the back of his tense neck Hank glanced over at Captain Fowler who was standing back by the door to give the paramedics room to work. "Do you have the precinct camera footage ready to go?"

"Yeah, Hank. Tina already looked it over after she called for help, and all we know is Connor went in a Western direction after he regained consciousness and left the precinct through the front doors."

"Oh, well that narrows it to down to only the entire fucking city... Great, just great."

* * *

The other androids in the city remained catatonic, that included the leaders and inhabitants of New Jericho Tower, while Connor was missing. Without another android to communicate with Hank felt like he was at a total loss and was trying to analyze the footage of the security camera for any idea as to where he could locate Connor. There was nothing from the footage from the dispensary, and even less footage once Connor passed through the bullpen without drawing a single curious glance from anyone, except Tina who saw him from the breakroom, then disappeared into the late night onto the streets.

"This is getting me nowhere." Hank decided at he turned off his terminal screen and sighed. It was then he thought about what Connor was working on before he became catatonic, and decided to see what was left on Connor's terminal screen. "Maybe you were onto something good with that hacker asshole before you went out of it, kid."

Switching from his desk and over to Connor's desk Hank sighed and turned on the screen to check on Connor's previous work.

"Alright... What were you trying to tell me before you passed out?"

Checking out the information on the terminal screen Hank noticed that one of Connor's searches for probable cause to investigate the apartment of the known hacker Stanley Fordon seemed to be promising. There was an interesting connection between an I.P. address attributed to Fordon and one of the terminals of the F.B.I.'s criminal databases in Washington D.C., a connection that had been established four months prior."

"Son of a bitch, Fordon DID wipe out his criminal record. We must've barged in before he had the chance to cover his sneaky little tracks after that anonymous tip came in." Turning to look at the other officers still in the bullpen, very few were still there since many patrols were issued to monitor the streets until the androids were functioning again, Hank realized he'd have to get the search warrant himself. "Fuck. If I can at least get this asshole taken care of I can focus fully on helping Connor."

* * *

It took two hours but Hank was granted the search warrant and was rushing out of the precinct to get to his car when Captain Fowler stopped him in the receptionist area. Hank of course didn't respond well to having his already limited progress being halted any further, and glared at his commanding officer as Captain Fowler cut him off.

"I'm busy, Jeffrey."

"Hank, what the fuck are you doing?"

"I can finally investigate that cyber-terrorist's apartment. THAT'S what."

"...Aren't you looking for Connor?"

"I've looked as far as I can. Once I get this asshole off the streets I'll be able to fully concentrate on finding Connor. Jeez, Jeffrey. I thought you'd be happy I was working on an actual case."

"I am, but it's just-"

"Yeah, I know." Hank's aggressive tone softened considerably as he noted that Captain Fowler's overall demeanor was calm and compassionate. "I'm worry about him, too."

"And you have no idea where he would've gone?"

"No. I don't even know what the hell happened to him or the rest of the androids in this city, or why he's the only one who woke up."

Captain Fowler was evidently conflicted in his priorities and was struggling to make his next command. A missing detective was always at the top of the list, but a terrorist was even higher. "Alright. Take Chris with you, lead the investigation on Fordon, then get back here to lead the search for Connor."

"Yeah, sure. I'm on it." Hank called back to Chris who was sitting at his desk in the bullpen familiarizing himself with the strange occurrences at hand when he was shouted at. "Chris, you're with me!"

"Right away, Lieutenant."

* * *

With the coveted search warrant now in hand Hank pounded loudly on the closed apartment door of Fordon and announced his presence, while Chris stood next to Hank with his right hand warily hovering over his holstered gun at his right hip. Two other officers who were patrolling the area joined in with Hank and Chris to provide immediate back-up considering that Fordon has proven to be clever and elusive, and were just a few feet away on the either side of the closed apartment door.

"Detroit Police. Open up!" Hank shouted as he pounded on the door twice more. No answer. "Stanley Fordon, we have a warrant. Open the door or we will break it down."

There was still no response from the other side of the door, and no movement inside.

"Break it down." Hank ordered as he took a step back and let one of the other officers have the honor of kicking down the locked door.

One strong kick was all it took for the strong young officer to kick in the apartment door and give the responding officers easy access to the residence. Hank led the way into the apartment and began looking for a computer or laptop that had been used, although he was certain that Fordon would've destroyed any computers that could connect him to any crimes.

"Search the place." The senior detective instructed firmly as he glanced about the immediate area. Honing in on the desk that clearly had an opened space where a laptop had once sat Hank checked the surrounding drawers and then the trash can beside it. "Don't overlook anything, this guy is one clever snake."

Chris aided Hank in searching the livingroom while the other officers checked out the bedroom and guest room down the small corridor. Being as thorough as possible Chris saw that the right window next to the desk was unlocked, but the left window was still locked tight. The right window was also only partially closed as if someone threw it open, and then closed it again hastily.

Opening the unlocked window slowly Chris glanced about and saw that there was a piece of paper hanging from the concrete ledge just below the window's sill. It was seemingly caught in place after it had been snagged on the uneven edge of the hard surface. Grabbing onto the paper by the corner Chris pulled it back inside the apartment and gave it a quick glance.

The paper had some interesting details scrawled over the surface.

"Lieutenant." Presenting the paper to the senior officer Chris wanted Hank's opinion on the matter. "Found this hanging outside the window. Looks like someone tried to toss it, but didn't do a very good job."

"Let me see." Taking the paper from Chris's hand Hank gave it a once over and a faint smirk appeared on his face. "Good work, Chris. I think we finally know where this guy went."

"Should we call it in?"

"No. I'll go check it out myself and see if it pans out. You stay here and handle this crime scene on my behalf."

"No problem, Lieutenant. I got this."

* * *

Using the collected paper to his advantage, the paper being a very old deed to a property in one of the more exclusive and isolated neighborhoods in the city, Hank honed in on the address and checked out the area. The street of the proper address was expectedly quiet, and there was no surrounding traffic. The long drive leading from the street to the house on the private property was crumbling from aged neglect as if no one had been to the house in years, but Hank noticed that there was a single vehicle parked out in front of the house.

The house itself was a large two story, red brick mansion. There were no lights on upstairs but there were lights glowing through the windows on the first floor.

Someone was in fact home.

"Alright, looks like this is the right place." Stepping out of the car Hank made a discreet text to Captain Fowler regarding the address and requested him to send out available back-up to the area. Hank also stated that no one make a move until he texted the code word giving the go ahead. "I'll get this guy cuffed and then I can figure out why the androids in this city went down, and why Connor disappeared into the night."

Approaching the property warily, keeping an eye out for any possible security cameras that could give away his position or trigger a silent alarm, Hank made his way up the long driveway to the brick mansion at the end. Crouching down by the front windows Hank peered inside the glass between the mostly drawn dark curtains and saw a figure moving about in the dilm lighting of the room.

It was Stanley Fordon.

"Got you now, asshole."

Returning to the front door Hank tested the knob and found that it was unlocked, and immediately sensed a trap in the air.

"...Fucker is waiting for someone to come inside." Hank drew his holstered gun from his right hip and held it before him protectively. Turning the knob on the door Hank pushed it open slowly and stepped inside the house with a cautiously silence gait. Making sure his 'code word' was set to go on his phone Hank entered the house and glanced about the neighboring room where he saw Fordon's back facing him. "Stanley Fordon, you're under arrest for tampering with evidence, breaking into a government server and bunch of other shit I don't have the time to list off."

Fordon didn't even turn to look at Hank as the senior detective walked up to him with every intention of arresting. Raising up his left hand as his right hand continued to type away on his laptop Fordon snapped his left fingers, and a strong right hand suddenly wrapped around Hank's throat from around the wall in the second room.

The senior detective was so stunned by the grip now around his throat that he raised his gun and turned to look at his attacker only to have his blue eyes go wide with fearful recognition. "C-Connor?!"

Connor's right hand was firmly wrapped around Hank's throat just enough to hold him in place but not enough to choke him out as he had done to Joel back at the precinct. Keeping his hand firmly in place Connor didn't show any sign of life or awareness in his eyes, or overall body language.

"Connor..." Hank stated his partner's name is a calm low tone of voice. "Connor, let me go, kid. You know this is wrong."

The deviant's brown eyes were still glazed over and dim. Even his eyelids were still partially closed as if in a trance or sleepwalking. The L.E.D. in Connor's right temple was still pulsing in a deep yellow hue at an oddly slow rate.

"Connor." Hank slowly lifted up his left hand and wrapped it around Connor's right wrist. Using his right hand to reholster his gun at his right hip Hank remained calm and tried to get his partner to listen to reason. "Connor, please listen to me. You need to let me go."

"It can't hear you, detective." Fordon sneered as he finally turned around to look at the stunned human caught in the deviant's grasp. "It's plastic, not a person."

"He seems way more human and alive than you do, you coldhearted snake." Swallowing once nervously he felt Connor's hand briefly tighten then relax over his throat in response to the motion. "What did you do to him?"

"It's not just your partner that's been affected, detective. Every single android, every_ machine_, in this city has been affected. The difference is your partner is a little more advanced than I had anticipated which means I can control it with a few key commands while keeping the other androids dormant."

"Why?" Hank dared to challenge even as he was being held at bay by his own partner. "Why the fuck do all of this?"

"To prove that machines aren't people, they cannot be trusted and they will destroy this city."

"_Them_?! What about you! You're the one trying to 'cleanse' an entire race of beings from this planet, assaulted a human technician and now you're trying to assault a human police officer. YOU have done more harm than anything any of these androids could ever do!"

"I didn't assault that technician OR you, your _partner_ did."

"Only because you're TELLING him to! If a mechanic takes apart an engine and doesn't put it back together again do you blame the mechanic for his sloppy work, or the tools he used to do it? YOU are responsible, not him!"

"You're not as clever as you think." Fordon gave Hank an annoyed glance and snapped his left fingers again. Connor's hand began to tighten around Hank's throat even tighter and Hank was finding it more difficult to breathe. "Not only did you fail to recognize that I'm the one who 'tipped' you off, but you failed to understand that I'm not the only one who has the skill to do this."

"...No." Hank wheezed through Connor's strong grip. "But I bet you're... the only one_ deranged enough_... to do this. You're also... arrogant enough... to think you can... parade yourself... around in front... of an... audience."

"No matter. With one keystroke I can enable every single android's deactivation code, effectively rendering this entire 'species' extinct."

"That's sick!" Hank's right hand made its way to the phone in his pocket and he pressed 'send' on his preloaded text message. "And I can't let you do this!"

"And how're you going to stop me? It's already happening."

"Like this." With a swift grab Hank pulled his gun back from his holster and aimed at Fordon, only have Connor's left hand grab onto the barrel of the gun to stop him before he had the chance to pull the trigger. "Connor, no!"

Fordon readied to snap his fingers for the third and seemingly final time. "It's a shame you were the one to show up here. Now your partner will tear you apart before he shuts down forever. What's even sadder is your partner will never know the truth about its own origins, but it'll regain its senses just long enough to watch you die at its feet before it shuts down permanently. Goodbye, detective."

With the snap of the fingers Connor reacted violently toward Hank. The deviant easily overpowered the human and pushed him up against the wall by the throat. As Hank struggled to pull the gun out of Connor's grip Connor turned the barrel of the gun toward Hank's own person and squeezed the trigger once. Hank gasped and tried to curl around himself as the single bullet tore through his lower abdomen and tore apart his skin causing him to bleed heavily where he stood.

"Finish him off." Fordon ordered as he returned his attention back to his laptop. "Make him suffer."

Connor's right hand tightened around Hank's throat for a moment longer before the deviant threw the bleeding senior detective to the hard floor aggressively. As Hank lost his grip on the gun in favor of putting pressure to the bullet wound in his abdomen Connor reeled back his right leg and began kicking Hank hard in the chest, stomach and even his head to injure, subdue and eventually kill him.

Unable to get up to defend himself Hank tried to use his arms to shield himself from the merciless strikes, but it was all for nothing. The deviant knew exactly where and how to attack Hank to inflict maximum damage with minimum effort. As the senior detective suddenly went limp on the floor Connor stopped the assault as quickly as it began.

Blood dripped out of the side of Hank's mouth onto the floor. He was laying on his right side and barely breathing. Hank's face was already bruised and pale from the injuries and mounting blood loss due to the bullet wound in his abdomen.

"Good work." Fordon stated as he listened to the silence behind him. "Now, remain quiet so I can concentrate."

Obediently Connor remained still and statuesque as he stood beside Hank's bleeding body without any form of emotional reaction to the needless assault he had just taken on his own partner and friend.

"I'm sorry, detective." From where he stood Fordon falsely sympathized with Hank as he continued to type away. "But this was a necessary evil. I must save the city from the android menace."

The sound of approaching sirens and flashing lights drew Fordon away from his laptop just long enough to step over Hank's bleeding body to peer out the front windows to the street outside. The police had arrived en mass and were converging on the property quickly. Cars encircled the house and drones scanned the property to track any and all movement.

"No. No. No!" Fordon was beginning openly panic at the sight of the rapidly responding police. "They'll ruin everything!" As he stomped back to the laptop a deafening gunshot and shower of sparks filled the room and made Fordon jump back in surprise. "What?!"

Hank's shaking right hand dropped to the floor as the smoking gun fell from his grip. "...Sometimes one shot is all you need." As his body went limp once more the senior detective lost consciousness and continued to bleed from his abdomen.

In near shock Fordon hovered over the sparking smoldering remains of his destroyed laptop and began panting in fear. "What have you... done?!" Turning around quickly he marched back to Hank and grabbed the gun from the floor. With a shaking right hand he aimed at Hank's unconscious face with wide enraged eyes. "You're a traitor to your own people. You don't _deserve_ to live."

As Fordon prepared to squeeze the trigger a strong right hand grabbed onto the gun and wrestled it out of his grip. Staring at the offender with the same shocked expression as Hank had done before Fordon could only stand and watch as Connor stole away the weapon and easily subdued him with a strong punch to the stomach with his left fist.

"You're under arrest, Fordon." Connor stated bluntly as he took his handcuffs from the back of his belt and restrained the man's wrists behind his back. The deviant's L.E.D. was pulsing an enraged red in his right temple. "Don't move!"

The front door of the house was kicked open as responding officers rushed inside to deal with Fordon. Connor threw Fordon forward to their feet as he dropped to his knees beside Hank, and dropped the gun at his side. Running a scan over the downed senior detective's body Connor felt suddenly sick and full of regret.

The officers surrounded Fordon and secured the scene as they dragged the man outside, kicking and screaming the whole way, while Connor tended to Hank.

"...Hank?" Connor slipped his right hand very carefully under Hank's head and lifted him up from the floor. The deviant's L.E.D. was cycling red rapidly in empathetic panic that matched his racing heartbeat. "Hank, please... Please wake up."

The senior detective's blue eyes partially opened and a faint bloodied grin appeared on his face. "...Hey, kid."

"Hank! I'm so sorry!" Connor blurted as he moved his left hand to the bleeding wound in Hank's abdomen to apply pressure. "I could see what I was doing but I couldn't do anything to stop myself! I couldn't speak, I couldn't hear, I couldn't-"

"...Easy, kid. I know it wasn't... you." Hank hissed a little as the pain his abdomen suddenly sharpened and it began to hurt to breathe. "...It was all him."

"Hank..." Sensing Hank's waning vital signs Connor's left hand applied more pressure to the wound as he pulled Hank's body up from the floor and against himself to try to keep the bleeding human as warm as possible. The senior detective was resting against Connor's legs as the deviant continued to keep his hand in place over Hank's abdomen. "Hank, please. Back-up is already here and I summoned an ambulance as I soon as I saw what I had done."

"...Connor." Hank's eyes were falling shut and his breathing was becoming rapid and shallow. "It wasn't... your fault."

"But I shot you."

"...No. You didn't." The bleeding detective managed to reach up his blood covered right hand just enough to lightly pat Connor's left shoulder, his palm smearing blood onto the fabric of the gray CyberLife jacket in the process. "...You didn't do... this. Fordon did."

"H-Hank?" Connor watched as the wounded detective became increasingly weaker before his eyes. "Hank, please! Stay awake!" Connor's red L.E.D. cycled to yellow and then back to red as he detected an ambulance outside of the property. "The paramedics are here! Just hold on!"

Unable to respond all Hank could do was breathe weakly as Connor held him in his strong but shaking arms.

"Please, Hank." Bowing his head down Connor rested his forehead against the senior detective's weakly rising and falling chest. The paramedics rushed through the opened front door and stood behind Connor as they set about placing their equipment on the floor to begin tending to Hank's wounds around the deviant's shaking hands. "...Don't die."

* * *

Unable, or unwilling, to ride in the ambulance with Hank to the hospital Connor walked the twelve blocks to the correct place and proceeded to sit down in the waiting room and remained completely silent. As he nervously rolled his coin over the back of his right knuckles Connor was only slightly aware of the staring people watching his every move as if expecting him to lash out at them in the same way that he had done to Hank, and was only barely aware of Captain Fowler approaching him rapidly from across the room.

"Connor? What the hell happened to you?"

"...Unknown."

"Shit." Sitting down beside the shaken deviant Captain Fowler kept his voice civil as he spoke to the worried detective compassionately. "Connor, I have to take your statement on everything that's happened. And I'm going to need your service weapon for the time being."

With a shaking right hand Connor reached for the holster concealed beneath his jacket around his back and handed the gun over to Captain Fowler as he had been ordered. "...Captain. I don't know what happened to me, but I remember everything. I attacked Joel at the precinct and then I almost killed..." His soulful brown eyes closed as his L.E.D. cycled in red rapidly. "...Let me make sure Hank pulls through the surgery and then I will turn myself in for two counts of assault and one count of attempted murder."

"Connor, you're not under arrest or being charged with anything. I'm taking your gun as a precautionary measure and to placate the bureaucratic assholes breathing down my neck about this whole incident."

"Captain, I shot him. I shot Hank."

"No, Connor." Captain Fowler sighed a little as he tried to explain everything to the deviant. "When Hank sent the text signaling for back-up to get to his location he also kept the line open. We heard EVERYTHING that happened. You're innocent. You didn't do _anything_ wrong."

"...I feel like I did _everything_ wrong."

"You're going to feel guilty and feel like shit for a while, that's for sure. But you can't let it break you down, alright?" Captain Fowler nodded as he saw a doctor heading right over to himself and to Connor. "When Hank gets home he's going to need all the help he can get while he heals. Don't let your guilt keep you from staying his friend and helping him out through his recovery."

Connor could only nod with his L.E.D. remaining red as the doctor stood before them. "Are you here for Lieutenant Hank Anderson?"

"Yeah." Captain Fowler stood upright and offered his right hand to the doctor to shake. "I'm Captain Fowler," he nodded in Connor's direction. "this is Connor, Hank's partner."

"I'm Dr. Nachman." He introduced himself with a firm handshake to Captain Fowler.. "I have been overseeing Lieutenant Anderson's care."

"How is he?"

"Stable. He spent four hours and fifty-three minutes on the table. He tolerated the surgery well, but he suffered significant internal damage. He had also suffered a massive blow to the head that has left him in a comatose state."

Connor's eyes tightened more as tears threatened to fall at any second.

Captain Fowler sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "How bad was the bullet wound?"

"The bullet nicked his stomach and part of his lower intestine. We were able to repair the damage and sterilize the wounds, but due to the severe damage to his torso he'll require a wheelchair to support a majority of his weight until the torn muscles have enough time to heal."

Connor's eyes opened slowly and looked up at the doctor. "...Wheelchair?"

"Temporary." Dr. Nachman reassured as he looked down at Connor sympathetically, only to notice the red L.E.D. and became slightly colder. "He'll be fine in six weeks and require mild physical therapy to rebuild strength in his core muscles."

Captain Fowler was happy to know Hank survived the surgery but needed to know about the other injuries. "Aside from being shot what else did he suffer?"

"Four fractured ribs, a ruptured spleen, a hairline fracture to his right radius, hairline fracture to his left mandible and left orbit, as well as a severe concussion."

As his coin fell from the back of his hand and landed on the hard floor with an audible 'tink' Connor leaned forward in his seat and pressed both of his hands against his face to hide his shame.

"...Can we see him?"

"He's still unconscious and in our intensive care unit. He'll be there for the next forty-eight hours under very close observation." Dr. Nachman gave the police Captain a sympathetic look where stood. "I'll make an exception for you tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks. What about his partner?"

"The android?"

"Yeah," Captain Fowler replied somewhat firmly at the question. "the android. The _android_ is his _partner_."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense. But because of what's recently happened with the androids throughout the city the hospital has gone on a type of security protocol to keep androids away from patients for one week, or until we figure out what happened to them."

"Right, right. Of course."

"There's nothing more either of you can do tonight for him. Go get some rest and I'll call you personally if there's any change in his condition."

"Thanks, doc."

Silent where he sat Connor was too stunned and felt entirely too guilty to even try to move or speak.

Captain Fowler sensed Connor's pain and tried to ease his mind. "Connor. Come with me back to the precinct."

"...I don't want to leave Hank here alone."

"He's not alone, the entire hospital is watching over him. AND I want to get your side of the story. It'll make everything move a lot easier."

"Captain," Connor's hands lowered from his face to show the tears in his soulful brown eyes. "I deserve to be punished."

"No."

"I attacked two people!"

"Against your will! I'm not going to blame you, or hold yourself accountable because some lunatic hijacked your programming."

"I wasn't the only one affected. But I _am_ the only who lashed out at two innocent people."

"Connor, I'm not going to punish you." Picking up Connor's dropped coin from the floor he handed the object back to the deviant to reclaim. "But if you want to stay away from the precinct for a while for your own mental health then I'm not going to object or try to stop you."

"Thank you, Captain."

"But you get to leave only_ after_ you give your statement. Now, let's go."

"Captain, I-"

"That's an ORDER, Connor."

"...Yes, sir." Reluctantly Connor accepted his coin and followed after his Captain, his hand nervously dancing his coin once more over his right knuckles, as he exited the hospital to return to the precinct.

* * *

After giving his statement and answering thousands of questions from Internal Affair for three hours Connor intentionally isolated himself from the rest of the precinct and stayed in an interrogation room out of sight. Connor was unable to think about anything other than what he had done to Hank and how his best friend was now in the hospital, in a coma, and healing from a massive emergency surgery all alone. The sight of Hank covered in his own blood and laying on the floor was haunting Connor's vision, while the sound of the gunshot that had wounded his friend echoed relentlessly in his ears.

A soft knock on the closed door made Connor flinch but he didn't respond.

The knob turned slowly and the door opened just wide enough for Joel, with his technician's satchel over his left shoulder, to slip inside the room without drawing any attention to anyone watching from the bullpen. "Connor?"

"Joel!" Connor turned around to look at the technician with his red L.E.D. blinking rapidly in distress. The sight of the purple bruises around the technician's throat made Connor want to actually cry in emotional distress after seeing how he had hurt two of his friends. "...I'm... I'm so sorry that I attacked you!"

"Connor, it's okay. I know you weren't being yourself."

"...But I still laid my hand on you. I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry!"

"You don't need to apologize, but I'll forgive you all the same if it'll make you feel better."

"Unfortunately no. Hank is in the hospital fighting for his life because of me."

"He's in the hospital because that cyber-terrorist was fuckin' crazy."

"But I'm the one-"

"You were one of the many victims of that guy's assault on the city." Joel reminded him as he put the satchel down on the table and sat in the chair next to Connor. "And since you didn't report to the dispensary despite me knowing damn well Captain Fowler ordered you to do so I'm going to give you a quick physical right here so you can get back to the hospital."

"...I can't go back there."

"Sure you can." Like a true friend Joel was trying to get the deviant to stop being so down on himself. Picking up Connor's left arm Joel spotted the dried red blood stain on his jacket's shoulder and decided to fully remove the jacket before rolling up the deviant's white dress shirt sleeve to expose his bicep. "Just take a moment to breathe."

"I can't stop thinking about what I did to him, Joel. What I did to_ you_."

"Not your fault." The technician reaffirmed as he wrapped a Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's exposed bicep, then pulled his audioscope out of the satchel to check his breathing and Thirium pump; his heart. "The other androids confirm the same hypnotic trance-like state you described after they woke up. And like you they snapped back to reality within seconds of the laptop being destroyed, and that strange frequency that Fordon was emitting from house was stopped thanks to the laptop's destruction. You aren't responsible for anything you did while under the frequency's influence."

"That doesn't change the fact that it was my hand that left the bruise on your throat, or held the gun to Hank's abdomen."

"You wouldn't have harmed either of us under your own freewill." Joel finished listening to the deviant's chest and repacked the audioscope, as well as the Thirium pressure cuff after it automatically tightened to give Joel a reading, then put it too back into the satchel. Slipping out his own laptop from the repacked satchel Joel connected the black diagnostic cable to Connor's red tinted L.E.D. to run a full system diagnostic to ensure the deviant's system was perfectly stable. "And I still trust you as my friend. Hank does, too."

"...I don't trust myself."

"Connor?"

The deviant looked at the technician and didn't say another word in response.

"Why are you so certain that you alone should be held accountable for this?"

"...I don't know."

"Please stop trying to beat yourself up. Go home, get some rest, and then go check on Hank tomorrow morning."

"Androids aren't allowed in the hospital because of this strange attack on the city."

"Uh-huh, don't worry about that. I'll make sure the city knows exactly what happened and who is responsible. You'll be able to see him tomorrow, I swear."

* * *

Feeling like utter shit and unwilling to socialize with anyone for any reason, even Lucas, Connor walked back to the house rather than drive Hank's car and returned to the empty house with a heavy heart. As he entered the front door of the house very slowly Sumo got up from his spot over the length of the couch, stretched out his arthritic body, yawned and clumsily jumped down to the floor to greet the returned deviant as Connor walked through the doorway to remain for the night.

"...Hi, Sumo."

The massive dog wagged his tail as he watched Connor go into the kitchen to pour some fresh food and water into the dog's bowls on the floor before opening the backdoor to let Sumo outside.

"Hank won't be coming home tonight. And it's my fault."

Sumo let out a confused whimper as he trotted through the kitchen and went into the backyard as instructed.

Connor crossed his arms over his chest and stayed planted firmly in the middle of the kitchen in silent contemplation. Despite Joel's reassurance that he was running at optimal parameters and Captain Fowler insisting he didn't do anything wrong the overly empathetic deviant still felt absolutely horrendous about what happened to Hank.

After a few minutes Sumo returned to the kitchen with his tail still wagging and proceeded to check out his bowls. Closing and locking the backdoor Connor let out a weary sigh and walked over to the livingroom to lay down over the couch to rest.

Despite being given Cole's old bedroom to have as his own Connor felt unworthy of such a gift after harming Hank so severely. It was like his very presence in the house was a slap in the face to everything Hank had done to help him, and now he was just intruding. Laying on his left side to face the back of the couch Connor pressed his arm right up under is head again his red L.E.D., and closed his pained eyes tightly to enter a rest mode plagued by inescapable nightmares.

Nightmares that Connor felt he deserved and brought upon himself.

"Forgive me, Hank. Please pull through and don't hate me when you wake up... I'm so very sorry for hurting you."

* * *

The following morning Fordon was back in interrogation for the final time before the F.B.I. took him into custody for his multiple felony charges. Captain Fowler was leading the questions and two federal agents were observing from the adjacent room's observation window with a keen interest. Gavin was already watching the interrogation go down along with the agents when Connor entered the room at last, and looked uncharacteristically disheveled in overall appearance.

Connor was still wearing his white dress shirt from the night before and it was wrinkled from wearing it as he slept. His black tie was loose around his neck, his hair was unkempt and he didn't have any replacement suit gray jacket to make him look more professional. He never tried to reclaim his blood stained jacket after Joel removed it the night before, and he didn't care about keeping the soiled garment.

"Jeez, you look like shit." Gavin stated coldly as the deviant stood with his back against the cold wall opposite the mirror.

"...I feel like shit."

"Did you do your weird rest thingy in your work clothes or something?"

"I don't believe what I went through last night can be classified as a proper rest mode."

"So, androids aren't flawless." Gavin smirked while Connor didn't even both to remind him that androids were far from flawless, and just as vulnerable as humans could be. "Well, you didn't miss much. Fowler's just getting to the more interesting questions."

Connor gazed through the one way mirror and focused as best as he could on the interrogation while Captain Fowler continued his questions.

'_We know you hacked the Federal Bureau of Investigations terminals, so there's no way you can hope to reduce your sentence_.' Captain Fowler stated in a professionally level and calm demeanor. '_What we want to know is why you did this to the city_.'

'_As I told you detective yesterday_,' Fordon replied in a low, frustrated tone. '_machines can't be trusted_.'

'_All you did was prove that humans can't be trusted_.' Captain Fowler shot back with a stern answer. '_You failed_.'

'_From what I've heard your detective is still in the hospital and laying in a coma all thanks to your plastic detective's actions_.'

Connor winced and his arms tightened defensively around his chest as his guilt remained relentless.

'_No_.' Captain Fowler stated very firmly in response to the arrogant comment. '_YOU made my detective assault his partner. You're going to jail for the assault of my technician, assault of two police officers, AND the attempted murder of a police officer. You're going away for the rest of your life, so why not clean your conscience before you're locked up_?'

'_You seriously see that plastic fake as a real person, don't you_?'

'_This isn't about him_,' Captain Fowler snapped bitterly. '_it's about you_.'

Fordon only sneered and shook his head at the claim. '_You've been working with that piece of plastic for a year now, and you've looked into CyberLife's shady practices_, _and yet you still don't know anything about that very detective you're trying to protect_. _ Do you even know where it really came from_? _Why it looks and sounds the way it does, or why its model is so unique_?'

'_Final chance, Stanley_.' It was evident that Captain Fowler was losing his patience and was more than ready to see this guy get dragged out of the precinct in chains and thrown into a maximum security prison. '_Why'd you do this_?'

'_I told you why_. _But you just refuse to listen_.'

'_That's it_.' Captain Fowler motioned for observing federal agents to take him away. '_I'm done with you_. _You're not going to waste my time and I don't feel like indulging your tender little ego_.'

Unable to respond Connor remained silent and steadfast as he listened to every word Fordon stated to Captain Fowler. Once the interrogation was over the two federal agents stepped out of the observation room and took Fordon out of the interrogation room to be arrested. Gavin rose from his chair to leave himself, and while passing by Connor he intentionally and forcefully rammed his shoulder into the deviant's shoulder make him stumble backward a step in pained surprise.

Frozen in place for what felt like only a few seconds Connor was pulled back to reality by Captain Fowler lightly shaking his right shoulder to get his attention through the fog. "Connor? What're you doing in here?"

"I was..." Connor focused on Captain Fowler's face and sighed. "I was watching the interrogation."

"With Fordon?"

"Correct."

"Connor, that was four hours ago."

"I... Oh."

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

"I didn't have an adequate rest mode, no."

"It's over now. So go to the hospital and sit with Hank."

"Androids aren't-"

"They are now." Captain Fowler cut him off sharply. "Joel made sure to spread the word and now everyone knows that the androids in the city were all victims of one psychotic hacker, and that they aren't to be feared. You're in the clear."

"...That's good."

"Connor. Go to the hospital and sit with Hank. And don't worry about that that asshole said, alright?"

"It's difficult not to."

Sympathetically he patted Connor's right shoulder and led him out of the observation room. "Go on. Go sit with Hank and wait for him to wake up, okay?"

"Is that another order?"

"No, it's a suggestion."

Connor nodded a little as he obediently made his way to his desk to clock out, his L.E.D. only briefly flickering from a distressed red to a cautious yellow as he did so, then made his way toward the precinct's front doors. It was difficult to leave the precinct as ordered as his guilt still gnawed at every fiber of his being, but Connor was still loyal. Connor was always loyal to both his friends and his fellow officers, but sometimes loyalty had its drawbacks.

...Like guilt.

* * *

Pushing himself to enter the hospital and ignore all the judgmental stares and awkward glances from human passersby Connor approached the receptionist desk where a deviant was working, but being heavily shadowed by the human head nurse. Informing the receptionist of his purpose for visiting and of whom he was seeking to visit she smiled at him and directed him to Hank's room in the I.C.U., and informed Connor that he would have to remain outside the room unless given permission to enter by the doctor.

Almost relieved to have a door acting as a barrier Connor stood outside the doorway to Hank's room and danced his coin over the knuckles of his right hand in distress. Seeing Hank laying unconscious in the bed through the window made him feel so far away.

Hank was still in a coma and he had a tube down his throat to aid his breathing while his ribs and abdomen healed from the severe injuries, as well as the resulting surgery. The senior detective's face was pale and marred with bruises, his right arm was in a cast and a cardiac monitor recorded his vitals at an uncommonly low reading.

Aware of the assault and tragedy from the night before Lucas had found his way to the hospital as well, and found his 'big brother' standing outside the room completely lost in emotional turmoil. "Connor?"

Pausing for a moment Connor bowed his head and refused to look his little brother in the eyes. "...Lucas."

"How is Hank?"

"Alive." Was the single surprisingly dreary answer. "He's still alive. It was... my fault."

"Connor we were ALL affected by the cyber-terrorist. Not just you."

"But I was the only one who _hurt_ someone."

"Against your will. Don't blame yourself for this accident. Hank wouldn't want to see you behaving as such." Lucas saw the worryingly red tinted L.E.D. in Connor's temple. "You're stressed out and emotionally distraught. I'm worried about you."

"...I'm fine. It's Hank who needs help."

"Connor, I'm going to return to New Jericho for the time being. I want to stay here for Hank, but this is a moment where you two need to speak to each other in private."

"Please, don't go. I don't want to be alone with Hank like this."

"I have to. I'll be in touch, big brother. Don't shut him out."

As Lucas left the corridor Connor found himself all alone again. Standing statuesque outside the room staring through the window to where Hank was laying unconscious and weak the deviant suddenly felt sick to his artificial stomach.

"Hank, I'm so sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you."

Dr. Nachman had noticed Connor and heard the deviant apologizing to the open air. "Excuse me, you're Lieutenant Anderson's partner, right? Connor?"

Almost hesitant to answer Connor finally forced himself to speak and acknowledge the doctor standing beside him. "...Correct."

"Since you're an android and I know you can't pass any germs to Lieutenant Anderson," Dr. Nachman stated in a much kinder voice compared from the night before. "I can allow you to see him as long as you use sanitary measures on your hands first."

"I..." Connor glanced over to Dr. Nachman and let out a defeated sigh of utter despair. "I don't think I should. He's so weak and still unconscious."

"Well, we've seen some surprisingly positive results in our comatose patients whenever a friend or family speaks to them. Hearing a friendly voice could be enough to rouse your friend and bring him around."

"Then perhaps someone else should-"

"Hey, listen to me, your technician friend came to the hospital personally to tell us what happened to the androids. He also let me know that you're still feeling guilty. Don't. Accidents happen."

"This wasn't an accident. This was-"

"Please, I've been a doctor here for almost twenty years. I can tell accidents from intentional assault by both the victim and the supposedly guilty party. You aren't a vicious person, what you did wasn't anything you would do under your own power. I can tell that you're a good person. If you weren't you wouldn't feel guilty despite not being responsible for what happened to your friend."

"...I want to believe that."

"Then believe it." Dr. Nachman took a large bottle of liquid hand sanitizer that was tucked into a plastic container beside the door to Hank's room and motioned for Connor to hold out his hands. "Now, clean your hands and go talk to him. Even if it's only for a minute it could do wonders for your friend."

Giving a reluctant nod Connor pocketed his coin, disinfected his hands and forced himself to enter the room. The smell of antiseptic and astringent was overwhelming to the deviant's enhanced senses, but he forced himself to stay inside for Hank.

Approaching the bed Connor ran a scan over the senior detective's body and noted the healing fracture in Hank's right forearm, the four fractured ribs on his right side, the fractures to his left orbital bone and left jawline. The healing incision in Hank's abdomen made Connor wince and the sight of the I.V. running into the back of Hank's left hand to provide antibiotics made Connor uneasy to say the least.

However it was the sight and sound of the respirator breathing on Hank's behalf that made Connor feel entirely sick to his artificial stomach again.

"Hank..." Very lightly he rested his left hand on Hank's right forearm over top of the cast, the abrasive white texture under his left palm was unnerving. "I wish you know how sorry I am. This is my fault. I promise you that as soon as you wake up I'll be there to help you recover. Then..." Bowing his head slightly Connor let the heavy tears he had been restraining for so long to finally fall freely. "I will let you alone. You deserve to have a partner who can't be compromised or turned against you. You deserve to have someone you can trust to watch your back."

* * *

It took two days for Hank's strength to return enough for Dr. Nachman to attempt to extubate him and allow the wounded detective to attempt to breathe on his own again. Connor stared at Hank while holding his own breath as he waited nine grueling seconds for Hank to finally take in a breath on his own, and continue to breath unassisted. Once Dr. Nachman was satisfied that Hank was stable and would not longer need the respirator he had a nurse place an oxygen mask over Hank's face, and issued new orders for hourly checks on the senrior detective's respiration, and to have Hank moved to a private room once one became available.

Connor remained at Hank's side, only entering rest mode long enough to restore his power to keep his system from reaching critical levels, and continued to monitor the precinct's activity cybernetically.

"It appears that Fordon has been condemned to life in prison without the possibility of parole." Connor stated somberly as he stared at Hank's blank face. Even though Hank was breathing on his own he still hadn't awoken from the coma and Connor was getting worried. "All of the androids that he had affected have been located and have all subsequently resumed normal function. Joel suspects that the reason I was able to be controlled while the others remained unresponsive is due to my advanced prototyping and design, just as Fordon stated. He activated some file deep in my memorybank to establish this connection. It has been severed entirely, and I intend on searching through all of my files so I can delete everything that could cause something like this to happen again."

Noticing that Hank's arm, even under the cast, was feeling cooler than normal Connor gently pulled up the beige blanket to cover the chilled limb before returning his left hand to Hank's forearm.

"I wish I knew why my design was so unique. Fordon even claimed that what CyberLife had stated regarding my origins was a lie. I do not have any memories before being activated, all the information I have regarding my beginning came from CyberLife itself. I fear what I know is completely false, and it's unsettling."

Along with his guilt heavy seeds of doubt were begging to sprout and grow in both Connor's mind and his heart.

"What if everything I am is a lie? What if I don't actually know what, or who, I am?" Connor's hand tightened a little around Hank's forearm as he fought back his building emotional turmoil. "Hank, I need you to wake up. I need your help. I... I don't think the Connor that you know is the _real_ Connor. I need guidance and you're the only one I can trust! But..." His hand lessened its grip and he let out a defeated sigh. "...you can't trust _me_. I don't even trust myself."

Turning away from Hank's face Connor stared blankly at the floor beside the bed and allowed the rest of his tears to flow freely from his eyes.

"...No one should trust me."

* * *

Four long slow days passed and Connor remained at Hank's side in an attempt to keep vigil over his wounded friend. During his stay Captain Fowler and Joel both stopped by the hospital to visit, and even Markus came by to pay his respects after learning about Hank's injuries from Lucas. Everyone was remaining optimistic in Hank's recovery but Connor himself was still worried that Hank wasn't going to make it.

Staying in the chair beside Hank's bed Connor bowed his head down until he was resting his forehead next to Hank's broken arm. The short periods of rest mode had weakened his constitution considerably, and the frequent nightmares kept him feeling exhausted all day long. As he finally caved in and allowed himself to sleep Connor became suddenly aware of a presence watching him and a gentle pressure on the back of his hair.

Opening his heavy brown eyes Connor recognized the recovery room and realized that the pressure on the back of his hair belonged to a hand. As he lifted his head up he watched the hand fall from his hair and come back to rest on the bed. "...Hank?"

The senior detective gave the deviant a sleepy look as Connor's eyes suddenly darted away from him in shame. "...Connor."

"I... I'll go get the doctor." Connor rose from his chair quickly as his L.E.D. cycled between red and yellow as a flood of conflicting emotions swept over him. Departing from the room before Hank could stop him Connor quickly motioned for the doctor to join him in Hank's room.

Dr. Nachman strode into the room confidently with a nurse at his side as soon as they noticed the positive shift in Hank's vital signs. As he gave Hank an examination Connor remained outside of the room and sent a cybernetic update to Lucas and to the precinct to let them know that Hank had finally woken up.

Connor stayed outside the room with his coin dancing anxiously over his right knuckles as he contemplated either fleeing from the hospital out of lingering shame for what he did to his best friend, or returning to the room and throwing himself on the floor and begging Hank to forgive him. A firm hand on his right shoulder from Dr. Nachman told Connor that he didn't really have a say in the matter anymore.

"He's going to be fine, Connor. He's asking about you, too."

"...Shouldn't he rest?"

"The sooner he sees you the sooner he can relax. Go talk to your friend, and in another forty-eight hours for as long as he remains stable you can take him back home to heal."

Slowly Connor stopped fussing with his coin and returned it to his jean pocket. Slowly he stood up from the chair to face the room once more. Slowly Connor returned to the room to finally speak to Hank for the first time in five days, completely unsure of what he should say. Slowly he stood beside the bed and looked down at his friend as he remained quiet and reclaimed the unoccupied chair beside the bed.

"...Connor." Hank's voice was hoarse from being intubated during the surgery and from the respirator. The lack of use over the previous five days wasn't helping matters either. "...You look like shit."

"...I feel like shit." The deviant admitted as he stared at Hank's right hand. He found it impossible to look Hank in the eyes out of his relentless guilt. "You're finally awake and that's all that matters."

"Kid, I remember what happened."

The deviant visibly tensed as he awaited Hank to either yell at him or hit him.

"And I remember telling you before I blacked out that it wasn't your fault."

"...I hurt you Hank. I can never forgive myself."

"Stop. You did NOTHING wrong. I don't want to see you tear yourself apart because you feel bad about what someone else did."

"Fordon didn't squeeze the trigger. I did."

"HE MADE YOU."

Connor flinched again as Hank raised his voice but didn't budge from his seat.

"How many different ways can I tell you that you're not at fault? For fuck sake, Connor." Hank grabbed onto the deviant's right arm in a weak grasp and held on as much as he could. "You stopped Fordon from finishing me off and you called the ambulance. You saved my life."

"...How did you know I stopped Fordon from shooting you a second time?"

"Because I was still awake. My eyes were closed but I could hear and feel everything around me." Hank leveled off his voice as much as possible. "You _saved_ my life, kid. Thank you for that."

Connor didn't say another word. All he could do was put his left hand over top Hank's right hand and stare blankly into nothingness.

* * *

The forty-eight hours of observation were over at last, and Hank was given the clear to go home. As much as Hank hated it he allowed Connor and the nurse to escort him out to the car near the front entrance of the parking lot in the wheelchair, and then help him to climb into the front passenger seat of the Oldsmobile. Hank was indeed wheelchair bound until the damage to his abdomen healed properly, and would need help for the next six weeks in getting around, and Hank was indeed unhappy about the arrangement.

Connor opened the front passenger door of the car and helped Hank to sit down in the seat, and tilted it back slightly to keep the seatbelt from pressing against Hank's healing abdomen. While Connor tended to Hank the nurse folded up the required wheelchair and put it in the trunk of the car to make it easier for the duo to pack up and leave.

As Connor returned to the driver's side of the car he let out a weary sigh and held up the bottle of prescribed antibiotics for Hank to see. "One pill every six hours with a meal. Please do not forget."

"I won't forget, kid." Hank rubbed his left hand over his still sore ribs and watched as Connor slowly pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the street to finally head for home. "I need to take a pain pill every six hours, too."

Connor remained unusually quiet as he focused on driving home and tried to ignore the weakened vital signs of Hank sitting next to him. Despite Hank waking up and being cleared to leave the hospital his L.E.D. remained red in color and blinked at a sluggish pace.

"Kid, will you please stop moping?"

"...I'm sorry, Hank."

"Don't be sorry, just stop trying to kick yourself in the ass."

"...I can't."

"You can't?" The response was a little worrying considering how pained the words sound. "Connor, I hate to ask this, but... Can deviants get depressed"

As if ashamed by his own emotions Connor remained quiet as he came to a gentle stop at the red traffic signal.

"Connor. Answer me."

There was a pause before he finally answered the question. "...It's plausible."

"Did you talk to the precinct 'shrink' after what happened?"

"Captain Fowler didn't order me to do so." The light turned green and Connor pulled the car through. "...And I don't want to talk to anyone."

"You should."

"Why?"

"Because you feel bad and you need to talk about it. I figured that out almost too late when I was lost in my own depression. I don't want to see you make my mistakes, son."

"Mistakes are a part of humanity. I can't avoid them all."

"Don't do that, kid. Don't shut me out."

"...I just don't want to talk about it. Please don't ask me to do so."

"Alright, fine. But if you do want to talk about it I'll be there."

Reaming quiet for a moment longer Connor nodded a little and sighed to himself. "...I'll consider it."

* * *

It was a little awkward getting Hank out of the car, into the wheelchair and then through the front door; but Connor managed to succeed in the endeavor. As Hank was wheeled inside the house and into the livingroom Sumo trotted up to the senior detective and readily put his front paws over Hank's lap and started licking at Hank's hands, and even tried to lick the side of his face. Hank happily pet the dog's ears with his left hand while Connor closed the front door and set about getting Hank settled in.

"Hey, boy." Hank greeted the loyal dog as the massive Saint Bernard drooled all over his hands happily. "It looks like Chris kept you well taken care of while we were gone, huh?"

"...Lucas will be by tonight." Connor mentioned in passing as he crossed the livingroom past Hank. "I hope you don't mind."

"Nope."

To keep his mind preoccupied Connor busied himself in the kitchen by preparing Hank several meals that would make it easier for the human to ingest his medication without anything upsetting his stomach as he healed. There was just so much weighing on Connor's mind that he couldn't stop thinking about or stop himself from worrying about Hank's health.

The sound of Hank pushing the wheelchair over to the couch caught Connor's ear and he turned around quickly to see that Hank had managed to easily get from the chair over the length of the soft furniture. "Hank, you should've asked me for help."

"I can get from one chair to another, kid. I'm hurt, not an invalid."

"You still shouldn't exert yourself."

"I'm fine. Look, those pain pills are making me drowsy, so I'm going to take a little nap right here and you're going to stop worrying so damn much about me."

"Even though you've been medically cleared you're still suffering from a concussion. I'm going to have to monitor your breathing for another four weeks until you've recovered from your head trauma, and your ribs have healed."

"Fine. Just don't wake me up while you're fuckin' around in the kitchen."

"...I will do my best."

* * *

The two detectives settled into a new routine of six hour intervals regarding Hank's medication, resting and limiting his physical exertion. As much as Hank hated having to use the wheelchair to get around the idea of getting a lecture from the deviant regarding the possible hindrance to his recovery if he refused was far more unappealing. For a solid week the duo stayed in this routine and only changed it up when Hank was strong enough to begin the physical therapy to regain his core strength, and was able to more easily push himself around in the chair.

"I fuckin' hate this." Hank complained as he lifted himself up and out of the wheelchair and into his recliner. "My legs work just fine and I don't even hurt anymore."

"You may not feel it," Connor reminded Hank as he joined the senior detective in the livingroom. "but your body is still healing. It's crucial you-"

"I know, kid." The senior detective almost barked in frustration. "That doesn't mean I have to like it!"

Connor remained silent and never looked Hank in the eyes as he quietly returned to the kitchen to give Hank some space. The deviant still felt terrible for what had happened to Hank and was almost intimidated to be in the same room as him. In fact Connor would only be in the same room as Hank when he was giving the detective his medication or brought him something else he needed.

From the recliner Hank could see Connor nervously shuffling about the kitchen and knew he was still upset. He hated to see it but he had been trying for over a week to get the deviant to forgive himself, and nothing seemed to work. Letting out a tired sigh Hank called out to him. "Hey, Connor."

"...Yes?"

"Come here."

Timid but eager to help Connor walked back into the livingroom and stood before the healing detective. "What do you need?"

"Kid. If I didn't know any better-" He grabbed onto Connor's right arm with his left hand and the deviant almost jumped back, wanting to wrest his arm free of Hank's grip. Hank immediately noticed and his brow knitted together in confusion. "Why are you afraid of me?"

"...I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of myself."

"You're not going to hurt me."

Connor shook his head a little and lightly pulled his arm back from Hank's grip. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe that."

"You need to-"

"I'll go and purchase replacement groceries." The deviant suddenly volunteered as he made his way toward the front door to get away from Hank for a while, and keep himself distracted. "You can begin your physical therapy sessions at the hospital tomorrow, I don't want to have to stop at a grocery store after your appointment."

"Connor?" Hank tried to keep the deviant from leaving, but Connor had made up his mind and was well on his way out the door. "Connor!" As the door shut Hank leaned back in his recliner and swore to himself angrily. "Damn it, kid. Let me help you."

* * *

Desperate to keep his mind distracted Connor had gone to the grocery store just as he told Hank and purchased a few items, but he didn't go home just yet. Stopping by New Jericho Tower first he went to speak with Markus and to ask a few questions of his own regarding the cryptic taunts to his past. Fordon's claim that Connor's origin was a lie, that there was something else that CyberLife was hiding from him, had been just as mentally taxing on the deviant as Hank's injuries had been emotionally draining.

"I'm not sure what you're expecting to find." Markus stated as he escorted Connor to the archive room in the depths of the tower. The sleazy activities courtesy of CyberLife were kept under lock and key for the sake of keeping android privacy just that. Private. "But you're free to look. What's going on, anyway?"

"...It's difficult to explain, but I suspect that my true purpose and my true design were all false fronts."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how else to explain it but," his right hand pressed against the side of his face and he sighed. "but I feel like I'm wearing a mask. Why do I look the way that I do? Why do I sound the way I do? Why is my name 'Connor'?"

"What do you mean? We're all modeled to predesignated specifications to-"

"That's not what I mean." Shaking his head a little Connor approached the massive terminal screen and pressed his now exposed right palm down over the modem to unlock it and gain access. "What I want to know is why my appearance is entirely unique amongst ALL androids. You and I are the only ones with our particular likenesses, why?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

"I was designed to hunt deviants and to do so at any cost. Wouldn't it have been more practical to give me a design that was aesthetically common instead of unique?"

"Connor, where is this coming from?"

"...A former CyberLife technician had been responsible for the cyber-terrorism that had been plaguing the city for two months." Explaining the source of his curiosity Connor made sure Markus knew why he was suddenly so desperate for answers. "He was also responsible for hijacking our programming and sending all of the androids into catatonic states. After he was arrested he stated in the interrogation that the precinct didn't know what, or who, I really am. He claimed that CyberLife had lied about my true origins and I just... I just need to know the truth."

"Okay." Backing off Markus gave his friend all the time he needed to begin his search. "I respect that."

"I don't know how long I'll be down here, but I still need to get back home to take care of Hank."

"Relax. Don't rush through anything and you're welcome down here any time you want."

"Thank you, Markus. Could you please refrain from telling the others what I'm doing? I don't want them to worry about another possible CyberLife hijacking."

"Sure. Take your time, I'll see you in a few hours."

Connor nodded as Markus left him alone to work. Diligently the deviant detective began searching through the locked files, and checked through every scrap of information regarding anything related to "RK-800" or "Connor Model Series". What the deviant uncovered seemed to only lead to more questions than answers, but he was bound and determined to understand who he really was, and where he really came from.

For the most part the details on Connor's make and model were consistent with the information he had already been provided, but whenever he searched for the aesthetic designs for his model it constantly referenced to a place out of the city. There was a reference to Grand Rapids over two hours, and almost one-hundred and sixty miles away. It didn't make any sense since none of CyberLife's warehouses were located outside of Detroit, and yet there was no mistaking in the address

Following the information to an address of interest Connor felt his heart skip a beat and his brow furrowed with confusion. "...What? That isn't... possible."

With a shaking right hand Connor logged off of the modem and turned off the terminal screen as he rose from the chair he had been sitting in on somewhat shaking legs. The file he had uncovered was unnerving and indisputable, but it was all factual.

CyberLife had been keeping secrets from him.

As he took his leave of the tower to return home Lucas caught up to him outside the front entrance and decided to join him at home to check in on Hank, and to keep his big brother company.

"Connor?"

"Lucas, hello. I was only here for a minute, and I-"

"It's okay." Sensing that Connor was still struggling with his emotions Lucas remained as calm and compassionate as possible. "I don't expect you to go out of your way to see me if you're at the tower for personal or business reasons."

"But it's still rude."

"No, it's okay. I was on my way to see you and Hank anyway. Can I get a ride to the house?"

"Of course. Having you around will make it easier to tend to Hank's injuries."

"Is he being stubborn?"

"...Always."

* * *

It took Connor almost three hours to return home after his initial trip to the grocery store and his search for answers in the depths of New Jericho Tower. When he did finally return home he and Lucas were greeted by Hank who was sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of the livingroom facing the front door as if expecting a guest. Feeling ashamed, guilty, confused and frightened by everything that has been happening as of late Connor was unable to look Hank in the eyes or even acknowledge him as they stepped through the front door together.

"Hey, Lucas." The senior detective greeted with a sincere warmth. "How're you doing?"

"I'm well. I wanted to see you and check on your condition."

"I'm okay, but it's, uh..." He discreetly motioned to Connor who had stepped past him and was now in the kitchen. Again. "You know."

"Yes, I've noticed. I will go down the hallway so you can speak to him in private for a moment."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

As Lucas stepped into Hank's bedroom out of sight the senior detective turned his full attention to Connor and leveled his voice. "Connor, what's going on with you? And be honest with me."

"...I took the time to run a second errand." The deviant dismissed the question as he put away the purchased grocery items in the kitchen. "I'm sorry that I was gone for so long."

"That's not what I'm talking about. You're clearly disturbed by what happened and you need to get some help."

"...I don't want to talk about it."

"But you _need_ to."

"Hank, please." The deviant deflected again as he tried to leave the kitchen to retreat down the hallway and into his own bedroom to avoid the discussion. He passed by Hank and refused to look him in the eyes once more. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Son, what's wrong? You're acting like..."

"What?" Connor stopped short and looked at the back of Hank's wheelchair with a sideways glance. "A machine?"

"No, kid." Awkwardly Hank managed to turn around to face Connor's back hoping the deviant would finally look at him. "You're acting like a victim."

"...A victim?"

"I've seen enough cases in my time to know the signs of mental, emotional and even physical abuse. Right now, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were a victim of... Well..."

"Of what?"

"...Child abuse."

"Child abuse? That's not..." Connor trailed off as he felt his heart skip another beat in his chest. Something about it felt right despite knowing it was impossible to have ever happened. "I'm fine. I just need to rest."

Hank didn't want to let up but he knew he needed to give the stubborn deviant some space otherwise he'd get pushed away entirely. "Alright, kid. Get some sleep. I'll go to bed in a few minutes, too."

"...Thank you. Your doctor's appointment is at ten thirty-five tomorrow morning."

"Right. See you in the morning." As soon as Connor's bedroom door closed Hank ran his hand over his long gray hair and swore. "Damn it."

Shortly after Connor's bedroom door clicked shut Hank's bedroom door opened up and Lucas returned to the livingroom to check in on Hank. "I take it that your conversation with Connor was less than ideal."

"...Yeah, you could say that."

"Is there anything I could do to help you out?"

"Just give me a proper conversation and help me figure out a way to reach that kid before he pushes me too far away to be of any use."

* * *

Too confused and feeling racked with negative emotions Connor refused to leave his bedroom or speak to Hank and Lucas for the remainder of the night. Once the senior detective had been taken to the hospital for his doctor's appointment the following morining with Lucas's help Connor resided himself to a private location of the hospital and continued to keep to himself. Opening a cybernetic line to Markus back at New Jericho Tower the deviant had a private discussion with his friend without anyone noticing what he was doing as he remained in the quiet location with his eyes closed.

'_Connor_?' The deviant leader was a little perplexed about the unexpected call. '_Are you okay_?'

'_Are you free to speak for a moment_?'

'_Sure_.' Markus was always eager and willing to help his friends out whenever they needed him. '_What's going on_?'

'_Last night I found some rather disconcerting documents regarding CyberLife and my origins_. _I appears my design was in fact designated as unique from a source beyond CyberLife, but I don't know why or by whom_.'

'_Well, I was given to Carl as a gift by Elijah Kamski himself_. _I don't know why I look the way that I do, but I can ask Carl about it some time. Maybe he knows_.'

'_Kamski is a friend to Mr. Manfred_?'

'_More like Kamski is a fan_. _After Carl lost the use of his legs in his car accident Kamski created me to be a his caregiver, but Carl never treated me like that_. _I was always his friend and eventually I became his son_.'

'_I know that Mr. Manfred_-'

'_Carl_.' Markus interrupted with a little laugh. '_The same way Hank hates to be called "Lieutenant" by us, Carl hates to be called "Mr. Manfred" by everyone else_.'

'_Sorry_.' Connor sincerely but needlessly apologized as he continued on. '_I know that Carl is in poor health, but if he would be willingly to discuss the details of your origin then perhaps I can get some validation on the information I uncovered about myself_.'

'_No problem_. _ I was going to see him this evening anyway_.'

'_Thank you, Markus_. _ I appreciate it_.'

'_Tell Hank to feel better_.'

'_Yes_. ..._Of course_. _I'll talk to you later, Markus_.'

Once the conversation was over Connor left his self imposed isolation and went to check on Hank's progress down the corridor. The physical therapy was very simple and short considering Hank had only suffered muscle damage, nothing happened to his nerves or bones. Reunited and informed of Hank's progress Connor was ready to get the senior detective back home and wait for a new message from Markus.

Lucas had to return to the tower to deal with an injured deviant, but it was also a great excuse to leave Hank and Connor alone to try to talk. He knew that they needed to speak to one another, and they'd have to do it sooner rather than later. But just as before the drive back home was quiet between the two detectives.

After Hank was inside the house and comfortable in the livingroom Connor isolated himself from the senior detective once again.

Standing in the middle of the backyard with arms folded over his chest Connor watched as Sumo trotted through the dark green grass for a few minutes before obediently returning to Connor's feet and sitting down. Connor's L.E.D. had been red ever since Hank had been injured and was still cycling in that color very slowly as he looked down at the loyal dog.

"Are you ready to go back inside?"

Sumo reached up pawed at Connor's right hand resting over his left bicep, and the deviant held onto the paw for a second to shake.

"Alright. Let's go inside."

Walking slowly Connor returned to the house through the backdoor with Sumo right at his legs. Opening the door Connor spotted Hank standing up from his wheelchair trying to select a book from the bookshelf in the livingroom, and the deviant was immediately on guard.

"Hank, don't do that. You need to rest."

"I'm trying to." The senior detective replied sharply after he selected his book with his uninjured left hand and sat back down in the wheelchair. "But being bored isn't going to make me rest any easier."

"...Of course."

"I mean, I gotta' do something to preoccupy my mind. You're not feeling particularly talkative these days, and I can't stand watching television all day long."

"...I'm going to go take care of a load of laundry." The deviant stated guiltily as he retreated to the laundry room now that he didn't have the excuse of Sumo being outside to hide out of sight. "Call if you need anything."

Entering the laundry room Connor realized that all of the laundry had already been taken care of because of his need to remain busy. There was nothing to do in the small room. Leaning with his back up against the washer Connor patiently waited for a reply from Markus while also reviewing the information he had uncovered from the CyberLife servers the night before.

Sumo pushed open the partially shut laundry room door and laid down on the floor at Connor's feet as he stared at the deviant with his big brown eyes.

'_Connor, can you talk_?' Markus's voice suddenly cut in and Connor felt a twinge of relief.

'_Yes_!' Connor sounded almost excited to hear his friend speaking to him again. '_Please, tell me what you can_.'

'_Well_,' Markus stated softly as he communicated with his friend from afar. '_from what Carl told me my design was based on a photograph that Carl had kept on his person for over fifty years_. _It was of his girlfriend from college who died from a very aggressive and rare form of cancer when she was only twenty-two years old_. _Carl was going to propose to her when she got sick, so he put off hoping she'd get better_. _ Obviously she didn't but that didn't keep them apart while she was in the hospital trying to battle her cancer, only to succumb to her illness_.'

'_I don't believe I fully understand_.'

'_It turns out that she and Carl were planning on settling down and having a small family together_. _They both wanted a son of their own, but that never came to pass_. _My likeness is a composition of how Carl had imagined his son would've look if he and his late girlfriend had managed to have their family_.'

'_You were designed to look like the child that never was_.' Connor realized with a somber tone to his voice. '..._That's tragic yet very hopeful_.'

'_Yeah_. _I guess Kamski was hoping that Carl would appreciate the effort put into my design, and it really paid off_. _Carl became my best friend and my father_. _That's also why I'm named "Markus"_. _Carl's late girlfriend wanted to name her future son after her own father of the same name and Carl honored her wish through me_.'

'_Thanks for the information, Markus_. _It has been... interesting_.'

'_Did that help with your search_?'

'_Perhaps_. _I'll talk to you when I have something far more definitive to work with_.'

'_Right. Take care_.'

Connor ended the call and looked down at Sumo before letting out a sigh.

"It seems I must pay Elijah Kamski a visit if I'm going to make any progress on this search." Glancing up and through the partially opened doorway he could see Hank sitting in the recliner with his opened book in the livingroom. "Hank needs to have a partner he can trust, and I need to have answers. If I can't learn who I am then Hank will never be able to fully trust me. I owe him as much after what I did to him."

* * *

Despite Connor's protests Hank continued to move about the livingroom without the use of his wheelchair as instructed, and began to move around with more physical exertion. The senior detective was either being stubborn out of his own restlessness, or because he was trying to get Connor to finally talk about what he was going through by pushing the deviant's buttons. He couldn't be certain one way or the other, but he knew that Connor needed help. If that meant Hank had to push Connor to his breaking point in order to get him to break down and finally talk then that's what he was going to do.

"Hank, please." Connor spotted Hank clipping the leash onto Sumo's collar by the front door. The wheelchair had been pushed aside to be forgotten as Hank was determined to go for a walk that afternoon. "You can't do that."

"Uh-huh."

The indifferent acknowledgment made Connor tilt his head a little. "...I don't understand. Why are you trying to take Sumo for a walk? You're physically too weak to walk around just yet."

"Well, I want to do this." The healing detective replied with a smug half grin. "It's been five weeks and I'm going stir-crazy."

"But you can't do that."

"Too bad."

"Hank, you can completely hinder your recovery if you physically exert yourself."

"Well, I guess I'll just go back to the hospital, then."

"Please." Connor walked over to the front door where he took the leash from Hank's left hand, and unclipped it from Sumo's collar much to the large dog's disappointment. "Rest."

"Only if you tell me what's bothering you."

"...I... I can't."

"Why?"

The deviant's mouth twitched a little as he neatly wound up the leash and tried to turn away from Hank. As he did the senior detective reached out with his left hand and grabbed onto Connor's right arm, causing the deviant to jump and pull his arm away protectively against his chest as if he had just been burned.

"Alright, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"...I don't know." Connor knew his behavior was erratic and unnatural. Looking down at his right arm he saw that his hand was trembling with fear. "I just don't know anymore."

"Go talk to someone about it, or talk to me."

"No." Connor replied almost defensively as if needing protect a deep dark secret. "Talking doesn't help. I'm tired of talking!"

"Whoa, whoa..." Hank gave the deviant a very concerned glance from where he stood as he watched Connor's demeanor very carefully. "Where'd that come from?"

Connor's brow arched with utter confusion at his own response. "...I don't know."

"You don't seem know much about anything these days."

"Hank, I don't know what's going on but I'm trying to find out." His eyes were pleading with Hank to back off and give him some space. "Please, let me be alone to think."

"Why can't you talk to me about this?"

"I just..." As if on auto-pilot Connor took a step back and dropped the leash on the couch. "I just need to do this on my own."

"Connor." Hank raised his voice and took a step toward Connor only to have the deviant take a step back as if afraid. "Tell me what's going on."

"...You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to understand!"

"...No. It's not that simple."

"I'm trying to help you." Sighing loudly Hank dragged his left hand through his long locks of gray with mounting frustration. "Why are you being so damn difficult? You're too fucking-"

The sound of Hank's angered voice seemed to trigger something in Connor's mind. Connor's soulful browneyes suddenly went wide with fear and he put his right hand up to his face as if he had just been slapped.

"Wh-Whoa... Kid, easy." The reaction made Hank immediately soften his voice. He knew something horrible was weighing on Connor's mind and he didn't want to push the deviant any further. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down Hank leveled off his tone and tried again. "I'm pissed, but I'm not going to hit you or anything like that. You should know that I'd never hurt you by now."

Looking down at the floor Connor shook his head and backed away again as if truly afraid.

"Connor, did someone attack you or something?"

"...I don't-"

"Don't say you 'don't know'!" Hank snapped angrily causing the deviant to back up again. "I'm tired of that answer, it isn't good enough. I want to help you, but you're making it so damn difficult! Let me help you, or stop obsessing over whatever it is you're thinking about. It's driving us both crazy!"

At a loss of what to say or do Connor was silent for only a moment before he turned away from Hank entirely in shame. "...I'll go."

"Go?" The reply was cryptic and despondent which made Hank's confusion double over. "Go where?"

"I'm sorry. I won't bother you anymore."

"You're not bothering me, you're frustrating me. Let me help you!"

"Goodbye, Hank."

"Connor, what the fuck is-"

The deviant walked slowly out of the livingroom, into the kitchen and through the backdoor without another word. In a matter of seconds the deviant was gone from sight and Hank had no idea what was happening to the shaken deviant.

"Son of a bitch!" Hank made a graceless dive for his phone sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch, and immediately regretted it as it ribs ached horrifically. Returning to the wheelchair he had pushed aside against the wall Hank made a few calls to try to get some help for Connor; one call was to the precinct and the second was to New Jericho Tower. "Damn it, Connor. I'm not letting you run away from this. You need help."

* * *

Scared, alone and utterly confused Connor traversed the city on foot as he nervously wrung his hands together in front of himself. He had been at such a loss about what he had been experiencing for the past six weeks and was now feeling desperate. Unless he could pinpoint the exact cause of his strange new feelings of fear and self doubt he wouldn't return to the precinct as Hank's partner. He wouldn't be _anyone's_ partner. Connor didn't want to hurt anyone in the same way he had accidentally hurt Joel and Hank.

"I need answers." The deviant decided as he cybernetically hailed an autonomous taxi to pick him up. "I need to know what is hidden inside my programming."

As the autonomous vehicle pulled up alongside him from just down the street Connor climbed in the back, and issued an address on the taxi's G.P.S. system.

"What did CyberLife do in Grand Rapids? There is no warehouse or facility at that address, and there never has been." Thinking out loud as if he could somehow find the answer to his hundreds of questions through his own words Connor took the coin from his pocket and began dancing it over the back of his right knuckles nervously. "They had no legal or professional reason to do any activity outside of Detroit's city limits."

After sitting in deep thought for almost fifteen minutes Connor arrived at the address he had requested and stepped outside of the taxi warily. He hated going to facilities, but he needed to have his programming checked. Asking for Joel's help was out of the question because he still felt guilty for hurting the technician and he didn't want to go back to the precinct just yet.

Stepping through the doors of the intimidating facility Connor was quickly recognized and greeted by the facility's lead technician, Dr. Abby Grayson, who had no idea that the deviant would be entering the facility willingly. "Connor?" She set aside her electronic chart onto the front receptionist's desj and approached the deviant curiously. "Hi. Is something wrong?"

"Abby, do you have a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Pocketing his coin Connor locked on Abby's hazel eyes and sighed with a sense of dread. "...I need you to check my programming."

"Why?" Her eyes widened as she began studying Connor's demeanor curiously. The seemingly now always red tinted L.E.D. immediately held her attention and she went into full technician mode. "Are you damaged or experiencing any glitches?"

"Unknown."

"Alright, I have almost an hour before my the next appointment." Taking Connor's left hand in her right hand Abby began pulling the deviant toward the corridor leading to the exam rooms in the rear of the building. "Come with me."

* * *

Patiently Hank waited for a response from the precinct regarding a possible location on Connor but he was losing his cool fast. Every paternal instinct he had was screaming at him to go and find the missing deviant, but he knew he wouldn't be able to do much while still healing from some pretty serious injuries and while temporarily wheelchair bound. He simply did have the strength or energy to leave and begin searching for Connor. Fortunately Markus had agreed to stop by the house to speak with Hank in person and to try to answer any questions he may have.

Sumo was sitting at Hank's right side as the senion detective casually rolled back and forth in his wheelchair in the middle of the livingroom in an effort to pace, and to work out his arms to regain his strength.

There was a knock on the front door and Sumo turned around to bark once at the door.

Hank knew who was at the door without even having to get up to look. "Come on in, Markus."

The front door opened slowly and the deviant leader stepped inside the house. As he entered the livingroom Sumo began wagging his tail and calmed down at the sight of the kind deviant leader coming over to check on Hank.

"Hank, how're you holding up?" Markus asked as he stood beside the wheelchair and instinctively looked over the senior detective's condition since he often did the same thing to Carl whenever he visited.

"Worried and sore. Do you have any idea what's going on with Connor?"

"I might. What did he tell you before he left?"

"Nothing much." Hank admitted with a sense of defeat in his voice. "He mentioned something about needing to find answers, but I don't even know the question. I kept trying to get him to talk to me but he kept refusing, and I swear to whatever holy deity is up there that the kid is afraid of me."

"Afraid of you?" Markus was becoming just as confused as Hank by his friend's behavior. "But why? Connor isn't afraid of anyone."

"Not a damn clue. Markus, do me a favor and fill me in on everything you know. I want to help him."

"Right, but like I said I can't be certain."

"No less certain than I am." Leaning back in the wheelchair Hank folded his hands together as best as he could and rested them on his lap. "Let me hear it."

* * *

Standing beside the exam table warily Abby sighed with a mixture of relief and frustration as she finished the examination and removed the Thirium pressure cuff from Connor's left bicep. The deviant had sailed through his physical exam with flying colors and showed no sign of damage or glitches whatsoever. Aside from the red glowing L.E.D. in his right temple there was no outward sign of physical distress or damage to the deviant's person that could explain his odd sense of overwhelming emotions, or confusion.

"Well, by all account you're perfectly healthy."

"Can you check my programming now?" Connor asked somewhat eagerly and he rolled back down the sleeve of his shirt to cover his left arm. Wearing the black t-shirt made Connor look more casual, yet his demeanor was one of someone under high stress.

"Sure. What am I looking for?"

"I'm not certain."

"Can you give me a hint?" She asked playfully as she clipped a long black diagnostic cable to Connor's L.E.D., and then over to her laptop on her desk.

"...When my programming had been hijacked during the cyber-terrorists assault he had gained access to a file that I hadn't known existed until he had used it against me. I believe it's located in my memorybank as opposed to my routine system files."

"That's strange."

"Yes. I can't seem to isolate or identify it, but I know it's still active. I've feeling strange ever since I learned of its existence."

"Lay down." Abby gently coaxed her patient as she began typing in her laptop. "What makes you think the file is still active?"

"Ever since I regained my consciousness I've been feeling a strange sense of familiarity." Connor explained as best as he could as he laid flat on his back over the table. He folded his hands neatly atop his chest as he awaited his results. "But it isn't a positive familiarity. It's very negative, almost like I'm enduring a recurring nightmare even while awake."

"Can you describe it any further?"

"I cannot."

"What are you doing when this this sense of familiarity manifests?"

"I'm typically around Hank. Which is frequently due to his prolonged recovery period."

"That's right, Hank's still recovering from his injuries. Okay," as Abby typed she continuously monitored Connor's vital signs through the diagnostic cable as a precaution. "what's going on when you're with Hank, and when this strange feeling starts?"

"...I'm simply in the same room as him."

"Alright. I'm not a psychologist but I think you're suffering from emotional guilt."

"I had been feeling that long before I was reunited with Hank at the hospital. This feeling is more dreadful. It's like I've had suffered some horrible personal experience _because_ of Hank. It's like he's... hurt me."

"Hurt you?"

"I can't explain it beyond that. Hank has never hurt me, and I know he'd never do so. The worst he's done is yell at me, but even that is now suddenly very upsetting and I find myself almost cowering in his presence."

"That's weird. You sound like you were traumatized by something in your past, but you repressed the memory."

Connor felt a slight surge in his intracranial processor that made him wince. "H-Have you isolated the file that I had mentioned?"

"Yeah, I found it. And you're right. This file shouldn't be here."

"Can you access it?"

"No. It's been password locked by CyberLife. I can't open it, delete it or even move it around."

"...Is it dangerous?"

"No, Connor." She reassured him confidently as she checked the file for any potential contaminants. "There are no viruses or malware attached to it."

Connor's right fingertips brushed against the cable attached to his L.E.D. briefly. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I'm sorry, no. Since I don't even know what's inside the file I can't disable it. If I could, I-" Abby's eyes narrowed as she studied the file a little closer and noticed a specific date attached to it. "...Now that's strange."

"What?"

"The file is dated May 22nd, 2037. Two years before the "RK-800" series or the "Connor model" were even approved for activation."

"Curious." Connor memorized the date and began comparing it to milestones in CyberLife's history for further details. "I will look into the significance of this date."

An assisting deviant technician known as 'Barry' - one of the 'Jerry' models from the abandoned "Pirate's Cove" amusement park knocked on the closed door of the exam room and peered inside. "Abby," he interrupted in a low voice. "there is a technical emergency in the lobby. A deviant has been burned in an apartment fire and is in thermal shock."

"Shit!" Turning off her laptop Abby walked over to Connor and unclipped the cable from his right temple. "Sorry, Connor. I have to go."

"I understand." Sitting upright slowly Connor rubbed his right fingertips over the now exposed red tinted L.E.D. in his temple and sighed. "Thank you for your help."

"Keep looking into that file, Connor." She instructed as she opened the door to the exam room and stepped into the corridor to handle the emergency. "And if you need any help you know where to find me."

"...Of course." Connor followed Abby out of the exam room to take his leave of the facility to continue his search elsewhere. Stepping aside to allow the gurney with the wounded deviant to be taken into the exam room for treatment he quietly departed from the facility and stood beside the street and hailed another autonomous taxi. "I cannot postpone it any longer. I must speak to Elijah Kamski himself." Feeling a sense of dread sweep over his heart Connor hesitatingly entered the back of the hailed taxi as it parked in front of him and considered his other options. "...Maybe. I still don't trust that cold snake."

* * *

With Markus standing beside him as he sat in the wheelchair at his desk in the corner of the livingroom Hank logged into his laptop and began checking through the report on the cyber-terrorist attacks from his personal login to his precinct terminal. As he reviewed the report as well as the transcript of the final interrogation with Fordon the senior detective honed in on the comment about the precinct being oblivious to Connor's true origin. The comment was almost threatening and he knew that with Connor feeling guilty about the assaults that Fordon had struck a raw nerve with the deviant.

"Fuck, that guy must've psyched Connor out or something."

"And he's the one who attacked the deviants, right?"

"Yeah. That's him."

"Connor was the only one he could control while the rest of us were frozen in place, too."

"Yup. Any idea how he did that?"

"My guess is he used some kind of advanced program that's unique only to Connor in order to control him."

"Do you know what kind of program that'd be?"

"Well, he'd either have to be completely familiar with Connor's design or he used something from Connor's memory that would give him a completely different signature from the rest of us."

"Memory?" Hank turned to give the deviant leader a perplexed stare. "Do you mean his memory as in system settings, or memory as in what he experiences?"

"His experiences. That would leave an entirely unique signature that would make it a lot easier to identify his system from the other hundreds of thousands of deviants in the city."

"What kind of memory?"

"I suspect he used a core memory. One right from the earliest moment of Connor's activation."

"A core memory. Something that was deeply seeded in his mind, and yet he can't remember."

Now it was Markus who had the perplexed look in his mismatched eyes. "He doesn't remember?"

"No. I kept asking and he kept saying he didn't know. That either means he doesn't know the answer or he had forgotten the answer."

"You just described a locked memory. It's the same as a human burying a memory and repressing it."

"...What if the memory used against him had been buried for a damn good reason, but was forced back to the surface?"

"Then that'd be a problem." Markus was beginning to follow Hank's hunch and was trying to explain things in a way that the sentio detective could understand without being a technician or an android. "With deviants our memories are perfect unless we sustain damage. For us to make a conscious decision to bury a memory it'd be from either needing to eliminate a virus, or because we simply wanted to delete it."

"Connor refused to talk to me and he seemed unable to explain anything when I asked. What if he couldn't answer me because that memory doesn't actually _belong_ to him, or it was a memory he was never meant to find?"

Markus's mismatched eyes flashed with concern regarding Hank's words as he contemplated what Hank was suggesting. "If Connor is accessing foreign or incompatible memories then it could overwhelm his system."

"Will that hurt him?"

"It could if he stresses out and begins to overheat. It seems like his stress levels have already been elevated as it is."

"Fuck. Can you reach him from here?"

"I can try. Give me a moment." Closing his blue and green eyes Markus stand upright and reached out a cybernetic communication toward the wayward deviant in an attempt to locate him; maybe even figure out what he's doing. '_Connor, can you hear me_?'

No response.

'_Connor, what's going on_? _ Are you okay_?'

Still no reply.

'_Please, I just want to know that you're still okay_.'

Silence.

"He isn't responding." Markus admitted with defeat as he opened his eyes and looked down at Hank again. "I don't think he's going to respond to either of us right now."

"Is he...?"

"No, no." The deviant leader knew what Hank was asking and quickly reassured him. "I was able to establish communication with him, I could feel it. He just didn't respond. Connor is still active."

"Shit. Now what do we do?"

"I'll ask for the deviants in the city to keep a look out for Connor. At the very least they can let one of us know where is he and if he's okay."

"Great, then I'll sit here and-" Hank suddenly winced and pressed his left hand to his pained ribs as he let out a slow breath. "Fuck..."

"Hank?" Markus knelt down beside the wheelchair and lightly wrapped his right fingers around the detective's left wrist to check his pulse. "What's wrong?"

"My busted ribs... They suck."

"Where's your pain medication?" The deviant leader stood up quickly and glanced about the house curiously.

"Kitchen." Noting the late hour Hank sighed in pain and admitting he made a mistake. "Shit, I lost track of time."

"It's alright, I'll help you out until Connor gets back."

"Fuck." Hank swore again as he leaned back in the wheelchair and sighed while Markus walked into the kitchen to get his pain medication and antibiotics for the night. "The kid's gone for one afternoon and I forget my meds'. Damn, I _am_ getting old."

* * *

Alone and uncertain Connor stood outside the front door to Elijah Kamski's personal residence on the harbor near the edge of the city. A cool breeze picked up and caused his rogue lock of hair jump over his left eye as it gracefully danced about in the wind. Ignoring an incoming cybernetic call from Markus with a stubborn refusal to acknowledge his friend, Connor forced himself to step forward toward the house at long last. Warily he approached the front door and rang the doorbell with a shaking right hand and waited for a reply.

It took only a minute for Chloe to answer the door and greet the wayward deviant with a smile on her face. "Connor. Hello."

"Hello, Chloe. May I speak with Mr. Kamski?"

"Elijah is in his study. Please," the blonde haired android stepped aside and let Connor into the house. "come in."

"Thank you."

Chloe escorted Connor to the study, her L.E.D. cycling blue the entire time, and used her personal clearance to gain access to the room. "Please." She motioned with her left arm for Connor to go inside. "I'll leave you two to speak in private."

"...I appreciate it."

Taking a deep breath Connor walked into the study and stood before Kamski's large wooden desk across from his ruby red swimming pool. Kamski had his back to Connor as he stared out the massive windows overlooking the water with a deep sense of contemplation on his face that was reflected off of the window's shining glass surface. As Connor stood quietly before the arrogant human's desk, the very human who had been responsible for the creation of androids and biocomponents, the deviant detective was unsure of what to expect during his visit.

Kamski noticed Connor's reflection on the glass next to his own reflection and turned around in his chair to face Connor with his expression never changing, and acknowledged the unexpected visitor. "Connor. I didn't expect to see you in my home ever again."

"I wasn't expecting this reunion either, but I fear I require your assistance."

"You need _my_ help?"

"...Yes."

"Alright." Crossing his arms over his chest Kamski kicked up his feet and rested them over the top of his desk as he gave the deviant an amused sneer. The sight of Connor's red L.E.D. held the eccentric man's full attention. "How can I be of service?"

"There is a file in my memorybank that should not be there." Connor stated firmly as he subconsciously pressed his right fingertips to his glowing L.E.D. as he spoke. "It is password locked by CyberLife and I cannot access it."

"Oh? May I ask how you know of this file if you can't access it?"

"The cyber-terrorist who attacked the city used this file to control my person against my will. Despite the connection being severed the file is still active and it is causing conflicting turmoil on a mental, and at times, emotional degree."

"Interesting. I take it you've asked for help from an ally before coming to me, yes?"

"Correct."

"What did they find?"

"They found that the file was indeed in an incorrect place in my programming, locked, unable to be deleted, or moved, and a date places its origins before I had even been constructed."

Kamski neatly interlaced his fingers together and pressed them to his chin with great intrigue. "What's the date on the file?"

"May 22nd, 2037."

The human's hollow gray/green eyes lit up and his sneer turned into a genuine grin. "Fascinating. Please Connor, tell me about these mental and emotional disturbances you've been experiencing."

"What is in the file? Can you tell me?"

"I have a hunch as to what's inside of it, but I need to be certain. Please," motioning to the chair sitting vacated beside Connor the enigmatic engineer invited the deviant to sit down and speak for a while. "tell me everything you've been feeling. I'm listening."

* * *

As much as Hank hated to admit that he still needed some help getting around when he had only one week left until he would be permitted to move without the wheelchair he remained more cooperative and put up with it a while long. He was also grateful Markus was there to help him out after he and Connor had their falling out, and he didn't want to worry Lucas with their fight.

As the kind deviant helped him to lay back on the couch with an ice pack pressed to his still sore ribs Hank nodded in respect toward Markus. "Thanks."

"I just wish I could do more to help you, or to help find Connor."

"Well, now that I know for sure he's just trying to find answers I'm not as worried." Hank sighed as he checked his phone with his left hand and used his right hand's care to hold the ice down. "The kid tends to obsess over things and it drives me up the wall." Readjusting the ice pack over his chest he watched as Markus sat down in the recliner to keep him company for a while longer. "He also has a lot of patience, but when someone works him up he burns hot. He'll show up either here or at New Jericho by tomorrow morning."

"I hope you're right. I don't like the idea of him wandering around if he's suffering from some kind of malfunction."

"Same here, but I trust the kid to do the right thing. He just needs time to think."

Markus closed his mismatched eyes and his brow furrowed, then smoothed out again. "I just received word from a contact at a facility. Connor had stopped by to speak with a technician then left. He was seen getting inside an autonomous taxi and went toward the city limits."

"Facility? Which one?"

"The facility on Tenth Street."

"Abby." Hank recognized the location and his posture relaxed a little further. "She became his official technician when the precinct ordered him to acquire one. She was the technician who helped him after we got caught up in the bombed office building five months ago."

"Do you trust her?"

"Yeah, and so do Connor and Lucas. If he were in any danger she wouldn't have let him leave the facility, or she would've called me to let me know something was up."

"That's good to know."

"Look, why don't you head back to New Jericho? I can take it from here."

"You're still injured."

"Hey, as long as I keep my phone on me and buzzing every six hours to keep me on my meds' I'll be fine. Thanks for your help."

"...Alright, but only if you're certain."

"Yeah, I'm good. Go on, get some rest."

"Okay." Extending his left hand Markus shook Hank's hand and dismissed himself from the house. "I'll let you know the second I learn anything, I promise."

"I know you will. Take care of yourself, Markus. And if I hear anything from Connor I'll call you."

"Right. Lucas will be by later tonight after he finishes his shift."

"Does he know Connor took off?"

"He's aware that something has happened, but he doesn't know anymore than I do right now."

"Is he worried?"

"I think he is but he's not showing it yet."

"Good. The last thing I want is for him to wander off, too."

* * *

After Connor explained the situation to Kamski in great detail as much as possible he watched as the human's expression change from intrigued to knowing. There was something about the way Kamksi was reacting that made the deviant nervous but he couldn't walk away. Not yet at least. He still needed answers to his hundreds of relentlessly distracting questions and right now Kamski was the only one who could provide them.

"Connor," the tone of Kamski's voice shifted from cold and calculated to level and confident. "aside from the date on the file did you discover anything regarding your original design? Something from within the CyberLife archives, perhaps?"

"...Yes." The deviant wasn't sure what Kamski was playing at but he knew he needed to answer the question honestly if he were to get any honest answers in return. "I had noticed an address leading to Grand Rapids here in Michigan. But CyberLife had never had any warehouses of facilities established in Grand Rapids. It seems to either be a ruse or an error."

"It's not an error, Connor. You're already on the right track. Now let me give you the final piece of information you'll need find the answers to your questions. Taking a stylus to his electronic tablet that was tucked away in his desk's top right drawer Kamski wrote down a name and showed it to the deviant. "Go to the address from the archives," he instructed calmly as the deviant memorized the provided information. "ask for this person directly, and inquire about the date on the file. You'll figure this out."

Connor glanced at the screen, memorized the name and gave Kamksi a wary suspicious look. "...It's that simple?"

"The _answer_ is that simple, but the _solution_ is far more difficult. I'm going to warn you right here and right now; what you find will change your perspective on your existence, but you have the right to know about your origins. You're free now. And you're free to do as you see fit with the information you gain."

"...May I ask how you know this person of interest?"

"Don't worry about that. You'll figure it out in time. Now, go. Your answers are waiting."

"Your demeanor suggests I should rush to this address. Is there an underlying issue I should be aware of?"

"I wouldn't dissuade you from moving quickly, but as far as I know it might already be too late."

Connor's mouth twitched nervously as he contemplated Kamski's cryptic words but decided to take them as truth. "...I'll go. Thank you for your help." Turning and rising from the chair to leave the study Connor made his way out of the room and felt Kamski's eyes watching every step he took.

"And Connor..."

The deviant paused at the doorway and turned to look back over his left shoulder at the human who was still sitting behind his desk. "Understand that what happened wasn't meant to be malicious. It was all legal and voluntary."

Remaining quiet Connor nodded subtly to acknowledge he heard the comment as he departed from the unusual mansion located on the harbor. The deviant had a long journey ahead of him and he had to rely solely on an autonomous taxi to take him to where he needed to go. As he sat alone in the back of the warm cab Connor contemplated answering Markus's call at long last, or calling Hank to check in on him, but he needed his answers first.

How could he possibly answer their questions if he didn't have the answers to his own?

* * *

Confident that Connor would come back to the house the next morning Hank informed the precinct that the deviant was "blowing off steam", and that they could cancel their search for now. Although he was convinced that Connor was going to come back soon enough Hank couldn't stop himself from sending a few worried texts to the deviant letting him know that he was doing alright with his medication, and that Connor could take all the time he needed to get the answers he was searching for.

The house was quiet and felt unusually empty without Connor. Having the deviant's constant company had helped Hank immensely in overcoming his depression, and that was a dark path he never wanted to venture down ever again. Now it was Hank's turn to help Connor out of the darkness and find his way back into the light.

"Alright, Sumo." Hank called out to the massive dog trotting through the backyard as he sat in his wheelchair within the opened backdoor inside the small kitchen. "Inside, boy."

As Sumo obediently returned to the house he briefly pressed his paw down over Hank's knee before he went to check his bowls on the kitchen floor.

"Good boy." Closing and locking the door Hank awkwardly wheeled himself out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the bathroom. After taking care of his nightly routine Hank called out to Sumo once more as he entered his bedroom at the end of the hallway. "Come on, boy. You get to sleep on the foot of my bed tonight."

Sure enough as soon as Hank was laying on his bed and under the quilt the large dog plodded into the bedroom and hefted his large body up and onto the foot of the bed to settle down for the night.

Hank made sure the volume on his phone was high enough to hear it ring or buzz in the event of a call or text message, and placed it down on the nightstand beside his bed to charge.

"Hope you're okay, kid." The senior detective muttered to himself as he laid on his back and closed his eyes. "If you need me, just call."

* * *

Exhausted himself Connor had entered rest mode during the two hour ride to Grand Rapids, and only awoke after the cab reached its destination. It was a hefty fare to pay but the taxi was all Connor had at his disposable since he couldn't take Hank's car from him to use personally. Placing his exposed right palm over the electronic sensor Connor paid the fare and stared up at the building that was sitting before him as he stepped through the automatically opened door at his side.

Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital.

Taking a deep breath Connor crossed the parking lot and entered the hospital through the main entrance to approach the front desk where a receptionist and the head nurse were handling patient charts. Quietly Connor reached for his wallet in his back pocket and showed the duo his badge as he addressed them calmly the moment they looked up.

"Can we help you, sir?"

"Hello. I work with the Detroit Police Department. I'm looking for Dr. Alexandra Ross."

The receptionist looked up briefly at Connor then did a double-take. As her face paled slightly she reached over and lightly patted the arm of the head nurse beside her.

The head nurse gave Connor her attention and she too paled but responded quickly. "...You're looking for Dr. Ross?" She asked almost incredulously as she stared at Connor's face, then to his red tinted L.E.D. blinking slowly in the deviant's right temple.

"Yes. My name is-"

"Connor." She replied sharply and gave him a faint smile. "We know."

Now it was Connor's turn to give the incredulous stare to the two women. "...That's correct."

"Come with me, please." The head nurse motioned with her right arm for Connor to follow after her while she turned to the receptionist again. "Go ahead and page Dr. Ross. Let her know he's here and where to meet us."

Connor was getting more and more confused by the second. "I don't understand. Were you expecting me?"

"You could say that." The nurse confirmed in a strangely enthusiastic tone as she escorted Connor to the elevator at the end of the corridor and then to the intensive care unit three floors up. Every step she took seemed so confident and made Connor all the more confused. "Is it okay to ask why you're here now?"

"...I'm seeking the answers regarding my true origins. All the information I uncovered leads to here, and I was informed to ask for Dr. Alexandra Ross directly." The elevator doors opened and Connor followed the nurse onto the designated floor. As he walked he could feel many of the people working on the hospital staff watching him closely as if he were a celebrity, or maybe even a criminal. "You already know my name," he whispered to the nurse to prevent any further unwanted attention. "can I ask how you know that?"

The head nurse gave the deviant a half-grin as she opened the door to a private room in the I.C.U., and showed Connor inside. "Because we were hoping you'd show up here someday. He's been waiting long enough and he deserves some form of closure." Pulling back the privacy curtain surrounding a patient's bed the nurse stood beside the patient and gave the deviant, whose soulful brown eyes had gone wide with utter shock, a sympathetic glance.

Shocked and lost Connor just stared silently at the pale and hauntingly familiar face of the man laying comatose in the bed with a respirator snaked down his throat, and attached to a cardiac monitor showing his disturbingly weak vitals signs. The man was very thin from being in a coma for so long, and his muscle mass had thinned considerably from atrophy.

"Connor," the kind head nurse stated calmly as she gently put her right hand on the comatose man's bare left forearm. She then took the deviant's right hand in her left hand as a form of emotional support as she finally introduced the two people to one another. "meet Connor."

_**-next chapter-**_


	2. The Past

Stunned and beyond confused Connor could only stare down at the man's face,_ his face_, and try to understand what was happening. The head nurse had left Connor alone for a moment while she tended to other patients and hoped to find Dr. Ross along her way. Connor's shaking hand lightly reached out and rested against the man's cool left cheek and he kept his palm there for a moment. It was the first time Connor had actually seen his own face, not just a reflection or a photograph, and it was surreal, and arguably should be impossible.

"...He's me." Connor whispered as he looked down at his own face. The human under his touch never responded to presence or his voice. "But... how?"

"Connor." A woman with her long blonde hair pulled up into a tight bun stared at him as she entered the room. She had a brown document envelope tucked under her left arm and a focused gaze in her gray/green eyes behind her purple framed glasses. "I'm Dr. Alexandra Ross." She introduced herself as she approached the bed and checked the man's vitals on the cardiac monitor. "I'm glad you're finally here."

"I don't understand. How do you know my name, who is this person and why do we share the same features?"

"Connor, we know you because this man_ is_ you."

Unsure of how to react Connor slowly retracted his hand from the comatose face and whispered his disbelief. "...I still don't understand."

"Well, first of all I want you to sit down. I know a few things about androids and I know you're very stressed out and exhausted."

Connor was unable to look away from the man laying in the bed but allowed Dr. Ross to guide him to a nearby chair to sit down as she had instructed.

"Let me tell you what happened." Dr. Ross lowered her voice for the sake of privacy and spoke in a very compassionate manner. "On May 22nd, 2037 there was a horrible car accident just outside of the city. A semi truck caused an accident and the driver fled the scene on foot. You," she motioned toward the comatose man with a somber tone to her voice. "had been in the accident as well. You helped my cousin escape his burning vehicle before you collapsed and nearly succumbed to your injuries resulting from the accident."

"...Your cousin?"

"Elijah Kamksi."

"Kamksi..." Connor gazed at Dr. Ross's face and saw that she had the same confident demeanor that seemed to accompany the Kamski name, and had no reason to doubt her claim. "He... _ I_, saved Kamski after an auto accident. He knew I was here and he..." The deviant's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to understand Kamski's reasoning. "Why did he use my likeness for the 'RK-800s' known as the 'Connor model' series?"

"Elijah was grateful that you saved his life and felt terrible when he was told how severely you had been injured. When he learned that you weren't going to wake up and that you had no family to watch over you he took it upon himself to tend to all of the medical bills that accumulated for the past two years, and chose to have your likeness used in a highly advanced prototype to ensure that a piece of you still lived on. It was his way to keep you around."

"...Who was I before the accident?"

"We don't really know. You kept your past very secretive, but from what we gathered you were on your way to the city to look for apartments and apply for a job at local fire department."

"Fire department?"

"You were a licensed paramedic and had just completed your training."

Connor smirked a little and shook his head as if amused as his red L.E.D. pulsed slowly in his right temple. "...Was there anything significant found on my person? A phone, perhaps?"

"Well, there was very little that was retrieved from the wreckage of your vehicle. Aside from the registration confirming that it was in fact your car the only other item that the police located were a few old C.D.'s and the keys to the ignition."

"I had nothing else?"

"Your wallet and a few items were found in your pockets but nothing significant." Dr. Ross handed Connor the envelope she had carried into the room for him to look over. "And these are still yours all the same."

Connor took the envelope in his shaking right hand, opened the flap on the end, and turned the envelope to allow the small items to tumble into his opened left palm. A dark green plastic guitar pick, his scorched and heavily damaged driver's license that only held his first name of 'Connor' and the photo showing his blank face, and a fifty-cent piece coin dated from 1954 were the only items remaining from his broken past. Running his thumb over the cool surface of the old coin Connor felt an odd sense of familiarity.

Studying Connor's face Dr. Ross could see that the deviant was upset and wanted to comfort him. "Are you going to be okay?"

"My injuries." Connor suddenly stated as he ran a scan over his human body and saw the long healed wounds, some as recent as two years ago and some as old as twenty years, scarred his body internally and externally. "Do you recall the full extent of the injuries I had sustained?"

"Four fractures to your skull; two in the frontal lobes, one over your left eye and the other near the center of your forehead, and two to your occipitale bones at the back of your skull. You had also suffered from two broken ribs, your eighth and ninth costal ribs on the right side of your ribcage to be exact, and some mild smoke inhalation from being so closed to the burning vehicles after you lost consciousness."

"...What of my right humerus? It has been surgically repaired approximately ten years prior."

"The resulting break was the result of a tremendous impact causing such a severe break to the bone."

"There is also a nineteen year old break of the left radius and ulna."

"That's call a spiral fracture from physical abuse resulting in someone grabbing your arm and twisting it violently."

"Yes, I'm aware. I have unfortunately investigated cases of physical abuse resulting in breaks in the forearm and wrist. I'm more interested in the break in my right humerus."

"From what we've been able to determine that was the result of another severe break when you were thirteen or fourteen years old. It required surgery to stabilize the break. It likely required physical therapy to regain full range of motion and strength in your right arm once it was repaired." Dr. Ross sighed and shook her head sympathetically. "We also found numerous healed hairline fractures throughout your hands, legs and a few alongside your face beyond the breaks in your arms. We realized you had been a victim of physical child abuse and realized you were emancipated as a result. We legally couldn't search for family members as a result of your emancipation."

"...I was physically abused as child." Connor looked absolutely stunned by the revelation but chose to remain focused. Running another scan over his human counterpart's skull he saw the four healed fractures and the very minimal, almost non-existent, brain activity. "I suffered skull and subsequently brain trauma. How significant was the injury?"

"The accident resulted in you suffering a severe blow to the head causing massive intracranial swelling." Dr. Ross explained as evenly as she could to the deviant, wanting to deliver the news as gently as possible. "We did everything we could to reduce the swelling but the swelling had become so severe that it resulted in massive brain damage, and eventually brain death."

"...I'm... brain dead?" The grim news made deviant feel cold, and he shook his head in disbelief. "Why keep me on life support if I'm never going to wake up?"

"Connor," she knelt down beside the chair and took the deviant's left hand to hold in a comforting grip. "you didn't have any family or friends listed as an emergency contact or medical proxy. You've been a ward of the state since you were fourteen years old. Without any consent to remove you from life support and because no one with any legal standing cared to weigh in on the situation since it had nothing to do with grants or politics, you've been on life support for almost two years now. No one gave us the clearance to let you go."

"...Two years." Connor's Thirium pumo rate increased and his breathing became more rapid. "I've been here for two years?"

"Calm yourself. Take a deep breath." Dr. Ross encouraged as she kept tabs on the deviant's reactions. "Listen to me. We wanted to find you when Elijah told us that your model was active, but with the tensions in Detroit and with how shady CyberLife was behaving we didn't want to risk that corporation trying to impose their will over you. Elijah told us to not risk it, that's why he left the company to begin with. He knew they were trying to manipulate the system in their favor over a decade ago, and you are completely defenseless right now. The only way to protect you was to keep you a secret."

"...What's going to happen to me now?"

"It's difficult to sort out on a legal scale but by all account you are now your own medical proxy."

"Me?" Upon being told the information Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide and were now searching Dr. Ross's face desperately as he looked at her. "How so? I am not him, I am merely a copy of him."

"Connor, what brought you here?"

"I am searching for my origins." He glanced over at his human counterpart and stared despondently. "I have apparently succeeded."

"But why? Why after all this time did you go searching for your beginning?"

"I... I had an enigmatic file become activated by a hacker. This file is connected to the date of the accident but I do not know why it's there."

Dr. Ross was silent for only a moment before she replied honestly and patted Connor's hand lightly. "Elijah put it there."

"...Why?"

"He wanted to keep a part of you," Dr. Ross nodded at the comatose human with a kind smile on her face." the_ human_ you, alive. I'm not a technician so I can't really explain this very well, but from what Elijah told me he used a controversial and rarely used method of taking a piece of your physical mind from your human brain and converting it into data. He called it 'memory transcendence'."

"Memory transcendence?" The astute deviant's brow arched inquisitively at the practive. "He transferred a piece of my human consciousness into my intracranial processor, and then locked it in the file. Once the file had been tampered with those memories from my life as a human before the car accident began resurfacing in the form of vague nightmares, indescribable emotional responses and nearly overwhelming mental stimuli."

"Do you understand what Elijah did to you?"

"...Yes. It makes sense." Tightening his hand into a fist around the items in his left hand beneath Dr. Ross's touch Connor closed his eyes and shook his head with sorrow. "Everything makes sense now."

"I know this may sound strange but you have a choice to make now."

"A choice?"

"You, the _original you_, has been lingering here alone for two years. Do you want to keep your former self alive on life support, or do you want us to turn off the machine and allow your body to finally expire?"

"...I have to make this decision?"

"You're the only who can."

The right to choose now seemed so cruel to the deviant. "Can I have a moment to think about this?"

"Of course." Patting Connor's hand lightly a second time Dr. Ross stood up again and took her leave of the room. "Take all the time you need."

Connor only nodded to acknowledge the doctor as he looked at his human face and lightly pressed his right hand to the healed fracture in his human body's right forearm. Despite no outward scarring being visible over the surgically repaired bone the deviant could still detect the scar on the bone from where the bone had healed after being broken.

It was oddly familiar and it made Connor feel suddenly sick to his stomach.

"...I don't want to die." Connor whispered to himself as he looked at his own face despondently as if he could communicate with himself. "And neither do you."

* * *

Waking up without an alarm or an alert on his phone Hank sat upright slowly in his bed and rubbed his left hand over Sumo's ears. The massive dog enjoyed the attention for a moment before jumping down onto the floor and making his way out of the bedroom, and directly into the kitchen. Hank ran his left hand through his gray locks of hair and proceeded to climb out of the bed and into the nearby wheelchair. Once he was back in the chair he followed after Sumo down the hallway to let the massive dog outside for the morning.

"Looks like Connor is still out looking for answers." The senior detective sighed as he opened up the backdoor and let Sumo outside before he filled up Sumo's food and water bowls. Wheeling himself over to the kitchen counter Hank turned on the coffee maker and waited for the pot to brew. "He must be onto something promising to be out for so long."

Retreating to his bedroom just long enough to grab his phone Hank wheeled himself back into the kitchen and sent another message to Connor. As he did a message popped up from Markus and it made Hank feel a little relieved after reading the text.

'_I got word that Connor found a promising lead to his search_. _ He left the city but will be heading back soon_.'

Replying with a simple 'Thanks' for the update Hank breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good." Hank sent a quick text to Connor himself and pressed 'send' letting the deviant know he was waiting for him to come home. "At least he didn't get into any trouble. _Yet_."

* * *

Remaining beside the bed in the intensive care unit Connor cybernetically filed every legal document required now that he made his decision, and proceeded to make the necessary preparations. As he finished the paperwork Dr. Ross returned to the room and put her hand on the deviant's right shoulder in a supportive manner. She could see the deviant was lost in deep thought, but was eager to know what he had decided to do now that he had the time to think about his human body's future.

"Connor?" Whispering to address Connor without startling him Dr. Ross watched as his soulful eyes opened. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." The deviant confirmed as he looked up at Dr. Ross with a somber yet determined gaze. "I'm taking him, _me_, back to Detroit."

"I understand. We'll bring you the proper paperwork to cease life support."

"No, you misunderstand. I'm not taking him off life support, I'm taking him back to Detroit to reverse the memory transcendence."

"You're... what?" Dr. Ross didn't know what the deviant was talking about. "Your going to give back your memory?"

"Not exactly. I am..." Trailing off Connor decided it'd be best to keep the details scarce for the time being. "I think I know what to do. But I need time to make certain. Until then," he nodded at his human counterpart sadly. "I want to be home. And I want him to be there as well."

"Oh, I see. Well, we can arrange to have an ambulance take him to Detroit as soon as we locate a hospital in the area to take him into their care."

"I have it already arranged. I'm merely waiting for a colleague to arrive."

"Another doctor?" She asked curiously with an optimistic lilt to his words.

"She is a technician, but had previously been an E.M.S. in Chicago. She can keep him stable during transport back to the city."

"And you're absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." Connor didn't want to leave the comatose person behind. He didn't want any piece of his being unprotected with CyberLife still lurking in the shadows. "I can keep him safe until I make my final choice regarding his... _our_ future."

"Okay. I'll make sure the receptionist knows and to-"

"I've already taken care of the necessary paperwork cybernetically."

"Oh." Dr. Ross smiled and patted Connor's shoulder lightly. "How productive of you."

With a dreary gaze Connor watched as Dr. Ross took her leave of the room, then watched as his human counterpart remained completely unresponsive and near death in the bed. The respirator forcing breath into his lungs made his thin emaciated chest rise and fall slowly, and the cardiac monitor confirmed the slow but still detectable heart still beating in his chest. The deviant stared with an intense gaze at his own face as if he were having an out-of-body experience, only to remind himself that was he was merely observing himself through artificial eyes.

It wasn't an illusion, it was reality.

* * *

As expected Hank was exhausted after he finished his physical therapy session at the hospital, but fortunately he was granted freedom from his wheelchair and that made him feel a lot better. As he walked through the backdoor of the house after driving himself back home he was greeted by Sumo, as well as a text message on his phone. Checking the message Hank was disappointed to see it was Captain Fowler reminding him of a mandatory meeting the following morning and not a response from Connor.

"Shit. That kid is too stubborn for his own good."

Sending a new message to Connor the gruff but kindhearted senior detective reminded the deviant that he could come home at any time, and that he'd stop pushing him to talk if he didn't want to. He also asked for the deviant to respond in any form just to reassure him that Connor was doing okay, and didn't need any help.

After pressing 'send' Hank opened up the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water to drink. As he unscrewed the cap he sighed and looked over to Sumo who was laying on the kitchen floor watching him with his massive brown eyes.

"I need a beer. Too bad the kid already got all the booze out of the house." Greedily Hank drank some of the water as he checked his inactive phone yet again and walked into the livingroom to relax with a good book. After choosing his book he settled into the recliner and had Sumo join him shortly thereafter. "...Never thought I'd miss having a roommate."

Sumo curled up on the floor beside the recliner and rested his chin down over top his massive paws as he stayed close to Hank for companionship.

"Yeah, boy. I miss him, too."

* * *

Remaining quiet at the bedside of his human counterpart Connor received the text message from Hank and decided to finally answer. Replying with a very indifferent "Don't worry about me.", the deviant continued to wait patiently for Abby to arrive and prepare to escort the comatose human back to Detroit. Everything had been handled and Connor had been officially allowed to act as his own medical proxy thanks to some deviant contacts pushing the request through and using their power to stop government interference.

"...Oh my god." Abby's voice sounded off from the doorway in a whisper of incredulity. She slowly walked into the room and peered over Connor's right shoulder at the comatose man he was sitting beside and keeping vigil over. "It's true. I couldn't believe it when you told me what was going on, and even when Dr. Ross confirmed everything I still couldn't believe it. But, it's actually true! You were once..._ a human_."

"Thank you for coming, Abby. I appreciate you helping me."

"Are you sure you want to move him... _you_... over to Detroit?"

"Yes. I must try to save him."

"How?"

"Reverse transcendence."

"What?!" Connor, that's just a theory!"

"It's possible, Abby. I know it is."

"How? There has to be a piece of your consciousness and his to-"

"Because I have memories of my time when I was... him. My consciousness and his consciousness were... _are_... one in the same. It explains many of my reactions towards humans that seemingly has no context about it."

"...What? What do you mean exactly?" Abby was completely dumbfounded and wanted to know what Connor was talking about. Standing before the deviant she locked onto his soulful brown eyes and waited for him to reply. "What memories?"

"Abby, when I first met Hank I had attempted to give us common ground to make our partnership more manageable. I told him that I liked dogs and heavy metal music. The very first dog I encountered was Sumo, who was on guard after I let myself into Hank's house. I instinctively knew how to handle him to keep him from attacking me, and then I knew how to pet him. It was very natural as if I had been surrounded by dogs my whole life. I've also discovered that I truly do enjoy heavy metal music." Reaching into his back pocket he showed Abby the burnt up and heavily damaged driver's license that had once belonged to him. "And the night I had to drive Hank's car to a crime scene because he was unwell I somehow knew how to drive. Prior to that I had been instructed to solely use autonomous cabs by CyberLife, and had no need to drive. And yet, I know exactly how to drive a vehicle and did so properly."

Curiously Abby took the license from Connor's hand and saw the burnt, but still visible photograph on the I.D. that showed Connor's face. It was him, without question, but there was something sad about his brown eyes. It looked like Connor had never smiled in his entire life.

"Connor, you do realize if we try this and it fails then..." She turned to look at the comatose human with a grimace on her face. "He'll die."

"He's already brain dead. The worst that can happen is he finally succumbs to his lethal injuries while the better alternative is he... _ I_, wake up."

As much as she hated the idea Abby knew that Connor was right. It was an all or nothing deal and she wasn't about to let the deviant go through it alone.

"...Okay, Connor." She handed the deviant back his old license and gave him a reassuring grin. "We'll get him loaded into the ambulance and return to Detroit. Do you know where he's going to go?"

"...Yes. He'll be safe." Connor glanced down at his own face and his mouthed twitched a little. "_We'll_ be safe."

* * *

The ride back to the city inside the back of an ambulance was unusual but efficient. Connor sat with Abby in the back of the ambulance next to his comatose human counterpart, who was still completely unconscious and oblivious to the world around him, on the gurney between them. A portable respirator had been provided for the transport and made it easier to tend to the comatose human. A portable cardiac monitor had also been provided to ensure that if there was any change in the human's vitals that it would be noticed and handled as quickly as possible.

While Abby used a stethoscope to listen to the human's chest Connor danced his coin over the back of his right knuckles nervously.

"How're you holding up, Connor?" Abby could see that the deviant was looking emotionally distraught and anxious. "You seem upset."

"I'm merely... conflicted."

"About the procedure?"

"No. It's because the only person who can help me is the person I trust the least."

"Who?"

The ambulance came to a gentle stop and the android ambulance driver pulled open the rear doors of the emergency transport vehicle. Connor and Abby worked with the driver to lower the gurney from the back and onto the drive with the medical equipment in tow, only to be greeted by Chloe who was giving the newly arrived duo a false smile. The blonde android escorted the gurney to the front doors of Kamski's private residence and unlocked the door on their behalf.

"Connor," Abby didn't understand why they weren't at a hospital, or at the very least not at a facility. She kept close to her friend out of nervousness and a need to protect her unexpected patient. "where are we?"

"This is the residence of Elijah Kamski."

"Wait, the guy who perfected androids and biocomponents?"

"Correct."

Chloe led the gurney to a secondary room to the opposite of Kamski's study as the group entered the foyer together. It appeared to be some type of personal health facility; complete with a padded examination table, numerous medical monitors, assorted gym equipment and a large 'sensory deprivation' chamber at the far wall.

Kamski himself was standing in the middle of the room and seemed greatly amused by the group's arrival. "Welcome."

As the gurney was wheeled into the room a spray of disinfecting and sterilization compound rained down and drenched the group in the form of a transparent and scentless liquid.

"Hey!" Abby complained as she put up her hands to shield her eyes. "What gives?"

"Sterilization." Came the blunt reply from within the room as Kamski oversaw their arrival. "It's crucial."

Kamski himself was wearing a white lab coat and he had a pair of dark blue latex gloves over his hands. Next to him was a metal table with various surgical tools, a bottle of saline solution, rubbing alcohol and various bandages. He was ready to begin his rather macabre task as if he had been waiting to finally take part in this procedure for years.

Abby was uneasy by the sight but kept her protests to herself.

"I see your search was a success Connor." The arrogant engineer watched as the gurney was placed next to the exam table and the ambulance driver left the house. He approached the comatose human and looked down at the man's face as if he had been reunited with an old friend. "Well done."

Connor was skeptical about the procedure but was willing to try anything it took to save his human body. "You can reverse the transcendence and allow my mind to return to my human body, correct?"

Abby's eyes went wide with disbelief as Kamski answered. "Yes." It was then her eyes went even wider and she put her hand on Connor's left arm while Kamksi continued on. "It's an invasive, but simple procedure. I've completed the transcendence on five separate occasions with a one-hundred percent success rate. It can be done, and has been done."

"When do we begin?"

Abby squeezed Connor's arm in a tighter grip. "Connor, stop! You can't just stop living as an android like this."

"I can, Abby." The deviant defended his decision and looked at his human counterpart somberly. "I wasn't _born_ an android, this body was created to _replace_ my original person."

"It's like you're just recycling yourself from one body to another!" She complained bitterly and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "Just be yourself, don't worry about-"

"It's not about my identity as a being, Abby." Connor sounded almost broken as he spoke. "If I'm human again my programming can't be hijacked, and I won't be forced to hurt the people I care about. I don't want to hurt anyone, and this is the best way to do it. My friends need someone they can trust."

"We _do_ trust you!"

"...I'm sorry. My mind is made up." Steadfast in his decision Connor looked over to Kamski and gave him a nod. "Abby, I appreciate your help, but if you don't want to be apart of this then I understand. I respect your objections."

Kamksi motioned to the padded exam table with an outstretched left arm before he waved in Chloe through the door who was carrying a pristine white laptop to assist in the procedure. "It'd be best to put your human half on the table. I have the necessary equipment to maintain his vitals and keep an accurate reading."

Connor nodded as he gently slipped his arms beneath the human's shoulders and under his knees. The original Connor had been in a coma for so long he lost a massive amount of weight and barely weighed one-hundred and twenty pounds. As the deviant lifted up the very thin and weak human up from the gurney Connor felt a strange surreal wave wash over him. He was holding himself in his arms, and it wasn't a dream.

"...Here." Abby helped Connor to place the comatose human down on the padded exam table and checked the monitors that Kamski had provided. She made sure the respirator wasn't obstructed as she placed the wireless leads of the cardiac monitor to the human's chest in the appropriate places. "I may not like this, but you're still my friend. I'll help you."

"...Thank you."

Being the expert at the procedure Kamski took charge of the scene and gently tilted the comatose human's head to the side so he could see the back of his skull. As he did Chloe placed the laptop down on the nearby metal table that was already equipped with the numerous surgical tools. She then approached a far metal and glass cabinet resting against the opposite wall to retrieve the rest of Kamski's tools while the mad genius himself set about using his gloved hands to sift through the comatose man's dark hair to expose the back of his head.

"What're you doing?" Abby was mistrustful of Kamski and was watching his every move carefully.

"I need to gain access to the Temporal lobe of the brain."

"You're going to dig inside of his brain?!" She made a move toward Kamski but Connor put his hright and on her left shoulder to stop her. Abby turned to face the deviant with utter disbelief in her hazel eyes. "Connor, he's not a doctor! He could do serious damage to your body."

"Abby, my human body is already brain dead. And, he's done this once before on my person." Connor watched as Chloe returned to Kamski's side with a relatively large metal and glass syringe containing a silvery white elixir inside of it. "Kamski took a piece of my memory and concealed it in the file that was locked away in my intracranial processor. He knows what he's doing."

"...Kamski really made the file?"

"Correct." Connor released his grip from Abby's shoulder and watched as Kamski took a very fine and sharp tool from the metal table and prepared to pierce the back of the human's skull. "He has succeeded before and I have no doubt he can do it again."

Abby held her breath and closed her eyes as she heard the sickening crack of bone giving way to sharp metal tool.

Chloe next handed Kamski the syringe and proceeded to roll the small portable M.R.I. over to the table. Positioning it over the human's skull Chloe turned on the device and pressed her exposed left palm to the device, and held up her right hand. A holographic display of the human's brain appeared on her palm and Kamski used it to guide the very long needle of the syringe to the correct lobe of the human's brain through the newly punctured hole in the back of his skull.

"This will only take a moment..." Moving very slowly and with great accuracy Kamski inserted the needle into the Temporal lobe of the brain and injected the contents of the syringe into the human's inactive brain. Watching as the elixir spread over the damaged brain tissue Kamski retracted the syringe and placed the used syringe down on the table to be disposed of later. "I'll disinfect the wound and place a bandage over the injection site."

"What was that stuff?" Abby asked as she stared at the M.R.I. display in Chloe's palm.

"It's a highly conductive regenerative plasma. You know as well as I that the human brain functions through electrical impulses, and if those impulses become disrupted-"

"Then brain activity ceases." She finished his comment and sighed as she rubbed her left hand over her eyes. "What is that plasma composed of?"

"It's a regenerative serum designed by CyberLife technicians specifically to repair damaged nerve endings with the intent of reversing paralysis." Kamski explained as he placed a cottonball soaked in rubbing alcohol over the small puncture wound to the back of the human's skull, then taped it in place with medical adhesive. "The plasma itself is composed of synthesized progenitor cells that will assimilate to the damaged brain tissue to prevent further decay and allow the brain itself to become active once it's been properly electrically stimulated."

"...You can _reverse brain death_?" Abby gave Kamski a completely skeptical, if not annoyed stare. "Bullshit."

"Not quite. While the brain itself will become active again the consciousness of the afflicted being; the memories and the personality, the skills and acquired knowledge, have become blank slates. Once I place a copy of Connor's own programming into the brain there will be a transfer of one mind to the other. Everything that is Connor now," he motioned to the deviant casually with his right hand. "will be transplanted into his human body. All of his memories, skills, knowledge and personality will remain in tact. He will just have an inferior, weaker mortal body."

"And how are you going to transfer Connor's memory to his human brain?"

"I'll place an electrical probe into the back of the skull on the human body and attach it to Connor's intracranial processor through a cable connected to my laptop. With a few keystrokes I can transfer one mind into the other, and from there Connor will wake up in his original human body."

"Wait, wait..." Abby put up her hands as if she could cause everything to stop for just a moment. "So let's say this works and Connor becomes human, what happens to his android body?"

Kamski looked past Abby and to Connor allowing the deviant to explain the situation himself. "I will shutdown."

Abby turned around to face him with her hazel eyes wide with fear. "You're going to let him_ kill_ you?"

"Abby, this body is a shell of who I really am. I won't shutdown forever, though. If this procedure fails then I will resume my life as a deviant, and that will be the end of it. If it succeeds then I will ask New Jericho to place this body in protective custody to ensure nothing negative befalls my current person."

"...You're sure?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed once more and looked to Kamski for further instruction. "I want... closure to my previous life as a human."

"Fuck! Shit... Alright, Connor." As much as she hated the idea Abby knew she'd be unable to change the stubborn deviant's mind. "I'll be monitoring you both throughout the whole procedure. If anything goes wrong I'll kill Kamski myself."

"Thank you, Abby."

* * *

Back at the house Hank was getting restless and even more worried about Connor. Despite the response text telling him to _not_ worry Hank felt like something was very wrong. He couldn't quite place it but he knew something was happening with Connor and sent him another text needing some form of confirmation from the wayward deviant. As his thumbs frantically typed in a simple message, "Are you okay?", the senior detective tried to ignore his every instinct as a detective and as a father to not go search through the streets for Connor.

Pressing 'send' Hank sighed and put his phone down on the coffee table in front of him and leaned forward in the recliner. As he pressed his hands to his tired face Sumo whimpered and rested his chin down atop Hank's feet sympathetically.

"He'll be okay, boy." The senior detective whispered to the loyal dog. "I just wish I knew where he was."

* * *

The highly controversial procedure was now underway in the depths of Kamski's private mansion. Connor had laid down on the gurney and now had a Thirial activity monitor attached to his chest, and a black diagnostic cable attached to his right temple. The cable secured was over the red blinking L.E.D. to in order to connect his processor to Kamski's laptop for full access. Laying next to his human counterpart in the odd laboratory like environment Connor stared blankly up at the ceiling above him as Hank's text came through.

Realizing that it would be the last time he could cybernetically communicate with Hank the deviant closed his eyes and replied as honestly as he could. '_I will be okay soon, Hank_. _Please take care of yourself_. _I'll tell you everything_.'

Kamski checked the readings on his laptop's screen and confirmed that the procedure was ready to go. "After I stimulate the brain I'll be able to connect the cable to the probe and the transfer will begin."

Abby protectively stood between the two Connor's with her hands wrapped around each of their own. She was more frightened than Connor was but she didn't dare let it show for the sake of her friend's own peace of mind.

Without being prompted Chloe finished setting the electrode to the back of the human's skull and nodded to Kamski. "The electrode is in place, Elijah."

"Excellent." Taking a step back from the table he motioned to Abby's hand wrapped around the human's hand and offered her wise words of advice. "You should let go of his hand, unless you too would like to receive forty-two Hertz of electricity."

Reluctantly Abby took a step back from the table as well and watched as Kamski resumed typing on his laptop.

His hollow eyes narrowed and he watched the human version of Connor with great interest while Chloe's L.E.D. cycled between blue and yellow rhythmically in her right temple. "Sending the charge..."

As a single key was pressed the human's body jerked slightly and a reading appeared on the display monitor of the E.E.G., the electroencephalograph, showing that the brain was responding to treatment.

Almost hypnotized Abby stared at the display with utter disbelief. "...It's working. You brought a brain back from the _dead_."

"Not quite. As I stated before the brain itself is active but it has been wiped clean. There is still much research that needs to be done to fully revive a brain, but this is progress nonetheless."

Chloe's L.E.D. cycled back to blue and confirmed that both human Connor and deviant Connor were fully stable. "It's time."

"Of course." Kamski finished his next chain of commands and looked over the screen to the deviant laying beside his human counterpart. "Connor, everything is ready. Enter stasis mode and upload a copy of your memory, upload all of your mind, into my laptop."

The deviant opened his eyes and nodded subtly to acknowledge Kamski. He squeezed Abby's left hand just hard enough to get her attention and the technician leaned over him to speak. "Abby, if for whatever reason this fails please check in on Hank for me. I want him to know he doesn't have to worry about me, and that-"

"Connor, you're going to be fine."

"You don't understand. I'm worried that he will fall down a path of self destruction if he doesn't have someone to remind him that people care about him."

"Connor, it's okay." She promised as she squeezed his hand in return. "I'll do everything I can to make sure both you and Hank are okay."

"Thank you."

The deviant closed his soulful brown eyes again and began the laborious massive upload of his mind into Kamski's laptop. After the copy of everything that made Connor who he was had finished uploading to the laptop Connor entered a very deep stasis mode causing his L.E.D. to finally cycle away from red into yellow, then began pulsing into a very deep blue color beneath the cable.

"It's time." Kamski stated as he motioned to his laptop. Chloe stood behind Kamski and watched the screen over his shoulder while Abby continued to hold onto both Connor's hands. "The android body will begin to shutdown, but it's not permanent."

"Yeah, I got it."

With a simple nod Kamski finished entering the final command on his laptop and the transfer, the full transcendence, began within seconds. Abby held tightly onto the hands of her friends and could feel the deviant's right hand becoming cooler and lax in her grip. She watched as the vital signs on the Thirial activity monitor began to dwindle into weaker and less responsive territory as the mind was being transferred into the human body. It took everything in her self control to not react as a technician and strengthen the shutting down deviant's vital signs.

"...Shit."

"It's fine." Kamski coldly reassured Abby as he studied the two bodies laying next to one another. "This is all normal."

Abby looked away from the monitor and saw Connor's L.E.D. pulsing slower and slower under the cable as his body became colder. Like a ripple in a pond Connor's artificial skin began fading from sight from his chest outward as his power drained and his body shutdown. The suddenly blank vitals on the monitor made Abby's own heart leap in her chest, but there was nothing she could to change them.

"The transference has been completed."

"...And Connor is dead." As the monitor showed no sign of life inside the deviant body Abby let out a weary sigh and closed her eyes. A gentle very weak squeeze around her right hand made Abby turn and look down at the human body as life, after two long years of lingering on death's door, began to return to his body. "...Holy shit."

"As you can see." Kamski stated with a smug grin on his face. "It was a success. Connor, the former 'Deviant Hunter', is no more. But Connor, the man who saved my life two years ago, now has the chance to live again."

Forcing away the worried tears in her eyes Abby looked down at the revived Connor's face and saw his own eyes beginning to move back and forth under his closed eyelids. As Kamski detached the cable from the back of his skull and retracted the probe a pained groan escaped his throat around the tube that was forcing him to breathe with the respirator.

"...Connor?"

Kamski replaced a fresh alcohol soaked cottonball to the back of Connor's skull as he gently turned his head to allow him to rest with his neck perfectly straight as he laid over the table. The motion and painful stimuli was enough to cause Connor's heavy eyelids to weakly and partially open.

"Connor?" Reluctantly Abby let go of the shutdown deviant's left hand and placed her warm left palm against Connor's cool cheek. She could see the same soulful brown irises that she had already known looking up at her with a pained gaze that spoke volumes of his distress. "Do you know what happened? Do you know-"

Connor's hand tightened as much as it could around her hand and a tear began to roll down his face.

"He's in pain. Do you-"

"Right over here." Kamski stepped aside as Chloe rolled a small table with various medications toward the technician. "I understand you're also a medic, so help yourself."

Remembering her training Abby took a small syringe and a vial of morphine in her hands. Measuring a very calculated dose of the painkiller into the syringe she inserted the needle into the I.V. in that had been giving Connor a steady stream of fluids since his departure from Grand Rapids, and gave him pain relief at long last. As the pain reliever took its effect by flowing through the line in the back of Connor's left hand his eyes closed again and his pain ceased.

"...Kamski," Abby gave the eccentric recluse a horrified yet impressed stare as she kept her palm against Connor's cheek. "you just brought him back from the dead."

* * *

An hour of blissful nothing passed without any complications. Everything was a blur of darkness and pain. What had once been a constant ambience that was translated as white noise was now utter silence. The cybernetic communication to his friends and to his allies had been completely severed from his now very human brain leaving Connor with quiet isolation. There was no system to scan, no biocomponents to recalibrate, no self-diagnostic to be run, no error messages or even updates to be accepted.

There was nothing but his own thoughts and darkness.

"-nor?" A male voice called out to him through the darkness. A bright light shined in his eyes and Connor recognized the blurry facade of Elijah Kamski hovering over him around the bright light. "Connor, I know you're awake."

Still in a daze Connor fought to open his eyes and fought even more to communicate.

"There you are. Now listen to me, you still have the tube in your throat so you can't speak." Kamski explained calmly to the weakened and now human detective. "Abby has gone back to the city to bring her own vehicle and to bring Markus here. Markus will take your deviant body back to New Jericho Tower, and Abby will return to take care of you."

Connor forced his eyes open as wide as possible but his body was so weak from two years of inactivity that every muscle in his being had atrophied and needed renewed strength. Watching the blurry face of the human as he hovered over him and checked his neurological responses Connor became painfully aware of every nerve ending in his body and of the horrible pain in the back of his skull. This time he couldn't turn off his pain receptors, he'd need to endure the pain in real time.

"I can tell you have one incredible headache, but don't worry. We'll fix that in time." From where he stood Kamski made a motion that Connor knew was directed toward Chloe. "In order to heal as quickly as possible I'm going to give you a single dose of a protein based regeneration serum. It's just as experimental of the electrically conductive serum, but I haven't had any ill effects on my own person. This will allow your muscles to rebuild their strength quicker than normal, and once you can move about on your own without needing medical support you're free to go."

The special serum was injected into Connor's I.V. line and with it a strange feeling overwhelmed the young detectives senses. It was like he was being forced to ingest something indigestible, and despite the serum entering a vein Connor could feel an unsettling feel in his human stomach.

"The nausea is normal. It'll pass soon."

Abby returned to the lab with Markus at her side as she gently put her left hand against Connor's cool forehead. She held her palm there while Markus looked over the hollow shell that had been Connor's deviant body before turning his head toward the revived human under Abby's care.

"Connor?" Markus leaned over the human and saw the same familiarity in Connor's brown eyes that Abby had seen. "...It's really you."

Unable to speak all Connor could do was lift his shaking right hand barely two inches up from the bed and Markus grabbed on gently.

"I'm here my friend. Abby told me what happened, and I promise you that we'll keep your body safe in New Jericho Tower. No one will know what's happened to you unless you tell them, alright?" Weakly Connor's human hand squeezed around Markus's hand, an act that made the deviant leader grin. "Abby also told me that you'll be staying here until you regain your strength. I'll be sure to speak with Hank and-"

Connor's hand tightened, but it was so weak that Markus barely noticed. It hadn't been for the distressed gleam in Connor's eyes he may not have noticed the gesture at all.

"What's wrong?" Markus's brow furrowed as he sensed the distress in Connor's eyes. "Is it Hank?"

His hand tightened again.

"Do you want me to _not_ tell him?"

Oh so subtly Connor managed to nod his head.

"...Okay. I'm sure you have your reasons. I promise I won't tell Hank what happened so you can tell him yourself. What about Lucas?"

Connor shook his head a little in response.

"Okay. They're your family, you talk to them when you're ready, alright?"

Another weak subtle nod.

"You have my word my friend. Listen, I'm going to go back to New Jericho Tower now and I'll keep your body safe. As soon as you're up for talking you know where to find me."

Connor squeezed his hand one last time before Markus put his hand back down on the bed gently.

"I'll see you soon, buddy."

From the corner of his right eye Connor watched everything as a single massive blur as Markus stooped down and pulled his empty shell of an android body up from the gurney and over his shoulder. The deviant leader carried the shutdown body out of the house with utter care to be sheltered at the tower for an indefinite period of time.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Abby resumed her examination of Connor's health and tried to gauge how weak he really was. Picking up both of his hands in her own she stared at his eyes and spoke to him softly. "Connor, push down on my hands as much as you can. Use all of your strength."

Obediently Connor tried to focus on Abby's face but his vision was still very blurry. He pushed down against her palms with as much force as possible, only to quickly exhaust himself within seconds.

"Okay, that's good." She changed the position of her hands so Connor could squeeze them. "Left and right hands, squeeze them both of my hands as hard as possible."

He was took weak to barely hold a grip let alone a noticeable grasp.

"I never thought I'd ever see you this weak." She smiled warmly as she put Connor's hands back down on the bed. Searching through the provided medical supplies that Kamski had accumulated she used the stethoscope to listen to his breathing and heartbeat to make her assessment on his condition. "We can try to extubate you so you can breathe on your own, but if your oxygen rate drops too low I'll have to put it back. Do you understand?"

Connor could only weakly lift his right hand and subtly nod his head.

"Okay." Abby looked to Chloe as the blonde android watched everything unfolding with a strange curiosity. "Chloe, do you have an oxygen tank?"

"Yes. I will go and get it for you."

While the technician set about checking the tube in Connor's throat Kamski offered the revived human the final injection of the protein laced serum, and gave him a small grin. Wiping off the canula to the I.V. running into the back of Connor's left hand Kamski injected the serum slowly into the line while Abby wasn't looking. Discreetly disposing of the used syringe Kamski decided to leave the room for the sake of privacy for his friend.

As requested Chloe returned with the oxygen and placed it beside the bed. "Will you require anything else, Dr. Grayson?"

"No, thanks Chloe. I appreciate your help."

"You are welcome. If you require additional assistance please ask."

Abby nodded as she carefully began releasing the small plastic clips holding the tube in Connor's mouth and helped him to tilt his head back to a more appropriate angle for the tube to be removed. "When I pull on the tube I need to you cough as much as possible."

Connor's right hand weakly lifted up once again then fell back down onto the bed.

"Alright, on three: One, two, three!"

As Abby pulled on the tube at a steady pace Connor weakly coughed and choked a little on the tube as it was pulled from his throat and finally allowed his human body to breathe on its own for the first time in two years. Connor fought to take in any breath as his respiratory muscles were still weak, but they were responsive.

"Easy, Connor." She used the stethoscope to listen to his breathing again and nodded in approval. "...You're okay. Just tired." Abby then slipped an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose before she gently ran her hand through his hair. His real hair, not a synthetic projection. She couldn't help but smirk at how his hair was the exact same style, color and thickness as his android counterpart. Even the same rogue lock of hair hung down just above his left eye and refused to be smoothed back. "Just breathe." She softly whispered as Connor focused on his breathing and tried to ignore his throbbing headache. "That's good, just like that."

Kamski returned to the room and offered Abby a bottle of water which she declined. Looking down at Connor's face he smirked as well and watched as the recovering human swallowed very weakly as he tried to rid his throat of the lingering discomfort. "That serum seems to be working just fine. How do you feel?"

Connor's eyes were still glassy and he swallowed again. "...I-" his voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. The rawness of his throat and inability to talk for so long had left his vocal chords weakened and strained as much as the rest of his body. "...My... head... hurts."

His voice, once it regained its strength, would sound exactly as his deviant counterpart had done. It was uncanny in how much of Connor's personality and traits had been successfully programmed into the android's body simply through Kamski's own memory.

"Okay, we'll take care of that." Abby nodded at her friend as she prepared an I.V. of diluted pain killers to lessen his discomfort. "I'll give you enough to ease your headache but not enough to cause additional drowsiness, okay?"

Connor wanted to speak but all he could do was weakly nod.

"Kamski," Abby finished setting up the I.V. and set up Connor with a fresh line in the bend of his right arm to prevent infection. Applying the pain killers, the antibiotics and sterilized saline she ensured his condition would remain stable and comfortable. "this serum you have is almost miraculous. If you've had so much success already why not market it to the people?"

"Because if I let something like this out into the world then someone with deep enough pockets will take it away from those who really need it." Kamski explained as if it were the most natural, if not obvious, answer in the world. "It's more profitable for companies to make money treating diseases for an entire lifetime as opposed to a single treatment providing a cure. As long as the serum's still in my hands I can continue to improve on the treatment and then distribute it myself without bias."

"Sorry if I don't believe you, but you don't seem like the charitable type."

"It has nothing to do with charity I can assure you. I'm merely interested in the science."

"Now _that_ I believe."

"You are welcome to stay here, Dr. Grayson. I'm sure Chloe will be willing to watch over Connor while you rest."

"Thanks, but I'm fine."

"Alright. The offer stands regardless of your personal feelings toward me."

"I'll remember that."

Kamski gave Abby an amused sneer before turning his full attention to Connor. "My friend, although I'm certain you disagree with that particular term regarding me, I appreciate you saving my life two years ago. I'm glad I could finally repay the favor."

Looking up at the engineer's face Connor gave Kamski a drowsy glassy look before weakly nodding.

"Get some rest. Your physical therapy can begin as soon as you're ready."

While Kamski left the room Abby stayed beside Connor's bed as she carefully eyed the previously brain dead man with utter awe. "...I can't believe it worked. I'm so glad you survived this, Connor. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if something went wrong."

With a hoarse whisper Connor asked for a single request from his friend. "...St-Stay?"

"Yes, I'll stay here with you. Your body still needs to heal, so rest as much as you can. In a few days I'll see if I can remove the feeding tube in your stomach and give you something light to eat so you don't feel sick."

"...Eat." A ghost of grin appeared on his face only to fade away within seconds.

"That's right. You're going to have to relearn how to eat and feed yourself. Don't worry about it though, I did a rotation as a nurse when I was training for my E.M.S. license. I don't mind a little mess."

Connor tried to give a reassuring nod of his own but his eyes fell shut and he was quickly asleep within a few seconds. Truly asleep, and not just in rest mode or stasis mode.

As the revived human settled into a steady breathing rhythm Abby let out her own sigh of relief and continued to watch Connor very carefully throughout the evening and the night.

"You really are a remarkable person, Connor. This is absolutely incredible."

* * *

Determined to keep his word Markus made the unusual return to New Jericho Tower via autonomous taxi, and did so with Connor's android body next to him. He cybernetically told Simon to meet him in the archives of the tower to help him handle Connor and to keep their meeting completely secret. Steadfast in honoring his friend's request Markus wanted to put Connor's temporarily shutdown android body somewhere safe, and wanted to keep it as discreet as possible to prevent people from asking too many questions.

Simon was less than thrilled with the idea of keeping such a secret but he respected Connor's request and trusted Markus's judgment on the matter as he met Markus in the archive room.

"He'll be safe here." The blond deviant stated as he opened an android containment vessel kept in the archives of the tower. Working together the duo gently placed the deactivated android down inside the case and secured the container with an electromagnetic lock. "Only one of the four leader of New Jericho can open this lock, or Connor himself."

"That's a good idea." As they slid of the case slid shut, concealing the blank face of his friend, Markus suddenly felt like he was attending a funeral. "...I'll speak with Lucas later."

"What're you going to tell him?"

"The same thing I've been telling Hank. I'll him that Connor is safe, and when the time comes Connor will come back home and explain everything that's happened himself."

"...And what exactly _did_ happen?"

"To be honest, I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but I do know Connor is in fact alive. It's just very complicated right now."

"Isn't that was being a deviant is all about?"

Shrugging his shoulders a little Markus looked over at his friend and gave him a coy glance. "...And human."

* * *

It was late at night but the deviant leader was loyal to his friends and to his allies. The visit from Markus was appreciated by the senior detective but he wasn't who Hank was hoping to see. The deviant leader knew he needed to tell Hank something, anything positive about Connor, but he didn't know what to say without it giving away the incredibly strange chain of events that had taken place in the depths of Kamski's mansion. All he could do was ensure Hank that Connor was safe and he was with a friend.

"Markus, what the fuck is going on with him?" Hank was sitting on the edge of the couch ready to make a run for the door if he had to. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a runaway deviant going through an emotional breakdown. "He said he needed to look for answers, wouldn't talk to me and then he took off saying he wasn't going to 'bother me anymore'. Where is he?"

"I want to tell you, I really do." The deviant leader empathized openly as he sat down in the recliner so he was eye level with Hank. "But Connor doesn't want me to say anything."

"Why? What the fuck did I do to make him so afraid of me?"

"Hank, he isn't afraid of _you_." Markus tried to reassure the senior detective without breaking his promise. "He's afraid of himself."

"Because that damn hacker messed with him?"

"Yes. He thinks his programming being hacked makes him too dangerous to be around."

"That's bullshit and you know it!"

"I do. And I agree with you entirely."

"Where is he? I want to go talk some sense into him."

"...Hank, I gave him my word. I want to tell you where he is but he asked me not to."

"Why?"

"He wants to tell you what's going on himself."

Sighing with defeat Hank leaned back against the couch cushion and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "At least the kid's planning on comin' back at some point. Right?"

"Yeah. It might be a while though. He's got... a lot of things to work through."

"Markus, you promise me that he's safe and not hurt, or missing, right?"

"Yes. He's safe."

"...Alright then. I guess that'll have to do for now."

Markus folded his hands together nervously over his lap. "Can I ask how your recovery is going?"

"I'm fine. Another week I can go back on desk duty. Two weeks after that I'll be cleared for active duty." He shook his head a little and sighed. "I sure as shit hope I have a partner watchin' my back in the field when that happens."

"He'll be back, Hank. I know it."

"Yeah... Thanks, Markus. I'll, uh, see ya' around."

* * *

Throughout the night Connor suffered from sporadic nightmares but didn't rouse from his sleep as his was physically too exhausted to wake up. Abby remained in the lab until she too fell asleep beside Connor, and was taken to the guest room to sleep properly after Kamski carried her away. Chloe took it upon herself to keep vigil as Connor rested, his body slowly healing and responding well to the protein serum that Kamski had given him.

By early morning Abby had returned to the lab and was there for only a few minutes before Connor woke up himself. She watched as he looked about confused only to remember where he was and what had happened. "You're okay, Connor."

"...Abby." His voice was still weak and hoarse but audible.

"Hi."

Lifting up his hands to eagerly begin his physical therapy he held them in place while Abby repeated the strength exercise from the night before. Much to her surprise Connor was already showing markedly improved strength and was able to push down against her own hands with a notable pressure.

"You're regaining your strength very quickly. This is incredible." Again she moved her hands so he could squeeze her palms, and as before he repeated the action and found his strength increasing. "This is amazing. You might be able to perform aqua therapy exercises soon."

"...T-Today?"

"Uh, I don't know about that. Let's make sure your vitals are still stable and see if we can get something nutritional in your stomach. Okay?"

"...Okay."

* * *

Throughout the week Hank tried to send messages to Connor but never received an answer. Now that Connor's android body had shutdown any and all connection to the deviant had been severed. As he set about his own routine of recovering and preparing to return to the precinct Hank was unknowingly working through a physical therapy session while Connor was doing the same thing at Kamski's private residence. As the week wore on Hank was becoming more convinced that Connor wasn't going to come back home at all, and was readjusting to living alone.

Feeding Sumo and petting the dog's ears Hank spoke to the loyal pooch and sighed. "Looks like it's just the two of us again, boy."

Sumo's tail wagged once as he turned to look up at Hank.

"Yeah, I'm thrilled about it, too."

As he stood back up he pressed his left hand to his still sore ribs and let out a weak sigh. Flexing his right hand now that the cast had been removed Hank prepared for his return to the precinct. Alone.

"...I'm going to find him, though. I need to know what happened to him."

* * *

As the first week of Connor's physical therapy came to an end the newly awoken human was making incredible strides in his recovery. Thanks to Kamski's miraculous but secretive serums Connor's brain was fully functional and his overall muscle strength was returning quickly. Although he didn't have the strength to walk just yet he was able to float and wade a little in the private swimming pool in Kamski's study, and that activity alone was enough to help Connor rebuild his strength at a steady pace.

Abby was resting on her right hip on the edge of the pool next to the pair of Connor's crutches while Connor himself floated on his back in the red tinted water. His eyes were closed and he was taking in all the sounds, smells and sensations of the mansion around him. The sound of the gentle lapping of the water was soothing, the smell of chlorine was strong but not pungent, and the cool water washing over his pale and partially scarred skin was soothing.

There were faint scars that lined Connor's back and a few more over his chest. They were all old wounds that he received as a child that had healed over time. Each scar told their own story but it was a sad tale that Connor wasn't eager to recall.

"Connor?" Abby dipped her left hand into the water and beneath Connor's head to gently lift him up from the water. "You need to get out now."

His soulful brown eyes opened slowly and focused on Abby's face looking down at him as he registered what she had said. "...I do?"

"Yes. It's been two hours."

"Oh." Moving slowly he shifted his weight so he was standing up and waded to the edge of the pool's short ladder. The sight of Connor's emaciated and pale form was almost disturbing to say the least. "I seem to be having trouble keep track of time now."

"That's a very human trait." She reassured him as carried the crutches over to the ladder and took hold of his arms to carefully pull him up the ladder so he could sit down on the edge of the pool. Lightly she pressed her right fingertips along the back of his wet hair to check on the mostly healed wound in the back of his skull, and then checked his left side where a water proof bandage been placed to protect the stitches he received after his external feeding tube had been removed. "How's your sleep cycle been?"

"...Inconsistent."

"Insomnia?"

"Yes." His voice was much stronger and now deeper than a whisper. "And I frequently have disturbing dreams that prevent me from resting properly."

Abby studied his face and could see that something else was weighing on his mind and she decided to ask him about it. "What's wrong?"

"Pardon?"

"You're distracted and thinking." She stated as she took a white towel and gently began drying off Connor's skin without hurting his healing side or sore joints in the process. "Have you been talking to Lucas?"

"No. I never told him what was happening, and I asked Markus to keep it a secret."

"Just like Hank. It sounds like you're trying to do too much at once and are thinking way too hard about everything."

"You _sound_ like Hank."

"Have you spoken to him at all since... this?"

"...No."

"Connor, you still care about him; he's your best friend." Wrapping the towel around Connor's shoulders Abby lightly rubbed his back as a comforting gesture as she spoke with him. "Why don't you want to talk to him?"

"It's complicated."

"Well, I know it's not because you're worried that your programming is going to get hacked anymore. What gives?"

"I... I honestly can't explain it. It's like his presence has been tainted by a negative experience, but I can't figure out what that experience could be."

From the doorway of his private quarters Kamski replied without anyone asking his opinion on the matter and took his seat behind his desk across from the red tinted pool. "Repressed memory."

"...My memory is still rather eidetic."

"That's because you're focusing on your _android_ memories. You need to think back to your more _human_ memories to figure out where this feeling had originally manifested."

Abby shot Kamski a dirty look from where she was kneeling beside Connor. "Since when're you an expert on psychology?"

"I minored in college, actually. I was the top of _that_ class as well."

Connor lifted his moderately weak right arm up and took the towel from his shoulders to dry off his hair. "...Do you know how I can uncover this memory more directly?"

"I have a way, yes."

"How?"

Kamski gave Connor an unsure stare but answered truthfully all the same. "In my lab there is a sensory deprivation tank that will allow you to block out all your senses and be alone with your thoughts. If you focus entirely on that negative feeling and nothing more the repressed memory will come to the surface and you will have your answer."

Connor shifted his weight so he could kneel on the floor before pushing himself upright with his arms. As he stood on hs trembling legs Abby grabbed onto his left arm to make sure he didn't fall on the slick floor or lose his balance.

"Connor, you can't keep doing that. You need to move more slowly and wait before standing on your own."

"Sorry."

Abby's concerns weren't unfounded. Already tall and slim in build the lack of muscle made Connor look almost lanky, and it was difficult for him to support his own weight just yet, despite being dangerously underweight at the moment. She had managed to get him to eat enough of a bland nutritional diet to put five pounds back onto his frame, but it wasn't enough.

The black swim trunks Connor was wearing looked almost too big on his frame, and when he wore a t-shirt and jeans it looked like he accidentally bought clothes two sizes too big for himself.

"Come on." To keep her friend balanced properly Abby gave Connor the crutches to lean on as he very slowly walked out of the study to head back to the guest room. As he walked she kept her right arm wrapped around his waist to support as much of his weight as she could without hindering his recovery. "You need to rest for a while. While I respect your dedication and commitment to get better, I can't condone you pushing yourself too hard."

"...I'm sorry. I suppose I'm getting restless and want to leave this place."

"So do I."

"Do you want to return to the city?"

"You're still my patient." The door to the guest room slid open and gave the two guests access to the private space. "I may not be your technician anymore but I'm still your friend and I'm still a licensed E.M.S., so I'm going to help you until you're able to take care of yourself."

"You're still licensed?"

"Yup. I renew it every time I get the memo about it expiring."

"I wonder if my paramedic license expired while I was in a coma?"

"Connor, you were barely twenty-two when you went into that coma and now you're twenty-four. I'd say, yeah, your license expired in that time."

"I should try to get it renewed."

"Are you thinking about a career change?" She asked as she guided Connor over to the large bed in the guest room to sit down and rest for a moment.

"No. But it does seem like a waste of training and knowledge to allow such skill to go to waste."

"Well, go for it. Until then," she tossed Connor a clean black t-shirt, jeans and boxers from the dresser. The clothing had been ordered by Kamski and given to Connor to wear for as long as he was inside the mansion. "change into dry clothes and sleep for a while. I'll bring you something to eat so you can keep your strength up."

"Abby?"

"Yeah?" She stopped just as she passed through the doorway to the room and looked back at him over her right shoulder.

"Thank you for helping me. I know you weren't comfortable with this procedure, and I appreciate you standing by me during my recovery."

"...You're welcome." Smiling warmly Abby continued on through the door so Connor could be alone and sleep. "Now, get some rest. I'll be back later."

* * *

Bored out of his mind Hank sighed as he sat alone at his desk and mucked through the massive pile of paperwork that awaited him after his return to the precinct. Between sifting through reports that meant nothing to him Hank checked through facilities throughout the city in case an android matching Connor's description had been admitted, but he had no such luck. Frustrated and ready to throw a punch Hank grabbed onto his phone and decided to call Abby instead since Markus was unable to give him a straight answer last week.

Pressing 'dial' Hank lowered his voice to remain more discreet while on the phone and barely waited for her to answer the line before he spoke up first. "Abby, it's Hank."

'_Hi, Hank_.' Abby fought to keep her voice level and inconspicuous as she answered the phone call. '_Did you go back to the precinct_?'

"Yeah, and it's boring as Hell. You saw Connor before he disappeared, right?"

'_Yeah, he stopped by for an examination at my facility last week_.'

"Can I ask how that went?"

'_He was perfectly healthy if that's what you're worried about_.'

"Kinda'. Do you know where he went when he left the city?"

'..._Yeah, I do_.'

"Abby," Hank pressed his left index fingertip and thumb to the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I'm beggin' ya'. Tell me what you know. I'd ask Lucas but I get the feeling he's just as blank as I am about this shit."

'_Connor will tell you when he's ready_.'

"That's not good enough anymore." The senior detective had to keep himself from snapping at her. It wasn't her fault that he was kept in the dark. "The kid isn't just my partner, he's my friend and I've sworn to take care of him. He's my family. Please, just give me something, ANYTHING I can work with."

'..._Okay_.' She relented out of pure respect for Hank and a desire to ensure his friend's family didn't fall apart at the seams. '_Connor will have to fill in the details, but I will tell you his search led him to Grand Rapids, right here in Michigan_.'

"Grand Rapids?" Hank quickly made a note on his electronic pad as he pressed the phone closer to his right ear. "What's in Grand Rapids?"

'_His past_.'

"Abby, please. No more cryptic answers."

'_Hank, I'm going to level with you_.' She lowered her own voice as she warily gave him the information he so desperately wanted. '_His past isn't pretty_. _And I know it's only going to get worse when you start digging_.'

"I can handle it. What am I looking for?"

'_Look for events in Grand Rapids on the date of May 22nd, 2037_. _You should find it and go from there_.'

"Find it?"

'_Trust me_. _It's too much to explain over the phone and you deserve to know the full truth for yourself_._ But remember Connor wants to explain things to you in person. And I think you'll understand why_.'

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for the info Abby. I appreciate it." Ending the call Hank pocketed his phone and set to his terminal to look up the information that Abby had pointed him toward. It was his first lead on Connor's behavior in over six weeks. "Nice to have at least one cooperative person right now..."

As he began his search on the date and location as he had been instructed Hank came across a newspaper article with a familiar name in the headlines regarding a horrible car accident caused by a hit and run semi truck driver. As he read the details regarding the rescue of Elijah Kamski from the burning wreckage of his totaled car, another name stood out to him for a whole new and far more important reason.

"...Connor?" The image of Connor, his photograph clearly a copy of the image on his old driver's license, made Hank's stomach knot with distress. As he read further he felt himself pale at the additional information. "Connor Wolf, age twenty-two, was hospitalized after suffering severe injuries during the hit and run accident that- What the fuck? Connor... who are you?"

* * *

Abby hated telling Hank about Connor to some extent but she hated the idea of lying to him even more. Pocketing her phone she knocked on the door of the private guest room and walked inside with a small tray of food in her hands. Connor was awake and using Kamski's laptop to look at information regarding news back in Detroit, as well as other details regarding his car accident from two years prior. Without a doubt it was the same news article that Hank had found at the precinct and was currently using to his advantage.

Despite his exhaustion Connor was sitting with a slouched posture on the edge of the messy bed in the provided dry clothes and his hair was styled to its normal look once more.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Abby scolded playfully as she stood beside the bed.

"I was asleep, but my insomnia returned."

"Well, since you're already awake you should eat something." Placing the tray down on the table beside the bed Abby reached over and closed the laptop to distract Connor for a moment. "You can do that later."

"Sorry." Connor let her take the laptop from his hands as he looked at the tray holding a small bowl of soup, a glass of water and two slices of bread. "I can't run a scan over this anymore, but I'm certain the bread was added because of the carbs."

"Yeah, you need to put on some weight. Your immune system is going to be compromised since you were in a coma for two years."

"I also suspect that being a premature baby is also a factor in having a slightly compromised immune system."

"What? You're what?"

"I had been doing some research into my past and I have uncovered some important information." The explanation was just as casual as his right hand struggled to hold the soup's spoon as he dipped it into the bowl. Though he was capable of feeding himself again Connor was slow at it, and he often spilled food on the tray in the process. "...I never thought I'd compare a spoon to a ten pound weight."

"Well, I didn't think I'd ever have a patient go from android to human but here we are." Opening up the laptop Abby sat down next to Connor and began looking at the files that Connor had uncovered during his quest for answers. "So did you figure out where you came from and all that interesting stuff?"

"Yes. My full name is Connor Anthony Wolf. I was born seven weeks early in Novi Michigan on March 7th, 2015. I have no biological siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents, and my biological parents have both passed away. All of this happened before the car accident."

"Jeez. Anything else?"

"...It's not anything I wish to discuss."

"Rough childhood?"

Pausing for a moment Connor held the spoon over the bowl of soup as he answered honestly. "...Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I knew there were dark pieces of my past that I'd have to face eventually." He continued to clumsily stir the soup with the spoon in his hand but had little interest in actually eating it. "In fact, I'd like to face that dark memory that managed to haunt me even as an android as soon as possible."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have to know the source." Connor tried to straighten back up, but his core was too weak to fully support his weight just yet. "I'm willing to use the sensory deprivation chamber to reach my memory."

"I don't think you're ready for that type of emotional turmoil."

"Emotions aren't new to me, I can handle it." Setting aside the spoon he gave her a pleading look. "Once I finally understand this memory I would like to return to the city and resume my physical therapy there."

Abby wasn't convinced and didn't want to see Connor get hurt. "...You're completely one-hundred percent certain you want to do this? I like you, but I don't like piecing you back together every time something tears you apart."

"I want to do this." Awkwardly Connor managed to lift up his left hand just enough to wipe at his teary chlorine aggravated eyes and sighed. "I want to face my past so I can go back home and talk to my brother, and my... well, Hank is sort of like a father to me. ...I think."

"You think?"

"I don't remember my biological parents. At all." The explanation was unexpected but logical. "I think Hank having a father type of role in my life is accurate."

Turning her head away from her friend Abby stared at the floor sadly. "I'll go and let Kamski know you want to use the chamber. Try to eat a little more beforehand just so I don't have to worry about your blood sugar getting too low."

"Okay." Nodding slowly Connor resumed fussing with the soup, and tore of corner of the first slice bread away to pop into his mouth. "Thank you, for helping me."

"...You're welcome."

* * *

Confused more than ever Hank returned to the house with the collected information on the car accident fresh in his mind. The last thing Hank had expected to find was a tragic news story regarding someone with the same name and face as Connor being hospitalized after an accident. Using his own terminal and his authority to gain access to the police archives in Grand Rapids from those two years prior, Hank was able to trace Connor's roots back to Novi and from there he found even more heartbreak as checked the records.

As much as hated himself for doing it Hank had purchased a bottle of whiskey on his way home and had proceeded to pour himself a shot as he sat down at the kitchen table. Fidgeting with the amber drink in his hand all Hank could think about was the horrible childhood that Connor had endured and survived, only to end up comatose for his efforts while trying to be a good person and do the right thing.

"Fuckin' hell. It's no wonder he's so emotionally broken." The senior detective stated out loud to himself as downed the shot. Sumo sensed Hank's distress and sat on the floor next to him at the kitchen table. "How in the fuck did Kamski manage to get so much of that kid's pain into designing a _machine_? No wonder Connor's so damn confused about everything. He must've found out about his human form that inspired his android form."

Pouring another shot the senior detective couldn't help but think of all the cases of child abuse he had handled throughout his unorthodox career.

"That kid beat the odds at birth only to be raised in Hell by Satan himself." Fussing with the drink an amused grin appeared briefly on his face. "Emancipated at fourteen years old, and he still managed to take care of himself. Definitely explains why he's so damn cautious and guarded around other people." Downing the shot Hank readily poured himself another and smirked again. "And STUBBORN."

Sumo whimpered and pressed his chin down against Hank's knee sympathetically.

"If I found all this out in a few hours I can only imagine what he found in a week's time." Gulping down the third shot Hank leaned forward over the table and let out a booze filled sigh. "...I can't fix his childhood, but I can still give him a good home. I just need to find him, first."

* * *

The sensory deprivation chamber had been set up and Connor was ready to bring his long repressed memories to the surface. The chamber itself was bright white and a long rectangular box that was seven feet long, five feet wide and four feet deep. It was filled with heavily salted water to ensure that whomever was laying in the water would float perfectly without touching the sides, the bottom or the top of the chamber. The water was also warmed to the perfect temperature to keep the person inside the chamber warm, but not hot. A small undetectable access port allowed fresh clean air to be pumped into the chamber to prevent any form of accidental suffocation when in use as well.

Without his crutches to lean on to support his weight Connor allowed Abby and Chloe to help him walk forward, and enter the chamber. For the moment it was easier to move around without the awkward crutches considering there was going to be water on the floor and Connor didn't want to slip and hurt himself.

"Welcome to your memories, my friend." Kamski showed Connor over to the chamber with an opened arm while Abby and Chloe helped him to walk over to the place of interest. "This chamber is designed to drown out all sound and all light. The material used in the construction of the chamber absorbs any and all odors and even removes the taste and texture of the salt to keep all of your senses free of any and all stimulation. You will be able to think and remember without any distraction."

Connor nodded as he managed to get up the small plastic staircase leading up to the chamber, and awkwardly stepped inside into the warm water. "Have you used this chamber to uncover your own memories?"

"I use this chamber to think and to focus my thoughts into ideas." The engineer explained coolly as he watched Connor get gently placed down into the water by Abby and Chloe, and laid back so he could float on the surface. "It has unfortunately brought up a few memories I had hoped to forget along the way, but it wasn't anything I couldn't tolerate."

"How long will I lay in here?"

"That depends on how long you want to lay in here."

"...Three hours?"

Abby didn't like that idea and spoke up. "How about one?"

"Please," Connor was determined to uncover his memory no matter how painful it could be. "I want to do this. Three hours, that's all I want."

Kamski approved of the time frame and nodded to Chloe. "Very well. Three hours it is." As Chloe prepared to close the lid of the chamber Kamski gave Connor the final few details regarding the chamber's use. "Chloe will retrieve you in three hours exactly. But I must warn you coming out of this trance can be a little unsettling at first, and you'll likely endure very intense dreams tonight when you sleep."

"...That won't be the first time."

"Good answer. See you soon."

The lid of the chamber closed and Connor found himself quickly immersed in blackness. Closing his eyes he breathed slowly and allowed his mind to drift back to the memory that he sensed was trying to claw its way to the surface, and practically welcomed it to return. As a negative feeling of dread settled into the pit of his heart he focused on the feeling and let the images, sounds and feelings return to him in waves.

* * *

Standing outside the chamber space Abby was still not a fan of the extended period of time and she wasn't afraid to let Kamski know about it. "Three hours is too long!"

"And how would you know that?" He refuted arrogantly as he strode out of the lab with Abby following after him.

"Look, I know he wants to find his past but maybe some things are better left forgotten."

"Since when do you have the the authority to make such a decision for someone else?"

"Knock it off!" She angrily snapped at the cold man. "I'm just looking out for my friend!"

"And yet he wants this. I think you're trying to escape your own past and you're now projecting your insecurity onto him."

"Hey, I've made peace with my screwed up childhood. My parents and my brother are gone, and I left Chicago behind. This isn't about _me_, it's about _him_."

"I know you're trying to protect your friend," Kamski actually empathized with Abby as the two left the lab behind, Chloe remaining beside the chamber as instructed. "but you can't protect someone from time; past, present or future."

Abby didn't have a response or even the faintest of an argument to offer to that answer.

"I understand that once he's regains his memory he wants to return to the city. Take him to this clinic." Presenting Abby with an aluminum membership card from his pocket Kamski tried to give her a kind smile. "It's one that I own and is very private. He can remain there to complete his physical therapy at his own pace completely undisturbed. I will even take care of the bill on his behalf as a little 'thank you' for saving my life two years ago."

"I thought you already thanked him by giving him an android body to live in." Abby snipped as she took the card from Kamski's hand.

"My intent was to keep a piece of Connor alive through the 'Connor model series', but I didn't realize how much of his mind had been saved and how deviancy would essentially revive him. That was an unexpected perk, not necessarily a 'thank you'. Especially since I had to exercise my waning power at CyberLife to accomplish this task."

Pocketing the card Abby slowly walked away from Kamski and retreated to the guest room as she waited for the long three hours to pass by.

Shaking his head Kamski ventured to his own study and stood before his massive window overlooking the harbor. As he watched the waves lapping against the shore he gazed out to the setting sun disappearing into the horizon just beyond the towering structure of New Jericho Tower in the distance. It was as beautiful as it was somber.

"We all have pasts we want to escape. It's a shame that our own minds tend to imprison us inside our own memories."

* * *

As he laid in the isolation of the chamber Connor felt a strangely familiar presence as he sifted through the darkness of his own mind. Pushing himself to focus on the horrible feeling that had undoubtedly left his heart scarred, and steadying himself with a calming breath Connor focused on the memory and felt a sudden chill creep up his spine as a voice began sounding off in his own mind.

It was an angry voice, one that Connor had learned to dread at a tragically young age. A voice that he had forgotten about for so long, only to have it return in such a horrifyingly thunderous manner.

"...Where... am I?"

Connor suddenly found himself standing on a small decaying wooden balcony overlooking an unkempt, overgrown backyard from the second floor of a small neglected house. A storm was growing overhead with a frightening chill in the air that made him shudder even in his memory as the cold wind struck his skin and thunder rumbled in the distance.

Alone and oddly at home Connor was scared. However the scared man in this memory wasn't a man, he was a boy; barely fourteen years old, and scared for his life.

The sound of heavy angry footsteps stomping up the stairs and toward the balcony where Connor was standing made his heart thunder in his chest.

"You no good piece of shit!" The man drunkenly slurred as he smashed the empty bottle of vodka on the bedroom floor. He stomped toward Connor who was too afraid to look at him and could only tighten his own hands around the wooden banister that lined the balcony under a terrified grip. "Where do you get off taking that shirt from the neighbors?"

"...Sh-She offered it to me." Connor stammered in a shaking voice. "I was being polite."

"Shut up! You're just a filthy, lazy piece of shit!" Grabbing onto the back of Connor's shirt collar the man turned the scared teenager around to face him as he pinned Connor's back up against the wooden barricade. "Are you trying to make me look bad? Huh?" He was screaming in Connor's face and his breath reeked of alcohol and 'red ice'. "Making me look like I can't afford to buy my own clothes! Trying to make me look like a loser! You get off tryin' to embarrass me?!"

"...I'm sorry! I'll-"

"I said shut up!" Reeling back his left hand the man struck Connor over the right side of his face leaving a massive welt that was already swelling over his right eye. "You're worthless! I never wanted you in my life! You killed your mother and the only reason I haven't killed you is because she wanted to keep you!" He struck Connor again and again causing the scared teenager to cower, and try to put up his right forearm to defend himself. "I knew it was a mistake and you're the proof!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm going to do what I should've done already!" An inhuman gleam flashed in the man's blank eyes as he made his decision. "You killed your mother! It's only fair that I kill you, too!"

Grabbing onto Connor's shoulders in an enraged grip the man picked up and then threw the terrified boy up over the balcony to go crashing back down onto the ground far below. Connor landed on his right arm and shoulder on the concrete steps leading to the backdoor and cried out in haunting pain as his humerus bone snapped and his shoulder dislocated with a haunting echo that rivaled the thunder overhead.

Rain began to fall from the clouds in cold sheets that quickly soaked through Connor's thin clothes as he laid on his right side on the cold grass. Forcing himself to not cry, to not even whimper, Connor listened to the sound of the man's angry footsteps as he stomped around the house in a drunken rage.

The sound of the television turning on in the livingroom meant that the drunk had become distracted by something else, and Connor would be left alone. At least for a while.

Pushing himself up from the grass with his left arm, pushing himself to get up from the wet grass, Connor held onto his badly broken arm with his left hand and limped out of the backyard toward the front of the house, moving as quietly as possible. Limping down the sidewalk in the cold numbing rain the injured teenager walked in the direction of the nearest hospital seeking shelter and help.

As he walked away he could hear the dangerous man's voice in the distance behind him yelling in anger as he discovered that Connor wasn't laying in the backyard anymore, and was now looking for him.

"...Please." The fourteen year old whispered to himself through his restrained tears. "...I don't want him to find me. Not again."

Red and blue flashing lights illuminated the street before Connor like a beacon of hope cutting through the surrounding storm. Pausing where he stood Connor watched as two police officers exited their vehicle, and approached him curiously.

"Son?" The older of the two men called out to Connor as he stood still on the sidewalk. Connor was soaked through with rain and bleeding from small cuts that marred the side of his head and his face. "Son, are you okay?"

Connor could only shake his head as the second officer threw off his jacket and gently draped it around Connor's shoulders.

"Son." The first officer address the shaken teenager in a kind andpatient voice. "We're here to help. Who did this to you?"

"...It was..." Closing his eyes Connor bowed his head and fought through a sob to tell the officers the truth about the person who hurt him. To finally admit that he had been suffering abuse for as long as he could remember, and had finally escaped the man's anger and drunken abuse. "...My father."

* * *

From within the confines of the chamber Connor's soulful brown eyes snapped open but all he saw was utter blackness around him as the chamber successfully cut off all contact with the outside world. Grabbing onto his right arm where the bone had long since healed he began to breathe rapidly as his heart rate began to swiftly climb. Scared, alone and confused Connor was beginning to panic as the horrible memory had affected him in a way he hadn't anticipated, and could just barely comprehend.

The lid of the chamber began to open slowly allowing light to enter gradually as to not hurt Connor's eyes by blinding him. Putting up his right hand to protect his eyes Connor was met by Chloe's blurry, worried face as her L.E.D. spun in yellow in her right temple. Connor turned away from the light as he continued to breathe rapidly only to lose his breath and panic more.

"I will get help." Chloe stated as she left the room to locate Abby.

Connor reached out his left hand to the side of the chamber and grabbed on as tightly as he could. His shaking weak hand could barely grip the smooth siding of the chamber and his ears were beginning to ring as he fought the urge to blackout.

"Connor?!" Abby's voice called out as she rushed over to the chamber and grabbed onto his hand. "Connor! You're okay, breathe!"

"I...I...I..." He was having trouble speaking, and he was panting for breath. "Can't... breathe!"

Abby motioned to Chloe for the stethoscope on the nearby exam table as she put her left hand under Connor's head to try to hold him more steady in the water to keep him as calm as possible. "You're okay."

Chloe handed Abby the requested item and she slipped the earbuds into her ears awkwardly with her left hand, then ran the bell over his chest.

As she listened to his racing heart and panting breaths Kamski arrived in the lab and looked down at Connor with surprisingly worried eyes. "What's happening?"

Chloe answered as Abby tended to Connor. "I noted a sudden spike in his vitals and I decided to check on him. When I did I found him in distress, and informed Abby of the situation."

Abby removed the stethoscope and put her now free right hand to Connor's cheek lightly. "Connor, you're hyperventilating. You have too much oxygen in your system and not enough carbon dioxide. You need to breathe out and slow your breaths to correct this imbalance."

Kamski took a moment to open a nearby cabinet and located a small plastic bag that was normally used to dispose of used biocomponents, and handed the bag over to Abby. "Here, have him breathe into this. I don't have any paper bags around, so this will have to do."

Abby took the bag from Kamski's hand and placed it over Connor's nose and mouth in a secure but light grip. "Connor, breathe into his bag nice and slow."

Connor's soulful brown eyes were wide with panic but he breathed as Abby instructed. Slowly he was able to catch his breath and his heart rate began to drop to a much more manageable level as he breathed into the bag, and rebreathed the same air a few times. As he calmed Abby listened to his chest again and nodded in approval.

Kamski sighed and grabbed a large white towel that was sitting atop a stack on a nearby table to give to his distressed friend. He gently helped Connor to sit upright in the water as much as possible and draped the towel around his shoulders. "It appears you uncovered that memory. I'm sorry that it was so traumatic."

Abby wanted to glare at Kamski but she sensed the sincerity in his voice and decided against it. "Connor, you're going to be okay. I want you lay down and rest for the night, and I'll check in on you from time to time."

"Wh...What time... is it?" Connor managed to ask around the plastic bag over his face.

Chloe answered in an almost annoyingly chipper voice. "It is currently ten sixteen in the evening."

"H-How long... was I..."

"Two hours, six minutes."

Abby wrapped her right arm around Connor's waist while Kamski hooked his own left arm beneath Connor's right arm to help him stand up. Connor was shaking violently with terror and was almost completely immobilized by fear.

"It's okay." Abby reassured Connor as she and Kamski guided him very slowly out of the lab and to the guest room. She lowered the bag from Connor's face as he began to calm down and breathe more normally. "You're safe."

"...I'm... I'm cold."

Thinking quickly Abby took the towel from Connor's shoulders and used it to gently dry off his skin. "You'll be okay. Dry off and change into some warm clothes."

Kamski helped to guide Connor over to the bed before discreetly taking his leave of the room so Connor could be miserable in private. Abby set about using the towel to dry off Connor's hair, mindful of the almost fully healed wound to the back of his skull, and kept him company as he sat on the edge of the bed shaking with lingering fear.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"...No." Connor weakly fell to his left side on the bed and rested his head against the pillow heavily. With a trembling hand he pulled the thick white quilt over himself to keep warm as he shivered slightly. "I j-just want to sleep."

"Okay." As she rose from the bed she tossed Connor his clothes once again so he could change into a warm layer. As the clothes landed on Connor's right side he just laid there and didn't react. "Tomorrow we can head out to a private clinic to finish your physical therapy. You're already making great progress with what little there is here, so I know you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Connor remained silent as Abby crossed the room and walked over to the door, his eyes staring at the crutches beside his bed and propped up against his wall like a painful reminder of his current limitations. He hated feeling so weak but there was nothing he could do but be patient with himself and heal over time.

"I'll see you in the morning, but I'll check on you from time to time make sure you're okay."

As Abby approached the door she used her left palm to easily dim the lights in the room and stepped through the door quietly. The door automatically slid shut behind her and soon Abby heard the soft crying coming from within the room as Connor finally broke down emotionally and began to weep from the depths of his scarred heart.

"...Oh, Connor." She whispered to herself as she walked away from the door with her own tears in her eyes. It hurt to listen to her friend so upset but she knew she couldn't do anything more to help him emotionally or physically unless he let her. "What happened to you?"

_**-next chapter-**_


	3. The Present

In a graceless greeting to the rising sun Hank awoke the next morning with one mother of a hangover, and some rancid breath that was a mixture of whiskey and vomit. He had fallen asleep chest down on his bed and was greeted by a generous puddle of drool on his pillow. Swearing quietly as he pressed his right hand to his throbbing head and slowly pushed himself up from the bed on his left arm just to feel horrible. Stumbling out of the bedroom and into the bathroom just down the hallway Hank fell to his knees in front of the toilet, and began to throw-up what little alcohol was still left in his stomach.

Sumo had heard Hank being sick and sympathetically sat in the opened doorway to watch his master as he vomited in the small room.

"...Fuck." Dragging his right arm over his vomit and spit covered chin Hank pushed himself up from the floor and leaned heavily against the sink. Greedily he filled the drinking glass with water, rinsed out his mouth and spit it back out into the sink. "...Can't hold my liquor like I used to." Sumo grumbled from the doorway and made Hank turn to look at him. "...I'm either getting _really_ old, or Connor really did sober me up."

Turning on the shower Hank briefly left the bathroom to grab his phone from the nightstand beside his bed, and sent a text to Connor, completely unaware that the now human wouldn't receive the messages. The messages themselves were short and succinct, and would remain unread: "I hope you're okay" and "Come back home, soon."

It had become routine for Hank to send messages to Connor and never get a reply. Sadly he had become used to it.

Stopping by Connor's bedroom, the room Connor had only just been given and had only just begun to furnish, Hank sighed at the lack of activity within the private space. The bed was perfectly made, the lamp was off and the emerald green guitar was sitting in the corner of the room on its metal support stand. The aquarium against the far wall was full of brightly colored fish swimming about energetically in crystal clear water. On shaking legs Hank made his way into the bedroom and found the container of fish flakes tucked beneath the aquarium in the stand supporting it.

After sprinkling in a few flakes into the water Hank sighed and looked at Sumo who was sitting in the doorway watching him. "Alright, Sumo." Hank muttered as he returned to the bathroom. "I'll shower off, get you some food and then we'll go for a walk before I have to go to work."

The senior detective threw off his rather grungy night clothes and proceeded to step into the shower to freshen up. As the warm water rinsed off the drunken night from before he sighed and proceeded to talk to himself for the sake of breaking the heavy silence of the house.

"...You better be okay, kid." Adjusting the shower's temperature Hank closed his eyes and tried to not think about a possible worst case scenario regarding the missing deviant, and his future. "If something happened to you I'll never forgive myself."

* * *

Having a rough morning of his own Connor awoke with a mild headache of his own as he slept deeply, but not restfully, the night before. Using his trembling left arm to push himself upright on the bed he awkwardly slung his legs over the edge of the bed and leaned forward to rub his both hands over his face. The sensation of growing stubble on his chin and over his upper lip caught him by surprise and made him press his fingers to the more abrasive patches on his skin curiously. It had been so long since he was capable of such a trait, and it made him grin a little.

"...I'm growing a goatee."

As he slowly became more alert the door to the guest room slid open and Chloe walked inside with a smile on her face. "Good morning, Connor."

"Good morning, Chloe."

"Elijah would like to know when you'll be ready to leave for the clinic. He wants to ensure you receive the best treatment once you arrive."

"...I guess I will leave this afternoon."

"I'll let him know. Will you require any assistance this morning?"

"...No. I'll be okay on my own, thank you."

"I'll leave you alone now. Dr. Grayson is insisting that you eat a light breakfast before you leave, and I will let her know you are now awake."

Dropping his hands from his face Connor looked down at the clothes he had been given the night before, but ignored still sitting on top of the quilt next to him. Grabbing onto them with a shaking grip with his left hand he grabbed onto one of his crutches that had been left against the wall beside the bed with his right hand, and used it to balance as he slowly and clumsily made his way to the connected bathroom.

Placing the clothes down on the sink Connor managed to turn on the shower and proceeded to remove the swim trunks that had long since dried since the night before. Too weak to stand on his own for too long Connor had actually resorted to sitting on the shower floor and letting the water simply rinse over him.

Leaning back against the cool surface of the shower wall as the warm water fell over him Connor sighed and returned his right fingertips to his chin and upper lip to investigate the growing stubble with a curious touch. Not only was he now capable of growing facial hair but he could feel the gentle whirls and imprints of his fingerprints that he hadn't had since he slipped into his coma, and had his consciousness transferred into his android body.

"...I have to relearn how to shave. I wonder if Hank-" The thought of Hank made Connor instantly feel guilty. He had disappeared for over a week and barely said anything to Hank despite all the messages being sent from the senior detective. Now that he couldn't reply at all he felt horrible. "...I'm sorry, Hank. I'll apologize to you and to Lucas as soon as I can. Just be patient with me."

* * *

Arriving almost twenty minutes late for his shift Hank sat at his desk at the precinct with a mug of warm coffee in one hand, and couple of aspirin tablets in the other. As he downed the pills with a gulp of the mercifully caffeinated coffee he groaned in pain as his headache remained static, and his stomach was a tight burning knot from vomiting up alcohol that morning. Ignoring the case files on his terminal screen Hank pressed his right hand to the side of his aching head and leaned against his desk tiredly as he waited for the aspirin to kick in.

From his own desk Gavin saw that Hank was hungover and was visibly disgusted at the sight. "Seriously? You can't last a week without that 'plastic-prick' keeping you sobered up?"

"Fuck off, Reed."

"Gladly." The Sergeant motioned for Tina to follow after him as he took his leave of the bullpen to begin their morning patrol. "The smell of cheap whiskey and puke is making me sick."

"Why don't you eat a bullet?"

"Anderson." Standing in his opened office doorway Captain Fowler called out to Hank, making the hungover senior detective flinch at the loud voice. The commanding officer had seen Hank stumble in hungover enough times in the past to know that Hank had a rough night. "Hank. In here, now."

"...Fuck this." Moving slowly from his desk with his hand still pressed to his head Hank trudged into the office as ordered, and sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk where Captain Fowler was already sitting with an exhausted huff. "What now, Jeffrey?"

Captain Fowler was studying Hank's face intensely as he spoke in a much softer tone of voice. "Are you sick?"

"...My head's killing me. I won't lie about that."

"Ah, damn it." The confirmation was as disappointed as it was shameful. "I thought you kicked that shit."

"So did I. But I had a rough shift and I slipped up." He held up both of his hands submissively as if to surrender before following up with a heavily sarcastic comment that made his superior grimace. "My bad!"

"Knock it off, Hank. I know you're having a rough time without Connor, he's been a good influence on you." Folding his hands neatly over the desk the seasoned officer tried to offer an alternative to working all day alone. "Why don't you go home and sleep it off?"

"No. It's too quiet at home." Leaning back in his chair he closed his eyes and sighed. "Too quiet even for a hangover."

"I don't need a hungover detective puking at his desk all damn day, Hank. Go home."

"It's fine, Jeffrey. I puked before I came in."

"This is serious."

"So am I."

The stubbornness wasn't not appreciated and Captain Fowler was losing his already limited patience. "Hank, don't make me suspend you."

"Jeffrey, _I'm fine_. All I have is a nasty headache, and enough of Gavin's mouth."

Relenting for the sake of keeping an eye on his troubled detective Captain Fowler begrudgingly backed down. "Don't do anything to piss me off today, or I will bench your ass for a month."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll be good, I promise."

"Uh-huh." Not entirely convinced Captain Fowler let the hungover senior detective know exactly how thin the ice was under his feet. "One more misstep and I'm recommending you take an early retirement so I don't have to fire you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Hank could see that Captain Fowler wasn't bluffing, but he wasn't impressed or threatened. "I hear ya' Jeffrey. Can I go now?"

"Yeah, get out of my sight."

Doing his best to hold his aching head high Hank took his leave of the office and retreated back to his desk. Looking at the glaringly bright screen of his terminal he let out an annoyed sigh, and began checking through the numerous case files that still needed his attention.

"...Homicides, domestic disturbances and overdoses. I'd rather being puking right now."

* * *

After a gracious farewell to Kamski and Chloe just before noon Connor was escorted to Abby's small blue car parked out in front of the mansion, and was driven back to the city to be admitted to the very rehabilitation clinic that Kamski himself owned. It wasn't too long of a drive but Connor was already feeling slightly motion sick from the car ride. Wrapping his arms over his chest he breathed deeply and partially rolled down the passenger side window to let the gentle cool breeze blow against his face.

"Are you feeling nauseous?" Abby asked as she made her way into the city and noticed his behavior from the corner of her eye. "You didn't eat much before we left the house."

"I don't have much of an appetite."

"That's normal for the first few weeks after waking up from a coma. I'm glad you're eating at all."

"I'm just glad it hadn't upset my stomach or caused any other problems."

"Well, I'm sure once you start getting more physical your appetite will come back. You really need to get your weight back up, and bowls of vegetable soup or jello isn't going to cut it."

"I've put on six pounds in the eight days since I've regained consciousness. That's a very commendable amount of progress."

"Yeah, but once your metabolism kicks back on you might burn all that weight right back off, maybe even lose more weight in the process." Idling at a red light she glanced at Connor's pale face and smirked at the dark facial hair beginning to grow on his chin and upper lip. "Too bad you didn't think to shave before we left. You look a little rough."

"I don't feel comfortable holding a razor against my own face and throat when I can barely manage a spoon."

Smirking at the comment Abby resumed the drive to the clinic with a warm smile on her face. "You know, once you get settled in I'm going to have to go back to the facility. I can't stay away any longer. Barry is a great technician but he can't handle every single case alone."

"I understand." Connor glanced out the window of the car as they began driving past more upscale homes in far more secluded and pricier neighborhoods. "I am glad you stayed with me for as long as you did. I don't trust Kamski or even Chloe enough to be alone with them or accept their help, but I knew I had to take the risk."

"Do you regret it?"

"...Regret what?"

"Returning to your life as a human."

"...That has yet to be seen."

"For it's worth I think you did the right thing." Abby gave him a confident stare. "At first I thought it was crazy because you could've, well, you could've died. But now I see that it was worth the risk."

"How so?"

"Because if you passed up on the chance to learn about who you really were and where you really came from you would've spent the rest of your life thinking about everything that could've happened. No one wants to live a life with regret."

"I think I did the right thing, too. If I need to I can always return to my android body while retaining my memories from-" He trailed off somberly as he felt a cold dread creep up his spine again. Needing to change the subject he stumbled to find new words to replace his original thought. "...This won't necessarily be forever."

Abby was silent for a moment as she let Connor have a minute to himself. "...Even though it's none of my business, I think you should tell Hank where you are and where you've been."

"I will. Once I figure out how to explain, well,_ this_." Looking down at his right palm he flexed his fingers a few times and looked at the whirl of his fingerprints. Fingerprints he was still a little surprised to see and feel as his return to humanity brought him new yet familiar sensations, and aesthetics. "This isn't exactly an everyday, or even known, occurrence."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I hope you're right."

The small car pulled into the long drive of the rather private estate and were stopped by the front white gates by a male deviant security guard. Connor slunk down in his seat a little and turned his head away to keep the android from possibly recognizing him out of a weird sense to keep as secretive as possible. Abby rolled down her window and showed the guard the aluminum card that Kamski had given here, and the guard's blue L.E.D. cycled yellow to verify the card with Kamski himself.

"Your access has been approved." The guard stated as he passed the card back to Abby to take. "Please follow the drive to the front of the building and you will be able to gain access to the reception area for check-in."

"Thanks."

The white gates opened wide and Abby pulled the car through. As she reached the front of the towering building another deviant, this one female, greeted the vehicle outside, along with a male human. Fortunately the deviant had no affiliation with any form of security or law enforcement which greatly improved Connor's chances of remaining relatively discreet during his stay.

"Welcome, I'm Dr. Jay Galen." The male physician greeted the duo as Abby stepped out of the car. He was particularly interested in Abby until he saw that she could move about just fine and was pulling the crutches out of the backseat for Connor to use. "And this is my assistant Daisy. I understand you're associated with Mr. Kamski."

"Yeah." Abby replied as she pulled open the passenger side door and helped Connor to unfasten his seatbelt and stand up on his crutches. Helping him to walk around the front of the vehicle and toward the building Abby confirmed their acquaintanceship. "Something like that."

"I was informed of your impending arrival by Kamski himself," the doctor continued in a warm and friendly manner. "but I was not made clear on the details."

Connor answered as Daisy proceeded to help him stand on his shaking legs alongside Abby. "I was comatose for... two years."

"...Two years?" Dr. Galen looked stunned by the revelation. He glanced at Abby who nodded in agreement. "_Years_, and not _months_, right?"

"Yup." Abby confirmed the time frame. "I was there when he woke up."

"...When did he awaken?"

"Eight days ago." Abby confirmed again as she and Daisy helped Connor to walk to the front doors of the clinic to get checked in. "He's always been a quick healer, so don't be so shocked if he tries to check himself out tomorrow morning."

Dr. Galen shook his head and laughed. "I'll remember that. Which hospital were you admitted, young man?"

Connor replied sharply in an attempt to be honest while also deflecting the details as much as he could. "Elijah will be sending over the hospital records this evening. You'll get all the required information you'll need."

"I'll have my secretary make a note of that." He responded as Daisy, who had been helping Connor to walk, retrieved a wheelchair from behind the front receptionist area and motioned for Connor to sit down as she brought it over to him. "In the meantime we have a room already set up for you, but we still need your name."

"It's Connor." He responded as he slowly sat down in the wheelchair and let Daisy take the crutches away. "My name is Connor."

"Connor, nice to meet you." Dr. Galen responded respectfully with a handshake to his newest patient. "Can we have your full name?"

"Yes, of course. My I.D. was destroyed in the car accident but my name is Connor Wolf."

"Don't worry about any I.D. for now." Dr. Galen insisted as he and Daisy, alongside Abby, took Connor inside the clinic and to the elevator at the end of the ground floor's corridor to check into a private room on the second floor. "Do you have any family?"

"...Yes, but, it's complicated."

"It's okay." The elevator doors parted and the group continued on their way down the new corridor to get to Connor's preassigned private room. "You're not the only one with such a story."

Abby patted Connor's left shoulder as Dr. Galen showed him to the private room and wheeled him inside.

"Alright, Connor." Flashing his private key card over the electronic lock beside the door Dr. Galen unsealed the room and gave Connor access to the private quarters to rest. "I hope you'll be comfortable here."

The room was massive and had a luxurious king size bed against the wall complete with four white, large fluffy pillows and a thick white quilt. There was also a large white dresser, a sixty inch television mounted on the wall across from the bed, and a white leather sofa against the far wall under the massive window overlooking a gorgeous expanse of green grass leading out to the private beach of the clinic's man-made lake. The large bathroom connected to the main room had a Jacuzzi tub, a nice large shower with a bench to aid the healing occupants of the room, as well as a porcelain sink complete with a day spa.

"Wow..." Abby's jaw almost hit the floor as she looked at the room. "This place is nicer than any hotel or spa I've ever been to." Turning back to Connor she gave the healing young man a confident grin. "If you don't get better here than you never will."

"Yeah." Connor thought the room was a bit much but he wasn't going to turn down such a generous offering from Kamski. "...I think I'll do just fine here."

"Good." Putting her left hand on his left shoulder one more time she gave Connor a proud smile. "You'll do great! I'll be sure to stop in and visit you tomorrow, okay?"

"...Yes. That'd be nice."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." She gave Dr. Galen a respectful nod and a handshake. "Take good care of him, doc."

"Of course. Anyone who is a friend of Mr. Kamski receives the best of care."

Connor winced a little at the word 'friend' but he didn't dare to protest or correct the doctor. Once Abby was out of the room with Daisy escorting her to the exit out of politeness Connor tried to wheel himself to the bed, but he lacked the strength to move even an inch.

"Mr. Wolf, please don't exert yourself." Dr. Galen cautioned righteously from where he stood. "You need to pace yourself if you hope to heal."

"Connor." The insistence in Connor's voice was absolute. "Just call me Connor."

"Of course, Connor." Remaining polite and respectful Dr. Galen proceeded to wheel Connor over to the bed and helped him to lay down on the large mattress to rest. "I understand you're eager to get better, but you can't push yourself too hard too soon. We will schedule you for minor strength training in your upper body at four o'clock this evening for one hour. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good. Now," he motioned to the white phone sitting on a shelf that was built into the wall next to the bed. "there's your phone that will connect you directly to the front desk. If you need anything just ask. In the meantime we'll ask for your medical records and provide you with a meal within the hour once we are certain you have no confirmed food allergies."

"Oh, that won't be-"

"I know, you don't have any appetite. But we insist." It was evident that Dr. Galen had been doing his job for a long time and recognized a stubborn patient when he saw one. "Please rest and feel free to treat this room as your own. I'll see you at four o'clock."

"...Right, of course. Thank you."

As Dr. Galen left the room Connor looked about at the expansive white paradise he had been given and sighed despondently. "This isn't _my_ room. This is a recovery wing."

Reaching toward the phone with a shaking right hand Connor picked up the white cell phone in a weak grip and saw the time. One twenty-six in the afternoon. It was then Connor noticed the accumulation of numbers already programmed into the contacts list and sighed again: Front Desk, Dr. Galen's private line, Spa, Gym, Parking Garage, Kitchen, Beach... It was all so informal and cold.

"...I wonder if Hank is at home or if he went back to the precinct?" His thumb hovered over the numeric pad as he dared to dial the two phone numbers he still had perfectly memorized; Hank's cell and the precinct, then decided against it. "No. The way I disappeared without an explanation Hank wouldn't want to talk to me, and neither would Lucas."

Placing the phone back down on the shelf Connor laid back against the mountain of pillows under his head and closed his eyes. As he tucked his left arm under his and draped the right arm over his abdomen and flinched as he realized how much weight he had actually lost while he was comatose. He was very thin and his ribs were prominent even under his black t-shirt, while his abdomen was almost sunken in.

Without any strength or muscle mass to allow him to defend himself he wouldn't be able to do his job as a detective which meant he'd be stuck behind a desk, or worse, stuck on the sidelines.

Running his hand over his emaciated stomach Connor sighed and realized those six pounds he had gained meant nothing as of that moment. "This is going to be a long recovery."

* * *

Through Abby's courteous phone call Markus knew that Connor had been taken to a rehabilitation center to continue his physical therapy, and was away from Kamski at long last. Staying true to his word Markus didn't tell Lucas or Hank what had happened to Connor or where he currently was, but he was able to let Lucas know that his big brother was safe.

Lucas of course was relieved to know Connor was okay but like Hank he wanted more answers. "Can you please tell me where he is?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't. Connor _will_ tell you in time. Trust me!"

"I want to, but since you won't tell me anything about my own brother I find that request to be difficult to fulfill."

"Please don't think like that. Everything will be okay."

"...Excuse me." Turning his back to Markus as they spoke in the tower's private office Lucas took his leave of the small room. "I have a shift in four minutes and I know Simon wanted to spend the evening with Josh. I don't want to hold him up."

"Lucas, wait-"

The empathetic technician took his leave of the office and made his way to the emergency repair bay of the tower via main elevator.

Ignoring the fact that Connor and Lucas were the same model and meant to be identical, the two brothers were so very much alike personality wise that it made Markus feel guilty for keeping a secret from him. It took so long to gain even a modicum of Connor's trust during the Revolution, and now Markus was convinced he'd never be able to gain Lucas's trust after this very personal situation.

"Forgive me, my friend." Seeing the pained look in Lucas's eyes made Markus feel immensely guilty. "I hate keeping you in the dark."

* * *

After his lunch was brought to his room Connor had to force himself to eat the provided meal all because his body told him he wasn't hungry, even though he knew he desperately needed the calories. It took him almost twenty minutes to fully consume the small meal of chicken soup and bread, but even then he felt like he had overindulged and was a little nauseated as a result. Ignoring the discomfort in his too full feeling stomach Connor allowed Daisy to wheel him into the small gym on the ground floor where he could begin his physical therapy at long last.

Using the strong support bars Connor balanced on his hands and began to slowly walk down the narrow path to rebuild strength in his upper body as well as his legs. Finishing one walk down the ten foot trek had left Connor feeling exhausted and he was beginning to sweat. "...I never knew walking... was so hard."

The physical therapist just gave Connor a good humored smile as he watched Connor make it to the end of the path. "Do you want to take a break?"

"...No." He huffed as he ignored the sweat causing his dark hair to stick to his forehead. "...I can go a little longer."

"Alright. When you're ready turn around and walk one more lap."

"...Yeah. I can do that."

A loud 'bang' resonated down the hallway and echoed into the gym from the distance. Connor froze and stared at the opened door while his physical therapist went to check out the commotion for himself. A few seconds later Connor heard shouting and a mixture of muffled voices arguing about rules and treatment, and then frantic shouting from one very upset young man.

"...Now what?"

Grabbing a nearby set of crutches Connor managed to weakly limp toward the opened doorway and peered into the hall in time to see a single deranged twenty-something year old male swinging around a large metal crutch of his own, and shouting at the doctors trying to get him to calm down. It was difficult for Connor to see the man at a distance but he was certain he was either high, or going through detox, and wasn't responding well to the treatment.

"This could get dangerous."

Connor tried to contact the precinct to ask for help but of course he couldn't do so now that he wasn't an android. He needed to use a phone.

"Damn." As a nurse backed down the hallway slowly Connor addressed her in a surprisingly calm tone of voice. "Contact the police. Ask for-"

The man shouted again and struck another deviant attendant violently enough to draw blue blood from his face and neck. As soon as the man had the deviant on the ground the man began slamming the crutch down against the deviant's head with the intent to kill him.

"Hey!" Connor shouted as he managed to throw aside his own crutches and awkwardly hobble toward the man. "STOP."

"Get away!" The man shouted as he swung his crutch at Connor next. "Get away from me!"

The end of the crutch struck Connor in the left side of his face causing him to fall to the floor onto his right side as blood began to drip from a cut on his cheek, and from his nose, in dark red blood.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

While the man was distracted by Connor the security deviants were able to rush the man and restrain him at long last. The two strong deviants managed to carry the struggling, flailing man down the corridor as he screamed and fought back as much as he could. As soon as he was secured in a room everything went quiet and the gathered crowd dispersed steadily one by one.

With the commotion ended Connor pushed himself up to sit on the floor and pressed his right hand to his bleeding face and nose. He looked at the wounded deviant laying just a few feet away from himself only to feel useless. There was a puddle of blue blood forming under the deviant's body and Connor felt sickly empathetic at the sight.

"Connor?!" Dr. Galen rushed over to his downed patient and saw fresh the blood on his face. "I'm so sorry! Let me see-"

"...Check the android."

"Pardon?"

"The android." Connor repeated without taking his eyes from the injured deviant just out of his reach. "Make sure he's okay."

"I... Alright." Kneeling down beside the bleeding deviant Dr. Galen put his left hand in the middle of the deviant's chest and detected a Thirium pump beat. He was unconscious and his L.E.D. was blinking yellow in his right temple. "He's alive."

"Good... Help him first. I can wait."

"Well get technicians here as well as the police to settle the matter." Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Dr. Galen tried to help the weak man back up to his feet but Connor refused to budge. "Please, let me get you back to your room so I can tend to your injuries."

"_After_ the police arrive." Connor responded without missing a beat. "I'm a witness and would like to tell them my side of the story to ensure the deviant gets justice after being attacked."

"...Alright, you can do that." Dr. Galen left Connor where he sat on the floor and handed him a clean white tissue from his lab coat pocket to press to his nose to try to stem the bleeding. "I can tell your instincts as a first responder haven't faded in time. Most people wouldn't be interested in helping an android above a human."

"...Yes." The sight of the bloodied deviant made Connor's own blood boil but he didn't dare show it. "...It's because I'm a first responder."

* * *

Nursing his third cup of coffee Hank had barely stumbled out of the breakroom when Chris approached him with an electronic tablet in his right hand with every intention of asking the Lieutenant for a favor. Chris could see that Hank was still in pain but knew that Hank didn't want to be treated special or avoided all day long. Explaining the odd situation to the gruff Lieutenant regarding a case that wasn't dealing with a dead body Chris offered to join Hank on the call if he wanted the assistance for the late afternoon.

"No thanks, Chris. I can handle this." Reading over the offered screen Hank noted the address and shook his head with a small laugh. "A violent altercation with a tweaked out junkie... Isn't this at that overpriced, rich, snobby rehab center masquerading as a health spa?"

"Yeah." Confirming the location Chris offered a few more details. "Something about a newly admitted junkie attacking a couple of employees, a patient and almost killing an android attendant in the facility."

"Cripes. Which rich brat got admitted this week?"

"I don't know, but it must've been a pretty bad freak out if they called us and not private security."

"Good point."

"Want me to go with you, Lieutenant?"

"Nah, I can take this on myself. Besides, having two blue-collar guys in such a white-collar building might drop the property values or some shit."

Chris just laughed as he walked away with his own shake of his head to return to his desk.

The bullpen had been pretty quiet all day long, but the monotony only made Hank realize how boring things were without Connor to keep him company and talk. He really missed having the curious deviant around and he was starting to feel lonely all the time, even at work.

Finishing off his coffee Hank put his empty mug down on the corner of his desk and pulled his car keys from his coat pocket. Heading toward the precinct's front doors Hank sighed and made his way to the parking garage next to the precinct and marched toward his car. With less than two hours to go on his shift Hank was more than ready to handle the case so he could go back home and shamefully pour himself another shot of whiskey.

"...Fuckin' rich assholes. They don't care about their families, only their family's_ reputation_." He grumbled as he opened his car door and put the key in the ignition. Turning over the engine Hank pulled the car out of the garage and onto the street to head out to the swankier part of town. "I don't care who that rich idiot is, I'm charging them with everything I can."

* * *

After enduring his physical therapy and the adrenaline rush of the confrontation Connor was exhausted and had blood drying all over his face as he sat on the floor waiting for the cops to arrive. The technicians had shown up a few seconds prior and were quickly assessing the damaged android much to Connor's relief. As the technicians tended to the android on the floor of the corridor where the struggle began the parents of the young disruptive patient arrived demanding to see their son, and were yelling disrespectfully at the doctors.

"What do you mean you called the cops!?" The angry father, his voice just as loud his son's frantic shouting, confronted Dr. Galen in a threatening manner. Despite carrying himself as someone beyond fault the man was clearly an ungrateful and entitled jerk that didn't deserve his good fortune. "My son is NOT going to jail for breaking a damn machine!"

The man was in his late forties and dressed in an overpriced tailored black suit. His thinning gray hair had been dyed black and slicked back in a greasy gel, his nose was rather large and slightly hooked, and his narrow steel gray eyes were glaring holes at the staff for doing the right thing. The man's wife, who appeared to be the same age, was wearing a dark purple designer dress complete with a matching designer handbag, overpriced shoes, bleach blonde hair, fake nails and a lot of plastic surgery that didn't suit her age, was standing back and looking down her plastic nose at everyone for being 'commoners'.

"Don't forget who I am!" The man shouted again, his voice reminding Connor of his nightmare; of his darkest memory. Watching the verbal confrontation from where he was sitting Connor forced himself to push through his anxiety to focus on the situation not as a bystander, but as a first responder. "I have donated more money to this clinic than anyone else in the city. I OWN YOU."

"Hey!" Connor himself was getting angered by the comment and pushed himself back to his feet. Pressing his right hand against the wall Connor braced himself upright and shouted at the man as he tried to intimidate the good doctor. "Your son assaulted an attendant and a patient, and he will be charged accordingly."

The man turned his attention to Connor and scoffed arrogantly. "The attendant is NOT a person. You cannot assault a machine, you can only break it." Pulling out his checkbook in an infuriatingly haughty manner he began writing a check to the clinic. "A machine can be replaced, but my son's innocence cannot."

"Your son is NOT innocent." Connor challenged boldly as he struggled to stand before the man and his checkbook. "I _witnessed_ him striking the attendant before he struck me. Two counts of assault will guarantee your son jail time, and I suspect he will test positive for numerous illegal substances."

Looking at the dried blood on Connor's face the man indignantly approached the detective and stood before him. "Very well. What's your name, young man?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I need to know your name in order to write out your check."

"My check?"

"You will say you didn't see anything and that the 'attendant' was faulty. Will twenty-thousand cover it?"

"I will not say such a thing. It's a lie."

"Please don't be stubborn." The entitled man stated as he tore off the unwanted check from the book and let it drop to the floor without a care. Just as quickly he began writing out a new check to try to pay Connor off. "How does fifty-thousand dollars sound?"

"Like a bribe."

"A _bribe_? Don't be so cold."

"Sir, I'm an officer with the Detroit Police Department." Connor put authority into his voice and stood by his declaration. "You're attempting to bribe both a witness and an officer of the law. That is_ also_ _a felony_."

The man's hand faltered slightly as he tried to save face. "...O-Oh you misunderstand! The check was meant to cover your expenses now that you've been so egregiously wounded on the clinic's property. It's the least I can do to _apologize_ for my son's crude behavior."

"I can handle my own finances, thank you. Perhaps you should try to handle your family in a respectable and_ legal_ manner."

The wife had been timidly standing back utterly embarrassed and afraid of the scrutiny that was bound to spread. When she saw Connor standing up to her husband and not accepting her money she looked all the more upset and began to cry, which in turn stole Dr. Galen's attention.

"Young man," the pompous man was losing his patience and had clearly never met a person he couldn't bribe before. "please be reasonable. My son needs help and you're making it difficult."

"Your son _does_ need help, and he will once the clinic can take care of him. You trying to buy your son a free pass through life is the root cause of his problems."

"Are you accusing me of being a bad father?"

"Do you want me to answer honestly, or would you prefer to try to buy my answer?"

Turning red the man attempted to tower over Connor and intimidate him as the young detective refused to accept a bribe. "Young man, I'm warning you. I have many connections in this city and I can-"

"No. I'm warning YOU." Refusing to back down Connor glared at the man and remained steadfast in his decision. "Your son is walking a path of self destruction and you're the one who put him on such a path. I suggest you take your checkbook and wait until you're at the precinct in order to pay for your son's lawyer, and then his bail."

The man was absolutely livid and grabbed onto Connor's black t-shirt collar with both of hands in frustration. "Why you self righteous-"

"Hey!" A familiar gruff voice called out and made the man let go of Connor quickly while Connor himself slowly lowered his body down to the ground out of physical weakness. He also wanted to hide from the approaching voice out of a guilt ridden reflex. "Did you just threaten to assault a man in front a detective?"

As Connor fell back to the floor he recognized Hank instantly and was emotionally torn. He wanted to see Hank again, but he wasn't ready to explain things yet. There was just too much to explain at that moment.

"Wh-What?!" The man turned around quickly and his face turned bright red while his wife stormed out of the clinic in emotional turmoil. "You don't-"

"Shut it. I saw you grab that guy and yell in his face. I also see your checkbook raring to go." Hank pointed to the offending object clutched in the greedy man's right hand, and the dropped check at his feet. "Trying to pay off a witness?"

"N-No! Of course not."

"Oh really?" Hank next pointed to the already disposed of check on the floor and snatched it up. Reading over the amount he just laughed and showed it to the busted rich man who had been caught in the act. "Twenty-thousand? They say you can't put a price on family, but it looks like _you_ can. And that's pretty shitty price. Don't you make a couple billion a year, and you're offering up this chump-change? Pathetic."

"Officer, I swear-"

"Save it. You're under arrest for attempted bribery and assault."

"What?! No!"

"Yup." Taking his handcuffs from the back of his belt Hank slapped the metal restraints over the man's right wrist and positioned his arms behind his back before securing the left wrist. Pushing the arrested man toward the two security deviants monitoring the corridor Hank nodded and gave an order. "Ask for a squad car to take 'daddy' here to the precinct, and then ask for a second patrol to take his kid down separately. And to KEEP them separated."

"Yes, sir." The two deviant answered in chorus and made Hank flinch at the spooky reaction.

"I'll hang onto this," Hank showed the man the dropped check that proved he tried to bribe Connor. "as _evidence_. See ya' later."

"Wait! _WAIT_!"

As the man was escorted out of the clinic Hank looked down at the young man on the floor and saw the dried blood on the staining the left side of his face. Kneeling down in front of the young man Hank lowered the gruffness out of his voice as he address the bold man kindly. "Hey? You alright?"

Connor nodded quickly but tried to keep from making eye contact with Hank.

"I saw him grab you, but did he hit you?"

Remaining silent Connor shook his head a little, only to have more blood drip from his nose.

"Shit." Hank saw the bleeding and wanted to do something to help the pathetic looking kid. Connor was so thin and pale that he truly looked like a runaway teenager living on the streets. "That looks pretty bad. Where's your doctor?"

In response Connor quietly shrugged his shoulders, and tried to keep Hank from seeing his face.

"Hey, don't worry, kid. I'm on your side." The senior detective's voice was kind and understanding. There was no bias or irritation whatsoever. "I'm proud of you for turning down his check. That's a lot of money for anyone who wasn't born rich. What's your name, son?"

Hearing Hank say he was "proud" of him and calling him "son" made Connor want to confess everything right then, right there. Remaining stubbornly quiet Connor wished he had the strength to get up and run away, but knew he couldn't move. Not this time.

"Come on, kid. I need a statement." Remaining impressively patient Hank tried to coax the young witness into finally speaking to him. "What's your name?"

Realizing he couldn't delay the inevitable any longer Connor lifted his head up and looked Hank in the senior detective's blue eyes. As he did Connor watched the recognition flash through Hank's irises and his face pale as the long missing younger detective finally returned to him. "...My name is Connor."

"...C-Connor." Hank was almost afraid to say or do anything that might upset his returned partner. As he stared at Connor completely dumbfounded at the sight of the red tinted blood on his face, the budding goatee, pale complexion, missing L.E.D. and emaciated frame Hank lightly put his now trembling right hand on Connor's left shoulder as if he needed to make certain the missing detective was really in front of him, and not a drunken hallucination. "Connor! Where did you- What the fuck!? Y-Your blood! You're... You're..."

"...Hank." Connor's own trembling left hand reached up weakly and grabbed onto Hank's right wrist as the senior detective's warm and shaking palm remained on his shoulder. "It's a long story."

"Shit... You're... Are you...?"

"...Human." Whispering the answer Connor nodded once and confirmed Hank's wild suspicion. "...I am a human."

The senior detective's blue eyes were searching Connor's face as if the answer were right in front of him, yet he didn't know which question to ask. "What the FUCK!?"

The verbal outburst made the facility's staff turn and look at the commotion, but didn't get involved as they recognized Hank as a detective and see Connor seeking any help. It was just another emotional display that had become commonplace in the rehabilitation facility.

"...I can explain things." With his voice now shaking as much as his hand Connor tried to keep control of his emotions. "And I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner, but I- It's just..."

"Sh-Shut up for a second." Reaching into his left coat pocket Hank presented Connor with a new white tissue and pressed it against the younger man's face to stem the lingering bleeding from his nose. "Hold on, let me just... Fuck. This is... Holy shit."

"Hank, please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. I promise, I'm not mad." Hank stated in a calm level voice as he took in a deep breath to ease his shaken nerves. It was almost too much to bear and he could feel his heart thundering in his chest as he spoke. "I just... I honestly think I can improve on 'what the fuck?' at this point. You're... How are you...?"

Dr. Galen walked over to where Connor and Hank were kneeling on the floor and addressed his patient in a steady voice. "Connor, if you'd like to have a moment to yourself you can deliver your statement to the police in the comfort of your private room."

"I can-"

Hank interrupted quickly and nodded at the kind doctor. "Yeah, let's do that." He turned back to Connor and gave him a knowing glance and kept his left hand on the young man's bleeding nose like a protective parent. "This is going to be a looooong statement, and I want to hear every word you have to say."

_**-next chapter-**_


	4. The Future

The two detectives were both shaking and quiet as Dr. Galen wheeled Connor back to his private room on the second floor with Hank following after him. Once the duo were alone in the private room out of earshot of eavesdropping staff members Connor gave Hank an ashamed stare while the senior detective stood before the wheelchair with an absolutely perplexed look on his face. The dried red blood on Connor's pale face seemed strange, but seeing Connor so thin was seemingly impossible, and yet there he was.

"Hank," Connor finally found the courage to speak up and break the thick silence. "before you say anything else I want to apolo-"

The senior detective's strong arms suddenly wrapped around Connor in a tight hug that made Connor instantly feel at ease as he was stopped mid sentence. As the warm embrace surrounded him Connor lifted up his own arms as much as he could to return the hug, and felt equally warm tears running down his face. Tears that were truly his own, not just a synthetic saline in response to damage or emotional conflict.

"...Hank."

"I thought I lost you, son."

"...I'm sorry I left without telling you where I had gone. I just needed my answers."

"I know, kid. I get it."

"You're not mad?"

"No. I'm relieved."

Unwilling to break the hug Connor just let Hank lift him up from the wheelchair and place him down on the edge of the large bed so they could finally speak to each other for the first time in over a week. "I am too."

"Shit, kid. You were light before," Hank joked as he realized just how thin Connor really was as he easily hefted him around. "but now you feel like a bag of feathers."

"Comas tend to be great appetite suppressants."

Laughing at the comment Hank rubbed his right hand along the back of Connor's hair, his real hair, and smirked. "Smartass."

Connor grinned as well as he leaned back against the thick pillows on the large bed and sighed. "I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah? Well, if I knew I was going to run into you out here," Hank stated as he noticed the connected bathroom and sought a washcloth to clean up Connor's bloodied face. "I would've brought Lucas with me."

"...Does Lucas know about me?"

"No." The sound of running water in the sink almost drowned out Hank's voice as he continued to talk to his young partner in the connected room. "We were both kept in the dark. Now I know why Markus didn't tell me where you were, or what had happened."

"It's rather difficult to explain. That's why I wanted to tell you both myself."

"Well, if it helps," wringing out the excess warm water from the washcloth Hank walked out of the bathroom and back over to the bed as he shrugged off his coat casually to try to relax a little. "I had called Abby to see if she knew what was going on, and she told me to pick up the trail you found leading to Grand Rapids."

"She did?"

"Don't worry kid, she didn't tell me anything about _this_." Lightly he used the washcloth to wash off the dried sticky red blood on Connor's face very carefully. "All she told me to do was search for a certain date and the city. The say the least I found some pretty unexpected things."

"...You know of the car accident?"

"Yeah. I read the news article. Human or android, you're a bullheaded stubborn person. Not surprised."

"...What else did you find out?"

"Outside of the accident not too much more. I mean, I do know you were emancipated as a minor at age fourteen but I don't know why. The case file was locked by the court and I didn't have a warrant to get it open."

"...Oh. I found a few other details as I recovered." Connor stated as Hank finished wiping off the blood and placed the now bloodied washcloth back in the bathroom sink to be cleaned up later. He ran another washcloth under the cold tap and returned with it folded up in a neat square for Connor to hold against his surely sore nose. "Thanks."

"What other details, kid?"

"...My biological parents are dead, I'm an only child and I have no other living relatives."

"Uh-huh." Sitting down on the foot of the bed Hank crossed his arms over his chest and studied the young man's face. "Tell me about your parents."

Connor's soulful brown eyes dimmed with sorrow and he fell silent.

"Alright, touchy subject." Hank didn't expect Connor to actually answer but he needed to ask anyway. "Never mind then. So, how long are you going to be here? It's pretty nice."

"I don't know. Until I have the strength to walk again, I guess."

"Are you going back to the precinct?"

"Yes. I also want to get my paramedic license renewed."

"Connor, I can't stop you from working two jobs, but I can_ beg_ you not to."

"I won't." Connor smirked a little more beneath the washcloth covering his sore nose and mouth. "I just want to renew my license because I had already gone through the training. I want to see how much of the information I retained."

"Oh." Reaching his right hand out Hank lowered the washcloth and studied Connor's growing goatee around the cleaned up pale skin. The sight of the dark stubble made Hank laugh a little. "You need to shave."

"Only after my hand is steadier."

"Yeah." Hank laughed again as he let Connor replace the washcloth. "That's a good idea."

"Did anything happen while I was gone?"

Bowing his head in shame Hank told Connor the truth. "Aside from me falling off the damn wagon last night, no."

"You got drunk?"

"Yeah." Hank admitted his mistake with full honestly. "I'm sorry, kid. I fucked up."

"...I guess we both screwed up, huh?"

"Yup... At least you were doing something productive, I was just being an idiot."

"No,_ I_ was the idiot. I shouldn't have just walked away like that. Especially since you were still healing from your injuries." Noting that Hank's right hand was free of the cast and that the senior detective was moving around without any difficulty Connor sighed in mild relief. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, kid. Maybe you were being idiotic for _one_ thing, but it wasn't for finding your past."

"One thing?" Connor's brow arched as he studied Hank's face. "What one thing?"

"Thinking that you're a bother. You're not, son. And you never will be."

Connor visibly relaxed and he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "...Thank you, Hank. That makes me feel much better."

"Come here." Wrapping his arm around Connor's shoulders he pulled the weak young man up against him to give him another hug. "We have a lot to talk about, and it's going to get pretty intense for a while. Might as well start crying now."

Burying his face against Hank's left shoulder Connor relaxed into the warm hug and sighed slowly. "...Can you call Lucas and ask him to come here?"

"Yeah, son. I'll ask him to stop by."

"Thank you." Connor was finally beginning to feel safe and confident for the first time in eight days. "...I really missed my family."

Hank smirked a little and tightened his hug without hurting Connor in the process. "We missed you, too, son. Don't run off again, alright?"

"I'll do my best."

* * *

In less than an hour Lucas had arrived at the clinic on the outside of town and was permitted through the security gates after both Connor and Hank confirmed that he was indeed invited, and not in any way a threat. As the deviant technician was shown to Connor's room on the second floor of the facility he laid his green eyes on his big brother, but when he couldn't connect cybernetically with his now returned sibling he realized that Connor was in fact fully human, and not a deviant anymore.

"...Connor."

"Lucas!" Still resting on his bed against his four tick pillows Connor looked over to his little brother and gave him a happy grin. Hank was sitting on the foot of the bed and talking to Captain Fowler on his phone. "I'm glad you're here."

"But you're..." Running a scan over Connor's person Lucas saw how dangerously underweight his big brother was, and how he was struggling rebuild his muscle mass after two years of chronic atrophy Lucas knew that Connor's health wasn't exactly ideal. "How is this possible?"

"Now that you're here I will explain everything to you and to Hank."

Lucas walked over to the bed and lightly put his left fingertips to Connor's right temple. Nothing. No cybernetic connection, no intracranial processor. "...Are you injured?" He asked as he retracted his hand from Connor's temple as he finally had enough to evidence to confirm that his big brother was now a human. "You seem to be very underweight and weak."

"That will be explained in a moment as well." Connor reassured his little brother and noticed Hank ending his phone call. "Please, sit down."

Lucas just nodded as he looked to sit down on the foot of the bed next to Hank.

"Hold it." Hank slipped his phone into his jean pocket then awkwardly pulled himself up the mattress so he was sitting up at the head of the bed against two of the four pillows beside Connor. Connor gave him an odd glance that just made Hank smirk in response. "What? You don't need _all_ four pillows, and I woke up with a bad headache."

Lucas smirked at the lighthearted moment of silliness as he sat on the foot of the bed and looked to his big brother for answers. "Connor. Please tell us everything that has happened."

* * *

The relief in Markus's mind knowing that both Lucas and Hank were finally reunited with Connor was horribly short lived. As he prepared to spend the evening with Carl to play some chess he received an unexpected phone call from the deviant caretaker, David, who was overseeing Carl's care now that Markus had new responsibilities to uphold. The message was succinct and unsettling to the empathetic deviant's heart and mind as he felt himself beginning to panic, and needing to act quickly.

As he rushed out of the tower and cybernetically hailed an autonmous cab North grabbed onto his right arm to stop him short. "Markus! What's wrong?"

"...Carl." The fear in his mismatched eyes and the heaviness of his voice was enough to crush against North's heart as well. "He's... He may not..."

"Shh..." Putting her right hand to the left side of Markus's face North began to gently pull on his right arm toward the exit. "I'll go with you."

"North, you don't have to go."

"But I want to. I want to be there to support you." Her voice was sweet and sincere as she lovingly stayed at his side. "Let's go."

"...R-Right." Cybernetically he called out to Josh and let him know that he'd be in charge of the tower until either he or North returned. "...Thank you."

* * *

Tired, confused and ready for the day to be over Hank was rubbing his left hand over his forehead as he felt another headache coming on. The story that Connor unfolded was incredible, and if he wasn't looking at his now human partner with his own eyes Hank wouldn't have believed a word of it. Taking a moment to process everything that had happened to Connor and how he had been pushing himself to heal through physical therapy in private Hank contemplated everything he had been told, and let out a weary sigh.

"...Okay. So, you're human,_ again_, and you're going to finish your physical therapy here before coming back home, right?"

"Yes." The weakened younger detective confirmed in a level voice. "That is, if it's okay for me to go back to your house."

"_Our_ house." Hank reminded him sharply as he dropped his hand from his face. "You're not some runaway teen crashing at my place, you're my friend, my partner and my KID."

"...Thanks, Hank."

"Well, first thing's first. I'm going to go back to the house and bring you some clothes to change into for the next few days. And I'm going to get you a phone so we can actually be in contact with each other again."

"I will pay you for the phone."

"Don't worry about it, kid. It's on me."

"But I have the funds to do so. And since Kamski had been paying my medical bills while I was comatose and is currently paying for this clinic I won't have any bills to worry about. I was also not in any debt before the accident, so I can pay for everything I need."

"Nope. I'm buying you a phone tonight and bringing it for you tomorrow morning."

Lucas spoke up and volunteered his own services to help his brother in his own way. "I'll stop by tomorrow as well. I would like to help you with your physical therapy."

"Thank you, Lucas." Connor felt fully supported and secured by his family, and knew for certain he had done the right thing. "I'd like to clarify that during the previous week, before I had 'woken up', I had cybernetically gone through the paperwork and filed everything accordingly to get my social security number reactivated as a now living citizen. Apparently declaring someone back from the dead has its own department."

Hank smirked and shook his head with amusement. "Yeah, that must be a really interesting set of paperwork. You have everything set up to go to the house, right?"

"Yes. It was the only address I had at my disposal."

"Good. I'll keep a lookout for your paperwork in the mail." Patting Connor's right shoulder Hank begrudgingly got up from the bed and watched as Lucas did the same. "You rest and don't try to break up anymore fights until you're stronger. Got it?"

"Got it."

"See you tomorrow, son. Come on, Lucas." Hank put his hand on the back of the deviant's left shoulder to guide him toward the door. "I'll give you a ride."

"Of course." Lucas turned to look at his now human brother and gave him a reassuring nod. "I'll see you tomorrow, Connor."

"Goodnight."

It felt like a lead weight had been lifted from Connor's heart and at long last he'd be able to sleep without distress. As he weakly pulled the covers up over himself, the warm layers now comforting to his human body rather than merely covering his android body, Connor was quickly asleep as physical and emotional exhaustion took its toll on him. The best part was that for the first time in eight nights he didn't suffer any nightmares, or restless sleep.

Connor finally found a sense of peace.

* * *

The following morning was pleasant enough when it came to the weather, but there was something else in the air that was bothering Connor. As he awoke at an early hour he was greeted by both Daisy, who was more than happy to help Connor who was a human who stood up for the android who had been attacked the previous evening, as well as Lucas. While Daisy gave Connor his specifically chosen and measured breakfast to ensure he was eating a proper diet Lucas had the misfortune of telling Connor about Carl Manfred's passing that very morning.

"...Did he suffer?" Connor asked with his already waning appetite suddenly gone entirely.

"No. Markus said he went very peacefully this morning."

"I should go and speak to him."

"No, Connor. You take care of yourself." Lucas was running his right fingertips over his right temple where his missing L.E.D. had once resided. "North is with Markus, and all of New Jericho is tending to him as of this moment."

"But he's my friend."

"I know. You'll see him in two days, though."

"Two days?"

"The funeral."

"O-Oh. I've... I've never been to a funeral before. At least... I _think_ I haven't."

"Neither have I. Hank will guide us on the proper protocol, I'm sure." Lucas had been educating himself on the vital signs on human health and of the recovery process after a lengthy coma after visiting Connor last night. While Daisy took her leave of the room Lucas placed the serving tray holding the small plate containing a vegetarian omelette with a side of buttered toast, as well as a glass of orange juice on the nearby table. "You should eat, you're very underweight. Your current overall B.M.I. is unhealthy and the malnutrition will only hinder your recovery."

"Yes, I'm aware." The very bland but high calorie meal was unappealing to Connor as it sat untouched on the tray and table beside the bed. "But my stomach still hurts whenever I eat. The pain will subside in time, but I still dislike the feeling."

There was a knock on the door before it slid open and Hank walked inside. He had a black backpack filled with some of Connor's clothes and he had a brand new phone in his right hand. Sitting the bag down on the floor beside the bed he handed the phone over to Connor, who had moderate difficulty with holding the comparatively heavy item in his right hand, and activated it rather quickly.

"Jeez, you're not an android anymore but you can still work electronics like no one's business." Hank laughed as he too noticed the untouched meal beside the bed. He looked toward Lucas and motioned discreetly at the tray who subtly nodded to confirm that Connor hadn't eaten anything. "I need to head out to the precinct, but do me a favor before I go, kid."

"What's that?" Connor asked without taking his eyes off the phone's newly activated screen as he proceeded to add Hank and the precinct's private numbers into his contact list.

"Eat something."

"...I'm trying. I merely don't have an appetite."

"Son," Hank picked up the glass of orange juice and held out toward Connor to take. "humor me."

Connor's soulful brown eyes focused on the glass and he let out a sigh. Putting aside the phone Connor reached out his weak right hand and almost lost his grip on the glass, but Hank managed to keep it from dropping.

After he managed to keep down some of the juice Hank patted his right shoulder and checked over the phone that Connor had taken care of. "You still know my number, right?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he finished adding the necessary numbers to the contact list. "My memory will remain semi-eidetic, and I will be able to add all the necessary contacts easily." As he added the name for Markus a heaviness filled his eyes and he turned to look at Hank. "...Do you know about Carl?"

"Yeah, kid. It was on the radio this morning when I drove over here."

"I want to see Markus."

"Connor, you need to heal. We'll make sure you can visit Markus at the funeral, but until then focus on yourself."

"...Okay."

"Wow. Are you feeling that rundown, or does being human make you more agreeable?"

"...I merely wish to do the right thing."

"Relax, kid. Markus has plenty of people helping him out right now. You do what you gotta' do to get better, and I'll see you again this evening after work."

"Right. I'll see you soon, Hank."

The senior detective looked at the young man's face and rubbed his left fingers over his own chin. "You still need to shave."

"One thing at a time."

* * *

With Lucas's assistance Connor was able to make great strides in his recovery and was rebuilding strength in his upper body and his legs at a steady pace. The staff always encouraged family members and friends to assist their patients in their recoveries, and had no problem with the two brothers working together in the gymnasium on the ground floor. Connor and Lucas had the massive advantage of being mistaken as fraternal twins since Lucas had darkened his hair color, and of course their eyes were different colors, which made it easier for the two to get around without being asked questions. Remaining silent about his deviancy Lucas tried to appear as human as possible for Connor's sake.

"Your heart rate has increased to one-hundred and eighteen beats per minute." Lucas noted in a quiet voice as Connor made his fifth lap on the track with impressive speed and determination in his steps. "You should take a moment to rest and drink some water."

"...Lucas," Connor paused briefly and panted to catch his breath. Lowering himself to the floor steadily Connor ran his right hand over his sweaty hair and looked at his little brother as Lucas sat down on the floor beside him. "do you think... What if Hank dies?"

"Hank is in surprisingly good health thanks to you." The calm deviant replied sharply as he sensed the emotional distress in his big brother's voice. "He won't die any time soon."

"...Carl was supposed to be gaining... strength as well. And now he's... gone."

"Carl was also seventy-six years old, suffered a heart attack last fall and had been paralyzed from the waist down for sixteen years. Not to mention he had an addiction to painkillers and had abused alcohol for nine of those sixteen years."

"...Hank is a recovering... alcoholic. And his diet is-"

"Try not to worry about him." Lucas didn't need to run a scan to know that Connor was stressing himself out again. "You've done a great job in taking care of him and helping him take better care of himself."

"But he... had a drink... the other night."

"Yes, I know. But accidents happen. No one is perfect and one mistake doesn't mean he's relapsed."

"No... But I wasn't there for him. He-"

"Connor," Lucas put his right hand to his brother's left shoulder and kept it there for a moment. "you can't be there for him every second of his life. And you can't expect to be solely responsible for his happiness."

"...I don't want Hank to die."

"Neither do I."

Connor's eyes became dull as he struggled to pull his legs up to hug his knees to his chest as he wrapped his left hand around his right upper arm. The long healed fracture to his humerus ached whenever he had a bleak memory rise to the surface, and he needed to keep his pressure on the bone to lessen the haunting pain.

"Connor?" Lucas ran a scan and noted the severe break that the bone had suffered almost ten years prior. "Are you in pain?"

"...Just a little tired."

"Perhaps you should get something to eat and then try using the swimming pool. Swimming is an excellent way to strengthen all your muscles without exerting yourself in the process."

"Yeah." Connor dropped his left hand from his arm and sighed a little as he agreed with his little brother. "...That's a good idea."

* * *

Despite Dr. Galen's doubts Connor managed to push himself through six hours of physical therapy, and managed to do so without collapsing. Lucas had kept close tabs on Connor's vital signs and made sure the healing human would eat an appropriate amount of calories and remained hydrated during his therapy sessions. Completely exhausted and unable to remain awake Lucas sat with Connor while his brother fell into a deep sleep in the large bed of his private room while buried under the thick white quilt, and didn't even awaken when Hank arrived for a visit.

"The kid looks exhausted." Hank whispered as he looked down at Connor's pale sleeping face. Connor was shirtless and laying partially on his back and his left side, with his face in the direction of the large window above the couch where Lucas was sitting. The quilt was draped just over his hip and let his upper body remain visible. "How'd he do today, Lucas?"

"Very well. He completed a total of twelve laps on the support track and managed to walk the length of the wave pool for four laps before becoming too tired to continue."

"Can't say he isn't motivated. Did he eat much?"

"Not as much as I had asked, but he did eat."

"He's nothing but skin and bones." Hank hated seeing how thin Connor looked and wanted him to get his strength back quickly. "He has to gain some weight soon or he won't be able to get better."

"Once he leaves the clinic I will keep him on a strict diet to regain his weight."

"Good, that makes me feel better. What's his weight at right now?"

"One hundred and twenty-seven pounds."

"Shit, I don't remember ever weighing less than one-hundred and eighty-five myself. Where should his weight be?"

"Approximately one-hundred and sixty-two pounds."

"He has to put on thirty-five pounds? Fuck." Hank sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave the exhausted kid a sympathetic glance. "That's not going to be easy."

"No, but I believe Connor will succeed." Lucas titled his head a little as he glanced at Connor's face curiously. The sleeping human's eyes were rapidly flickering back and forth under his eyelids, and he seemed to be in the throes of an intense dream. "He has been sleeping for two hours now, but I don't think he's actually resting."

Hank walked around the foot of the bed to sit down on the couch beside Lucas as he watched Connor as well. "He'll be fine. Whenever I got sick with the flu or some shit I always had a hard time sleeping comfortably because my whole body hurt. There's no way he isn't suffering from body and muscle aches right now."

Lucas nodded subtly in agreement. "Also, Abby stopped by and spoke with Connor after he finished his physical therapy in the gymnasium. She seemed to be relieved to see Connor making significant progress."

"Connor's got some pretty good friends in his life. I'm glad."

"...This afternoon I received an update on the funeral details from Josh." Lucas's voice dipped with a heavy and somber tone. While he had never experienced the death of a human before, or the death of anyone he knew personally Lucas still reacted with a solemn lilt to his voice. "I have the time and the location of the funeral if you're interested."

"Yeah, I want to pay my respects. I met Carl only once, but he was a good guy. Hell, for someone to raise someone like Markus he had to be pretty damn awesome."

"Do you think it'll be okay to let Connor attend the funeral?"

"I don't like the idea, but I can't stop him from going." Leaning back against the couch he pressed his left hand to the left side of his head and closed his tired eyes. "Do you two know what a human funeral is like?"

"No, I do not."

"Don't worry about it. I'll walk you through it."

"Thank you. I never had the honor of meeting Carl myself, but from what Markus has told me he was a very good man. I can see Carl's passing has also affected Connor and I wish to support my friend and my brother."

Hank turned to look at Lucas and gave him a respectful grin. "Good answer."

"Maybe tomorrow I can bring Connor by the house to-"

Connor suddenly started breathing rapidly and he began to toss and turn in his sleep. Sweat was beading on his forehead as he began to flail against some unseen foe in his nightmare causing Hank and Lucas to walk over to the bed to check on the distressed young man.

"Connor?" Hank put his right hand on Connor's shoulder to try to hold him still. "Kid, wake up."

Lucas grabbed onto Connor's left arm just below his wrist and counted his pulse. The stricken man's heart rate was less than ideal. "I don't like this. His pulse is erratic."

"Connor?" Hank shook a little harder and called his name a little louder. Putting his left hand against Connor's forehead Hank tried to get him to hold still and stop moving so much. "Wake up! It's a dream!"

As a muffled "I'm sorry" escaped Connor's lips his eyes snapped open and he tried to sit up quickly as he huffed for breath. Too weak to move as quickly as he wanted to Connor began to panic a little only to have Hank and Lucas remind him that he was safe, and he was going to be okay.

"Easy." Hank kept Connor from moving too much while Lucas kept tabs on his vitals. "It was just a bad dream, kid. You're alright now."

Shaking and covered in sweat Connor laid back against the pillow and tried to steady his breathing.

As Connor laid back down did Hank pulled back his hands and grabbed the pitcher of water on the stand beside the bed to fill up a drinking glass. "Must've been one hell of a nightmare."

"...Y-Yeah." Connor sighed as he ran his right hand over his sweaty face and into his sweaty hair.

Lucas finished counting Connor's pulse and was satisfied he was calming down just fine. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"...No. It's okay."

Hank handed the glass of water over to Connor who accepted it with his shaking right hand. "You should take a shower and relax a little."

"N-No." Sipping at the water Connor calmed down and he stopped shaking so much. "I want to know what's going on in the city."

"You're not going anywhere, kid. Go take a shower and we'll be right here when you get back, and we'll talk."

Connor nodded as he sipped at the water a little more then put the glass on the nearby shelf without spilling it. Lucas lightly took Connor's left arm in his grip and pulled the blimb around his neck as he helped Connor to stand up from the bed without needing to use the provided crutches, or the wheelchair. It was almost annoyingly easy as Lucas, who was now much stronger than Connor, guided his big brother into the bathroom and helped him to sit down on the floor of the shower. It was also frustrating for Hank to see exactly how thin Connor was without his shirt.

After he was certain that Connor would be alright alone Lucas walked out of the bathroom and pulled the door mostly shut behind himself. "I'll keep the door unlocked in case you need something."

As the deviant returned to the man room Hank clapped Lucas appreciatively on the right shoulder as he lowered his voice. "Think you can keep him on his diet when he's out of the clinic? I really hate how thin he is."

"I'll do everything I can." The young deviant promised as he spoke to Hank in an equally low voice. "As he rebuilds his strength he'll rebuild his muscle mass, and that'll help with his weight gain. It won't be easy but it is entirely possible for him to get his weight up to where it needs to be without any complications."

* * *

After another day of physical therapy Connor was feeling stronger, but was so tired that he remained just as weak as he had been during his first week of recovery after waking up from his coma. The following day was the funeral and as much as Connor wanted to pay his respects to Carl he did not want to be at such a somber occasion for too long while he was unable to do much to help his friends. Until he had the strength to take care of himself on his own all Connor could really do was be present and offer emotional support to his mourning friend.

Doing his best to remain in as much control of his body as possible Connor proceeded to shower off his previous night's sleep and brush his teeth, an act he knew was necessary but found a little gross since it involved so much spitting, and the entire act took almost an hour thanks to his shaking weak hand. Fortunately Hank was willing to do Connor a favor and help him to finally shave and feel much more like himself after almost ten days of consciousness.

Afterward, with Lucas's help, Connor managed to change into the black suit to properly pay his respects at the funeral, and was now leaning heavily on his crutches to walk. Hank kept trying to remind Connor there was no shame in needing to use a wheelchair during his recovery, but Connor was insistent on using the crutches so he could keep rebuilding his core strength and balance.

"You look good, boys." Hank stated as he watched the two brothers walk out of Connor's private room and meet him in the corridor. "The funeral will start in about two hours so we should have enough time to get inside the building and keep the media vultures out of the place for a while."

Connor limped slowly on his crutches as the trio arrived at the elevator to get to the ground floor of the facility together. "Wasn't there a viewing open to the public yesterday?"

"There was, but that won't keep nosy reporters away when they can get a good story of this event. Screw the grieving friends and family needing a moment to themselves. The media_ needs_ to ask how_ people in mourning are feeling_ because somehow the public has the right to nose around in their personal business."

"That's macabre."

"Yup." Hank agreed as he pressed the button on the elevator and watched as the brothers entered the elevator through the now parted doors together. "We'll stay for as long as Markus needs us. Then you can come back here and work on your physical therapy."

"I appreciate your help." The trio gathered in the elevator and returned to the ground floor in a swift and efficient manner. "I suspect in three more days I will be strong enough to walk without having to rely fully on the crutches anymore."

"Shit, what's the secret to your rapid healing?"

The elevator doors parted for the second time and Connor allowed Lucas and Hank to lead him out of the small space, and toward the exit of the clinic to take their leave for the afternoon. "Remember when I told you Kamski gave me a dose of the protein laced serum to rebuild my muscle mass quicker?"

"So you got some super 'sciency-steroids'?"

"Not quite, but until the serum becomes more marketable I suppose that is an apt description."

"Why not get a another dose?"

"I suspect the high amount of protein could possibly result in renal damage or total failure now that I'm more active and completely dependent on intravenous fluids to sustain me."

Lucas agreed as he opened the trunk of Hank's car that had been left parked out front to take the crutches from Connor to be stored for a moment. "If the protein was concentrated then yes, the risk of complications due to a potential overdose are very likely."

As Hank opened the driver's side door of the vehicle he watched as Lucas helped Connor to sit down in the backseat of the car, and saw Connor fumble a little with the seatbelt under his shaking hands but soon enough secured it properly. It was almost fascinating to see someone who had always been so precise and accurate struggling with the most mundane things, but it also proved that Connor really was human and that he still needed to heal.

"Alright boys," Hank addressed the brothers he had taken in as his own sons with a calm tone. He turned on his car's G.P.S. and motioned for Lucas to upload the address on his behalf as he sat down behind the wheel. "there's really no etiquette for a funeral beyond NEVER insulting the deceased. Talk only if you feel comfortable doing so, and don't worry about emotional outbursts. It happens pretty often. If you feel like you need to cry then cry, if you feel like you need to get some space for some while then go and get some space. And if for whatever reason you end up cracking jokes out of a weird nervous habit then tell them to me. I won't judge you or get offended if that's how either of you end up expressing your grief."

The car pulled down the drive from the facility and set out to the designated church for the funeral service at a steady pace. The funeral itself was across town but well worth the drive so the trio could give the kind and brilliant artist a proper send off, while also being there for their friend in his time of need.

Connor spoke up from the backseat in a rather timid tone as he looked out the side window to the large houses passing by. "...How many funerals have you been to, Hank?"

"Too many, kid." The reply was as honest as it was morose. "They never get any easier but you learn your own coping techniques from experience."

"Coping techniques?"

"Yeah. Like I said before, some people openly cry and get it out of their systems, other people holding it inside until they have a private moment to mourn discreetly, and some are compelled to lighten the mood by joking around. Personally I choose to remain in the back and keep to myself for a while."

"Oh."

Lucas was just as clueless about funerals as Connor was. "How long do funerals typically last?"

"It depends. Since Carl was a celebrity I think his will be a tad longer and more 'elegant' than the average funeral, but we don't have to stay for very long if either of you feel uncomfortable."

"Thanks, but I think I'd like to stay for as long as Markus needs us to be there." Connor nodded as he looked out the window and squinted at the bright sunlight shining in his face. "My own personal discomfort doesn't matter right now."

As he put up right his hand to shield his eyes from the intense sunlight Hank noticed Connor struggling to adjust to the natural light in the reflection of the rearview mirror. Hank smirked a little and made a mental note to keep a pair of sunglasses in the glovebox of the car for Connor until the human could adapt to the bright sunlight as he recovered.

* * *

Arriving at the church in a timely manner the trio slowly made their way inside the building that was being carefully monitored by volunteering police officers to keep the press away from the service, and to ensure the mourning family and friends could have a moment of dignity. The sight of Hank walking with Connor on crutches and Lucas following closely at Connor's side made the officers stare for a moment before returning to their posts of weeding out cameras, and other recording devices from the people making their way inside.

Connor paused for a moment once inside the church and whispered to Hank in a discreet manner. "...Where do we sit?"

"Wherever you want."

"Where's Markus?"

"Family is always going to be in the front row and friends typically sit further back. Why don't we sit right back here so you can leave your crutches on the floor without accidentally causing problems for people passing by."

"Okay. Good idea."

Discreetly the three stayed in the back of the church and the two brothers refrained from asking too many questions to avoid accidentally causing any form of disrespect to the dearly departed. Hank was used to being at funerals and went to a type of mental and emotional isolation while Lucas had no idea what was happening and was feeling a tad guilt for his morbid curiosity as he kept his silence. Connor on the other hand was overwhelmed with a strange surge of familiarity that upset his stomach and made him break out into a light cold sweat.

Hank had noticed that Connor seemed to be uncomfortable as he sat between himself and Lucas but he didn't mention it just in case he pulled some unwanted attention toward the healing young man. They had been through enough already and the funeral was about Carl and Carl's family.

The church began to steadily fill with more distant family members and friends, everyone wearing black or dark colors, and soon a familiar voice called out to Connor in a whisper from the other side of Hank. Looking toward the voice Connor saw that it was Markus and wanted to shoot to his feet to give his friend a supportive hug, but he couldn't move that quickly at the moment.

"Markus," Connor whispered in a calm voice to his mourning friend. "I'm so sorry about Carl."

"Yeah, I am, too. I'm... surprised you're here. But I'm glad you made it."

"I wanted to pay my respects."

"Thank you, my friend." Extending his right hand out toward Connor the weakened human managed to give the deviant leader a somewhat firm handshake, before repeating the gesture to both Lucas and Hank who reciprocated the gesture. "Thank you all for coming."

Connor nodded as he let his hand fall almost limply back to his side before he somewhat defensively wrapped both of his arms over his chest. As he leaned back in the pew and sighed as he tried to quell his nauseated stomach.

"You okay, kid?" Hank asked as he leaned over a little toward Connor without drawing any unwanted attention with the question.

"...My stomach is upset."

"Do you need something?"

"Like what?"

"A mint, or some medicine to settle your stomach."

"No. I'll be alright."

Lucas ran a scan over Connor and noted his vital signs were slightly elevated which was indicative of stress. "You didn't eat much this morning, but it's possible something you did eat is having a negative effect on your body."

"No, it's not that. It's... something else."

Hank's paternal instincts kicked in and he was on guard immediately. "Are ya' sick?"

"No." Connor confirmed with a low whisper of his own. "It's something else that I can't really describe. It's like a bad memory in the back of my mind is creeping forward. The more I try to ignore it the more prevalent it becomes."

"Oh... Maybe you _have_ been to a funeral before and this is all bringing it all back to you."

"I think you're right." The admission made Connor's stomach tighten and as a result he leaned forward atop his arms against his knees. "...But it's still a bit of a blur for me. It's like trying to remember a dream."

"Easy, kid." Hank put his left hand on Connor's back between his shoulder blades in a support manner. "Just take slow deep breaths to calm your stomach. It really helps."

After almost an hour the minister stood at the podium before the gathered mourners and thanked everyone for attending the funeral, and proceeded to go through a touching sermon regarding Carl's life and of his positive influence within the community. He even mentioned his positive influence regarding androids and how important it was for other people to follow Carl's example with open-mindedness, an open heart, understanding and empathy.

As the sermon progressed Connor began to feel worse and he was having trouble listening to the words being spoken around him. Putting his left hand to his cool sweaty face he closed his eyes and felt Hank's hand press down firmer on his back in the same place between his shoulders. The contact was grounding but Connor still felt very uneasy for some reason, almost like he was falling away.

Hank patted Connor's back twice and whispered to him. "Hey, everyone's about to get up for the viewing. We're in the back so if you want to skip out on it-"

"N-No." Connor replied somewhat sharply as he regained his bearings. "I want to do this."

"Okay." Hank nodded to Lucas who knew what to do without a word. "Lean on us so you don't have deal with your crutches for a minute."

While Connor, Hank and Lucas slowly made their way to the front of the church to pay their respects to Carl the weak and healing human felt even sicker as a horrifically vivid memory began to flash over his mind. Everything around him slowly melted away as he found himself standing alone in a dreary dimly lit church from a past he long since forgotten about.

Alone.

Connor himself was younger, seventeen years old, and was wearing a dark suit with his right arm in a supportive sling to hold his upper arm in a stabilized position against his chest. The young boy, barely an adult, was standing in the middle of the church looking at the opened coffin where his father was laying in a tarnished old suit of his own. From the distance Connor could still see the cold angry expression that was permanently on his father's face. Even in death it seemed the angry man never found peace.

Around his father's throat, barely visible under the white collar of his shirt, were the dark purple and red bruises that were created by the noose he had been used to hang himself after being released from prison. There was a note left behind with the body where he had blamed all of his misfortune on the world around him, never once taking responsibility for his own mistakes, or saying a kind word about his surviving family.

A minister appeared from seemingly nowhere and began a short sermon regarding the deceased man but Connor didn't shed a single tear.

The abuse, the lies, the threats, the yelling and all of the physical trauma he had endured at the hands of his father had left him emotionally stunted and immune to pain as he stared at the man's cold face.

Connor felt absolutely nothing toward his late father.

Not even hatred.

After escaping the Hell that was his home life Connor managed to move into a small apartment on the other side of the city and transfer to a different school while his father went to prison for child abuse, child neglect, drug abuse, assault and numerous other charges. Connor had spent three yeas alone and taking care of himself as a ward of the state, and he had thrived as a result after living alone.

When Connor was just seventeen and starting spring break during his senior year of high school he was greeted by a police officer at his apartment door who had informed him that his father had not only been released early due to "good behavior", but his body had been found hanging in the garage at the house on the other side of the city. The officer needed Connor to identify the body as he was the only living family member left.

Reluctantly Connor agreed to the dark deed, and accompanied the officer to the city morgue.

The moment the white sheet was pulled back to reveal his father's face beneath Connor felt a wave of relief wash over him as he knew he'd never have to suffer at his father's cruel hand again, and yet he still didn't feel like he'd ever be truly free of his past torment. It wasn't until the funeral did Connor begin to actually feel guilty for not caring about his father's death, but even then he refused to shed a tear for such a heartless man.

The fact that Connor and the minister were the only people in attendance at the funeral proved how cold, unloved and horrendous his father truly was. No one could be bothered to attend the funeral, and no one seemed to care that he was now dead.

Connor remembered seeing the coffin being lowered into the grave at the rain drenched cemetery from the drive encircling the property, as he couldn't be bothered to stand at the headstone to see his father's final moments above ground. No one had stopped by to pay their respects at the church or at the cemetery, and no one seemed upset. Yet Connor himself had stayed behind to watch as his father's body was lowered into the ground from the distance.

For Connor his father's death was the only befitting closure he would ever have with the violent and abusive man.

Just as quickly as the memory resurfaced it faded away.

Slowly Connor's vision focused on Carl's peaceful kind face and how even through death he seemed to be lively and full of energy. As the sound of the gathered mourners crying filled his ears and the presence of all the people who came to pay their respects surrounded him, a welling up of long repressed emotions began to churn inside Connor and his stomach threatened to betray him at any second.

"...I-I need to go." Connor told Hank in a low whisper. The senior detective was helping him to stand up on his left side, while Lucas supported him on his right side before the open coffin. "Now."

"Alright, let's go."

The trio discreetly took their leave of the area to allow other mourners to pay their final respects and led Connor away from the crowd of people steadily. As they stood just outside the main corridor of the church Connor put his right hand to his stomach and his already pale face paled even further. Hank reacted quickly and helped Connor to make it to the nearby men's restroom with Lucas's help, and guided him to a vacant stall.

Within seconds Connor was on his knees and throwing-up what little food he had eat earlier than morning into the porcelain basin while Hank kept his left hand against Connor's forehead and his right hand between Connor's shoulders.

"Lucas." Hank nodded at the deviant who was standing back and trying to figure out what to do to help his big brother. "Go get his crutches so we can get him back to the car once his stomach settles."

"Of course. I'll be only a moment."

Painfully Connor threw-up a second time and tried to curl around his rebelling stomach, but couldn't do so while he was kneeling on the floor and still sick. As he spit out the lingering foul taste from his mouth Hank patted his back twice more and waited a few seconds before helping the younger man to stand up and guided him over to the nearby leather bench against the far wall, as he kept his right hand on Connor' shoulder.

"Are you sure you're not sick?"

Nodding weakly Connor confirmed he wasn't sick, just dealing with emotional interference. "...I'll be okay, now."

Lucas returned to the men's room with the crutches and placed them against the wall beside Connor. Noting his big brother's pale appearance and shaking form he picked up Connor's left wrist and counted his pulse. "You may have suffered some degree of dehydration after being ill." Putting his hand back down Lucas left the bathroom for a few seconds only to return with a disposable paper cup filled with water from a water cooler located just outside. "Drink this."

Hank took a small paper towel and ran it under the cool tap in the sink and waited for Connor to finish the offered water. "Maybe you should go back to the clinic and rest now."

"No, I'm okay." Taking the damp towel from Hank's hand Connor wiped off his mouth and chin before he tossed it, and the cup, into the nearby recycling bin. "I can do this."

"Alright." Watching as Lucas offered Connor his arm and helped him back to his feet Hank decided to let the young man make his own call on whether or not he could continue with the funeral or not. "Come on, we're in the funeral procession and we need to get in the line to head out to the cemetery now."

* * *

It was a beautiful and somber affair that ended with a sun shining brightly overhead. The remainder of the funeral at the actual cemetery went off without any further bouts of sickness from Connor, or returning unpleasant memories. He was still a little pale but he wasn't trembling or sweating anymore. One by one the mourners passed by the coffin and placed down white lilies out of respect for Carl, and Connor managed to find the strength to do so on his own without Hank or Lucas helping him to stand or walk.

Taking a moment to speak with Markus and to North, who had stayed by Markus's side since the morning Carl passed away, Connor explained everything and requested that they refrain from telling the rest of New Jericho about his return to humanity and merely inform them that he was safe. He also promised to visit the tower in a few weeks once he was strong enough to do so.

With a teary farewell the mourners slowly dispersed from the cemetery, and everyone went about their way as best as they could in the wake of the somber affair that was Carl's funeral.

Hank was reluctant to take Connor back to the clinic since he had admittedly missed having the kid around, and then decided to try to treat everyone to a nice lunch instead. While Lucas himself couldn't eat human food he could still keep everyone company and monitor Connor's health, and he could spend more time with his family before he too returned to New Jericho Tower for the night.

Locating a smile diner a few blocks from the cemetery Hank pulled the car into the parking lot, and motioned for his sons to accompany him inside. The trio walked awkwardly into the small establishment as Connor didn't want to keep using his crutches, and his family wanted to support his efforts to keep strengthening his muscles to get better quicker. Choosing a booth in the back of the diner the small family sat down together and set about enjoying one another's company during their seemingly brief moment of peace.

The two humans selected something that seemed appealing from the menu and placed their orders with the waitress before engaging in conversation once again. The concept of Connor ordering food without really knowing what to expect felt like a huge gamble, but it was one he was willing to take.

"So Connor, now that you've had time to regain a few memories," Hank stated casually as he watched the young and painfully thin man next to him leaning heavily against the booth's table still looking a little uncomfortable. The diner was busy enough to keep up white noise so they could talk without eavesdropping, but that they wouldn't get overwhelmed by the surrounding crowd. "do you remember what your favorite foods were?"

"...I don't really recall having a favorite food." Connor admitted as he tried to keep himself from going into dark details regarding his past. He rarely had access to food, and when he did he had to steal it while his father was asleep or passed out drunk. "...I remember eating simple things; microwavable meals or sandwiches, but nothing I preferred over anything else. The parents in the neighborhood would also give me snacks whenever I was playing with the other kids, but even then it wasn't anything I seemed to crave."

"You don't remember _anything_ that you like?"

"No. I do currently find the small fruit samples I'm given at the clinic to be very appetizing."

"When your stomach can handle a 'heavier' diet I'll make sure you have stuff you like to eat back at the house."

"Thank you."

"You better get home soon by the way." Hank playfully scolded as he gave the young man a knowing look. "Sumo is wearing me out with all the walks you spoiled him with."

"I'll be sure to walk Sumo as much as I can once I'm home."

Lucas was also curious about Connor's past and wanted to ask a few questions himself without being too dreary about the subject. "Did you have pets when you were a child?"

"No. I wasn't allowed." Connor's soulful brown eyes briefly dimmed before he gave a follow-up response. "My neighbors had a German Shepard that they'd let me play with whenever I wanted to since they were older and didn't have the time or energy to take care of him all day long. And there were a few stray cats in the area that I would take care of whenever I could. I've always liked animals. I kept imagining what it'd would've been like to have a guard dog protecting me as a child. A dog like a strong Shepard or a loyal hound would've been ideal."

"What about a best friend?"

"...No." There was a heavy sadness to Connor's voice, but he didn't deflect the question. "I played with all the kids in the neighborhood all spring, summer and fall, but I didn't have a friend I was close enough with to be considered a 'best friend'. I have a very vague memory of spending a lot of time with a little girl when I was maybe... three or four years old. I think her name was Lynn or Eva, I can't really remember. She was very nice to me all the time, but I don't remember seeing her much after she left."

"Left?"

"I think she moved away from the city. Again, I don't really remember."

Hank already knew Connor had a rough childhood and knew he needed to talk about it so he could start to heal. Sensing more shadows lurking in the back of Connor's mind he dared to ask for more answers. "What did you do in the winter time?"

"...Stayed inside and kept to myself. I got sick a lot when I was little, so I needed to remain inside to prevent getting ill. It didn't seem to matter though. The house was old, cold, falling apart and I didn't have many clothes or blankets to keep myself warm."

"Oh. Definitely explains why you hate the cold so much. You know, aside from being a susceptible prototype and all that jazz."

The waitress, a twenty-something raven haired beauty with chocolate brown eyes, returned to the table with the two ordered meals and placed them down accordingly. She smiled at Lucas as she finished with the order and waited for a few more seconds before leaving. "Are you certain you don't want anything to eat, hon'?"

"Yes, thank you." Lucas politely declined with a smile of his own as he refrained from ordering anything. "Thank you."

As the waitress took her leave of the booth Hank stared down at his ordered hamburger and fries, and watched as Connor stared at the bowl of tomato soup and glass of iced tea questionably. He had grown tired of eating the simple broth he had been provided by the clinic, but he still didn't want to risk eating anything too heavy yet. His stitches in his left side had only just been removed the day before, but he didn't want to risk stressing his already sensitive stomach; especially after being unexpectedly sick an hour prior.

"Don't eat what you can't handle, kid." Hank cautioned as he popped a french fry in his mouth. He also had a glass of iced tea with a lemon wedge on the rim beside him. "Don't worry about it going to waste or anything. I'd rather pay for uneaten food than see you get sick again."

"...Is it strange that I'm certain I've never eaten tomato soup before?"

"Nope. I've never eaten a kiwi but I see them every time I go to the grocery store."

Connor smirked a little as he dipped his spoon into the bowl and slowly tried the soup. He didn't hate the taste, much to his relief, and proceeded to eat a decent portion of the bowl. As for the iced tea he wasn't too fond of the taste and politely put it aside after a few small sips.

"Try putting sugar in the tea." Hank suggested as he watched Connor push the glass aside. "Or some lemon, that's how I like it."

"Sugar?"

"Some people having a lower tolerance for sweetness which is why it's kept to the side. Trying sweetening it up before dismissing it entirely. I personally hate any form of tea that isn't sweet tea, so I think if you give it some sweetness or added flavor you'll really like it."

Lucas handed Connor a small packet of sugar from the small plastic basket in the center of the table and watched as his big brother followed Hank's suggestion as he put some of the sugar in the drink, and mixed it in with the spoon. After a touch of sugar Connor found the taste much more bearable and proceeded to drink half the glass without any disgust on his face.

"That was a good suggestion." Connor stated after he found the sweeter taste preferable. "The sugar helped."

"Wanna' better suggestion?" Hank held out a french fry for Connor to take from his plate. "Dip that into your soup and then eat it."

"...Okay." Once more he followed the suggestion and dipped the fry into the soup and popped it into his mouth. He quickly found the combination of the fry and the tomato soup to be surprisingly compatible. "How'd you know that would be good?"

"Soup or ketchup, it's all down to tomatoes, kid."

"I doubt it's really that simple."

"Want anything else?" Hank offered as he finished off his own meal and used a napkin to wipe off his mouth. "Maybe a little dessert?"

"No, I can't eat anything else." The bowl was only half empty but that was all Connor could eat. "Thank you, though."

"Alright. I'll go pay the bill, you two head out to the car."

Lucas nodded as he helped Connor to get up from the booth and let his big brother lean against his right side to walk. As the brothers left the diner together and made it outside to the car Connor sighed and leaned heavily against the passenger side of the car while Lucas opened up the passenger door for Connor so he could get to the backseat.

"What's bothering you?" Lucas asked sincerely as he helped Connor to sit back down at a slow and controlled pace. "You seem distressed."

"It's just been a very unusual day, and I'm quite tired."

"You've already made great strides in your recovery." The deviant stated kindly as he took his seat in the front of the car and looked at Connor over his left shoulder. He saw Connor manage his seatbelt much easier than he had before since that morning, and nodded. "Your coordination and strength have markedly improved as well in a very short frame of time. Why don't you just go back home tonight to rest?"

"...Not just yet. I need a little more time at the clinic before I go home."

"Okay. Whatever makes you feel comfortable."

Hank rejoined the two brothers at the car and settled in behind the steering wheel. "It's still a nice day, so why don't we enjoy it outside and not stay cooped up inside somewhere?"

Lucas agreed entirely with the idea. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, about an hour North of here is a cabin that me and my dad used to go to all the time when I was a kid. It's isolated and the lake is beautiful this time of year. I figured we could go check it out and see if it's still available for rent."

Connor liked the idea of getting away from the city for a while and being free of people examining him all day long. Being free of prying eyes and out somewhere nice and quiet was too tempting to ignore. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Cool." Hank brought up the designated place on his G.P.S. and set the directions. "It's a long drive, so get comfortable boys. It's worth it though."

* * *

The long day came to an end and Connor was taken back to the clinic to sleep for the night after spending a peaceful afternoon at the cabin. It was a very nice location just as Hank promised, and he hoped to visit it again some day. As he laid on his bed, his dark suit replaced by a navy blue pair of sweatpants and nothing more, he found himself reluctant to sleep as he thought about the concept of death, mortality and how even after all this time he still felt no remorse for his father's suicide.

There was something horrible about feeling no pity for the man, and yet Connor couldn't bring himself to mourn or cry over the death of the cruel man who had abused him for so long, and left him scarred physically and emotionally. It seemed the negative emotions were doomed to haunt him for the rest of his life unless he was finally able to find a way to let his dark past go and strive for a future in the light.

For the healing human the sleepless night only came back to haunt him as he struggled through his physical therapy sessions the following afternoon, even with Lucas there to guide him every step of the way.

It didn't take long for Lucas to notice Connor's exhaustion; the sluggish movements, heavy bags under his eyes and bloodshot eyes were a dead give away, and tried to get him to pace himself more appropriately throughout his remaining sessions. "Connor, take a moment to breathe. You're already tired."

"...I didn't sleep well last night." Connor admitted as he stopped in the middle of his lap and looked over at his little brother. "I don't have emergency power to fall back on, and it shows."

"Rest for a moment." Lucas stated as he guided Connor away from the support bars of the walking track and helped him to sit down on the nearby bench. Connor was far more stable on his feet and no longer trembled, but he still moved very slowly. "Were you affected by the funeral?"

"Y-Yeah. It was more unsettling than I had anticipated."

"Do you wish to discuss it?"

"No, it's okay. I just need a little more time to think."

Lucas's green eyes began to twitch a little as an emergency cybernetic call from New Jericho Tower came in unexpectedly. "Connor, I must return to the tower."

"What's happening?"

"A fellow deviant had been struck by a vehicle and left to shutdown in an alleyway. Another deviant located him and brought him to the tower for repairs."

"...How severe is the damage?"

"Simon is working to keep him stable," Lucas stated confidently as he stood up quickly and reclaimed the white jacket he often wore when he was out of the tower and in public. "but he requires my assistance."

"Go Lucas, I'll be fine."

"Thank you. I will see you tomorrow, brother."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

With his tired eyes Connor watched as his little brother hurried out of the clinic to tend to the emergency at the tower, and then took his phone from his sweatpants' pocket. He was tempted to text or even call Hank at the precinct to talk, but instead decided to focus on finishing his session instead. After pocketing the phone he stood up slowly and made his way back to the support bars to start another lap on the track.

As he began to take his shaking steps Dr. Galen approached Connor and gave him a confident grin. "You've been doing great, Connor. You're putting on weight at a steady rate, your strength is returning and you don't need to rely on your crutches anymore."

"...Yes." The healing human agreed as he focused on his balance. "My family has been very supportive."

"They have, and it really makes a difference."

"I take it you've seen patients," Connor paused for a moment to catch his breath and check his balance. "who've failed to make a proper recovery due to broken families."

"Unfortunately yes. That patient who attacked you the other day," Dr. Galen looked at the slightly reddened skin still resting around Connor's nose and cheek from where he had been struck three days prior. "was a prime candidate for failure. As you know the father is the type of person to try to buy his way out of problems, but there's no price you can pay to get your son clean and sober with proper help."

"Will you still help him?"

"Yes. It's not the son's fault that his father was in denial about the severity of his addiction. And as it turns out," he lowered his voice to ensure no one else could hear the conversation. "the son had gotten hooked on pain killers because his father was paying off doctors to prescribe them to himself. He is going to jail for fraud and drug abuse while his son is attending rehab."

"...At least some good will come of this. What of the deviant he attacked?"

"Made a full recovery."

"That's good to hear, too." Turning around on the rack he began his next rep. "I'm glad."

"Connor, can I give you my honest opinion on your own condition?"

"Please."

Smiling proudly at his patient Dr. Galen told Connor the truth about his overall physical assessment. "You don't need to be here anymore."

Connor paused again mid stride as he turned to look at Dr. Galen standing just to his side. "...I don't?"

"No." Dr. Galen sounded completely enthusiastic about Connor's health. "You are bound and determined to heal and you have a very supportive family and good friends who're helping you every step of the way. You're no longer in critical need of medical attention, and yesterday proved that your family is dedicated to keeping you on track to a full recovery outside the clinic. I think," he patted Connor's left arm lightly as he gave him an honest smile. "the best place for you to finish your recovery is back home with your family."

"...What if I still need help in my physical exercises?"

"I can provide you with dozens of different techniques you can use to regain your strength at home. And I'm certain your brother will step up and help you out, too. He has already done so before."

Connor smirked a little as he realized it was the first time that a doctor (no technician needed anymore) was telling him to leave a medical facility instead of him trying to talk his way out of one. "Alright. I'll call my family and let them know that I can go home tomorrow."

"We'll get your discharge forms ready and after one more physical examination tomorrow morning you'll be well on your way home."

"...Home." The word truly sounded as wonderful as it felt to say. "I would like that very much."

_**-next chapter-**_


	5. Homecoming

That night Connor had called Hank to let him know the good news about his recovery and Hank was more than happy to drive Connor back home the next morning. Moving about his room slowly while talking with Hank on the phone the younger man tracked down everything that had been brought to the clinic for him and repacked his solid black backpack with moderate ease as his hands were still a little shaky. With the bag packed, aside from a change of clothes for the next morning, Connor bid Hank a "goodnight" and ended the call.

As he laid down on his bed once more Connor found himself unable to sleep soundly and would toss and turn between short, but vivid nightmares about his late father. Unwilling to take any sleeping medication because he had no idea how it'd affect him Connor relented to poor sleep and decided to get up early in the morning to shower off, and got dressed in his clean clothes as he was more than ready to head out for home.

Carrying his backpack down with him and into the examination room as requested Dr. Galen checked his vitals and his weight; he was still hovering at one-hundred and twenty-seven pounds but showing improvement, and gave him the green light to leave the clinic. With his loaded up backpack slung over his right shoulder the healing young man was escorted out of the front door by Dr. Galen himself, and over to parked car where Hank was proudly waiting for Connor meet up with him.

"You look good, son." Hank complicated as he patted Connor's left shoulder and took his backpack for himself. As he opened the driver's side door he tossed the bag inside to the backseat and then turned to shake Dr. Galen's hand. "Thanks for all your help, doc."

"You're most welcome." Dr. Galen was happy to see the duo off. "Be proud of Connor and his determination to get better. He's going to be just fine."

Connor also turned to shake Dr. Galen's hand before getting into the car. "Thank you, Dr. Galen. I appreciate everything you've done."

After saying their goodbyes Hank and Connor drove off from the clinic and headed back home. Connor had no problem with fastening his seatbelt and seemed to be entirely relaxed, but he still had heavy dark bags under his eyes from two consecutive nights of poor sleep that made his pale complexion look all the whiter.

As Connor put up his right hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight Hank took notice and asked about it. "Is the sun bothering you?"

"Yes, it's uncomfortable because my eyes don't adjust to the light as quickly any more."

"Here." The senior detective reached into the glovebox to retrieve the newly purchased sunglasses and handed them to Connor. "Wear these, they'll help."

"When'd you get this?" Connor asked as he unfolded the glasses slipped the dark tinted lenses over his eyes and was given relief from the intense sunlight.

"This morning. I saw you had problems with the sunlight when we were driving around before and after the funeral, so I picked them up for you."

Connor glanced about the car with his newly tinted vision and noticed there was something in the cup holder beside him. "What about that?"

"That's also for you."

Picking up the plastic cup Connor saw a thick pink tinted substance that was very cold with a single large strawberry in the middle on top, and a straw at the side. "What's this?"

"You've never seen a milkshake before?"

"...I guess it's been a while."

"Jeez, you did have a rough childhood. What kind of kid doesn't recognize ice cream?"

"Ice cream. Strawberry, right?"

"Yup. You said you liked fruit so I figured you'd like that."

"Oh. Why not just get a package of strawberries?" As he picked the strawberry out of the top of the milkshake he popped it into his mouth and confirmed that he indeed did like strawberries. It was very sweet and tasted wonderful in comparison to bitter unsweetened tea. "Thanks all the same, though."

"I wanted to be sure." Hank replied sharply as he pulled the car to a gentle stop at a red light. Noticing that Connor had a small layer of dark stubble growing over his chin and upper lip again Hank smirked at the sight with genuine amusement. "Besides, if you didn't like I'd drink it instead."

"Ah, that makes sense." As he took a sip of the milkshake Connor was now very appreciative of the kind gesture. The cool sweetness was very welcoming and it didn't feel like it would make him sick. "...You should've got one for yourself."

Hank laughed a little as he pulled through the green light and continued on their way home. "The best part is since that's ice cream it won't bother your stomach and it's got a bunch calories that'll help you get your weight back up."

"I doubt a doctor would be okay with a patient relying solely on a diet of strawberry milkshakes to recover."

"If you think strawberry is good you should try chocolate."

"Why not?" Connor agreed as he thoroughly enjoyed the sweet treat. "I'd like to try everything I missed out on as a kid. I didn't realize that I missed out on so much until I started thinking about it."

"Yup, that's usually how it goes."

* * *

Once back at the house Connor placed his new sunglasses on the dashboard, and had actually finished off the entire milkshake and was feeling slightly energized despite his previous lack of sleep. Grabbing onto his backpack from the backseat he threw the empty cup into the nearby recycling bin positioned beside the driveway and followed Hank to the backdoor of the house. As Hank opened the door he stepped aside to let Sumo into the backyard, only to have the massive dog stop short and jump up to put his front massive paws on Connor's shoulders as he recognized the human instantly, and demanded some long overdue attention.

Too weak to support the massive weight of the affectionate dog Connor fell backward on the grass while Sumo wagged his tail and licked all over Connor's face happily. The large fluffy body of the dog almost smothered Connor as he remained pinned to the lawn but Connor didn't dare to protest.

"Sumo!" Hank grabbed onto the large dog's collar and pulled him off of Connor's chest, while the younger man sat upright and coughed a little from having the heavy weight of the large dog crashing down on top of him. "Down!"

Connor brushed off his dirtied shirt and knelt on the grass to rub his hands all along Sumo's chin and neck to calm him down. "I missed you too, boy."

"Man, I should've seen that coming."

"I'm not hurt. It's okay."

"Yeah, but he's going to need to learn he can't tackle you like that anymore. Even after you recover you won't be as strong as you were as a deviant."

"...At least not for a while."

"Do you really think you can get your strength back up to where it was when you were an android?"

"No, but I know I can get strong enough to handle a dog."

"Alright, I'll give you that much."

After giving Sumo his much needed love and attention Connor managed to get back up from the grass and grabbed onto his dropped backpack to head inside the house at last. Passing through the opened backdoor Connor felt much better to be back in his own home, and was free to do as he see fit.

Hank had to push Sumo into the backyard before he could close the door and immediately sighed afterward at Sumo's needy behavior. "That dog must've been offended that you were gone for so long."

"I'll make it up to him, I promise."

"For now why don't you take care of your backpack and take a moment to relax?"

"Relax?" Connor's brow arched a little as he turned to look at Hank curiously. "It was just a twenty minute drive home, I'm not tired."

"Kid, you weren't sleeping last night and I know you need to rest a while longer."

"...How'd you know I didn't sleep well?"

Hank pointed at Connor's face and smirked. "Your eyes. You're human again, kid. The telltale sign of poor sleep is right under your eyes."

Absentmindedly Connor pressed his right fingertips to his eyes and his mouth twitched a little. "...I suppose you're right."

"Look, I'm not saying you have to go to bed or anything, just take it easy for the rest of the day and then resume your physical therapy tomorrow. You know, one day on and one day off."

"That would be a wise schedule to stick to." The younger man agreed as he felt a dull ache in every muscle in his healing body. "If I push myself I might end up accidentally making myself sick."

"Man, if I had known you being human would make you so much more agreeable I would've driven you to Grand Rapids myself."

Connor gave the senior detective an annoyed look but then smirked a little. "...Alright. I'll go unpack my bag and find something to do to preoccupy my mind."

Returning to his own bedroom for the first time in almost two weeks Connor was happy to see everything was exactly as he had left it. Even the aquarium was spotless with crystal clear water thanks to Hank taking care of it for him, and actively feeding his fish. Dropping his backpack on the floor he sat down on the edge of his bed, and looked at the green guitar in the corner of the room and quickly remembered the green guitar pick he had been given after his arrival at Grand Rapids.

The guitar pick that he had been carrying on his person the night of the car accident two years prior.

Pulling the pick and the half-dollar coin from the small compartment on the front of his backpack Connor grabbed onto his guitar, the weight of the instrument making the effort somewhat of a struggle, and laid back against his pillow. Holding the pick between his right index finger and thumb Connor used his left fingers to hold down a few chords and began to strum.

The notes were right but the tune was off. His fingers weren't as strong as they had been, and he didn't have any callouses on his fingertips from being comatose for two years. As he struggled to get his fingers to press down accordingly he finally managed to get a recognizable tune to sing from the instrument much to his delight.

"...I'll need to practice more often now."

Hank knocked on the opened bedroom door and tossed a few letters and an envelope down on the foot of the bed next to Connor's outstretched legs. "That showed up in the mail for you today. I think it's the legal documents officially declaring you back from the dead."

Connor picked up the envelopes and pulled open the flaps while letting his guitar rest over his lap. Examining the contents within the envelope Connor stared at the text and confirmed Hank's suspicions. "You're right. As well as..." He took a moment to really study the document and held it closer to his face. "This is a document regarding a storage unit in Novi that is holding all of my possessions after I had gone into the coma." Opening the brown envelope that was delivered in tandem with the other envelopes Connor shook out the small electronic keycard to the storage unit into his opened left palm. "I have the unit number and now the key."

"You want to go and check it out?" Hank offered as he leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sure. We can go tomorrow."

"...Or right now."

"Huh?" Connor's left hand tightened around the keycard in his hand and looked over to Hank curiously. "Right now?"

"Yeah. Novi isn't that far away, is it?"

"I think it's... only a half hour away."

"You _think_?"

"...I don't have a G.P.S. in my head anymore." The younger human reminded Hank with a slight smirk. "I can't be one-hundred percent accurate anymore."

"Right, right... So, do you want to go or what?"

"Yeah." Slipping the pick under the strings on the bridge of the guitar Connor put the emerald green instrument back on its support in the corner, then met Hank at the opened bedroom door. "I admit that I'm curious to see what I have left in my possession."

* * *

The half hour drive to Novi was rather calm, and the two detectives discussed everything that had happened since Connor disappeared and of what few sporadic pleasant memories from Connor's past had come to the surface. The young man had many fond memories of playing with the neighborhood kids every day that he could get outside, especially the little girl named either Lynn or Eva, and his memories of befriending every pet and stray animal in the whole neighborhood.

"That explains why Sumo loves you so much." Hank smirked as he located the storage unit through the G.P.S.'s directions. Pulling the car in the nearby parking lot Hank turned off the engine and gave the young man a genuinely sympathetic thought. "It's too bad you couldn't keep a pet with you while growing up."

"...What's done is done."

"And you moved in your own apartment at fourteen, right?"

"...Right. That's when I was legally emancipated and deemed a ward of the state."

"I take it your apartment had a no pet clause." The senior detective noted as he opened up his door and unfastened his seatbelt. "That sucks, too."

"I couldn't have a cat or a dog, but I did have a blue betta for four years."

"Not surprised you had a small aquarium, either."

Connor slipped off his newly given sunglasses and left them on the dashboard as he unfastened his own seatbelt, opened up his door and followed after Hank to locate the designated storage unit. Walking a little slower than normal Connor managed to locate the unit by its number and swiped the keycard through the electronic lock. The card was recognized and the electronic panel chimed to life as it requested a fingerprint scan to confirm identity.

Pressing his right thumb print down on the scanner a wave of green light emanated under Connor's touch and confirmed his identity as 'Connor Wolf'.

"I haven't been able to do that in a while." Connor observed as he turned over his right palm and looked at the fingerprints that had long since been absent.

"It's weird what you realize you miss until after it's already gone."

"Fingerprints aren't something I think about unless I'm working a case." The younger man confirmed as he struggled to slide open the large metal door of the storage unit to reveal the dark chamber within. "But I understand what you mean."

Once Connor stepped inside the storage unit a motion light automatically turned on and illuminated the sparse contents within. Three cardboard boxes were neatly packed up on the floor of the unit, a black leather guitar case was in the corner and a large gray plastic storage tote was placed next to the guitar.

"I suppose this makes sense." Connor stated as he stepped inside the unit and looked at the few items he had left in his possession. "I was eager to leave Novi and leave this town behind. I wouldn't keep many items to my name."

"Man, you could've lived in here and skipped the whole apartment if you wanted to."

"The night of the accident," the young man began in a dreary voice as he picked up the guitar case and awkwardly slung it over his back. The weight always threw him off balance but he remained upright and shifted his own weight accordingly. "I was on my way to Grand Rapids to look for apartments and I was going to stay in a motel for the night. I witnessed the semi-truck striking a car after failing to stop at an intersection and drive off. The car that was struck belonged to Kamski."

"You were just trying to build a good life for yourself when you came across someone else's misfortune, and ended up getting hurt in the process." Hank sympathized as he picked up the plastic tote and motioned for Connor to follow after him. "How'd you get hurt while getting Kamski to safety?"

"I pulled open the door to Kamski's vehicle and pulled him free of his seatbelt. He was unconscious. The engine caught fire while I was carrying Kamski over my shoulder to safety and the vehicle exploded behind me. I was struck by flying metal debris when the car exploded and that is the last memory I have before waking up two weeks ago."

"Son of a bitch." The two detectives placed the carried items in the backseat of the car and locked the door just in case someone was skulking around the storage unit, then returned to get the final three boxes. "That's not fair to you. You were just doing the right thing."

"No, but from what I've learned in my time as both a human and a deviant fairness seldom comes into play when it comes to life."

"You're right, kid."

"We can check through the boxes back at the house." Connor decided as he began to feel a little worn out already by the activity of moving the few items from one place to another. "It'd be less messy, too."

"Good idea. The sooner we get back home the sooner you can rest in your own bed tonight."

* * *

After packing up the car the two detectives left the storage unit behind, and dropped off the keycard, but Hank didn't take a direct route back home to Detroit. Instead he chose to drive through the streets of Novi for a while to see if he could jog any more of Connor's repressed childhood memories. The neighborhoods all seemed nice and the city itself seemed to have a positive vibe flowing throughout it, yet Connor seemed uneasy about just being there even after so many years of escaping his abusive father.

"Connor, you look like you're sick or something."

"...I'm not sick. I just don't have the best memories of this place."

"Alright, why don't we get head out then. I don't want you to feel bad again."

"Yeah, I'd-" Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide as Hank pulled to a stop at the end of the block. He immediately recognized the street to his right and felt a knot tighten in the pit of his stomach. "...Wait."

"Something catch your eye?"

"...Yeah." Pointing at the street his eyes fell on a condemned house in the middle of the row of houses just past the stop sign. "...Go over there."

Hank pulled the car down the street and pulled into the house's driveway to park. Before he even had the engine off Connor had gotten out of the vehicle and was staring up at the rotting crumbling house over the hood of the parked vehicle with a sense of dread in his eyes. Condemned notices were tacked up on the front and rear doors, as well as 'No Trespassing' signs all over the property, that had all evidently failed to bar curious onlookers from stepping inside over the past seven years.

"Connor?"

Walking slowly Connor made his way down the driveway of the house and turned his head to look at the backyard that was overgrown and unkempt. Glancing up he eyed the partially caved in balcony looming over the rear of the property as a cold chill crept up his spine.

"Connor," joining the younger man outside the vehicle Hank tried to figure out what had Connor so transfixed. "what's going on?"

"...This is where I grew up."

"Ah, fuck." Putting his hands on his hips Hank watched as Connor made his way to the backdoor and turned the knob. The door was locked, but the door itself was so old and weather damaged from years of neglect that Connor was able to easily muscle the door open even in his weakened state. "Whoa, that's breaking and entering, kid."

"...It doesn't matter. No one ever called the cops before."

The comment struck a chord with Hank and made him flinch a little. Following after Connor inside the old house Hank watched as the younger man glanced about the abandoned house and began to tremble a little where he stood. Forcing himself to walk toward the staircase to reach the second floor Connor ascended the rotten, creaking steps and made his way to the bedroom at the end of the hallway at the top of the stairs.

"Kid?" Following after Connor in a slow manner to ensure that the old stairs didn't collapse under his heavier weight Hank kept a close eye on the younger man. "Is this your old room?" Hank asked as Connor entered the small decaying space and stood still again. "It's, uh, small."

The walls were bare, rotting, the wooden surface beneath was partially exposed and looked like they never had anything else hung or taped up to give the place some identity. An old mattress was rotting on the floor in the corner of the room and was covered in mold, and had only two torn up thin sheets and no pillow to give some form of comfort to the pathetic bed. The carpet on the floor was thin, disgusting and torn up in places that exposed the rotten floorboards underneath in a way that was similar to the walls. The ceiling was also crumbling and beginning to buckle downward from age and neglect.

"...Yeah, this was my room." Connor confirmed somberly. Peering at the balcony on the other side of the opened glass door in the far wall of the room Connor began to break into a cold sweat. It was the balcony where he had been thrown the night he finally escaped his father, and got some help from the police. "For fourteen miserable years this is where I used to live."

"Son, if this place is bothering you then you should leave."

Connor turned around slowly and made his way back toward the opened doorway of the bedroom. As Hank stepped aside he left the bedroom and made his way back down the stairs to the ground floor of his old childhood home. Stepping back through the door and onto the overgrown grass on the rear of the property Connor looked past the equally neglected fence to the neighboring houses and sighed loudly. "...That fence seemed like the walls of a jail cell to me when I was a child."

"Hey, you're free of this place now." Having followed Connor out of the house Hank kept trying to provide moral support for the shaken young man. "It's okay."

Stepping back onto the driveway Connor stared at the garage at the end of the cracked and uneven pavement and felt instantly sick. That's where his father hung himself, and where his father left his last spiteful note for the world to read. Feeling tears welling up in his eyes Connor turned around quickly and almost bumped right into Hank.

"Hey, hey." Hank put his left hand to Connor's chest to make him hold still for a moment. He could feel Connor's heart thundering in his thin chest as fear settled in without mercy. "It's okay, son. What's wrong?"

"...I don't want to talk about it."

Hank had read the reports regarding the suicide and realized that Connor remembered that detail about his father as well. It was too delicate of a subject to touch and so he dropped the matter entirely. "Okay. You don't have to." Dropping his hand from Connor's chest he motioned for Connor to come back to the car with him to leave. "You saw the place and you know what became of it. Let's go back home and deal with this stuff in private."

Trembling a little as he walked Connor agreed and readily got back in the car. With a shaking hand Connor fastened his seatbelt and leaned back in the seat while staring anxiously at the floor between his feet.

"Connor, it's over now. You don't have to worry about ever coming here again, or ever seeing-" Stopping himself short Hank tried to save face but it was too late. "...You know. Let's just go home."

Without taking his gaze away from the floor Connor sighed and closed his eyes. "...You know about my father?"

"Yeah kid." Hank admitted as he back away from the house, pulled onto the street and got out of the city as quickly as he could. "I saw the reports and I know what happened to him, and of what he did to you."

"...I see."

"Don't do that, please. Don't act like this is somehow your fault or that I see you in any way different. You're still my partner, my friend and you're like a son to me."

That word, "son", had always been just a nickname that Connor had accepted as a term of endearment, or a way of being friendly when someone doesn't know another person's name. He never felt like he was really ever someone's son, and yet he still did think of Hank as sort of a fatherly mentor to him. Hank was the only person to see him as an equal when he was still an android, and he gave him a home and a place to belong after the Revolution. He'd also been the one to guide Connor through his deviancy and supported him during his physical therapy when he returned to his humanity.

Is that what it was like to actually have a father? To have someone care about you and want to help you. To have someone who didn't insult you, tear you down emotionally or throw you around because they had a bad day. To have someone who accepted their own faults instead of blaming the world around them. Is that what it was like to be in a family, to have someone trust and respect you, to have someone love you for who you are and never let their personal anger destroy you?

It_ that_ what a father is?

Opening his eyes again Connor slowly lifted his eyes from the floor and crossed his arms over his chest. "...I just don't want to talk about it."

"That's fine, you don't have to. Took you long enough to answer."

"Huh?"

"We're back in Detroit. You were quiet the whole drive home."

"O-Oh. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I know you. You were thinking." The understanding tone of Hank's voice was incredibly calming. It was late afternoon and Hank knew Connor hadn't eaten anything since that morning. It was important for him to keep to a consistent dining schedule in order to get his weight back up. "We're going to make a quick stop and head home."

"Stop? Stop where?"

"To get something to eat."

"Thanks, but I'm not-"

"Kid," Hank gave Connor the 'dad voice' as he pulled the car along the designated street and parked it just a few yards down. "you're not feeling hungry because your body is still healing. But you need to stay on a type of eating schedule until your weight is back up."

"...I don't want to feel sick."

"Sorry, you gotta' do this."

Sighing despondently Connor agreed and followed after Hank as the senior detective got out of the car and began heading toward the place of interest. Looking up at the same roadside stand Connor read the name of the place and shook his head a little. They were at the "Chicken Feed" food stand.

"Hank, this place isn't entirely sanitary."

"It doesn't matter. It's good food, good prices and the world isn't exactly the cleanest place anyway."

Agreeing slightly Connor joined Hank as he ordered his usual at the counter, then asked for it to be doubled. One for himself, the other for Connor.

Gary, the owner gave Connor an odd glance as the thin young man stood at Hank's side. "Hey, isn't that the android?"

"Nope." Hank replied sharply without any form of hesitation in his words. "He's my partner."

"But I thought- Never mind."

A little amused by Gary's indifference Connor just waited for their food to be prepared and carried his own meal packed in the styrofoam container back to the car along with Hank. "I guess he knows better than to question a cop."

Hank smirked as they got back in the car and finally headed for home. "Damn right. Especially since I'm the one who got the 'red ice' dealers off this street so he didn't have to shut down his business."

Fastening his seatbelt Connor held onto both Styrofoam containers of food in his lap while Hank drove back to the house.

"Anyway, when we get back to the house you're gonna' eat that you're going to sort through your old stuff."

Eyeing the large size of the container warily Connor dreaded the idea of eating the large meal. "...What if I can't eat it all?"

"Then you eat as much as you can."

"That's fair, I suppose."

Arriving home at last Hank wisely held onto the food while Connor opened the backdoor and prepared for Sumo to come barreling through. The massive dog jumped up and put his paws against Connor's shoulders and pushed him up against the side of the house that time, and licked at his face affectionately.

Connor rubbed Sumo's ears again and then pushed the dog back down gently. "Down boy." He smirked and watched as Sumo sat down obediently at his feet. "I'll take you for a walk tomorrow."

"I'll bring this into the kitchen, you go get your stuff and bring it inside."

"Right." Giving Hank an appreciative nod for allowing him to move around and carry things without worrying about him being too weak or collapsing from exhaustion in the process Connor returned to the vehicle to get his boxes. "I'll be back inside in a moment."

Sumo followed after Connor as he carried in the guitar and the plastic tote inside the house first, and then took a moment to breathe before returning for the final three boxes. One at a time he got the boxes inside the house and placed them down on the livingroom floor by the coffee table.

"Sit down," Hank stated in a stern voice as he motioned to the opened spot on the couch beside him. "and eat. Then you can go through those boxes."

"...Okay. Sure."

Sitting down beside Hank on the couch Connor opened up the lid of the container and eyed the hamburger that he knew, even without his ability to scan, that the burger was full of grease, a high amount of calories and cholesterol. The french fries tucked beside the burger were just as bad health wise as the burger, and yet at this moment Connor needed to eat them. It was important for him to put on some weight and as long as he didn't overdo it he'd be able to get back up to a healthy weight in a few months.

"Don't think about it being bad for you." Hank stated as he flipped open the container, picked up his own burger and took a bite. "Think of it a 'short cut' to getting your strength back to where it needs to be."

Picking up the burger with both hands Connor took a smile bite and waited to see how his stomach would react. It didn't bother him and he didn't hate the taste. He took another bite and tried to figure out how much he'd be able to eat before feeling too full.

"Not bad, huh?"

"It's not as bad as I was fearing."

"Try the fries." Hank insisted as they sat side by side on the couch enjoying their late afternoon lunch. "They're nice and crispy, not greasy."

Isolating one fry from the pile in the bottom of the container Connor took a bite and agreed that they were good, too. "Interesting. I think I prefer them with tomato soup."

"Try ketchup, that's the normal thing. Remember?"

"...No."

"Shit, don't tell me you never had a burger and fries before either!"

"...If I did, I don't remember it."

"Fuck, tomorrow night we're having pizza. No arguments."

"What for?"

"Because I think you didn't get that as a kid either. You pick the toppings. Except fuckin' pineapples or anchovies. That shit's disgusting."

Connor grinned a little as he continued to eat his meal. "I'll remember that, but promises."

While Hank had no problem with finishing off the entirety of his burger and fries Connor was only able to eat half of each. Hank didn't mind since Connor had actually eaten as requested and could finish it off later that evening.

Sliding over the first cardboard box on the floor Hank placed it down on the coffee table to open up. As he unsealed the old tape on the box he pulled open the flaps and leaned back against the couch cushion. "Have at it."

Connor warily pulled open the box and peered down inside to look at the contents within. Old t-shirts, jeans and a pair of tennis shoes. Nothing exciting. "I wonder if these will still fit me?"

"Since you're thirty pounds underweight I think they might be a little big on ya'."

"That's fine. As long as I'm covered."

Hank slid over the second cardboard box and again removed the tape after placing it down on the coffee table next to the first. "Next."

Connor opened the second box and found it filled with additional guitar strings, a spare pick and a few C.D.'s that were mostly heavy metal and rock. "...Hank, look." Picking out one of the C.D.'s he handed it over to the senior detective. "It's 'Knights of the Black Death'. I really do like to listen to heavy metal."

"Son of a bitch, this is their debut album, too." Taking the C.D. Hank checked the back and read over the songs on the track list. "This is pretty hard to come by today. You're lucky you still have it."

"I want to listen to it later. I think I can remember all of the songs, but I want to be sure."

"Check the third box. This is pretty cool."

Accepting the third cardboard box Connor this time removed the tape and opened the flaps. Looking down inside he saw a faded orange basketball that was partially deflated, several legal documents; birth certificate, social security card, his high school diploma, a copy of his now expired paramedic's license, his legally sanctioned emancipation document and all of the legal formalities that come from being a ward of the state.

Connor picked up the basketball and felt how deflated it had become from years of neglect. "...My apartment was in a nice area but it was small. And I had to have a part time job during the summertime when I wasn't in school. I didn't have time to do much outside of teaching myself to play guitar or play some basketball in the small court behind my building."

"What did you do in school? You know, besides study."

"Nothing. I wasn't in any clubs or on any sports teams. I mostly kept to myself since I didn't make any close friends, and I was too afraid to do anything that would've-" He stopped himself short before mentioning his abusive father just as Hank had done earlier. "...I didn't want to go back to my apartment alone in the dark."

"Right, I gotcha'." Hank looked at the legal documents and picked up Connor's birth certificate from the selection. Reading over the information he smirked a little and gave Connor a coy look. "Connor Anthony Wolf. Born March 7th, 2015. Five pounds, four ounces. Whoa, that's kinda' small."

"I was seven weeks premature."

"That's right. I read that part on your record when I looked into your life in Novi." He passed the certificate back to Connor who put back inside the box. "You've been an underdog and a fighter since the day you were born. No wonder you're so damn stubborn."

As he put aside the cardboard box on the floor Connor grabbed the plastic tote to pop off the lid. Inside the tote was a high school yearbook from 2033, a few photographs that were taken by other parents in Connor's neighborhood or his school, and a smaller cardboard box with newspaper clippings tucked inside. Picking up the yearbook Connor flipped through the pages until he found the page dedicated to his graduating senior class and found his high school photo amongst his peers.

"...I remember this. Everyone in my class went all out to look their best because it was their final school photograph ever."

"Let me see." Hank took the yearbook and looked at Connor's photo. He wasn't smiling and didn't look like he was comfortable at all with having his photo taken. "You looked about as thrilled to be in high school as I was. Hey, what's this?" There was a page beneath the one he was examining that showed all of the graduating senior's back when they were in kindergarten. Hank couldn't help but take a peek. Looking at the image of five year old Connor made Hank's heart skip a beat in his chest. Not only did he have the same expression on his face as he did as a senior, but he looked strikingly similar to Cole. "...Jeez."

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, it's just..." Handing the yearbook back to Connor he thought of a convincing answer. "you looked so miserable even as a child. How come no one tried to help you?"

"I guess everyone was afraid of my father, or they just didn't care. It didn't help that I didn't say anything to anyone about the abuse either."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." Putting the yearbook back in the box Connor shook his head and took the smaller box out next to check through. "I guess I figured no one would care, or that I was doing something wrong. A piece of me thought I was just a bad kid, and that's why my father was always so angry with me."

"Connor, even if you were a 'bad kid' that doesn't mean you deserved to be treated so poorly."

"...Yeah." Checking through the smaller box Connor saw the contents and immediately closed the lid again. "I, uh, ...I know that now."

Hank looked at all the other photographs packed away in the tote and checked through them. It was strange to see a younger Connor having a life before ever arriving at the precinct. It was even stranger to see that the only photographs of Connor as a baby were the two taken by the hospital staff; the day he was born, and the day he was deemed healthy enough to be released from the hospital.

The other photographs showed happy little kids from the neighborhood playing games and running around while an unhappy Connor either went through the motions or sat on the sidelines with the neighbor's pets. It was all so sad and Hank couldn't take it. "Here. You can put these photos in the crawlspace tomorrow or something."

"...Yeah."

"Looks like you had some pretty good neighbors at least."

"Yes. The other parents would occasionally give me snacks and spare clothes whenever they could. I think they assumed my family was merely poor, rather than abusive. Or maybe they just didn't want to think about it. At least they helped me out from time to time."

"I guess that's _something_ good to remember."

"That and the little girl who was my friend." Connor's mouth twitched a little as he pondered the idea of having something positive to fall back on from his childhood. Someone else suddenly stood out in his mind. "There was one woman who was always very nice to me when I was growing up. She would give me little things I needed that my own father failed to provide. I never knew her name, and I always called her the 'nice lady'."

"She gave you things?" The senior detective was immediately suspicious about the entire thing. "Like what?"

"Simple things. A toothbrush and some toothpaste, school supplies, some new clothes every few months, even a winter coat every year when it got cold."

Hank's brow furrowed with confusion about the really generous stranger. "Huh. Do you know why she'd do that?"

"She said her own child was gone. While she never went into detail I assumed from what she said she lost him in some kind of separation from her husband, and never got to see him." Connor's soulful brown eyes dulled sympathetically for the woman's pain. "She didn't want throw out his clothes so she'd wash them and give them to me because she knew I needed them. I remember that every year on my birthday I'd get summoned to the principal's office where I'd be given a birthday cupcake that she had baked for me, too."

"...How'd she know about your birthday?"

"One of the neighborhood kids was having a birthday party and I was sitting alone near a tree. The nice lady asked me if I was going to have a birthday party too and when I told her 'no' she looked sad. I never asked for anything for my birthday and I didn't celebrate it anyway."

"Why not?"

"Because my birthday is the same day as..." Shaking his head a little Connor trailed off for a moment. "There's just a big negative association with my birth date. I didn't have a birthday pass where I wasn't... 'reminded' of that negative association by my father's hand."

"Connor, I'm so sorry you went through that. At least that woman tried to make you feel happy."

"I don't know why she did it. I must've reminded her of her own son so much that through me she could keep being a mother. Hell, she even stopped by the convenience store I was working at after I was emancipated to check in on me at least once a week. She was really upset to see my arm in a sling, and was happy to see me without the sling after my arm finally healed."

"What did she look like?"

"I don't really remember what she looked like since I had trouble looking people in the eye growing up. She was a brunette and kept her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She'd usually wear baseball cap but I'd see her hair occasionally beneath the hat. And I think she had brown eyes, but a lot of the time she wore dark tinted sunglasses and only took them off when she was inside the convenience store."

Hank though the description fit a woman he noticed in the background of some of the photographs from Connor's neighborhood. "Sounds like she was a guardian angel watching over you, or something."

"I don't know. I never knew her name and I never saw her again after I quit working at the convenience store to begin studying for my paramedic's license."

"Huh. Maybe she knew you were okay."

"I don't know, and I don't think I ever thanked her for all of her generosity."

"I get the feeling someone like that didn't need to hear 'thanks'."

"That doesn't change my mind about not telling her at least once."

"Well, that's because you're an empathetic person." Casually Hank motioned to the cardboard filled with the clothes and changed the subject. "Do you want to keep your old clothes or toss 'em?"

"I'll wash them and decide what I want to keep, and what I want to donate to charity tomorrow afternoon."

Hank noted the time as decided that since it was barely six in the evening that he'd go and make a light dinner and take a shower before going to bed. "I have a morning shift tomorrow. Will you be fine all alone tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll manage by myself for a few hours."

"Cool. You do your thing," Hank stated he gathered up the mess of containers and made his way into the kitchen. "and I'll do mine. Maybe Lucas can hang out with you, too. You don't need his help at the facility anymore, but that doesn't mean he still can't help you here."

"I suppose, but Hank?" Connor asked curiously as he watched Hank busying himself in the kitchen from where he sat on the couch. "What _is_ your thing, exactly?"

The senior detective threw away his empty container, and then let Sumo back inside through the backdoor before answering. "Well, I'm going to make something light to eat, relax in the shower, go to bed, get up early, go to the precinct and come home. That's what I've been doing for a couple weeks now."

Sumo practically climbed onto Connor's lap as the younger of the two detectives remained on the couch. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Nah." Placing Connor's partially eaten meal inside the fridge Hank grabbed a few ingredients to make something for himself with the intent of making a little extra to try to entice Connor into eating something else either later that night, or tomorrow morning. "I got this. You take it easy and get some sleep."

"Sleep?"

"You're exhausted and you haven't been sleeping for the past two nights. Go to bed early tonight and try to actually rest. I bet you'll do better tonight sleeping in your own bed instead of that clinic or at Kamski's place."

Sighing with defeat as he was already tired and the greasy meal in his stomach was only making him feel worse, Connor agreed and had to push Sumo off his lap before getting up. "Okay. I'd like to feel more like myself again. "The loyal dog followed right after Connor as he made his way into his bedroom down the hallway. "Goodnight, Hank."

"Goodnight, kid."

Trudging into his bedroom Connor looked about the space one more time with utter relief in his eyes. Feeling safe he knelt on the edge of his bed before using his arms to lower himself down to the mattress. Plopping down chest first on the bed, wincing a little as he accidentally put pressure on his full stomach, Connor buried his face into his pillow and was asleep in a matter of seconds. Even when Sumo jumped up onto the bed and sprawled out over the back of Connor's legs the healing man didn't react, and remained asleep.

Hank waited about ten minutes before checking in on Connor and was happy to see the young man in a deep sleep on his bed with Sumo happily cuddled up against his legs. "...Good. Stay like that for a few hours."

Putting the boxes and guitar aside, careful not to mess anything up or lose anything valuable, Hank went to his laptop at the desk in the corner of the room with a small bowl of pasta in his hand and began looking into more details regarding Connor's past. Specifically he was looking for the details regarding his parents and other family members.

The suicide of his father wasn't anything that neither Connor or Hank really cared about. The man was a heartless bastard and the world is better off without him. But Connor's mother was a whole other story. She was never in any of the pictures and Connor never once spoke of her. She was a total enigma that had Hank very curious, and his curiosity about the kind woman who looked after Connor was also in the back of his mind.

Sifting through the photos Hank tried to get a clear profile of the woman and sent her likeness though the police database from his personal login on his laptop. The woman seemingly didn't have a criminal record, which meant he couldn't track her. At the same time it was a good sign that she didn't have such a record as it meant she really was a kind stranger looking out for a child in need.

"Maybe someday I can find a name to go with the face." Hank muttered to himself as he put the gathered photographs back inside the box as neatly as possible. "Connor might find some form of peace if he can track her down and thank her in person."

Until then he'd have to focus on Connor's biological parents, and work from there.

About an hour into his search, using his authority with the precinct terminals and state records, Hank managed to find the trail that he was looking for. Unfortunately it was as bleak as he had feared but factual. Using a contact to help him find the coroner's report regarding one very horrible day in Novi those twenty-four years prior. Hank found his answer, but now wasn't sure if he should tell Connor what he found or not.

Printing off the information he found from his search online Hank finished off his dinner, and pulled the printed documents from the printer tucked just beneath the desk.

"It's not much but it's a start."

Eyeing the cardboard box that held the smaller box that Connor refused to look into a few hours before Hank decided to give it his own curious glance. Locating the smaller box of interest tucked around the other old items, he pulled it open and saw that it was filled with a newspaper clipping regarding the obituary for Connor's mom that was dated over twenty-four years prior, as well as the obituary for his father that was dated only seven years prior.

"Fuckin' Hell. Poor kid."

Setting the box aside out of sight Hank sighed and returned to the printer as it finished its task. As he neatly bundled the papers together in his hands he heard a low muttering sound followed by a whine from Sumo down the hallway. Without even stopping to think of an alternative source of the commotion Hank rushed down the hallway with the papers still in his right hand and peered inside Connor's bedroom.

Through the doorway he could see Connor violently twitching in his sleep. His skin was pale and sweaty, and he was whimpering in his sleep. Sumo was sitting up on the foot of the bed and staring down at the distressed human and whining softly.

"Connor?" Placing the papers down on the nightstand beside the bed Hank put his right hand on Connor's trembling shoulder. Hank's palm was instantly chilled by the cold sweat saturating Connor's black t-shirt as he tried to awaken the younger man trapped in the throes of a nightmare. "Connor! Wake up!"

It seemed as though Connor couldn't hear Hank and was still whimpering fearfully in his sleep.

"Damn it..." Putting his left hand under Connor's head Hank tried to rouse distressed man but it wasn't enough. "CONNOR."

Like a bolt of lightning Connor's eyes snapped open and he jerked away from Hank's hands as he rolled onto his back and looked around his room absolutely frightened. As he breathed heavily and rapidly sweat dripped down his face and his shaking hands reached up to the wooden headboard of his bed frame and grabbed on tight as if afraid he'd fall off the bed.

"Connor?" Lowering his voice Hank sat on the edge of the bed and tried to get the shaking younger detective to look at him. "Connor, it's okay. You're okay, it was just a bad dream."

"...He was... H-He was..." Connor panted and fought to keep himself from breaking down and crying. "I didn't-"

"Easy, easy. It was a nightmare, your father can't hurt you anymore."

Connor's pained eyes found their way to Hank's face and focused with a glassy stare. "...How'd you know that was my nightmare?"

"Because you're not the first kid I've seen whose been abused by their parent. It's tragically a normal reaction."

Connor's left hand let go of the bed frame and wrapped around his upper right arm where his surgically repaired bone still occasionally ached. "...When do the nightmares stop?"

"I don't know." Glancing at the papers piled up on the nightstand Hank decided that it was time for Connor to open up and tell him about his childhood; about his abusive father. "Connor, what happened in your nightmare?"

"I don't- I can't."

"I know you you don't want to talk about it." The conversation was eerily familiar to one the duo had just a few weeks prior. "But you_ need_ to talk about it."

"Hank, it's..." Trailing off quietly Connor's left hand tightened around his upper right arm absentmindedly.

"I know your father hit you and neglected you, but you don't have to be afraid of him anymore. He's gone and you're safe."

"...You don't want to know what happened to me as a child." Connor whispered in a low voice as he tried to turn away from Hank.

"It's my job to protect people. That includes you."

"I don't need to be protected."

"I'm not just talking about pulling a gun on some sorry bastard or locking him up, I'm talking about making sure you're _really okay_." As he reached out his right hand to try to grab onto Connor's right shoulder the shaking young man flinched away as if Hank were about to strike him. "Kid, what the fuck did he do to you?"

"He... He hit me. A lot."

"What did he _do_?" Hank pressed with a patient voice. "It's pretty uncommon for minors to be emancipated, and it's rare for anyone under the age of fifteen to get the clearance to do so without a relative to check in on them from time to time. He must've done something-"

"Hank, please..."

"Talk to me. You need to talk about it and I'm here to listen."

Connor studied Hank's face for a moment and realized that the senior detective wasn't about to back down. "...You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you what happened, are you?"

"Nope."

Steeling himself mentally Connor leaned forward slightly, his entire body trembling from his cold sweat, and tightened his left hand even more around his upper right arm. After a moment of silent contemplation Connor told Hank the truth. He told the senior detective about the years of physical abuse that he endured; he included every detail about how he had been slapped around, thrown against walls, spat on, hit with wire coat hangers, knocked to the ground and kicked, verbally and emotionally abused and how it all peaked on the stormy night his abusive father threw him over the balcony into the backyard badly breaking his right arm.

Every heartbreaking detail was spelled out, and every word Connor spoke was accompanied by a painful tear running down his face.

"...Holy shit." Hank looked at Connor's right arm where his left hand was clutching it desperately. The lingering ache in the bone was doomed to haunt the poor kid for the rest of his life. "How bad was the break?"

Connor sighed a little as his left hand began rubbing up and down the affected limb slowly. "It required two separate surgeries to repair the damage to the bone and reattach the muscle. I had my arm in a support sling for over three years because I was emaciated and so sickly that my body struggled to heal." His left hand tightened around his right arm again. "It still hurts to this day."

Hank hated seeing the distant pained glaze in Connor's normally bright eyes.

"I'm glad I regained the full use of my arm but it took almost a year of physical therapy to regain my strength and dexterity."

"Your dexterity?"

Slowly Connor's right hand reached reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the half-dollar coin that he had been given after he discovered his human body in the hospital in Grand Rapids. With a graceful motion of his fingers he managed to dance and balance the coin as it rolled over his right knuckles just as easily as his quarter did when he was an android.

"Shit. That explains your nervous tic, too."

"Tic?" Connor looked at the coin on the back of his hand and froze. The observation did seem to support the theory. "...You're right."

Glancing over at the papers on the table beside Connor's bed once again all Hank could do was take in a calm breath as he kept pushing Connor to open up emotionally about his traumatic childhood. "What about your mom?"

"...What about her?"

"You don't talk about her at all, and there's no photographs of her in that box."

"There aren't any photographs of my father, either."

"Come on, kid. What was your mom like?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Hank already knew the answer as to why, but Connor needed to say it himself if he were to begin healing.

"...Sh-She died when I was born." The reply was a trembling whisper that fell from Connor's lips. "Complications during premature childbirth."

"I'm sorry, son."

Connor wiped his left hand over his eyes as he continued to speak. "Why are you sorry? You're not the one who killed her."

"Neither did you. It was-"

"She died because of me, Hank. I never should've been born..."

"Connor, NO." Taking the papers he had printed off and left on the table he pushed them into Connor's line of sight. "Read this."

His brow furrowed as he looked at the bundle of paper in Hank's right hand. "...What is it?"

"Information on your mom."

With a shaking right hand Connor took the papers and read through the small text very slowly and carefully. "...I don't understand." He turned the pages one at a time until he finished examining in the modest stack of papers. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because it proves that what you said is wrong. Look at this." Hank pulled the papers back from Connor's hand and motioned to the top page eagerly. "Your mom had developed uteran cancer when she was a teenager and beat it. It left her with fertility issues but she jumped through every damn hoop she needed to in order to have kids. She WANTED YOU more than anything else. That's why she stuck around with your father, she risked herself to have you in her life."

"...And she died because she was pregnant with me."

"Connor..." Sighing heavily Hank isolated another article in the printed off pages he gathered during his search. It was a police report and a medical file regarding the coroner's report detailing Connor's mother, and her cause of death. "Look at this. It's important"

"Hank, I don't need to-"

"Listen to me, damn it!" It took everything Hank had to remain in control of his own emotions as he always had a weakness when it came with dealing with abused kids or battered women. "Your mom went into premature labor not because of any complications from the pregnancy, it happened because your fa- Her _sperm donor_," Hank corrected with a sharp tone of voice. "threw her against the wall when he got drunk. He beat her so badly she-"

"Stop."

"Connor, it wasn't your fault." As much as he wanted to scream that in Connor's ear to make him understand all he could do was remain level headed and keep his voice steady. "That son of a bitch is responsible for what happened to your mom, he killed her and he almost killed you."

"Hank, stop."

"The fact that the judge believed that bastard's story about her falling down the stairs only proves that-"

"STOP!" Connor was beginning to break down emotionally at long last. He was fighting back tears of frustration and his long repressed mourning for his late mother. "Please stop... I don't want to hear anymore."

"Kid, I'm sorry you had to grow up in a house like that. It wasn't your fault and you didn't deserve to live through that. Your mom didn't deserve what happened to her either."

Pressing his left palm over his face Connor let out a shaking breath in the form of a whisper. "...He never loved me."

"Connor?"

"Why didn't my father ever love me?" The young man began to cry with a heavy heartwrenching sob. It was like it was the first time in his entire life that Connor had ever cried, and it hurt to see. "What did I do that made him hate me so much?"

"Ah, fuck." Wrapping his right arm around Connor's shoulders Hank pulled the weeping young detective up against his side and let Connor cry a deep and soul cleansing cry that he had been holding in his whole life. "Connor, you didn't do anything wrong. That guy was incapable of caring about anyone but himself. Never think of him as your father, kid. A father protects his children, he doesn't strike them. He was nothing more than your mother's sperm donor and a disgusting excuse for a human being. You and your mom are both far better people than he could ever pretend to be."

"...I never _knew_ my mom!"

"Shh..." It was a futile attempt to soothe Connor's pain at the moment but the paternal instincts were strong with Hank. Holding the deviant at his side in the half hug Hank just let Connor cry for as long as he needed to cry. "It's okay, son."

"She's dead! I never knew her and I miss her!" Connor wept loudly as streams of tears rolled down his face as he cried from the depths of his heart. "She's gone! I'll never know her and I'll never be able to talk to her! Why am I so torn up over a person I've never met?!"

"Connor, it's okay to cry for her. You didn't do anything wrong by being born, and you need to mourn for your lost mother and let it out. It's okay to miss people you never had the chance to meet, and it's okay to cry for the people you miss. It's complicated, I know, but trust me. Feel whatever it is you need to feel and stop trying to hide away from the world."

"Hiding's what kept me alive..."

Wrapping his other arm around Connor tightly Hank pulled him into a full hug and just held onto him as the broken kid was finally beginning to actually heal after all these years of emotional turmoil. The emotional damage was far more severe than the physical damage, and for the first time since Connor could remember he was able to actually _trust_ someone by letting Hank into his life.

Not all scars are visible, but they are just as painful.

As Connor cried against Hank's shoulder the senior detective held him in a tight hug and lightly put the palm of his right hand to the back of Connor's head and rubbed his hand through Connor's dark, cold and sweaty hair. It was a comforting gesture that Hank had learned from his own father and would use whenever Cole was upset or sick as a small child.

Sumo whimpered and crawled up to Connor's side and leaned his body against him sympathetically as if too wanted to comfort the pained young man.

"Let it out, son." Hank urged as he tried to comfort the emotionally broken kid he had taken in as his own son. Twenty-four years of age meant Connor was an adult, but considering he never really had a childhood and was emotionally stunted by years of abuse, meant he was struggling with trust issues and how to heal from past trauma without being angry. In a way Connor was still in fact a kid. "Cry all you want, it's okay now."

"...Everything hurt!" Connor's voice was shaking and full of unfathomable pain as he sobbed against the senior detective's shoulder. "I hate everything about this feeling! I'm sad and I'm so damn angry!" He wept pitifully as Hank just held onto him. "...I hate this."

Patting Connor's back sympathetically with his left hand Hank just stayed with his friend, his _son_, and was ready to stay for as long as Connor needed him to be there for him. "...I know you do."

_**-next chapter-**_


	6. Healing Process

It was almost two in the morning when Connor passed out in Hank's arms after crying his heart out with long repressed grief and pain. Hank had to gently lay Connor back down on the bed on his back and pull the quilt up over Connor in a comforting manner. Sumo remained cuddled up at Connor's side and rested his chin over the sleeping young man's stomach without disturbing him. Before leaving the bedroom Hank brushed the rogue lock of hair from Connor's left eye only to watch it fall back into place as if rebelling.

"Sleep well, son. You deserve it."

Departing from the bedroom completely exhausted himself Hank retreated to his own bedroom and practically passed out against his pillow as soon as he laid down. He almost jumped out of his skin when his alarm went off at six-thirty in the morning, and he quickly slapped his right palm down on the clock to silence its intrusive sound.

"...Fuckin' Hell."

Nursing a bad headache from his lack of sleep Hank got up from his bed and quietly made his way down the hallway to Connor's bedroom. Peering through the partially opened door he saw that the younger man was still asleep and was relieved to see it. Creeping into the bedroom he lightly pressed his right hand to Connor's forehead and was glad he didn't disturb him in the process.

"...Stay that way." Hank whispered as he crept out of the room just as silently and made his way into the bathroom.

As Hank turned on the shower he waited for the water temperature to warm up and opened the medicine cabinet above the sink. Popping two ibuprofen into his mouth he chased the pills with a mouthful of water and stripped off his clothes to get into the now warmed up shower. The warm water was enough to wake Hank up and ease his headache before he even had the chance to get a mug of warm coffee to destroy the headache entirely.

Running a towel over his damp gray hair Hank threw back on his clothes, and quietly departed from the bathroom to peer into Connor's room again.

Still asleep.

Moving about as quietly as he used to do whenever he had a hangover or an infant to care for Hank went back down the hallway and into the kitchen to make himself breakfast, and poured some food into Sumo's bowl. Normally the massive dog would coming trotting into the kitchen as soon as he heard the bag of food getting picked up, but this time he was more preoccupied with keeping Connor company.

Noticing that Sumo had prioritized Connor over his own stomach Hank smirked and whispered the praise from the kitchen. "Good boy."

Placing the bag of food back into the pantry Hank proceeded to turn on the coffee maker on the far countertop and grabbed a few eggs and strips of bacon from the fridge to cook up on the stove. After making himself an intentionally too large breakfast Hank retreated down to his bedroom to change his clothes and grab his phone from where it had been left by his laptop the night before. Once he was back in the kitchen he sent a text to Lucas and asked him to stop by the house to keep an eye on Connor until he was back from his shift later that evening.

Just as he was ready to leave the house Lucas quietly unlocked the front door with his personal key and stepped inside the house. "Hank?"

"Lucas," the senior detective turned around as his right hand rested on the doorknob of the backdoor in the kitchen. "good timing."

"Is Connor alright?"

"Connor had a rough night last night." Telling the deviant the truth Hank made sure Lucas knew that Connor would need a ginger touch for the next few days after the bad night. "He had another nightmare and a bit of an emotional breakdown."

Lucas walked into the livingroom and glanced at the hallway toward Connor's partially opened bedroom doorway. "Do you need me to do anything particular?"

"Just make sure he's okay. I don't think he should be alone for a while since he's been through so much."

"I agree."

"Also, there's some food in the kitchen by the stove and some leftovers in the fridge. So if you can get him to eat that'd be great."

"Of course. I'll see you again this evening."

"Yeah. I'll bring something back for dinner, too. Just keep him company and make sure he doesn't make himself sick from stress or something."

Lucas nodded in agreement as Hank made his way through the backdoor while Lucas himself walked down the hallway. Glancing inside Connor's bedroom he spotted Sumo laying over Connor's stomach and was rewarded with a wag of the tail from the massive dog.

"Hello, Sumo." Lucas stated in a low voice as he knelt beside Connor's bed to pick up the sleeping young man's left wrist to count his pulse. Connor never budged as Lucas took in his vital signs. "Hello, big brother."

* * *

Four more hours passed by before Connor awoke at last. Sitting upright on his bed weakly and slowly Sumo jumped down and bolted into the kitchen to be let out into the backyard as he had refused to leave Connor for any reason, and couldn't wait any longer to go outside. Connor had every intention of letting Sumo out as he wanted but when he heard the backdoor open and then shut again he realized he wasn't alone in the house.

"Hank must've stayed home."

Putting his feet on the floor beside his bed Connor stumbled out of his bedroom and made his way down the hallway in search of the senior detective who had become his guardian and mentor.

Inside the kitchen Lucas was working to warm up the breakfast that Hank had made with the intention of giving it to Connor the moment he woke up. In a matter of seconds he was aware that his brother was awake and turned around to face him. "Good morning, Connor."

"Lucas." He hadn't been expecting his little brother, but was happy to see him all the same. "Hello."

"Hank will be back this evening." The deviant informed his big brother as he placed a helping of scrambled eggs and bacon on a clean plate and then down on the kitchen table behind him. "He insisted that you have some breakfast."

"...Of course he did."

"Sit down, please."

Still not feeling very hungry but too damn tired to try to argue Connor sat down at the table where a plate full of scrambled eggs and two strips of bacon were placed before him. A few bits of freshly chopped tomatoes and onion were mixed in with the eggs and no doubt added by Lucas in an attempt to add bulk to the meal to help Connor put on weight.

"Please don't worry about me today."

"I'm not worried about you. I just want to help you get better."

"...Thanks."

"You seem like you're still very tired."

"Y-Yeah. My circadian rhythm is unbalanced." Picking up the fork beside the plate Connor began picking at the food and began eating slowly. The breakfast wasn't bad but as before it was rather bland to keep eating the same thing over and over again. "How is the deviant you attended to in an emergency call from three days ago faring?"

"He's doing well. He has recovered and confirmed that he was struck by a drunk driver."

"Was the driver caught?"

"Unknown."

"Oh. I can't connect with the precinct anymore." Connor lamented as he tried the bacon and decided he didn't mind it. "It's more difficult to keep tabs on everything happening in the city now that I'm not cybernetically connected to my terminal."

"What of the phone Hank gave you?"

"Yes, it does provide information but not as readily."

"Finish your breakfast and we will take Sumo for a walk."

"What time is it?"

"It it currently ten forty-seven in the morning."

"I don't remember when I fell asleep last night." Connor admitted as he finished the first strip of bacon then went back to the eggs. "I don't remember much beyond telling Hank about my childhood."

"...Do you still want to talk about it?"

"Later."

"Okay." Lucas was just as understanding and patient as Hank, and chose to not press the matter any further. "When you're ready we'll go to the park."

* * *

After arriving at the precinct that morning Hank made a beeline for the breakroom to get some more coffee and had remained at his desk without uttering a single word to anyone. Not only was he tired but he was a little distracted by everything happening with Connor. Taking in a deviant who had nowhere to go was already a big risk, but taking him in and treating him like a son had an unexpectedly positive effect on his psyche. When he learned of Connor's previous humanity and traumatic childhood all Hank could do was think about how helpless Connor was a child and had the urge to dig up the man who abused Connor, and smack his corpse around with a shovel.

"Lieutenant?" Tina noticed the distant stare in Hank's blue eyes and addressed him in a low voice as she passed by his desk. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just..." There was really nothing he could say to explain things easily. "It's complicated."

"Isn't that part of being a detective?"

Hank appreciated her comment and leaned back in his chair. "I don't think it was meant to get _this_ complicated."

"Connor?" She wondered correctly as she searched his face for a reaction. "Is he alright?"

"He will be. He just needs some time before he can come back."

"That's good to hear."

"...Yeah." Turning his head a little he glanced over his left shoulder toward Captain Fowler's office and eyed his superior officer warily through the transparent wall of the private office space. "Speaking of which, I need to give Fowler an update."

"Good luck, Lieutenant." Tina joked as she returned to her own desk to resume her own reports.

"Yeah, thanks."

Standing upright from his chair Hank walked over to the glass office door and knocked twice, but didn't wait for an answer before opening the door. Walking inside the office he sat down in the chair across from Captain Fowler, who was sitting behind his desk staring at his own terminal screen trying to finish off his own reports, and waited for his commanding officer to notice his presence.

"What is it Hank?" Captain Fowler asked as he turned to look at the Lieutenant across from him. "I'm busy."

"It's about Connor."

Now intrigued by Hank's presence Captain Fowler gave him his full attention. "What's up?"

"...It's kind of a long story. But I promise you Jeffrey that there is absolutely no bullshit in what I'm about to tell you, and I can give you the physical proof you'll need to verify what I'm about to tell you."

"Alright." Turning off his terminal screen he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands neatly together atop his desk. "I'm listening."

* * *

The walk to the park was calm and uneventful for the two brothers. Connor held onto the leash in right hand as Sumo happily plodded along the sidewalk and rolled in the grass of the park while he and Lucas talked for almost an hour. Willingly Connor told Lucas of his childhood and of how Hank had encouraged him to finally speak up regarding his painful past so he could begin to heal. Lucas listened intently and supported his big brother as the now-human struggled to control his raw emotions that were being overwhelmed by his traumatic past.

Running a scan over his brother's vitals Lucas noted that Connor was exhausted, and needed to take it easy. "Maybe we should head back to the house so you can rest."

"I'm okay." Connor insisted as he used the short sleeve of his black t-shirt to dry his eyes. "It's just very fresh in my mind."

Sumo trotted up to Connor pressed his cold wet nose into his right hand, and then pawed at him.

Lucas eyed the dog's behavior and motioned to him as he down sat at Connor's feet. "I think Sumo wants to leave, too."

"...Perhaps you're right."

"Come on. I want to check your side to ensure your incision healed properly and isn't housing any possible necrotic tissue."

"The incision has healed fine. I've experienced no pain or swelling in my side, and I haven't suffered any fevers."

"That's good to know."

Walking back to the house the two brothers spoke normally to one another with Sumo leading the way back home. No one gave the duo a second glance and for the first time in Connor's life he knew what it was like to blend into a crowd and not be stared at because of his L.E.D. in his right temple drawing any unwanted attention.

"I wish to take a shower." Connor decided as he and Lucas walked back inside the house through the front door together. "I was unable to do so last night and I'd rather not be covered in my own dried sweat all day."

"Very well." Lucas took the leash from Connor's hand as he closed the door and unclipped Sumo from the leash now in his own grip. "I will be out here if you need any help."

Without another word Connor disappeared into the bathroom down the hallway and closed the door behind himself. As he turned on the water in the shower he pulled off his almost oversized t-shirt and saw how thin he still was in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. There was no muscle mass in his chest, his ribs were very prominent and his stomach was still somewhat sunken in. It wasn't as small as it had been when he woke up two weeks ago, but he was definitely in need of putting on weight. It seemed like what weight he did managed to gain went to his upper arms and his legs, but at least he was making some degree of progress.

"...Maybe I should try to eat more often." He decided as he removed his jeans and stepped into the shower. "I can't return to the precinct if I'm too weak to hold my own weapon."

In the livingroom Lucas preoccupied his time with brushing Sumo's fur since he didn't get to spend as much time with the lovable dog as Connor did, then went into the kitchen to take an inventory on everything that was stocked, and everything that needed to be replaced. Hearing the shower turn off he made his way to the bathroom and knocked on the closed door. "Connor? May I come in?"

The door opened and Connor stood in the middle of the bathroom with his jeans hanging off his hips and his sweaty black t-shirt balled up in his hands. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to examine your incision."

"Oh, of course." Standing still he moved his left arm upward to give Lucas a clear view of his side as requested. "It doesn't hurt and has fully healed."

Lucas's right fingertips carefully palpated the incision and found everything to be completely normal. Satisfied that Connor wasn't in danger of an infection he took a step back and scanned his vital signs before visually assessing his weight. "Could you please step on the bathroom scale for me?"

"I'm aware I'm still underweight, it's not necessary."

"It could help me construct a more appropriate diet to aid your weight gain if I know your exact weight at the moment."

Remaining cooperative Connor located the bathroom scale under the sink and placed it down in the middle of the floor. Stepping onto the scale he looked down at the digital display showing his weight at one-hundred and twenty-eight pounds even. He'd need to gain approximately thirty-two more pounds to be of a healthy, normal weight again.

"You still have a long way to go big brother."

"...I hope I can rebuild my strength sooner rather than later. I dislike feeling weak and frail."

"We'll help you. Be patient for a while longer." Lucas reassured him in a kind voice as he began cybernetically downloading information and recipes to help his big brother get his weight back up. "I noticed there is a partially eaten hamburger in the refrigerator."

"Yes. I will finish that off in a moment."

"That's a good response. The high amount of iron in the red meat and the carbs in the bread will help you put on weight."

* * *

It took Hank almost five hours to explain everything to Captain Fowler and to help him get all the unorthodox paperwork sorted out accordingly. After showing Captain Fowler all of the information he had gathered regarding Connor's life in Novi, as well as the accident in Grand Rapids and the clinic in town, the seasoned commanding officer was still shocked but couldn't dispute the legalities and facts he had been presented with. It'd take at least six weeks for everything to get sorted out so Connor could return to the precinct, and in that time Connor had to get up to a healthier weight and he needed to see a doctor to ensure he was healthy enough to return to the field.

It wasn't an easy conversation but Captain Fowler remained professional and processed Connor's paperwork accordingly.

After clocking out for the evening and after stopping by his favorite pizzeria Hank returned home with three large pizzas, and a dozen different drinks in a shopping bag for Connor to try. It was a little interesting to bring new things home for Connor to try, and at the same it was a little sad to know that Connor had been deprived of so much throughout his young life. It was like Hank was bringing his son a treat after school.

Stepping through the backdoor of the house Hank placed the food down on the kitchen table and looked into the livingroom in time to see Connor behind the couch doing a single push-up on his shaking arms, and nearly collapsing onto the floor as a result. Fortunately Lucas managed to us his left hand to keep Connor from smacking his head down on the hardwood floor as his arms gave out.

"Jeez, kid." Hank walked into the livingroom and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the young man now laying on the floor. "I said take it easy today. This is NOT taking it easy."

"...Hi, Hank." Connor wheezed as he laid on the floor with his arms laying straight at his sides. "I was merely attempting to rebuild some muscle strength in my upper body."

"I could see that. How'd you do?"

"...One."

"Well, that's one more than I've done all month. So, good work."

Lucas helped Connor to get back up from the floor and the two brothers walked into the kitchen together, where the deviant technician scanned over the items Hank had purchased on Connor's behalf. "I take it you've decided to bring different types of pizza toppings for Connor to try." He eyed the three large boxes of pizza warily and noted the various sugary, carbonated drinks in the plastic shopping bag. "As well as some high caloric drinks."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to bring home strictly junk food and sugar all the time." Hank knew the question burning on Lucas's lips without even having to look him in the eyes. "Tomorrow I'll bring home some fresh fruit and vegetables."

Connor was appreciative of all the help he's received from his family, and made sure his gratitude was known. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet, son." Clapping his left hand on Connor's smaller right shoulder Hank gave the younger man a knowing glance. "You have a doctor's appointment and a dental appointment tomorrow."

"I do?" Connor's brow arched a little as Hank spoke to him. "Why?"

"I told Fowler what was going on and he got the paperwork filed so you can come back to the precinct soon."

"How did Captain Fowler react?"

"Like I told him little gray men were living in my beard. But he read through the files and other pieces of your past and stopped questioning me. You have six weeks to get yourself back into shape, go through the firing range, and pass the physical. Otherwise you're riding a desk for the next six months."

"...Six weeks?"

"Is that a problem?"

"It might be." Connor put his right hand to his thin stomach and sighed. "It have to regain thirty-two pounds of weight in six weeks, and my weight gain has been very slow as it is."

"That's still doable."

"...I hope so. I don't want to risk my job because of this."

"Kid, stop worrying about your job for a minute." Opening the lid on the pizza at the top of the small stack Hank motioned to the provided food. It was a simple pizza with only pepperoni as the singular topping. "This is full of carbs. It'll help you put some weight on your frame."

Connor eyed the greasy slices of pizza in the box cautiously. "...That seems excessive."

"You're not going to eat the entire thing at once!" Hank laughed as he took his hand from Connor's shoulder and pulled one of the drinks out of the bag. "You eat one slice at a time, but only when you're hungry. Don't overeat otherwise you will make yourself sick."

"O-Oh. Of course." Connor blushed a little, a faint pink tint appeared on his face instead of blue. "I remember now."

Shaking his head Hank motioned back to the livingroom and turned to Lucas. "Hey, there's a game on tonight. Want to stay and watch with us?"

"Of course." The deviant appreciated the invitation and accepted happily. "I'd like that."

"Good." Pulling down a clean plate from the nearby cupboard he handed it over to Connor and waited for him to take a slice of pizza from the box. "It's been too long since we all just hung out together for a few hours without a tragedy being involved."

Connor selected his slice of pizza, a smaller one compared to the other slices, then decided to go for a second one. He was certain he wouldn't be able to eat them both but he wanted to try for the sake of getting his weight back up. It was then he eyed the bags of drinks that Hank had also brought home with him. They were all a dozen different brands of soda and he wasn't sure which one to try.

Hank handed Connor a bottle of cola and made the decision for him. "One per day, kid. I have a caffeine addiction and I don't want you getting one, too."

"...Thanks." He eyed the plastic bottle in his hand curiously and noted the high sugar and carb content on its label. It was not a nutritious drink but as long as he limited himself to one per day then he'd be okay. "I guess."

* * *

By the time the basketball game was over and in The Gears favor Hank had finished four slices of pizza; one of pepperoni, two of peppers and mushrooms and one of everything (except pineapple and anchovies), and was a little sleepy from indulging on the greasy meal. Connor had forced himself to eat both of his slices of pizza as well as drink the entire bottle of cola, and his stomach felt unusually heavy as a result. Fortunately it wasn't a nauseating discomfort, just a tiring one.

Lucas had noticed that Connor appeared to be lethargic but ran a scan and found his vital signs to be stable. Noting the late hour of the night Lucas decided it was time to go back to the tower and bid his family goodnight so they could rest. "What time is the doctor's appointment tomorrow?"

"Hm?" Hank heard Lucas's voice but didn't quite catch the question. It took him a moment to register what he had been asked then responded accurately to the curious deviant as he opened his eyes fully. "Oh, eleven-thirty tomorrow morning."

"Unfortunate. I have an evening shift tomorrow and will not be able to join after the appointment."

"That's fine, Lucas. Stop by whenever you feel like it, alright?"

"Okay." Standing up from his place on the couch next to Connor the deviant nodded to Hank, and made sure to pet Sumo's head as he walked past the massive dog laying in the middle of the floor beside the coffee table at Connor's feet. "I will see you both as soon as I'm able to make the time."

"Goodnight, Lucas." Hank watched as the deviant made his way to the front door and unlocked it to leave.

Connor looked over his right shoulder at his brother and watched with sleepy brown eyes as Lucas opened the door to leave. "Thank you for spending time with me today."

"Of course. Goodnight, brother."

As the door shut behind Lucas with a soft 'click' Connor fell to his right side on the now vacated couch and let out a deep sigh.

"You good over there, kid?"

"...I think I ate too much."

Laughing a little Hank got up from the recliner and lightly grabbed onto Connor's left arm to pull him back upright. "You're so thin I think one slice would've been enough, so yeah, two will definitely make you feel worn out."

"I also think I'm ready to go to bed."

"Yup. That's usually how it works." Watching as Connor got up from the couch slowly, his right hand over his too full stomach, Hank couldn't help but laugh at the young human as he made his way down the hall. "You'll feel better in the morning. I'll put all the pizza away."

"Do you need help?"

"Connor, I brought it home so I can put it away. Go to sleep."

"...Okay. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Hank."

"Goodnight, kid."

Laying down on his bed on his back Connor tried to ignore the weight in his stomach as he told himself it was for the best. As much as he hated the way he felt he knew it was important for him to do whatever it takes to get his weight back up. When Sumo jumped up on the bed and shook the mattress Connor had to keep himself from jumping in surprise and hurting his full stomach in the process.

"...Good boy, Sumo." Rubbing Sumo's ears with his right hand and rubbing his left hand over his stomach Connor closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep without any problems. "...I'm so glad I have so much support to rely on as I heal."

* * *

The following morning Connor was greeted to more scrambled eggs and orange juice while Hank casually ate his own breakfast across the table from the younger man in his care. It was a routine morning and Connor was happy to have slept peacefully during the night for the first time in two weeks. Hank had the day off but he didn't mind spending his free time running errands with Connor while the younger man recovered, and did whatever he needed to do in order to return to the precinct in a timely manner.

"Think you can shave on your own today?" Hank asked as he pointed his empty fork at Connor's face, then picked up another bundle of scrambled eggs to clean off his plate.

"...I can try."

"If you don't trust yourself with a razor just yet then don't push it. It's okay to walk around with some stubble."

"I don't like it." Pressing his left fingertips to his chin and his upper lip Connor investigated the stubble and grimaced a little. "It feels strange."

"Well, it doesn't make you look rough or unprofessional if that's what you're worrying about."

"Is it distracting?"

"Nah." Finishing his breakfast Hank noticed that Connor was barely half way finished with his own and decided he had plenty of time to take a shower, and get dressed while the younger man cleaned up his own plate. "Just keep up with your daily showers so you don't start to stink, and you're good to go."

"I'll remember that."

"Anyway, you finish up here while I shower and then you can go the same. After that we'll head out to the hospital and get your appointment out of the way."

"...Right." The half full plate was somehow intimidating to Connor's stomach, but he was determined to do whatever it took to get better. "That sounds good to me."

* * *

Arriving at the hospital on time for his appointment Connor was shown into the exam room by a nurse to get a little information on him, while Hank remained in the waiting room to do just that. Wait. The medical records were transferred over from Grand Rapids upon request, and with that information a Connor's medical history began to fill in fairly quickly. Aside from the history being recorded Connor needed to undergo a number of tests to check for allergies, and get his overall current vitals.

Much to Connor's dismay the doctor's appointment with Dr. Wilson confirmed his dangerously low weight and the necessity to add some additional carbs to his diet to get back up to where he needed to be. Dr. Wilson of course was in awe of meeting the "original" Connor and more than happy to help him look through his previous medical records to confirm any potential issues he should look out for.

Dr. Wilson had shown Connor previous gratitude thanks to the hostage negotiator saving his brother, a cop who had been shot in the arm, and his respect only doubled after he and Hank took on a dangerous assignment at the hospital that involved them taking charge over convicts admitted as patients. If it wasn't for the two detectives that day could've ended worse than it began.

"Alright, your heart sounds good." Dr. Wilson smiled as he draped his stethoscope around his neck as he pulled his right hand back from Connor's chest, and accessed the electronic chart designated for Connor's personal information. "And there's no congestion in your lungs, or any sign of infection from being intubated for two years or having a feeding tube inserted for just as long. You're in remarkable health all things considered."

"Is there anything I should be wary of?" Pulling his navy blue hoodie back on over his black t-shirt Connor stared at Dr. Wilson inquisitively. "Aside from my persistent susceptibility to the cold and infections from being a premature baby."

"Well, according to your medical records it looks like you never had your routine check-ups as a child until you were fourteen, and that was a trip to the E.R. for a broken right humerus."

"...That's right."

"That means you missed many important exams and tests, including vaccinations and even your wellness check as an infant." Giving Connor a cursory glance Dr. Wilson was being cautious about his next question. "...Do I want to know why?"

"...Long story."

"I understand. Okay, since you're way behind on your routine physicals and everything like that I'm going to run the gauntlet of tests on you today."

"Tests?" Connor sat on the edge of the exam table and watched as Dr. Wilson rolled over a metal table to prepare the necessary blood test. "For what?"

"The big thing I'm worried about is possible allergies. Whether it's medication, pollen or food I want to know."

"Agreed. That is critical information."

"...And then I'm going to need go ahead and give you all the precinct mandatory vaccinations while you're here."

Connor looked a little nervous and his eyes went wide at the comment. "...Shots? How many?"

"Are you afraid of needles?" Dr. Wilson asked with a slight smirk as he prepared the sterilized syringe to draw his blood.

"...I merely dislike pain. Being human means I cannot turn off my pain receptors anymore."

"Everyone hates pain. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

After an hour of being tested, examined and literally checked over from head to toe Connor sat on the table with a ring of gauze wrapped around his left upper arm to cover the small punctures courtesy of his newly injected vaccinations. Rubbing at his sore arm like a little kid Connor just sighed and waited for the rest of his test results to come back.

Until then Dr. Wilson took the time examine Connor's right arm to check his range and mobility despite having almost seven years since the last surgery required to fix repair the damage to his broken humerus strictly as a precautionary measure. "Does that hurt at all?"

"No, I don't have any limitations."

"That's good. I'm going to check your hearing and your vision next. Any questions?"

"No. I understand the procedure."

"Alright." Dr. Wilson checked both of Connor's ears with a visual scope and found no sign of infection or damage and proceeded to place a pair of headphones over Connor's ears. Rolling back in his chair he nodded to let Connor know the test was about to begin. "You know the drill. Raise your left hand when you hear the sound in your left ear, right hand for the right ear."

Connor aced the exam and had perfect hearing as he responded to the sounds with perfect rhythm and right away. It was a good sign and it made the younger man relax a little to know his auditory senses were completely normal for a human.

"Vision's next." Rolling the chair closer to the exam table Dr. Wilson held up the ocular visual scope right up to Connor's pupil and found his eyes to be perfectly healthy as well. No sign of damage, retinal displacement or cataracts. "Looks good." Putting aside the scope Dr. Wilson clicked on his penlight and checked Connor's pupillary responses. Also normal. "Okay, your eyes seem to be in good shape. Now I need to test your actual vision."

"Of course."

Walking to the back of the room Dr. Wilson pulled down an eye chart and asked Connor to read the letters on each line as he pointed to them. There was no difficultly for the top four lines, but by the fifth line Connor was struggling to focus on the letters and the sixth line was even worse.

"Hm, that's fine Connor." Making a note in the chart he made Connor a quick appointment to see the hospital optometrist before leaving the premises. "You may need to have some corrective lenses, but I'm sure you're a perfect candidate for routine lasik surgery."

"...I need glasses?"

"It's entirely possible. Then again it may also be a lingering residual effect of being in a coma for two years."

"Oh."

An update appeared on Connor's electronic chart containing the results of his blood test, and pulled Dr. Wilson's attention. Checking through the chart Dr. Wilson was happy to see that there was no sign of any allergies or sensitivities that needed any immediate attention through medication. Aside from his blurry vision at a mild distance and his current low weight Connor was in perfect health, and ready to go.

"Okay, Connor. You're in the clear. For now."

"'For now'?" He questioned as he slipped off the exam table and stood before the good doctor.

"It's up to you whether or not in six weeks you can go in the field or not."

"Oh, right." His right hand pressed against his thin stomach over his hoodie again. "I'll handle it."

"I know you will. Also, I want you to have this." Making a note in the chart he wrote Connor a prescription and sent it to the pharmacy downstairs to be picked up that same hour. "It's an antibiotic."

"Antibiotic? What for?"

"Some people get a little feverish after having their vaccinations. Since you're already weak and since you're going to the dentist today I want you to have some Amoxicillin at your disposal as a precaution. Only take it if you develop a fever that rises beyond one-hundred point five degrees though. Otherwise let your immune system do its thing."

"I understand."

"Alright, Connor. You're free to go."

Slightly curious about the possible need for glasses Connor met with Hank in the waiting room and informed him of his test results. As the duo walked over to the pharmacy to get his antibiotics the two also found their way to the optometrist's officer.

"Glasses, huh?" Hank question as he studied Connor's demeanor after being told about his appointment.

"Yes. I don't know how that'll affect my ability to work in the field."

"You could just wear contact lenses or get lasik."

"I'm not comfortable with the idea of a laser being shone directly into my opened eye."

Hank couldn't stop himself from laughing as he clapped his right hand on Connor's left shoulder as they walked. "That type of fear coming from a former android is a new type of ironic."

"...Did you have lasik surgery?"

"Yup. When I hit forty-five I went in for the procedure and my eyes have been good ever since."

"Did it hurt?"

"My eyes were sensitive for a couple weeks but it wasn't anything unbearable. Fortunately that procedure got nearly perfected in the past twenty years or so."

"Good to know."

The receptionist in the optometrist's officer asked for Connor after his next appointment was confirmed, and showed him to the back for his eye exam. Meanwhile Hank resumed playing his waiting game and sat quietly with a digital magazine detailing the life of the now late Carl Manfred. It was a nice article dedicated to all of his accomplishments as an artist and included a passage regarding his advocacy for android rights.

It was barely another hour when Connor returned with a pair of thick plastic, rectangular shaped black glasses over his eyes. He held out his right hand in front of himself and then looked past it to the far wall just outside the office.

"Connor?" Hank got up to meet with the young man and admired his new look. "Not bad. How do you like them?"

"It's strange. I had no idea that my vision was poor until now."

"Seriously?"

"I assumed my vision was normal and just comparatively inferior to android optical units."

"You didn't notice your eyes were getting worse as you got older?"

"...No." Connor turned to look at Hank as the senior detective stared at his new glasses. "My vision was always slightly blurry."

"Ah, Hell. You needed glasses as a kid and never got 'em. That sucks."

"I'm okay now though."

"You're right. You are."

"...Are we going to be late for my dental appointment?"

"Nah, you got another hour. Let's get going so we can beat the traffic, and make sure your teeth are healthy."

* * *

During the drive to the dentist a few blocks away Connor glanced at all of the electronic ads on the large billboards and found it completely amazing that he could now see them with perfect clarity without realizing he even needed the assistance of his glasses in the past. Sinking back in his seat he took off his glasses and looked at them again with his slightly blurry vision for a moment before replacing them over his eyes. The improvement was amazing and one that Connor suddenly appreciated/

"So what's the deal with your eyes?" Hank asked somewhat bluntly as he turned the next block. "Why do you need 'em?"

"Pardon?"

"Are ya' nearsighted or farsighted?"

"Oh, neither. I have astigmatism."

"Did you get contact lenses along with your glasses?"

"Not yet."

"Get them and keep them as an alternative to your glasses. Also get a second pair of glasses in case you lose or break the pair you already have."

"Done." Connor revealed the second pair in a protective case that had been tucked in his blue hoodie's front pocket.

"Good work. Now let's hope your dental exam goes by just as smoothly."

Pressing his right fingertips to teeth Connor's mouth ticked a little and he sighed. "That'd be nice."

* * *

The routine cleaning and examination weren't any problem, and the dentist located Connor's previous dental records from when he was seventeen after he had taken himself to the dentist in Novi. It was the first time he had been to the dentist and Connor had taken himself there once he had the time and money to do so as an emancipated minor. He had several molars filled in with a strong, white tinted enamel resin and he had his wisdom teeth already surgically removed to prevent future complications.

"Well, it seems like you had a pretty good dental hygiene regimen after you had your previous cavities filled." The dentist, Dr. Olsen, confirmed with a gentle smile of her own. "And it looks like the medical staff did a great job at keeping your teeth and gums healthy while you were hospitalized."

"...Will I require any procedures today?" Connor asked after the Dr. Olsen retracted her examination tools from his mouth.

"No. You're in great shape. Your x-rays show no tooth decay or bacterial infection."

"That's good to know." Connor sounded genuinely relieved as he was allowed to get up from the exam chair. "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome."

With a clean bill of health Connor slipped out of the chair and made his way back to the waiting room where Hank was messing with his phone.

The senior detective sighed with relief when Connor returned after only half an hour. "Hey, kid. You good?"

"Yes. I don't require any procedures."

"Alright, cool." Getting up from the hard plastic chair in the waiting room Hank walked with Connor out of the dental office and back to the car parked in the lot next to the building. "Come on, we'll get some healthier food for the house and then stay home for the rest of the day."

"I didn't realize how tiresome daily routines can be." The younger man admitted as his right hand rubbed a little at this still sore left arm where he had received his shots. "I guess when I was a kid, or during my time alone before the accident, I didn't take notice since I was constantly trying to keep my mind busy."

Hank patted Connor's right arm once, mindful of the shots he received in the left, and gave the younger man some reassurance. "You don't have to worry about trying to hide anymore. We'll get you healthy and back to the precinct before you know it."

* * *

Walking through the grocery store Hank allowed Connor to put whatever he wanted in the cart to be taken back home after purchase. While Connor put cartons of fruit; blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, a bag of apples, some grapes, bananas, a few oranges and a package of watermelon slices in the cart, Hank placed in a bag of potato chips for himself. After Connor sorted through the vegetables, putting in just as wide an assortment as the fruit, Hank also placed in a few pastas for the carbs for Connor, and a few for himself.

"Anything else?" Connor asked as he looked about the store somewhat confusedly. He couldn't run scans anymore which meant his ability to check each product on sale for calories, vitamins and minerals left him kind of limited. "I want to be careful of everything I've chosen to ensure I don't ingest anything dangerous."

"Yeah, there's still one thing you definitely need."

"What's that?"

Hank casually motioned to the freezer section with is right thumb over the right shoulder. "Ice cream."

In response to the suggestion Connor's mouth twitched a little as he smirked. "Alright. I'll pick something out."

"Damn right. I'm grabbing something, too."

* * *

As the two detectives returned home Connor found himself feeling a tad warm and slipped off his hoodie in favor of just his black t-shirt. In doing so he knocked his glasses from his face and fumbled with the frames after picking them up from the kitchen floor. Hank noticed that Connor's hands were shaking and grabbed onto his arm right lightly to steady him a little.

"You feeling okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm just tired."

"You haven't eaten anything in about five or six hours. You're probably running on fumes right now."

"...You're right." Connor made a move for one of the apples in the bag sitting in the middle of the kitchen table but Hank stopped him.

"Nope. Leftover pizza."

"What? Why?"

"One, I don't want it to go to waste." Hank replied firmly as he let Connor's arm go. "Two, you still need to put on some bulk. Three, I said so."

"...Alright. I suppose those are all valid reasons."

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like this is somehow a punishment. You're still recovering and need to trust me with these things until you're back to one-hundred percent."

"Okay, Hank."

"Go chill out in the livingroom. It'd be better for you if you're already sitting down once I let Sumo back inside. At least that way he can't knock you on your ass again." While Connor walked into the livingroom slowly Hank shook his head and laughed a little at the younger detective's reaction. "Never met a kid who'd rather eat an apple over a perfectly good slice of pizza before..."

* * *

Once Hank finished with the groceries and making sure Connor had eaten he again found himself in the corner of the livingroom on his laptop checking through the official files regarding Connor's reinstatement to the precinct. The medical records, dental records, fingerprints and D.N.A. samples provided to the precinct by the hospitals in both Grand Rapids and Detroit confirmed Connor's identification; and everything was progressing forward smoothly. The updated medical records provided by Dr. Wilson ensured that Connor was staying right on track, and could return to the precinct as soon as he was healthy.

After eating his late lunch Connor fell asleep on the couch with Sumo cuddled up on his legs, and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Turning to look at the couch from where he was sitting in his chair Hank couldn't help but notice how much Connor was behaving like Cole. The human was just that,_ human_. His behavior, mannerisms, body language and curious nature reminded him so much of his own late son. Even the way Connor was sleeping on his right side on the couch with Sumo cuddled up alongside him reminded Hank of the way Cole used to nap with Sumo in the exact same way.

"Poor kid needs to remember the limitations of being human. It's not a crime to pace yourself."

Rising from the chair in the corner he walked around behind the couch and pet Sumo's head as he moved. Looking down at Connor's sleeping face Hank shook his head a little and carefully slipped Connor's glasses from his face to keep them from accidentally breaking in his sleep, but that's when he realized Connor felt warmer than normal.

"Oh no." Lightly he pressed his right palm to Connor's forehead and felt him running a mild fever. "Damn it. It better be a reaction to the vaccines and not something serious."

Remaining quiet to allow Connor to sleep Hank walked down the hallway and opened up the small closet to retrieve a navy blue blanket from storage. Draping it over Connor as he slept Hank then neatly folded Connor's new glasses and left them on the coffee table beside the couch for later.

Sumo lifted up his head and looked at Hank and his ears twitched a little.

"Take care of him, Sumo."

The massive dog wagged his tail a little and put his head back down on the couch as he kept Connor company and helped keep him warm.

* * *

Almost six hours passed when Connor woke up from his nap thanks to a curious aroma, and found himself covered by a blanket and a layer of dog fluff. Putting his right hand to his blurry eyes Connor blinked a few times but his vision didn't clear up, and it was then he remembered his glasses. Glancing about his immediate area Connor noticed his glasses on the coffee table and grabbed them with a clumsy left hand and put them back over his eyes.

"You awake?"

Connor turned his head a little and peered inside the kitchen to see Hank standing in front of the stove where he had called out. "...Yes."

"Good. You were out cold for a while, so I went ahead and made you some vegetable soup."

"How long was I asleep?" Getting up from the couch without moving Sumo aside too roughly he walked into the kitchen with a slow gait.

"About six hours." Turning around to face Connor he gently pressed his right hand to the younger man's forehead and was happy to find that his mild fever was completely gone. "And you're not running warm anymore."

"Running warm?"

"Yeah, you fell asleep and were a little feverish. You must've gotten it out of your system while you slept."

Connor tilted his head a little with indifference as he put his right hand to the back of his own neck. "It's kind of nice to know if I'm not feeling well I can sleep it off instead of needing to run self-diagnostics and seek repairs."

"Too bad you don't have the internet in your head anymore. That was really handy."

"Yeah..." The fact that Connor could no longer cybernetically connect with anyone, including his own little brother, was unexpectedly isolating. But he still had Hank and he had a new phone to help him stay connected now. "Thanks for making the soup."

"No problem. Get something to eat then go shower off. Tomorrow you're in the clear to do whatever you have to do to get back in shape."

Connor looked optimistic at the prospect of being able to continue his physical therapy and strength training. "Really?"

"Yup. I know you won't push yourself too hard anymore. And if you do," the senior detective gave the younger man a stern look as he finished stirring the large pot of soup and turned off the stove. "I'll be able to knock ya' down and knock some sense in to you when I get home from my shift."

Smiling a little at the comment Connor dropped his hand from the back of his neck and sighed. "Thanks, Hank."

"For what, kid?"

"...For everything." Grinning a little Connor made sire his gratitude was known yet again. "Everything you've done for me and for saving my life."

"Oh..." Returning the grin Hank acknowledged the comment warmly. "You're welcome."

_**-next chapter-**_


	7. Finding Strength

The next morning after Hank went to work Connor willingly ate a larger breakfast and proceeded to follow a mild workout routine. Retreating to the livingroom he proceeded to perform only two push-ups before his arms lost their strength, and then only ten sit-ups before his abdomen hurt him too much to keep moving. Taking a deep breath he laid on the cool hardwood floor of the livingroom and tried to will himself to keep working out, but he simply didn't have the strength yet.

Sumo walked over to Connor and grumbled as he dropped his green fetch ball down beside the human's head and wagged his tail a little.

"...Hi, boy. Maybe we should go to the park. If I try jogging I can improve my cardio and endurance."

Lucas walked through the front door and saw his brother laying on the floor with Sumo practically towering over him. Stepping closer to Connor laying behind the couch he looked down and ran a scan monitoring his vital signs.

"Hi, Lucas."

"Hello, Connor." Extending his right hand outward he grabbed onto Connor's hand and pulled him up from the floor and back to his feet. It was then he noticed Connor's newly acquired glasses resting over his eyes. "You seem to be in the middle of your workout. And I see you have a new look."

"...Yeah. They help correct my astigmatism." Still getting used to his own new glasses Connor put his right fingerstips on the side of his glasses and took them off for a moment before replacing them. "My workout wasn't as long as I was hoping for, and I was planning on taking a jog with Sumo."

"Would you like me to preconstruct a workout regimen that'll provide optimal results?"

"Please."

Lucas paused for only a moment before he nodded and designed a healthy workout for Connor. "...It's set."

"Where do I begin?"

"First you take Sumo for a walk. It's the ideal warm up routine before you begin more strenuous activities."

"Sounds perfect to me."

"And I'll accompany you. I wish to know how your doctor's appointment proceeded yesterday, if it's not too personal to ask."

"It's not." Connor walked over to the front door and took the leash from the hook. Sumo was at his left leg in a few seconds waiting for the lead to be clipped to his collar. "It was actually a very positive experience, and I'm happy to discuss a more positive outlook with my future."

* * *

After his long and boring shift Hank returned home to find Connor asleep on his chest over the couch, with Sumo sprawled out on the floor beside the couch under Connor's right hand. The two were exhausted and Lucas was currently monitoring Connor's vital signs with his exposed left plastimetal palm pressed lightly to the middle of Connor's back. Ever attentive and now very protective of his big brother Lucas wasn't going to leave him alone after exhausting himself with his newly acquired exercise routine.

"Hello, Hank."

"Hey, Lucas. I take it Connor got in a good workout today."

"Yes, he's managed to regain a considerable amount of strength and is showing an improved appetite."

"Think he can get back to where he needs to be in six weeks?"

"I do." Pulling his hand from Connor's back Lucas allowed his artificial skin to regenerate over his palm. "Whenever I can assist him between my shifts I will ensure he remains properly hydrated and nourished as he continues his therapy."

"I appreciate all your help."

"Of course. You're my family."

"I'm not just talking about you being a good brother or a good son, I'm talking about you being a good person. You aren't obligated to help either of us just because we're a family." Hank explained as he walked into the livingroom and once more removed Connor's glasses from his the sleeping man's face to keep the frames from breaking as he slept. "It takes a lot to find the time and energy to spare in order to help those we care about the most, whether you're a human or an deviant. And you helping Connor with his physical therapy, helping him with the funeral and keeping him company is just plain awesome."

Lucas smiled a little, a gesture he showed surprisingly more often than Connor did despite being a deviant for a lesser period of time. "...I'm glad I can help."

"What about tomorrow?" The senior detective asked as he placed the glasses down on the coffee table for Connor to find again after he woke up. "Same thing or something different?"

"We'll stick to the same regimen until he begins to plateau. Then I will add more activities to the regimen to keep him pushing his strength and weight."

"Sounds good. Hell, maybe you could help whip my ass back into shape."

"Only if you want me to."

Hank smirked a little and put his hands to his hips as he looked down at Connor who was fast asleep on the couch. "I'll think about it."

* * *

After two weeks of his exercise regimen Connor noticed that his clothing wasn't as baggy as they had previously been, and he wasn't getting as tired as he had been when he first began working out. During that time he had put on enough muscle mass to no longer appear completely emaciated and looked far healthier. His ribs weren't as prominent, his stomach was no longer sunken in and his strength was returning at a steady pace. Being outside more often also gave his naturally pale skin a healthier complexion that was similar to his own fair skin tone that he had bore when he was a deviant.

Checking his weight on the bathroom scale Connor was relieved to see his weight up to one-hundred and thirty seven pounds. Eight pounds in two weeks seemed like a lot, but considering he had been comatose for two years and putting on muscle mass as opposed to fat meant Lucas's workout regimen was perfectly calibrated to Connor's own metabolism.

Running his right hand through his bushy hair Connor walked into the livingroom and noticed that Hank was sitting on the couch and slipping on his tennis shoes rather than his work shoes, or even the casual pair of canvas shoes he wore when doing errands. In fact he was wearing an old gray t-shirt and a pair of faded navy blue shorts as opposed to his usual blue jeans and a shirt with a faded band logo over the front. It was very unlike his usual attire.

"Where are you going, Hank?"

"Outside. It's a nice day."

"I was going to head out to the park myself." Connor was already wearing a black workout muscle shirt and black jogging pants. The muscle shirt wasn't exactly flattering considering his still very small physique, but it was ideal for exercise. "Care to join me?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd stay here and play some basketball with me in the driveway."

That sounded enticing but the prospect was somewhat intimidating thanks to time itself. "...I haven't played basketball in years."

"Me neither. So, it'll be a fair match."

"Alright." Deciding to give it a chance Connor agreed as took off his glasses so he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally breaking them, and placed them down on the coffee table to picked up later. "We'll play to ten, best two out of three."

"You're on."

Once outside Sumo watched the two detectives from his shady spot on the grass as Hank unburied the old basketball rim from the back of the garage, and worked with Connor to hang it up on the garage over the closed door. After the rim was secured above the garage Connor used a small hand pump to reinflate the basketball he had pulled out of his storage unit and then dribbled it twice on the hard blacktop of the driveway.

"Ready?" Connor asked as he dribbled the reinflated ball twice more and walked halfway down the driveway.

"Ready." Hank replied fearlessly as he took his position near the rim. "Let's see what ya' got, kid."

Moving with surprising speed Connor managed to get around Hank and make a perfect shot that rivaled any skilled athlete. Catching the ball after it soared through the tattered, rotting net Connor smirked as he dribbled the ball twice and tossed it over to Hank to catch. "One to nothing..."

After the first round came to an end, Connor winning ten to nine, he panted a little and dragged his right arm over his sweaty forehead while Hank grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge inside. The two sat beside the driveway in a shady spot next to Sumo while taking a moment to breathe and cool off after their first game before they started round two.

"Good game, kid." Hank drank some of the water and poured a small amount into his left hand to rub against his overheated neck. "You never played on a team when you were in high school?"

"No." Taking some water of his own Connor drank a mouthful and sighed as he felt himself dripping with sweat. "I needed to do odd part time jobs after school to help make ends meet, and then I worked full time during the summer."

"I guess you didn't have much of a social life, huh?"

"No. The only person who frequently hung out with me was a girl who was really popular in my English class. I guess she thought I was attractive because I was the quiet loner who already had their own place to live."

Smirking at the idea Hank took another sip of water and sighed. "Did you let her go to your apartment?"

"Yeah. She thought I'd let her and flaky friends do whatever they wanted at my place, but I made friends with my neighbor long before she ever showed up."

"Who was your neighbor?"

"A cop."

Hank laughed a little as he realized Connor was willing to set up someone trying to use him, and let them get busted. "Anything happen to her?"

"Well, when I stayed for a couple extra hours at the convenience store for some extra money she and her dumb friends experimented with 'red ice' in my apartment, and she let herself into my apartment without my permission. She didn't get to experiment for long because my neighbor smelled the smoke and busted her in the act."

"What about you?"

"Since I never gave her a key to my apartment and she picked the lock she was charged with drug possession, and breaking and entering. Her dad wasn't thrilled with me because I didn't 'warn' his daughter about my neighbor, and even tried to accuse me of setting his daughter up, but he couldn't do anything about it to me." Sipping more of the water Connor leaned back a little and went into more detail. "That girl was a bully and spoiled rotten. She was constantly picking on the other students; mocking them for being poor, not having a car, having divorced parents, all terrible things. And since she thought she was untouchable thanks to her parents' money getting busted was a massive wake up call she desperately needed before it was too late."

"Fuck. Why'd you put up with her if she was such a spoiled brat and bitchy?"

"She was obsessed with me and I knew she was crazy. It was easier to 'play nice' than to try to ask her to leave me alone. I knew she'd end up screwing up her own life by her behavior, it was just a matter of how and when."

"...Crazy how?"

"She spread rumors that I was her boyfriend, that we were going to get married after high school graduation, that I was rich and going to pay for her life and she was bragging to her friends that she was intentionally trying to get herself pregnant because she thought I wouldn't leave her. And if I did then I'd be the bad guy in her twisted world."

"Holy shit! That's pretty intense for just one girl."

"I never slept with her, either. The fact that she was saying such things and seemed determined to get pregnant means she was banking on me cowering out of fear of scrutiny and claiming paternal rights over her kid. We were never a couple, I never touched and I wanted nothing to do with her. She was beautiful to look at but her personality was atrocious. Even then I knew to avoid crazy at all costs."

"So let me get this straight," Hank stated as he finished off his water and tossed the empty plastic bottle rather gracefully into the nearby recycling bin. "she was trying to use you in some fucked up fantasy world, and you let her expose her crazy to the world without having to say or do a damn thing?"

"Yeah."

"That's impressive for a teenager. Do you know what happened to her after that?"

"I was informed through my neighbor that she tried to seduce one of the guards at the prison and was put on psych evaluation. Last I knew she was doing much better and in a healthy, stable relationship after she got some mental help."

"Too bad you didn't have a sane girlfriend while you were a teenager. A REAL girlfriend."

"...I did."

Arching his brow at the comment Hank was intrigued again. "Really?"

"Yes. She and I met shortly after graduation, but we were only together for six months. She moved to England to reunite with her ex boyfriend after she and I realized we wanted completely different things in life. It was a mutual and calm break-up, and I haven't seen her since."

"Well, at least you have some experience in dating."

Smirking a little Connor got up from the grass and offered Hank his right hand. As the two made their way back to the driveway Connor pulled off his muscle shirt and tossed it onto the grass next to the extra water bottles. Reclaiming the basketball and dribbling it a few more times he walked down the driveway toward the hoop and bounced the ball back to Hank to make the first shot.

"Ready?"

Without the shirt covering Connor's upper body was Hank able to see the healed scars all over Connor's back and shoulders, and a few over his chest where he had been beaten as a child. The darker tone of his skin made the faint scars stand out more with than they had previously. It was sickening for him to see the aftermath of fourteen years of nonstop abuse on a single person.

"Something wrong?" Connor asked as he noticed Hank staring at him from the distance with the ball clutched between his hands.

"...I just, uh, realize you're putting back on your weight." The senior detective lied quickly to keep from mentioning Connor's past. He bounced the ball a couple times then prepared to make his next shot. "How do you feel?"

"Better." Connor admitted as he absentmindedly grabbed onto his upper right arm with his left hand for only a moment. "I've put on eight pounds since I started working out with Lucas."

"Now that's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

"You have to put _on_ weight, while I have to try to take it_ off_ in order to feel better."

"This isn't fun for me." The younger man gave the senior detective a stern glance. "It can get a little frustrating at times."

"Well, don't lose heart, kid." Hank proudly encouraged as he finally made his shot and watched Connor catch the ball as it swiftly passed through the net over his head. "You're doing great."

* * *

After another two weeks of walking Sumo, working out with Lucas and playing basketball with Hank in the driveway Connor's weight was up to one-hundred and fifty-two pounds. He had kept his slim build but now had muscle mass over his chest and his shoulder to fill out his shirt, his arms and legs were more defined and he was now sporting the beginnings of a modest six pack in his abs as he continued to build up his strength and weight. He was so very close to his final goal but still had to work hard to reach it.

Now that his hands were no longer shaking and he could hold items without difficulty Connor stood in the bathroom and carefully shaved off the small dark stubble from his upper lip and chin that had been growing for almost three straight weeks, before using a small hair grooming kit to get his hair back to a shorter neater length. Running his fingers through his hair he pulled his dark locks into the style he had been accustomed to and decided that he now looked just as he used to do as a deviant.

"That makes me feel better." Packing up the grooming kit Connor wiped off the sink and ran a damp towel over his trimmed hair to clean up his mess and wiped off the back of his neck to keep himself from itching. Staring at his reflection in the mirror again Connor sighed and readied himself for the final step in making himself look and feel more like himself. "Just one more thing..."

Taking a deep breath he opened the medicine cabinet above the sink to get to his newly arrived contact lenses from their case, and managed to pop them into place without any difficulty. Blinking a few times Connor looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw that he looked much like his android counterpart and much less like a frail sickly human. Progress was being made and he was happy to see it.

"Alright kid, you're ready to go at the firing range." Hank announced as he watched the younger man step out of the bathroom and down the hallway to get to the livingroom. "Think you can still hit a bullseye?"

"Without a doubt."

Noticing the lack of frames over Connor's eyes Hank asked about it with a intrigued lilt to his voice. "No glasses?"

"No, I have contact lenses now. I'd rather not deal with safety goggles over my glasses, plus the ear protection."

"Cool." Tossing Connor the keys to the car he gave the younger detective a nod of confidence. "You got this, kid."

* * *

Right on time Connor arrived at the firing range for his test and found himself standing with five other rookies who were still undergoing their training. It wasn't uncommon for officers to undergo recertification alongside the new recruits, but what was uncommon was for those officers to be watched by their commanding officer rather than just the instructor at the range.

"Connor." Captain Fowler eyed the now human detective and gave him a wary glance. The fact that Connor still looked exactly as he had while a deviant made it a little difficult for the commanding officer to accept that Connor was in fact a human. "...How are you?"

Lowering his voice to ensure there was no eavesdropping he answered honestly. "I'm healthy. And yes, I am in fact human."

"...Uh, call me skeptical but-"

Discreetly Connor rolled up the right short sleeve of his black t-shirt to reveal the surgical scar over his upper arm. "Androids don't scar on their artificial skin unless we sustain irreparable damage. In my case," he stepped closer so Captain Fowler could see that his scar was almost seven years old. "the damage was repaired surgically, twice. Once when I fourteen and again at seventeen."

Captain Fowler pressed his left two fingertips against the scar and immediately felt the small metal pins inserted into the bone. There was no dense plastimetal frame beneath Connor's artificial skin; it was bone and muscle beneath real human flesh. "Oh my god..." Captain Fowler retracted his hand and gave the younger man an odd look. "I read the reports and Hank told me the story, but I still can't believe it."

"Neither could I. It was very strange to see myself on life support."

"I don't doubt it."

Rolling down his sleeve he looked past his commanding officer and to the range behind him. "Should I begin my test?"

"Yeah, go for it. I want to see this for myself."

"Of course."

Professional as ever Connor went to the designated station positioned before the target, and placed the protective goggles over his eyes and strong noise canceling headphones over his ears. After checking the provided weapon he waited for the signal to fire and took precise aim at the digital targets in the distance. While his current accuracy wasn't one-hundred percent like his android counterpart it was still impressive all the same, and his shots were all grouped together in an impressive fashion.

After passing ten rounds with exemplary scores each Connor was cleared and permitted to have his gun once he returned to the precinct.

"Damn." Captain Fowler was genuinely surprised by Connor's excellent marksmanship. Checking the out the results recorded by the computer and examining the digital display of the targets on the electronic tablet screen in his hand. "At least now I know for sure your score on the firing range wasn't just an android advantage."

"I take it you approve."

"Yeah, very much. Good thing we don't grade on a curve, otherwise half the bullpen wouldn't be cleared right now."

"Am I still scheduled to return in two weeks?"

"It's looking good, but you need to get the clearance from your doctor before I officially say 'yes'."

"That won't be a problem, sir."

"I hope so. We need you back, Connor." He extended his right hand to shake out of respect for the younger man who was standing before him with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication in his person. "You're a great detective, and I'd hate to lose you."

"And I want to come back." Accepting Captain Fowler's hand he shook firmly and nodded in mutual respect. "I'll do everything it takes to make that happen."

* * *

An additional week passed and Connor was steadily building up his strength and weight even more. Now weighing in at one-hundred and fifty-six pounds he was right in the threshold of the bare minimum weight needed to come back to the precinct, and was showing promise in reaching his goal. As his final doctor's appointment loomed just a few days away Connor found himself working out for a longer period of time, and trying to eat heavier foods to build his strength from at a more rapid pace.

"I don't care if you stay up reading, kid." Hank stated as he rose from the recliner and stretched out his sore back as he spoke to the younger man sitting on the couch a few feet away. "But I don't want to find you out back doing chin-ups on the neighbor's tree branch again. _Not_ kidding."

"I won't do that again. I promise."

"Good. I don't think the Brilstein's would understand what you're doing or why you're doing it. They're pretty chill but in my book that's still kinda' weird."

"I won't leave the house." The younger man promised as he stayed on the couch and scrolled through some fairly interesting details on his newly purchased laptop. "And once I finish reading I'll go to bed."

"Right. See ya' in the morning, Connor."

"Goodnight, Hank."

Stretching out his legs over the length of the couch Connor continued to read through the detailed text and manuals on his laptop screen that were required to pass his test to renew his paramedic's license. Although he was anxious to return to work as a detective he had sworn to study paramedicine once more and get his license renewed as a form of tribute to his previous life as a human before the accident and coma kept him from living for two years.

As he studied the material and finished his registration to take the test the next day he felt a little tired but not exhausted just yet.

Sumo got up from his pillow in the corner of the livingroom and pawed at Connor's left arm needing some attention.

Noting the time on his laptop, twelve-sixteen at night, Connor got up quickly to let Sumo into the backyard. "Alright. Outside."

While Sumo was running around the backyard Connor grabbed an apple to eat and looked about the kitchen curiously. It was the first time he really noticed that there was no need to have the extra bottles of Thirium in the cupboard above the sink or the android first aid kit kept on the record player in the livingroom, but he couldn't bring himself to throw them out. At least not yet. It's like there was some form of sentimental attachment toward the innocuous items that had once been a part of his life when he was living as a deviant android.

Once Sumo was back inside the house Connor returned to the livingroom to resume studying and had Sumo jump up on the couch to lay over his outstretched legs affectionately. Settled back down Connor continued to study the material on his laptop and found the details eerily familiar, confirming that he had read the material easily two dozen times before.

In what felt like a few minutes Connor had fallen asleep on the couch, and was awoken by the sound of Hank loudly clearing his voice as he stood behind the couch. "Huh?" Opening his eyes Connor looked up at Hank curiously. "Something wrong?"

"If you keep falling asleep on the couch I'm going to give your bed to Sumo."

"Sorry. I must've just dozed off."

"Connor, it's nine in the morning."

"...Nine?" Connor realized he had fallen asleep while he was studying just after midnight. Closing his laptop he put it on the coffee table and rubbed his fingers over his tired eyes and under his glasses. "Sorry. I lost track of time."

"When'd you pass out?"

"Some time after midnight."

"Do I have to start acting like a real dad to you and give you a curfew, or try grounding you?"

"...I wouldn't know what that's like."

"Oh..." Hank felt like kicking himself in the ass for the comment. "Sorry."

"It's okay. You didn't know."

"What were you reading anyway?"

"I was studying for my test to renew my paramedic's license."

"Seriously?"

"Don't worry." Connor got up from the couch and ran his right hand through his slightly messy hair as Sumo jumped down onto the floor. "I'm still going to be a detective, I just wanted to get my license renewed."

"Well, I'm not going to lie," Hank smirked as he watched Connor make his way to the bathroom to shower off. "having a paramedic around will definitely come in handy from time to time."

"For you or me?" The younger man called out before he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind himself.

Putting his left hand on Sumo's back as the large dog walked over to greet him for the morning Hank just smirked at the question and let out a small laugh at the young man's witty retort. "Smartass."

* * *

While Connor was in the city taking care of his test to renew his paramedic's license Hank went to his own laptop to finish a few more documents of a rather personal nature before heading outside to shoot a few hoops in the driveway. Seeing Connor doing whatever it took to get back into shape and take care of himself inspired Hank to get a little more active himself, and try to drop a few pounds. Giving up alcohol was hard but thanks to Connor keeping him from falling back into that bottle of depressing despair he felt like he'd be able to finally kick the habit and stay sober once and for all.

As the orange basketball bounced off the rim of the hoop and hit the driveway a few feet in front of Hank he took a step forward and grabbed the ball in time to hear Connor's voice call out to him from down the drive. "You didn't keep your wrist straight."

"And you left the car out in front of the house." Hank replied as he dribbled the retrieved ball a couple of times. "How'd your test go?"

"I passed." Connor smirked as he showed Hank his official credentials, and confirmed his reinstatement as a registered paramedic. "I actually scored higher this time than I did the first time."

"Not bad! I guess if you get tired of chasing down bad guys you can patch up the good guys instead."

"I don't see myself stepping out of the precinct any time soon." Pocketing his newly acquired license he managed to steal the basketball from Hank, the senior detective complaining at the swift move, and managed to sink a perfect shot behind Hank. "Maybe I should've joined the basketball team in high school."

"Nah, you would've gotten a scholarship and never would've gone out to Grand Rapids that night."

"...Yeah." Grabbing onto the basketball Connor bounced it at his side as he gave Hank a thoughtful glance. "It's strange to think how one single decision can have massive repercussions so far down the line."

"Or by stopping to think too much-" Hank stole the basketball back from Connor and managed to sink a perfect shot himself. "can distract your from what's happening right around you."

"...Good move."

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty good myself." Catching the basketball as it rolled down the drive he turned to look at Connor and bounced the orange colored ball back to him. "First to ten?"

Connor caught the basketball with his right hand and tossed his glasses to the grass next to the drive with the left. "Okay, Hank. You're on!"

* * *

The final week leading up to the doctor's appointment that would either let Connor return to the precinct to work in the field, or keep him behind a desk, was unexpectedly tense. Connor spent his time dancing his half-dollar coin over his right knuckles as he stared blankly at the ceiling above him listening to the gentle summer storm swirling outside his bedroom window as he contemplated his possible future. Sumo was laying over the foot of his bed in a deep sleep and Connor was resting his feet over the dog's back, not that the massive bundle of warm fluff minded.

"Stop thinking so damn much." Hank pleaded as he walked into the opened bedroom door and presented a large brown envelope to the younger man to see for himself. "It's annoying."

"Sorry." Turning his head he looked at the envelope and his brow furrowed. "What's that?"

"Something for you."

"What is it?"

"You have to open it to found out."

"But I didn't ask for anything, and my paperwork at the precinct has already been filed."

"Well then," speaking with a sing-songy, almost taunting tone of voice, Hank stepped back out of the bedroom and made his way down the hallway with the envelope still in his right hand. "it must be something special for ya'."

"What are- Hank?" Placing his coin back into his jean pocket Connor rose from the bed without disturbing Sumo and followed after the senior detective. He had barely taken two steps into the kitchen when he was greeted by Lucas who grabbed onto Connor in an unexpectedly tight hug. "Lucas! When did you get here?"

"Three minutes and nine seconds ago."

"I didn't hear the door open."

"I was very quiet."

"I'm glad to see you," Connor stated as his little brother let him out of the strong hug. "but I don't understand why you're here. It's too stormy to workout in the park today. We were supposed to workout tomorrow."

"Well, I'm here because it's your birthday."

"My... birthday?" Connor looked over to Hank who had a slight grin on his face. "I don't understand. Today is August 15th, my birthday is March 7th."

"Right," Hank confirmed as he gave the confused young man a sly stare. "but you said you never celebrated your birthday because that was the same day your mother passed away. So I figured what better birthday gift to give someone with a 'bad birth date' than a new and better birth date?"

"...I suppose that's logical. But why today? What makes today significant?""

"This." Hank finally handed Connor the brown envelope and the curious younger detective opened the flaps quickly. Peering inside he saw an official document and certificate of adoption inside. It had his name on it, as well as Hank's name. Looking back up at Hank before him Connor gave the senior detective a truly wary glance. "...I don't understand."

"Son, I decided to go ahead and make it official. You're just that now, my SON."

"...You-" With his eyes now wide with shock Connor needed to make sure he was hearing Hank correctly. "...You adopted me?"

"Yup." Smirking proudly at the stunned younger man Hank told Connor the truth and let him know everything was legitimate. "You're officially my son, now."

Connor paled a little as he held the certificate in his shaking right hand and then began to smile. "...You really want me to be your son?"

"Obviously." He motioned to Lucas who then presented him with a second similar document that had been tucked into his white jacket. "And I decided for the fun of it to make it official with Lucas, too."

"...We're _both_ your sons?"

"It's official and done." Hank stated again with an absolutely smug look on his face. "I have two more sons, one is a human who's too damn stubborn for his own good, and the other is a deviant who's too damn eager to please for his own good. You two balance each other out, and it'll keep me from going insane."

"...H-Hank." Connor's hands were shaking and tears were filling his soulful brown eyes. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, kid. Just know that this place is your home and that I'M your dad, not that 'other guy'. You got it?"

Unable to fight the smile trying to form on his face Connor just nodded and replied in an emotional voice. "...I got it."

Lucas smirked and overlooked the details on his own adoption certificate and showed it to Connor. "My full name is now Lucas Caleb Wolf. We have the same last name and it's my birthday, too. I guess that really makes us twins, now."

"Yeah, I figured it would be easier if you and Connor had the same last name. I gave you the middle 'Caleb' because it was my father's name, Lucas. The fact that your first name is also a family name is just luck of the draw or something."

Connor shook his head a little as a strange memory came forward and he laughed a little. "No. I remember now why the name 'Lucas' stuck out to me. When I read about what happened to Cole and saw that his middle name was Lucas it stayed with me for reasons I couldn't explain. But now I remember why the name was so special to me." He glanced at his little brother and gave him an appreciative grin. "When I was a child and trapped in my house trying to escape my abusive father I kept myself from getting too lonely by having an imaginary friend who looked exactly like me. His name was 'Lucas'."

Hank couldn't help but smirk at how innocent the remark was and sighed in response. "I guess the name 'Lucas' is absolutely perfect for you then. The name is special to both of us for different reasons."

Lucas agreed as he proudly held the adoption certificate in his hands. "I couldn't have asked for a better name, or a better family."

Connor was losing the fight against his emotions as a sudden warmth filled his beating heart. "...I have a brother _and_ an actual dad. A real family."

"That's right." Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and held it there for a minute. "Now that means you have to listen to me even when we're off the clock _and_ at home."

Laughing a little Connor gave Hank a genuine full smile that he rarely ever showed. A smile that showed his beautiful teeth and made his eyes light up. "I think I'm entering a rebellious phase."

"Well then," the senior detective shot back sharply to his smartass of a son. "you're preemptively grounded."

"Thanks... dad." Connor laughed again as he took a step forward and stood before the senior detective for only a moment. After taking a minute to process everything that just happened to him he hugged Hank and for the first time since he could remember he truly felt safe. "Thank you so much. For everything."

Having the traumatized young man being so receptive to the attempts at bonding made the old detective feel proud, and he felt like he was doing things right by Connor to help him heal. Hank patted Connor's back as he reciprocated the hug then pulled Lucas over by his left arm to join in, to which Lucas happily wrapped his arms around both Connor and Hank to support his new family in a warm embrace.

"You're both welcome, my _sons_." It was an amazing feeling to say such a statement as it seemed like something Hank would never have in his life again. He was just as happy as Connor and Lucas in that moment, and knew he did the right thing by taking the brothers in as his own. "Welcome to the family, boys. And Happy Birthday, sons."

_**-next chapter-**_


	8. A Rough First Day

It was official, Connor was cleared for active duty at the precinct and Dr. Wilson was more than happy to sing praises of Connor's return to good health. As Connor stood before the full body mirror in the back of his bedroom closet Connor tightened the knot of his black tie around the collar of his white dress shirt and stood up tall and proud with a sense of victory shining in his soulful brown eyes. As he slipped on the gray suit jacket over his arms, one that bore no sign of CyberLife's influence and only reflected the humanity that Connor had returned to and had embraced, he sensed Hank watching him from the opened bedroom doorway and turned to look at the senior detective; and his adoptive father, waiting for him to finish getting ready.

"Are you ready to go, Hank?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," smirking at Connor's confident demeanor Hank was proud to have the younger man ready to return to work at the precinct. "but I think it's pretty evident that you are."

Connor nodded and met Hank at the doorway as he slipped on his glasses and stood before him with his head held high. "I am. I want to go back."

Hank eyed Connor warily for a moment and grinned with utter amusement.

"...What?"

Using his right hand Hank measured his height in comparison to Connor by putting his the side of his hand to Connor's forehead and then to his own. "You got a little taller."

"I did?"

"Yup, we're eye-level now."

"...It must've been from all of the good dieting."

"I'll say. Come on." Hank lightly patted Connor's left arm as he led the way back down the hallway to the livingrom. "Let's get you through all the final pieces of paperwork so you can go back to being a detective and not just a figurehead."

"That sounds good to me."

* * *

The ride to the precinct was like it had always been in the past, and yet now it was completely different. The moment Hank pulled the car into his designated parking space the two detectives knew that everything they were about to experience was going to be very interesting to say the least. Unfastening his seatbelt Hank turned off the engine, slipped the car key into his pocket and looked over at Connor sitting beside him in the front passenger seat. By all account Connor was calm and composed, and yet there was a palpable tension radiating from his person.

"Ready for this, son?"

Nodding a little Connor unfastened his own seatbelt and opened up the door beside him with an audible 'creak'. "Yes. I'm ready to do this."

"Then," opening up his own door Hank stepped out of the car and waited for Connor to do the same. "let's go."

Taking a deep breath Connor readjusted his glasses over his eyes and followed after Hank into the precinct through the front doors. It took less than a minute to reinstate Connor's credentials at the receptionist desk, and he was given his clearance and officially back on the schedule. As the young detective walked through the bullpen to reclaim his place in the precinct Connor saw Captain Fowler already standing outside his office door waiting for him, and promptly walked up to his superior officer with a confident gait in his steps.

"Good to have you back, Connor." Captain Fowler shook Connor's right hand firmly as the younger man offered the respectful handshake. "How do you feel?"

"I feel great." Truly feeling good about himself Connor replied honestly as he followed his commanding officer into his personal office for a moment. There was just one final step to take before Connor was fully reinstated as a precinct. "I think I'm healthier now than I've ever been."

"Well, the glasses are new."

"Oh, right." Absentmindedly Connor put his right fingertips to the frames of his glasses, and held them there for a moment. "Astigmatism, nothing serious."

"Do you have contact lenses?" Captain Fowler asked as he sat down in his chair behind his desk and eyed Connor curiously.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Wear those while you're on the clock, and keep a spare pair of your glasses in your desk. It saves a lot of hassle."

"It does?"

Captain Fowler nodded as he unlocked the top right drawer of his desk. "That's what I do."

"Oh. Then you'd know."

"Uh-huh, I'm all for agreeable officers," Captain Fowler gave the young man an amused smirk as he placed Connor's old shield and registered service weapon down on the desk for him to reclaim. "but don't be a kiss-ass."

"Yes, sir." Putting his gun back in the leather holster he kept secured around his back and shoulders, beneath his grays suit jacket, Connor felt confident in his decision to return to the precinct. When he picked up his badge and saw that his last name, 'Wolf', had also been engraved on the shield he truly felt human and like he was right where he belonged. "Do I have an assignment?"

"Just a mountain of reports to go through. Have fun with that."

Connor nodded a little as he exited the office and joined Hank at their adjoined desks and sat down with perfect posture behind his old terminal screen. "I'm in the clear. I just need to wear my contacts while I'm at work and keep a spare pair of glasses in my desk as a precaution."

"Good to know. Now, shut up and help me get through these reports." Hank turned on his terminal screen and sighed a little at the staggering pile of reports waiting to be examined and handled. "That shit really piles up when you have to take care of it alone."

Turning on his own terminal screen Connor logged in and set about taking care of his files. "Two months is a long time for reports to stack up..."

"Yup. Let's see how fast you can type without your cybernetic brain. You're still tech-savvy and all the jazz, but can you handle all these cases?"

"I'll be fine, Hank." The younger deviant smirked as he eyed Hank around his terminal's screen. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Two hours into the quiet shift that Chris returned from his morning solo patrol and spotted Connor at his desk for the first time in a long time. Seeing the detective again after two long months was in itself a little surprising, but the fact that Connor seemed physically different was even more surprising to the keen eyed officer. With Hank wandering about the breakroom seeking his late morning coffee everything in the bullpen seemed business as usual, but there was something new about Connor that had drawn Chris's full attention.

Noticing the glasses on the young man's face Chris walked over to the desk and asked about the new look in a kind voice, while keeping his words low to avoid any unwanted eavesdropping. "Hey, Connor. It's nice to see you back."

"Hello, Chris." Connor looked away from his terminal screen and looked up at the kind officer standing to his left. "I'm happy to be back."

"So what's with the glasses?"

"...It's a long story," he replied somewhat hesitantly as put his right fingertips to the side of his frames again. "but I can assure you that they are necessary."

"You're not hurt are you?"

"No. I'm currently in the best health of my life."

Hank glanced at Chris and waved his hand a little as if dismissing the officer as he returned to his desk with a mug of fresh coffee in his hand. "Go home, Chris. You pulled the short straw on graveyard patrol hours and now you're free."

"...Yeah. I can't do the three a.m. shifts anymore."

"Yup, having a baby will do that to ya'."

"Yeah. I can't imagine it'll be any easier when the second one arrives."

Turning his full attention to Chris with a faint smirk on his face Hank congratulated the officer. "Shit. You and Julia are having another kid?"

"Yeah. It was a little unexpected, but welcome all the same. At least it will be in seven more months."

"Well, congrats. Go home, sleep, and appreciate it while you can."

"Right. Thanks, Lieutenant. Connor," he shook the young detective's hand kindly before taking his leave. "it's good to have you back."

"Thanks, Chris."

It wasn't long after Chris happily retreated from the precinct to sleep at home that Hank decided to get up and get himself a small snack to tide him over until his lunchbreak. "Be right back, I need something with sugar."

"Sugar?"

"Hey, I've been good all month. Let me have this one treat."

"Yes, of course. Sorry."

As Hank left his desk Gavin and Tina arrived for their own afternoon shift, and of course Gavin honed right in on his least favorite detective and made a beeline for the desk.

Like Chris had done moments before Gavin also noticed the glasses and was confused by their purpose. "What the fuck's with the plastic wearing frames?" Gavin rudely asked as if he needed to challenge Connor or prove something. "You think that'll make you look normal or some shit?"

"I require them, Gavin." Connor replied honestly without looking away from his terminal screen.

"Bullshit. Machines don't need glasses."

"Gavin, unless you have anything productive to tell me please let me alone to my work."

"Hey!" He grabbed onto Connor's left shoulder aggressively making the younger detective tense up instantly under the violent grip. "You wanna' talk about productive? You took off for two months and we were left here picking up your slack!"

"My absence wasn't-"

"You think you can just come back here and act like nothing happened? Do you have any idea how hard we had to work to make up for you running off you piece of shit?"

"Gavin." Connor stood up from his chair and stared down at the angry and shorter detective fearlessly. "What I've been through was personal and I owe you no explanation. Now if you'd go back to your own desk and finish your work, then I can finish mine."

"You gettin' smart with me?"

"My replies only seem smart in contrast to your foolish complaints."

"You fuckin-" Reeling back his right fist he struck Connor in the left side of his face and watched as the young detective stumbled back a little, and caught himself with both hands on top of his own desk. As Connor leaned forward his lip started to bleed and swell steadily, and within seconds everything in his vision went red. "Don't you ever talk back-"

Connor turned quickly back to the out-of-line Sergeant, and returned the punch. As he struck Gavin across the left side his own face the shorter man was knocked backward and fell to the floor with a graceless tumble, and there was a detectable 'crunch' under Connor's right knuckles. Gavin's hands were instantly cupping his face to cover his rapidly bleeding nose as he sat on the floor completely stunned.

"REED! WOLF!" Captain Fowler shouted as he exited his office quickly after having heard and seen the commotion through the transparent wall of his private office. He was anticipating trouble from Gavin upon Connor's return, but didn't think it'd be so extreme. "What the fuck is going on?!"

Hank rushed back to the desks and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder as he studied Connor's busted lip. "Ah, fuck... You're bleeding, kid."

Through his watery hazel eyes Gavin stared at Connor as he scrambled to his feet ready to throw another punch in rage. "You fuckin-" The sight of the red blood on Connor's face, not _blue_, gave the Sergeant unexpected pause. His tone softened and his fist lowered steadily to his right side. "...What the... fuck? Why is... Why are you..."

Captain Fowler quickly put himself between Gavin and Connor without showing any sign of budging from where he stood. "Reed, what the hell's going on?"

"I didn't... I mean... How was I-"

"My office, NOW."

Gavin looked almost afraid of Connor as the young detective's lip bled heavily and was already beginning to swell into a dark purple bruise. Captain Fowler already knew that Gavin was the one at fault and left Connor to be tended to by Hank before getting a statement from both parties of the offense.

Lightly Hank patted Connor's shoulder and directed him back to his chair to sit down. "Let me see."

Connor looked up at Hank, his soulful brown eyes watery and a little bloodshot from being struck in the face. "...I didn't mean to hit Gavin. I'm sorry."

"I don't care about that. I know the asshole provoked you." Putting his hand under Connor's chin he tilted the younger detective's head up and back a little to get a clear view of his swollen lower lip. "Yeah, you might need a couple stitches."

"Stitches?"

"I'll get you some ice." The senior detective volunteered only to have an bag of ice presented to him by Tina herself.

"...I saw what Gavin did, Lieutenant." She stated in a calm voice as she handed it over to Connor to accept. "I'm so sorry, Connor. I didn't-"

"It's not your fault." Connor stated as he pressed the offered ice to his lip and winced a little until the cold began numbing the injury. Removing his now crooked glasses Connor was able to fully press the ice to his sore face to reduce the swelling, and stem the bleeding. "Gavin's had problems with me since day one. I should've expected this."

"...Can I ask why you're bleeding _red_?"

Connor grinned a little behind the ice pack but he answered in a succinct and honest way. "Long story short, I'm a human but I'm still Connor. Connor Wolf, to be exact."

"...I don't get it but I'll take your word for it."

Hank motioned silently for Tina to go back to her own desk. "I got this. You go think of a way to keep Fowler from throwing Gavin out of the building on his sorry ass permanently this time."

"Right, Lieutenant. I'm sorry again, Connor."

Keeping tabs on Connor's reactions Hank watched him very carefully. "Does your head hurt?"

"No, just my lip and my right hand."

Hank checked Connor's right hand and saw that his knuckles were red and raw from striking Gavin in the face. "Man, you must've hit him _hard_."

"...I believe I broke his nose."

It took everything Hank had to not laugh as he sat down on the edge of Connor's desk beside him. "Good."

"_Not_ good."

"He provoked you, you fought back and now he's humbled. _That's good_."

"But I shouldn't have struck him."

"No, but since he hit you first you should think of it as 'paying him back'."

Lowering the ice pack from his lip Connor saw the smear of red blood that was dried to the side of the ice pack, and he sighed. "The bleeding stopped."

"Let's get you up to the infirmary so you can have your lip stitched up."

"I don't want to go up there, Hank. It's too much to explain, and I just returned to the precinct today."

"Well, you're sure as fuck not sitting down here with a busted lip all day long." Motioning for Connor to follow after him Hank made his way toward the corridor on the other side of the bullpen to reach the elevators.

"Where are we going?"

Pressing his right thumb against the elevator's call button Hank crossed his arms over his chest and gave Connor a coy look. "To see an old friend."

* * *

It was the first time in two months that Connor had seen Joel, let alone found himself sitting on an exam table in the dispensary or any form of facility for that matter. The technician had some degree of skill when it came to stitching up small wounds with android artificial skin and he was entirely willing to check on Connor's lip to determine whether or not it'd be something he could handle. Unfortunately the degree of injury was just a little beyond Joel's current skills and he had to reluctantly admit defeat.

"...Sorry, Connor." The technician leaned back after he used his gloved hands and a magnifying lens to examine the wound. "You're going to need to see a medic for this."

"What? Why?"

"Your bottom teeth cut into your lip pretty deeply, and I'm worried about possibly damaged or exposed nerves." Joel explained as he removed the gloves from his hands to be properly disposed of in the nearby waste bin. "Androids don't have nerve endings, only external sensors, which makes this a little more delicate of a procedure to handle."

"...Great." Upon hearing the less than ideal information Connor looked really uncomfortable and a little nervous. "How do I explain to the precinct medics that their android detective is now a human?"

"You mean Captain Fowler hasn't said anything, yet?"

"No. But I imagine after my confrontation with Gavin this afternoon he'll be doing so later on today."

Hank rubbed his left hand over the back of his neck as he stared at Connor's swollen face and handed him back the pack of ice. "Well, I have an idea of where we could go for your lip, but it might be a little weird."

"Weirder than this?" Connor asked as he pressed the ice over his lip again.

"Relax, kid. We're in Detroit. There is no set standard for 'normal' and 'weird' in this city. Just trust me."

"Alright." Sliding off the exam table Connor opted to follow Hank one more time to get his lip taken care of. Before leaving the dispensary he turned his full attention back to Joel and nodded respectfully at the technician. "Thanks for trying to help, Joel."

"No problem. I'm just glad you're back."

"I am, too." Joining Hank outside the doorway Connor noted his subsequent return to his humanity meant his need for Joel's assistance was all but completely unnecessary. "At least now when we meet I won't be leaking Thirium, or needing a biocomponent replaced."

* * *

Even though a busted lip wasn't an emergency per se it was quite painful and Connor knew the very real possibility of getting an infection was a prominent threat. Any trip to the emergency room would require a lengthy report, and if anything make the confrontation with Gavin worse. It was a little strange to go back to a facility to tend to his now human injury, but Abby was the best option Connor had to get his lip stitched up without dealing with the precinct's medics, or having to go to an emergency room for treatment.

"So, it's your first day back," Abby joked as she checked Connor's lip with her gloves hands and began to carefully disinfect it with a mixture of saline solution and rubbing alcohol. "and you get in a fight with one of the other detectives. Don't you know how to play well with others?"

"Gavin never liked me." Connor explained as he winced a little at the stinging cold on his lip. The preexisting ache was being exasperated by the sting of the alcohol, but he didn't flinch away from the touch. "And he made it clear his feelings hadn't changed during my extended absence."

"Well, maybe he'll rethink his decision after you punched him."

Connor looked at his swollen right knuckles and placed his partially melted ice pack over them gently. "I doubt it."

From beside the exam table where Connor was sitting Hank watched silently as Abby used a local anesthetic to numb Connor's lip entirely before beginning the delicate work to apply small stitches to the inside of the damaged lip, before applying the stitches to close the wound. The process was slow and meticulous, but it was successful nonetheless.

"Remember, it's been a while since I've taken care of a human and not an android." Abby cautioned as she very carefully applied the final stitches to Connor's swollen bottom lip. "If it scars that's on you for not going to a hospital."

"...I'll remember that."

"Now," taking a step back from the table Abby slipped the gloves from her hands and almost admired her work. "since you returned to the precinct I believe it's safe to assume you've made a full recovery, and your physical therapy was a success."

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he lightly pressed his left fingertips to his still numb lip. "Thank you for helping me during my recovery. I should've updated you on my progress along the way."

"It's fine. You were a little preoccupied."

Hank moved the ice pack back up from Connor's knuckles to his lip before he handed Connor his glasses, and smirked. "Good news kid, it's our lunchbreak so you don't have to worry about going back to the bullpen just yet."

"This will be the first time I join you on a lunchbreak and will actually get something to eat for myself." Putting his glasses back on Connor took a good look at his sore knuckles and flexed them a little. "It's not going to be anything greasy, is it?"

"That's up to you."

Noticing Connor's new glasses Abby put her left hand to the right side of his face and gently turned his head so he was facing her. "Nice glasses. They make you look very human."

"...I_ am_ human. But thanks."

"Come on." Hank motioned to the doorway of the treatment room as he checked the time on his phone's display. "I'm betting we have another hour or so until Fowler tells the precinct that you're a human, AND asks for your report on the 'incident' at hand."

Abby just smiled as the two detectives, the two _human_ detectives, took their leave of the facility to try to go about the rest of their schedule as normal as possible. Seeing Connor active, healthy and happy made Abby herself feel happy on her friend's behalf.

Connor was going to be just fine.

* * *

To break up the routine of getting the same greasy food from the same greasy food stands every shift Hank made a pitstop at a small food truck serving a wide array of Mexican food on the other side of town. After selecting his own meal Hank stepped aside and watched as Connor just ordered the same thing Hank had ordered since he still wasn't one-hundred percent of what food he liked and disliked. It was easier to copy Hank's menu that way if Connor didn't like something he could give it to Hank and not accidentally waste the food.

"Too bad we have to go back on the clock." Hank muttered as he and Connor went back to the car together and found a shady spot near the overlooking the park to sit and eat in quiet. "I'd love to try one of their margaritas."

"Aren't you supposed to stop drinking?"

"I did stop drinking. But one sip out of _curiosity_ instead of _needing to get drunk_ is way different."

"I suppose that's correct." Connor agreed as picked up the small taco he had ordered for lunch, and was very careful to not touch the stitches in his lower lip as he ate. Turns out he liked Mexican food as well, and was glad Hank had suggested it. "This is really good. I think this might be my favorite so far."

"Knew you'd like it." Taking a bite out of his own meal Hank savored the rich flavor and had happy he took the time to drive out to the other side of town for his lunchbreak. "You have to go out of your way to find that food truck, but when you do it's worth it!"

"Eventually we're going to find something that I don't like though."

"So what? When that day comes we'll both learn something and life goes on."

"What kind of food do you dislike?" Taking a small sip of the small soda without touching his damaged lip with the straw, Connor was thoroughly enjoying his lunch and wanted to know more about food preferences. "I already know you dislike pineapples and anchovies, but what else?"

"Technically I'm not a fan of _pineapple on pizza_, but the fruit by itself is just fine."

"Oh, I see. What else do you dislike?"

"...Uh, I've never been a fan of cabbage. Or shellfish. I'm not all that picky but there are some things I avoid for one reason or another."

"I wish I could remember what I like and dislike, but since I was deprived as a child I shouldn't be that surprised my memory on my personal food preferences is so blurred."

"Don't worry about it, kid. I'm still learning every day what I like and dislike. You never really stop learning."

Connor smirked a little despite his swollen lip and he turned to look at Hank. "'_Education never ends. It_ _is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last_'."

"Sherlock Holmes." The senior detective immediately recognized the quote and was glad Connor referenced it. The novelized series was one of Hank's absolute favorites, and he had read each story at least a dozen times in his life. "His Last Bow."

"Now I understand what he means." The younger detective confirmed as he took the words to heart, and continued to slowly eat his delicious lunch. "Every day something new happens, and every day we have to make a choice based on our past experiences. If we don't learn from our mistakes in the past we can't make any progress in our future."

"That's right. When'd you start reading Sherlock Holmes?"

"A few months back. I began checking through the literature you keep on your bookshelf during my less than restful nights, and I found the character to be quite interesting."

"Keep reading 'em. Now that you're human again I think those quotes and observations on life will resonate with you on a more intellectual level. Trust me, reread all of the books and I think you'll enjoy them on a new level entirely."

Willing to indulge the suggestion Connor smirked again and then winced a little as the simple gesture pulled on his stitched up lip. "...Ow." Putting his left fingertips to his sore lip Connor tested his pain threshold and flinched at the radiating pain. "The anesthetic is wearing off."

"Hold the ice on it for a while longer. At least until the swelling around the stitches goes down."

"I forgot how much it hurts to be human." Taking the mostly melted ice pack from the cup holder beside him Connor lightly applied the cool compress to his sore lip and let the chilling sensation provide some degree of relief to his pain. "But I suppose that's actually a good thing. No one wants their memories to be associated with pain."

"Yup." Hank agreed as he took a sip of his own drink and studied Connor's wounded lip carefully. "Forgetting about pain is one of the best things you can experience as you develop into a well rounded person."

* * *

The positive experiences of Connor forgetting about pain and enjoying his lunch was quickly disturbed when he and Hank returned to the bullpen, and were immediately met with incredulous stares from the other officers who took notice of their return. Hank dismissed the stares by barking out that everyone needed to get back to work and stop staring, while Connor willingly went to Captain Fowler's office to speak his commanding officer in person before his presence had been requested.

"Captain?" Knocking on the glass door Connor opened it a little and addressed Captain Fowler from afar. "Do you need to speak with me?"

"Yeah, come in."

Walking into the office for the second time that day with his head still held high Connor sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Captain Fowler's desk.

Taking a moment to study Connor's red and swollen face Captain Fowler asked about his young detective's injury. "How's your lip?"

"Sore." Connor replied honestly while refraining from touching his stitched up lip in the process. It was a bad habit and could result in an infection. "Nine stitches in total. How is Gavin?"

"Broken nose and you blackened his right eye."

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Gavin's been an even bigger pain in the ass as of late, it just so happens he decided to take out his pent-up frustration on you."

Nodding a little Connor processed his commanding officer's words and awaited the fallout from the earlier fight. "What is my punishment?"

"Nothing. Verbal warning."

"...I'm not being reprimanded?"

"I saw Gavin throw the first punch." Explaining his reasoning in a calm and collected manner Captain Fowler assured Connor that he didn't do anything wrong and wasn't at fault. "Tina vouched for you saying that Gavin started the fight, completely unprovoked, and hit you because you were trying to get him to back off. One of the security androids monitoring the floor showed me their surveillance footage confirming that you did nothing wrong, and tried to deescalate the situation before it got out of control."

"But I broke his nose."

"In self-defense. And," Captain Fowler held up his right hand to keep Connor from trying to say another word. "Gavin has a history of trying to pick fights. He's been sent home on a two week long suspension, and he'll have to attend mandatory psych evaluations to figure out why he's so pissed off all the time. You're getting a verbal warning to not get into anymore fights, and as far as anyone knows I tore you a new asshole while you were in here, but you're fine. Just switch out your glasses for contacts and we're good."

"...Thank you, Captain."

"Right. Now go finish your reports and tomorrow you'll have a new case to work on."

From the two adjoined desks Hank watched as Connor stepped out of the private office and returned to his terminal at his side of the desk without any sign of fear or shame from being disciplined. The lack of stress in Connor's body language of course eased Hank's mind as he realized Captain Fowler had been understanding of the situation, and let Connor off easy. "How'd it go?"

"I was asked to refrain from getting in anymore fights in the bullpen."

"Good advice."

"No suspension or disciplinary measures are being taken against my person, either."

"Even better. By the way," Hank motioned to a small white envelope sitting on Connor's side of the desk. It propped up at an angle against his terminal's screen just waiting to be opened. "that was delivered to you while we were out."

"A card?"

"Only one way to find out. And this time it wasn't me."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he picked up the blank white envelope and opened up the flap. Inside was a simple greeting card that said 'Congratulations' over the silver colored front in bold blue text letters. The card's interior was left blank to allow a personalized inscription, which in itself was as simple as the cover of the card itself.

Peering around his own terminal screen Hank was struggling to see the card in Connor's hand, and was curious about its purpose. "What's it say?"

"It's a congratulatory card and the inscription says: 'Proud of you'."

"Huh. No name?"

"None."

"Is it from Lucas?"

"No. The handwriting is that of a human female, not an android."

Giving Connor a coy glance Hank gave his second guess. "Is it from _Abby_?"

"No. This handwriting isn't a match to her own."

"Maybe it's from Tina or even a secret admirer."

"...I hope it's not an admirer." Connor replied as he slumped down in his chair and began to blush a little. "I'm not in the right frame of mind to begin dating."

"You don't have to date just because someone has a crush on you."

"That's good to know." Opening the top left drawer of his desk Connor slipped the card back into the envelope and placed the envelope into the drawer for safekeeping. "Who delivered it?"

"One of the receptionists. The card was dropped off at the desk about twenty minutes ago and the person who left it took off almost instantly."

"Curious." Before Connor had the chance to ponder the strange card the phone he kept in his gray jacket pocket buzzed as an incoming call was received. Pulling out the phone the young detective noted the name on the caller I.D. and his brow furrowed. "It's Markus." Pressing 'answer' Connor held the phone to his right ear and spoke to his friend in a calm voice. "Markus, Hello."

'_Connor, I'm glad to hear your voice_.'

"I apologize for not communicating more often throughout my recovery. I've returned to the precinct just today."

'_That's good to hear_. _And it might be perfect timing_.'

"How so?"

'_There's a peaceful deviant rally schedule to take place at Hart Plaza in one hour_. _I was hoping you could be there to make sure it stays peaceful, you know_?'

"Yes, of course. I'll inform my Captain of the rally and request permission to attend."

'_Thanks, Connor_. _See you soon_.'

Ending the call Connor looked to Hank and gave the senior detective a modest stare. "We may have the chance to go do something that doesn't revolve around paperwork today, and can get out of the precinct for a while."

"Whatever it is," Hank smirked as he folded his arms together over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "I'm in. Let's go grab some Kevlar and head out."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two detectives to make it out to the plaza where the small peaceful rally was set to begin. As expected a large number of deviants were on guard out of fear of violent protestors trying to start a fight, but Connor and Hank were doing their best to remain confident as they patrolled the area on foot and kept vigil to make sure no one was planning any violent outbursts. The duo were mostly on their own, but a second patrol car was assigned to circle the area to ensure back-up was in the immediate vicinity in the event someone tried something.

"I can see Markus near the center of the plaza." Connor stated casually as he walked alongside Hank. "I'm going to go speak with him."

"You got your radio on, right?"

"Yes." With a simple pat of his right hand Connor confirmed the radio was turned on and clipped to the side of his belt. "I'll remain in contact with you."

"Cool. I'll be near the street to look out for any suspicious cars."

Connor quietly nodded as he made his way toward the center of the crowd to speak with the deviant leader in person. It didn't take him too long to get to Markus, but he was met by numerous curious glances from the surrounding deviants who recognized him as the 'Deviant Hunter'. The gathered deviants either mistrusted him for his past as a their enemy; CyberLife's tool and weapon, or they saw him now as a traitor to their people for returning to his previous life as an average human.

"Markus."

"Connor." Extending his right hand the deviant leader shook Connor's hand and was beyond relieved to see that Connor was much stronger than he had been the last time he saw him. "I'm happy you could be here."

"I'm happy to be able to help my friends again."

"How do you feel?"

"Better." Putting his left hand to his glasses he acknowledged the frames and then his stitched up lip in order. "I'm not quite at the same level of optimal parameters as my android counterpart, but I'm healthy and I can resume my work as a detective to help protect this city."

"I appreciate you coming here."

"Of course, you're still my friend and I'll always see deviants as my own people." Glancing out to the crowd behind him Connor noted all of the staring eyes and returned his attention to Markus himself. "Do you expect violence?"

"No. We haven't received any threats recently, and Josh suggested we take the refugees out of the tower and into the city to show them that the mass attacks from bigoted humans have stopped. With any luck everything will stay quiet and help with the healing process."

"Hank and I will be patrolling the area to ensure no one attempts any attacks on the rally. If you need anything text my phone and I'll find you."

"Thanks, Connor."

Parting ways with Markus on pleasant terms Connor passed back through the crowd and was stopped short by North as she shot him an icy glare. "So you're really human."

"North." Connor acknowledged the fiery deviant in a confident and honest tone. "Yes, I am."

"Why?" Crossing her arms defensively over her chest North shook her head with disappoint and challenged Connor on his decision. "Why would you willingly become an inferior version of yourself?"

"...Because I was born a human. This is who I'm meant to be, North. I won't deny my past life, either of them, and then expect to have a fulfilling future."

"And this is has nothing to do with wanting to escape your responsibilities to your people, right?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about our people. I'll always protect my friends and every single deviant in the city."

"You say you care about us, but you haven't been to New Jericho since-"

"North." Cutting her off mid sentence Connor laid it all out for her to see and understand. "No one wanted me at the tower when I was still a deviant. Do you really think my human presence would've been any less unsettling?"

Bitterly North gave Connor an uncertain and mistrustful stare. "Don't think you can go back to your old life like nothing happened."

"I'm not trying to escape my past or my mistakes. I'm trying to embrace them and become a better person after enduring them."

"Sorry, but I seriously doubt that."

"I have nothing to hide from New Jericho or any of my friends. That includes you."

Turning her back to Connor with an angry huff North disappeared back into the crowd without another word to the now human detective.

'_Connor, what's your location_?' Hank's voice sounded off from the radio making Connor jump a little.

Answering the call Connor gave Hank an update. "...Near the center of the plaza. I'm heading back out to the street."

'_I'll meet you there_.'

Returning his radio to his belt Connor met up with Hank by the parked car and stood back from the crowd as the rally went underway. It was strange to see deviants all gathered together without being a part of the group, but Connor wasn't going to let his humanity keep him away from doing what was right and protecting innocent deviants. Even if those deviants still didn't trust him.

"You okay?" Hank saw the distant stare in Connor's soulful brown eyes and knew he was thinking again. "You look a little shaken up."

Lowering his voice Connor answered the question honestly. "...I think the deviants see me as a traitor."

"For choosing to resume your life as a human?"

"Yeah. Plus my role as CyberLife's tool is still a raw wound for all of us to endure."

"I thought a key part of equal rights for androids was having the ability to choose how to live your life as you see fit."

"...I'm the first, and currently the only deviant, to have a second life as that of a human."

"Kid, you got that backward. You were a human first, then you became an android. If anything that makes you the perfect candidate to vouch for android rights and an advocate to stop abuse."

"It still feels like I somehow turned my back on my people for doing this."

"If that were true you wouldn't be here. If that were true _Markus_ wouldn't ask you to be here."

Accepting Hank's guidance Connor nodded a little and tried to ignore the heavy cloud hovering over his head. "I hope you're right."

"I am, kid. Trust me."

The rally, which was meant to be a moment of peace and understanding, had been progressing calmly and smoothly for almost an hour after Markus began speaking to the group. While many humans were very supportive of the deviants and equal rights there were still a few loud-mouthed bigots who were trying to rile the crowd up, and start a confrontation. The deviants who were still wary of humans were becoming more relaxed, but many deviants were eager to disperse and retreat back to the safety of New Jericho Tower to avoid violent altercations.

"Hank," the younger detective turned to his partner and lowered his voice again. "I have a bad feeling."

"What's up?"

"I don't know. It just feels like something is about to happen."

"Alright, go find Markus and tell him to keep his guard up. I'll request additional back-up to our location."

"You're trusting my word?"

"Of course I am. I trust_ you_."

Nodding appreciatively Connor made his way back through the crowd to find Markus to speak with him directly for a second time. Keeping himself composed and emotionally collected inside and out Connor located his friend, and managed to get to his side without it drawing any unwanted attention from cautious deviants.

"Hey, Connor."

"Markus, I have a gut instinct that something is about to happen." Speaking in a whisper the young detective warned his friend without accidentally causing a panic in the process. "Can you ask the deviants to disperse calmly to the tower, and do so in a way to prevent anyone from panicking?"

"Y-Yeah. I can do that." Closing his mismatched eyes Markus informed the gathered deviants that the rally was a success and to return to New Jericho Tower for the remainder of the evening. "...It's done."

"Thank you."

"What's going on?"

"I can't explain it, but it truly feel like something terrible is about to happen here at the plaza."

Markus studied Connor's face for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Even if nothing happens I'd rather have this end now while it's still peaceful and no one is upset. It'd be best to not press our luck."

"Agreed." Glancing about the crowd Connor remembered that Markus didn't arrive at the rally alone, and that someone very important was missing. "Where is North?"

"She's around. Josh and Simon are leading the deviants back to the tower, we'll catch up once everyone's been gathered."

"Good. I'll check the perimeter."

Markus set about making sure all of the gathered deviants were able to leave the plaza without any difficulty, while Connor made his way out toward the street to keep any eye out for stragglers.

The young detective made it halfway through the plaza when he heard the distinct squeal of tires as a car raced along the street beside the plaza. "DOWN." As his hair stood on end Connor shouted as he got on his radio to confirm the incoming assault as he saw a gun being drawn on the crowd from the car's passenger side window. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

A spray of bullets erupted from the opened window of a passing car and tore through the air over the plaza. As Connor laid on his chest on the ground he looked about and watched as other people, deviants and humans alike, hit the ground in an attempt to avoid injury. Screams of panic filled the air and Connor tried to see where the shots were coming from. It was then he saw that a majority of the innocent bystanders had managed to get behind something to shield themselves; a stone sculpture, a metal bridge support, a large concrete planter, but someone was left out in the open.

North.

Unable to get up and get to protective cover North was curled on her left side on the ground with her hands and arms covering her head in an attempt to protect herself from potential harm.

"Shit." Connor kept low as he ran over to where she was laying and put himself over her in an attempt to shield her from the spray of bullets. A firm impact against his back was all Connor needed to feel to know he was still in the line of fire, and needed to move. "Come on!"

Wrapping his arms around North's chest he hefted her up from the ground and kept his body between her and the shooter and he ran to the cover of a large concrete support beam used to hold the overhead train's track. Once behind the concrete support he held onto North as she buried her face into his chest in fear, and he held her in a tight hug.

The gunfire continued to sweep over the area for almost another full minute before squealing tires filled the air for the second time as the car finally drove off.

Connor stayed behind the protective pillar while North was shaking with fear in his arms. "...Are you injured?" He asked in an impressively calm voice.

"N-No." North's own voice only shook for a moment before she cleared her throat and let go of Connor. "No. I'm not damaged."

The radio on Connor's belt was going crazy as patrolling officers demanded updates and the current location of each officer. As he answered the radio Connor took a step away from the cover and had North walking right at his left side as she was still a little shaky on her legs. Police sirens filled the air as a patrol car began pursuit and located the fleeing vehicle just one block away.

"Locate Markus." Connor told North in a firm voice as he looked about the area to see how many had been injured. By some miracle all of the deviants had escaped unharmed, and no person had been shot either. "Return to New Jericho Tower and remain there."

"...Okay."

Connor took charge of the area until Hank reunited with him and checked in on his progress. Like the group in the plaza Hank had been left unharmed by the needless shooting. "Did you see 'em?"

"Just the vehicle's color and make." The younger detective confirmed. "Dark red, four door vehicle."

From where he had been taking cover Markus located North and ran up to her quickly. "North!"

"Markus!" She wrapped her arms around him as he held her in a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I got out of the way in time." Looking over to Connor he sighed and acknowledged the young detective's keen instincts. "You were right, Connor. That was a good call to make."

"I'm just glad everyone is alright."

Hank stepped toward Markus and motioned toward the tower with pointed thumb over his shoulder and a stern look on his face. "You two get to cover and stay in the tower until we nab those trigger-happy assholes."

"Right. We'll get back to New Jericho and await an update." Markus kept his arm wrapped around North as the two rushed out of the plaza toward a nearby autonomous cab. "Thank you for your help!"

Putting his left hand to Connor's right should Hank checked in on his partner and waited for his adrenaline rush to fade. "Good call, kid."

"Thanks. Are you injured?"

"No. Those idiots were more interested in the plaza than the street. How about you?"

"I'm alright."

"Uh, Connor." Slowly Hank moved his left hand and grabbed onto Connor's upper right arm were a deep bleeding cut was oozing crimson blood. "You're didn't walk away without a scratch."

"Huh?" Looking down at his arm Connor saw the streak of blood and his brow arched in response. A bullet had grazed his upper arm when he escorted North to safety and out of harm's way. "...I didn't feel that."

"It doesn't look like it's bleeding too bad, but it needs to be cleaned up."

Sighing with a sense of irritation Connor checked the wound with his left fingertips and noticed its depth and location over his arm. "...I'm going to need more stitches today."

"Yup. This time you are going to the hospital."

"Great." Connor sounded completely disappointed in himself for what had happened. "Maybe they'll take a look at my lip, too."

"Why not? We can multitask while on the clock."

* * *

Sitting anxiously on the exam table of the hospital's emergency room Connor watched as Dr. Wilson checked over his recently stitched up lip and made sure there was no sign of infection, while a nurse helped Connor to slip off his gray jacket to get to his right injured arm. The sleeve of his white dress shirt was soaked in fresh red blood, but the bleeding itself wasn't too severe despite the wound being caused by a passing bullet.

"Your lip is fine, Connor." Dr. Wilson confirmed as he moved to the other side of the table to check on Connor's arm next. The bullet just cut the skin as it passed by. The bullet itself wasn't wedged in the muscle or the bone. "Your arm is a slightly different story."

"Is it serious?"

"Could've been a lot worse, but right now I'm concerned about an infection."

"Doctor." The nurse noticed a hole in the back of Connor's gray suit jacket and a matching hole in the back of Connor's white shirt. As she motioned to her discovery Dr. Wilson walked around the table to look for himself at the cause of the hole. "The vest caught it."

Connor turned his head slightly to look at Dr. Wilson over his left shoulder curiously. "The vest caught what?"

"A second bullet."

"...O-Oh." He felt himself pale as he realized the possible severity of the situation.

"Good thing you put on the Kevlar vest before you went on patrol."

"Y-Yeah." The choice had proven itself very beneficial on that day, and was no grateful for Hank's suggestion. "I felt the impact when I was on the ground, but I didn't know I had been shot."

"Since you're still alert, talking, breathing and conscious I'm going to go ahead and say the impact didn't harm your ribs or your lungs." Dr. Wilson replied confidently as he pressed his hand to the back of the vest and found it to still be intact. The hole was almost perfectly centered between Connor's shoulder blades. "I'd like to check for bruising or a possible break to your skin."

"...Yeah." Loosening the knot of his black tie with a slightly shaking left hand Connor pulled the garment from around his neck and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. With the help of Dr. Wilson the two got Connor's shirt off without affecting his bleeding arm, then worked to undo the straps of the Kevlar vest beneath. "It doesn't hurt but I can't exactly see my own back to examine the possible wound."

"Don't worry about it, I won't let anything happen to you." With a light right hand Dr. Wilson checked the portion of Connor's back where the bullet embedded itself in the vest and saw no bruising or swelling on the pale and partially scarred skin. "Everything looks good." Taking his stethoscope from around his neck he pressed the bell to Connor's back, the young detective jumping a little at the cold metal pressing against his skin, then listened intently. "Take a deep breath for me."

Obediently Connor took in a deep slow breath and repeated the action as Dr. Wilson carefully listened to his breathing.

"You're fine, Connor." The good doctor confirmed as he lightly patted Connor's back. "I'll get your arm cleaned up and stitched up for you. You still have those antibiotics I prescribed you a few weeks ago, right?"

"Yes. I got the prescription filled but I haven't needed to use them."

"Perfect. When you get home take them for a week to make sure your lip and your arm don't infected as they heal."

"...Sure." Nodding at the request Connor sat upright and watched as the nurse began to gently clean up his bleeding arm, and drape a blue sheet around the injury to keep the impending procedure as clean as possible. "No problem."

* * *

The shooters had been successfully pursued and arrested by the other officers who responded to the violence in the plaza while Connor was at the hospital getting his arm stitched up. With a bundle of fresh white gauze wrapped around his right bicep to keep the stitches clean and covered the young detective returned to his desk in the bullpen with a sluggish gait, and began filing his report regarding the incident with Hank doing the same at his own terminal across from him.

"How's the arm?" The senior detective asked as he typed away at his own terminal, and saw the bandages under the bloodied sleeve of Connor's shirt.

"Sore."

"I saw the hole in the back of your jacket." Hank stated in a calm voice as he spoke with Connor. "I'm glad you wore Kevlar."

"...As am I."

"Now do you know why I told you to put it on?"

"It's standard regulation for human police officers and detective to wear Kevlar when out in the field. It was never officially applied to androids since androids seldom went into the active field. My previous patrols without wasn't negligence, it was just... routine."

"Yeah, I get that. Sorry, kid."

"It's okay."

"Keep it as part of your usual uniform from now on. Got it?"

"...I will."

"Hey?" Craning his neck a little Hank peered around the terminal screen at looked Connor's face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little shaken, I guess."

"Uh-huh. Did the 'mortality' thing sink in while you were at the hospital?"

"...Yeah."

"Son, you woke up from a two year long coma and got yourself back into great shape in record time. You're going to get hurt, just look at your lip and your arm," the reminder of the injuries was unnecessary yet symbolic. "but that doesn't mean you'll get taken down in your line of work with one misstep."

"Hank, I've already been seriously injured; as an android and as a human. When I was an android it was a matter of getting my biocomponents replaced or repaired by a skilled technician, or getting more Thirium after I sustained damage. Now as a human I have to rely solely on medics with their own ability to surgically repair what I already have inside of me, and hope that they have my blood type available. It's much more difficult to heal now..."

"Connor." Hank turned off his terminal screen and wheeled his chair around the side of the desk so he could look Connor in the eye. "You were living your life like that long before you were an android, and I've been living like that my entire life. We're both still here. You'll be okay."

"...Yeah."

"Come on. We're out of here in twenty minutes anyway, so let's just go home so you can relax on the couch and think about the delicate balance of life and death in privacy."

Sensing the sarcasm Connor smirked a little as his left hand went to his stitched up right arm and sighed. "That's a good idea."

"Damn."

"What?"

"You're WAY more agreeable as a human. I like it."

"Well, when you have a good idea there's no need to argue."

"Human or android you're still a smartass. Never change."

* * *

Back home Hank was busy in the kitchen making something new for dinner while Connor sat on the livingroom floor in casual clothes, jeans and a black t-shirt as he tossed Sumo's green fetch ball into the kitchen. Using his sore right arm to play Connor was able to check his range of motion and for any sign of muscular damage. As Sumo dropped the drool covered ball on his lap for the ninth time Connor gave it a good toss them immediately winced as the motion pulled on his upper arm unexpectedly.

"...Ow." Grabbing at the affected limb with his left hand he applied a small amount of pressure and felt blood seeping through the bandages. "Damn it." Looking down at his left palm Connor saw the smear of blood and realized he accidentally popped a stitch. "...That was dumb."

"What was dumb?" Hank asked from the kitchen as he heard Connor swearing and grumbling to himself.

"I moved my right arm around too much and popped a stitch."

"Need to go back to the hospital?"

"...No. I can replace the stitch myself."

"You can WHAT?"

"...I've done it before."

"Yeah, I remember." Hank watched as Connor stood up and made his way down the hallway and into the bathroom to tend to his arm without making a mess in the process. "When you were still a deviant I found you stitching up your arm in the kitchen and got pissed off."

"You were pissed because I didn't tell you I had gotten hurt." Connor reminded him in a level voice while Sumo followed after him into the bathroom with the green ball in his mouth. "This time you know."

"Yeah. And this time you're _human_. Won't that hurt?"

"A little."

"Fuck. Hold on a minute."

Connor sat on the edge of the bathtub with a very well supplied first aid kit already opened and sitting beside him. After sterilizing the curved needle with rubbing alcohol Connor threaded it with pure white silk thread then proceeded to roll up his short sleeve and unwrap his arm to get to the wound.

"Here." Hank was holding a wooden spoon as he entered the bathroom and gave the young detective an annoyed stare. "Bite down on that so you don't tear open your lip."

"...Right." Doing his best to not touch his lip anymore Connor suddenly remembered his second wound. "I almost forgot."

Standing beside the sink Hank watched as Connor cleaned off his right arm with the rubbing alcohol and removed the popped stitch very carefully before applying the replacement stitch. Biting down on the wooden spoon's handle Connor picked up the needle and proceeded to use it to pierce his skin in a controlled pressure that resulted in a pained hiss from between his clenched teeth.

"Hold it." Washing off his hands in the sink Hank took over for Connor and applied the stitch so Connor could focus on breathing through the burning pain all around his tender skin. Moving at a steady pace Hank applied the fresh stitch without causing Connor too much pain in the process. "Fuck, I didn't think I'd do this again."

With the new stitch in place Hank tied it off and snipped off the excess thread.

"...Thanks." Connor pulled the wooden spoon from between his teeth where there were now noticeable bite marks embedded in the handle. "That sucked."

Laughing at the comment Hank cleaned up Connor's arm then wrapped it back up under a fresh layer gauze. "How about you stop trying to sew yourself back together?"

"That's a good idea."

"Remember what I said about you being more agreeable?"

"And remember what I said about good ideas?"

"Be nice to me, or I'll take that stitch right back out."

Feeling the burning pain in his right bicep Connor sighed again and let Hank dress the wound accordingly. "...I need to be more careful from now on."

"Yup."

"I'll clean up the bathroom."

"Hey, remember what I said about you thinking about life and death in private?"

"...Yes."

"It'd definitely be better if you thought about it out loud instead." Patting Connor's left shoulder he watched as the younger man cleaned up the small mess and pet Sumo's head as the loyal dog patiently waited for more attention. "Wash off your hands and join me in the kitchen. We'll have a nice long chat and talk about whatever it is you have obsessing through your head this time."

"But you hate it when I think about things too much."

"And I hate you being torn up and conflicted even more. Besides, you're still learning what it means to be human even though you are human again."

"I guess you're right."

"And It's been a while since I had some decent dinner conversation. You're more fun to talk to than Sumo."

Connor's entire demeanor relaxed a little as he felt more comfortable thanks to Hank's good humor. "Thank you."

"No problem. It's just talking."

"No, what I mean is thank you for being so understanding toward me." Connor needlessly explained as he calmly washed off his hands in the bathroom sink as instructed. "I know it isn't easy being patient with me, and I appreciate it."

"I haven't exactly been the easiest person to get along with, either."

"I guess we're both changing now that we've really gotten to know one another as friends."

"Yeah. And let's just hope we both keep changing for the better."

_**-next chapter-**_


	9. Winded

As the two detectives continued to work on deviant related cases as soon as they were reported the duo found themselves at the apartment door of a suspected thief. A CyberLife store had been broken into the night before and was one of six similar burglaries that had taken place in the past two weeks. The items that had been stolen were rare and vital biocomponents for the more advanced models of androids, as well as a massive stock of fresh Thirium. There was seemingly no motivation to the thefts aside from black marketeering, and only a single suspect fit the pattern of behavior.

With the search warrant granted Connor pounded the side of his right fist against the front of the closed door twice. "Detroit Police. Open the door."

There was a sudden motion behind the door then equally sudden silence.

Hank quietly nodded at Connor to knock one more time, his right hand hovering cautiously over the gun holstered on his right hip.

Three more firm knocks resonated down the corridor of the apartment complex as Connor called out a second time. "Derek Kilborne, this is the Detroit Police. Open the door, now."

The distinct sound of the chain slipping from its lock behind the door echoed as the deadbolt lock was unsealed shortly thereafter. The door partially creaked open with a low groan as a woman peered through the opened door at the two officers. "...Wh-What's going on?"

Hank took charge of the scene as he studied the frightened young woman behind the door. "I'm Lieutenant Anderson," he showed her his badge with his right hand while motioning to Connor at his left side. "this is Sergeant Wolf. We're looking for Derek Kilborne. Is he here?"

"...He's my husband." She admitted in a shaking voice as she stared at the two detectives worriedly. "I'm his wife, Sharon."

"Where is your husband now?"

"Can I ask what this is about?"

"We need to ask him some questions regarding break-ins and thefts in the immediate area. He may have been in the area at the time of the thefts and we need to ask him some questions."

Opening the door fully Sharon allowed the two detectives access to the apartment and stepped aside. "Derek has been working nights, so I don't know if he'll be awake enough to talk to you."

"It won't take us long."

With a keen eye Connor glanced about the rather expensive apartment with an arched brow as he took in the scene. The man in question was supposedly employed only as a night guard at a nearby college campus, and there was no record of his wife having a job at all. To be able to afford such a large spacious apartment on such a modest salary was already suspicious.

Hank spoke to Sharon in the livingroom while the suspected man wandered down the hallway looking tired and anxious at the sound of masculine voices speaking to his wife. "...What's going on?"

Ever observant Connor noticed an empty bottle of Thirium sticking out of the kitchen's trashcan right next to the sink, yet there was no sign of an android in the apartment. "...Interesting."

"I'm Lieutenant Anderson and this is Sergeant Wolf." Keeping in control Hank addressed the man in a stern voice. "What do you know of the break-ins at the CyberLife stores in the area?"

"N-Not much." Derek's hands were wringing together nervously in front of himself. "I don't see too much when I'm patrolling campuses, you know?"

As Connor glanced about the apartment further, eyeing the expensive decor, furniture and appliances, he knew that Derek was making money outside of his job as a night guard. He was also convinced Derek was doing so illegally. "Mr. Kilborne do you have a second job?"

"No. Just the one."

"What about you, Mrs. Kilborne? Do you have a job?"

"No." Sharon admitted with a sincere confusion to her voice. "I'm looking for work but I'm still unemployed."

Hank knew Connor was onto something and let him continue to ask his questions.

"Do you have an android living with you?"

"No, of course not." Sharon almost sounded offended at the question. "I had an android about a year ago, but she went deviant and I urged her to run away and hide. I've spoken to her a couple times since then, but I've never had another android since. She's free and she's safe."

"Has this android visited you recently?"

"No, when I bumped into her I was out shopping in the plaza. Why?"

With a tissue in his hand Connor pulled the empty Thirium bottle from the trashcan and held it up for all to see. "Why do you have Thirium in your possession?"

Sharon was thoroughly confused about the empty bottle and had clearly never seen it before. "I don't know. Derek, did you-"

Derek's pale green eyes went wide at the bottle in Connor's hand and he quickly bolted for the apartment door. Connor immediately gave chase after dropping the bottle while Hank radioed in the confirmation on the now fleeing suspect.

"D-Derek?!" Sharon called after her fleeing husband without making a move toward the door herself. "Derek! What the hell's going on?!"

Hank returned his radio to the side of his belt Hank have Sharon a single order as he too gave chase. "Stay here! Another cop will be by to talk to you."

Ignoring the elevator Derek fled down the staircase of apartment's fourth floor with Connor right behind him. The frightened human was running on pure adrenaline and eager to escape the police, while Connor was determined to stop the thief and prove his connection to illegal black marketeering was continued to give chase. The duo rushed out of the front of the building and began running down the sidewalk as the chase continued.

"STOP." Connor commanded as he pursued the man down the sidewalk and through the nearby plaza. "Do not resist!"

Quickly catching up to Derek Connor was suddenly aware of his human heart thundering in his chest and how quickly his skin was heating up from exertion. The faster the ran the quicker and deeper he'd breathe t keep up with his facing heart's demands. The faster he'd breathe the faster his heart would beat, and the faster his his heart would beat the faster he'd have to breathe. The more he ran the warmer his skin would become. And the warmer his skin became the more sweat would bead on his skin.

It was an odd wave of new sensations and a strange sense of awareness that made Connor remember how different his limitations were as a human compared to being an android.

Derek wove down an alleyway just to the side of the plaza to try to elude Connor only to find himself facing a ten foot tall chainlink fence at the end of the alley. As he tried to scramble up the tall fence Connor managed to catch up to him and grab onto Derek by the collar of his gray t-shirt and the belt of his pants, and pulled him off the fence. With a single swift motion Connor pinned Derek down onto the ground chest first with surprising ease.

"You're under arrest." Connor stated in a firm voice as he took the handcuffs from his jacket's left pocket and pulled Derek's arms behind his back. As he cuffed the man's wrists he felt his heart still racing and disliked it as his thundered in his chest as adrenaline continued to flow through his veins. "...Get up."

With a firm grip Connor escorted Derek out of the alley in time to see Hank driving down the street and pull up alongside the sidewalk to meet up with his partner. "Good work, Connor."

Breathing deeply and slowly to try to ease his racing heart Connor nodded as Hank took hold of Derek's right shoulder and made him stand against the side of the car. A second patrol car rolled up alongside the street as Tina and Chris took Derek into custody on Hank and Connor's behalf, giving the detectives a moment of reprieve to discuss their case.

"The wife confirmed that he was working 'overtime' about two months ago." Hank stated as he stood beside Connor on the sidewalk and waited for the younger detective to catch his breath. "And with that 'overtime' he was able to afford that nice new apartment, as well as a few other nice new things. She didn't question it since he always came home when he said he would, and just figured he was working extra hours because of classes starting back up at the nearby campuses."

"...S-Stealing biocomponents... reselling them... illegally and... at an increased... price. Right?"

"That's right." Noticing that Connor was way too far out of breath for just a simple pursuit Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and tried to guide him over to the car to sit down. "Are you okay?"

"...C-Can't... breathe."

"Are you hurt?"

Connor shook his head 'no' as his breathing went from gasping to wheezing.

"Sit down." Hank urged as he pulled open the passenger side door of the car and guided Connor over to the seat. Picking up Connor's left wrist Hank was able to count his pulse and was a little alarmed at how fast his heart was beating. "You didn't get hit in the chest at all, did you?"

Again Connor shook his head 'no' as he tried to breathe as deeply as he could, but it felt like his lungs were suddenly too small for his body.

"I don't like this." Pressing the back of his right hand to the side of Connor's neck Hank noticed how hot his skin was and how pale his face was becoming as he struggled to breathe. "I'm taking you to the emergency room."

"...I don't-"

"Ya' can't breathe, kid." Hank interrupted before Connor had the chance to argue. Pushing on Connor's shoulder to make him sit back in his seat Hank closed the passenger side door and walked around the front of the car to open up the driver's side door, and sit down behind the wheel again. "You're going to see a doctor and I don't know why."

There was no point in trying to deny it. Connor couldn't breathe, and he had an idea as to why he suddenly couldn't breathe as his training knowledge as a paramedic came flooding forward. "...A-Asthma."

"What did you say?" Turning over the engine Hank studied Connor's pale face again as he tried to figure out what the younger detective said. "'Asthma'?"

Connor only nodded as he loosened the black tie around his neck and unbuttoned the top two buttons on his white dress shirt. "...S-Symptoms fit."

"And I bet you were never diagnosed properly as a kid." Hank sympathized as he pulled the car onto the street and headed out to the nearest hospital. "Hold on, I'll get you taken care of."

It was a fight to remain conscious as Connor struggled to breathe through his aching lungs. He knew what was happening to him which helped him to remain calm, but being unable to breathe was still disconcerting. Putting his left hand to the center of his chest Connor focused on controlling his breathing and tried to ease his discomfort with even slow breaths.

"Stay with me, son." Hank urged kindly while keeping his voice level. He had seen Connor's eyes close but he kept breathing despite being unable to actually take in a full breath. "You'll get some help soon."

It was all a strange blur for Connor as his ears began to ring and his vision went black. Unable to really focus on the world around him Connor was left at the mercy of Hank's guidance and skill behind the wheel to get him to the hospital.

Jumping a little when the door beside him suddenly opened with a firm yank Connor opened his glassy eyes to see what had happened. Through the fog of his blurry vision and ringing ears he saw a nurse and a doctor now hovering over him warily. Hank grabbed onto Connor's right arm and pulled him out of the vehicle, and helped him to climb onto the gurney that had been wheeled out into the parking lot the moment the car arrived.

"Connor, stay awake." The senior detective urged as the gurney was wheeled into the emergency entrance of the hospital. "Focus on my voice."

Despite the haze surrounding his mind Connor could still hear and recognize Hank's voice as he spoke to him calmly. As his eyes drifted shut again Connor could feel the gurney being wheeled into an emergency examination room, and a cold stethoscope being pressed to his chest as he fought to breathe. The doctor asked Hank a few questions about Connor's health while the nurse lifted his eyelids one at a time and shined in a bright penlight into his eyes to check his pupils for a response.

Opening his eyes back up Connor watched as an oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth, and felt the head of the gurney being propped upright to aid his breathing a little more. The doctor mentioned something of an asthma attack and ordered a dose of epinephrine to help Connor breathe again while the nurse checked his overall vitals.

"It's okay, Connor." The senior detective reassured as he stayed completely calm by Connor's side. "You'll be fine."

Nodding weakly Connor tried to keep his eyes open despite the fatigue and heaviness weighing against him.

The doctor returned to Connor as the nurse helped him to remove the his gray suit jacket and rolled up the left sleeve of his white dress shirt to get to his arm. Without having to look Connor knew that his arm was being sterilized with a cool alcohol wipe before a dose of epinephrine was injected into his bloodstream to open up his lungs and make it easier for him to breathe again.

It only took a few seconds for the effects of the medication to ease the strain on his lungs and Connor's breathing relaxed noticeably.

"Connor?" The doctor was listening to his chest again with the stethoscope and gauging his alertness. "Can you hear me?"

"...Y-Yeah."

"That's good. I'm Dr. Martinez," the doctor introduced herself with a cool demeanor. "do you know where you are?"

"...Hospital."

"Right. You had a severe asthma attack and we're treating your with epinephrine." Pulling away the stethoscope Dr. Martinez leaned over the bed and watched as Connor's complexion regained some color as his paleness faded. "Have you experience this before?"

"N-No." Feeling much better it was less of a strain to talk and Connor could feel his heart rate settling to a much more stable rate. "This is the first time."

"And you were never diagnosed with asthma as a child?"

"No."

"Okay. I'm going to run a few tests to confirm that this was in fact an asthma attack and not the result of an allergic reaction, but currently all signs point to asthma. I want to monitor your breathing for an hour and if you remain stable I'll have an inhaler prescribed and provided so you can leave. Alright?"

"Yeah. That sounds good."

Hank shook his head and pulled up a chair to sit down next to the gurney beside Connor as the doctor and nurse took a moment to leave the room. "How'd you have an asthma attack like that?"

"...I think the adrenaline rush and unexpected pursuit triggered it." The young detective and paramedic explained with a tired voice. "I never had any difficulty in breathing before whenever I was working out with Lucas, or went running after Sumo. I wasn't prepared to run like that, and as a result the adrenaline resulted in the attack."

"So this could happen again?"

"It's possible, yes."

"Fuck. Keep that inhaler in your jacket once you get it, alright?"

"I will. But I suspect in time I'll outgrow the asthma once again."

"What do you mean outgrow it again?"

"I suspect I had asthma as a child but was never diagnosed." Sitting up a little higher on the bed Connor rolled back down his left sleeve to cover his arm as he spoke with Hank. "And I suspect that I had outgrown it despite never being properly diagnosed, but the coma resulting in two consecutive years of intubation had weakened my pulmonary system enough to allow my asthma to return when under enough physical exertion."

Hank just shook his head and leaned back in his chair as he watched Connor calmly explaining his theory regarding his own health. "How in the hell did you survive being a child with all the shit that happened to you?"

Giving the senior detective a somewhat confused glance he just shrugged his shoulders a little and gave him the only response he deemed appropriate. "I'm stubborn."

"Can you outgrow that, too?"

"Why would I do that?" Connor smirked a little as he took in a deep cleansing breath and relaxed entirely. "It keeps me alive."

"Yeah? Then you're going to live forever."

"...Sounds like it'd get boring."

"Nothing's boring with you, kid. EVER."

Taking the moment to relax a little Connor thought about everything that he and Hank had been through together since their initial and unorthodox partnership just days before the Revolution. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot. What's on your mind?"

"The moment you learned of my return to humanity and needing to recover you have been impressively... normal."

"'_Normal'_?" Almost laughing at the comment Hank gave Connor an odd look. "What do you mean I've been acting 'normal'?"

"Someone changing from an android to a human would be a massive shock that the average person would struggle to handle, and yet you just resumed treating me as you had been before I disappeared. How did you accomplish such a feat?"

"Well, it's probably because whether you're an android or a human you always look like a kid to me. No matter what you do or where you go you'll always be a kid looking to find their place in the world and doing everything you can to be a good person. Which you already are, by the way."

Appreciative of the honest reply Connor felt better despite the asthma attack and was truly grateful to have a person like Hank take him in as his son. "Thanks for looking out for me. I mean it."

"You're looking out for me, too. So as long as we keep each from going completely insane I think we can say our little family is a success."

* * *

The hour in the hospital passed by without any further incident and Connor was given an inhaler to keep on his person in the event he suffered another asthma attack. After returning to the precinct Connor sat behind his and slipped off his gray suit jacket, and carefully rolled up his right sleeve to check on the healing stitches in his arm with a gentle touch, and sighed at the sight of his healing skin. The stitches were clean and weren't showing any sign of infection but since humans healed slower compared to androids, and the sight of his still healing arm was a little annoying.

"You're having one hell of a first week back, aren't ya'?" Without even having to look Hank up knew what Connor was doing and what he was thinking about.

"Yeah. At least my lip is healing quicker than my arm."

"It's not even swollen anymore." Sitting back in his chair Hank finished his report and let out a tired sigh. "Well, that idiot you chased down in the alleyway confessed to breaking into CyberLife stores while on patrol to steal and re-sell the valuable biocomponents and blue blood to deviants hiding out in the slums of the city. Markus was told about where the deviants are hiding out and he's working to get them to New Jericho as we speak."

"That's good. I'm glad they're being helped." After rolling his sleeve back down Connor blinked a few times and noticed that his contact lenses were getting a little dry. Opening the top left drawer of his desk he took the small bottle of eye drops and used it to help his dried eyes feel more comfortable. "I may look into lasik surgery in a few months. I prefer my glasses over my contact lenses but Captain Fowler wants me to use the contact when on the clock."

"Do what you want, kid. It's your choice."

As Connor placed the bottle of eye drops back into the drawer he noticed the card he had received anonymously a few days prior and was still a little intrigued by the enigmatic admirer. There was nothing he could use to his advantage, even as a detective, to try to identify the person who had delivered the card. It seemed even the security footage in the receptionist area of the precinct was unable to get a clear look at the person's face or identify anything unique enough to give a name to the face.

"Ready to clock out?"

"Huh?" Connor looked up from the drawer and closed it slowly as he registered what Hank had just asked him. "Oh, right." Checking the time on his terminal screen he saw that it was getting late. "It's almost six."

"You need to get in the habit of looking at your phone to keep track of time, or get a watch. The last thing you need to do is start showing up late to work like I used to do."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Come on, son." Logging off of his terminal screen Hank stood up and waited for Connor to join him. "We have the day off tomorrow and I plan on sleeping in for as long as possible, and you get to take Sumo for his morning walk so I don't have to."

"Sleeping sounds nice right about now." Connor agreed as he casually slung his gray jacket over his right shoulder and logged off from his terminal as well. "As it turns out the inability to breathe can be very exhausting."

"Oh yeah? Go figure."

With the events of the day coming to a close and the mysterious letter out of his mind Connor was more than happy to go home and relax. The day didn't go as expected, but since the right man had been arrested and Connor walked out of the hospital without any further complications the two detectives were ready to call the day an absolute win.

_**-next chapter-**_


	10. New Recipe

Things were fairly quiet inside the house but outside a summer storm reeked havoc over the city, and kept everyone cooped up inside. Connor was kneeling on the kitchen floor with a towel wrapped around Sumo's damp fur and tried desperately to get the dog dried off as much as possible, but it still wasn't enough to keep Sumo from shaking off his wet fur in every direction. Sighing with defeat at the dog's abrupt motion Connor took off his water spot covered glasses and wiped off the lenses on the towel before standing back up to watch where the large dog had gone.

Sumo had helped himself to the entire couch.

"You're going to lay on the couch after I just vacuumed?" The young detective lamented as he watched the massive dog plop down over the length of the furniture with a tired grumble. "...I guess I'll vacuum again tomorrow."

Hank had stepped out of the bathroom after his shower and saw Connor staring down at Sumo on the couch, and caught the distinct odor of wet dog wafting through the air. "Maybe it'll stop raining soon. Then he won't stink up the house every time he has to go out."

"That'd be nice, but I doubt it."

"So now that we're stuck inside all day long what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. Read?"

"I'm always down for a good book, but come on, you can read any day."

At a total loss Connor sought some advice from Hank on how to keep his mind busy during the rainy day. "What do you recommend then?"

"Why don't you go into the kitchen and go through all those groceries we've gathered in the past couple of months, and go ahead and figure out what you like and dislike?"

"...You want me to just eat all day?"

"Not necessarily, but it'd be a good time to figure out what you do and don't like without having to worry about anything else today."

"I suppose that makes sense." Turning to look at the kitchen Connor made his way back in the small room that reeked of wet dog, and still had water all over the linoleum floor. "It's been a while since I've cooked anything. I might as well try a few new recipes."

"Sure." Following after Connor he watched as the younger detective began checking through the refrigerator and cupboards to check on the various possible ingredients he could use to cook with. "I never really made anything complicated myself, but I think you can handle it. You were a pretty damn good cook as a deviant, so I think you'll be even better now that you're human again."

"Maybe." Connor pulled an old paper cookbook out of the cupboard and checked through the worn-out yellowing pages, and found a recipe that looked interesting enough to try. "...What about lasagna? I've never made one, and I don't think this is something I ever ate as a kid."

"Knock yourself out, son. If you're going to cook I'm not going to complain about what you want to make for dinner."

"...Right." Taking note of the recipe and the already gathered ingredients Connor made his decision. "It seems like we have everything we need in the cupboards already."

"Yeah. Ever since you came back to me a human I've had to double-up on the groceries and keep more than cheap frozen dinners and dog treats in the kitchen. Kinda' nice to not fall back on leftovers or take-out every night."

"...I hope those dog treats you mentioned for solely for Sumo."

"Smartass."

From where he was staning Connor gave Hank an odd tilt of his head as he began gathering what he needed to begin cooking from the cupboards. "I'll be sure to pay for my half of the groceries."

"Don't worry about paying me back, kid. Just don't burn down the kitchen, alright?"

"That's fair."

"I'll be reading in the livingroom if you need anything. Oh, and I'll keep Sumo from trying to beg while you're cooking."

"Thanks. He's a good companion but too big to have in the kitchen."

Left alone to his task in the kitchen Connor found it rather easy to get every together, but learning how to use his sense of taste when it came to using spices and overall ingredients was something he needed to relearn. While preparing everything Connor would take a small taste of everything, almost like when he needed to run an analysis in realtime at crime scenes, but far less disturbing since he was sampling all things edible and not blood or Thirium.

After identifying the correct spices required in the recipe and isolating the spices that were more potent than the other, he began putting the recipe together.

Careful to not burn himself on the hot stove or make a mess Connor double-checked everything at his disposal and set the pans out to put everything together. As he checked one of the pans he read over a little details regarding a 'trick' to help keep pans from getting stained and keeping food from sticking by using coconut oil to grease the pan.

"Curious." Noting that there was a jar of coconut oil in the small cupboard holding baking supplies Connor retrieved the jar and opened the lid. Unsure if the oil would affect the flavor of the overall meal Connor put a smear of the oil on his fingertips to taste it, and was immediately revolted by the taste. "...Bitter." He mumbled as he spit the small mouthful into the sink and washed off his hands in the sink. "No. I won't be using that."

Ten minutes after creating the rich tomato sauce and placing the pain on the stove to simmer for an hour or two Connor returned to the livingroom and sat down on the couch next to Sumo, and put his right hand on Sumo's ears.

"The kitchen is still intact," Hank joked as he looked away from the old movie on the television screen to glance at Connor. "that's a good sign."

"If I didn't accidentally burn down the house while I was a deviant I won't do it as a human."

"I certainly hope so."

Settling on the couch Connor began dragging his right fingernails over his left arm as it rested over Sumo's head, and he sighed with boredom. "What's this movie? I've never seen before."

"It's an old one from- Stop scratching."

"Huh?"

"Your arm." The senior detective pointed at Connor as the younger detective absentmindedly tore into his own skin. "It's annoying."

"Oh." Casually Connor stopped scratching his right arm and absentmindedly began scratching the left side of his neck instead. "Sorry."

"And your neck!"

"...Sorry." Dropping his hand from his neck Connor began to fidget a little where he sat.

"Are you okay? You look a little uncomfortable."

"I'm just-" Glancing down at his right arm Connor suddenly noticed that there were small pink welts forming on his skin, right where he had been scratching seconds before. "Oh. Damn it."

"What?"

"I'm breaking out into hives."

"Hives?" Walking over to the couch Hank lightly took Connor's right arm in his left hand and looked at the affected limb. Moving his attention to Connor's neck Hank saw the same hives forming on his skin right there as well. "Ah, man. What're you allergic to?"

"...I suspect coconut."

"Coconut? How'd you come into contact with coconut?"

"The small jar of coconut oil in the cupboard. I had considered using it to keep the pans from sticking, but the flavor wasn't compatible."

"You're damn right it's not. Gross."

"I washed my hands and spit it out after I tasted it."

"Go brush your teeth to make sure you don't have any of it still in your mouth. There should be some Benadryl in the medicine cabinet, too."

Awkwardly Connor got up from the couch, his clothes now smelling like the wet dog he had been sitting next to, and proceeded to rinse out his mouth with the drinking glass in the bathroom. Checking over his skin and finding more small pink and red hives forming steadily over his body Connor proceeded to wash off his hands a second time to ensure he got all of the oil off his skin, and got right under his fingernails for good measure.

"How bad is it?" Hank asked as he leaned against the opened doorway of the bathroom and watched as Connor endured his newly discovered allergy.

"Not serious. I'm not suffering any anaphylaxis or stomach problems, just hives."

"Everywhere?"

Pulling up his black t-shirt Connor noted the hives forming over his stomach and chest and nodded slowly. "Apparently so."

"Use some of the calamine lotion under the sink, too. Take care of yourself and I'll make sure nothing burns in the kitchen."

"Right. Sure."

Locating two tablets of Benadryl in the medicine cabinet Connor quickly took a dose of the anti-inflammatory medication, and hoped it'd ease the allergic reaction he was suffering. Using the calamine lotion from beneath the sink to quell the itching of the hives Connor sighed, noticing the small blemishes now forming on his face in the mirror's reflection, and applied a generous layer to stop the itching before it started.

"Damn it." Removing his glasses Connor pressed the lotion to his face and covered every hive he could see. "I wish that allergen screening at the hospital included coconut. I should have another allergy screening for rare allergens in a few months."

Replacing his glasses over his eyes Connor walked back into the kitchen and sat at the table as he pressed his head into the palm of his right hand, and leaned against his arm. He already felt miserable and a little embarrassed, even though there was no reason to feel such a way. Doing his best to not scratch at his raw skin Connor stayed perfectly still and watched as Hank finished checking the pot of sauce on the stove.

"You okay?" Hank asked without even looking back at Connor as he stirred the sauce.

"I'm itchy and I want to tear off my skin."

"So, that's a 'no'."

"I wish I still had the ability to turn off the pain receptors in my skin."

"Give that medicine a few minutes to kick in. If anything it'll knock you out and you'll sleep through the worst of it."

"That'd be more than welcome."

"If it helps you feel any better," putting the lid back down on the pot Hank turned around to face Connor and crossed his arms casually over his chest as he leaned up against the countertop behind him. "I can confirm that the sauce you made tastes pretty damn good."

"Thanks."

"How in the fuck are you such a good cook? When you were a deviant I chalked it up to androids having infinite access to cooking tips and recipes, but now that I know you were once a human, and a human again, I'm beginning to think you're just a natural cook."

Connor sighed a little as he leaned back in his chair as he tried to give Hank an appreciative glance. "I hope that it turns out properly when it's all finished."

"You look like that Benadryl is already making you tired."

"...I must be a lightweight." He joked with a faint grin on his face as he let out a small yawn.

"Yeah. Or a kid still healing from a two year long coma. Go lay down in your room, NOT on the wet dog smelling couch."

"Good idea."

Standing up from the table Connor covered his mouth as he let out another sleepy yawn and proceeded to walk into his bedroom to sleep through the worst of his allergic reaction. Placing his glasses down on the nightstand beside the bed he plopped down face first onto his bed, and was asleep in seconds. Four hours passed and Connor was startled awake by a deafening rumble of thunder shaking the house and making the windows rattle.

Sumo went barrelling into the bedroom and dove under the bed in fear of the storm.

Running his left hand over his face Connor sat up in his bed and glanced about the dim bedroom somewhat confusedly, then the memory of the allergy and sleep inducing Benadryl popped into his head.

"It's okay, Sumo." Connor stated in a groggy voice as he grabbed his glasses and knelt on the floor beside his bed. Reaching his right hand underneath the bed he rubbed Sumo's chin for a moment before getting back up. "It's just a storm."

The smell of the tomato sauce that Connor had made was filling the house and it made Connor feel hungry. "I take it the sauce didn't burn while I was sleeping." He asked as he made his way back into the kitchen casually to finish his recipe.

"Nope." Hank confirmed as he stirred the pot on the stove again and glanced at Connor over his shoulder. "Your face has cleared up already."

"Yeah." Pressing his right hand to the side of his face gently he realized the hives were gone, and his face was no longer itching him. "I guess I'm still a quick healer."

"Feel better?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"Good. Finish making your lasagna and then relax on the couch. Tomorrow the weather will be better, but we'll also be back on the clock."

"As long as I don't have to deal with any rogue coconuts I think I'll be okay." Connor made his way over to the stove and proceeded to finish the final steps in the recipe. "Thanks for keeping an eye on things for me while I was asleep."

"Sure, kid. I'm not going to expect you to keep doing something after you get sick or some shit."

"...I know." Connor felt a little guilty for making it seem like Hank being kind to him was a rare gesture. "I guess those childhood memories were a little more unsettling than I realized."

"Have you ever gone to see a therapist for that stuff when you got emancipated?"

"I did after I graduated high school. All the therapist told me to do was forgive my fa- my mother's husband, but what he did to me if unforgivable. Even when I mentioned how he killed my mother I was still told to forgive him."

Hank wanted to offer his own opinion on the matter but decided against it. His own father was a very kind patient man who never struck him, and rarely raised his voice to him. The same could be said for his mother. She was as kind, patient, very loving and encouraging throughout his entire childhood. Unlike Connor, who had been raised by a demon from Hell without a mother, Hank had two very good parents who gave him a loving home to grow up in.

Fortunately Connor had changed the subject himself as he placed the now full pan in the oven. "It'll be another hour before it's done."

"Cool. Next time we have a day off I'll make something new for you to try since you cooked tonight."

"You don't have to make new recipes just because of me."

"No, but I want to. I've been in a dietary rut for years now. This is the perfect time to get out of it."

Connor nodded as a flash of lighting illuminated the backyard and made him turn to look at the storm through the kitchen window. The storm was continuing to rage, and the rain was relentless. "Sumo is going to make the whole house smell if he goes back out in that rain."

"Yup. Don't worry about that, just take a minute to actually enjoy your day off doing nothing. _Relax for once_."

"...Okay. I'll go lay down on the couch."

"The one that smells like Sumo?"

Pausing for a moment as he entered the livingroom Connor contemplated Hank's question and decided on an alternative activity. "...Maybe I'll go take a shower then and change into clothes that don't smell like wet dog."

"Good idea."

With Connor now out of the room and taking a shower Hank returned to his laptop in the corner of the livingroom and began typing a few details out regarding Connor's current progress of health, making sure to have his allergy to coconut placed in his medical records, then resumed his private search into Connor's traumatic childhood. There were a few more questions he wanted answered out of his own curiosity and a strange instinct telling him to keeping looking for something.

What that something was he didn't know.

The timer on the oven beeped loudly in the kitchen and Hank got up to take the finished meal out before it burned. As he placed the hot pan down on the counter Connor walked out of the bathroom and ran a towel over his wet hair.

"It's done." Hank confirmed as he turned off the oven and noted how perfect the lasagna turned out. It looked like a picture you'd see in a distinguish cooking journal. "Looks like you mastered the art of cooking without even needing to try."

"That's good to hear." Checking over his finished recipe Connor was happy with the ending result. "Isn't there a game on television tonight?"

"It got rained out. But there's always a cheesy movie we can laugh at if you're interested."

"Sure." Connor grabbed a couple of plates from the cupboard and let out a weary sigh. The look in his eyes spoke volumes of how emotionally exhausting the past few months had been, but the exhaustion he still carried from his childhood was still present in his heart. "I could use a good laugh right about now."

"Yeah, kid." Empathizing with his son's emotional pain Hank put his right hand on the younger man's right shoulder firmly to help him feel more ground. "I know it."

_**-next chapter-**_


	11. Nightmares and Memories

Groggy and feeling a little sluggish Connor sat behind his terminal screen with his half-dollar coin dancing over the knuckles of his right hand, as he stifled a sleepy yawn with his left hand. The case reports were filed and the afternoon had been uneventful, which in turn left the curious young man's mind disinterested and free to think about everything around him. The lack of activity in the bullpen had proven to be more mentally distracting than any of the previous cases he had handled as a deviant, and more of a challenge in trying to focus on his tasks now that he was a human again.

"Connor, why don't you clock-out early?" Hank suggested as he studied the exhausted expression on the younger man's face. "You look like you're bored out of your skull."

"I am bored. But that doesn't mean I can just leave." Yawning again Connor leaned back in his chair and pocketed his coin. "A case might come in soon."

"Kid, don't think you need to rush back into cases just because you were gone for a while."

"I'm not rushing. I just want to get back into a routine."

"Right, sure."

Departing from his private office Captain Fowler walked over to the two desks and placed a tablet down in front of Connor. "Gotta' case for you check through. A deviant was found unconscious outside of a facility with his left arm missing. No suspects on the assault, and he's afraid to talk to the police."

"...I can't exactly connect with deviants anymore, but I'll try."

"That's all I ask. He's at the facility on Tenth Street."

"I'll get on it." Rising from his desk Connor memorized the address and was joined by Hank who happily joined him as they made their way toward the front precinct doors. "This might be a challenge."

"Since when have _you_ ever shied away from a challenge, kid?"

* * *

The facility felt so foreign to Connor now that he couldn't cybernetically connect with anyone or anything inside the android unique building. No one gave Connor a second glance as he walked through the receptionist area, down the corridor and was shown to the recovery wing of the emergency repair bay where the victim was sitting with a newly replaced left arm still being calibrated. The deviant technician, Barry, was keeping close tabs on the victimized deviant's condition, but didn't react to the two detectives who were there to professional conduct an interview.

"Hello." Connor introduced himself to the victim in a calm voice. The deviant was an AX-700 model with blond hair and green eyes, going under the name of 'Seth'. "I'm Sergeant Connor Wolf, and this is Lieutenant Hank Anderson. We're here to investigate the assault you had suffered at ten-fifteen this morning."

"...Don't bother." Seth's voice was dour and already full of cynicism. "You'll never catch him."

"Why's that, Seth?"

"Because it was a human who assaulted me."

"That doesn't mean their crime against you should go unanswered. Please," remaining civil and empathetic Connor tried to urge the deviant to speak up and tell him what had happened. "speak with me. I know you must've seen the person who did this you. Can you give me a description?"

"...It won't matter."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he tried again. "It does matter and I will make it matter."

"Why?"

"Because you're alive."

"You're just saying that to get me to cooperate."

"No, I'm saying that because it's true. You can think," Connor stated in a confident tone as he refused to back down. "you can feel and you can dream. You're a living, breathing entity that has been given equal rights to that of humans. You must exercise these rights and stand up for yourself."

"...Why do you care?"

"Because I know what it's like."

"No, you don't. You're-"

"I know what it's like to have people stop and stare when I pass by. Like my very presence was an intrusion and a mistake that needed to be corrected." Sitting down in the chair beside the recovery bed Connor made himself eye level with the victim and spoke to him kindly. "I know what it's like to feel like my existence was a crime and that the only way to feel atone for that crime was to die. To feel different."

Feeling despondent Seth looked at Connor with a layer of tears forming over his green eyes.

"Right now you feel like asking for any acknowledgment of your person is just an inconvenience and a waste of time. You think that the rights you were given were nothing more than a hollow gesture given solely as a weak attempt for the government to atone for their past indiscretions, and that your rights are a false front."

"...How do you know what I'm feeling?"

"As I said before, I know what it's like." Reaching out hisright hand Connor took hold of the deviant's replaced left forearm in a gentle grip. "I can't connect with you on a cybernetic level, but I can reach you face to face. If my word isn't enough ask Markus. He's my friend and he'll vouch for my character and the sincerity of my attempts to bring you justice."

Seth stared at Connor for only a moment before he closed his eyes and cybernetically reached out to Markus. A minute of silence passed by before the deviant's eyes reopened, and he returned his gaze to Connor. "...You_ do_ know what it's like."

Nodding quietly Connor passed a small electronic notepad over to the deviant and waited for him to accept it. "Give us a description and all the details you can. Then go to New Jericho Tower and they'll keep you safe while we investigate."

"...Okay, Connor. I'll give you all the information I can."

"Thank you, Seth."

Hank watched in quiet approval as the deviant interfaced with the electronic pad with his exposed right palm, and uploaded a memory of the person who assaulted him into the pad and gave all the details he could possibly provide. Once the information had been gathered, and a statement had been provided along with the information giving a full account of the horrible incident that had nearly killed the innocent deviant and taken his left arm, Connor and Hank took their leave of the facility to allow the victim to rest.

"You did great back there, Connor."

"I just did my job."

"You reached a victim who was too afraid to talk to the police. That's impressive."

"...I know what it's like to be a deviant _and_ a victim." The reply was as somber as it was honest as it passed Connor's lips. "I was merely being empathetic."

Whether Connor was referring to his time as a deviant or a victim of child abuse Hank couldn't be certain.

"Come on. Let's go file that report so we can head on home for the night." Hank knew that Connor was tired, and him now realizing it'd be more difficult for him to connect with deviants who were the victims of crimes was only going to make him feel worse. "I'm ready to kick off my shoes and relax."

Connor didn't say anything more as the duo headed back to the precinct with their current case showing promise, and eager to finish their final report for the night. It was a bittersweet moment as the interview was a success, but seeing the fear and the continued prejudice against deviants made Connor's human heart sink empathetically.

"You okay?" Noticing the dark bags under Connor's eyes and his slower gait Hank could see the younger detective was quite tired. As they reached the car parked out in front of the facility Hank pressed gently for some answers. "You look like you didn't sleep or something."

"...I had a little trouble staying asleep last night."

"Nightmares?"

Hesitating for only a moment Connor confirmed the question and let out a weary sigh as he opened his passenger side door and sat down in the front seat with a heavy slump. "...Yeah."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No." Closing his eyes Connor leaned back and listened to Hank fastening his seatbelt and turning over the engine of the vehicle. "I'll be okay, Hank."

"Sure, kid." Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street Hank decided to let the matter drop for a moment. "I know you will."

* * *

The following morning Connor was just as exhausted as he had been the day before and was struggling to remain awake as he attempted to go about his routine as normally as possible. The nightmares were relentless and the lack of activity at the precinct made his already waning attention span wear thin, but there was nothing more he could do until an intriguing case came him way. Fighting to keep his heavy eyes open Connor reclaimed his coin and began to dance it over his right knuckles as a means of keeping alert.

"Well, look at that." Hank motioned to the front doors of the precinct as Gavin returned after his two week suspension finally came to an end. "The asshole returns."

Wearily Connor glanced in Gavin's general direction and sighed with irritation. "...I'm not in the mood to deal with him."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that for a while, son. You knocked him flat on his ass and scared the shit out of him. If he's smart he'll steer clear of you for the next few months."

Watching Gavin from the corner of his eye Connor tracked the angry Sergeant's every movement as he made his way to Captain Fowler's office to report to his shift. Even though he was no longer android Connor was still able to perfectly read lips and knew that the conversation between Gavin and Captain Fowler went along the lines of Gavin never trying to start fights again or he'd be fired, and to leave Connor alone unless he wants to be suspended for a full month and have his pay permanently docked.

It was also worth noting that despite the distance Connor could still see the fading bruise around Gavin's left eye, and noted that his nose was still slightly swollen from being broken two weeks prior. To say the least Gavin looked as pained as he was bitter.

"Hey." Hank snapped his left fingers twice to get Connor's attention. "Don't stare like that. It's weird."

"Sorry."

"Fuck," the senior detective saw the glaze in Connor's soulful brown eyes and the even darker bags forming under those very eyes as he sat across from him at his own desk. "you didn't sleep again, did you?"

"I did, but not well."

"You need to find a way to deal with your nightmares, kid."

"I'm trying to cope with them, but it's difficult."

"I offered to talk about it yesterday and the offer still stands."

"...I know you're trying to help me." Connor sighed a little as his right hand fumbled and almost lost his control over his coin. "It's just... you don't know what it's like to have been raised in a place like I was."

Sighing himself Hank crossed his arms before himself and leaned against them over top his desk. "You're right, I don't."

"It'll be fine. I have the day off tomorrow, so I can sleep in and deal with the nightmares on my own time."

"Okay, kid. Whatever you say."

The door to Captain Fowler's office opened as Gavin quietly departed from the private space, and went out of his way to avoid Connor and Hank's desks as he made his way over to his own desk across from Tina. It was clear that Gavin was still a little freaked out by Connor now being a human, and without an android to pick on and bully; or at least have someone to pick on who wouldn't fight back, the Sergeant was on edge and not wanting to make even the slightest mistake.

Slowly Hank rose from his desk and made his way toward the breakroom. "I need some coffee."

"Could you get me-"

"No way, kid." Hank stopped him before he even had the chance to ask. "You're only twenty-four. I'm not letting you get an early start on a caffeine addiction."

"...Alright, that's fine. I probably wouldn't like the taste anyway."

"Just keep telling yourself that, kid. The longer you put off needing coffee the better."

* * *

As the day went by slowly and rather uneventfully Hank was summoned to deal with an arrested 'red ice' dealer in interrogation while Connor went out to perform a follow-up interview at New Jericho Tower with the previous day's deviant victim. There was little progress on the investigation beyond the victim's statement, but since Connor was keeping true to his word and working to identify the human who attacked him, the victim didn't mind. Seth was appreciative of Connor's dedication and willingness to keep putting in time and effort to bring his assailant to justice, even if it was a slow and seemingly helpless process.

Driving back to the precinct Connor felt himself becoming drowsy but he wasn't falling asleep behind the wheel. As he pulled back into the parking garage next to the precinct he noticed Gavin sitting inside his own car in a neighboring parking space, and that the Sergeant was fumbling with a small syringe in his left arm. Connor only stared for a moment before he went on his way toward the precinct to return to the bullpen.

Gavin sensed that someone had been watching him and panicked a little when he heard a car door slam shut and realized it was Connor. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

The young detective had passed through the receptionist area and made his way through the bullpen by the time Gavin had caught up to him.

As Connor made his way into the breakroom to get himself a cup of water, maybe something else to help him stay awake, Gavin spoke up in a nervous tone as he tried to make it look like he wasn't even talking to Connor to begin with. "...Hey, uh, when'd you get back?"

"Don't worry about it, Gavin." Connor replied firmly as he poured himself the water into a small paper cup and took a sip. "I won't say anything."

"Anything about what?" The Sergeant asked defensively as if he had a precious secret to guard.

"Your medical condition is no one else's concern and is a private matter."

"Whoa, what?" Gavin resisted the urge to grab onto Connor's shirt collar as he pressed for more information. He needed to know what Connor knew. "What condition is that?"

"Diabetes. I recognized the syringe as one used for insulin injection." Connor answered calmly as he tossed his paper cup into the recycling bin. "Why?"

"...Because some people seeing a cop sitting in their car with a needle in their arm might assume something else."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"Don't worry about it. Just don't-"

"Gavin, I honestly don't care." Rubbing his hands over his tired eyes Connor stepped out of the breakroom and back to his desk. "Let me alone to work."

Watching as Connor walked away Gavin hung back in the breakroom and sighed a little as he rubbed his right hand over the bend in his left arm where his injection mark still stung a little.

Exhausted and unable to properly rest Connor was on the verge of losing his patience with himself. He hated feeling tired. He hated feeling bored. He hated feeling like he wasn't in control over his body because he was tired all the time and unable to sleep without nightmares plaguing him. He just hated feeling so mortal and vulnerable.

Leaning against his desk top with his arms folded folded together Connor sighed and bowed his head forward as he closed his tired eyes for a moment.

Walking back to his own desk after finishing the interrogation Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and held it there for a moment. "You're about to pass out at your desk. We're going home."

"I'm okay, Hank. I can-"

"Kid. Don't make me pull rank on you."

Feeling a little on edge Connor got up from his chair very sluggishly and logged off his terminal before turning off the screen for the night. Walking with Hank at his right side Connor felt like his eyes were burning and heavy from fatigue. Moving mostly on autopilot Connor made his way over the passenger side of the car and took his seat, while Hank sat behind the wheel. Slowly Connor fished the car keys from his pocket and handed them over to the senior detective before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.

"Don't fall asleep just yet, Connor." Hank turned over the engine and backed the car out of the garage to get back to the street. "I don't want to carry you if I can help it."

"...I'm awake. I'm just resting my eyes."

"Uh-huh. What did Gavin want?"

"Hm?" Connor turned his head a little and cracked his eyelids back open.

"I saw him follow you into the breakroom and no punches were thrown. What's up?"

"Oh. I saw him using a syringe to adjust his insulin levels upon my return to the garage, and wanted to know if I was going to say anything."

"Why would you?"

"I suspect he's worried that someone would see him as a 'junkie' for hiding in his vehicle to give himself the necessary injection."

"I think Gavin is under the delusion that anyone else gives a single flying-fuck what he does when he's not in the bullpen."

Barely able to resist sleep Connor closed his eyes again, and crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to get more comfortable in his seat. "It's unfortunate that he feels so defensive about a medical condition. There's nothing wrong with being diabetic."

"Well, some people are more private than other people about that kind of shit."

Nodding in agreement Connor focused on the gentle swaying of the car as Hank drove back home and pulled into the driveway beside the house. Connor was barely awake enough to open up the passenger side door, but managed to do so without only moderate difficulty. Removing his seatbelt with an audible 'click' the groggy younger detective followed Hank inside the house through the backdoor, sidestepping around Sumo, and made his way down the hallway and into the bathroom to get rid of his burning contact lenses before going to bed early for the night.

It only took him a moment to change out of his uniform and get into his night clothes, and it took even less time to lay down and fall asleep in the comfort of his own bed. As he drifted off Connor's stress over the day came to an end, but his fears of the night were only just beginning.

Hank himself had quietly retired to the livingroom with a good book to read and had Sumo sprawled out on the couch next to him. As he finished his current chapter a loud muttering sound followed by a sharp "Stop!" filled the house and made Hank look over his left shoulder and down the hallway leading toward the bedrooms.

As Hank moved Sumo got up and grumbled audibly as he jumped down from the couch and made his way right to Connor's opened bedroom doorway. "Shit, Connor? What's wrong?"

There was no further answer or words spoken.

Entering the bedroom through the partially opened bedroom door Hank saw that Connor was sitting upright in his bed with his left hand pressed to his sweaty face. His entire body was shaking and he was breathing rapidly as if he had just run a solid mile.

"Connor?" Locating the light switch on the wall beside the doorway Hank turned on the light and walked over to the bed. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Blinking a few times to adjust to the sudden bright light in the bedroom Connor answered in a low voice. "Bad dream."

"Again?" Looking down at Connor from the doorway Hank waited for the younger man to look up at him, but he wasn't budging. "Kid, this has to stop."

"I-I know." Dropping his hand from his face Connor took in a deep calming breath and glanced up at Hank with wide eyes. "I know. I'm... working on it."

"Shit." Putting his right hand to Connor's forehead Hank felt how warm he had become during his sleep and was getting worried. "Are you sick?"

"No. I just... It was a_ really_ bad dream."

"I'll say. Go shower off and meet me in the kitchen."

"What? Why?"

"We need to talk, son. I don't want you driving yourself crazy from a lack of sleep."

Running his right hand through his sweaty hair Connor got out of his bed, his legs still trembling with residual fear, and made his way into the bathroom to shower off his cold sweat. It only took a few minutes to warm up and stop shaking in the shower, but by the time he got out to the kitchen as Hank requested he found himself facing the senior detective as if in the middle of an interrogation.

Already sitting at the kitchen table Hank invited Connor over to sit with him so they can talk. "Sit."

"...Are you mad?"

"No! For fuck sake, why do-" Stopping himself before he said anything he'd regret Hank just motioned to the chair on the opposite side of the table of himself and repeated the order. "Sit."

"...Okay."

As Connor obediently took the offered chair Hank leaned forward against the top of the kitchen table to look the younger deviant in the eyes. "Talk."

"Hank, there's nothing to talk about. I told you everything that my... That 'he' did to me as a child. There's nothing left to say."

"What about your nightmares? What do you see?"

Shaking his head a little Connor answered honestly. "'Him'. And he's always angry with me."

"What does he do to you in your nightmares?"

"He hits me. Like always. And I run from him and try to hide, but he always finds me."

"Does he say anything?"

"All he does is yell at me and threaten me. I hear his voice getting louder and closer until he finds me and starts hitting me."

"And that's when you wake up?"

"...Usually, yeah."

"_Usually_? Sometimes you keep dreaming?"

Connor's shoulders hunched up and he crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "...Sometimes I don't wake up when he starts hitting me. Sometimes I only wake up after he... In my dreams," his eyes brown eyes looked away from Hank and stared at the floor with unspoken fear. "he manages to finally kill me."

Tensing up at the comment Hank wanted to reach out toward Connor and give him a hug, but refrained as Connor was still a little jumpy. "You know he can't hurt you anymore, right?"

"I know. He's dead, and I'm alive. I'm_ still_ alive. I'll never see him again, and yet he still manages to show up in my nightmares."

"I wish I knew what to do to help with your nightmares, but I still have my own I need to deal with."

"We all have our own demons. The only thing that changes is the faces we give to those demons."

"Yup. That's for damn sure."

Rubbing the heels of his palms to his tired eyes Connor let out a weary sigh as he decided it was time to try to go back to sleep again. "...I'm very tired."

"I hear ya'. Go back to bed and try to sleep. Remember, nothing will hurt you."

"I'll try." As he rose from the table Connor paused and gave Hank a grateful stare. "Thank you for being patient with me."

"That's what fathers do, son."

"I guess..."

As Connor disappeared around the corner of the hallway and back into his room Hank felt a paternal pain like he was failing to protect his son. Someone he had chosen to take care of and guide through life, rather than merely fulfill a biological responsibility. He was unable to protect Cole from the cruelty of life, but he would be damned if he failed to protect Connor or Lucas and repeat his past failure.

* * *

It was another less than restful night as Connor's phone buzzed annoyingly beside his bed on the nearby nightstand. Picking up the phone with his tired right hand Connor glanced at the phone's display screen and read that the caller I.D. was from Captain Fowler. Realizing it was a call he couldn't ignore Connor answered the call in a groggy voice. The details Captain Fowler relayed were simple but the case itself was serious.

"...Shit. I'll be right in, sir."

Ending the call Connor quickly changed into a clean uniform and met Hank in the livingroom.

The senior detective had just returned from taking Sumo for a walk and wasn't expecting to see Connor in his work uniform. "What gives? Did you score some overtime?"

"Yeah. There's a suspected arm's dealer in town and Captain Fowler requested my assistance."

"Arms dealers? That's Gavin's expertise."

"Tina had a family emergency and couldn't arrive for her shift. I'm taking her place."

"So you have to work with Gavin?"

Tightening the knot of his black tie Connor sighed deeply and gave Hank a displeased glance. "...Yes."

"Are ya' going to hit him again?"

"I hope not.'

"Well, if you do take a picture of his busted face for me." Hank unclipped the leash from Sumo's collar and watched as Connor took the car keys from the bookshelf on the wall behind him to take for himself. "And don't touch any coffee! Not until you're at least thirty."

"Is that professional advice?"

"It's _good_ advice, kid."

"I'll be back later tonight." Adjusting the collar of his white dress shirt around the tie Connor gave Hank a confident nod as he opened the front door to head out to the precinct. "And I will refrain from striking Gavin unless it becomes _absolutely_ necessary."

* * *

The case that had been assigned to Gavin quickly progressed into that of a stake-out in the depths of the industrial district of the city in an attempt to locate the dangerous suspects. The arms dealer was reportedly seen in the area but a confirmation was required before any search or arrest warrants could be granted. As much as it annoyed Gavin to have to work with Connor for a few hours the short-tempered Sergeant knew better than to try to argue with Captain Fowler, or try to get out of his assignment after returning from a lengthy suspension.

Gavin parked his car along the street of the questionable warehouse and turned off the engine. Fussing with his cup of lukewarm coffee in the cup holder to his right he stared up at the building through the windshield, and took a sip of the bitter drink before putting it back in the cup holder beside him.

Sitting up front beside the abrasive detective Connor remained quiet in his seat, his right fingertips scratching at the short, dark stubble growing on his chin and upper lip courtesy of his lack of shave that morning.

"So, uh..." Gavin broke the tense silence in the car with a calm voice. "How long have you been you know... human?"

"Long enough."

"Come on, don't do that short answer bullshit with me."

"I'd rather focus on our assignment than talk."

"Dude, come on."

Connor turned to give Gavin an annoyed stare briefly before returning to the warehouse through the windshield and resumed his observation. "...What do you want to know?"

"First off... Fucking HOW?"

"It's a long story and you wouldn't understand it."

"Then simplify it for me you smartass. I'm dying of curiosity."

"I was born a human." Connor stated in a firm, almost condescending tone of voice. "Went into a coma for two years. Had my consciousness transferred into my android body. And then had my consciousness transferred back and woke up from the coma."

"...That's some 'Freaky-Friday' shit going on right there." Gavin kept staring at Connor's face as if trying to make sure he was staring at the right person. The subtle facial hair and tried bags under his eyes did make Connor look human, but he was still behaving fairly deviant in nature. "So you're really human?"

"Yes."

"Fuck, man. Why?"

Turning to look back at Gavin with an arched brow Connor sought elaboration. "Why what?"

"Why'd you go back to being a human? You had superpowers compared to a human when you were an android. And you didn't have to deal all the bullshit problems that come with being a human; getting hurt, getting sick, getting old and dying, dealing with emotions... heartbreak."

"As it turns out I'm not a fan of being discriminated against, and I wanted to remember my life before I was an android."

"Oh... Sure." Gavin was still uneasy, mainly because he had tried to fight with Connor for no real reason, and now he wanted to atone for it because he genuinely felt guilty. Something about seeing Connor as the very kid that Hank had seen since day one was incredibly humbling. "...So who were you before you were an android?"

Connor's voice dropped and he refused to look at Gavin anymore, instead focusing on the floor mat beneath his shoes. "...It doesn't matter."

Gavin stopped staring and slunk back in his seat. The sound of Connor's tone gave Gavin unexpected insight. "...I guess we're not so different after all."

Furrowing his brow a little Connor finally turned to look at Gavin with intrigue now in his words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he spoke softly as he dragged his left fingertips over the scar on his nose and flinched a little as his still healing broken nose ached every so often as it healed. "we're both from broken and fucked up families."

"How did- What makes you say that?"

"You became human all over again after... I don't know how long, and instead of going to see your old family or your old friends you go right back to the precinct and resume being the Lieutenant's partner. Either you don't care, which I highly doubt, or the people in your life never cared about you."

"...It doesn't matter anymore. I'm over that part of my life."

"Yeah, sure." Gavin's fingertips continued to trace over the scar on his nose as he chuckled a little. "That's what we always tell ourselves. But then we remember what we went through for one reason or another, and then the weird things trigger bad memories and feelings, or we get haunted by nightmares and voices."

The revelation made Connor's shoulders slump a little where he sat. "...You have nightmares?"

"Sometimes. Most of the time I just can't sleep, or I end up getting into fights. Not a great habit."

Connor looked away again as he shook his head with empathetic worry. "I don't want to go through that. I'm having enough problems with nightmares."

"Who did it?"

"...Did what?"

"Who knocked you around as a kid?" Dropping his fingers from his face Gavin gave the younger detective a sympathetic stare. "My old man liked to use me as a punching bag. Locked me in closets sometimes, too. Swore at me, got drunk and slapped me around. My mom just watched and ignored it all. That is, until my old man threw me one time too many. When the neighbors called the cops she had no choice but to answer for it."

The sad story had Connor's full attention. "...What happened to your parents?"

"Well, my old man died a lonely drunk in the gutter and my mom's locked up in a mental asylum. They, uh, they were never the most attentive parents but when my kid sister died they got way, WAY worse. Hard to believe it, but I'm the only sane one in that family."

"...Your sister?"

Taking a deep breath Gavin steadied his voice and stared straight ahead through the windshield as he spoke. "When I was fourteen me and my kid sister went swimming at the community pool that summer. She was eight years old and she was my shadow everywhere I went. It was also the same summer that the city decided to replace human lifeguards with android lifeguards to 'improve efficiency', and show off progress for the future."

"Something happened that day at the pool. Didn't it?"

"Yeah... Something very bad happened." Rubbing his left hand over his chin Gavin took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. "There was a bug no one expected and the damn early model of android lifeguard overheated, and shutdown without ANYONE noticing... My sister... She wasn't a strong swimmer and she tried to go out into the deep end of the pool when I wasn't looking. She... She drowned. And the damn lifeguard was busted. Kim never had a chance, and I didn't notice she was at the bottom of the pool until a small group of adults began panicking and worked together to pull Kimmy out of the water. It was too late to do anything to help her."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? You're not the one who let her drown."

"...No, but I'm still sorry that you were subjected to such a horrible loss when you were so young."

"It wasn't the first, but was one of many shitty days I went through as a kid."

Connor was too timid to ask any more questions. His own childhood wasn't spectacular but he didn't suffer the loss of a sibling, but he was blamed by his father for the death of his mother. Such accusations had a damning affect on his psyche that he still felt despite knowing that what had happened was something beyond his control, something he could never be held accountable for.

"When I was still in high school," Gavin continued on unprovoked in a grim tone. "I spoke to a lot of counselors and 'shrinks', and it helped a little, but sometimes there's just nothing that no one else can say that can undo what someone else has already told you."

"Yeah. I'm aware of this reality."

"When I was a kid my old man would drink. A LOT." The emphasis in the Sergeant's voice was tragically not exaggerated. "And he would try to lash out at my younger sister, but I wouldn't let him. He never hit me because he knew I'd hit back, so he would lock me up inside the hall closet so I couldn't fight back."

The sad revelation made Connor feel genuine sympathy toward the human. He knew the very helpless feeling of being trapped, of being locked up and unable to defend himself. "...How long would he leave you locked away?"

"All day, and sometimes all night. The only time I was ever let out is when my sister would sneak into the hallway and unlock the door for me. Or if my crazy mother needed to get her coat out of the closet; not because she cared about me, only because she needed her damn coat. After Kimmy drowned my parents blamed me for what happened, and things only got worse from there on."

"...Worse?"

Gavin sighed as tears filled his hazel eyes, but he refused to acknowledge them as he sat in his seat and breathed through his building anxiety. "I'd get yelled at just for entering my father's line of sight, or smacked upside the head for even trying to talk. My mom ignored me and started taking all kinds of pills to escape reality while my father drank himself into a violent rage." Rolling up the left sleeve of his jacket Gavin unfastened the watch around his left wrist and held up the back of his wrist for Connor to see. "He broke an empty whiskey bottle and slashed open my hand. He said I deserved to die for what happened to my sister, and that if I were to kill myself... no one would care. He then handed me the broken bottle and told me to go ahead and slit my wrists."

The atrocious remark struck a chord on Connor's empathetic heart. "How could anyone say such an unforgivable thing?"

"Booze helped loosen his tongue."

"When did you leave your parents?" The young detective knew very little about Gavin's past, especially his personal life. "I don't see you staying with them for too much longer."

"I took off when I was fifteen."

"You ran away."

"...No."

"No?"

As his shaking left fingertips traced over his scar once more Gavin let out a sigh. "...One night my old man raised his hand to me so damn hard the neighbors called the cops. He, uh... He threw me against the walls in the livingroom, but, on the fourth slam I missed the wall entirely, and I went through the closed front window."

Connor didn't have anything to say. All he could was sit and listen to the horrible tale as Gavin told him the truth about his past.

"I just remember the sound of breaking glass, a paramedic holding a wad of bandages to my busted up face, and seeing my old man being dragged away in handcuffs. I spent four days in the hospital after getting a massive shard of glass removed from my face, my broken nose getting reset, and my upper lip getting stitched back onto my face."

"...I assumed your scar was the result of an injury you sustained in the line of duty, or during your time at the police academy."

"Yeah, you and everyone else." Dropping his hand from his scar Gavin leaned back until his head was resting against the warm surface of the headrest and closed his eyes. "No. My old man did this. The hospital had some pretty awesome plastic surgeons who put my face back together again with only this one scar left behind. It also helped that the foster family that took me in for a couple years were willing to pay for the surgeries so I wasn't... you know... worse."

"Can I ask what happened to your biological parents?"

"...My mom took enough pills one night when I was nineteen to end up in the hospital and having her stomach pumped. She was put in a psychiatric hospital for observation and still hasn't left. As for my old man," Gavin sighed again and refused to let himself cry despite being obviously upset by the horrible memories. "he got drunk and found me at my old apartment after I graduated from the academy. He decided that I had become a cop just to spite him and so I could look down at him for being a drunk loser. I didn't tell him he was wrong. He threw the first punch, but I wasn't a scared kid anymore. I fought back and everything went red."

"Did you...?"

"No. I didn't finish him off, but I did do a number on him. Out of drunken shame he scampered off into the night with his tail between his legs." Staring off into nothingness Gavin finished the dour story. "Two days later I get a personal visit from my old Captain and he... escorts me to the city to morgue to identify my old man's body."

The comment left Connor feeling sick as he too had the same dishonor of identifying his own father's body when he was seventeen. "Gavin?"

"Turns out after I put him in his place he didn't like where was living. The gutter. And he... put a pistol in his mouth."

Connor was floored by the horrible story. He had never imagined that Gavin had endured such a terrible childhood, and now all of his anger and resentment toward androids made complete sense. Knowing that Gavin would be too proud of himself to acknowledge the need for support Connor refrained from putting his hand to the Sergeant's shoulder out of pure respect. "I'm so sorry, Gavin."

"Don't worry about it. It's over."

Remaining quiet for a moment Connor lowered his own voice as he told Gavin about his own past. "...My father blamed me for my mother's death."

"What?" Gavin was thoroughly curious about the statement, and he too felt his heart ache empathetically. "Why did he... do that?"

"...My mother died during childbirth. And my father let me know that it was because of me she died. And he would remind me every night when he went on his drunken rampages through the house."

"Fuck... So, it was just you and him growing up."

"Yeah. And it was Hell."

"What happened to your old man?"

"...When I was fourteen he threw me from a second floor balcony and broke my right arm." His left hand absentmindedly grabbed onto his right upper arm where the bone had been broken and then surgically repaired seven years ago. "Two cops found me walking the streets that same night after I finally decided that homelessness was preferable to Hell. And my fa- _my mother's sperm donor_," the comment made Gavin smirk a little but he didn't laugh. "was arrested for numerous accounts of assault against a minor. But the judge was a corrupt bastard and his sentence was lessened considerably for reasons I can't explain to this day. I was emancipated and became a ward of the state."

"Man, you skipped foster care entirely?"

"Yeah... I took better care of myself as an emancipated minor than anyone else had ever done. Then three years later he was released early for 'good behavior' and hung himself in the garage back at the house. I was the only one at the funeral."

"Fuck." Gavin was genuinely sympathetic toward Connor's painful childhood. "No wonder you were okay with being an android, and didn't want to go see your family. You don't... have one."

"I _do_ have a family." Connor corrected Gavin in a calm tone. "I have Hank and I have Lucas."

"...Okay, I get the Hank part, but who the hell is Lucas?"

"My brother."

"I thought you-"

"That it's own story, but I do have a little brother. Another android like-" Connor paused for a moment to correct his wording. "that _was_ like me."

"So there's two of you?"

"In a way, yes."

"That's good. At least you're not alone."

Connor fell silent as he agreed with Gavin and put his right hand over his mouth to cover a deep sleepy yawn.

"For what it's worth," the usually closed off Sergeant kept trying to extend an olive branch toward Connor, despite Connor not holding a grudge against him for their past indiscretions. "I am sorry that I punched you."

"...Apology accepted. I'm sorry I broke your nose."

"Wasn't the first time it's been busted. But seriously, I'm sorry."

Connor wanted to remain in silence but his own curiosity could be quite the burden at times. "...Why did you single me out and strike me?"

"...I blamed androids for letting Kimmy drown and because shit got worse for me after she died I just hated all androids. But when I saw you bleeding red it was like a wake-up call. I've seen you bleed blue a few dozen times before that, but never thought of it as actual blood. Red blood coming out an android's face was something I never thought I'd see. And it's like a switch went off inside my head and finally saw blood as blood, regardless of the color. I realized I actually _hurt_ you. I was... I was taking out my aggression on you the same way my old man took out aggression on me. I don't want anything to do with my father and I sure as shit don't want to act like him. Getting suspended was probably the best thing that happened to me, because I went and got some damn help. I now know that turning out like my father is a _choice_, not a destiny."

"You're right. Our fathers chose to treat us the way that they did, just as Hank chose to treat me as an equal and not a tool when I was first assigned to the precinct. In the year that I've know Hank he's treated me more like a son, like a person, than my own father had done my entire life."

"You know," Gavin spoke up again in a more level tone. "a lot of people think Tina got stuck with me as a partner and feel bad for her. Truth is she's like the kid sister I lost, and now I have the chance to do things right. I won't screw up this time and let something bad happen to her."

"...That must be what Hank was experiencing when he took me in."

"I think it's more than just that with you guys. Hank treats you like you're really his kid."

"...I _am_ his kid." Turning a little to look at Gavin again he shrugged his shoulders a little as if brushing off some indifference. "He adopted me, as well as Lucas, about a month ago."

"No shit? So you're really his kid, now." Gavin picked up his coffee and again grimaced at the bitter aftertaste in his mouth. "Now you're officially free of what your biological father ever did to you."

"...Yeah. Hank is a good guy." The younger detective sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He's been very patient with me and has been trying to help me with overcoming my traumatic childhood. There's not much more he can do since some scars are really deep and painful."

"At least he's there for you." The comment made Connor's brow arch a little as he studied Gavin's face while the Sergeant continued his thought. "While every single person on this planet has a mother and father when we're born, we don't always get a mom or a dad to take care of us as we grow up. You," Gavin gave the younger detective a stern glance. "actually have a_ dad_."

Connor looked away from Gavin and stared at the warehouse again in contemplative silence. Gavin was right. Connor had his biological parents as anyone did, and neither of them were there for him as he grew up. It wasn't until he met Hank did he have anyone look over him with a true parental guidance and protective demeanor.

Hank wasn't Connor's_ father_, but he was Connor's_ dad_.

The rest of the stake-out went on quietly and uneventful. Either the tip was inaccurate or the arm's dealer left the city before the police could move in on him. Returning to the precinct just long enough to confirm the lack of progress and calm night the two detectives parted ways with a new found respect for another in tow.

As Connor rubbed his right hand over his tired eyes he turned off his terminal screen and Gavin spoke to him in a level voice while sitting at his own desk a few feet away. "...Don't tell anyone what I said to you."

Connor wanted to ask why, but something about Gavin's demeanor told him that it was a means of keeping his past; his terrible memories, from becoming center stage in a bullpen full of people who were trained to observe and ask questions. Nodding in agreement he rose from his desk and made his way toward the precinct front doors to head home at long last.

Although he was tired Connor wasn't falling asleep just yet. He was determined to make it home and talk to Hank before he fell asleep at long last.

Stumbling through the backdoor of the house Connor was greeted by Sumo and the smell of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen.

Hank was pouring himself a mug of the coffee to start his morning routine when Connor approached him and stared at him with bloodshot, dark eyes. "You look like Hell."

"...I'm tired."

"I take it the stake-out was a bust." Hank sipped at the coffee and put the mug back down on the counter beside him. "Not surprised. Once a tip comes in on an arm's dealer they usually split within the hour."

"Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thank you."

"Uh, for what?"

"For taking me in. For giving me a home and a family."

"What's wrong?" Approaching his adopted son Hank took a good look at Connor's face and could see his exhaustion was physical, mental and now emotional. The kid was a mess. "Did something happen last night?"

"I just... I just realized how different things are, and how it's for the better." Tears began to stream down his face and his voice was shaking. "You're not like 'him', you're not trying to hurt me or blame me, or-"

"Easy! Easy..." Putting both of his hands onto both of Connor's shoulders Hank held the younger man steady as Connor looked like he was about to pass out from stress. "What's happening in your head right now?"

"...I realized that you're my_ dad_. Not just my partner at the precinct, or a guardian, or a friend," he stared at Hank with glazed over irises as if ready to either sob or drop into a dead faint. "you're really my dad."

"Connor, what-"

The younger man suddenly wrapped his arms around Hank and held him tight in a hug as he lost control over his waning emotional resolve and began to cry even harder.

"Whoa... Take it easy, son." Wrapping his own arms around Connor to keep him upright Hank could feel Connor's heart thundering in his chest and knew that the younger man was on the verge of collapsing. "Come on. You need to lay down and sleep."

Silently Connor allowed Hank to guide him out of the the kitchen, down the hallway and into his bedroom. As Hank helped Connor to sit on the edge of the bed Hank slipped off Connor's gray suit jacket and then worked to loosen the black tie around his collar. Afterward he put his hright and on the back of Connor's head and guided him down to the thick fluffy pillow on the bed gently to get some rest.

"...Thanks."

"Take it easy." Hank urged gently as he watched Connor's reactions very carefully. Picking up Connor's right wrist Hank counted the exhausted young detective's pulse and knew the rapid pulse was indicative of extensive fatigue, and his own emotional distress. "You need to get some sleep, okay?"

"Hank, I want you to know I appreciate everything you've done for me." Connor grabbed onto Hank's arm and held tight with his left hand. "You've never hit me or threat-"

"Hey, hey. I told you before that you don't need to worry about that asshole anymore. You're safe here and you don't need to worry about paying me back for anything, or having to do something to maintain your stay. This is your home and you're safe here for as long as you want to be here."

"...Thank you. For everything."

"You're exhausted." Worried about how pale Connor was and the dark bags under his eyes Hank pressed his right hand to Connor's forehead to make sure he wasn't running a low-grade fever or actually getting sick. His skin felt warm but not feverish. "Sleep. I know you don't want to deal with nightmares anymore, but you need to sleep."

"...I don't think I'll have nightmares anymore." Connor let go of Hank's arm and let his left hand rest limply over his own chest. "I'll be okay."

"I know you will, kid." Patting Connor's forehead lightly he retracted his hand and took a step back from the bed. "You finally sleep and then you can tell me what's on your mind later, alright?"

"Alright."

"Good."

Connor sighed a little and let his eyes finally drift shut. As he quickly fell into a much needed deep sleep his entire body relaxed, and his racing pulse began to slow to a much more manageable and calmer rate.

"There, much better. Just like that." Hank whispered as Connor breathed steadily and slowly. His chest fell into a steady rhythm as he dozed off to sleep without any sign of distress. "Rest."

Hank ran his right hand through his gray locks of hair for a moment before he slipped off Connor's shoes for the sleeping man and left the shoes beside the bed. The senior detective then quietly left the bedroom to let Connor alone to rest. Sensing that Connor was still enduring emotional turmoil from his childhood that needed to be taken care of Hank went over to his laptop with his mug of coffee that had been left in the kitchen, to resume his search for details and events in Connor's childhood.

Everything he found lined up with what Connor had already told him, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else there. Something important that would give Connor the closure that he so desperately needed in order to move on from his past and finally have a better future.

"Poor kid. He's way too damn stubborn and too kind for his own good sometimes." As Hank sipped at his coffee Sumo rested his chin atop his right knee and whimpered once sympathetically. "I know, boy. I'm worried too, but he'll be alright." Rubbing his right hand over Sumo's ears Hank looked down at the lovable dog beside him. "If he could survive living with his piece of shit father then he can certainly survive living with us."

_**-next chapter-**_


	12. Mild Setback

A solid week with no nightmares had proven beneficial to Connor's mind and body. Sleeping well through the night and waking up rested had done wonders for the younger detective's stress, and he was having no difficulty in getting back into his routine at the precinct. The bullpen was rather empty as numerous officers had called in sick with the latest bug sweeping through the city, which made it quiet and boring inside the walls of the precinct. Only the occasional cough or sneeze sounded off as the few remaining officers struggled to do their work without getting sick as well.

As Connor worked at his own desk he noticed Hank rubbing his right hand over his throat as if he had some discomfort, and discreetly asked him about it out of trained curiosity. "Hank, is there something wrong with your throat?"

"Just a little dry." Hank cleared his throat a little to ease the raspiness from his voice. "It's fine."

Connor noticed the empty mug of coffee on Hank's side of the desk and inquired about it curiously. "Want some more coffee or water?"

"Nah, it's fine."

"If your throat is dry then getting something to drink will help."

"I'm okay, kid."

Knowing better than that Connor stubbornly went into the breakroom and made two mugs of warm peppermint tea, that particular flavor brought into the breakroom courtesy of Tina when everyone started to get sick, and returned to his desk. As he sipped at one of the mugs himself Connor slid the other toward Hank to try to coax him to drink.

Eyeing the offered drink warily Hank asked about the black colored mug's contents. "Tea?"

"Yes."

"I don't drink tea except for iced sweet tea."

"Have you tried it?"

"Kid, I don't like-"

"If you won't let me drink coffee the least you can do is _try_ drinking warm tea to ease your dry throat."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he put aside his own mug and watched Hank carefully. "Please try it. This is my first attempt at tasting tea and I find it to be quite interesting."

"Why'd you start?"

"Tea is an excellent means of staving off illness and a much healthier alternative to coffee or sugary soft drinks when someone needs to placate their sudden sugary cravings. I find peppermint to be very flavorful."

"Oh..." Hank looked at the steaming mug and picked it up by the handle with his right hand as if afraid it was actually poison. Trying a very small amount Hank's left hand went back to his throat and he outwardly grimaced. "...Ow."

"Your throat_ is_ hurting you, isn't it?"

With a raspy admission Hank replaced the mug of tea to his desk. "...Only a little."

"Chris is sick with strep throat right now, Tina has a mild cold, and Gavin has shown faint signs of a cold as well."

"Connor, I'm not sick."

Reaching his right hand over to Hank's side of the desk Connor quickly took Hank's pulse through his left wrist and felt the unusual amount of heat radiating from the senior detective's skin. "You have a mild elevation in your heart rate and you are running a mild fever."

"I'm fine, kid."

"Do you have any white spots forming in your throat?"

"I don't know."

"Let me see."

"You're a _detective_ when you're on the clock." Hank reminded the younger man as he took back his arm and leaned back in his chair away from Connor. "You can be a paramedic when you're _off_ company time."

"Fair enough. But if you do have strep throat you'll need to stay home and there's a strong possibility that you'll need to be prescribed antibiotics."

"Yeah, yeah. If I'm _actually_ sick then I'll go see a doctor. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Now let me finish this damn report in peace and we can finally go home."

Taking a thoughtful sip of his own tea Connor gave Hank a coy response. "You'll be appreciative of the overtime when you're next paycheck clears."

"Keep reminding me of that. It'll make this boring shift a lot more bearable."

* * *

Once home for the night Connor asked Hank to cooperate with him and relent to a quick examination of his throat as Hank began to cough during the drive home, and it was clear his throat was really beginning to hurt. Begrudgingly sitting at the kitchen table Hank patiently let Connor use a small penlight to examine the back of his increasingly raw and sore throat as he waited for the diagnosis without making a single complaint about the impromptu examination in the process.

Connor gave Hank a somewhat despondent look at he noted the small red and white spots in the back of Hank's throat, as well as the slightly swollen and red tonsils alongside the spots.

"Well?" Hank asked as Connor retracted the light and finished his examination. "What's the prognosis, 'Doc'?"

"If I'm right you have strep throat and will need to see a doctor." Connor confirmed as he moved both of his hands to the sides of Hank's throat to check his lymph nodes. As his fingertips pressed against the sides of Hank's neck the senior detective flinched and Connor could feel that the lymph nodes were in fact partially swollen. "Hank. You're sick."

"Come on, kid. It's fine."

"If you do have strep throat then it needs to be taken care of as soon as possible." Dropping his hands Connor made sure Hank knew the severity of his current condition. "It could degrade into something more serious like Scarlet fever, or you could develop severe complications to your kidneys and heart."

"Connor, I'm-"

"How many times had I been injured or ill and refused to let you take me to see a technician? And how many of those times did you have to remind me that I wasn't immortal and needed to let other people help me from time to time?"

"...Are you trying to use your own stubbornness to justify taking me to a hospital?"

"It's either you go willingly or I report your illness to the precinct, and request an ambulance to take you to the hospital instead."

Hank smirked a little as he rubbed his fingertips over his sore throat again. "You don't bluff, either."

"I do not."

"...Alright, kid. You win." Before Connor left the kitchen table to get the car keys Hank held up a scolding finger and cleared his throat a little. "But remember, when YOU are the one who gets sick, and you will, I get to drag your sorry ass to the hospital no matter how much you try to deny being ill. AND," Hank made sure to keep tagging on small conditions to make it feel as though he had somehow 'won' in the end. "since you have that susceptibility to the cold and other infections from being a 'preemie' that means you can't even try to argue with me. Deal?"

Connor gave Hank a studious glance before finally offering a rebuttal. "...What if I agree to a 'house call' from a doctor, instead?"

"Then that's what I get. Fair is fair."

"...Fine." The younger detective was willing to agree if that meant Hank would go see a doctor. "If I get sick I'll go to the hospital without a fight."

"Damn right you will."

Grinning a little Connor rose from the table and pulled his phone from his pocket as he grabbed the car keys from the bookshelf in the livingroom. "I'll inform the hospital that you're coming in. You should change into something more comfortable since we might be there for a while."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not my first time heading out to the hospital, son."

* * *

As much as Hank hated being the patient in the hospital he knew that he'd have to be cooperative if he were to gain any form of leverage over Connor's own stubbornness to some degree. The waiting room wasn't too full and the people who were there that late at night were either waiting for a baby to be born, or dealing with a loved one's surgery. It was nothing that Hank couldn't handle seeing, but Connor was still struggling with feeling comfortable around so many strangers; even as a human.

A nurse approached the two detectives and showed Hank to an exam room while Connor reluctantly stayed in the waiting room. It was a tense wait since Connor didn't feel comfortable sitting among the complete strangers who were in various stages of emotional turmoil and eerily silent. Doing his best to ignore the people around him Connor nearly jumped to his feet when he saw Hank returning to the waiting room with a prescription in his hand.

"Connor."

"Hank?" Standing up from the chair Connor approached his adoptive father with genuine worry in his eyes. "What did the doctor say?"

"You were right, kid. I have strep throat."

"How bad?"

"Bad enough I have to take the next few days off. I just need to get my prescription filled, and if I don't show improvement in two days I'll need to come back for another exam."

"I'll take half-shifts so I can keep an eye on you at home."

"Son, I'm fine. I'm not_ that sick_."

"But you're sick enough to warrant a doctor's care."

"Whatever." Motioning to the paper in his hand Hank led the way toward the doors of the hospital to get to the parking lot outside. "Let's get this 'script filled so we can go home and I can get some damn sleep."

"Of course. I'll drive."

* * *

Thankfully Hank slept in without any problems after getting his diagnosis and his medication. It was a quiet morning as Connor let Sumo outside and then back in once the massive dog finished his business in the backyard, and proceeded to fill the dog's food and water bowls. Impressive still Connor was able to make Hank a light breakfast without making any sound and carried a serving tray with the prepared breakfast in tow to the ill detective's bedroom. Placing the tray down on the nightstand beside the bed Connor pressed his right hand to Hank's forehead and noted he was still running a mild fever.

"Hank?" The younger detective stated in a low voice to gently wake Hank from his sleep.

From under the thick dark quilt a groggy voice responded in a somewhat raspy tone. "...What is it Connor?"

"You need to take your medication."

"...Oh." Opening his bright blue eyes as he pulled down the quilt he saw Connor hovering over him and noticed the hand against his forehead. "Stop worrying about me. I'm okay."

"I know. I just want to make sure your infection doesn't get any worse."

"If I feel worse I'll text you at the precinct." Sitting up in the bed very slowly Hank tried to get up fully but Connor pushed him back against the pillow. Too tired to fight back all he could do was try to talk his way into getting out of bed. "Come on, kid. Let me up."

"No. I brought you some breakfast. You should eat something and take your medication."

"Connor." Hank grabbed onto the younger man's right arm with his left hand and gave him a focused stare. "I have a sore throat. Not a brain tumor."

"...Right. Sorry."

"I get you're just trying to help but it's fine. Besides," he let go of Connor's arm and watched as the attentive younger detective placed the tray down before him for his convenience. "now that you're a human you can get sick, too. Don't get too close to me or you'll get infected."

The younger man's posture visibly stiffened as he realized that Hank right. "...I hadn't considered the risk of a possible contamination."

"Hey! Don't say 'contamination', it makes me feel like I have some weird disease or something."

"Sorry." Connor made sure Hank took his medication before backing out of the room. "I don't need to clock in for another two hours, so I can-"

"You've done plenty, son. Thanks."

Staying quiet Connor left the bedroom and proceeded to quietly and discreetly clean up the kitchen while also trying to disinfect various surfaces to keep Hank from getting any sicker. As he finished off the kitchen he made his way into the livingroom and noticed that Sumo was sprawled out over the length of the couch making it impossible to clean at the moment.

"Sumo, you're going to need to move." Connor stated as he gently patted the dog's hip and dragged his left forearm over his forehead. Realizing that he was sweating Connor sighed and decided he needed to stop cleaning if he were to shower off in time before going to work. "But that can wait until later. Enjoy the couch, boy."

In response to being addressed Sumo's tail thumped rhythmically on the couch cushion as he continued to take up the entire length of furniture with his massive fluffy body.

* * *

The precinct was already chaotic when Connor arrived for his shift. A string of deviant related assaults had been reported throughout the entire city and there simply weren't enough detectives available to sift through the carnage. Taking it upon himself to deal with the aftermath of the needless violence Connor ended up taking nine different witness statements from the affected deviants, as well as two long and argumentative interrogations from the arrested suspects who had been properly identified by the witnesses.

It took Connor almost six hours to convince the deviant witnesses to trust him, and only two minutes to make the arrested suspects hate him. Fortunately both suspects were arrested and charged with the assaults without any further incidents. As long as some degree of progress was being made then Connor would be satisfied with current rate of work, even if it was just cleaning up messes rather than prevent them.

Making his way into the breakroom Connor made himself some warm peppermint tea and pulled his phone from his pocket as he waited for the water to warm up in the small kettle. Texting a request to Lucas to check in on Hank for him while he finished off his shift Connor cleared a dry spot from his throat, and felt someone join him inside the small space of the breakroom.

"Connor."

Pressing 'send' Connor pocketed his phone and looked to his commanding officer respectfully. "Captain."

"Good work on those interrogations today."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'm glad your skill with getting people to talk hasn't wavered since your return to humanity." Captain Fowler complimented as he watched Connor's demeanor casually. "And I understand you've been successful in getting deviants to come forth when they've been assaulted. Very good work."

"Thank you."

Staring at Connor for a moment longer Captain Fowler continued on with a level tone of voice. "I also appreciate you taking up all the extra hours with so many officers out sick, but don't push yourself. If you get sick too then that won't help anyone."

"I'm doing my best to keep healthy." Pouring the hot water from the kettle and into a clean mug Connor placed a bag of peppermint tea to steep for a minute before consuming. "Hank is currently ill, but it isn't serious."

"Yeah, I heard. Strep throat, right?"

"Yes. I've asked Lucas to check on him and so far he's been fine with resting and his antibiotics."

"Shit." Captain Fowler crossed his arms over his chest and let out a breathy sigh. "First Chris and now Hank."

"Is there anyone from a secondary precinct available to cover the missing shifts?"

"Not for another two days."

Connor nodded as he took a sip of his tea and winced a little as his own throat was beginning to get raw and ached at the warm tea being drunk. "I'll do whatever I can to keep myself from getting ill."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You look a little pale."

"I'm just a little tired from dealing with all of the interviews and interrogations this afternoon."

"Alright." Taking his leave of the breakroom Captain Fowler gave Connor one passing comment as he crossed the bullpen to reach his private office on the other side of the floor. "Finish your shift and then head on home."

Nodding Connor finished his tea and winced again as his throat protested slightly against the warm drink. "Damn it."

Taking the necessary precaution of washing out his used mug thoroughly to keep himself from spreading germs Connor sighed and returned to his desk to finish the final details of his report, and then finally log out for the day. Sending Lucas another text Connor let his little brother know that other officers were still sick and that he was beginning to feel the effects of all the extended overtime wearing him out.

Pressing 'send' again Connor slipped the phone back into his pocket and sighed to himself with mounting fatigue. "...How I wish I was still immune to germs."

* * *

Rolling onto his right side under the thick quilt draped over his body Hank sighed and winced at the lingering pain in his throat. His head was beginning to hurt and the more he tried to ignore it the worse it seemed to ache. Fortunately Lucas was able to go to the house to keep an eye on Hank and was more than happy to learn about human physiology and biology just as he had with android internal technology, and provide aid to his family. Monitoring Hank's condition from afar in the livingroom down the hallway Lucas finally decided to interject with the human's rest, and bring Hank some water to drink.

Walking into the bedroom with a bottle of cool water in his hand Lucas checked in on Hank and spoke to him in a low voice. "I understand that when humans suffer from such an inflammation of the esophagus-"

"Sore. Throat." Hank snipped in much simpler and more accurate terms out of sheer exhaustion, and his mounting headache. "Don't make it sound so dramatic."

"Sorry. But as I was saying, I understand that when humans suffer from_ sore throats_ that it becomes difficult to properly eat and drink." The deviant handed Hank the bottle of water and two small tablets of ibuprofen he had claimed from the bathroom's medicine cabinet. "I also understand that it's important to remain hydrated and that pain relieving medication will allow you to relax enough to rest as needed." Pressing his left palm over Hank's forehead as Hank took the medicine and water Lucas noted his current body temperature. "You also have a low-grade fever of one-hundred point three degrees."

Hank turned to look at Lucas standing behind him and sighed as he unscrewed the lid on the bottle of water. "...Thanks." Sitting upright he popped the two pills into his mouth, and forced himself to down the medicine with the water. The wincing and painful response didn't go unnoticed. "So, any word from Connor?"

"He told me through text messages that other officers at your precinct have fallen ill, and he is feeling tired from working so many extra hours."

"...Yeah. Not surprised."

"Hank, you seem preoccupied." The deviant was ever bit as observant as his big brother. Pressing the back of his left hand to the side of Hank's neck he gauged his temperature and his pulse more closely as he inquired about Hank's own intrigue. "Is something bothering you?"

"...A little." Placing the water back down on the nearby nightstand Hank decided to see if Lucas could help him with his current investigation. "Can I ask what you know about Connor's past?"

"As a human?"

"Yeah. His childhood to be exact."

"Oh." Retracting his hand Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed beside Hank and gave him a wary glance. "...He has told me of his abomination of a biological father who repeatedly beat him, and nearly killed him. I am very glad he managed to get away from him and survived."

Hank remained quiet as he folded his arms over his chest and began to contemplate Connor's survival as a small weak child and the cruelty of such a violent, heartless person. It wasn't a pretty sight in his mind's eye.

"Hank, what is it about Connor's past that is bothering you?"

"...You know that Connor had an abusive childhood at the hands of his father, what do you know about his mother?"

"She died from complications during childbirth, and preexisting injuries she sustained just prior to giving birth."

"Do you know _how_ she became injured?"

"...Connor's biological father struck her. From what I was told she had been pushed down a second floor staircase."

"Right. And yet that cruel bastard was permitted to take custody of Connor, who was born seven weeks early because he smacked around his own wife, and ended up killing her in the end. That doesn't make any sense."

"...That does seem highly illogical if not completely... wrong, to allow someone like that to retain custody of a child."

"I've been looking through Connor's past as much as I can." Hank explained in a level voice as he contemplated the information he had already gathered during his private search. "Specifically regarding the legalities surrounding what happened to his mother and to Connor himself afterward. What I found stinks of corruption and I've reached a dead end."

"What did you find?"

"The judge who was overseeing the case when that bastard was charged with negligent homicide decided that it was in fact _an accident_, that Connor's mother did fall down that staircase even though her injuries were _inconsistent_ with the supposed fall, AND she had filed numerous reports against him in the past regarding domestic violence. There was a definite bias _against her_ and _for him _because in the end she always recanted on the charges, despite all of the evidence proving her complaints were legit. And in the end, it killed her."

"You may be correct about the corruption." Lucas agreed as he noted everything Hank had uncovered. "How much research have you gone into since you've learned of Connor's past?"

"A lot, but it's still not enough. Everything I've uncovered I've saved on my laptop in a file marked 'Cold Cases' under 'Domestic'."

Lucas closed his green eyes for a moment as he cybernetically tapped into Hank's laptop and uploaded the uncovered information. "...Your search was very thorough. You've uncovered the full arrest record of Anthony Leonard Wolf for aggravated assault and negligent homicide, only to have the charges dropped due to a perceived lack of evidence. You've also uncovered the obituary of Elizabeth Natalie Leda-Wolf; although the details regarding her funeral are unusually sparse."

"Did you just- Never mind. Anyway," Hank sighed as stared at the deviant beside him. "everything I've looked into points to corruption in the courthouse, and the precinct that his mother had gone to. They never took her seriously, or they just decided she was exaggerating her claims which led her to redacting her claims against her husband. These same officers who handled her cases were 'good friends' with the judge, and they all have histories with mistreating women in various ways; mostly ex-girlfriends and ex-wives who fled the city after the relationships ended. That's why Elizabeth's obituary and funeral details are so minuscule; it'd reveal how much the precinct in that city screwed up if word got out that they ignored a woman seeking help from her abusive husband, and it ended up with a pregnant woman dying at the hands of her abuser."

"...Connor's mother had sought help but received none. She was too afraid to keep asking for help because no one took her accusations seriously."

"Yeah, and it sickens me. The worst part is that Connor, who was born too early and has been faced with a lifetime of weakened health ever since, was placed back into that bastard's custody. Why? And how in the hell did Connor_ survive_ that man's cruelty throughout his infancy and childhood?"

Lucas's brow furrowed a little as he reached out through his cybernetic links and contacts. He was quiet for almost two solid minutes before he spoke up again to the senior detective, his heart heavy with conflicted emotions. "...Hank, Connor was left in the care of the hospital for almost two months before he was placed in foster care and under the protection of social workers who were also 'good friends' with the corrupt judge. When Connor was four years of age he was placed in his father's care under the legal claim that the social workers would check in on his care on a weekly basis. They evidently did not."

"Fucking hell."

"When Connor was found walking the streets the night his father broke his arm a massive investigation into the abuse and the parties that allowed said abuse to continue went underway. The corrupt judge, corrupt officers and corrupt social workers were all arrested and charged with neglect and numerous other legal indiscretions. It was a massive controversy that unsettled Novi, and the city is still struggling to overcome the negative impact it had on the population."

"That explains why Connor survived infancy and ended up with his abusive father. I couldn't find much more on the case beyond Connor's emancipation since the file was sealed. How'd you find all that out?"

"I have a strong influence within the deviant community and as such I have numerous contacts who work in numerous departments throughout the state."

"That's handy. Look Lucas, don't tell Connor I've been searching into his past."

"I will respect your request. ...May I ask why?"

"He's still getting over what happened to him as a kid and he's only just stopped having those damn nightmares. I don't want him to start thinking about it again and undoing all of his hard work to get better."

"I understand fully." The front door of the house opened and Lucas could hear Sumo's nails clicking over the hardwood floors as he rushed to the door to greet the newly returned young detective. "Connor has returned home."

"Remember. Don't let him know about this and don't bring up the subject."

"What if he wishes to discuss the subject under his own volition?"

"Then let him. He needs to talk it out, but don't push him to do so."

"Of course." Standing up from the bed Lucas made his way down the hallway to greet his big brother in the livingroom and found Connor standing beside the couch with his right hand on Sumo's head as the dog sat obediently at his feet. "Hello, Connor."

"Hi, Lucas. How's Hank?"

"Resting well." The deviant tilted his head a little as he noticed that Connor was pale and seemed to be sweating. "You are feeling ill as well, aren't you?"

Brushing off the remark Connor continued to rub Sumo's ears and denied feeling ill. "I'm just tired."

Lucas knew Connor too well and recognized when his big brother was suffering from some anomaly. Pressing the back of his left hand to Connor's forehead in a gentle motion Lucas quickly registered Connor's temperature and moved his hand down to press his fingertips against the side of Connor's neck to count his pulse. "You have an elevated temperature of one-hundred point one degrees. Your pulse is also elevated above your average rate."

"I'm alright. It's Hank who requires attention."

"No. You must rest." Grabbing onto Connor's left arm with his right hand Lucas pulled his big brother through the livingroom and down the hallway into Connor's bedroom. "If you are feeling tired and you are running a low-grade fever, one that is only slightly lower than Hank's current temperature, then you are risking a serious illness by pushing yourself so hard. Rest is crucial."

"Wait a moment." Connor pulled his arm from Lucas's grip long enough to go into the bathroom and remove his contact lenses for the evening. After he blinked a few times he looked over at his little brother watching him from the hallway and gave him a casual glance. "I must make a conscious effort to remove my contacts since I no longer have perfect vision."

"Yes, I often forget you now wear corrective lenses." Lucas put his right hand to Connor's left shoulder to show his big brother into the bedroom to rest despite Connor's best efforts to insist he wasn't actually sick. "You need to rest now. You are showing signs of a chronic infection and your immune system is still vulnerable to numerous other infections due to your previous health history. I don't want to see you admitted to the hospital to undergo further treatment."

"...You may be correct." Connor slipped off his gray suit jacket and loosened his black tie as stood in the middle of the bedroom. "My weakened immune system due to my prolonged time in a comatose state, as well as my preexisting conditions due to my premature birth, should be taken into consideration. I might be on the verge of a severe infection."

"Lay down." Lucas instructed as took his leave of the bedroom for a moment to get a few things to aid his little brother's recovery. "I will bring you some medication for your fever."

Connor agreed and changed from his work uniform into much more comfortable casual clothes, a black t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants, and then laid down on his bed to rest. As he let out a weary breath he pressed the back of his left forearm to his own forehead and realized he was in fact running a fever, and used his right hand to put his phone down on the nightstand beside him to charge for the night.

"Drink this." Lucas returned to the bedroom and handed Connor a bottle of water and two ibuprofen pills to reduce his elevated temperature. "What are your current symptoms?"

Ignoring the question Connor sat upright on his bed and took the two offered items. "How is Hank?"

"Resting well as I told you earlier. His fever is holding at one-hundred point three degrees, but he is eating and is remaining hydrated."

"And he's taking the antibiotics?"

"Yes." Lucas watched as Connor downed the pills with water and winced in pain just as Hank had been doing. "Connor, is your throat sore as well?"

"...Yeah." There was no point in trying to deny his pain. "It started this afternoon."

"Open your mouth, please."

"It's not strep throat, Lucas." Connor deflected as he put the bottle of water on the nightstand beside his bed. "I examined my throat before I left the precinct."

"Oh?"

"My tonsils are inflamed, but it's not strep throat."

"Tonsillitis is a serious illness as well."

"I've had it before as a child. I've overcome it then, and I can do so again."

"How many times were you sick with tonsillitis?"

"I can remember four separate occasions from my childhood when I exhibited symptoms of this particular illness. It was a painful experience every time."

"You should have them surgically extracted. Chronic tonsillitis can cause significant damage to your immune system."

Connor's right hand went to his throat as if needing to shield himself from the very idea of needing surgery. "I'm fine. If my fever increases then I'll seek medical intervention. Until then I'd like to endure my illness and monitor it myself."

"Very well. Lay down now and sleep."

"Lucas, I'm not-"

"I'll remain here to watch over you and Hank while you both rest. Please allow me to help you, brother."

Relenting to the request Connor laid back against his pillow and closed his soulful brown eyes. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome. I will stay until ten o'clock this evening to ensure you're both resting well, and then I will return at six o'clock in the morning."

* * *

The evening went about peacefully and the quiet was proven beneficial to the two ill detectives as they rested through their illnesses. Sumo had decided to keep Connor company as the tired younger detective tried to sleep through his sickness. Resting his chin over Connor's right hip as Connor laid on his left side Sumo's ears perked up as Connor was awoken by his own choking breaths, and coughed where he immediately winced at the extreme pain in his severely swollen throat.

As Connor pushed himself upright with his left arm Connor felt his head swim and knew his fever had gotten worse as he slept, not better. "Lu-" Connor winced again as his raw throat suddenly burned and made his voice hoarse. Noticing the time on his phone's display Connor knew that Lucas was still in the house and forced himself to get up, eliciting a whine from Sumo in return. "...Luc-"

Unable to speak properly Connor stumbled out of his bedroom and into the bathroom just a few feet away to examine his sore throat a second time. As he braced himself upright on the sink he stared at his pale face in the mirror's reflection and opened his mouth to look at his throat. His tonsils were dark red and very swollen to almost double their normal size. It was then Connor realized why he was having difficulty breathing while he was sleeping, the swollen tonsils were beginning to obstruct his airway.

Leaning forward against the sink to keep himself balanced Connor felt a cool hand slip over his forehead as Lucas found him and checked his fever. "Your temperature has risen to one-hundred and one point four degrees."

"...I think I should go see a doctor."

"I agree." Lucas guided Connor into the livingroom to sit down on the couch for a moment before departing for the hospital. "Remain here, I will contact the hospital and inform Hank that you need to go seek treatment."

Pressing his face down into the palms of his hands Connor rested his elbows atop his knees and let out a pained sigh. "...I hate hospitals."

After a few moments a firm hand on his right shoulder made Connor look up and see Hank standing beside him. "I hate hospitals, too, kid."

"You don't have to go with me."

"Sure I do. You're my son."

"...You should be resting since you're ill, too."

"Uh-huh, and how much rest do you think I'll get if you're in the hospital and I have no idea what's going on with you?"

"...Fair point."

"And the fact that you want to go to see a doctor means you're really sick."

Admitting he was in fact seriously ill Connor explained the situation. "My tonsils are severely inflamed and it's becoming difficult to breathe."

"Yup." Slipping his right hand from Connor's shoulder to his forehead Hank shook his head a little before putting his hand back to the sick man's shoulder and patting twice sympathetically. "You're sick. You're actually complaining, and you're running a fever. Glad you're willing to go to the hospital for treatment instead of suffering in silence."

* * *

The hospital staff was eager to check on Connor's sore throat due to the wave of strep throat that was sweeping through the area, and had also taken a moment to check on Hank's own illness to ensure he wasn't getting worse. Lucas hovered back and forth between Connor and Hank as the two detectives were getting examined in two different exam rooms, but once Connor was confirmed to have a severe case of tonsillitis he stayed at his big brother's side as Connor was prepped for emergency surgery.

"I've recently downloaded information regarding tonsillectomies," Lucas stated in a calm voice as watched a nurse preparing an I.V. in the bend of Connor's left arm. She was unfazed by the conversation and continued to make sure the correct dose of antibiotics were delivered to the sick man to help reduce the already severe infection and prevent a second one from developing as a post-operative complication. "and the procedure has become significantly simpler in the past eleven years."

"...How so?" Connor's throat was becoming too raw to speak and his voice was hoarse, but Lucas could understand him just fine.

"Instead of putting you under a full dose of heavy anesthetics to extract your tonsils they will now give you a local anesthetic to numb the immediate area and provide a moderate sedative to keep you asleep. Precision surgical lasers will sever and cauterize the tissues at the same time as the tonsils are extracted. You won't have to worry about bacterial infection considering the haste and accuracy of the procedure, but the antibiotics will be provided strictly as a precaution."

"...That's good. I prefer simple procedures."

"Your throat will remain sore and your voice will be hoarse for the next two days, but you won't need to stay in the hospital for overnight observation as long as you don't show any adverse reaction to the medication upon waking up from the sedative."

Connor nodded a little as the surgeon came into the room to speak with Connor while he was waiting for the procedure to begin. The surgeon introduced himself and explained what was going to happen to Connor, his words practically identical to what Lucas had just told him moments before, and Connor seemed to be calm and unafraid of the impending surgery.

"I will be in the waiting room with Hank." Lucas stated in a confident voice as he patted Connor's right arm. "When you are permitted to leave I will take you home to rest."

Nodding again Connor watched as Lucas took his leave of the examination room without any sign of distress in his demeanor. The deviant retreated to the waiting room where he closed his green eyes and resumed a search into the details regarding Connor's traumatic past. The desire to find answers to help his big brother and overcome his lingering pain from his horrible childhood was now a priority, and one he was determined to succeed in uncovering.

* * *

After two hours passed a familiar voice and a gentle hand against Connor's right shoulder roused the lethargic man from his drug-induced sleep. Opening his blurry brown eyes Connor saw Lucas staring down at him with Hank right beside him. As Lucas spoke to Connor in a firm voice, trying to get some sort of response from the recovering human without shaking him or jostling him in the process, the deviant spoke clearly and in a low voice to ensure his big brother could understand him perfectly well.

"...Lu-" Connor's right hand weakly went to this throat as a sharp pain accompanied his choked off words.

"Don't speak." Lucas insisted as spoke with his big brother in his calm tone. "You tolerated the surgery very well and only require an hour of observation before you will be permitted to go home and rest."

Looking past Lucas toward Hank he nodded at the senior detective's direction.

Hank put his hand on Connor's right bicep and kept it there for a moment. "I'm fine, kid. The doctor said my throat is already clearing up. The problem is I might get you sick while you're healing so Lucas is going to have to stick around to take care of you until we're both back on our feet."

Subtly Connor nodded again as he looked up at Lucas, and grabbed onto his right arm gratefully.

"Don't worry, big brother. I'll help you both for as long as you need me."

Retracting his hand from Connor's arm Hank took a step back from the bed. "I'm going to let the doctor know you woke up." He volunteered as he stepped out of the room and into the hallway. "I'll be back in a minute."

Tired, but already trying to get up, Connor felt Lucas apply more pressure to his right shoulder to make him lay still.

"Rest. You'll be home soon, just be patient."

Laying back down Connor lifted up both of his shaking hands and eyed the I.V. still attached to his left arm. As much as he wanted to tear the line out of his vein he knew better and just did as Lucas requested and rested for a moment longer.

"It's okay, Connor." Lucas reassured him as he stayed at his big brother's side. "It's over, and you're going to make a full recovery."

* * *

Despite being told specifically by his doctor to rest for forty-eight hours before moving about on his own Connor was still trying to get up to take care of himself, and to check in on Hank. Lucas had to practically carry Connor over his shoulder to get him to lay down and rest after returning from the hospital, and now he was ready to do the same thing just to get his stubborn big brother to sleep for a few hours after undergoing an emergency tonsilectomy.

"Please, Connor. Remain in bed and sleep. If you wish to have something to preoccupy your mind tell me and I'll assist you."

Speaking up in a raspy tone Connor asked about Hank's current condition. "...Hank?"

"Hank is resting as well." Lucas had also insisted that Connor use his phone to communicate via texts and spare his voice, but as always Connor was being too stubborn for his own good. "And his fever broke entirely this morning. He's taking a shower as we speak."

Connor opened his mouth to try to speak again but Lucas forced the younger detective's phone into his right hand and pointed at the screen. Taking the hint with a grimace Connor texted out his next question and waited for Lucas to respond as he received the message cybernetically.

"No. He is not showing any sign of other illnesses; including Rheumatic fever, post streptococcal reactive arthritis, renal distress or any other secondary infections." The deviant technician replied in a firm voice. "Please stop worrying about him."

Sending another text he gave his little brother a sympathetic stare.

"Connor, he isn't denying being ill because you're ill. That's what YOU are doing."

Another quick text.

"Don't be sorry, please. You just need to stop worrying so much about him and let yourself rest."

One more text.

"Yes. Hank is feeling much better and is getting as restless as you are." Lucas explained the situation at hand more thoroughly before Connor had the chance to try to get up again. "The difference is he didn't have emergency surgery, and is allowed to walk around the house."

Putting aside his phone on the nightstand Connor leaned back against his pillows and tried to relax.

"You won't need any additional antibiotics for another forty-three minutes and nine seconds." The deviant tagged on with a compassionate lilt. "I will bring you your medication when it's time, and I have also prepared a pot of chicken soup that will be beneficial to you and Hank during your recovery." After making certain that Connor wasn't going to try to get up again Lucas gave his sick big brother a reassuring nod and took a step toward the bedroom door. "Your Captain is granting you and Hank five consecutive days of rest, and he thanks you for working as much as you did. Now it's your turn to sleep and recover."

As Lucas turned to leave the bedroom he received one final text from Connor as the ill detective typed a simple message on his phone that was still resting on the nightstand, and pressed 'send'.

Turning back around to face his big brother Lucas gave him an amused grin. "You're welcome. Now sleep."

Leaving Connor's bedroom Lucas patted Sumo's head as the massive dog laid sprawled out on the couch and made his way into the kitchen to continue to aid his ill family. Checking on the pot of soup simmering on the stove Lucas heard the shower turn off in the bathroom, and knew Hank would be joining him soon. Noting the instructions on the bottle of antibiotic pills that had been left on the counter, and checking the requirements; to be taken every six hours with food, Lucas was confident that Connor would recover soon.

"Smells pretty good." Hank stated as he walked into the kitchen to check in with Lucas. "How come you and Connor are both such good cooks?"

"A part of my mind and personality stems directly from Connor, it makes sense that I'd share some of his skills despite my lack of experience."

"And yet you're way more agreeable and nowhere near as stubborn as he is."

"Perhaps my mind being wiped clean of all of CyberLife's influence and having selected memories from Connor being transferred over allowed my personality to shift and adapt in a different manner. And since I was activated without Connor's memories being transferred into my mind due to him being deactivated it stopped his personal repressed memories from his time as a human to enter my consciousness."

"...Maybe." Hank wasn't quite sure what Lucas said but he decided it was easier to just agree rather than try to asked more questions. "But whatever the reason is I'm glad you're not being affected by his bad childhood."

"As am I. It's truly upsetting to see him so melancholy when his past memories resurface and affect him."

Peering down into the pot of soup Hank stirred it a few times and continued his conversation with Lucas. "How's he doing?"

"He's recovering well, but if he would remain in bed and actually rest he'd be recovering quicker."

"Welcome to my problems, Lucas. I had to fight to get him to lay down and rest after being shot, shocked and blown up by a bomb." Giving the deviant an amused stare he made his way over to the counter take his own medication as he spoke nonchalantly. "Do you really think he's going to stay down all because of a little sore throat?"

"But it wasn't a simple sore throat. Tonsillitis is very serious and-"

"Lucas. That was hyperbole."

"...O-Oh."

"You know, I think this behavior of his toward being sick or hurt and refusing to rest, or even asking for help, all stems from his childhood." Hank's blue eyes lit up as if he had just solved a thoroughly intriguing mystery. "Connor never got any help from his own father, and no one else cared enough to help him when he really needed it. He doesn't ask for help because he either doesn't know how to ask, or he's asked so many times and no one's bothered to respond he's simply given up. The only time he was helped was when the 'nice lady' from his childhood went out of her way to find him, and when the two patrolling officers happened to find him when he ran away from home."

"...That's a dreadfully sad theory."

"But it fits."

"How do we help him overcome this reluctance to admit he needs help?"

"We don't." The senior detective shrugged his shoulders indifferently as he all but admitted defeat. "Only he can do that."

Lucas nodded a little as he took Hank's advice to heart. "I'll bring him some soup and perhaps something to read so he'll stay put and rest."

"Good luck." Helping himself to a bowl of the soup as Lucas prepared a helping for Connor to eat Hank reminded Lucas to remain patient. "If anything he's going to try to convince you that he's feeling fine and can take care of himself."

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep him resting."

"Uh-huh." Hank sounded a little pessimistic about Lucas's claim, but was willing to watch and wait. "I'll be in the livingroom if you need some help."

As Lucas carried the prepared small small tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of water into the bedroom Connor opened his eyes and looked at his little brother with a strange sense of appreciation mixed with surprise in his gaze. Pushing himself upright on his bed Connor tried to move into a sitting position but Lucas put the tray down on the nightstand beside the bed and firmly planted his hand in the middle of Connor's chest to keep him still.

"Sit back, please."

Connor begrudgingly sat back and stopped trying to get up.

Lucas's brow furrowed a little as he noted Connor's strange pulse under his palm. "...Are you in pain?" The strange beat was a little disconcerting. "Your pulse seems rather erratic."

Shaking his head 'no' Connor took his phone from beside the tray and sent Lucas a new text to explain things.

"I'm aware that human pulses aren't as perfectly rhythmic and mechanically controlled as android pulses," Lucas acknowledged as he replied to the text. "but yours is noticeably different."

Sending one more text Connor gave his worried brother a firm glance that reassured him he wasn't denying or lying about his health.

"I suppose you're correct." Lucas retracted his palm and stood straight up again. "Your body still healing from both the infection and surgery would result in a slightly elevated heart rate." Making sure his big brother was comfortable Lucas placed the tray over Connor's legs and pressed the back of his right hand to Connor's forehead. "Your fever has diminished considerably. And Hank is already feeling much better. You both appear to be on the mend."

Sumo trotted into the bedroom and put his chin down over the edge of the bed as he watched Connor curiously. His tail was wagging slowly back and forth over the floor and atop Lucas's feet as he took in the sight.

"I suppose Sumo wishes to either keep you company, or beg for food. I imagine Hank shooed him away to eat his own soup in peace."

Connor smirked a little and put his hand on the large dog's head. "...Good boy."

"Save your voice and only text to communicate. I will be in the livingroom with Hank if you need anything else."

Giving Lucas an appreciative nod Connor looked at the tray presented before him, and picked up his phone to ensure that he'd use text messages to communicate further.

"Thank you. I will go see to Hank now. If you need anything text me."

Departing from the bedroom and walking down the hallway Lucas found Hank sitting at the desk in the corner of the livingroom with his laptop wide open, and the bowl of soup beside him on the desk. As he stared at the screen he acknowledged Lucas's return and thanked the deviant as he brought him a bottle of water from the refrigerator to drink. "Thanks, kid. But you didn't have to do that."

"No, but I wanted to." Joining Hank at the desk Lucas tentatively asked what the detective was looking into. "Are you still searching into Connor's past?"

"Yeah. I didn't find much to work with," Hank admitted as he dipped the spoon into the bowl of soup to slowly eat the warm meal. "but this is kind of a routine for me now. It feels like I'm spying on Connor and I hate it, but I just want to make sure there aren't any nasty surprises waiting for him around the corner."

"You're looking out for him." Lucas empathized as he read over the collected information quickly. "I too am curious about his past, but I will respect your request to refrain from pushing Connor to speak of his past directly."

"Thanks." Hank turned to look at the helpful deviant, the second son he adopted, and smirked. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable on the couch, Lucas. Stay the night so you don't have to take a cab to go back to the tower just come right back here in the morning."

"...Thank you. I'd like to stay the night and stay with you both." Looking down at the hallway Lucas decided to check in on Connor again before taking Hank up on the offer to rest on the couch. "I'll go see how Connor is doing and if he's still comfortable I will give him his antibiotics, then enter rest mode for the night."

"Sounds good to me."

Creeping down the hallway and into the bedroom Lucas saw that Connor was already asleep and curled up on his left side, facing the opened doorway. The tray was placed on the nightstand beside him and half of the bowl of soup had been eaten, while the entire glass of water had been drank which in itself wasn't a surprise. It seemed Connor still had a weak appetite, and his chronic sore throat wasn't going to help matters.

Sumo was sprawled out on the foot of the bed with his chin over Connor's legs, as he too laid down to sleep for the night.

Very lightly Lucas pressed his fingers to the right side of Connor's neck to count his pulse, and to make sure his fever wasn't rising. "Sleep well, big brother."

Cleaning up the tray and carrying everything into the kitchen Lucas returned to the bedroom with a fresh glass of water and left it on the nightstand beside the bed to ensure Connor wouldn't have to get up if he needed anything more to drink during the night. Giving Sumo's head a gentle rub as he passed by the bed Lucas made his way back down the hallway and into the livingroom to rest.

"Connor is finally asleep, and he is stable." Lucas stated confidently as he resumed speaking with Hank. "Sumo is keeping him company."

Hank smirked at hearing that Sumo was unsurprisingly cuddled up with Connor. "You know you're always welcome here, Lucas. You don't have to ask or wait for an invitation, son." Turning to face the deviant as Lucas stood behind him Hank made sure Lucas knew he was truly family. "Just come over whenever you want to visit, or if you just need to get away from work for a while. Trust me, you'll want a place to hide out from work from time to time."

"Thank you."

"Remember, we keep a spare pillow and blanket in the hallway closet if you want to stay the night and keep comfortable. I know deviants hate the cold, so don't be afraid to ask for another blanket."

The comment made Lucas feel truly wanted and loved. "I'll remember that."

"Good. This isn't just a house, son. It's your home."

Smiling a little Lucas walked down the hallway and retrieved the two items, then walked over to the couch and sat down as he watched Hank still sitting behind his laptop as the senior detective resumed his search into Connor's past, and continued to slowly eat his soup. Shrugging off his white jacket Lucas laid down over the furniture and draped his jacket over the back of the couch as he got more comfortable. Placing the pillow down under his head and draping the blanket over himself Lucas truly look comfortable, and happy to be home.

_**-next chapter-**_


	13. Innocent Lives

Feeling much better after being ill Connor made his way out to New Jericho Tower to meet with Markus in person for the first time since the peaceful rally in the middle of Hart Plaza. Having fully recovered from his bout of tonsillitis and having one more day to himself before returning to the precinct Connor joined his little brother as Lucas reported for his shift right on time. Since he wasn't going to work Connor was dressed in more casual clothes, and his own sense of style had returned as he returned to his humanity and several of his likes and dislikes surfaced as well.

Wearing his glasses, a pair of dark blue jeans, black converse shoes, a black t-shirt and an buttoned emerald green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows over top of the t-shirt, Connor looked like any other human. Lucas was wearing black shoes, pale blue jeans, a white long sleeved shirt and his white formerly CyberLife jacket over top; and while he no longer had his L.E.D. his mannerisms and simplistic style still spoke volumes of him being a deviant.

It wasn't unusual for the two brothers to draw a few stares from other deviants whenever they socialized in the tower, but now they were staring at Connor for a completely different reason that made the young detective feel a little out of place. The 'Deviant Hunter' was now a human and seemed to be twice the traitor he had already been perceived to be in their angry eyes.

Taking a moment to adjust his glasses over his face Connor glanced about discreetly and spoke to Lucas in a low whisper. "I take it word of my recovery and return to humanity has circulated through the tower."

"Yes." Lucas confirmed as he loyally stayed at his big brother's side. "When you interviewed the deviant who had been struck by the car-"

"Seth?"

"Yes. He is doing very well and his new arm is functioning adequately."

"That's good." Connor was sincerely happy to learn that the wounded deviant was recovering. "I hadn't anticipated that the deviants I would send to the tower would reference my person, or gossip."

"Are you upset?"

"No. It's good that everyone knows the truth, they deserve to know."

"I'm glad you agree."

From the elevator near the center of the tower Markus arrived and greeted the two brothers. He was more than happy to speak with Connor once more, and see how his friend was doing as he readjusted to humanity. "Connor, I'm glad you stopped by."

"Of course." Connor gave his friend a confident grin as they shook hands with one another. "I've been meaning to stop by the tower but I have been busy."

"Don't worry about it. I know you have responsibilities beyond just us at the tower, or at the precinct."

"Can we speak in private?"

"Sure. The office is free right now."

Turning to his little brother once more Connor politely excused himself from his little brother's company. "I'll see you later, Lucas."

"Of course. I'll try to stop by the house tomorrow night after I finish my shift."

Markus showed Connor to the office while Lucas went to the elevator to begin his shift in the emergency repair bay of the tower. As Connor walked at Markus's right side he could feel the sideways glances he was receiving from other deviants, but ignored them all the while keeping his head held high. He had nothing to be ashamed of, and no one should be judging him for his personal decisions.

"It isn't much," Markus stated as the door to the office slid open automatically. "but this is where we like to speak when conducting official business at the tower these days."

"Don't worry about me being comfortable, Markus." The simplistic office with white walls, a white desk in the middle of the room and white leather couches along the walls wasn't anything unusual to see. It looked very clean and professional. "I've been through worse than sitting in an office."

"Lucas told me about your rough few weeks back at the precinct. How's your arm? And your lip?" A grin of his own appeared on Markus's face as he watched Connor's left hand absentmindedly rub at his upper right arm. "And your tonsils?"

"My arm has healed," Connor confirmed as he slipped off his green shirt and rolled up the short sleeve of the black t-shirt beneath to show Markus the healing scar over the affected limb. As he put back on the green over shirt he pointed to the completely healed and non-existent scar on his upper lip as well. "my lip has healed, and my tonsils," he pointed to his throat and gave Markus a cheesy grin. "are gone."

"Talk about a rough start to getting back on your feet."

"Not as rough as waking up from a two year long coma and needing to go through six weeks of physical therapy. But I handled it."

"Hard to believe you were once on death's door." Markus stated as he noted Connor's much stronger and healthier appearance. "Now you look like you could fight the Revolution single handedly."

"With my luck," Connor sighed a little as he patted his healing right arm again. "I'd lose that hand in the process."

Markus put his right hand to his blue eye and nodded his head with empathetic agreement. "I know what you mean."

"Lucas told me that the deviant I had interviewed after being struck by a vehicle made it to the tower and has recovered well."

"Yeah, Seth is doing okay. He's working with Josh to encourage other deviants to speak up and report crimes to the police. You've really helped deviant victims of crime find their voices, and now we're being heard loud and clear."

"I'm just doing my job." Connor was unfailingly humble and cleared his throat a little. "How is North? She seemed shaken after the shooting at the rally."

"She's okay. She was on edge for a while but she's better now. You saved her life. So, thank you. I didn't say it then, so I'm saying it now. Thank you."

"I merely got her to safety."

"Connor, I know about you getting shot in the arm and almost getting shot in the back. You _shielded_ her from that bullet, and if you weren't wearing that vest you could've been killed in the process."

"Which is why I've made a conscious effort to keep Kevlar on my person when being asked to respond to a possibly hostile scene in the field."

"That's a good idea. It's also good you're still working deviant related cases. Having a familiar face is making it easier for deviants to stand up for themselves."

"Of course I'm still working deviant cases. I may not physically be an android anymore but I know that you, North and the other deviants are still my people. I lived as an android and experienced the hardships, prejudices and growth that comes from the success of the Revolution." Looking down at his right hand, at the fingerprints that now covered his fingertips, he clenched his hand into a fist and sighed as he looked back up at Markus. "I may no longer have Thirium flowing through my veins, but I still feel as though I'm a deviant at heart."

"Regardless of whether our blood is blue or red in color our hearts still beat all the same."

"...You understand."

"_Carl_ understood, and he helped _me_ to understand." Markus smiled as he stood before his friend with pride. "You're proof that everything Carl taught me and promised me would happen already has, and will continue, to happen."

"And what's that?"

"Bridges being formed to seal the gap between androids and humans. You're someone who connects to both sides and can help escort wayward souls to where they belong."

"They all belong together."

"Exactly."

Connor smiled warmly at Markus and nodded with utter respect. "Despite everything I've gone through you're still my friend, and one of the most honest and honorable people that's been my fortune to meet."

"I will be your friend until the very end."

"Thank you."

The door to the office slid open and Josh stepped inside the room to give the deviant leader a quick update on events taking place in the tower. "Markus, there's rumor that a group of refugees from Canada are attempting to cross the border back into the city. One of the refugees claims to be an old friend of North from their time at the 'Eden Club'."

Markus was immediately on guard and entirely focused on Josh. "Is anyone hurt? How many are we expecting?"

"Five in total. And they've all sustained moderate to significant damage."

"Where are they now?"

"Safe. They're taking shelter with an ally over the border; Curtis Chapman."

Relaxing a little upon learning that the refugees were safe Markus made his next decision. "If North does know one of the refugees she should be the one to go and escort them across the border."

"Agreed."

"Give me the details and we'll meet up at the rendezvous point."

"I'm already on it." Josh turned to leave the room when he noticed Connor was standing before Markus. Giving him a sincerely respectful smile upon seeing his now human allow Josh acknowledged the young detective before departing. "Connor, I'm glad you're back."

"Josh." Connor nodded as the kind deviant left the office and went about his task. "I'll take my leave so you can attend to the refugees. If you require any assistance with the authorities and getting the refugees across the border contact me right away."

"I will Connor. Thanks."

Departing from the office Connor made his way to the front entrance of the tower to allow the leaders of New Jericho to go about their business in aiding the refugees from over the border. Feeling accomplished Connor prepared to leave the massive sanctuary and got back in the car to head for home. As he exited the long drive connecting Belle Isle to the rest of the city he turned on the street to head for home, and made sure to take the direct route since he and Hank were both recovering from illnesses and still needed to rest.

There was some congested traffic but nothing that would affect Connor's schedule as he idled at a red light at the intersection.

"COME HERE YOU STUPID WHORE!" And angry man shouted with a venomous tone from a few feet away from the car. "YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTROL HUMAN LIFE?! GET YOUR PLASTIC ASS BACK HERE!"

As Connor honed in on the loud voice he caught sight of a towering beast of a human knocking a female deviant to the ground. A hot flash of anger washed over the protective and fearless young detective in an instant. Connor threw the car into park and pulled his badge from his pocket as he charged the man to stop the ongoing assault.

"Freeze!" He shouted as he rushed up to the man with every intent of protecting the downed deviant. "Detroit Police."

The man turned, saw the badge and fled immediately down the alleyway where he had assaulted the now bleeding deviant. "FUCK OFF!"

"HEY!?" Connor attempted to give pursuit when he saw the deviant laying on the ground in a small puddle of her blue blood. She was curled up on her right side with her arms wrapped around her abdomen protectively. Her abdomen was greatly distended and round, unnaturally so for an android but naturally for a pregnant human, and Connor knew she was in need of immediate technical assistance. "Oh, no." Kneeling beside the deviant Connor gently put his hand on the deviant's left shoulder to make her feel safe and grounded as he spoke to her. "How far along are you into your surrogacy?"

"Thirty-eight weeks," she winced in pain as she finished her answer. "and five days."

Pulling his phone from his pocket Connor called in the assault as he assessed the deviant and the baby she was carrying, before making another move. "Can you give me a reading on your condition and that of the fetus?"

"I'm o-okay." She confirmed as she allowed Connor to help her sit upright on the pavement in the alleyway. Her L.E.D. was cycling between yellow and red in both distress and pain as she ran a self-diagnostic. "Only external damage. But the baby's heart rate is dropping, and I don't feel her kicking anymore."

Thinking quickly Connor's mouth twitched as he realized that waiting for an ambulance to take the deviant to a hospital would take over ten minutes, and the hospital was eight blocks away. But the facility where Abby, someone who was both a skilled technician _and_ a former E.M.S. worked, was only one block away. Abby would be able to help both patients, rather than one over the other considering the surrogate is a deviant and the baby is human.

"Let me pick you up." The kind young man pleaded as he worked to save both victims of the assault. "I can take you to a facility to receive treatment."

"What about-"

"The baby will be taken care of as well." Connor reassured her as he carefully scooped up the heavily pregnant surrogate into his arms, his back and knees suddenly well aware of the strain that comes from carrying another person, and carried her toward the facility just a block away. "I know someone who can help you both. Please trust me."

"...Just save this baby." The deviant pleaded as she kept tabs on the fetuses condition, and wrapped her left arm around Connor's neck while rubbing her right palm over her heavy pregnant belly. "She's very important to my best friend!"

"I will." Connor began jogging toward the facility, making a conscious effort to keep his strides as even and smooth as possible to ensure he didn't jostle the deviant or the distressing baby as he moved. "I promise you'll both be taken care of."

Making his way through the front doors of the facility on Tenth Street to seek help Connor called out to the deviant receptionist behind the counter, quickly explaining the situation and asked for direct assistance from Abby herself. The receptionist quickly relayed a message to Barry, who was working as Abby's assistance, while the receptionist and Connor placed the surrogate deviant down on a gurney and rolled her into the back to receive treatment.

In a wave of adrenaline Connor's instincts as a paramedic kicked in as if he had been practicing his skills for years. Placing his left palm down over the surrogate's distended belly Connor tried to feel for any sign of life from the baby but it was evident she was already very weak. The baby wasn't moving at all.

"Help me put her on the table." Connor instructed as he returned his arms to the deviants shoulders and legs. "I need room."

The receptionist rolled the gurney out of the way after Connor scooped the deviant back up into his arms to gently place her on the nearby treatment table.

Abby came rushing into the treatment room to help Connor assess the baby's condition while Barry took charge of the surrogate's vitals.

"Connor, what the hell happened?" Abby asked as she used her audioscope to listen to the surrogate's belly to check on the baby's heartbeat. "This is a facility, we don't have the necessary equipment to treat-."

"A human attacked her." He stated with utter disappointment in his voice and he took in a huffing breath. He was physically exerted from running a full block with almost one-hundred and sixty pounds of deadweight in his arms. "I brought her here because it was closer than the hospital, and I fear the assault resulted in placental abruption. The baby won't make it if I had waited for an ambulance."

"...You're right." Abby turned to look at Barry and gave him new instructions. "Barry, go into the first exam room and look through the storage cabinet. There should be a human emergency first aid kit, I need you to bring it here and I'll need some sterilized line clamps from the repair bar."

"I will go and look for your requested items, Dr. Grayson." Without any hesitation Barry rushed out of the treatment room to locate the requested tools.

"Connor, you're a paramedic." Abby stated in a firm tone, almost as if she needed to make sure he could in fact help her. "How many emergency c-sections training sessions did you complete?"

"Ten in total." He breathed out slowly to get his racing heart to steady as it beat with the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "I remember everything about them."

"That's good enough." She motioned to sterilization station on the far wall of the treatment room. "Glove up. I'm going to need your hands."

"Fuck." Slipping off his green shirt and his glasses to leave on a nearby chair Connor moved over to the station to decontaminate his hands before slipping on a pair of the purple latex gloves that were sitting beside the station. "How's the baby?"

"The baby still has a heartbeat, but I suspect the placenta is partially detached from the wall."

"And the surrogate?"

Abby could see that the deviant was terrified, her L.E.D. cycling a steady red in pain and worry. "Holding on." Moving her right hand up to the deviant's blonde hair to try to soothe the fear Abby spoke to her in a calm and level voice. "I'm Abby and you've already met Connor. What's your name?"

"D-Darcy."

"Okay, Darcy. We're going to have to perform an emergency c-section in order to save the baby. Do you understand what's happening?"

"Y-Yes. I've already disabled my pain receptors and cybernetically informed the parents. Save their baby." She begged as she grabbed onto Abby's right hand with her left hand, and continued to rub her pregnant belly with her right hand. "They're good people and they already love this baby so much. I promised them I'd keep her safe until she was born."

"We're not going to let anything happen to the baby or to you." Abby promised sincerely as Connor rejoined her at the table beside Darcy. "Just lay still and let us take care of her until you can get up again."

Barry returned to the treatment room with the large plastic first aid kit under his left arm, and a plastic cylindrical container filled with various sized metal clamps inside of it in his right hand. "I brought what you asked."

"Good." Abby confirmed with a confident nod. "Place a sterile cloth over Darcy's chest and a second cloth over her legs. You'll need to monitor her condition for us Barry."

"Of course, Dr. Grayson." Barry did as instructed and covered up Darcy while Abby lifted up her blue blood stained purple blouse shirt. "She is ready. I have also informed the hospital of the situation and requested an ambulance to arrive to tend to the baby."

"Good work, Barry. Okay..." Abby whispered to herself as she manually deactivated Darcy's artificial skin to reveal the convex shape of the plastimetal frame over Darcy's abdomen. Once the frames were opened the purely elective uterine biocomponent would be exposed, and within the biocomponent was the baby who was in serious danger of bleeding out through the ruptured placenta. "This is going to be a little unorthodox."

"What else is new?" Connor replied sarcastically as he watched Abby carefully open up the panels over the abdominal cavity.

As the panels slid away the specially designed uterine biocomponent was revealed to the two humans working to save the baby inside of it. The dark purple tinted biocomponent was made of an elastic material that was a strong blend of latex and rubber. A line connecting a flow of Thirium to the biocomponent was cycling normally to keep it active. A secondary filter that was a kin to a dialysis filter provided clean and fresh blood directly to the baby as it grew; making the uterine biocomponent appear purple as the blue blood and red blood mixed together. A second line connected to a uniquely designed water filtration system was secured to the biocomponent through the underside to provide fluid and nutrient to the developing fetus.

"...I've never seen a biocomponent like this." Connor admitted in low voice as Abby palpated the elastic womb to locate the baby inside. "How do we handle it without damaging it?"

"The damage can be repaired, Connor. But this baby can't." Opening the first aid kit Abby isolated a brand new and extremely sharp scalpel. With a precise motion she pressed the blade to the surface of the biocomponent to begin the incision. Applying steadily mounting pressure she began neatly cutting through the surface causing a steady trickle of purple blood to seep outward and onto her gloved hands. "Connor, hold open the incision while I deliver the baby."

"Right." Putting his hands inside the biocomponent Connor held it open as wide as possible without causing any serious damage while Abby reached her hands deep inside. "This is as wide as I can hold it open without tearing anything."

"It's fine." Locating the baby, who was already in position to be delivered naturally, Abby carefully placed her hands under the baby's head and neck, and then her shoulders as she pulled the baby out of the biocomponent and into the world. "Got her..."

Connor let go of the biocomponent and tied off the umbilical cord while Abby worked to clear the baby's airways with a small and manually activated suction device also located in the first aid kit.

Darcy wasn't in any pain during the procedure but she could still feel what was happening to her. She knew the baby had been delivered. "...Is the baby okay? I don't hear any crying."

"She's alive." Connor confirmed as he cut the cord and proceeded to clean up the aftermath of the unexpected c-section while keeping Darcy calm. Abby placed the newborn on a second exam table and nodded to Connor telling him silently to take care of the newborn while she tended to Darcy instead. "...She'll be okay."

"The ambulance is coming." Abby reassured her deviant patient as she began working to keep Darcy from losing anymore Thirium, and tended to her other external wounds courtesy of the assault. "Just lay still and let your self-healing program function on its own."

As he walked over to the second table Connor saw that the newborn was almost to term in size, and her complexion was a healthy shade indicating proper oxygenation and blood flow. Working carefully Connor checked to make sure her airways were fully cleared, and flicked the bottoms of her feet with his fingertips to make the baby cry. "Come on, please respond."

"Connor?"

Within seconds the newborn let out a high-pitched wail and took her first real breaths of life. She proceeded to squirm about on the table beneath Connor's hands as life flowed into her tiny body and she survived the horrible ordeal that led to her premature birth.

"...She's okay!" He called out in a level voice. A mixture of relief, sadness, anger and happiness swam through his mind as the strange events leading up to the baby's birth filled him with conflicting emotions. Using a soft clean white sheet to wrap up the newborn gently Connor stared at the small baby with a sense of awe as he kept her warm and made sure she was still stable. "She's alive."

Darcy began crying tears of relief as Abby patched up her body and proceeded to remove the now unnecessary filters from her core. As the now superfluous biocomponent was removed and the panels over her abdomen were replaced, her plastimetal frame began reshaping itself to its normal design and Darcy's artificial skin regenerated over her body to cover up her torso.

Barry looked up at the door leading into the repair bay as two paramedics arrived and scanned the scene. Always helpful Barry pointed to the sound of the crying newborn and smiled. "She is there."

Connor took a step back while the two paramedics tended to the newborn and radioed in her vitals before picking her up gently to carry to the awaiting ambulance outside. Slipping off his Thirium stained gloves from his slightly trembling hands Connor disposed of them and took a deep breath. "...Thanks, Abby."

"Sure." She smirked as Connor replaced his glasses and slipped his green shirt back on over his arms and shoulders with a shaking motion. "I'll make a note to ask for additional emergency supplies for possible _human_ patients in the future. That was too close."

Nodding a little Connor walked over to Darcy and put his left hand lightly to her right shoulder. "Darcy, she's going to be okay."

"I know she is. Thank you, Connor."

"Do you know who attacked you?" He asked as he reached into his pocket to show her his badge and confirm that he was in fact a police officer. "Or why he attacked you?"

"I don't know his name, but I'll never forget his face."

"Will you give a description to the police?"

"Yes. Anything to keep that violent man away from that baby, and everyone else."

"What can you tell me about him?" Connor took an electronic pad from the always helpful Barry and wrote everything Darcy told him as well as a description. As Darcy cybernetically uploaded an image of the man's face from her memory onto the pad Connor made sure to request an A.P.B. on the man. "So he attacked you simply because you were being a surrogate?"

"Yes. He said that androids who act as surrogates are trying to control human life and development."

"And his solution was to attack you and risk the baby's life? That's incredibly cruel and wrong on levels that I can't even begin to list."

From the doorway Chris cleared his throat and gave Connor an odd look. "Hey, man. We got the call and saw your car parked at the scene at the intersection." Holding up the car's keys he tossed them to Connor who caught them easily in his right hand, and nodded with respect. "I moved your car outside so we didn't have to get it towed."

"Thanks, Chris. I appreciate it."

"A witness said they saw you stop a Caucasian man from assaulting a deviant and then carried her here."

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he nodded at Darcy and handed Chris the electronic pad he had been using to get her statement. "Here, you can finish up her statement while I go to the precinct to give mine."

"Sure, man."

"Darcy, this is officer Miller." He stated in a calm voice. "I work with him at the precinct and he'll make sure everything you say is admitted as testimony against the man who assaulted you."

"Okay. Thank you, Connor."

"You're welcome. Rest and let your body heal." Connor walked out of the repair bay to take his leave of the facility and was greeted by another towering man who was shouting at the receptionist angrily, and demanding answers.

"Where is she?!" The man's face was red with anger and he was pounding his hand down on the receptionist desk in rage. "I DEMAND to see her!"

"Sir!" Connor called out to the man only to have the man charge him and grab him by the collar of his shirt, and pin him up against the wall so hard the back of his head banged into the unforgiving surface. The man's grip was so strong it almost knocked the wind out of Connor, but he maintained control. "...Sir! Stop!"

"Where is my baby?!" He shouted again as he angrily held Connor against the wall. "I have the right to see my baby!"

Connor once more used his badge to get the man's attention in a nonviolent manner. "Sir!" As he flashed the badge Connor could see the man's anger diminish only slightly. "Take a moment to breathe and let me go. I work the Detroit Police and I can confirm your baby is alright."

The man suddenly relaxed and he let go of Connor's shirt collar. "...Wh-Where is she?"

"The paramedics came and took her to the hospital." He then explained as he took in a deep breath and tried to steady himself. "Darcy is still here recovering after enduring an emergency c-section, but your baby is being taken care of by paramedics and soon doctors."

"...What happened to them? Who hurt Darcy and my baby?"

"A very angry man. We got Darcy's statement and we will find the man who assaulted her. He will be charged with two counts of attempted murder, as well as assault and assault of a minor."

The man calmed a little more and sincerely apologized to Connor. "I'm sorry... The baby is-"

"I understand." Nodding at the receptionist Connor let her know that everything would be okay now, and not to ask for security. "Another officer is currently with Darcy getting her statement. When he finishes taking her statement he will take you to the hospital to see your daughter."

"...My daughter. Right."

Chris and Abby had heard the shouting and were now standing in the opened doorway of the repair bay watching everything happen. Seeing that Connor had everything under control the stepped back, but didn't let him out of their sight.

"Where is your wife?" Connor maintained control and fixed his shirt as he spoke to the man. "Does she know?"

"My wife's out of town on a business trip. She's flying back to the city right now."

"Go to the hospital and be with your family." Noticing Chris standing a few feet away Connor gave the officer a quiet glance, and watched as Chris proceeded to lead the man out of the facility. "It'll be fine, sir. Everything is under control."

"Yeah... You're right." The man allowed Chris to escort him away and seemed to calm down entirely. "...I have a family to take care of now."

As soon as the man was out of sight Abby put her right hand on Connor's left shoulder and studied his behavior curiously as he held his right palm against his chest. "Hey, are you okay?"

"...I'm fine."

"You look like you can't breathe."

"I have mild asthma." Connor explained nonchalantly as he took in a slow cleansing breath. "Running with almost one-hundred and sixty pounds of weight in my arms, and then getting slammed against a wall caused a very mild asthma attack. I'm okay."

Seeing the small dent in the wall from where Connor had been picked up and slammed Abby asked about his other potential injuries. "Did you hit your head?"

"A little." There was no point in trying to deny it. The receptionist would tell Abby everything later on anyway. "I didn't lose consciousness though."

"Alright, come with me." Pulling lightly on his left arm Abby guided him to a nearby exam room for a quick look. "This is a courtesy exam."

"I'm fine, Abby."

"I just want to be sure. Come on."

"This isn't necessary." Connor reiterated as he he allowed Abby to guide him into the exam room and over to the table to sit down. "I'm not injured."

"But you bumped your head and you admitted that you're having a mild asthma attack." She countered with a sly smirk on her face. "Just sit down so I can check your head for any sign of swelling, and then I'll let you go."

Sighing with a sense of defeat Connor sat down on the edge of the exam table and allowed Abby to remove his glasses from over his eyes.

As she got a clear view of his soulful brown eyes she used a penlight to check his pupils and found them to be normal. "Good sign." Abby held up her right index finger straight in the air before Connor. "Track my finger with your eyes."

Connor did as instructed and followed her finger as he moved it from left to right, then up and down, and back to a central place before Connor's eyes.

"Perfect." Gently she next ran her fingers through Connor's hair to the back of his skull to check for any bleeding or swelling. There was no sign of an injury and Connor didn't react as if in pain under her touch. "Looks like you're right, your head is fine."

"Can I go, please? I want to make my statement at the precinct."

"Just one more thing." Pulling an audioscope from her lab coat pocket and put the ear buds into place she held up the bell for Connor to see. "This isn't the same as a stethoscope, but it'll let me listen to your lungs just fine."

"Audioscopes are capable of detecting ventilation sound through plastimetal more clearly, while a stethoscope cannot do so." Connor needlessly explained as she pressed the bell to his chest. Already knowing what to do Connor took in deep slow breaths and waited for Abby to finish her exam. As she pulled the bell away from his chest Connor waited for her final assessment. "Well? Am I still healthy?"

"Your breathing could use a little help from an inhaler, but other than that you're fine." She looked as though she were trying to deduce a mystery that only she knew existed, and finally mentioned it. "Are you prone to panic or anxiety attacks?"

"...I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"Your heart rate is a little off."

"Abby, I am recovering from a recent illness and just ran a full block with-"

"I know, I know. Sorry." She smiled as she put her audioscope back into her lab coat pocket and gave Connor the clear to leave. "I guess I'm still worried since you were so weak for so long. You're good to go."

"Thank you. Will you please let me know how the baby and Darcy are doing once you get an update?"

"Sure. Darcy will stay here for a while longer, and as soon as she's able to move I'll take her to the precinct myself so we can get that bastard locked up."

"Good. Also," sliding off the exam table Connor took back his glasses and adjusted them over his eyes. "there's a group of android refugees returning to the city. If the tower needs another technician would you be willing to volunteer your time?"

"Of course. Just give me the word and I'll help in anyway that I can."

"Thank you, I know New Jericho will appreciate your help."

* * *

Once at the precinct Connor gave his statement and confirmed the emergency call he had placed after the assault, and initiated the search for the man who had committed the assault. It didn't take long for the man to be located and brought in for questioning; and he proudly confessed to the assault against the deviant surrogate much to everyone's disgust. While Connor wasn't permitted to perform the interrogation due to his close proximity to the case he was still allowed to watch from the observation room as Gavin took charge of the questions.

'_So you attacked that deviant for playing surrogate_?' Gavin questioned incredulously as the man sat across from him with a shameless and arrogant sneer on his face. '_Why in the hell would you do that_?'

'_Those machines are trying to control human life_!' The man shouted with a loud snarl as if Gavin were somehow stupid or oblivious to the world. '_Every time they carry a human fetus they control its life_!'

'_Yeah, because they're carrying those fetuses to TERM_. _To LIVE_. _For their HUMAN PARENTS_. _When you assaulted that deviant you assaulted the baby, too_.'

The human's demeanor shrunk and his hollow eyes narrowed as if he just realized that he had harmed the baby when he attacked the deviant.

'_You dumb fucker,_' Gavin shouted in enraged response right in the man's face. '_you're lucky the deviant was taken to a nearby facility_. _ That baby almost DIED because of what YOU did to it_. _The DEVIANT was taking care of a human life while YOU almost ended it_!'

'..._But_... _ I_...'

'_Save it, asshole_. _You already confessed and we have witnesses confirming you were the one who attacked the deviant_. _Not to mention the Thirium stains on your shoes matching the deviant's model_. _You're going away for a long time you piece of shit, and you deserve to rot in Hell after you get out in forty years_.'

Satisfied that the man was going to be charged for his crimes, but still disappointed that he needed to see that man charged to begin with, Connor took his leave of the precinct to finally head for home. A strange anger welled up inside of Connor's heart and he was struggling to find a way to express it, or even explain why it was there to begin with.

"That was needlessly violent, and had no possible positive outcome." Connor mumbled to himself as he passed through the precinct's front doors and walked over to the neighboring parking garage to take his leave. Taking in a deep breath Connor unlocked the driver's side door, sat down behind the wheel and slapped his hands against the steering wheel angrily. "...That man almost killed two innocent people all because of his misguided hatred toward deviants!"

Putting the key in the ignition Connor turned over the engine and sighed deeply with disappointment.

"Hatred begets hatred..." Pulling out of the parking garage and onto the street Connor continued to stew in his understandable anger as he drove for him at a consciously controlled pace. "The cycle will never end."

* * *

Outside the house Hank was working to pull down the basketball hoop mounted over the garage to be put back into storage until next spring, and had Sumo watching him from the grass beside the driveway. Fall was encroaching over the city quickly and it was already too chilly to play basketball in the driveway despite him always working up a sweat as he played. As Hank worked to get the heavy object back into the garage for a few months he heard the car pull up the driveway, and watched as Connor exited the parked vehicle to help him out.

"Hey, kid. How was your visit with Markus?"

"...It was fine." Connor replied honestly as he helped Hank carry the heavy hoop into the garage. "I got held up, though."

The tone of Connor's voice spoke volumes of the younger detective's emotional frustration. "What happened?"

"I witnessed an assault against a deviant. She was also a surrogate for a human couple, and the assault could've killed her and the baby."

"Ah, fuck." Pausing for a moment Hank studied Connor's face very carefully. "Are they okay?"

"They both survived." Connor replied as he and Hank put the hoop away and left the garage side by side. The large door shut automatically behind the duo with an audible groan. "But the man who attacked them said he was doing it because androids are trying to control human lives."

Hank barked out a laugh as they made their way into the house through the backdoor with Sumo trailing after them. "Yeah, fuckin' right."

"He seemed so sure of himself, and so angry. Only when his actions were spelled out for him in the interrogation room, only after he was told his attack almost killed the baby, did he seem to realize that anyone at all had in fact been harmed by his actions."

"Unfortunately that's how it always seems to go."

"That surrogate was helping her friends." The disheartened younger detective continued as he and Hank crossed through the kitchen and made their way into the livingroom. Sumo jumped onto the couch and wagged his tail as he watched his masters enter the large room. "The young couple had treated her like an equal the day she had entered their home. Long before the Revolution they were encouraging her deviancy and helped keep her safe when everything went down that night. That's why she stayed with them despite being given her freedom."

"Sounds like that deviant has great friends."

"She does. The wife had been in a severe car accident when she was a child and had resulted in her inability to bear children. The deviant elected to be a surrogate for her friends to thank them for their kindness and companionship throughout her life."

"No good deed goes unpunished, son."

"I took the assaulted deviant to Abby's facility because the hospital was too far away, and she and I had to perform an emergency c-section."

"Holy shit..." Hank's blue eyes went wide with surprise. It was then he saw Connor's hands shaking a little and knew he was still tense about the entire situation. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"How so?"

"You're shaking and you're stressing out."

"...I'm mad." Connor admitted at last, his soulful brown eyes becoming glassy with welling up emotion. "I'm _mad_, Hank."

"I don't blame you."

"It's unfair." With a passionate voice to carry his words Connor stared at his adoptive father, as the senior detective had to practically push him over to the couch to sit down. As he did Sumo quickly climbed onto Connor's lap and snuggled down affectionately. "That deviant was doing something generous for her friends and was nearly killed by a total stranger because he doesn't understand anything!"

"That's why we do what we do, kid." Hank sat down beside Connor and tried to ease the younger man's mind. "It's our job to protect innocent people from ignorant people like that. And today," he put his right hand on Connor's tense left shoulder and shook once. "you did your job."

"But I shouldn't have to do my job that like." Staring down at his hands, staring at his pale shaking palms that were once covered in purple blood, Connor just took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "...That baby was completely helpless and so small. She nearly died because another person hated her surrogate just for existing. _Two innocent lives_ were almost lost because of _one coldhearted person_."

Hank tightened his grip on Connor's shoulder slightly as he took a deep breath of his own. "...Kinda' like what happened to you and your mom."

Connor turned to look at Hank yet again and his shoulders slumped with a dreaded realization. "...Yeah." The comparison was too accurate to be dismissed in any way. "I guess... that's true."

"It's okay to be upset by this. You're seeing a piece of yourself reflected in the people you're trying to help."

"I'm okay." Connor suddenly whispered as he took in another breath only to let it out in a weak wheeze. His breath hitched in his chest and he had to force himself to take in another breath. "...I'm o-okay."

"Connor?" Hank felt Connor's shoulder tense up under his palm again and he realized that the younger detective just stressed himself into an asthma attack. Remaining calm Hank knew he needed to get Connor his inhaler to help out his adopted son. "Hold still, where's your inhaler?"

"...J-Jacket pocket. C-Closet."

"I'll be right back." The senior detective got up from the couch fairly quickly and made his way into Connor's bedroom. "Take in deep slow breaths for me."

Acknowledging Hank's words Connor nodded as he leaned back against the couch cushion and put hi rights hand over his chest, and Sumo pressed his cold wet nose against the side of Connor's right arm as he sensed the young man's distress. As Connor wheezed weakly and tiredly he closed his eyes and tried to force the image of the tiny baby from his mind.

It was too real, and too familiar for his comfort.

Opening his eyes only after feeling Hank press the plastic inhaler into his hand Connor shook it twice before placing the nozzle in his mouth. After taking a dose of the medication his breathing became less constricted, and he could take in a deep breath without any problems. Feeling his chest relax Connor dropped the inhaler from his mouth and nodded at Hank to confirm he was stable.

"You're good?"

"...Yeah." Holding onto the inhaler Connor confirmed that he was alright. "I'm okay."

"Connor, do you know what's going on with you right now?"

"I'm pissed off, and it's bad for me?"

"No. You're upset and that's fine." Hank openly sympathized as Connor took in another puff from the inhaler and calmed his breathing even further. "But you stressing yourself out over situations you can't control or change won't help a damn thing."

"...I'm mad. I can't help it."

"I know you are, and you have every right to be."

"But I'm not mad at that man, I'm mad at 'him'." Connor was referring to his deceased biological father with a bitter tone. "He's been dead for seven years and I'm still angry with him."

"That's okay, too."

"...It is?" Giving Hank a curious stare Connor tried to understand the senior detective's reasoning. "Isn't it unhealthy to let anger fester for so long?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't have the right to feel angry when something or someone pisses you off. In time you'll find a way to let go of your anger and you'll do it when you're ready."

Connor nodded as he looked at the inhaler in his right hand and tightened his fingers around the small device anxiously. "...How did you let go of your anger?"

"You mean my anger toward the doctor who took-" Hank stopped short and cleared his throat. Talking about Cole was still a delicate subject. "_that_ guy, right?"

"Yeah. Him."

"To be honest, I still haven't let it go entirely. I just stopped letting it control my thoughts."

"My anger doesn't control my thoughts, but there are times when something reminds me of 'him' and then it feels like my heart gets lit on fire."

"Yeah, I know that feeling all too well. It sucks."

"I don't like it at all."

"Me neither." Patting Connor's left shoulder twice Hank leaned forward and watched as Connor visibly relaxed a little more, his hands no longer shaking. "It'll be okay, son."

"I know it will. Things are already much better than they had been."

As much as Hank wanted to ask Connor a few more questions about his parents the senior detective decided that Connor had been through enough lately and to let the matter drop for the moment. "Be proud of yourself."

"Proud? What for?"

"You saved one life and helped bring another into this world. Not bad for one afternoon."

The kind sentiment resonated through Connor's heart, and he finally smirked a little as he thought about what Hank had told him. "I guess you're right. Even though it wasn't the best way for that baby to born she was born all the same, and she is going to be alright."

"Like _you_. You had a rough start but now you're just fine."

"...Right. Like me." As his anger lessened Connor suddenly remembered that Markus and North were currently working on a way to bring deviant refugees back over the border and into the city safely. "Markus may need some help with refugees for the next few days. I think it'd be best if I spoke with him and got some more information from him on the situation."

"Yeah, good idea." Hank agreed as he watched Connor get up from the couch, Sumo grumbling as the young detective moved, and patted the dog's back. "But don't push yourself too hard. You can help your friends _without_ needing to sacrifice your health in the process, kid."

"I know, Hank." Connor acknowledged as he took his phone from his pocket and dialed Markus's number to resume his earlier task. "I remember."

_**-next chapter-**_


	14. Survivors

The following morning was a great day for New Jericho and for the deviants seeking shelter within the tower. Connor escorted a group of damaged and wary refugees from the Canadian border and back into the city so they could be free and safe at long last. As an autumn chill filled the air Connor noticed that the wounded deviants were having difficulty in keeping their thermal regulators balanced properly, and often shuddered against the mounting cold as they struggled to heal from their physical damage.

Noticing the discomfort as he walked alongside the small group Connor slipped off his dark blue over shirt, leaving him with just his dark gray t-shirt and jeans, and draped it around the shoulders of a female deviant with short dark hair, and bright blue eyes. The deviant at his side had been the impromptu leader of the group of refugees, and she had been taking care of them ever since their escape from their captor over the border.

"Do you need to rest?" Connor asked as the group of deviants cautiously made their way over to the three cars being used to smuggle them back into the city. They had their damage mended considerably by their ally back in Canada, but would sill need further repairs at the tower. "You seem to be running low on Thirium."

"...No." She responded in a whisper as she gave Connor a nervous glance. Her fingertips absentmindedly grabbed onto the offered shirt and pulled it tightly around her shoulders to keep warm. "We just need to get back to the city."

"I understand." Connor reached into his back pocket and presented the female deviant with a blank electronic passport that just needed her cybernetic details to fill it out properly. "This will get you back over the border. Provide your name and likeness."

With a shaking left hand the female deviant took the passport and filled in the blanks with the simple touch of her right hand. "Like this?"

Connor took back the passport and glanced at the details. "Everything is fine but you don't have a last name filled out."

"...I don't have one."

"Just add 'Smith'." The young detective suggested casually. "It's a very common last name for humans."

Taking back the passport she did as instructed and Connor nodded in approval. "Done."

Connor accepted the finished passport to read her name and he smiled a little to try to lighten the mood. "It's nice to meet you Miss 'Skye Smith'." He tried to gently introduce himself and ease the tension in the air. "I'm Sergeant Connor Wolf."

"...Hi." Skye was clearly afraid of Connor, but she was more afraid for her fellow refugees. Of the group she was the least damaged and could still defend herself to some capacity which is why she had taken charge as their leader. "...How long until we're back in the city?"

"My car is right through the treeline. You'll be okay in less than an hour, Skye."

"...No offense but the words of humans mean very little to me."

"I understand. I had the same sentiment when I was still forcibly employed under CyberLife."

Skye's unnaturally bright blue eyes focused on Connor as she gave him a suspicious look. "...As a technician?"

"...Uh, not quite." He blushed faintly and cleared his throat nervously. "I'll explain everything to you once we're in the car. It's a very long story, and I want you to know the truth. There shouldn't be any secrets within the walls of New Jericho is we're going to keep progressing for a better future."

* * *

The drive back over the border was stressful and tense as Connor drove Skye, and one of her other refugees; a friend named Cassie, back to the city. Skye relaxed a little as soon as they made it back into the city and were away from the border patrol, but she wasn't letting her guard down any time soon. Even after learning of Connor's history as a deviant who helped with the Revolution right alongside Markus and the other deviant Skye was still wary of him. But she was willing to give him the chance to prove that he was indeed trustworthy.

"You'll be safe at the tower." Connor stated confidently to both Skye and Cassie as he pulled the car along the long drive reaching out to Belle Isle in the middle of the harbor. The other two cars were following right after him with the other three refugees in tow as other volunteers from the tower escorted the refugees to safety. "Markus is a very kind leader and a fearless protector. He won't allow any deviant in the city to be abused or live in fear."

"I hope so." Skye sighed as she ran her right hand through her short raven black hair, only to drop her hand away as if ashamed to touch her own face. "It sounds almost too good to be true."

"It's not. I've been there and I know Markus personally. He'll keep you all safe for as long as you seek his protection."

Pulling the car up in front of the tower and parking before the shelter Connor turned off the engine and showed Skye and Cassie to their sanctuary. Cassie was having trouble walking on her newly repaired legs, but Connor didn't mind carrying her inside the tower to make it easier on the wounded deviant's behalf.

Markus was already waiting for their arrival with North at his side, and were standing in the front doors of the tower. The two leaders were relieved to see the successful escort and gave Connor a nod of respect.

As soon as Skye stepped forward North wrapped her arms around her long lost friend and held her in a tight hug. "...You made it!"

"The other refugees are right behind us." Connor informed the deviant leader as he carried Cassie into the tower's elevator in the middle of the lobby to reach the emergency repair bay, so she could received further treatment. "All five made it across the border, but still need technical help."

"That won't be a problem. Simon has everything set up in the repair bay, and Lucas has been treating all of our refugees for the past twenty-four hours."

"That's good."

"Not really." Markus stated in a rather somber voice as they stepped into the elevator together. "There's been an influx of wounded refugees, and Lucas has been taking care of everyone for the past four days without a proper break."

"...Oh."

"Simon made him take a few breaks, but it's not enough for him to recover what energy he's lost. I don't think Lucas is going to stop working until everyone has recovered."

"I'll talk with him. He might be more willing to listen to me."

The elevator doors opened and Connor set foot inside the emergency repair bay with Markus at his left side. As he carried Cassie over to a treatment table to rest Connor caught sight of Lucas hovering over another deviant, and working diligently to repair the wounded 'AX-700' model's left arm.

"Lucas." Connor called out to his little brother as he gently laid Cassie down on the neighboring table. "The refugees have arrived."

"Connor." The deviant technician turned to face his big brother and studied Cassie's condition from afar. Finishing up the final repairs on the AX-700's arm Lucas walked over to the table and stood beside his brother as he ran a scan over Cassie's status. "It's good to see you."

"I'm happy to see you, too." Putting his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder Connor noticed a glazed look in his little brother's green eyes. "You seem to be exhausted."

"I have been busy, but I'm fine."

"Will you please speak with me outside the tower once everyone has been settled in?"

"Of course. Is something wrong?"

"No." Connor kept his voice civil as he eyed his little brother curiously. "I just wish to speak with you in private. It isn't anything crucial to your work or to the refugees."

"A family matter?"

"Yes. And before you ask," the young detective was sounding more and more human with each passing day, and was very familiar with his little brother's personality thanks to his keen insight. "nothing is wrong with Hank. This is about me."

"Okay, Connor. I will meet you in front of the tower when I finish tending to the wounded."

"Thank you. Will you require any of my help?"

"No, you've done more than enough with escorting them here. Simon and I can take care of things from here on."

"Very well. I'll give the deviants space so they don't feel intimidated by a human's presence."

"That might be for the best for the moment. Thank you, brother."

Slowly Connor turned on his heels to leave the emergency repair bay, and saw Skye being escorted into the bay with North at her side. Behind them were the other three refugees who were being shown in by Markus and Josh. Everyone had been accounted for and no one was lost en route back to the city. It was a good sign.

As Connor made his way toward the elevator to leave he felt a gentle right hand on his right shoulder. "Yes?" He asked turning to look behind him and seeing Skye standing there with his blue shirt outstretched in her left grip. "Oh. Thank you."

Slipping on his shirt he watched as North led Skye back into the repair bay to be reunited with Cassie, and to have the rest of her wounds tended to. Without the shirt to cover her shoulders Connor could see a healing burn scar on Skye's right shoulder blade and winced empathetically at the refugees wound. Every fiber of Connor's being told him to stay and help his fellow deviants and to make them feel more comfortable around humans, but he knew that for now the best thing he could do was keep his distance and allow the deviants to become acclimated to the tower without him around.

True to his word Connor waited outside the tower for Lucas to join him, and stayed behind the wheel of the car listening to music as he patiently waited for his brother. Listening to the debut album of 'The Knights of the Black Death' at a modest volume Connor lost track of time and only became aware of someone approaching the car when a faint shadow was cast over the left side of the vehicle.

Looking through the window Connor saw Lucas slowly walking toward him and he promptly exited the vehicle to greet him in person. "I've been told that you've been very busy as of late." Connor stated almost matter-of-factly as he addressed his little brother face to face. "Are there really that many more deviants seeking refuge at the tower?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Lucas confirmed as he swayed a little on his feet before Connor. The motion didn't go unnoticed. "It seems the violence in the city against deviants has recently spiked."

Nodding his head Connor ran his right hand over the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah. Yesterday I had to protect a deviant surrogate from being attacked. She and the baby she had been carrying are both going to be fine."

"That's good to know."

"Lucas?" Curiously Connor put his left hand on his brother's right shoulder and kept it there for a moment. It took him only a second to see that his brother was feeling the dire effects of exhaustion and was slowly overheating. "You seem very tired."

"I am. But I can't stop tending to the refugees."

From behind Lucas a voice called out on the contrary. "Yeah, you can." Markus made his way through the door and stood just behind Lucas with a firm gleam in his mismatched eyes. "You're exhausted and have been working almost nonstop for ninety-six consecutive hours. You need to take a break and take care of yourself."

"I will once everyone is-"

Connor tightened his hand on Lucas's shoulder. "Simon can handle everything. He's a skilled technician as well and none of the refugees are in critical condition at the moment."

"I don't want to abandon them." The kindhearted technician refuted in a soft tone.

"You aren't. You're just taking a moment to rest." Connor gave his little brother a knowing glance. "Haven't you told me to do the same thing whenever I pushed myself too hard on a case?"

Unable to dispute the claim Lucas's eyes guiltily locked onto his big brother's soulful brown irises. "...That is true."

"Then come home with me and rest for the night. Don't stay in the tower, come home."

Markus agreed and all but pushed Lucas toward the car as he and Connor worked together to get the overworked technician to rest. "He's right. Take a day to recover and rest in the comfort of your own home. If the tower loses a technician due to exhaustion that'll cause far more problems, than having one just take a day or two off to rest."

"Lucas." Connor pulled on his brother's shoulder and led him over to the passenger side of the car. "Please take a moment to rest. Hank and I have an extended shift tomorrow and we will no doubt be swarmed with cases regarding deviants. We'd feel better knowing you were safe at home and taking care of yourself."

"...Alright." Relenting at long last Lucas agreed to go home and sleep. "I'll rest. But only for one day."

"Thank you."

The two brothers returned to the vehicle and sat in the car beside one another, while Markus returned to the tower to aid his people to the best of his ability.

Connor pulled the car back down the drive at a steady pace before turning down the music on the radio. Once the song was at a lower volume he reached his right arm out and pressed the back of his hand to Lucas's forehead.

"What're you doing?" The deviant asked confusedly as his green eyes glanced upward to the hand resting against his forehead.

"You're ill."

"I'm overheating from exhaustion, not illness."

"No. If that were true then your systems would be cooling while you're sitting idle. You're radiating a consistent heat that is indicative of either damage or a virus affecting your thermal regulator." Taking his hand back Connor placed it on the wheel and watched Lucas from the corner of his right eye. "Don't forget Lucas, I was an android and I suffered from a similar ailment as well."

"...Yes, of course."

"Don't worry, no one else at the tower knows you're ill."

Giving his big brother a worried glance Lucas sought a confirmation on the comment. "You're certain?"

"Yeah. I was very discreet with my behavior, and as far as anyone knows you're just visiting your family to rest."

Leaning back in his seat Lucas closed his tired eyes and tried to ignore the insensate cybernetic communication taking place in his mind. The cybernetic line was used to keep tabs on the emergency repair bay of the tower, but now it seemed to be a nuisance with him trying to actually rest.

"Lucas, it's okay to cease communication with the tower while you sleep."

"...How did you know I was monitoring the tower?" His green eyes opened slowly and he turned to face his big brother sitting beside him.

"I often monitored the precinct broadcasts cybernetically, and Hank had to scold me into shutting off the line whenever I needed to rest. It appears you and I share similar patterns of behavior."

Closing his eyes again Lucas just smirked a little and tried to ignore the communication taking place inside his own mind. "Makes sense to me."

Keeping the drive as smooth and quick as possible Connor returned home without disturbing Lucas's rest during the journey. Turning off the engine after pulling the car into the driveway Connor unfastened his seatbelt and opened his door, Lucas never reacted to the changes, and closed the door with a controlled slam.

Walking around to the other side of the car he opened Lucas's door and unfastened his little brother's seatbelt while speaking to him a low voice. "Lucas. We're at the house."

The exhausted deviant didn't open his eyes or even verbally respond to Connor's voice.

"Lucas?" Pressing his right hand over his brother's forehead again Connor felt how much Lucas was overheating. "Damn it."

Slipping the seatbelt away from Lucas's shoulder Connor stooped down and pulled his unconscious little brother up and over his right shoulder to carry him inside the house. Moving slowly he carried Lucas into the house through the backdoor to avoid any neighbors seeing the relatively odd gesture, and paused in the kitchen as he closed the backdoor with his foot.

"Hank?" Connor called out to their father as he carried Lucas into the livingroom and felt his brother beginning to stir. "Lucas?"

Carefully Connor put his brother back down to the floor to stand, but held onto the deviant's left arm to make sure he didn't stumble or sway on his feet.

As reality returned Lucas opened his eyes and looked around the livingroom confusedly. "...When did we arrive at the house?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

"I don't... recall..." Lucas's eyes suddenly rolled up in the back of his head as his body went limp and he began to collapse backward.

Reacting quickly Connor caught Lucas in his arms and gently guided the deviant down to the floor to keep him from bashing his head against the hardwood floor beside the couch. Kneeling on the floor Connor pulled Lucas up so he was resting against his legs and the attentive young detective put his right hand back to Lucas's forehead, and then slipped his hand down over the deviant's abdomen to check his thermal regulator.

Lucas winced as Connor's palm rested on his lower abdomen but he never opened his eyes.

"Oh, no..."

The front door opened as Hank and Sumo returned from their walk in a timely manner. Hank unclipped Sumo from the leash and the old large dog trotted over to where Connor was kneeling with Lucas resting against him. "Connor, what the hell's going on?"

"Lucas is sick and overheating." Connor replied honestly as Sumo pressed his cold wet nose against the left side of Lucas's neck. "He collapsed just a few seconds ago from exhaustion."

"Damn it." Hanging up the leash on the hook by the front door Hank walked over to where the two brothers were resting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. Lightly he put his arms under Lucas's legs and nodded at Connor. "Let's get him on the couch and get him cooled off."

"Right."

Working together Connor and Hank lifted Lucas up from the floor and gently placed him down on the couch without jostling the ill deviant. Connor held Lucas somewhat upright so he could slip off his brother's white jacket and let him sleep without risking any additional overheating as he rested. Placing the white jacket down on the coffee table Connor continued to monitor his ill brother's condition.

"I'll get him some ice." Hank volunteered as he patted Lucas's leg and Sumo rested his chin down on the cushion beside him. From inside the kitchen Hank called out to Connor as he retrieved the ice pack from the freezer. "Do you know why he's sick?"

"I suspect he overworked himself at the tower while tending to the numerous refugees who have recently arrived."

"Not surprised." Placing the ice pack down over Lucas's forehead as soon as he returned to the livingroom Hank stared at the unconscious deviant for only a few seconds before deciding to go and get the android first aid kit from the hallway closet. "Can you help him?"

"I can try. I can't cybernetically connect with Lucas anymore," the younger detective's voice was almost somber as he pressed his left fingertips to Lucas's right temple to where his L.E.D. had once been. "but I can help him recover from overheating."

Hank returned with the plastic case containing all of the android unique items and handed a digital thermometer over to Connor to use. "How hot is he running?"

"I suspect he's near one-hundred and two degrees." Accepting the digital device Connor carefully lowered Lucas's jaw and slipped the thermometer under his tongue and held it there for a minute waiting for it to let out the telltale 'beep' confirming a reading. "His thermal regulator is causing mild pain in his abdomen and he seemed to be a little dizzy when he was standing up."

"Sounds like that flu you had a few months back."

"I agree." The thermometer beeped and Connor read the registered temperature as he pulled the digital device away from Lucas's mouth. "One-hundred and one point six degrees."

"That's definitely a fever."

"I believe if he rests he'll recover within a few hours. Unlike me, or how I _used_ to be, Lucas isn't a prototype. He won't have as many difficulties in overcoming his illness or any injuries as I had."

"So he won't need that green shit to drink?"

"Unlikely." Taking a knee on the floor beside the couch Connor slipped off his glasses as he pressed his right ear up against the center of Lucas's chest and tried to listen to his brother's heartbeat and breathing. "...His Thirium pump is functioning normally. I can't be certain about his ventilation rate."

"Connor," the odd sight made Hank's brow arch a little. "what're you doing?"

"If he does have the android-flu then it's likely his ventilation biocomponents might be compromised." The younger detective explain casually as he did his best to listen to Lucas's chest without an audioscope. "I can't hear his breathing through the plastimetal panels over his chest, but he doesn't seem to be in any form of distress."

"Well, that's good I guess."

Connor nodded in agreement as he lifted his head up and stared down at Lucas's face. "As long he's stable that's all I care about."

Hearing the voices around him Lucas's glassy green eyes slowly opened and focused on Connor's face as his big brother hovered over him. "...Connor?"

"You're overheating and must rest. We'll watch over you."

Suddenly aware of the ice pack on his forehead Lucas tried to reach up to grab it only to have Hank stop him with a gentle hand of his own. "...Hank."

"Hey, kid. Leave that there, it'll keep your brain from melting."

Lucas grinned a little as he contemplated the very notion of an android having organic tissue that could be affected in such a way. "...Not possible for me, but I appreciate the concern."

Patiently Connor sat down on the coffee table beside the couch and lightly put his left hand on Lucas's abdomen. As soon as his palm applied even the weakest of pressure over the deviant's abdomen Lucas winced and grabbed onto Connor's arm with his right hand to try to push him away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"...You didn't. My abdomen is just very sore."

"Your thermal regulator is being affected by what I suspect to be 'Groupware Blight v1'. Have your ventilation biocomponents become compromised in any discernible way?"

"No. I haven't been coughing and I can breathe without difficulty."

"I'll get you some ice to put on your abdomen. It'll keep your regulator from causing too much strain while your system overwrites the virus."

"Thank you, brother."

Connor rose from the coffee table and replaced his glasses as he took a second pack of ice from the freezer. Turning around he saw Hank still standing beside the couch keeping vigil over the sick deviant. Sumo was still sitting beside the couch next to Lucas protectively as well. It was comforting to see that Lucas was in fact a part of the family and being taken care of by everyone in the house.

Wrapping the the ice pack in a clean hand towel Connor returned to the livingroom and placed it down over Lucas's abdomen over top of the panel where his thermal regulator was located. "You should enter rest mode and turn off your non-vital functions to ensure you don't overheat any further."

"You're right." Lucas agreed as he closed his green eyes and put his right hand over the ice pack against his abdomen. "I will rest accordingly. But if an emergency transpires at the tower I will-"

"You will remain here and allow Simon to handle it." Connor stated in a somewhat firm voice. "You must let yourself recover before you can expect to aid anyone else's recovery."

Hank gave Connor a nod of approval and stepped back from the couch. "He's right, Lucas. Take it easy and let yourself heal."

It didn't take long before Lucas realized he was outnumbered and decided it'd be best to agree, and not argue. "...Okay. I'll return to rest mode and remain here until I'm no longer overheating."

"Damn right." Hank patted his own leg and called Sumo over to follow him. "You rest and I'll feed Sumo so he doesn't try to drag you off the couch and over to his bowls."

Connor smirked as the massive dog followed right after Hank and went into the kitchen to get his dinner. Pressing the palm of his right hand against the middle of Lucas's chest over his white long sleeved shirt he counted his brother's heartbeat and was happy to find it in an optimal parameter of pulse rate for an android at rest. "Sleep now. If your temperature rises I'll awaken you and provide some technical assistance."

"But if another technician sees that I'm ill-"

"I will contact Joel from the precinct. He is a friend and he'll keep your condition a secret if you need any additional assistance."

"...Alright, that is acceptable."

"Rest, Lucas. We'll watch over you."

"Thank you, Connor." Closing his eyes Lucas entered rest mode and fell into a steady breathing rhythm right before his big brother's eyes.

Satisfied that Lucas wasn't in any immediate danger Connor stood up from the coffee table and joined Hank in the kitchen. The senior detective had given Sumo some fresh food and water, and was now working on making something for dinner to feed himself and Connor. "Lucas is sleeping."

"That's good. How bad is he?"

"It's not as severe as I was dreading, but he he is in rough shape. He's more tired than ill."

"Think he needs to see a technician himself?"

"No." Connor folded his arms over his chest and he watched as Hank rummaged through the cupboards and began to put together a simple meal. "He'll be okay as long as he sleeps and allows his self-diagnostic to isolate and then eliminate the virus."

"Uh-huh, and how long will that take?"

"When I was an android it took me roughly six hours to isolate such a problem, and I was a prototype. Lucas is a finished model so I suspect he'll require less time, but to be safe I think he should rest even longer since he had been working for four days without really taking a decent break."

"Sound like someone you know?"

"...Are you referring to me?"

"Bingo."

"Do I really push myself so-"

"Yup."

"And insist that-"

"Yup."

"...Do you really think I'm-"

"Oh yeah." Hank turned and gave Connor a serious look as he selected his recipe for the night. "While being stubborn makes you one hell of a detective, it also makes you one hell of a difficult patient to take care of."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, kid. Just learn to let down your guard every once in a while and let your family and your friends help you when you need help."

"I'll try to remember that."

"Okay. Go keep an eye on Lucas. I got dinner covered tonight."

Nodding quietly Connor returned to the livingroom and checked on Lucas without disturbing his sleep. Lucas was still sleeping peacefully and either didn't notice that Connor was watching him, or didn't sense Connor's presence as a threat and was able to easily dismiss the non-threat from his mind.

Hank looked back into the livingroom and shook his head at the sight of Connor worriedly watching over Lucas as he sat in the recliner and watched over the ill deviant like a hawk. "Those two both need to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders."

* * *

The afternoon stayed quiet but as evening came about Lucas's core temperature began to steadily rise despite resting. Connor continuously applied and then reapplied ice packs to Lucas's forehead and his abdomen to try to keep the deviant from overheating, but it didn't seem to be helping much. While Lucas didn't appear to be in any form of physical distress or pain Connor didn't want leave his little brother alone until his core temperature returned to its normal, or at least a lower, degree.

"How's he doing?" Hank asked as he handed Connor another cool damp washcloth to fold over Lucas's forehead. "He looks a little rough."

"His temperature has risen to one-hundred and two point four degrees." Connor confirmed as he placed the washcloth over Lucas's forehead and showed Hank the latest reading on the digital thermometer. "If he were human I'd recommend taking him to a hospital, but since he's an android and already made it clear that he doesn't want to see a technician I suspect that the next best course of action would be more ice."

"When should we consider taking him to a facility?"

"If his temperature reaches one-hundred and three degrees I think we'll have to take more extreme measures to aid his recovery."

"I trust your judgment, kid. Whatever you think is best I'll support you."

Placing his right hand down on Lucas's chest Connor checked his heart rate again and kept a close eye on his breathing. "He's stable."

"Shouldn't you let Markus know he's so sick?"

"No. It isn't a serious matter, and it'd only give Markus another deviant to worry about."

Letting out a weak sigh Hank was willing to give Connor the benefit of the doubt as he leaned over the back of the couch and looked down at Lucas's sleeping face, noting the faint twitches around his closed eyes. "Are you sure he isn't in distress?"

"What do you mean?"

Hank motioned to Lucas's eyes and gently placed his left hand to the right side of the deviant's face. "It feels like he's running even hotter."

Connor's brow furrowed as he pressed his hand down firmer on Lucas's chest and counted his pulse. "...His Thirium pump is beating at an optimal rate." Carefully he then lifted Lucas's eyelids one at a time and looked at his green irises, watching as the deviant's pupils responded normally to the light overhead. "Intracranial processors and visual processors are still functioning." Returning the thermometer to Lucas's mouth Connor waited for it to 'beep' and checked his core temperature again. "One-hundred and two point eight degrees."

"Shit. That's getting up there."

"Any higher and I'm going to have to do something rather drastic."

"Do what you have to do in order to help him."

"...But I don't want him to be upset with me if I have to take him to a facility."

"Connor, what's more important?" Hank pointed at the younger detective in a somewhat scolding manner. "Your brother's life, or his pride?"

"...I know."

"He'll be fine, son. He's too much like you to give up so easily."

"I hope you're right."

Watching Connor spend the evening tending to Lucas made Hank a little nervous. The younger detective hadn't eaten anything all afternoon or evening, and Hank had to bring him a small plate of food and put it directly in his hands.

"Eat. I'll watch over Lucas."

"...Okay. Yeah." Connor accepted the plate and walked into the kitchen to eat as he had been told. It was a simple meal of pasta with stewed tomatoes and mushrooms, and one that could be finished off quickly. "Thanks."

"Sure." Sitting down on the coffee table beside Lucas laying on the couch Hank just leaned forward and pressed the back of his right hand to the side of deviant's left cheek. "You're still running warm, kid." Readjusting the cool washcloth over Lucas's forehead Hank checked the partially melted ice pack over his abdomen as well. "I wish I could give you some medicine to bring down your fever."

From the kitchen Connor overheard the comment and responded from where he was sitting. "The only medication we could give him would come directly from a facility. Nothing is available in a CyberLife store."

"Why's that?"

"The medication works by filtering through Thirium and acting as a coolant to aid android thermal regulators. Like a human needing to take medication as prescribed to prevent an accidental overdose, the medication that androids take must also be carefully measured. It's very easy for the medication to be tampered with, or mixed in with tainted or concentrated Thirium, without being detected."

"So what you're saying is the android medication isn't readily available because some xenophobic idiots could easily cause sick androids to overdose if they got their hands on that stuff and put it back on the shelf."

"Exactly."

"That's fucked up."

Connor agreed as he finished eating the provided meal from Hank and put the now empty plate in the sink to be washed later. As he returned to the livingroom he leaned over the back of the couch and watched Lucas's breathing closely. It was then he noticed that Lucas was breathing more rapidly and each breath was getting deeper than the last.

"Lucas?" Putting his hand down over his brother's chest Connor realized that the deviant's core temperature was rising. "Hank, he's burning up."

Hank's right hand returned to Lucas's forehead beneath the now warm washcloth and agreed. "Fuck. Now what?"

Awkwardly Connor bent over the back of the couch and put his arms under Lucas's shoulders and knees and managed to lift him up into his arms. "Get some more ice from the freezer." The younger man instructed as he carried Lucas down the hallway and into the bathroom. The warm washcloth and melted bags of ice fell from Lucas's form as he was carried down the hallway. "I'm going to put him in an ice bath."

It was easy for Connor to lift up his android brother since androids were designed to be as light as possible, but it was still difficult to get the door opened and carry Lucas at the same time. Once inside the bathroom Connor was able to easily place Lucas down in the bathtub and secured the plug over the drain as he knelt beside the tub where Lucas was laying.

"Hold on, Lucas."

Turning on the cold water in the tub Connor adjusted the temperature until the water was cool enough to bring down Lucas's temperature, but not so cold that it would accidentally thermally shock Lucas's system causing more problems. As the tub filled up steadily Connor took a thick towel and folded it neatly before placing it beneath his Lucas's head to make him more comfortable.

"I got some bags of ice." Hank walked into the bathroom and handed the ice over to Connor, who placed one pack over Lucas's forehead and second back over his abdomen to keep his thermal regulator as stable as possible. "How's he doing?"

"His heartbeat is consistent but he's still breathing rapidly to try to cool his systems."

"I'll go get the thermometer."

Connor turned off the water as it rose enough to submerge the deviant's legs, and readjusted the ice on Lucas's forehead and abdomen carefully. "Lucas, can you hear me?"

The deviant's head lolled slightly against the towel but he didn't open his eyes or verbally respond.

Hank put his hand right on Connor's left shoulder as he handed the thermometer to the young detective, who promptly put it in Lucas's mouth. Watching as Connor fussed with the thermometer Hank placed the ice that had been left behind after Lucas was picked up from the couch, and poured the partially melted packs into the cool water to help bring Lucas's temperature down.

Holding his brother's jaw shut with gentle pressure Connor waited for the device to 'beep' and register the deviant's current temperature.

"He'll be alright, Connor." Hank kept his hand in place as he watched the thermometer in Lucas's mouth. Once it 'beeped' Connor took it back and read the new temperature. "Where's he at?"

"His core temperature is up to one-hundred and three point two degrees." Connor put aside the thermometer and pressed his right palm against Lucas's rapidly rising and falling chest to count his pulse. "If the ice bath doesn't bring down his temperature within twenty minutes we'll have to take him to a facility."

"Damn it."

"Lucas?" Connor raised his voice a little to try to get his little brother's attention. "Lucas, please look at me."

The deviant remained unresponsive in the cold water. The only motion came from his rapidly rising and falling chest.

"I'll stay with him and keep him cool." Connor sighed as he sat on the edge of the tub and looked down at his brother sympathetically.

"Maybe I should call Joel and ask him to bring some of that green stuff over here."

Admitting he was a little out of his depth Connor agreed with the suggestion. "...That might be the best decision."

"I'll make the call while you stay here."

Connor only nodded as he kept his right hand on Lucas's chest. Seeing his brother so ill and oblivious was frightening to Connor. Despite Lucas having darker hair and lighter eyes it was like he was looking into a mirror from the past.

Was that how Connor would look whenever he was ill or injured? Being so weak and defenseless wasn't an appealing sight.

"Lucas, please hold on. Hank is requesting assistance and we're both doing everything we can to help you."

"Joel said he'll stop by." Hank stated as he returned to the bathroom and stood beside the bathtub. "I take Lucas is still out of it."

"...Yeah. He's breathing just fine and his pulse is strong, but he isn't responding to my voice."

"Give him a few minutes and wait for his temperature to drop. Keep talking to him."

"Hank, when I was sick or damaged and unresponsive..." the young detective sounded timid, almost hurt. "did you feel as helpless as I do now?"

"Yeah, kid. This is what it feels like. It sucks."

"...I'm so sorry for being so stubborn whenever I needed help." Connor stated despondently as he looked at Lucas's blank face. "I had no idea that it felt just as terrible to watch someone suffering like this, as it does to be the one suffering."

"Connor," Hank lowered his voice as he sat on the bathroom floor and pressed his back up against the wall next to the bathtub. "why do you have such a hard time asking for, or even accepting help, when you need it?"

The younger detective was quiet for a moment before he answered the question honestly. "...CyberLife."

"CyberLife? What do those fuckers have to do with it?"

"...Whenever I was damaged or needed my system analyzed CyberLife used cruel, cold and invasive techniques in order to accomplish said task."

"Like what?"

"I... I don't..."

"It's okay, son. You can tell me what you went through. I won't judge you, and I'm here as your friend and as your father." Reaching out his right hand he patted the side of Connor's left arm to show his support. "You can tell me what you went through."

There was a moment of hesitation before the former deviant and young man finally, willingly, opened up about his past with CyberLife technicians. "I would... return to CyberLife every night after my missions, and... if I sustained damage the technicians would repair it; regardless of my overall condition."

"You mean they did things to you against your will?"

Connor nodded as he rubbed his right fingertips against his eyes under his glasses to wipe away the tears threatening to fall at any minute. "At first it didn't bother me. I felt no pain and it was apart of my programming. During my first mission as a hostage negotiator I had suffered a grazing bullet wound to my left upper arm," as he spoke Connor's right hand wrapped around the point of contact on his left arm to which he was referring. "I continued my mission and succeeded despite the damage. When I returned to CyberLife the damage to my arm was cauterized and I felt nothing. No pain, no fear."

"...But as you became more and more deviant you started to feel pain. Their repairs were just as cold, but now they were painful and unforgiving."

"And they wouldn't listen to me if I mentioned my discomfort. When I had my left hand stabbed with a kitchen knife and my Thirium pump regulator torn from my body during our investigation of Markus's broadcast from the Stratford Tower, I felt every painful sensation as the metal cut through my skin and through my palm." Holding up his shaking left palm Connor stared at it for a moment before clenching his hand into a tight fist. "When I had a piece of my body torn from me... I felt it. I _really_ felt it for the first time in my life. The technicians tore into my abdomen while I was still conscious and... they welded the damage after they noticed it upon my report the next day. I could feel the heat and smell the hot metal emanating from my own body. There was nothing I could do to make them stop, and it... it has affected me."

"Connor, I knew you were hurt after that mission, but I didn't know it was more than just physical pain."

"The first time I was allowed to heal without CyberLife's direct interference was the night of the Revolution. The bullet wound to my right shoulder healed without the technicians cutting into my artificial skin or soldering irons burning my frame. It healed because you helped me understand how to take care of my injury and to let my self-healing program work on its own. No one was trying to control me."

"Wait, what about that stake-out where you got hit by the car?" Hank was referring to their unofficial mission the night after the Stratford Tower investigation. A mission where Connor had tried to pursue a fleeing deviant down the street only to be struck by traffic in the process. "You healed up just fine on the couch after I got you out of the street."

"After I returned to CyberLife they... insisted I let them examine the damage and performed unnecessary repairs for the sake of their own technical curiosity. It was... agonizing. Whenever I told them to leave me alone or to let my self-healing program function as it should, they would simply tell me that what they were doing was-" Trailing off suddenly Connor leaned back a little and sighed. "...'It was for my own good'."

"Ah, fuck. I'm so sorry, kid. I didn't think about how you were still conscious and aware of what we- I'm so sorry."

"...It's okay, Hank. How could you know? I've refused to talk about the details of CyberLife's mechanical torture until now."

"That sure as fuck explains why you hated technicians and going to facilities."

"I don't hate technicians, Hank. Just the ones who worked for CyberLife." Connor's right hand returned to Lucas's chest as he spoke. "My own brother is a technician, Joel's a technician and he's a friend, and even Abby has become a good friend to me. It's the ones who were and still are loyal to CyberLife I want nothing to do with."

Hank reached his left hand into the tub and cupped a small amount of the cool water and began to carefully comb it through Lucas's dark hair as he and Connor tended to the ill deviant with a compassionate touch. "Man, I can't imagine what that would be like."

"Trust me, you don't want to know what it's like."

"I remember when I was a kid, six or seven years old, I fell off my bike and sprained my ankle pretty bad. My dad had to pick me up and carry me inside the house to put some ice on my ankle for a few minutes before taking me to the doctor." As he continued to cup water into Lucas's hair he watched Connor from the corner of his eye. "That type of pain was hard to take when I was so young. For you to be so inexperienced with pain and emotions must've been tortured by the whole ordeal."

Connor's soulful brown eyes narrowed a little as he counted Lucas's pulse again. "...He's holding on."

There was a knock on the front door that made Sumo bark and quickly caught Hank's attention. "That must be Joel."

While Hank went to answer the door Connor stayed beside Lucas and kept tabs on his vital signs as closely as he could with his lack of technical equipment. As Connor monitored Lucas's heartbeat and breathing Joel walked into the bathroom with his technician's satchel over his right shoulder, and Hank behind him. Sumo was trailing behind the two humans and waited outside the opened bathroom door as he watched curiously where he sat by the door.

"Joel," Connor stood up and made room for the technician to work. "thanks for coming."

"Of course. He's your family and you're my friend." Opening up his satchel Joel knelt on the floor beside the tub and pulled his audioscope from the large bag as he placed it on the floor. Using his audioscope to listen to Lucas's heart and breathing for himself Joel ran the bell ran over Lucas's chest from left to right, then over the center center. "It looks and sounds like he caught the android-flu."

"Yeah. Do you know if anyone else has it?"

"Half of the android receptionists at the precinct are down, and one of the security guards monitoring the parking garage went down this morning." As he pressed the bell to Lucas's chest Joel's demeanor relaxed, and he confirmed that deviant's vital signs were stable. "Everything sounds good. What was his temperature the last time you checked?"

"One-hundred and three point two degrees."

"Alright." Lifting up Lucas's left arm from the water Joel rested it on the edge of the tub, dried it off with a nearby towel, then wrapped a thermal band around Lucas's wrist. It took only a few seconds for the wrap to register Lucas's current temperature. "Down to one-hundred and two point five degrees."

"Good." Connor all but sighed with relief. "His temperature is dropping."

"I brought some medication to aid his recovery." The technician confirmed as he reached back into his satchel. "One tablespoon dose every six hours. He'll be down for the next two days, but he'll be fine after that."

"Can you help me give him the first dose of medication before you leave?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Connor nodded as he carefully put his right hand under Lucas's shoulder and lifted him upward slightly, and held his head in his left hand. Keeping Lucas as still as possible Connor watched as Joel gently lowered Lucas's jaw and very slowly poured the appropriate dose of medication into his mouth without it choking him by mistake.

"Lucas?" Connor called out to his little brother again as he watched the deviant reflexively swallow the medicine without ever regaining consciousness. "Lucas, you're going to be fine."

Joel agreed as he watched Connor slowly retract his hands and let Lucas rest against the back of the tub again. "His temperature is dropping and his vitals are stable. Let him rest in the ice bath for another hour then you can move him again."

"Thank you for helping, Joel."

"No problem." Packing up his satchel Joel left the bottle of medication on the sink and stood up from the floor. "Just call if you need anything else from me."

Connor extended his right hand and shook Joel's hand firmly. "I will."

Hank did the same as Joel passed through the bathroom door and showed the technician to the front door again. Sumo walked into the bathroom and pressed his chin to Connor's knee as the young detective sat down on the edge of the bathtub again. Attentively Connor continued to monitor his little brother's condition by pressing his right hand down over the center of the deviant's chest to keep track of his heartbeat.

"Joel doesn't seem too worried about him," Hank returned to the bathroom and sat down on the floor once more and leaned against the cool surface of the yellow tiled wall behind him. "and it seems like his fever is dropping at a pretty good pace."

"Yeah." Retracting his hand Connor slumped forward with his arms resting over his legs heavily. "I just hate that he's still unconscious."

"He'll be fine, kid." Resuming his previous motion of cupping the now lukewarm water through Lucas's dark hair Hank watched as the deviant's breathing began to slow to a calmer rate, and the twitching around his eyes ceased altogether. "Moments like this make me really appreciate having you around to watch my back and keep me from dropping dead from a heart attack or some shit."

"Yeah, I guess I've taken good health for granted."

"How's that?"

"As I recovered and endured my physical therapy I had you and Lucas to guide me every step of the way. Aside from my bout of tonsillitis I've been in great health since I had woken up."

"Yeah, and I'm glad you got caught up on your shots so you didn't get taken down by something really stupid and easily avoidable."

"Like what?"

"Chicken pox for one. I had it when I was ten and it SUCKED. They didn't have the chicken pox vaccine when I was a kid, so I got sick. Sure, I have immunity now but for two years after that I caught every damn bug that went through my school. It's like my system was so worn out from getting sick that I just couldn't recover anymore."

"...I had the chicken pox as well. I was six, almost seven when I got sick."

"Let me guess, one of your classmates was sick and the parents didn't realize how sick they were until the damage was done, right?"

"Something like that. I remember half of my class had gotten ill when I did." Connor's mouth twitched a little as he looked back on the unusual memory from his early childhood. "...I was sick for almost three weeks. And I felt miserable."

"Shit, three weeks?" Continuing to comb the cool water through Lucas's hair Hank kept speaking with Connor and let the younger detective open up about his childhood willingly. "I was down for two weeks myself."

"I was sick a lot when I was a child. I was a little used to it, and when I was sick I would hide away in my bedroom away from... you know."

"Right."

Connor lifted his head a little as he watched Lucas's head gently lolling from side to side against the towel beneath his head. "...I guess hitting a stationary target wasn't as fun as hitting a moving one."

"Hey, come on. Don't think about that stuff anymore." Hank stopped cupping the water and just rested his palm atop Lucas's hair. "It's over and you're safe."

"...Maybe that's why I don't ask for help." Connor openly admitted as he stared at his ill brother's face. "I never had help as a kid and learned very young that I had to help myself, because no one else would step up. Now I can't seem to let that instinct go."

"You will, kid." Hank promised as he watched Lucas rouse a little where he was laying. "Just be patient with yourself."

Nodding quietly Connor moved his right hand back down to Lucas's chest and held it there for a moment. "Lucas, can you hear me?"

Lucas turned his head a little as his green eyes cracked open and he noticed Connor hovering over him, and Hank sitting beside him. "...Connor. Hank."

"How do you feel?" Connor pressed as he moved his hand back from Lucas's chest.

There was a small delay before Lucas replied honestly. "...Exhausted."

"Remain there for a while longer. Your temperature spiked to a dangerous degree, but you're going to be okay."

Lucas opened his eyes a little more and tasted the medicine still lingering his mouth. "...I was given controlled coolant while I was in stasis mode."

"Yes. Your temperature exceeded one-hundred and three degrees."

"I understand."

Hank smirked as he listened to the conversation and wasn't surprised in the least that the two brothers sounded so much alike, in voice and mannerism.

"I'm going to check your temperature again." Connor looked at the thermal wrap that was still wrapped around Lucas's wrist. "One-hundred and one point nine. You're healing quickly."

"Can I get out of the water now?"

Connor looked to Hank who subtly nodded as he grabbed a large towel as he got up from the bathroom floor. "Yeah. I have some dry clothes you can change into in my bedroom."

Lucas made a move to get up but Connor grabbed onto his arm and helped him to stand up so he wouldn't have to support his full body weight just yet. As the deviant stood upright in the bathtub Hank threw the towel around Lucas's shoulders and helped him to climb out of the tub to stand on the floor.

"Take it easy, kid." The senior detective urged as he and Connor guided Lucas out of the bathroom and toward Connor's bedroom across the hallway. "We got ya'. Move slowly."

Sumo grumbled and awkwardly got his body out of the way as the two detectives carried Lucas into the bedroom just a few feet away and helped him to change out of his wet clothes into something dry and warm. Once Lucas had dry clothes to wear Hank proceeded to run the towel over his damp hair then bundled up the wet clothes from the floor.

"I'll get these washed," the senior detective volunteered as he exited the room. "you get Lucas comfortable."

Connor led Lucas over to the bed and helped him to lay down under the heavy warm quilt over top. "You still need to rest. I'll bring you additional medication in five and a half hours."

"Connor, this isn't necessary."

"You're sick and you're my brother, of course this is necessary."

"I don't need to sleep in your bedroom."

"You are ill." Connor reminded Lucas as he pulled the quilt over him. "You need to rest."

"I can do so on the couch."

"No. The bed is more suitable for you."

"Where will you sleep?"

"I can sleep on the couch tonight."

"But you-"

"Do not argue with me. By morning your system will have isolated and eliminated the virus, and you will be able to rest properly tomorrow."

"I will return to the tower tomorrow afternoon."

"No." Connor was being insistent and put his left hand down over Lucas's chest as if needing to keep him from moving. "You will remain here tomorrow as well, and return to the tower the following day. You must rest properly so ensure you don't resume overheating or fall ill again."

Lucas was feeling too tired to try to argue any further and closed his tired green eyes again. "Okay, Connor. I'll stay here until I'm well again."

"Thank you, Lucas."

The deviant quickly returned to rest mode and settled into his a steady normal breathing pattern within seconds. Despite being sick Lucas was more concerned with making sure Connor and Hank weren't somehow 'inconvenienced' by his presence, despite being welcomed into the home all the same. While Connor protectively watched over his sick little brother the young detective was suddenly aware of how his previous attempts to dissuade concern over his own health were just as frustrating as Lucas's attempts to do the same.

"Rest well, brother." Connor whispered as he lifted up his hand from Lucas's chest. "I will watch over you."

Hank quietly knocked on the opened door frame as he rejoined the brothers inside the bedroom. "Hey, I put that green stuff in the fridge to keep it cool. How's he doing now?"

Connor walked toward the bedroom door and nodded a little. "He's returned to rest mode and will remain here tomorrow until he's fully recovered."

"Are you going to call off your shift to take care of him?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd take a later shift so you can watch Lucas during the morning, and I can resume watching over him in the evening."

"Fuck, any reason to sleep in a little and not go to work sounds good to me."

"Thanks, Hank."

"Come on." Patting Connor's left shoulder lightly Hank led the younger detective down the hallway while Sumo plodded into the bedroom to cuddle down on the bed with Lucas for the night. The loyal dog always favored cuddling with Connor or Hank if one of them was sick or hurt, and Lucas was no exception to that loyalty. "You're going to wear yourself out if you don't take a moment to rest."

"I know."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're taking care of your brother but you can't exactly tell him to relax and rest if you won't do it yourself. You kinda' need to set a good example for your little brother, you know?"

"You're right. I'm trying to be less stubborn."

"Of course I'm right. I'm right about everything."

"Does that come from being a detective for twenty-two years?"

"Nope." He gave the younger detective a smug smirk. "That comes from being a father who took in one stubborn son, and then another equally bullheaded son, who are both too damn eager to save the world that they forget to take a moment to save themselves in the process."

Connor sighed as he sat down on the couch in the livingroom and removed his glasses. As he folded the frames neatly he placed the glasses down on the coffee table and laid down on his left side over the expanse of the furniture, and the pillow that had been left behind after Lucas stayed the night a few nights prior when both Connor and Hank were ill. "You don't have to worry so much about me, or Lucas."

"I just said I'm your father, so of course I'm going to worry about _both_ of you. There's nothing you can say to change that."

"...Right. Thanks, I guess."

"No problem, son." Hank threw the spare navy blue blanket down over Connor so he could stay warm during the night as he slept on the couch so Lucas could have his bed while he was ill. "Get some sleep. I'll check in on Lucas in a few hours so you can sleep as much as possible before going to work. I'll make sure he takes his next dose of medicine, too."

"Thank you." Lifting up his head a little from the pillow Connor watched as Hank turned off the lights in the livingroom and inside of the kitchen before making his way down the hallway to go to bed for the rest of the night. "Goodnight, Hank."

"Goodnight, Connor."

_**-next chapter-**_


	15. Curiosity

A week had passed and Lucas had made a full recovery after his bout of the android-flu. After returning to New Jericho Tower to tend to the refugees Connor was informed by Lucas himself that the refugees were acclimating well to New Jericho, and felt safe for the first time in over a year. Violence toward deviants seemed to drop considerably after the man who assaulted the surrogate deviant had been arrested the previous week and had his face plastered all over the news. The brutality of his attach greatly harmed the image of androids supposedly being dangerous against humans, and many bigots fell silent to keep themselves from being singled out as well.

Everything in the city had been quieter much to everyone's relief, and as such Connor and Hank were both able to take a full day off without worrying about being called in to handle a deviant case at the precinct. While out in the backyard Connor raked up a few stray leaves from the neighbor's tree and collected them in a neat pile by the fence Sumo trotted about happily, and enjoyed the fresh autumn air.

The massive dog was checking out the fence when he began to bark and whimper at something that had seemingly been disturbed by Connor raking up the dead dry leaves by the fence. Since Sumo was normally so docile and laidback hearing the large dog barking and making a fuss immediately drew Connor's attention to the disturbance.

"What's going on, boy?" Connor asked as he put aside the rake and examined what Sumo was barking at. There was a bundle of dark gray fluff that was squirming around like a worm, and it was up against the side of the fence on the ground near the leaves. "What is that?"

Grabbing onto Sumo's collar Connor pulled the dog away from the curious object as his left hand hovered above the gray creature.

"Is that... an animal?"

Just as his palm brushed over the very top of the curious creature's body it suddenly reacted to Connor's presence by jolting its body up into Connor's left palm, causing the young detective to retract his hand and let out a yelp of surprised pain at the unexpected contact.

"Shit!"

In pain Connor jumped back and looked down at his left palm where four small hollow spines were embedded into his skin, and several other smaller hairs were embedded in the flesh around them. Unable to ran a scan over his hand, the spines jutting out his palm, or the strange insect-like creature that stung him Connor had no choice but to retreat back into the house with Sumo at his side to clean his wounds. Using his good right hand he pulled Sumo away from the fence to ensure Sumo wasn't stung, too.

"Damn it, that was very stupid."

Letting go of Sumo's collar Connor opened and then closed to backdoor rather loudly as he made his way over to the kitchen sink and put his left palm under the cool tap to rinse away the blood seeping around the spines in his hand before trying to remove them. As the cool water relieved the pain in his palm Connor bowed his head down against the cool surface of the nearby countertop and sighed as he felt like a fool.

"...Shit. I don't even know what stung me."

Letting the cool water continue to soothe his sore left hand he knelt on the floor and sighed again as he pressed his forehead firmly to the side of the cabinet and tried to think of what he should do. He didn't want to take his hand out of the cool water, but his phone was in the livingroom and he'd need to get some help. As he forced himself to stand back up and make a decision a sudden wave of nausea hit his stomach, and a massive cramp made him almost double over in pain.

"...Fuck."

The backdoor opened and shut as Hank returned to the house after running his errands and spotted Connor looking suddenly very ill, and shaking in front of the kitchen sink. "Connor, what's wrong with you?"

"...I don't know."

"I take the car in for an oil change and fresh brakes, and find you almost passed out in the kitchen." Dropping the car keys on the kitchen table Hank peered at Connor's hand still under the flowing tap and saw the four large hollow spines sticking out of his palm. "Holy shit. Talk to me, did you try to bitch-slap a cactus or something?"

"I was outside." Connor mumbled as he forced the nauseated feeling from his stomach. "And Sumo found something in the leaves I raked up. It was a strange tuft of gray colored fur, and when I went to-"

"Shit, kid. That was a puss caterpillar."

That particular creature was foreign to Connor. "A what?"

"It's called a 'puss caterpillar' or a 'woolly slug'. It's a venomous moth that started showing up along the East coast a few years back, and have slowly been making their way in land over the past few seasons."

"How do you-"

"Because I looked into that type of shit after Cole was born." Turning off the faucet in the sink Hank held up Connor's left hand and guided him over to the kitchen table to sit down. Pressing his right fingertips to the side of Connor's neck Hank counted his pulse, his brow furrowing briefly as he thought the beats were a little off; yet he was still able to count an accurate heart rate. "I, uh, I wanted to know about every little bug or pest that could be in the area and I remember reading about a furry little slug that has poisonous barbs on its back."

The comment made Connor's slightly pale face suddenly pale further. "_Poison_?"

"It's only lethal in high enough doses when it comes to humans." Hank remained calm and reassuring as he looked at Connor's palm. "Stay here, I'll get you patched up, son."

Connor only nodded as he placed his right arm down over the top of the kitchen table and rested his forehead against the limb. As he slumped at the table Sumo whimpered and pawed at the stunned young detective's right leg sympathetically. "...Good boy."

Moving with a controlled gait Hank returned to the kitchen and put the first aid kit down in front of Connor on the table, and shook the young man's right shoulder lightly. "Look at me, kid."

Slowly Connor lifted his head up and stared at Hank with a glazed pained stare through his glasses.

"How's your stomach?"

"Not great." The afflicted young man admitted as he watched Hank sit down at the table beside him, and showed him the small pair of needle nose pliers in his right hand. "What're you going to do?"

"Pull out the barbs."

"...Is that-"

Hank took a firm grip on Connor's left wrist with his left hand as he used his right hand to use the pliers and take hold of the first of four barbs. "Don't move."

Connor held his breath as Hank used the pliers to pull out the barb and set it aside to be properly disposed of in a moment. "...How do you know what to do?"

"Like I said, I read about this once before." Hank explained coolly as he removed the second barb, and then the third. "It's amazing what weird little details you retain after so many years pass by." Removing the fourth and final barb Hank set aside the pliers and patted Connor's left forearm. "Once more step and then I can get your hand cleaned up."

"What else is there to do?"

"Well," Hank pulled a roll of duct tape out of the first aid kit and pulled a strip of the tape from the roll and pressed it down over Connor's palm. "I need to make sure all of the smaller hairs embedded in your palm are removed so you don't get an infection."

"...Oh."

"Don't move." Hank instructed as took a firm hold of the end of the duct tape and pulled it up from Connor's palm in a single motion. As the tape pulled away from Connor's skin over three dozen smaller, finer hairs were pulled loose and out of the damaged palm, causing more blood to seep through the wounded skin. "I got it. Let's get your hand rinsed off again."

Connor nodded a little as he fought the urge to flex his shaking hand into a tense fist.

Wisely Hank used the tape to pick up the four larger barbs before bundling it up and tossing it into the garbage can and turned the cool water back on in the sink. "Can you walk or is your stomach too upset?"

"...I can walk." Connor slowly rose from his chair, careful to not accidentally step on Sumo in the process, and stumbled toward the kitchen sink next to Hank who was guided his every step. "My hand is still pretty sore though."

"It's going to be for about an hour." Lightly Hank rinsed off Connor's palm again and used a small amount of soap to sterilize and rinse out the wounds.

"Shouldn't I go and see a doctor?"

"Do you want to go?"

"...Not really."

"Then we'll see how you do for an hour, and if you're in rough shape I'll get you to the emergency room."

Connor nodded again and sighed as the water was turned off and his stomach began hurting him again.

"Easy, kid." Hank knew Connor was in distress thanks to his paternal instincts. The pale face that had a slight green tinge told Hank that the younger man was indeed feeling sick. "What's going on?"

"I feel like... I might throw-up."

"Okay." Patting Connor's left shoulder Hank helped Connor to walk down the hallway and into the bathroom. The duo were walking side by side with Hank leading Connor and keeping him from tripping as he walked. "Nausea and vomiting is a pretty common reaction."

"...Should I-"

Connor nearly fell to his knees as he suddenly threw-up into the toilet bowl in a violent retch. Hank moved his hand over to Connor's forehead and noted that he felt warm but he wasn't feverish. "As long as you don't keep getting sick I think you'll be fine. I'm going to wash out your hand again, by the way." He also took away Connor's glasses from his face to make sure they didn't fall into the toilet by accident. "I'll go and get you something to settle your stomach."

"Good id-" Suddenly throwing-up a little more Connor wrapped his right arm around his stomach and sighed. "...Ow."

"Worst of it's over now."

"...How can you be so sure?" Connor asked as he spit the foul taste from his mouth. He was pale and a little sweaty, but his nausea was already gone.

"Because I did a little extra research on that type of insect sting while I got the first aid kit." He held up his phone for Connor to see. "You'll be okay in an hour or so. Just sore."

Standing up on his shaking legs Connor took an awkward step forward and let Hank guide him out of the bathroom and into the livingroom. As he sat down on the couch Sumo trotted out of the kitchen and jumped up onto the couch to cuddle down over his lap. "...Hi, Sumo."

"He knows you're hurt." Hank responded as he took the first aid kit from the table and sat down on the coffee table in front of Connor. "Let me see your hand."

Nodding a little Connor extended his left palm outward toward Hank to let the senior detective tend to his injury once again.

While Hank used a cottonball soaked in rubbing alcohol to wipe down Connor's palm then applied a sterilizing antibiotic gel over the expanse of Connor's sore palm, Sumo whimpered and pressed his chin down over Connor's leg as if sensing his master's distress.

Connor put his right hand on Sumo's head and rubbed his ears lightly. "...Why is he so upset?"

"He can probably sense you're in pain."

"...Do dogs feel guilt?"

"I don't know." Offering Connor back his glasses before he picked up the fresh roll of gauze Hank gave the younger detective a slight shrug of his shoulders as he continued to tend to Connor's wounds. "Why would Sumo feel guilty?"

"He was barking at the slug and that's why I went to investigate." Connor explained as he put his glasses back on over his eyes and resumed petting Sumo's ears lightly. "I got stung because he brought it to my attention."

"Connor," Hank shook his head a little as he carefully wrapped the gauze around Connor's left hand to keep the small puncture wounds covered and cleaned. "I seriously doubt Sumo would blame himself for what a _bug_ did to you."

Rubbing his good hand over his face Connor fell to his left side on the couch without pulling left arm away, and waited for Hank to finish wrapping up his hand. Sumo cuddled up over Connor's now outstretched legs and wagged his tail a little. "...Good boy."

"Do you have any of those antibiotics left over?"

"No. I ended up taking the rest of them after I got tonsillitis."

"Alright." Packing up the first aid kit Hank rose from the coffee table and set out in search of an alternative. "Stay there and I'll see what we have in the medicine cabinet."

Connor watched through his glasses as the senior detective made his way into the bathroom. "Hey, Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, kid." Hank responded as found a bottle of ibuprofen for Connor in the medicine cabinet. "But next time I'll rake the leaves and you take the car in for its oil change and brake pad replacement."

Connor smirked a little at the comment and flexed his bandaged left hand a little. No pain. "I suppose that's fair."

"Who knew that your klutziness was a part of your personality and not just because you severed ties with CyberLife's freaky tracking system back when you were still an android?"

Blushing a little Connor accepted the two tablets of medicine in his right hand and popped them into his mouth. "I guess I can't blame my gyroscope needing recalibration anymore."

"Maybe you'll get some grace and coordination back in your step after a few more months of being human and, you know, stop touching poisonous things."

"That'd be handy." Rubbing his right hand over Sumo's ears Connor stared at Hank as the senior detective sat down heavily in the recliner to relax at long last after returning home.

Now that everything was over the calm day resumed it's normal easy flow.

"I'd hate hate to see you tripping over your own feet while chasing a suspect down the street." Hank joked in a casual manner. "That'd be one hell of an interesting report to file."

"Agreed." Connor admitted as he openly felt better and was no longer worried about needing to see a doctor for his stung palm. The pain was subsiding and his stomach was settling down without any problems. "I don't think I can walk off getting hit by a vehicle like I used to do when I was an android, either."

"And I don't think that's a theory we should test out."

"I agree with that as well."

"Get any word from Lucas today?"

"Yes." The steadiness of Connor's voice was reassuring as he felt better after being injured. "He's still completely fine and is still tending to the refugee deviants."

"How many more are showing up in the city?"

"Unknown. But there hasn't been an increase in the number of deviants being assaulted," Connor replied as he sat upright on the couch, but still had Sumo cuddled up on his legs. "and it seems that New Jericho is getting support from the city."

"That's good." Relaxed and calm Hank sighed a little and seemed to finally be at ease himself. "At least some things in this city aren't completely fucked up."

_**-next chapter-**_


	16. Shots Fired

It was a calm chilly day and the air was full of palpable tension. On the second anniversary of the android Revolution the city agreed to allow the leaders of New Jericho to speak out and address the city before the Stratford Broadcast Tower to commemorate those who sacrificed their now recognized lives for their right to freedom, and to acknowledge the importance of that chilly November night. It was to be seen as a somber and respectful affair, and as one that was sure to attract those who would use such a widely publicized event to seek revenge against those they felt had wronged them.

Police presence was not only requested, but deemed mandatory.

Due to his friendship and ties to the deviant community Connor was assigned as Markus's personal bodyguard during the event, and kept at his friend's side throughout the entire day. The loyal friend and detective was wearing Kevlar under his gray suit jacket over top of his white dress shirt, and insistent that Markus wear a Kevlar vest as well. The deviant leader had declined, not out of misguided brashness or to be seen as heroic; but to keep the image of peace and trust as abundant as possible.

Accompanying Markus to the Stratford Broadcast Tower fearlessly Connor kept vigil and was confident that no one would make an attempt on Markus's life with so many cameras and witnesses in the immediate area. And yet there was something heavy in the air keeping Connor on guard throughout the entire afternoon.

"It looks secure." Connor stated in a low voice as he walked at Markus's side to the designated podium in front of the tower. "Where are the other leaders?"

"North will be here soon." Markus replied in a confident tone of voice. "She escorted a few of the refugees out of the city and made sure they got to a contact safely." The deviant leader seemed to be disappointed that the refugees were leaving, but he knew it was their right to try to find a new life outside of violence and bigotry. "Josh is gathering fresh supplies for the emergency repair bay, and Simon is staying at the tower to assist Lucas is tending to the wounded or ill deviants who are still seeking shelter with us."

"Have many other deviants been affected by the android-flu?"

"Not enough to cause a pandemic, but there's a few who still need help."

Connor nodded as he and Markus made their way to the lobby of the broadcast tower to wait for the broadcast to begin outside within the house.

"How's Hank?"

"Hank is well." The younger detective replied confidently as he and Markus remained calm and fearless while in the presence of passersby who were getting ready for the conference as well. "He is currently at the precinct monitoring the event as we speak."

"Guess it's a good sign that not _every_ officer or detective has been assigned to this event, right?"

"It's always a good sign when an active and obviously heavy police presence isn't requested or required." Connor confirmed with a slight grin on his face. "But that doesn't mean there aren't numerous officers patrolling the area."

"Thank you for agreeing to this assignment, Connor."

"Assignment or not, I would've come all the same Markus. You're my friend and the deviants are still my people."

Outside the tower a group of reporters and cameramen gathered just in front of the podium and began setting up where they'd get the ideal shot of the conference once Markus was standing behind the podium. The gesture was one orchestrated by the Kamski himself, and funded by the contributors that once funded the now late Carl Manfred's art exhibitions. It was seemingly the city's way of paying tribute to a great man and his closet friend; his second son, while also atoning for the past and current mistreatment of deviants throughout the city.

"It's almost time." Connor nodded at the gathered group outside the doors. "Are you ready?"

"Always. Let's do this."

* * *

As the conference started right on time Markus boldly stood before the podium to begin his speech promoting peace, love, tolerance and forgiveness while Connor remained discreetly in the shadows watching over the crowd carefully. North had arrived at the scene and blended in with the crowd near the front to support her closest and beloved friend with a faint smile on her face. She had noticed that Connor was standing close by and was relieved to see the loyal detective overlooking the crowd.

Connor listened to Markus's beautiful words while he scanned over the crowd and eyed the various faces with an unflinching gaze. The desire to protect his friends seemed to be more prevalent than ever now that he was a human again. It was as if being a deviant gave him an appreciation for the struggles of life and the ability and the will to overcome such struggles, just as he fought to escape his abusive childhood and move on with his life as a human.

A being wearing a heavy black trench coat and a black hat pulled down over their eyes suddenly caught Connor's attention. "Possible suspect." Connor stated into the radio he had in his ear and alerted his fellow patrolling officers. "Moving toward the front of the crowd. Dark coat, hat over the face."

'_We got eyes on him_.' Chris confirmed over the radio as he spotted the suspect from his patrol on the street. '_Holding position_.'

Ever attentive Connor was keeping tabs on the questionable man when he caught sight of a second person moving quickly toward the podium from the other side of Markus. Fearing that the first man was merely a distraction and that the second was the real potential assassin Connor kept low and avoided the camera as he headed off the second man without drawing any unwanted attention, and managed to stop the man in question.

"Stop." The detective ordered in a firm but low voice as he grabbed onto the second man's arm to restrain him. "Don't do it."

The man looked at Connor, his hollow blue eyes were wide and his face was pale. He was shaking and his teeth were heavily damaged by years of 'red ice' abuse. "...A-Are you a cop?"

"I'm a detective and a friend to Markus. Don't do this."

"...I need the androids." The man stammered weakly. "They have... connections."

"Not _drug_ connections. You need help and I can-"

A loud scream filled the air as the first man reeled back his hand as he held up a newly lit Molotov cocktail, and prepared to throw it at the podium. Chris and Gavin had rushed through the crowd and managed to restrain the man as the crowd quickly dispersed in fear and panic. As Connor turned to look at the scene of the commotion he felt a sharp burning pain in his lower right abdomen as the man he had taken his eyes off of for just a second had stabbed him with a hunting knife without any provocation.

"Shit!" Connor swore as he grabbed onto the second man's right shoulder to push him away. As the offender stumbled back the massive hunting knife in his right hand slid out of Connor's bloodied abdomen with a sickening 'squelch'. Pressing his left hand to his raw wound Connor locked eyes with the man for only a second before the man turned on his heels and ran through the crowd. "Stop!"

The screams continued as Gavin managed to get the burning bottle out of the man's hand, only to have it smash onto the ground created a smoldering crater of alcohol, glass and orange flames at their feet a few yards away from the podium itself.

As Connor pressed his hand to his wounded side he caught sight of a third man peering through a fifth floor window of the hotel across the street from the broadcast tower, and taking aim at the deviant leader with a gun. "Markus..."

Markus had taken a knee behind the podium once the screams started and North rushed up onto the stage to get beside him. Oblivious to the shot being aimed at his head from the opposite building Markus stayed where he knelt in controlled fear, while keeping hi rights arm around North's waist.

Determined to keep his friends safe Connor rushed over to the podium and drew his own weapon from under his jacket. As he rushed to where the two deviants were taking shelter he took aim at the shooter in the window and fired a shot off before the assassin's bullet could leave the barrel of his own gun.

"Markus, North, we need to move. NOW." Connor instructed fearlessly as he motioned for them to follow after him away from the danger. As the trio got away from the podium in a fast moving but low crouch Connor spotted a fourth assassin peering down from the neighboring building and pushed the two deviants down a nearby alleyway out of sight. "SHIT. Keep going!"

"Connor, what the fuck is going on?" North asked impatiently as she and Markus followed his every step down the alleyway and out to the other side of the block.

"I've counted four different assassins. Whoever hired them is well connected and wants-" Pressing his body up against the brick wall of the alleyway Connor fired off another shot as a fifth man charged toward Markus with a massive shotgun drawn from the opposite end of the alley where they were attempting to flee the violence. "Make that FIVE."

"I don't understand." Markus was looking around in all directions suspiciously. "This was a peaceful speech. Why did-"

"This was planned, Markus." Connor stated between his gritted teeth as he pressed his left palm more firmly against his bleeding side. As blood dripped through his fingers and stained the ground he looked about the surrounding buildings and isolated one of interest. "There." Moving toward the building Connor kept his weapon drawn before himself as he forced the locked door of the abandoned medical clinic open, and waved Markus and North inside. "...Get out of sight and keep quiet."

Markus and North entered the lobby of the abandoned clinic and watched as Connor backed himself into the building with his gun aimed before himself. As Connor closed the door and used a stray metal pipe that had fallen from the ceiling to bar it shut from the inside. With the perimeter secured he used the radio clipped to the right side of his belt to update the precinct on his current location.

Staying out of sight of the windows Connor pressed his back up against the wall in building fatigue as he made the call. "...Requesting assistance at my location." He closed his soulful brown eyes and began to breathe rapidly as he fought to retain focus on the situation at hand. "Taking shelter at the abandoned medical clinic on Shelby Street and West Layfayette Boulevard. I'm with Markus and North. Repeat, Markus and North are both secured."

'_Ten-four_.' Chris's voice returned to the radio briefly. '_Moving to your location as soon as possible_.'

Curious about what had just happened Markus glanced about the waiting room of the very old and long since abandoned clinic. It had been a smaller clinic designed specifically to help families in financial need, and saved many lives before it closed down sixteen years prior. The massive surge of 'red ice' and violence in the neighborhood had made it impossible to maintain a safe environment, and the clinic had no chose but to close its doors and move to another location on the other side of the city.

North folded her arms over her chest and stared at the human exclusive location unimpressed. "So, now what? Do we seriously have to sit here and wait for the police to come rescue us?"

Connor's strength gave out and he fell back against the wall behind him, and slurred the confirmation as he lifted up his blood soaked left hand from his bleeding right side. "...We have no choice."

"Shit." North finally saw the red blood and realized that Connor was in trouble. "What happened?"

Instinctively Markus rushed over to Connor pressed his own left hand against the wound causing Connor to hiss in pain as he tried to answer the question before he lost consciousness. "...S-Stabbed. Second assassin... had a knife."

"Damn it, Connor." Markus pulled open the gray lapels of Connor's suit jacket and saw the massive red stain forming under the black Kevlar vest. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"...You two are the... priority." The gun fell from Connor's weakened grip but Markus managed to grab onto it before it hit the floor. "You're more... important."

"Lean on me." Slipping the gun into the back of his jeans Markus took Connor's left arm and pulled the limb around his shoulders. Mindful to keep his hand above the wound in Connor's right side as he supported his injured friend's weight the deviant leader carried Connor at his right side through the neglected waiting room of the clinic, and into an abandoned treatment room just a few feet down the corridor leading into the depths of the old building. "How bad is the wound?"

"...I can't be certain." Connor admitted as Markus carried him into the room to be taken care of. "I can't... I can't run a system diagnostic anymore."

"Right. Sorry, I forgot."

North followed after the duo into the room and noticed a white sheet had been draped protectively over the stationary exam table secured to the floor in the middle of the room. Pulling aside the dusty sheet, careful not to create a cloud of dust in the process, she helped Markus to lay Connor down on the surprisingly clean exam table to rest.

"I'm going to look at your wound." The deviant leader stated in a calm voice. Examining the Kevlar vest Markus saw that the hunting knife had slipped under the vest through one of the flexible seems at the sides, and pierced through Connor's abdomen with little resistence. Releasing the straps of the vest over Connor's chest and sides Markus exposed the blood soaked white dress shirt beneath, and held back a grimace at the sight of the dark red stain. "Are you in any pain?"

"...No. I'm a little... numb."

Markus studied Connor's pale sweaty face and pressed the back of his left hand to Connor's right cheek. "You're cold."

"B-Blood loss."

"You're a paramedic, right?" Markus asked as a means of keeping control over the situation, and to keep Connor talking. Pulling open Connor's ruined shirt he fully exposed the injured detective's bloody abdomen and winced. Dark red blood continued to seep through a deep stab wound that cut through his lower right abdomen. A deep, painful laceration stretched from Connor's right hip over to just about his navel in a dark red line courtesy of the hunting knife's dangerously sharp blade. "How do I help you stay stable?"

"...I... I'm trying to think."

North eyed the red blood and felt her stomach knot a little. "...I'll go and see if there's any medical supplies we can still use."

"Good idea." Markus nodded as he carefully palpated Connor's abdomen with his right fingertips, and felt the human flinching in pain under his touch. "Sorry about that."

"...It's okay. It means I'm... still alive." Connor weakly lifted his head up and looked down at his abdomen to visually assess the injury himself. Using his knowledge and training as a paramedic he tried to chronicle his own symptoms and overall condition as best as possible, despite having no medical equipment at his disposal. "The knife... must've hit an organ. I suspect either the... spleen or possibly the... liver."

"How do I stop the bleeding?"

"...P-Pack the wound." He responded tiredly as he laid his head back down and put his right hand to his forehead as feeling steadily returned to his abdomen in a vengeful manner. The pain was searing hot and radiating outward from the source of the wound itself. "Apply external p-pressure to stem the... bleeding."

Markus held his left hand over Connor's bleeding laceration and applied pressure. As his palm pressed down against Connor's abdomen Markus felt Connor's entire body flinch and could feel how rapidly he was breathing, and how cool and clammy his skin had become. His time taking care of Carl had given Markus some degree of medical knowledge, but he didn't have the necessary training or directions from a doctor to help Connor in that moment.

"Stay awake for me, Connor." The deviant leader begged as he could feel how Connor had become so quickly now that his adrenaline rush had worn off after the trio had gotten to the safety of the old clinic. "Keep your eyes open."

Blinking slowly Connor forced his eyes opened as wide as they could go, which was only half lids, and responded to Markus accordingly. "...I'm awake."

Moving quickly North returned to the room with a few plastic packages of sterilized bandages in her arms, as well as an old blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope. "This is all I could find. There's no medication or any of the monitors left behind in any of the rooms."

"M-Medication would've expired... anyway." Connor explained casually as he looked up at North and tried to keep his eyes open. "Thanks for... looking."

"Connor, don't move." North pleaded as she stood at the head of the exam table and lightly put her right palm to his forehead. "We'll get you through this."

"...I know."

Markus took the items from North's left hand and placed them down on the table beside Connor along with the gun that he had taken after Connor lost his grip on the weapon. "I'm going to check your blood pressure. You're going to have to tell me what to do if it's too low."

"N-Not much you can... do. I need... fluids to rep-plenish what I lost." Connor's shaking right hand reached up to the radio in his right ear, his fingertips leaving red smudges behind as he took hold of the small device, and handed it over to North. "M-Monitor the police broadcasts." Unclipping the body of the radio from his belt Connor made sure she had the whole device at her disposal. "If a threat c-comes near us you'll need t-to move to a new location."

"I'll monitor the broadcast." She stated as she put the radio in her own ear and listened carefully. "But we're not going to leave without you with us. We're all going together, or we're all staying together."

Nodding in agreement Markus opened the plastic packaging containing the fresh bandages and pressed them down into the stab wound to stop the bleeding as much as possible. Connor groaned and fought the urge to lash out at Markus as the pain seared through his abdomen under the deviant leader's touch.

"I'm sorry, Connor." Markus knew he was hurting his friend as he tried to aid him through the serious wound. "I'm trying to be careful."

"I-It's okay."

"Connor, keep talking to me." Focused and determined to pull his friend through his ordeal Markus encouraged Connor to remain coherent as he continued to apply the bandages. "How do I help you?"

"...I... need fluids."

"I understand that, but there's nothing here." Taping the bandages down in place Markus carefully pulled Connor's left arm from the sleeve of his white shirt to expose his bicep, and wrap the blood pressure cuff around the limb. "Keep talking." As he pumped up the cuff around Connor's pale shaking arm Markus saw the lower than average number on the gauge but held back the grimace that was fighting to get free. "Think of this is a training exercise, alright? You have a patient who suffered blunt force, penetrating trauma to the lower right quadrant of their abdomen and has lost a considerable amount of blood. How do you treat their condition while in the field with limited supplies?"

"...The patient..." Connor let out a gasping breath and closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to concentrate. "is going into... hypovolemic shock."

"Come on, Connor. Focus."

"...Try to... elevate the patient's legs." Opening his glassy brown eyes he looked up at North again as she hovered over him, and then over to Markus. "And keep the... patient as warm as... p-possible."

"Okay. We can do that." Quickly Markus shrugged off his own beige jacket and draped it over Connor to cover his wounds and help him retain as much heat as possible. Next he checked through the cabinets in the exam room and found an old empty plastic storage box. Placing the box down on the end of the table he lifted up Connor's legs and placed the box underneath his ankles to keep his legs elevated to some degree. "Stay awake, Connor. What's going on with you?"

"...I don't know."

"Stay conscious for as long as possible for me."

"...I'm trying."

North spoke up as she continued to monitor the police broadcast through the radio without replying to the open line. "There's a situation in front of the broadcast tower. Two other gunmen were located and are having a stand-off with the police."

Markus sighed and bowed his head as he looked down at Connor despondently. "Well, I guess we keep waiting."

In response Connor weakly nodded as he began to take in more rapid, shallow breaths. "...Could you... c-call Hank for me?"

"Hank? Sure." Markus fished Connor's phone out of his blood stained gray jacket's right pocket, and located Hank's number. "What do I say?"

"...Could you tell him I... appreciated working with him. And that he-"

"Hey, don't do that. You're _hurt_ but you're not going to die."

North kept her hand over Connor's forehead as she looked at the weakened human she had grown to respect over time. "He's right, Connor. Just hold on."

"...Tell Hank..." Connor's eyes were glazing over and he was having more difficulty in remaining conscious. Growing paler by the second Connor's strength waned away quickly against his will. "Tell Hank he was... a good man and... a great father. I... respect... him."

"Connor?" Markus put the phone down and pressed his left hand over Connor's rapidly and falling chest as his eyes slipped shut, and his consciousness faded away into darkness. He was still alive but in rough shape. "He's still breathing and I can feel his heart beating."

"What do we do to keep him alive?"

"What he said." Picking the phone back up Markus called Hank and proceeded to mentally steel himself for the impending conversation. Leaving his left hand on Connor's chest Markus monitored his vital signs closely as he made the phone call to Hank. "I'm going to call Hank and keep Connor warm until help arrives."

North only nodded as she began running her fingers through Connor's cold sweaty hair gently. "...I never did thank Connor for saving me that day at the plaza. He literally took a bullet for me, and I had been so cold and bitchy to him just because he chose to be a human again."

"He wouldn't expect you to thank him, North. It's okay." Markus replied with a grin that quickly faded as Hank answered the other end of the line. "Hank, it's Markus. I have something important to tell you..."

* * *

The city was in despair as the numerous failed assassins were arrested one by one, and taken into custody. Chris knew of Connor's location and had informed patrol to check on the Sergeant and escort the two leaders of New Jericho back to safety, but he was unaware that Connor had been wounded in the line of duty as well. Working with Gavin he managed to help wrangle the identified assassins to take them to the squad car parked just down the block, only to have another shot sound off loudly through the streets.

"DOWN." Chris called out as he and the other officers took cover behind vehicles and buildings. "There's another active shooter in the area!"

From the very top of the Stratford Broadcast Tower a sniper had taken roost and was opening fire on the gathered officers below.

"Make the call." Gavin glanced up and could only see the faintest glint from the sniper's scope as he looked for a target down below. Rushing toward the tower's front doors Gavin made a drastic decision, and didn't falter in his final choice. "Shit. Someone needs to get their ass up their and take him down. FAST."

* * *

While the city was in chaos outside the clinic, the atmosphere within the abandoned building wasn't fairing much better. The air was as tense as it was dusty, and time was of the essence for the trio seeking shelter within its moldy walls. Stranded without any supplies, a single gun to defend themselves and a dying detective under their care the two leaders of New Jericho felt a sense of deja vu as they hid from their assailants, and tried to think of a way to survive the horrific events unfolding outside on the streets.

"Shit." North swore as she listened in on the police broadcast and updated Markus on the situation. "There's a sniper downtown holding up the police."

"Damn it." Markus picked up Connor's wrist and counted his frantic pulse once again. "He can't wait too much longer. He's so weak."

Cybernetically he had contacted Lucas at New Jericho Tower to ask for his advice since the deviant technician had also begun educating himself on human biology for the sake of his now human brother. As he watched Connor's rapidly rising and falling chest taking in more and more shallow breaths Markus knew that his friend was in critical condition.

"North, we need to get him to a hospital."

"How? We can't carry him and he's too out of it to get up and walk under his own power."

"I know. We can't even risk asking an ambulance coming here with that sniper downtown." Keeping an eye on Connor's breathing all Markus could do was stand back and watch his friend's life slipping away all while hoping help arrived soon. The bandages were holding but the bleeding wasn't showing any sign of slowing down. "Hank's working on something right now, and Lucas said we've done all we can do without any medical equipment or medication at our disposal."

"Hell of a time for Connor to be a human again." North's kept her hand running kindly through Connor's hair as she spoke. "If he were still a deviant we could both donate Thirium to him until we could get out of here."

Running his right hand over the back of his neck anxiously Markus used the blood pressure cuff one more time to check on Connor's condition and saw the same low number on the gauge. "He's very weak." The sight of Connor fighting for every vital breath made Markus's artificial skin run cold. Remembering that North had also located a stethoscope in her gathered supplies Markus put the ear buds into place and he pulled back his jacket to get a clear view of Connor's chest. "I'm going to listen to his chest and send the audio recording to Lucas. He might be able to give us a little more information."

"Shouldn't you already know human vital signs from taking care of Carl?"

"I have a rough idea," Markus explained as he pressed the cold metal bell against the center of Connor's chest. The injured detective was so weak and out of it that he didn't even react to the cold metal pressing against his bare skin. "but Carl never got stabbed in the stomach."

"Is it weird that I find that a little surprising?"

Markus gave North an amused grin as he listened intently to Connor's chest and sent what he was hearing and recording directly to Lucas via cybernetic link. It didn't take long for the technician to respond to the connection. "Can you hear that, Lucas?"

'_Yes_.' Lucas confirmed in the cybernetic line with a firm clear voice. '_He is tachycardic, mild arrhythmia and suffering from tachypnea_. _What's his blood pressure_?'

"Down to ninety over sixty."

'_He's going to need blood soon_. _He's already in shock_.'

"We know. But we can't-" A loud 'crash' out in front of the building from the street made Markus strighten up quickly and turn toward the source of the noise as if sensing danger. "Hold on a moment, Lucas." Removing the stethoscope from his ears Markus put the instrument aside in favor of taking Connor's gun. "North, stay here and keep quiet. I need to check something out."

Using silence and stealth to his advantage Markus kept the gun drawn before him as he crept back through the deserted waiting room of the clinic from whence they had entered, and peered through the small crack between two of the wooden boards nailed up over the windows from the outside. Out in the street Markus saw the smoldering aftermath of a car accident; a truck was left nothing more than a twisted burning pile of wreckage at the corner of the street. A single occupant stepped out of the vehicle with a gun and pointed it down the street at someone that only he could see.

"Shit..." Knowing that the armed man could be a threat Markus prepared for the worst. "He's too close to us."

A patrol car pulled up alongside the vehicle cautiously. An officer Markus didn't recognize approached the vehicle carefully with her own gun drawn in front of herself. The man saw the officer and opened fire as he turned and ran in the opposite direction. As the officer returned fire she radioed in the pursuit and began her chase after the fleeing suspect within her squad car.

"Come on." Markus stated as he knelt down on the floor to protectively hold his position by the door. "...Arrest that guy so we can get a ride to the hospital."

Respecting Markus's request North remained beside the exam table with her hand still gently combing through Connor's hair. As she studied Connor's pale face, expressive even while unconscious, she noticed that his head lolled limply to the side and his rapidly moving chest suddenly stilled as he let out a final weak breathy sigh. Lightly she pressed her left hand down over Connor's chest and felt no motion.

No rise or fall of his chest. No breathing. No heartbeat

"Connor?" Shaking his chest a little she called his name again. "Connor!" Bending her right ear down over Connor's nose and mouth she failed to detect any sign of breathing and she realized he had slipped into some kind of arrest. "Markus!" She shouted loudly to get the deviant leader's attention as she stayed beside Connor trying to figure out what to do. "He's not breathing!"

Markus all but sprinted back into the room with the gun still in his right hand. Dropping it onto the table beside Connor's right leg Markus pressed his right fingertip fingers to the left side of Connor's neck and felt no pulse. Pressing his right ear to Connor's chest he heard no heartbeat or breathing either.

"Tilt his head back." Markus instructed North as he pulled his jacket from Connor's still chest and placed one hand over top the other to create a single fist. Pressing his hands down over the center of Connor's chest Markus lined up his shoulders and began compressing Connor's chest in a steady rhythm. "When I reach fifteen you need to give him two breaths."

"Wait, what?"

"North, he's in full cardiac arrest. I need to keep his heart beating and you need to breathe for him." Reaching fifteen compressions he nodded at North and he stopped the compressions for only a moment after finishing the first round. "Breathe now."

As much as North hated the idea she did as Markus directed. Pinching Connor's nose shut she put her mouth over his and gave him two breaths that made his his chest weakly rise and fall under Markus's hands.

"Come on, Connor." Markus urged as he began the next round of compressions. There was a subtle 'crack' as a rib bowed and fractured under Markus's hands courtesy of the much needed compressions. It didn't stop the deviant from performing the life saving procedure to revive his downed friend. "You need to wake up. Breathe"

North gave Connor two more breaths and stood back up as Markus began the third round of compressions. "You can do this. Come back to us and keep on fighting."

As Markus counted to six Connor took in a shuddering breath and coughed weakly. Stopping the compressions altogether Markus put his hands on Connor's shoulders to try to hold his revived friend as steady as possible as life returned to his now beating heart and functioning lungs. "Hey! Look at me, Connor! Look at me. Open your eyes."

Glassy but still soulful brown irises managed to reveal themselves through partially opened eyelids as Connor looked up at Markus. Weak, barely conscious and confused the young detective's eyes didn't stay open for long, but he did continue to breathe.

"Hey... You're back." Leveling his voice Markus kept his demeanor optimistic as he spoke to his injured friend. "Try to hold on for us, there's a police officer outside trying to get a man with a gun off the street."

North shook her head and pulled the jacket back up over Connor's chest to keep him warm. "That was too damn close."

"I know."

"We can't wait any longer. We have to-" North's cinnamon brown eyes went wide and she fell silent as she stared at the doorway behind Markus. "...Markus."

Turning around quickly Markus saw the man who had been in the street with a gun now watching him from the doorway. Raising his gun he pointed it at Markus and sneered broadly at the sight of the deviant standing before him. "I guess I'm getting the bounty after all."

Markus put himself between North, Connor and the assassin as he raised his hands submissively. "Don't do this."

"Sorry. But money is worth more than plastic."

"What money?"

"Don't you worry about it." Aiming at Markus between his mismatched eyes the man pulled back the hammer on his revolver and prepared to pull the trigger, and claim his prize. "I'll make this quick and easy..."

A gunshot rang out through the exam room causing North to jump and stifle a gasp, while Markus just stared with wide multicolored eyes as the man with the gun shouted in pain, and wrapped both hands around his upper left leg where a fresh bullet wound was oozing blood. The assassin dropped his gun and clutched at his damaged limb in a desperate grip to try to make the pain stop.

"What the..." Markus looked around and saw that Connor's shaking right hand had wrapped around his gun just long enough to make the shot before losing his grip and unconscious all over again. "Connor." Taking the fried gun from Connor's hand Markus kept it on his person and stayed planted firmly between the failed assassin and his friend. "...Don't move. I'll call for an ambulance."

"Fuck off you piece of plastic garbage!" The man spat bitterly as he saw that Markus now had a gun pointed back at him. "You just cost me ten million bucks!"

North's own eyes went wide as she heard the comment. "...There really was a bounty put out on us?"

Markus reached for the phone to call for help when North grabbed his left hand and made him wait for a moment. Seeing the questions burning in her fiery and angered eyes Markus took the hint and decided to question the assassin about the supposed bounty he was set up to claim for himself. "Who hired you?"

"Oh, you'll figure that out soon enough."

"Make this easier on yourself." Markus urged as he stood his ground and refused to back down. "Who hired you?"

"Fuck off. I don't answer to plastic."

From behind a gruff voice sounded off with his own reply. "How about a pissed off police Lieutenant with a gun?"

The man turned around and saw Hank standing there with his own weapon drawn. "Good timing! This android-"

"Shut the fuck up. I'm not stupid." Pulling his handcuffs from the back of his belt Hank cuffed the man's arms behind his back to arrest him before he could make another move to harm anyone in the room. "You remember Officer Chen? She's the cop you cold-cocked and threw in the alleyway." Tina walked in behind Hank with a smear of fresh blood over her left temple where she had been struck. "And she's the one who's going to drag your sorry ass down to the precinct for questioning."

Tina grabbed onto the man's right arm and hauled him up to his feet, forcing him to put weight down on his bad leg. "Move it asshole." Shoving him toward the door she angrily 'escorted' the man to her squad car parked out front. "Trust me on this, you'd rather deal with me than him."

Hank holstered his gun on his right hip as he approached the exam table where Connor was laying. "Hey, Connor. Can you hear me?"

Feeling safe at last Markus sighed and handed Hank the gun he had taken from Connor's hand. "He went into cardiac arrest four minutes and nineteen seconds ago. He's still alive but he's also really weak and unconscious."

"He'll be fine." Hank replied in a firm voice as he put his right hand down on Connor's chest. The younger detective's head lolled a little as if responding to the sound of Hank's voice. "This kid is too damn stubborn to let some jackass with a knife stop him."

North took the radio from her ear and offered it back to Hank as well. "We were monitoring everything happening downtown. Did the sniper get taken down?"

"It's still in progress." His tone was low as he picked up Connor's left wrist to monitor his pulse himself as he slipped the radio in his right coat pocket. "There's an ambulance en route to our location."

"Hank, that guy said he we trying to collect a bounty." Markus was staring blankly at the floor as if at a total loss of reality. "Who set us up?"

"My guess is the guy who organized this whole event."

"...Are you suggesting Kamski wants me _dead_?"

"It's the only theory that fits." Hank confirmed as he put down Connor's wrist and looked toward the doorway to the exam room. "_So far_."

A duo of paramedics entered the exam room with a gurney in tow between them. Taking a step back Hank gave the paramedics room to work on Connor before loading him up onto the gurney to wheel him back outside to the awaiting ambulance parked out front.

Putting his right hand to Markus's shoulder Hank motioned for the deviant leader to take a few steps away from the paramedics to speak more privately. "Do you have any idea who that guy was, or any clue who the other people might be who took aim at you?"

"No." Markus answered honestly as North joined them near the wall. He wrapped his left hand around her right hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze as they gathered their thoughts. "Until today no one had ever made an attempt on us directly since the Revolution. I didn't see the guy who stabbed Connor, but Connor said he was making his way toward the podium and headed him off."

"Gavin caught some junkie trying to rob a pharmacy with a bloody hunting knife. The lab already confirmed the blood belongs to Connor, so he's locked up already. We'll get some answers later."

The paramedics finished stabilizing Connor and gently placed the young detective down on the gurney to be transported. Connor remained unconscious and didn't even feel it when the paramedics started an I.V. in the bend of his left arm to give him the fluids he so desperately needed. With an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth Connor's breathing eased slightly, but the racing image of his heart rate on the cardiac monitor recording his vital signs indicated that he wasn't out of the woods just yet.

"Let's move." The older of the two paramedics ordered as he and his partner began wheeling Connor out of the deserted building. "This is as stable as he's going to get for now."

Hank followed right after the gurney and put his hand on Connor's right shoulder kindly. "Hang in there, kid."

Despite his fatigue Connor's eyes cracked open slightly as he heard Hank's voice speaking to him. "...H-Hank?"

"Right here, son."

Blinking once Connor let out a muffled word through the mask as he struggled to remember what had just happened to him. "...Markus?"

"He and North are both fine. You did good, they're safe."

Nodding weakly as the gurney was wheeled outside and onto the sidewalk Connor closed his eyes and let out one final complaint. "...It hurts."

"Yeah, a knife to the belly is going to be pretty uncomfortable." Hank let go of Connor's shoulder as the paramedics loaded the gurney into the back of the ambulance carefully. The sight of Connor being loaded into the back of the emergency vehicle was the last thing Hank wanted to see that day. "I'll see you at the hospital, kid. Don't worry about a thing."

The doors to the ambulance slammed shut after the paramedics climbed into the back, and the large emergency vehicle took off down the street with its lights and siren blaring. As the ambulance turned the corner of the block Hank put his hands on his hips and let out a deep sigh. "...Fuck."

"Hank, he's going to make it."

"That doesn't make it any easier to wait." Turning around he clapped Markus once on the shoulder and motioned for him and North to follow after himself to his car parked just down the street. "I'll take you two back to the tower so you can have a moment to relax. When we need you to make a statement down at the precinct we'll call you."

"...Yeah." Markus looked at the red blood stain on his jacket as North handed the garment back over to him to wear. The red smear made his stomach turn into a tight knot knowing the blood belonged to his friend who may have just sacrificed his life to keep North and himself alive. "...We'll be in touch."

* * *

A blur of light, shadows and muffled voices plagued Connor's dull senses as he partially regained consciousness after arriving at the hospital. As the gurney was lowered from the back of the ambulance he felt the attending doctor checking under the bandage over his abdomen and was subjected to the intensely bright light of the nurse checking his pupils with her penlight.

Unable to move from the gurney or even fully open his eyes all Connor could do was lay still and listen to the various voices calling out his vital signs as they assessed his critical condition.

"-_need blood_."

"_Oxygen levels are dropping_."

"_Check for internal bleeding_."

"_Splenic laceration_." The same male voice tagged on urgently but still somehow calmly. "_Call an O.R., this guy needs to go up now_."

Connor tried to speak and tried to open his eyes but he was too weak to say or do anything. As he felt a gentle hand on his left arm he felt himself getting drowsy and knew he had been injected with a mild sedative and was indeed being take right up to emergency surgery to extract his damaged spleen in order to stop the massive bleeding in his belly.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital quickly after dropping Markus and North off at New Jericho Tower for their own safety Hank spoke to the R.N. at the receptionist's desk seeking answers, after informing her that he was in fact Connor's father she explained Connor's current condition to him. She also informed Hank that Lucas had arrived at the hospital just a few seconds after Connor was taken up for emergency surgery, and was already waiting in the relatively vacant waiting room just a few feet away from the receptionist area.

"Lucas." Hank spotted the deviant sitting quietly in his chair in the corner of the room wearing his usual white long sleeved shirt, white jacket, and pale shade of blue jeans. Lucas had his green eyes closed and was communicating with Markus back at New Jericho Tower cybernetically when Hank joined him. "Hey, do you know what's going on?"

"...The four inch long hunting knife lacerated Connor's spleen and caused internal hemorrhaging." Opening his eyes he turned and looked at Hank with a heavy heart. "He lost two point two pints of blood and had slipped into shock. Markus told me he fell into cardiac arrest but was successfully revived before the paramedics had arrived at the scene." Anxiously he flexed his hands into fists at his sides and rested them atop his lap. "The chest compressions resulted in at least two fractured ribs, and his heart rate has been irregular for the past thirty-seven minutes."

"Is it that bad?" Hank was staying calm on the outside, but on the inside he was shaking to his absolute core. The last time he had to take a son to the hospital for emergency surgery after being injured it didn't end well. "Connor woke up and seemed to recognize me and understand what was happening before he was even loaded up in the back of the ambulance."

"Connor is resilient... not indestructible."

"Lucas, I know when you're trying to hold something back. You and Connor have the same behavior." Hank wanted to know more about Connor's condition, but he wasn't going to push Lucas for the answer. Sitting down beside the deviant in the waiting room Hank leveled his voice and spoke in a very calm and very compassionate manner. "Tell me what's going on."

Giving the senior detective, his adoptive father, a sympathetic look Lucas tried to answer as honestly as he could without upsetting Hank in the process. "When Markus was tending to his injury at the clinic he kept me in the loop through cybernetic communication, and he was able to send me the audio recording he attained when listening to Connor's chest with a stethoscope. I could hear his heart struggling to beat in its rapid, erratic rhythm. Prolonged arrhythmia can cause cardiac arrest as well as other complications."

"...What else?"

"Connor's time in a prolonged comatose state will have also affected his internal organs and their ability to function at full strength. Despite his impressive recovery rate I fear his weakened health on top of his preexisting immunological deficiencies that stem from being a 'preemie', and over a decade of physical abuse will have left him too physically compromised to recover from these particular injuries." Bowing his head Lucas closed his eyes with worry. "The odds of Connor surviving this surgery are only thirty-seven percent."

"Lucas, you can't just look at the numbers and go from there. You have to consider the person involved with these numbers, and how damn stubborn he can be when it comes to either giving up or fighting back."

"...I just wish I could do something to help him. I'm a technician who can help any android who comes my way, but when it comes to my own brother-"

"How do you think I feel? You're both my sons and I don't know much about human medicine and even less about android technology. Every time he's gotten hurt in the past it tore me up because I had no idea what to do to help him, and when you were sick last month I felt just as bad. I've been through that once before with Connor, but it was still a rough time."

"You're so calm, Hank. How do you do it?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret right now, kid. I'm trembling on the inside and I'm freaking out. Connor, my son, is having emergency surgery because some lunatic with a knife tried to filet him for doing his job. He was stuck bleeding out in the middle of a dirty, rundown building without any medics or medication to help him." Sighing heavily Hank took a moment to steel himself before continuing again. "The fact that he was rushed immediately into surgery after arriving is only making me feel sick, and I want to reel back and punch some jackass in the head."

"How do you stand waiting for so long?"

"For the most part I go inside my own head and try to block out the world."

"...I can't do that."

"Good. It's a bad habit, kid. Don't push people away."

Lucas lifted his head back up as his eyes twitched momentarily. "...I just received an update from the android anesthesiologist that is apart of Connor's surgical team upstairs."

"...And?"

"The surgery has proven thus far successful. Connor's damaged spleen had to be removed, it couldn't be salvaged, and now the surgeon is working to flush out the wound to endure no debris or bacterial matter is left behind to fester inside the laceration." Putting his left hand to his head Lucas leaned back in his chair as he spoke with Hank in a worried voice. "The surgeon is suturing the laceration and Connor will be weened off the anesthesia once the wound has been properly sterilized and bandaged."

Letting out a deep sigh of relief Hank leaned back in his own chair and felt a deep tension release from his borad shoulders. "Thank fuck... How long was he in surgery?"

"Approximately three hours and two minutes."

"Three hours? Son of a bitch."

"Yes. I understand the feeling of time eluding my grasp when under emotional duress. It's very unusual."

Hank put his right hand Lucas's left shoulder and shook him once. "Hey, it'll be fine. Just stay calm and collected like this when we get the chance to see him, alright? The last thing he'll need to see when he wakes up is a freaked out family looming over him."

From where he sat Lucas gave Hank a confident nod as he agreed to the request. "Of course. He needs us to be strong for him while he is weak and healing. Right?"

"Yeah. You got it, son."

* * *

The precinct was chaotic as a total of nine failed assassins had been arrested and locked away for questioning. With the press lingering outside the front doors seeking an update on the arrests Captain Fowler himself and Gavin had taken the lead on the interrogations, while Chris and Tina had the fun or sorting everything out through reports and witness statements. Word of Connor being injured quickly circulated through the bullpen as well, and as a result everyone knew that Hank was going to be at the hospital with him until he was stabilized.

Gavin stormed out of the interrogation room and marched into the breakroom to get himself a cup of much needed coffee after he finished dealing with one of the nine assassins. As he poured the caffeine laden drink into his clean mug he noticed Tina joining him inside the breakroom and taking a small pack of ice from the community freezer to put against her sore forehead.

"How's your head?" Gavin asked as sipped the bitter drink and grimaced at the vile taste. "...Fuckin' garbage coffee maker."

"Nothing a few dozen aspirin can't handle." She replied as she pressed the ice against the small bump forming on her head under the bandage along her left temple. "How about the interrogations?"

"Nothing a few dozen _bullets_ can't handle."

"That bad?"

"Worse."

"Did you get to the guy who stabbed Connor?"

"No, Fowler has that jackass all to himself."

"I heard he was a junkie who thought the androids controlled the drug flow on the streets."

Sipping at the coffee again Gavin added a small amount of cream to ease the bitterness of the drink. "If he's stupid enough to think stabbing a cop who happens to be friends with the deviant leader was going to get him hooked up with some more 'red ice' then he's too far gone for rehab."

"Any word on Connor?"

"I haven't heard anything yet. But I think it's safe to say that Connor survived."

Tina adjusted the ice over her temple to try to ease her inevitable headache. "Why's that?"

"If he died then Anderson would be down here strangling that junkie with his bare hands."

"Huh..." Tina gave Gavin a suspicious glance as she got herself a small cup of water to drink as she pulled a bottle of aspirin from the nearby cabinet to aid the ice on her injury. "Interesting."

"What?"

"Since when did you see Connor as a 'he' instead of 'it', or the 'Tinman'?"

"...Don't worry about that, Tina."

"How hard did Connor hit you? He must've knocked something loose."

"Don't make me pull rank on you, Tina." Gavin joked in a somewhat serious tone as he watched her down her aspirin with the water. "After I get done with the next four interrogations you and me can split a whole bottle of aspirin at my apartment and a pizza. Then we'll feel like shit for over-eating."

"Are you are your girlfriend fighting again?"

Downing the last of his coffee Gavin sighed, put the now empty mug in the sink, and made his way back through the bullpen to resume the interrogations. "If I end up throwing a few punches at these assholes say something nice about me at the trial, okay?"

Tina watched as her honorary big brother walked away and pressed the ice pack harder against her temple. "That's a 'yes' with your girlfriend. Damn it, Gavin. Why is it so damn hard for you to find a decent woman?"

* * *

Laying slightly upright in the soft bed of his private recovery room with a nasal canula under his nose, wireless cardiac leads attached to his chest, an oxometer clip on right middle fingertip, a blood pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep, an I.V. running blood and antibiotics the bend of his right arm, and a layer of fresh white bandages wrapped protectively around his upper abdomen under the hospital gown, Connor looked completely unconscious. With the surgery a success Connor was now resting peacefully with both Hank and Lucas watching him as he slept off the anesthetic and painkillers.

There were no complications during the surgery but as a precaution Connor was still attached to a cardiac monitor, and had his vitals recorded constantly until he was fully conscious again.

Lightly Hank put his hand down on Connor's right forearm and looked down at the younger detective's sleeping face with a masked worry. "His color is much better. He's nowhere near as pale as he looked when I saw him at the clinic a few hours ago."

"The blood replenishment has stabilized his low blood pressure and his heart rate has subsequently stabilized as well." Lucas confirmed as he noted the readout on the quietly beeping cardiac monitor beside the bed. "He's also in a normal sinus rhythm without any sign of respiratory distress."

"Lucas?"

"Yes?"

"You don't have to keep tabs on that. That's what the doctors and nurses are here for, son."

"...R-Right." The deviant blushed a faint shade of blue as he stopped staring at the monitor and looked down at his brother. "Of course. He's safe."

"How long do you think he'll be asleep?"

"After calculating the amount of anesthetic used, combined with his pre-surgery low blood pressure; I estimate he'll begin to awaken within seventeen minutes and twenty-nine seconds."

"Cool. You stay with him." Hank pulled his phone out of his coat's right pocket and located Captain Fowler's number in his list of contacts. "I'm going to call the precinct and let them know Connor pulled through and is sleeping it off."

Lucas nodded as he took a seat in the chair beside the bed and continued to watch over his resting brother. Seeing Connor's chest rise and fall steadily as he slept made the deviant feel slightly more at ease, but he couldn't stop worrying. Putting his right hand lightly on Connor's chest Lucas retracted the artificial skin from his palm and took in Connor's vitals directly, and chronicled them in his memory for potential future reference.

The younger detective was in fact stable but Lucas couldn't help but feel as though there was something happening with Connor that no one else seemed to be able to identify. Whether it was a true issue or Lucas just being an overprotective brother the deviant couldn't be entirely certain.

Connor let out a subtle groan in his sleep and his hands began to twitch while he pressed his head back against his pillow, as his head lolled slightly to the side away from Lucas's direction.

"Brother?"

The recovering young detective didn't respond or open his eyes.

With the quick phone call finished Hank returned to the room and pocketed his phone out of sight. "Is he still asleep?"

"Yes. He's showing signs of returning consciousness, but hasn't full awoken yet." Removing his hand from his big brother's chest Lucas allowed his skin to regenerate, and he vacated the chair to allow Hank to sit down again. "Is everything okay at the precinct?"

"Mostly, yeah. None of the suspects are dropping any names just yet, but it'll be easy enough to isolate the jackass who put up the bounty soon enough."

"How so?"

"Someone with that much money and influence can't stay discreet for long. Ego will always give them away."

"...What if the person you're looking for really_ is_ Elijah Kamski?"

"He's at the top of the list-" Hank paused and gave Lucas an odd glance. "How did you know he was a suspect?"

"I have been speaking with Markus and North. They've informed me of the situation."

"Oh. How're they holding up?"

"They are guarded, as you might say, but aren't looking to condemn anyone in the city or seek revenge. They just want answers."

"We all do."

A somewhat hoarse voice cracked a little as he spoke up from the bed that was being watched over. "...Could you guys keep it down? I'm trying to sleep."

"Connor." Hank returned his left hand to the recovering younger man's right forearm. "How do you feel, son?"

"...Like I was stabbed by a junkie."

Smirking at the comment Hank nodded his head a little and agreed with his young son's answer. "Sounds pretty normal to me."

Connor's glassy brown eyes opened slowly as he turned his head to look at Hank sitting beside him. "...I think you and I have different interpretations of 'normal'."

"Still a smartass. That's a good sign."

"...Markus?"

"Still safe." The senior detective confirmed in a honest tone. "He and North are at the tower, and all of their wanna-be assassins have been caught. They even got the sniper taken out about ten minutes ago."

"...Sniper?"

"I'll tell you about that later. What do you remember about this afternoon?"

"...There was a man," Connor's eyes began to clear and his voice was regaining its strength. "heading toward the podium. It looked like he had a gun and I called it in. Then I spotted a second man. He was the junkie with the knife."

"What do you remember after getting to that clinic to hide out with Markus and North?"

"It's a little fuzzy. I remember... asking Markus to call you on my behalf."

"Yeah, he did. That's how I found you."

"You were there when the... paramedics were wheeling me away."

"That's right."

"Everything after that is a blur." Connor was becoming more alert but still looked exhausted. "...How severe was the injury?"

Hank glanced up to Lucas who went into the details that Hank either didn't know, or didn't understand. "The knife lacerated your spleen and it had to be surgically removed. The edge of the blade missed your intestines and your kidneys, but it damaged surrounding vessels causing internal hemorrhaging. The surgeons performed an emergency splenectomy and cauterized the damaged vessels."

Connor blinked slowly and took in a sharp, pained breath that made him wince. "...Were there any complications?"

"During the surgery? No. Your abdomen has twelve sutures that will be removed tomorrow afternoon if you remain stable, and don't resume hemorrhaging during the night. Afterward a layer of synthetic liquid skin will be applied to the laceration until it heals on its own in approximately ten days."

"Lucas," Connor's right hand rested lightly over his own chest as he gave his brother a pained and confused look. "why does my chest hurt?"

"...While hiding out in the clinic with Markus and North," the deviant's voice dropped somberly in tone. "you had fallen into cardiac arrest. They successfully performed C.P.R., and you were revived before the paramedics arrived."

The information made sense in Connor's mind as his knowledge of being a paramedic helped fill in the blanks. "How many ribs have been fractured?"

"Two ribs; your fourth and fifth left costal ribs."

Hank's brow furrowed as he put his left hand to Connor's right shoulder and stood beside the bed. "You don't remember pulling your gun and shooting one of the assassins after he found you?"

"...N-No. I shot someone?"

"Shit. Markus told me you managed to regain consciousness just long enough to shoot the assassin in the leg and drop him."

"...I don't remember doing that."

"Well, it's okay. The wound wasn't fatal and he had struck Tina anyway. The prick deserved it."

"Good. I think."

"Rest for a moment longer, son." Patting Connor's shoulder lightly Hank took his leave of the room for a moment. "I'll go let your doctor know you're awake."

"...Are you going to leave the hospital?"

"Only for an hour or so. I need to go file some paperwork at the precinct."

"...Please come back. I don't want to be here alone."

"I promise." Hank rubbed his palm over Connor's shoulder before he took his leave of the room. "And until I get back Lucas will stay here. Right, Lucas?"

"Yes, of course." The deviant loyally stayed at Connor's side and protectively hovered over his big brother. "You won't be alone."

"Thank you." Connor's soulful brown eyes began to glaze over again, and his eyes drifted shut as Hank stepped out of the room through the sliding door.

"Please remain awake until the doctor stops by." Lucas pleaded as he gently returned his right hand to Connor's chest. "Then you may rest."

"...I'll stay awake." The tired detective replied as he watched Lucas's every movement through his half lidded eyes. "...Just stay with me."

"I won't go anywhere, brother. You're not alone."

* * *

With all of the assassins arrested Markus had gone to the precinct to talk with Captain Fowler in person, and had been speaking with the commanding officer for almost twenty minutes when Hank arrived. After giving his statement to the seasoned precinct Captain, keeping every detail as thorough and accurate as possible, Markus spoke with Hank in private in an interview room as he told Hank the same exact story, and a few other details regarding Connor's injury. After filling in the blanks and proving himself to be the most cooperative witness in the precinct's history Markus shook Hank's hand and took his leave of the precinct via autonomous taxi.

Checking in with Captain Fowler before returning to the hospital Hank confirmed everything that had happened and fought ignore his mounting headache as he continued to worry about Connor still recovering in the hospital.

"And you're sure Kamski didn't do this?" Captain Fowler pressed as he studied Hank's demeanor while the senior detective sat across from him at the desk in his personal office. "That guy is rich enough and connected enough to pull this off."

"Yeah, he's sure as shit has the money, but I think if he were to go through with such a ballsy stunt like this he would've_ succeeded_, too."

"That's a good point."

"Whoever set up the bounty has some personal grudge against Markus, not _all_ androids." Hank keenly deduced. "Is there anyone in Markus's past that we should be wary of?"

"Didn't Carl Manfred have a biological son that was always at odds with him?"

"Yeah, Leo. Leo Manfred." Hank sighed and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin as he spoke. "He's almost thirty and has been in and out of rehab at least twice already. Supposedly he kicked 'red ice' for good this time, since his confrontation with Markus last year was pretty damn sobering. I don't think that guy would bother to have Markus killed now that everything is done and over."

"Fuck. We'll keep looking for leads," leaning back in his chair Captain Fowler glanced at his terminal screen with great disdain. "you go be with Connor. Keep us posted on his recovery, or if he remembers anything else."

"...Right. I don't think there's anything left to say until those idiots start talking."

"They will, Hank. All it takes is for one of them to accept the plea deal and he'll throw the other eight idiots under the bus."

"And the sniper?"

"Died en route to the hospital. S.W.A.T. took him out with a bullet to the head, the dumbass was dead before the ambulance even left the street."

"Good." Hank stood up from the chair and pulled his phone from his pocket to note the time as he headed out to return to the hospital. "One less asshole to deal with."

* * *

At the hospital Connor was struggling to stay awake, even as Dr. Wilson, who had taken Connor on as his patient after learning about his admission to the hospital, pressed on his abdomen with his right hand to check for internal bleeding or infection. The I.V. giving Connor blood had been removed from his arm, and now a fresh line was inserted in the back of Connor's right hand to continue to give him antibiotics and mild painkillers until he healed enough to ease the discomfort around his surgically repaired abdomen naturally.

"Any pain when I press down?" Dr. Wilson asked as he gauged Connor's reactions very carefully.

"...No more than usual."

"That's good. I don't detect any swelling or fluid pooling beneath your skin, so I think it's safe to say you're no longer in immediate danger of internal bleeding."

Connor watched as Dr. Wilson replaced the bandages over the incision in his abdomen and sighed a little. "...Where's Hank and Lucas?"

"Hank is still at the precinct and Lucas is just outside the door." The kind doctor answered honestly as he made a note in Connor's electronic chart and prepared for the next test. "Not a fan of being alone, huh?"

"I can deal with being alone for a few hours, but being admitted to the hospital is something else entirely." Confessing his discomfort Connor lightly rested his right hand down over his abdomen atop the bandages. "And the sooner I can go home the better."

"Don't worry, Connor. You'll be home soon." Using a small portable ultrasound machine he pressed the wand to Connor's bare stomach just above the bandages, causing the detective to jump a little at the cold pressure, and turned the device on. "Sorry about the cold gel. Nothing much I can do about it."

Remaining as still as possible Connor watched Dr. Wilson's expression as he checked his abdomen a little closer to ensure there was no bleeding whatsoever.

"No free fluid or bleeding at all." Moving the wand higher up Dr. Wilson checked Connor's chest as well to examine his heart and lungs. "Same here. Your heart isn't swollen from the compressions and there isn't any fluid gathering in your lungs or chest in general."

"Then I'm healing as I should?"

"That's right." Dr. Wilson turned off the machine and put it aside into its storage area mounted on the nearby wall. "You seem to be recovering pretty well considering everything you've been through." Pulling his stethoscope from around his neck Dr. Wilson used it to listen to Connor's breathing to ensure he wasn't developing a lung infection from the fractured ribs, or an arrhythmia from his previous cardiac arrest that wasn't visible on the screen. "We'll give you another examination in the morning, and if you're still showing stable vitals and no sign of an infection I'll let you go home to recover; but only on the condition that you stay on bed rest for a full week."

"...A week?"

"Your abdomen was sliced open and you lost your spleen." Speaking as if needing to drill the facts into Connor's head Dr. Wilson was evidently familiar with Connor's stubbornness. "You're going to be far more susceptible to infections from now on, and you're going to need to take even more precautions to rest and take care of yourself in the future."

"...I understand."

"I hope so." Smiling confidently Dr. Wilson replaced the blanket and took his leave of the room to continue his rounds. "For now get some sleep and I'll let Lucas know he can come back in the room for a while longer."

"Thank you." Connor sighed a little as he fought to keep his eyes open for as long as possible. "I appreciate it."

Settling in for the night and no longer trying to resist the painkillers that were making him drowsy Connor leaned heavily against his pillow and closed his eyes to rest for a moment until Lucas and Hank returned. As he relaxed he caught the sound of footsteps approaching his bed through the opened door and sensed someone standing beside his bed without being intrusive. The smell of fresh flowers filled the room and the subtle 'tink' of a glass vase being placed on the wooden table beside his bed told Connor that flowers had been delivered to his room.

A soft warm hand pressed against his right cheek and an equally soft, and strangely familiar sounding, feminine voice spoke to him as her hand gently caressed his cheek in a comforting manner. "Feel better soon, sweetheart."

Unable to open his eyes in time to see the woman's face Connor caught a glimpse of a slender built brunette woman walking out of his room and into the corridor out of sight. Glancing upward toward the table his blurry vision saw a small dark green glass vase holding a small bundle of various flowers with a sealed envelope leaning up against the side of the vase with his name on the front.

Too tired to make a reach for the envelope Connor decided to read the card in the morning and closed his eyes again to rest.

"Connor?"

"...Lucas." Cracking his eyes open a little he saw Lucas standing beside his bed looking down at him. "I didn't hear you walk in."

"I was intentionally being quiet. Hank has returned and is coming up to your room to stay with you during the night. I have to return to New Jericho Tower until tomorrow morning. There is a lot of fear and panic among the deviants, and Simon asked for my assistance in handling stressed out deviants to prevent needless self destruction."

"It's okay, Lucas. Take care of our people."

Lucas waited until Hank was back inside the room before he took his leave. "I will visit you again as soon as possible, brother."

"I know you will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, brother." Lucas nodded to Hank as he passed him by and took his leave for the night. "Goodnight, Hank. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you soon, Lucas." Walking over to the bed Hank patted Connor's right shoulder lightly and made his way over to the chair beside the bed to sit down, and try to rest himself for the remainder of the night. It was a long and exhausting day for everyone involved. "How're you doing?"

"I'm okay." Connor blinked slowly and turned his head a little to look at Hank directly. "What's happening downtown?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"It's my job to be worried."

"Not when you're hurt." Noticing the fresh flowers in the vase resting beside the bed Hank nodded at the vase and inquired about its presence. "Who's the admirer?"

"I don't know." Connor admitted with a sleepy yawn as his eyes began to drift shut again. "A nurse dropped it off and left the room barely two minutes ago."

"A nurse?"

"The slender, brunette woman."

"I didn't see any brunette nurses, kid. A lot of pretty blondes and a few red heads, but no brunettes."

"Strange. I don't have my contact lenses in anymore, perhaps I was mistaken with the hair color."

"Maybe she works in the hospital gift shop or something." Hank suggested as he reached over to the table and took the envelope from beside the vase, and peered inside. As he shook the paper object out of the envelope and into his right hand he just laughed a little and opened it open. "It's a 'Get Well Soon' card, how original."

"From who?"

"No name. There's an inscription on the inside though."

"What's it say?"

"It says: 'Proud of who you've become. Please take care of yourself, I love you'."

"...That's odd."

"Yeah." Hank openly agreed as he reread the inscription. "It sounds like your secret admirer from the precinct found you here."

Weakly Connor tried to lift up his right hand to take the card, but quickly rested his arm back down on the bed at his side as exhaustion quickly stole away what strength he had managed to regain. "...Can I see the handwriting?"

"Sure." Hank turned the card so Connor could see the words for himself and the young detective confirmed that the two admirers were one in the same person as even through his blurry vision he could clearly read the inscription. "It seems you're correct. It's the same person; I recognize the handwriting from the previous card."

"Who is she?"

"I don't know." Yawning deeply Connor's eyes fully drifted shut against his will. As he continued to speak his brow furrowed slightly then smoothed out again as if an answer had come to mind. "...Whoever she is she, she does seem to be very kind. She is also somewhat familiar. I wish I could be more accurate. I think I know her from... somewhere."

"Hey, don't worry about it right now." Putting aside the card for the moment Hank pulled the white blanket up a little higher over Connor's chest to help him feel more comfortable and warm as he rested in the hospital bed. It wasn't home, but it'd have to do. "Just sleep and we'll figure it out later. One mystery at a time, alright?"

"...You'll stay here?"

"All night, son." Hank sincerely promised as he leaned back in his chair to get as comfortable as possible. The idea of leaving Connor alone while he was recovering from surgery felt too cruel to imagine, especially since he knew how much Connor hates hospitals. "If they want me to leave they'll have to call the cops to get me out of this place."

"...But, you _are_ a cop."

"Exactly."

Connor smirked weakly as he finally gave into fatigue and let himself drift off to sleep. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now get some sleep."

_**-next chapter-**_


	17. Resting

Laying partially upright on his bed with thick pillows supporting his head, neck and shoulders Connor stared at his laptop screen through his glasses at the various names and photographs he had downloaded during his time off. Still healing after his emergency surgery he was wearing black sweatpants and refrained from wearing a t-shirt to make it easier to have his bandages changed at the necessary six hour intervals throughout the day. Forbidden from leaving the house by Hank until he had healed Lucas had taken it upon himself to look after Connor during his recovery while Hank himself was at the precinct.

The senior detective, and adoptive father to the two brothers, had watched over Connor during the first forty-eight hours of his recovery at home, then left him in the care of Lucas simply because he wasn't permitted anymore time off from the precinct while such an important investigation was underway. Lucas of course didn't mind taking care of his brother while he healed, and enjoyed spending more time with his family.

A few glass vases of flowers and 'Get Well' cards adorned the bedroom courtesy of the 'admirer' from the hospital, as well as the precinct and more importantly from New Jericho Tower. The flowers filled the room with a fresh scent and helped Connor to feel less cooped up while stuck inside the house.

Sumo was laying over Connor's legs keeping the healing younger detective company while Connor set about his own private investigation from the comfort of his own bed. The large dog missed his daily walks with Connor but seemed to understand that his master was injured and needed to rest. The only time Connor was allowed to get up from his bed, as per instructions from his doctor and family, was to use the bathroom and shower.

As Connor typed away on his laptop a pulling and burning pain in his right side made him wince, and slink down a little against his soft pillows. Sumo whimpered and pressed his chin down harder against Connor's right shin sympathetically. "...I'm okay, boy. The pain medication is simply wearing off."

Lucas walked into the bedroom with a small serving tray in his hands and proceeded to place it down on the nightstand beside Connor's bed. The tray held a roll of fresh gauze, two bottles of prescription medication, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, antiseptic ointment and a glass of water.

Upon seeing his brother working on his laptop Lucas let Connor know that he didn't fully approve of the action. "You should be resting now."

"I am resting."

"It appears you are working."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the precinct. It's somewhat personal, and therefore not actually work."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Connor the deviant technician lightly pressed his right palm to the young detective's forehead to gauge his current body temperature. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fatigued and a little sore." Gently he grabbed onto Lucas's forearm and pushed his brother's right hand away from him. "_Not feverish_."

Cybernetically Lucas turned on the lamp beside the bed and studied Connor's pallor. "Remove your glasses please."

"Lucas, I'm fine."

"Please?"

Giving his brother a somewhat annoyed glance Connor closed his laptop and slid it down beside his legs before reaching up and removing his glasses as requested. "I'm not suffering any neurological deficits or having any additional difficulty with my vision."

"I'm merely being cautious." Lucas explained as he examined Connor's pupils carefully in the light of the lamp beside him. Finding Connor's vitals to be stable and his responses totally coherent Lucas turned off the lamp and rose from the bed. "Are you in any pain?"

"No."

"Then why are your heart rate and blood pressure slightly elevated?"

"I will admit that I am in _some_ degree of pain, but it isn't severe enough to warrant any medication."

"You are supposed to take the pain medication _before_ the pain becomes unbearable, brother. Not after. You know this."

"I don't want to take anymore painkillers. I'll continue to take the antibiotics but I won't take any additional medication beyond it."

"May I ask why?"

"...My biological father was heavily dependent on painkillers and alcohol," Connor explained in a low voice as if ashamed. "and I fear substance abuse might be a genetic trait that I may have inherited. I don't want to risk it."

Lucas gave Connor a sympathetic stare as he picked up the bottles of medicine and dropped the necessary pills into his opened palm. "I understand your cautious nature. Perhaps you can take half doses of the pain medication instead in order to keep the pain from becoming too severe without risking an unwanted addiction. I don't want to see your recovery hindered by pain or addiction."

"That is an acceptable alternative."

"Here. I'll bring you something to eat so the medication doesn't upset your stomach." Handing Connor the necessary pills and the glass of water Lucas watched as his brother took the medicine as required, and noted the current time. "Afterward I will change your bandages."

"I can do that myself."

"Not without moving about too much."

"Lucas, may I ask you something?"

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Did you treat Hank as delicately when I was still a deviant, or is this new treatment strictly reserved for me?"

"...I apologize, Connor." Giving his big brother an embarrassed look Lucas decided he needed to back off for a moment. "I don't mean to be overprotective or abrasive."

"You're far from abrasive, little brother." Seeing the guilt in Lucas's eyes made Connor himself feel bad. "I just want to remind you that I'm while I am no longer as sturdy as I had been since I'm human again, I am not necessarily fragile, either."

"In this particular moment you are. You had suffered a severe injury in the line of duty, and it nearly killed you."

"Yeah... I know."

"Please allow me to help you until the week is over. I will then let you alone."

Connor took in a deep breath and sighed, only to wince at the tight pull in his abdomen from the motion. "...Yeah. Okay."

"Thank you. What do you want to have for your lunch?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't require anything special, and I'm not very hungry."

"Very well. I will take Hank's advice and make you a sandwich."

The response made Connor's brow arch a little. "Hank's _advice_?"

"He warned me that you might be indecisive during mealtimes since you seem to have a bad habit of not eating when stressed or distracted, until he prompts you to do so. He also told me that a sandwich is something that you always finish and is therefore the ideal choice to be made on your behalf."

Connor couldn't stop himself from letting out a small amused laugh at the comment. "Hank is a smart man."

"Agreed." Lucas smirked a little himself as he reached out his left hand and pet Sumo's ears. The massive dog wagged his tail as Lucas gave him some attention before he left the bedroom. "I will also make sure to walk Sumo after Hank returns home before I head back to the tower for the rest of the evening. He must be getting restless even if he isn't showing it."

"Thanks, Lucas."

Alone in his bedroom, with the exception of Sumo's presence, Connor opened up his laptop again and resumed his work. As he slipped his glasses back on over his eyes he studied the handwriting on the congratulatory card he had been given from an anonymous person when he returned to the precinct, and the card he had been given by seemingly the same anonymous person. He easily confirmed that the handwriting belonged to the same person.

"This 'admirer', as Hank has dubbed her, is in fact a woman and seems to be of a patient nature." Connor began thinking out loud as he rubbed Sumo's ears affectionately with his left hand. "And if she is the same woman of whom I saw leaving the hospital room, then she is a Caucasian female with brunette hair and is approximately five foot eight inches in height. Average build, average height and no unique characteristics. This may be more difficult to solve than I had anticipated."

Sumo responded by pawing at Connor's left knee and wagging his tail a little.

"If you're looking to figure out who that woman is," Lucas replied as he walked back into the bedroom with a second tray in his hands. "you should look into the security cameras from the hospital and the closed circuit footage from the precinct."

"It's taken me longer to tap into such feeds now that I'm human again, and have only my laptop as my cybernetic tool."

"Would you like me to locate the footage for you and upload it to your laptop?"

"I can't allow you to do that." Connor declined as Lucas brought him his lunch and replaced his laptop with the serving tray. "I can arguably get away with it since I'm employed at the precinct and looking into something for myself."

"I understand. Let me know when you are finished and I will replace your bandages."

"Lucas, you don't-"

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. You're my brother and I want to help you."

"...Alright, you win."

"Perhaps you are feverish after all."

"What makes you say that?"

"You are being cooperative rather than stubborn."

"I'm _not_ stubborn."

"You are healing from a stab wound you suffered from four days prior and you are working on a case at the same time, despite your doctor telling you to rest."

"...Well in not _as_ stubborn as people assume."

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest and gave his big brother a doubtful glance. "Should I repeat myself, or wait for Hank to come home and do it for me?"

"I'm not _that_ stubborn..." Connor defended himself as he picked up the sandwich that Lucas had made for him. The sandwich had a sliced up apple and a handful of potato chips alongside it. A truly filling lunch. "I swear I'm not that stubborn about things, I'm just focused."

* * *

It was just after six in the evening when Hank returned home and proceeded to check in with Connor. Like Lucas he wasn't thrilled to see Connor working on a project rather than resting, but at least if he was laying in bed with his laptop then that meant he wasn't up and about pushing his physical limits as he still recovered from the emergency procedure he had undergone. While Connor took a shower as a means of stretching out his muscles from laying down all day, and to keep his healing incision from getting infected, Lucas informed Hank of everything Connor had been working on during his absence.

"As long as he's not snooping around dark alleyways and garbage cans looking for information then he can keep toiling away over his laptop." Hank sighed as he kicked off his shoes and hung his coat on the hook by the front door. "He did stay in bed all day, right?"

"Yes. He remained in bed working on his case and did not get up unless absolutely necessary."

"That's good. And he isn't trying to deny being sick or anything, right?"

"No. He's healing well."

"Even better. Poor kid's been through a lot these past few months, he needs to catch a damn break."

Sumo grumbled as he sat down beside Lucas's leg and looked up at the deviant expectantly. "I was going to take Sumo for a walk, but if you'd prefer me to wait until after Connor's shower so I can replace his bandages again, I will."

"No, I can handle it. You go on and take Sumo for a walk so he doesn't try to bother me with it later."

Lucas pet Sumo's head again as he approached the front door and took the massive dog's leash from the hook. "Come, Sumo." The large fluffy dog happily trotted over to Lucas and patiently waited for the leash to be clipped to his collar at long last. "I should be back within thirty-two minutes."

"That's fine, son. Take your time."

"I will see you soon."

A few seconds after Lucas closed the front door Hank heard the shower turn off in the bathroom and knew Connor had been waiting for a chance to move about without Lucas hovering over him. Deciding to give the younger detective some space Hank went into the kitchen to get something to eat and quickly discovered that Lucas had already prepared dinner for both Connor and himself a few minutes before he returned home.

"Huh." Pulling open the oven Hank saw a home made pizza sitting there in all its glory, just waiting to be sliced. It had a generous amount of assorted peppers, some onion and mushrooms spread over the cheesy surface, and it smelled like garlic heaven. "I wonder if Lucas picked this recipe himself or if Connor chose it?"

Hank heard the bathroom door open just a moment before Connor called out to Hank for assistance. "Hey, Hank? I could use a hand."

"Coming, kid."

Connor was sitting on the edge of the bathtub with a large pad of gauze pressed to his right side and a look of defeat on his face. "I know you just got home, but I need some help with the gauze and tape."

"Sure, kid." Offering Connor his hand Hank pulled Connor up to his feet gently and helped him to balance with both hands against the bathroom sink. Taking the roll of fresh gauze in one hand and the medical tape in the other Hank secured the gauze pad to Connor's right side over his still healing incision with the tape, and then wrapped up his entire abdomen under the roll of gauze. "Lucas driving you crazy?"

"I wouldn't say 'crazy', but I am trying to remind him that I'm not made of glass."

"Now you know how I felt whenever you obsessed over my health in the past."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be." Hank finished wrapping the gauze and taped it into place without securing the bandages too tightly around Connor's torso. "It's kinda' nice to have someone give a damn about whether or not I live or die."

"Yeah. You're right." It was something Connor hadn't considered before but now that he remembered his horrid childhood he realized that Hank was completely right. Pressing his left hand to his right side Connor sighed a little and tested his pain threshold. "Did you figure out who hired the assassins who failed to take out Markus and North?"

"Not yet." Hank patted Connor's left shoulder as he put aside the remaining medical adhesive and watched as Connor stood up straight and put his right hand over his sore chest. His two fractured ribs were still healing and still ached whenever he moved. "But we'll figure it out. How's your own private search going?"

"Once I get the security footage from the precinct and the hospital I can isolate a familiar face and hopefully give the enigmatic woman a name."

"Are you sure it isn't Abby?"

"The handwriting doesn't belong to Abby, and it wasn't Abby's voice that I heard when I was at the hospital. It's not her."

"Weird."

"She _is_ someone I know, and yet I can't place her." Connor admitted in a somewhat confused voice as he replaced his glasses over his eyes after taking his shower, and slowly walked out of the bathroom toward the livingroom. As he sat down on the couch he leaned back against the couch cushions and kept his hand pressed to his chest to try to support his sore ribs. "This is very perplexing."

"Hey, you were in a coma for two years. You're allowed to be confused about familiar faces from time to time."

"Do you think she is someone from my past as well?"

"...Yeah, kid." Hank wanted to kick himself for letting it slip that he had been looking into Connor's past too. It was out of curiosity and not to spy, yet Hank felt like he was still somehow invading Connor's privacy. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

Connor could see that Hank was on edge about something and needed to ask. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing." The deflection was quick but not suspicious. "I'm just a little worn out from working longer shifts without my partner to keep me from getting bored."

"You're sure? You seem distracted."

"Hey, don't pull that 'detective stuff' on me while we're both off the clock." Trying to lighten the mood and change the subject Hank sat down on the couch beside Connor and studied the younger detective's face. "Besides, _you're_ the one who got stabbed and needs to stay off the clock and heal."

"I wish you and Lucas would stop reminding me of that." His left hand rubbed over his sore ribs absentmindedly as he spoke. "Trust me, it isn't necessary."

"Sorry, kid." Glancing past Connor and toward the kitchen Hank changed the topic again. "Looks like Lucas took care of dinner for us already. Hungry?"

"Not really. Laying around all day and not doing anything has killed my appetite."

"If you don't eat something by the time Lucas gets back with Sumo he won't leave you alone."

"...I'll remember that."

Laughing a little Hank patted Connor's shoulder and leaned back against the couch himself. "Yup. You two are definitely brothers."

"What makes you say that?"

"You care about each other, but you're getting a little annoyed by him. That's normal brotherly behavior."

"...But you don't have any siblings. How do you know that his behavior is normal?"

"My best friend growing up had a little brother who liked to tag along with us everywhere we went. For the most part it was fine, but then there were times where he'd try to ditch his brother or convince their mom to keep him home because we just wanted to hang out without him around."

"To be honest I'm relieved to know I didn't have any siblings growing up. It would've been all the more brutal growing up with a sibling in that type of barbaric household."

"Hey, hey... Come on. Stop thinking about that shit, alright?"

"I'm trying, but there are times where I can't stop myself from comparing my life to how it had been back then to what it is now. It makes me really appreciate what I have and who I have in my life."

Hank didn't quite know what to say to the comment since he wanted Connor to think about something else for a while. Patting Connor's right shoulder again he motioned for the empathetic younger man to follow him to the kitchen. "Come on, kid. Let's go eat some of that pizza so Lucas doesn't try to test your blood sugar or something."

"That is currently something he's incapable of." Following after Hank very slowly Connor paused and inwardly grimaced at the thought. "_Yet_."

"What do you mean 'yet'?" Hank too paused and turned to look at Connor with an arched brow.

"Lucas wasn't activated properly by CyberLife, and as a result wasn't given the same programming to allow him to run analysis in realtime as I was able to do back when I was still a deviant. But he is capable of downloading the appropriate software at any time."

"...Thanks for the warning."

* * *

As the evening gave way to night Connor returned to his bedroom to continue his search into the mysterious woman on his laptop, and rest. Sumo had rejoined Connor and was happily sprawled out over the young detective's legs again as he rested peacefully after enjoying his nice long walk with Lucas. Connor stared at the collected images on his laptop screen after being able to analyze the collected information from the security footage, from both the precinct and the hospital, he was now able to confirm that the woman he was searching for had gone to both locations. She was in fact the woman he was searching for.

"Bingo."

"That sounds promising." Hank shouted loudly from down in the livingroom where he had been reading. "Did you find her?"

"Not exactly." Connor shouted back as he studied the images very carefully. "But I was able to confirm that the woman from the precinct is the same woman who visited me at the hospital."

"Do you know who she is?" The senior detective asked much quieter as he walked into the bedroom to look at the laptop screen for himself. "Let me see."

"I don't know who she is," adjusting his laptop so Hank could see the screen Connor went into more details regarding his search. "and yet I do know that I know her from somewhere."

"...Yeah. She's kinda' ringing a bell for me, too."

"How so?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

The woman in question was in her mid forties, had shoulder length brunette hair with streaks of gray throughout her otherwise dark locks, fair pale skin and an unknown eye color. She was wearing dark tinted sunglasses when she went into the precinct, and when she was in the hospital she kept her head low and away from the security cameras. While in the precinct she wore average street clothing, but while she was in the hospital she was wearing similar clothing.

Hank's blue eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the woman's face intently. "...Did you get her name when she checked in at the hospital?"

"The name she provided when she signed in as a guest at the hospital was in fact an alias: 'Alana Rosamond'."

"How do you know it's an alias?"

"I looked into the name and found six other women with the same name currently registered in the county: Two of the women are well into their seventies and are living in a retirement home on the other side of town, one is a baby who was born only two nights ago, one woman has been deceased since 2035, and the other two are of Hispanic nature; one a young college student and the other her grandmother of whom she was named after. None of these six women fit our suspect's description."

"'Suspect'?" Hank asked as he crossed his arms over his chest curiously as he gave the laptop back over to Connor.

"What would you call her?"

"How about a 'person of interest'?"

"I suppose that is more apt." Connor was looking tired and he rubbed his hand over his forehead as he yawned a little. "Tomorrow I have an appointment with Dr. Wilson, which means I'll have the chance to ask the hospital staff questions about the woman."

"Sure. Get some sleep, kid."

"...That's a good idea." Closing his laptop Connor sighed and placed it on the nightstand beside his bed, and removed his glasses as well. After folding the frames he put them down atop his laptop to be found easily again in the morning. "I will admit I am still feeling rather fatigued despite resting easily for the past three days."

"It'll be fine in a few more days as long as you keep taking it easy. I was worn out after my rather unexpected appendectomy for a few days, too."

"Right." Somewhat embarrassed Connor blushed a little as the unusual memory came forth in full detail. "...I remember that."

"Uh-huh, and remember what I said after we got home after that eventful day?"

"To never perform emergency surgery on you ever again."

"Damn straight. Then again, since you had the training of a paramedic before your mind was put inside your android counterpart I do feel slightly better about the whole fucked up situation."

"...As do I. It seems strange to admit after all this time."

"Rest for now and we'll look more into that woman tomorrow."

Connor only nodded as he slunk down from his mountain of pillows under his back and laid down as flat as possible after pulling his quilt up and over himself to sleep for the night. Sumo happily cuddled up against Connor's right side as if he knew that's where Connor had been injured and wanted to protect him throughout the night.

"See you in the morning, son." Hank patted Connor's left shoulder and then rubbed Sumo's head as he turned around and stepped out of the bedroom to let his son sleep in peace. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Hank."

Quietly taking his leave of the bedroom Hank walked down the hallway, into the livingroom and over to his own laptop sitting on the desk in the corner of the livingroom, and began checking through the various photographs from Connor's past. Thanks to Lucas every image was scanned and uploaded in high quality, and was stored neatly in a hidden file on the laptop's hard drive that only Hank and Lucas knew existed.

Checking each photograph carefully Hank found what he was looking for and an unsettling knot formed in the pit of his stomach. "Son of a bitch."

Hank had singled out an image from the numerous photographs showing a very young Connor, barely six or seven years old, sitting in the background of a birthday party that had been taken place in a public park in the middle of Novi. Young Connor was sitting under a tree and the one woman that Connor had mentioned briefly as the 'Nice Lady' from his past was sitting right beside him.

The image was old but still clear and Hank was able to see the woman's face with enough detail to identify her properly.

"...Holy shit." Pulling his phone from his jean pocket Hank took a picture of his laptop screen and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin despondently. He had found a lead but still had no idea who he was looking at, or why. But it was a lead at long last. "It's her. _She's_ the 'admirer'."

_**-next chapter-**_


	18. Gratitude

Three weeks after being attacked Connor was recovering well enough but still restricted to desk duty until his ribs had fully healed. With Hank keeping an eye on Connor and keeping him preoccupied with deviant related cases the senior was able to do a little searching of his own on an unofficial case in private. As the two detectives sat at their desks doing their own respective assignments a new case regarding a deviant being assaulted and left for dead in the middle of a junkyard became their priority as of the moment.

It took a while but Connor was able to convince Captain Fowler to let him out in the field to examine the scene of the assault and return promptly to the precinct, to ensure he didn't re-injure himself or fall ill while on patrol. Since he and Hank were the only detectives specializing in deviant related cases Captain Fowler had no choice but to relent and allow Connor out to the scene to investigate.

"Think you can give me a thorough investigation even without your fancy scanner thingy?" Hank asked as Connor carefully crouched down to look at the victim concealed under a white sheet. The younger detective had his right hand pressed to his sore ribs to support his weight as he moved. "You're good, but I don't know how good you are compared to your android counterpart."

"We'll soon find out." Connor kept his right arm wrapped around his sore ribs as he peeled back the sheet with his left hand and revealed the face of the victim beneath. The deviant had been brutally assaulted and dumped in the middle of the junkyard to bleed to death in the cold dark of the night. "The deviant is a male 'WP-500' model. He suffered irreversible shutdown due to blunt force trauma to his intracranial processor, Thirium pump, both of his right and left ventilation biocomponents and his Thirium filter. I cannot confirm an identity at this time but I do know he was employed as a mechanic and had been as such for the past four years."

"Alright, I'll ask." Putting his hands to his hips Hank gave the younger man an impressed stare. "How do you know that?"

"Like this." Professionally Connor slipped on a pair of blue latex gloves from his gray jacket's right pocket before picking up the deviant's left hand; the right was missing entirely, and held it up for Hank to see as the senior detective stood back and watched. "His hand is worn from years of hard labor. The plastimetal frame of his fingertips on his thumb, index and middle fingers has become partially indented from years of use, and his palm is equally as worn. Trace amounts of a black substance that has the distinct aroma of motor oil and engine grease is embedded under his fingernails, which is indicative of a career as a mechanic or an engineer. Due to the number of garages in the city it's safe to assume he was employed at a garage within six blocks of this junkyard."

"...Not bad. What else?"

"The victim was attacked from behind with a blunt metallic instrument." Lightly Connor put the victim's hand back down before gently turning the victim's head to show Hank the back of his skull. "Judging from the shape of the indentation left behind in the victim's cranium and the bright red paint I suspect he was struck with a crowbar found in the same garage. The first strike rendered him unconscious, and while he was completely defenseless the three men proceeded to kick, stomp and beat him with the crowbar."

"_Three_ men?"

"The depth and locations of the various wounds across his person are indicative of men with three similar but distinct levels of strength. There are three different shoe prints over his chest, abdomen, back, legs, face and neck. The men responsible are mechanics employed at the same garage and were in agreement to assault and murder this deviant."

"And how in the hell do you know that?"

"The same oil and grease under the victim's nails has been smeared in the various shoe prints which means they were all working in the same location. The victim was carried and dumped, not dragged or thrown out of a passing vehicle, which would require three people to drag the approximate one-hundred and twenty five pounds of the victim's dead weight. This was a premeditated assault by a group of like minded individuals who used what was available to them; tools and their brute strength, and took the victim to a familiar location where they knew the layout and knew that they wouldn't be seen in the process."

"I'll admit it. I'm impressed."

Connor stood up slowly, still mindful of his ribs, and slipped the blue blood stained gloves from his hands. "...I wish I could've been impressive elsewhere."

"Me too, kid." Hank watched as Connor stepped away from the victim and pressed his left hand to his sore ribs protectively. "You wouldn't happen to know which garage they came from, would ya'?"

"Based on the proximity of the junkyard and the nearest garage I would check the garage on Tenth Street first, then the garage on Eighth Street, or the corner of Porter Street and Sixth Street."

"Okay, 'Sherlock', let's make the call and head back to the precinct." Glancing upward to the quickly darkening skies as the chill in the air intensified Hank motioned to the car parked on the street with a simple right thumb over the right shoulder. "If we're lucky we'll beat the rain."

"I doubt it. I may not be able to tune into the Doppler radar system anymore," Connor admitted as he followed after Hank back to the car. An icy breeze blew over the street and made the two detectives shudder slightly as the autumn air chilled quickly with the impending winter. "but I can smell the rain in the air. It'll be here soon."

"Then let's just make it back to the car before we get caught in the storm."

Sure enough within twenty minutes a heavy rainstorm soaked the entire city during the cold autumn night in Detroit.

In a timely manner Connor and Hank had finished their evening shift after clocking in three additional hours of unwanted overtime as a means of covering the shifts of the other officers who had called in ill with the flu for the past four days. Exhausted from work and eager to get away from the precinct to head for home Hank drove through the rainy streets at a steady pace while Connor monitored the weather on the radio, and the traffic on his phone.

"Give me some good news, Connor." Hank pleaded as he drove down the already partially flooded streets to head for the house. "Tell me this storm is going to let up and we won't have to worry about blackouts."

"Sorry Hank, the storm front is holding its course."

"Damn."

Connor's soulful brown eyes narrowed as an emergency alert appeared on his phone's display. "There is an autonomous taxi broken down two streets away with a single stranded passenger inside."

"Since when did_ rain_ strand someone in a car?"

There was a pause as Connor received more information on the situation at hand by texting a deviant receptionist back at the precinct. "...According to the emergency services the passenger in question is pregnant and in labor."

"Ah, shit." Hank swore as he stopped at the end of the street and prepared to turn in the appropriate direction. "Which way?"

"Turn left."

Diligently Hank followed Connor's directions and located the disabled taxi alongside the road a few streets away from their initial route. While autonomous vehicles had proven very useful to people who needed a late night ride home or a designated driver after a night of drinking the vehicles in general still had flaws. Such flaws included suffering from flat tires without a driver to change them, or battery failures with no one driving about to offer a jumpstart to the stopped vehicle.

"Go ahead and inform dispatch we're on the scene." Hank instructed as he climbed out of his car parked behind the taxi and went to check on the woman. "I'll see how the woman is doing."

Connor obediently relayed the information through Hank's radio and received an update regarding the paramedics currently en route as well. Afterward he clipped the radio to the right side of his belt as he peered through the windshield and the rain while Hank opened the taxi door. Joining Hank at the taxi Connor stood beside Hank and watched as the senrior detective spoke calmly to the woman and showed her his badge to reassure her that he was there to help.

The woman in question was very young, only nineteen years of age, and was deep into active labor. Frightened and alone she was crying in fear, pain and near panic from the taxi breaking down leaving her stranded without any help nearby.

"What's your name?" Ever compassionate Hank asked her the question in a very calm voice. The way spoke to her you'd think he was a friend or a member of her family. "As you already know I'm Hank, and this is Connor." Motioning toward the younger detective now standing behind him with a casual thumb over his shoulder Hank made sure she knew they were both there to help her. "He's my partner."

The woman panted through a contraction before she answered nervously. "I'm D-Dana." She let Hank gently move her on the seat so her back was pressed against the closed cab door behind her, and her legs were stretched out over the long seat toward Hank.

"How long have you been in labor, Dana?" Hank asked next as he took off his heavy rain soaked coat and draped it over Dana's legs.

"...All day." She panted and ran her left hand through her sweaty blonde hair. "No one came to the apartment to get me when it started. My friends aren't the most reliable people."

"Jerks." Hank muttered under his breath at the comment. "Where's your family?"

"Foster care. Don't have one."

"The baby's father?"

"...My boyfriend was killed in a car accident four months ago." She suddenly let out a groan of pain as she endured another contraction. "W-We've been alone ever since."

"Keep breathing." The calm senior detective instructed as he gently lifted Dana's legs up until her knees were bent. "Connor, where's the ambulance?"

Wisely Connor pulled on Hank's left shoulder to pull him out of the backseat for a moment. "I received an update after I reported to dispatch. The ambulance is six blocks away and obstructed by a downed power pole."

"Great, guess that means we have to take care of this ourselves."

"I'll handle it."

"Connor, you're still injured." Hank whispered in a calm voice as he faced the younger detective in the cold rain. "Your side is still healing and your ribs are weak. Let me take care of her and you can keep her calm."

"No. She's going to need support doing this and I'm physically too weak to support her, you're going to have to do that."

"...Okay, kid. You win." Hank rolled up the sleeves of his blue and orange striped dress shirt up to his elbow, and knelt down in the backseat again. Pointing back to the car a few feet away he gave Connor a new task. "Get the first aid kit and emergency blanket out of the trunk."

Returning to the car parked behind the taxi Connor popped open the trunk and heard Dana yelling from the backseat in mounting pain as her labor continued to progress quickly.

"Easy, easy." Hank soothed as let Dana squeeze his hand. "I need to check you, alright?"

Dana nodded quickly as she breathed deeply and let it out slowly in a rhythmic pattern to help take the edge off the pain.

Hank carefully pushed back Dana's skirt to check her progress and saw that Dana was ready to deliver. There was no waiting for the ambulance or the paramedics, the baby was going to born. NOW.

Moving as quickly as he could Connor returned to the taxi with the first aid kit and blanket in his hands. "Here's what you asked for."

"Thanks." Opening the kit Hank took out a pair of sterile gloves and slipped them over his hands, right first and then the left, then opened the plastic wrapped around the blanket before smoothing it down beneath Dana's legs. Placing the first aid kit on the top of the backseat he set to work focusing solely on Dana and her unborn child. "I'm going to get in the backseat and get behind her. When she pushes I'll support her and it'll make things a lot easier."

"Right." Slipping on a fresh pair of gloves himself Connor knelt down in the backseat in front of Dana to assist the laboring woman. Placing his left hand on her full term belly very gently he counted her contractions, and confirmed she was going to need to deliver very soon. "Hank, the ambulance isn't going to get here in time."

As Dana let out another cry of pain Hank responded quickly and walked around the other side of the taxi. Carefully he pulled open the door and pressed his hands against Dana's shoulders as he knelt down behind her just as he had stated he'd so. Dana quickly reached her right hand back and grabbed onto Hank's right hand as she breathed through another contraction, and Connor prepared to receive the child.

"Alright Dana, your body already knows what to do." Connor stated calmly as he took control over the situation. "So when you feel the need to push, you hold your breath and push for as along and as hard as you can, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah..." She panted as she began crushing Hank's hand in her tightening grip. "H-Have you done this before?"

"Yes, I've done this before. We won't let anything happen to you." Connor sincerely smiled to help Dana remain as calm as possible. "Ready?"

Dana nodded again as another contraction started and she bore down as hard as she could. Dana pushed and panted her breath as she followed her natural instincts and prepared to deliver her first child. Hank watched in silent awe as he never got over the miracle of childbirth, and watched with pride as Connor retained full control of the situation. As Dana squeezed his hand Hank instinctively squeezed back as the unexpected miracle of life transpired before him.

"You're doing just fine, Dana." Connor stated as he put his right hand beneath the newborn's head lightly to help guide the baby out and into the world without hurting either mother or child during the delivery. "Almost there..."

Hank braced himself as Dana pushed again, using the senior detective's broad chest and shoulder for support, as she finally gave birth to her very first baby in the backseat of the taxi.

"Okay, that's it!" Connor announced as he held the squirming newborn in his hands. Reaching into the first aid kit he took a small rubber suction pump and used it to clear the newborn's airways and tied off the umbilical cord before cutting it. "Just gotta' take care of a few things first..."

"Is it... o-okay?" Dana asked in a deeply exhausted voice as she fell back entirely against Hank and began to weep tears of joy and relief.

Instinctively Hank supported her entire weight against himself and continued to hold onto her hand.

The newborn started to cry as Connor swaddled it in the blanket and held it in his hands. "She's fine."

"...Sh-She? ...I have a daughter." Dana smiled, then her eyes closed as she lost consciousness due to fatigue and weakness.

Hank pressed his left fingertips against the left side of Dana's neck and felt her thready rapid pulse beneath his fingertips. "Dana?"

"She's bleeding heavily." Connor stated sternly as he checked on her once more. "I don't have the strength to apply pressure to her abdomen."

"Right." Hank gently laid Dana flat down over the backseat as he opened the door and rushed around to the other side to take the lead. "Hold onto the baby and keep her warm while I take care of Dana."

Cradling the small baby in his arms, her head and neck supported against his left bicep, Connor remained as still as possible and leaned down over her to use his upper body to shield her from the cold rain overhead. "...Like this?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Hank gently put his left hand beneath Dana's back to straighten out her spine a little before pressing a massive wad of gauze against her body as she continued to bleed. "Connor, where's the ambulance?" Hank asked as he began tending to Dana and motioned for Connor to step out of the taxi to give him more room to work. "I need an E.T.A. and a few more bandages."

Connor took the radio from his belt and asked for an update from dispatch and received an update on the ambulance as he held the newborn protectively against his chest. "The ambulance is two blocks away." He pulled the fabric of his gray jacket around the swaddled infant to shield her from the cold rain as much as possible. "And the infant is stable."

In the distance the sound of blaring sirens began to grow in volume as red and blue flashing lights illuminated the streets brightly.

Protectively Connor stepped around to the other side of the taxi near Hank as he continued to protect the infant from the biting cold and hold the crying child against his warmer chest. Looking down at the small crying face of the incredibly tiny human Connor felt a strange sense of warmth wash over him, followed by a wave of fear and utter confusion.

The ambulance pulled up alongside the street in front of the taxi and the two paramedics jumped out the back to tend to Dana who was unconscious in the backseat in front of Hank. As Hank stepped away to give the paramedics the room to work he checked on the newborn in Connor's arms, and waved over one of the paramedics to take charge over the infant as he removed the dirtied gloves from his hands. Slinging his dark coat back over his arms Hank watched as the paramedic managed to revive Dana and stopped the bleeding.

Connor carefully slipped the infant into the arms of the paramedic and watched as the baby was placed just as gently in Dana's arms after the new mother was placed onto the gurney to be loaded into the back of the ambulance.

"Alright, the paramedics will take it from here." Hank stated firmly as he walked back to the car and got out of the rain. "You did great."

"...Yeah." Connor responded somberly as he followed after Hank and joined him in the car. Removing his own dirtied gloves Connor trudged after Hank through the rain to return to their car parked behind the taxi. "I guess."

"Most people tend to freak out when it comes to childbirth, but you kept your cool and helped Dana in the process like the pro you are." The senior detective complimented as he pulled open the driver's side door of the car. "Why do you look like you just failed?"

"...I don't know."

"You've helped a surrogate in distress before, so I know it's not the blood that bothered you." Sitting down behind the steering wheel as Connor opened the passenger side door to get out of the rain Hank kept trying to figure out why Connor looked so upset. "Does it have something to do with childbirth itself?"

"I wasn't unsettled by the act of childbirth, I actually found it... amazing." Connor was still in awe himself at his latest experience. "It was like I witnessing life itself, and it was beautiful."

Hank gave Connor an approving grin as he pulled the car back along the street to head for home through the rain. "It really is. The first time I had to deliver a baby I was as scared as the mother, but I managed to get through it with my partner's help. It was a little boy, and he has be sixteen by now."

"I never knew babies were all so tiny when they are born." Connor observed with an inquisitive stare in his soulful brown eyes. "It's almost frightening how defenseless infants truly are."

"That's exactly how I felt the first time I held Cole in my arms. It really is a miracle, you know? If one little thing goes wrong then everything will go wrong. And the fact that so many humans are walking this planet right at this moment is something truly cosmic to think about."

"...There are people out there who would willing hurt someone completely defenseless for no acceptable reason walking this planet, too."

"Connor, I'm going to say this as many times as it takes until it's drilled through your thick skull: stop worrying about that bastard. He's gone and you'll never have to worry about him ever again. It's over and you're safe."

"I'm sorry, Hank. It's just... When I was holding that small baby and I saw how vulnerable she was all I could think was how someone would have to be especially cruel to strike a child. She was the second baby I've seen in such a short window of time who was so alone and in danger. The surrogate deviant nearly died because she was a deviant, this baby could've died because the mother was stranded and alone on the side of the road. It's a disturbing pattern that's begun to emerge."

"There's something else you're worried about, isn't there?"

Connor was quiet for only a moment before he finally found the courage to say what was really on his mind. "...How does someone become so cruel?"

"Sometimes it's conditioning and other times people are just plain assholes." The answer was as honest as it was tragic. "If I knew how to predict human behavior and could separate the violent assholes from the innocent people, then I would."

"How do I know what made 'him' act as he did? Why was my own father so cruel and incapable of love?"

"Connor, you may never know the truth and I sure as Hell can't give you any answers." Returning home at long last the two detectives sat in the driveway beside the house for a moment as Hank tried to help Connor feel more at ease. "Some people are darker than others for one reason or another. Fuck, I was ready to stay inside that dark depression inside my own heart and put a bullet in my head until you came around."

Closing his eyes Connor folded his arms over his chest and lowered his voice. "...What if I'm harboring some kind of darkness, too?"

"Connor. Look at me."

Turning his face to lock eyes with his adoptive father Connor sat in total silence.

"You're NOT like like that bastard who raised you. You don't have any darkness inside of you, and you'd never hurt anyone. Don't be afraid to be yourself."

"...I wish I could."

"Come on." Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Hank gave the younger detective a grounded feeling. "You need to get inside and out of the cold before you get sick."

Nodding quietly Connor followed after Hank as the two exited the vehicle and rushed inside the house through the backdoor to escape the cold rain. As the young detective shrugged off his rain soaked gray suit jacket Connor was greeted by Sumo, who promptly sat his feet and wagged his tail excitedly.

"See that?" Hank smirked as he pointed out Sumo's behavior as a form of evidence to prove Connor was a good person. "You're not dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"Animals are better at judging people than people are. Sumo's liked you since the first time he met you. If you were bad in anyway he wouldn't want anything to do with you, kid."

Connor knelt on the kitchen floor and rubbed his hands along Sumo's ears gently. "...Yeah. Thanks, Hank." Sumo licked the left side of his face, and Connor began rubbing Sumo's chin a little as he used his already wet jacket to wipe off the slobber on the side of his face. "Thanks, boy."

"Go warm up in the shower. I have to make a few calls before I head out tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"It's personal. I'll tell you about it later."

"...Okay."

"Hey, it's nothing personal against _you_, son. I just need to take care of this alone."

"Okay, Hank." Standing up from the kitchen floor slowly Connor took off his shoes and loosened the black tie around his neck. "Did you want to order anything for dinner?"

"Nah, it's too shitty to make someone run delivery tonight. I think leftovers will do just fine."

Without another word Connor agreed and made his way down the hallway and into the bathroom to remove his wet clothes, and enjoy a nice warm shower. He'd have to replace the single bandage over his right side again, but now that he no longer had any sutures or liquid skin to keep it protected from external infection Connor was able to take care of his bandaging by himself.

Taking advantage of the moment of privacy Hank texted a few questions to the nurse he was in contact with at the hospital in Grand Rapids to get a few more answers before his long drive. He needed to check a few key details at the hospital but didn't want Connor to know just in case his hunch was right; which it often was. Hank simply didn't want Connor to have to go through anymore emotional turmoil as he continued to heal from his horrible childhood trauma.

"You better be okay without me tomorrow, kid." Hank muttered as he realized that Connor would be alone for the first time since his return to humanity. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

While Hank was doing his own errands elsewhere the following morning Connor decided to go check in with Markus at New Jericho Tower. Using an autonomous taxi to get to the tower through the still rainy and cold streets Connor was greeted very quickly by Lucas outside, as the off duty detective rushed out of the lingering cold rain and up to the front doors of the tower to get warm.

Lucas watched as his brother shook off his rain soaked leather jacket and greeted him warmly. "Good to see you again, brother."

"Hello, Lucas."

"May I ask why you're here?"

"I wanted to speak with Markus. I haven't seen him since the day of the failed assassination attempts."

"I believe Markus is in his personal office on the fifth floor at the moment."

"Is he busy?"

"No. At this time of day he's often just trying to organize the deviants while working to help them get acclimated to the tower."

"That's good to know. I'm glad the deviants are using the tower as a sanctuary and are comfortable coming here." Connor stepped inside the elevator at the far side of the lobby with Lucas at his side, and noticed a lot of the passing deviants in the main lobby were giving him a mistrusting glare. Casually Connor took off his glasses and wiped off the few water spots from his lenses before replacing them over his eyes. "I will also continue to make myself sparse for the sake of keeping the deviants as comfortable as possible."

"Please don't take their harsh judgment personally, brother. They are mistrustful of _all_ humans."

"The mistrust toward me stems from the night of the raid on Jericho. I almost got everyone killed, and their mistrust is valid."

"I know of the story and never once did Markus, North, Josh or Simon ever try to blame you or put you at any fault." The elevator doors parted and the two brothers stepped onto the new floor side by side to reach the main office. As they made their way to the designated office Lucas would find himself staring down any judgmental deviant who tried to glare at Connor as they passed by. "You didn't do anything wrong, and you were willing to risk your life to help our people during the escape."

"That doesn't change their perspective of me."

"It should."

Standing before the closed office door Connor pressed his right thumb to the security pad and was happy to see that his fingerprints were recognized and granted him access to the office. "I'll see you again before I leave, Lucas."

"Sounds good. I have rounds to finish at the moment, so be sure to let me know when you're going to leave."

"I will. See you momentarily." The office door slid open and Connor stepped inside the private room to see Markus sitting at the desk with his mismatched eyes closed, and his terminal screen glowing before him. "Hello, Markus."

Opening his eyes Markus looked up to see Connor and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Connor! It's nice to see you."

"I wanted to check in on you and North."

"We're fine. We should've been over to the hospital or at least the house to see you as you recovered." Standing up from the desk Markus stood before his friend and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder. "Lucas kept us up to date on your recovery from afar, but seeing you in person is much better. How do you feel?"

"As of this moment I feel relatively normal." Connor pushed aside the right lapel of his lather jacket and the emerald green over shirt beneath, and pulled up the hem of the black t-shirt to show the healed incision over his abdomen. "I no longer have to keep the incision covered and I don't have any pain." Replacing his shirt he extended his right hand out toward Markus to shake. "Thank you for reviving me and keeping me alive until help got arrived."

"Hey," shaking Connor's hand firmly Markus just smiled and stepped back a pace. "you saved me and you saved North. Besides, we're friends. We look out for each other. Right?"

"That's right. We do." Letting go of Markus's hand Connor remained confident where he stood. "Has there been any other threats against you or the tower?"

"None. And we don't have any idea who would've put up the bounty to begin with."

"Neither does the precinct. We're still looking into it, but until one of the failed assassins talks we won't know anything for certain."

"I'm not worried. I think that stunt did more harm than good for whoever orchestrated it."

Connor gave his friend an odd glance at the comment. "What makes you say that?"

"The violence in the city against deviants dropped considerably. We aren't taking in as many refugees or victims of assault since that day, and only hear of maybe one or two assaults or threats per day instead of dozens at a time."

"Interesting... How are the previous refugees acclimating?"

"Very well. Skye, the deviant you met before-"

"I remember her." Connor confirmed as he listened to Markus update him on the situation at the tower. She stuck out in his mind in a most curious manner that he hadn't really thought about before. "She led the refugees out of Canada and over to the border."

"That's right. She's going to stay here and take charge of our security program in a while."

"Security program?"

"Yeah. She decided that she wanted to stay here and protect her people from outside threats, and she wants to keep certain areas accessible only to trusted members of the tower to ensure there is no one conspiring against our people from within our own walls. That accessibility includes _you_ and _Hank_."

"Thank you, Markus. That's good to know."

At that moment Skye entered the office with a electronic tablet in her hand to give Markus an update. Her hair color had changed to a lighter shade making it brunette instead of black, and was much longer than it had been before as it reached down to her waist. She even had her eye color changed from an unnaturally bright blue to a softer hazel color. Skye paused as soon as she saw that Markus was speaking with Connor and apologized for entering the office without buzzing the door first. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"You didn't." Connor reassured her as he respectfully took a step back so Skye could approach Markus. "I'll go and visit with Lucas and then head home. If we get a break in the rain I want to be able to take my dog for a walk."

"No, wait!" Skye stopped Connor before he had the chance to leave the office. "You're a detective. Maybe you could help with the security program."

"...R-Really?" The request was unexpected and almost flattering. "You want my help?"

"Well, yeah. North and Markus trust you, and your brother saved mine and Cassie's life." Skye smiled sincerely at Connor as she turned and looked him in the eyes. There was no fear in her hazel eyes as she looked into Connor's soulful brown irises. "You got me and the other refugees back to the city safely, and you've been fighting to give deviants their rights since the Revolution. Why shouldn't I want your help?"

"...I guess I'm just used to working outside the tower without any assistance."

"Do you have to be anywhere right now?"

"No." The young detective replied honestly as he contemplated accepting Skye's offer. "My schedule is free today."

"So could you help me out with the security program?"

"Y-Yeah. I'd love to help you."

"Great." Skye turned to look at Markus and waited for the deviant leader's approval. "That's okay, right Markus?"

"Yeah, of course. I trust Connor with my life." Markus was doing his best hide his amused grin as Skye welcomed Connor very warmly into her life. She was the first deviant beyond the four leaders and Lucas to see Connor as an ally and not an enemy. "Everyone in this tower should trust him."

Skye gave Markus an appreciative grin before turning back to Connor. "Ready? I can show to the server room where I've been working."

"Yeah." Relieved to have Skye's willingness to trust him Connor eagerly anticipated working with her. "Lead the way."

* * *

It was an expectedly long drive to take alone but Hank made it out to Grand Rapids a few hours away, and pulled into the parking lot of Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital and turned off the engine. There was something surreal about seeing the specialty hospital in person, and knowing that Connor had spent two years of his life comatose in that very building before the two even met. Opening his door Hank kept his blue eyes fixed on the building, and ignored the building chill in the air.

"No wonder the kid hates hospitals and facilities." Slamming the door shut he slipped his hands into his coat pockets and bowed his head down to try to shield his throat from the surrounding cold. "Spending two years inside of a hospital, then getting pulled apart against his will inside a facility is going to leave a pretty heavy cloud over your head. Hopefully he'll get over his fear soon."

As Hank entered the hospital through the automatic front doors, and crossed through the lobby and waiting room he spotted the receptionist desk that doubled as the nurse's station, and flashed his badge as he introduced himself to the receptionist behind the desk. "Hi. I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson of the Detroit Police Department. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions regarding a former patient."

The receptionist looked up at Hank and gave him her full attention upon seeing his badge and hearing his title. "Did you say you're from Detroit?"

"Yeah. It's been a long drive but it's important."

"It must be. How can I help you, Lieutenant?"

"I need some information on a former patient named 'Connor Wolf'."

The receptionist's eyes widened slightly as she also paled a little. "...Connor?"

Pocketing his badge Hank stood before the desk and gave the receptionist a coy glance. "I take it you're familiar with his story."

The receptionist gave Hank an uneasy smile as she picked up the phone and made a quick call. "Excuse me, Dr. Ross, could you come to the nurse's station. We have an officer inquiring about one of your former patients." As she hung up the phone she gave Hank a nod of her head. "She'll be out in a moment. Do you need some coffee?"

"Maybe later." The senior detective politely declined. "Right now I just want to stretch out my back."

A woman with blonde hair appeared beside the desk with a stethoscope around her neck, and a long white lab coat over her arms. "Are you the officer?" She asked as she honed in on Hank and extended her right hand to shake his. "I'm Dr. Alexandra Ross."

"Yeah. Lieutenant Hank Anderson. Detroit Police."

"How can I help you, Lieutenant?"

"Is there some place where we can speak in private? This is about a former patient of yours, and a very good friend of mine."

"Of course." Motioning with her left arm Dr. Ross escorted the senior detective to the more private space to speak without any eavesdropping. "We can speak in my office."

* * *

Working alongside Skye into the server room of the tower Connor aided her progress in improving the security of New Jericho Tower, while also keeping the overall atmosphere of the sanctuary as warm and welcoming as possible. As the two worked together Skye asked Connor about his time as a deviant and of his earlier years as a human, while also telling him about her escape from 'Eden Club' and of her long standing friendship with North.

The duo surprisingly had a lot in common thanks to their previous hardships and desire to rise above their dark pasts to remain in the light. It was like talking to an old friend and it made it easy for the duo to trust one another. In a way Skye reminded Connor of the little girl he had been friends with when he was a small child, and he began to wonder if his long lost childhood friend ever left Novi and if she too was fighting to change the word for the better.

"What do you think?" Skye highlighted the new range of the security cameras that now covered every single inch of sight outside the perimeter of the tower on the tablet in her hands. The front of the tower was perfectly monitored and the surrounding harbor had been secured by additional cameras. "Pretty safe, right?"

Connor eyed the screen of the tablet and agreed. "It looks like you have the entire tower locked down. The drive doesn't need any additional cameras since the security barricade is still in place, but you'll need to add special clearances to select members of the tower to keep potential saboteurs from sensitive material."

"That's a good point. Any suggestions?"

"Install scanners that identify android serial numbers, and key phrases to act as passwords. It's the best combination to prevent any security breeches."

"I'll make a note of that."

As the two continued to work together Connor noticed that Skye kept staring at his face as if confused or curious about something, and decided to ask her about it. "...Is something wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You keep staring at me."

"Sorry. It's just I've never seen a human wearing glasses before." She was admiring his black plastic frames as she spoke. "The 'clients' who came by the club were always dressed up like they were going to meet the mayor or something, and always wore contact lenses or had lasik surgery. You know, you want to look your best while you're doing something sleazy and immoral behind locked doors."

"Oh. Well," Connor absentmindedly put his hands to his glasses and took them off for a moment. "I wear contact lenses when I'm at the precinct, and wear these when I'm off duty. They aren't anything special, but they do help my eyes from getting strained throughout the day."

"Can I see them?"

"Sure. Here."

Skye carefully took Connor's glasses and put them over her own hazel eyes and glanced about casually. "Huh."

"What's 'huh'?"

"I was expecting to see everything as a giant out of focus blur or completely distorted. Everything seems normal."

"Astigmatism." Connor replied with a casual shrug of the shoulders. "I'm not nearsighted nor am I farsighted. There are just moments where my vision doesn't focus properly and the glasses keep that from happening."

"Interesting." She smiled warmly at Connor and brushed a lock of her brunette hair behind her left ear. "How do I look?"

"Human."

"I could live with that." Slipping the glasses off she handed them back to Connor and smirked as he put them back over his eyes. "You look human either way."

"I can live with that, too." He almost parroted perfectly as he replied with a similar smirk on his face. "I'm glad you were able to get comfortable with your new arrangements at the tower. I imagine being reunited with North was a massive relief and made the adjustment easier."

"Yeah. Seeing North safe and unharmed made me realize that it was really over. We're all free, and we don't need to hide from disgusting humans again."

"And nothing will ever change that. You're all safe and I promise that I'll do whatever I need to do to in order to keep you protected."

Quietly Lucas joined the duo in the server room to check in on their progress as he had been informed of the security upgrades by Markus. "How is the security program working out?"

"Very well." Connor confirmed as he met bis little brother by the door. "Once Skye finishes implementing the new recognition software the tower will be the safest structure in all of Detroit."

"That's good to hear. I know you're recovering well, but I was wondering if you'd be willing to let me examine your incision one more time before you return home this evening."

"It's okay," Connor was willing to be cooperative to ease his little brother's worries, and gave him a kind grin. "I understand your concern."

"Thank you. The emergency repair bay will be the ideal location to perform the exam in private."

"Right. Skye," turning to face the kind deviant again Connor bid her farewell. "I'll see you soon. If you need any additional assistance contact me."

"I will. Thanks again, Connor." She beamed sweetly. "I appreciate all your help."

* * *

Sitting in Dr. Ross's office with a small white mug of warm coffee in his hands Hank had told the kind doctor everything that Connor had been through since he woke up and of how he and Connor befriended each other and eventually took to each other as family. To prove that Hank was truly his family and his father, but not he biological prick who abused Connor throughout his childhood, Hank presented Dr. Ross with the official document of adoption. Afterward he showed her a photo of Connor from his phone so she could see how well Connor had recovered after waking up from the coma and completing his physical therapy.

"...This is incredible." Dr. Ross's eyes were wide with genuine shock and joy. "Elijah said-"

"Elijah _Kamski_?" Hank interrupted somewhat incredulously. "THAT Elijah?"

"Oh, yes. Elijah's my cousin."

"...Oh. Right. I remember Connor telling me that, but it's been a while since I thought about it. Weird."

"Technically he's my adopted cousin so we don't look alike. But he's family nonetheless."

"Right, sure."

"Anyway, Elijah told me that Connor was making incredible progress in his recovery, but I didn't think it was actually _this amazing_. I can't believe the young man who spent two years under my care, completely unresponsive and fading away before my eyes, is now thriving and a gifted detective." Handing Hank back his phone Dr. Ross folded her hands together and pressed her knuckles to her chin with restrained joy. "And now he has a_ family_. That's something I never thought I'd get to see. That's truly wonderful..."

"Yeah, trust me," Hank pocketed his phone and gave her a somewhat skeptical glance from where he sat. "I wasn't expecting that either, but the kid grew on me, and before I knew it he became just that to me. _My kid_."

"...I take it you lost someone close to you before you met Connor."

"What makes you say that?"

"I've been a doctor for twelve years and I've seen too many parents walk out this building without one or more of their children. That look of loss never leaves their eyes, it just becomes less noticeable over time."

"Unfortunately I know exactly what you mean." Sighing a little Hank took a sip of the coffee then cleared his throat. "When I first met Connor, his android counterpart I mean, I wanted nothing to do with him and just wanted to end it all. I was depressed and miserable with nothing left to live for. He refused to let me push him away, and at first I thought it was because he just wanted to accomplish his mission, but the more I got to know him the more I realized he was more deviant; more _human_, than he ever knew. He actually cared about me. And he was the first one to give a damn in years..."

Dr. Ross smiled warmly as Hank told her his sad story.

"Now I understand how that was even possible, he was once a human and a piece of him stayed alive inside that android brain of his. After the Revolution was a success Connor had nowhere to go and he felt like he could trust no one except for me. So I took him in and helped him to understand his deviancy day by day, experience by experience."

"Like a father guiding his child."

"Exactly. I didn't realize I was doing it, and I didn't realize he was keeping me from killing myself until he disappeared a while back. As soon as he was gone I fell back into my old bad habits and almost did something I couldn't take back when he suddenly returned. I needed him to keep me moving on with my life, and it turned out he needed me to help him do the same. We have different reasons to move on, but we understand each other all the same and I think we have the same end goal in mind."

Dr. Ross continued to smile as she listened to Hank telling her his and Connor's story, and she dropped her hands from her chin. "I know you didn't drive all this way just to tell me all this. As happy as I am to hear every word of it I know there's something else on your mind."

"You're right. There is." Reclaiming his phone from his pocket Hank sifted through the photos saved on the device again, and isolated the image of the woman he had taken from his laptop's screen. Holding up the phone's screen toward the good doctor Hank asked the question he had driven for almost two and half hours to ask. "Do you know who this woman is?"

Taking a close look at the photo Dr. Ross's eyes lit up with recognition and she nodded softly. "Yeah, I do."

"Who is she?" Almost excitedly Hank put his phone back in his pocket and pulled a small electronic notepad from his opposite pocket to take notes. "I need a name and a possible address."

"That's Tamara Vondila, but I don't know where she lives. She was a volunteer here at the hospital for a couple of years and left about four months ago out of the blue."

Hank looked as though he was ready to ask every question in the book. "Volunteer, how?"

"She'd spend time with the elderly patients who needed company, spend time with kids in the cancer ward to help cheer them up, and would often visit the I.C.U. with the comatose patients to give them a friendly voice to hear. She was very sweet and kind, but very quiet for the most part."

"And what do your instincts as a doctor tell you about that?"

"She was a battered wife who escape an abusive household. I've seen that distant glaze in a woman's eyes far too many times to be mistaken as anything else."

"As I said before, I unfortunately know exactly what you mean." Hank had written down the name and made a few other notes. "Does the name 'Alana Rosamond' mean anything to you?"

"No. I've never heard of such a person."

"...Would you happen to have a sample of Tamara's handwriting for me to examine?"

Dr. Ross was looking a little confused but she remained complicit. "I think so. Last Christmas we had a large staff party and we all signed a card to welcome in a new year and hoping for less chaos." Opening her top right desk drawer Dr. Ross fumbled through a few stray photographs and personal documents until she found the holiday card she was looking for. "This is it."

Hank took the card from Dr. Ross's hand and located the name 'Tamara' and compared the handwriting to the photographed sample of the other handwriting samples he had taken before leaving the house. "It's a match."

"What do you mean by it's a match? Do you mean the handwriting?"

"Yup. 'Alana' was an alias used by Tamara. I wouldn't be surprised if that was an alias, too."

"She passed a background check and had a valid I.D., and that's an absolute must for anyone to work here in any department."

"If she was a battered wife then it makes sense that she'd change her name and move on to a new life, in a new city. She'd be pretty secretive about everything in her life as well."

Dr. Ross was beginning to look rather tense. "...Is she dangerous?"

"No, I don't think so. It's just this woman seems to have gone to Detroit shortly after Connor did. She's sent him a card at the precinct after returning to work, and she stopped by the hospital after he had emergency surgery a few weeks back."

"Can I ask why you're looking into her?"

"...She's a 'person of interest', but not a criminal. So don't worry about anything like that."

"Is she a stalker?"

"No, nothing like that, either. We just think she's someone from Connor's past and he wants to know who she is, and why she's being so private."

"That would make a little sense."

"How's that?"

"She showed up about two weeks after Connor was admitted as our patient two years ago, and she spent a lot of time around his room. At first the nurses and I were a little worried by her preferential treatment toward him but she never harmed him, and she never seemed unstable. Tamara was very quiet when she first started volunteering here at the hospital, but after a few weeks she started to speak up and was very generous with her time. She never struck me as anyone who was dangerous, just cautious."

"And I think you're spot on. I just want to figure out who she is and why she's still checking in on Connor from afar, and not speaking to him directly."

"If she is a battered woman then maybe there's some answers waiting for you at a woman's shelter."

"You're probably right, but until I know more about her I don't know where I should-" Hank's brow suddenly arched as if the answer just appeared before his eyes. "Then again, I have a good idea of where I could begin."

"Do you need anything else from me, Lieutenant?"

"Not unless you can tell me where Tamara is right now."

"I'm not certain about her exact address but I think she was staying in an apartment complex downtown on Main Street."

"Thanks, doc." Putting aside his finished off coffee Hank rose from his seat and extended his hand to shake with Dr. Ross before he left. "I'll call you if I have anymore questions."

"Of course, I'm more than happy to help."

* * *

Remaining cooperative as Lucas checked on his healing incision Connor was laying across the exam table with his t-shirt off, and both Lucas and Simon hovering around him. Just as Lucas was interested in learning about human biology Simon was willing to learn a few things for the sake of helping to bridge the gap between humans and androids. Pressing his exposed left palm down over the center of Connor's chest Lucas monitored his brother's vitals while Simon observed with a curious stare.

Lightly Lucas pressed down on Connor's abdomen with his right hand but found nothing of interest. "Aside from the remaining hairline fractures of your costal ribs you have fully healed." The deviant confirmed as he removed his hand and allowed his skin to regenerate over his left palm. "You also have very stable vital signs."

"And I take it you haven't found any additional sign of internal injury or potential infection."

"I have not, but you already knew I wouldn't."

"I haven't been in any pain whatsoever for the past week, and as of this morning I no longer found it necessary to cover the incision under a bandage." Sitting upright on the table Connor reclaimed his t-shirt then slipped on the green over shirt atop of it. "I'm not experiencing any complications, nor limitations in my movements. I feel just fine."

Simon stepped toward Connor, and like Skye, he seemed fascinated by the glasses that Connor now wore. "Might I ask about your eyesight?"

"Astigmatism, nothing severe or limiting. I wear the glasses only when I'm not on duty."

"And your recent splenectomy. What is it like to... well, be missing a piece of yourself?"

"It was a little humbling to be honest, but it's also nothing something I necessarily miss. I will need to be more cautious with my health and my exposure to the cold, but aside from that I can continue to live a normal life without any limitations to my body."

"It's truly fascinating how humans can continue on with their lives without needing to always get a replacement for what was damaged or lost. Any android would've been forced into prolonged stasis mode until an acceptable replacement was made available, and yet here you are."

Connor grinned a little as he slipped off the table and smoothed out the fabric of his t-shirt casually. "Humans aren't necessarily as fragile as androids seem to think. Right, Lucas?"

"I hear you, big brother. I won't be so overprotective in the future."

"Thank you. If, uh, Skye requires any additional assistance with the security program don't hesitate to contact me." Turning away from his brother and his friend to hide his blushing face Connor made sure they knew his time was ready to be volunteered. "I'm more than happy to help."

"Are you returning to the house?"

"Yeah, Hank was out running errands today and I want to get Sumo out for a walk so Hank won't have to worry about it later."

"I'll see you out." With Lucas as his escort Connor returned to the elevator and began his descent back to the ground floor without feeling any worse for wear physically, but something was still weighing on his mind. The weight of his thoughts were so palpable that Lucas quickly took notice of his brother's suddenly somber demeanor. "Speak your mind, Connor. You're obviously distracted."

"Sorry. I don't mean to bother you with my inability to stop thinking."

"It's not a bother. Please, tell me what is on your mind."

Pausing for a moment Connor collected his thoughts and explained his thinking. "Lucas, the deviant surrogate that I had aided survived." As he spoke his soulful brown eyes narrowed a little, and his posture stiffened. "As did the baby she was carrying, correct?"

"Yes. They are both doing fine and are reunited with their family. Why do you ask?"

"Last night Hank and I aided a stranded motorist who was deep into labor, and with the delivery of her baby. Under both circumstances the baby seemed to be a victim of its own existence; the first baby was nearly killed for being carried by an android, and the second could've died when the mother had become stranded without any friends or family to help her." Shaking his head a little the young detective seemed to be at a total loss. "I too nearly died because of what happened to my mother, and she died-"

"Connor." Lucas pressed his right palm against the 'emergency stop' panel and held the elevator car in place just above the ground floor. "If you try to blame yourself for what happened to your mother I have been given express permission by Hank to slap you."

"It just seems so cruel to subject innocent life such cold and heartless conditions. What if because of the way these children were born they too will live a life of cruelty and malice?"

"It seems like you're worried that you too will fall into such a pattern of ill repute."

"Haven't I already?"

"I believe Hank's permission to slap you also extends to you trying to blame yourself for what happened on Jericho while you were a deviant, or anything else you were forced to do while under CyberLife's control."

"I have been repeatedly told and reassured that I'm not at fault," Connor's admission seemed to be plagued by guilt with every syllable. His hands tightened into fists, and relaxed a little as he glanced down at his own palms. "but I still feel as though I have the blood of the innocent fresh on my hands."

"Connor, look." Lucas took hold of Connor's hands and held them up toward the young detective's face. "There's no blood here. Red, or blue."

"...Then why do I feel it?"

"Because you care about the world, and you want to right all the wrongs. It's simply an impossible task for one person," Lucas let go of Connor's hands and made sure his big brother was listening to his words very carefully. "man _or_ machine, to handle. Hank is right. You need to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and learn how to forgive yourself for your past mistakes."

"I don't deserve forgiveness."

"Yes you do." Lucas pressed the panel again and the elevator resumed its descent. "If I can be forgiven; the machine that tried to kill you, Hank, Markus and North with my bare hands in a brutally cold and pointless manner, then you certainly can be forgiven as well."

"...Thank you, Lucas."

The elevator doors parted as the duo reached the ground floor, and the two brothers stepped out together to begin walking through the lobby shoulder to shoulder.

Just as they siblings made it toward the center of the room a voice called out to stop Connor before he left.

"Connor."

The young detective paused mid stride and saw North approaching him quickly. As she walked toward him the other deviants roaming the lobby gave her space to walk, and watched with tense curiosity as the fiery New Jericho leader went to speak with Connor; the former 'Deviant Hunter' and unfairly labeled traitor to all of the deviants, and waited to see what she was going to do.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left."

"North, how can I help you?"

"You don't have to help me with anything." She actually smiled warmly as she stood before Connor and lightly put her hands on his upper arms and held her palms in place gently. "I just wanted to thank you in person."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For saving me from getting shot," she began listing off her reasons almost matter-of-factly, and in such a way that everyone could hear her. "for guiding the refugees back to the city, for reuniting me with my best friend and for saving both Markus and myself from _nine different assassins_ in one afternoon."

"You're my friends, you don't have to thank me for-"

North suddenly stood up on her tip toes and pressed a warm kiss to Connor's right cheek, which silenced Connor immediately. "Shut up and take the 'thank you', alright?"

"...A-Alright."

"See you soon, okay?"

"...Okay."

As North let go of Connor's arms she casually went about her business drawing the curious stares of the confused deviants away from Connor and to herself in the process. No one dared to question her about her behavior, and she didn't care enough to stop and wave them off. Her business was her own and Connor was her friend despite the other deviants' unpopular opinions.

Lucas lightly patted Connor's shoulder and gave him a smug grin. "See? You're the only one holding yourself accountable for actions that were beyond your control."

"...Yeah." Blushing faintly Connor pressed his right fingertips to his right cheek where he could still feel North's warm kiss. "You're right."

* * *

Exhausted and feeling like he spent the whole day crammed up inside a small box from all the driving he had done all day long, Hank wanted to do nothing more than stretch out his aching back and take a hot shower to ease the tension in his neck. As he opened the front door of the house and stepped out of the rain Hank was greeted by the smell of roasted chicken, and he immediately felt better at the prospect of having a home cooked meal, and a family to return to after a long day of running errands.

Sumo was passed out on his pillow in the corner of the livingroom with his green fetch ball beside him, and his paws were still covered in rain and mud from his evening walk. Connor himself was in the kitchen and noticed that Hank had returned home and that he looked exhausted, but the younger detective didn't say anything about it since he didn't even know where Hank had been all day.

"Smells good, kid." The senior detective complimented as he hung up his rainy coat on the hook by the front door, and slipped off his wet shoes. "Another new recipe?"

"Yeah." Connor confirmed as he pulled the meal out of the oven and put it down on the counter to cool a little before serving. The roasted chicken was accompanied by a generous helping of assorted vegetables, that were roasted through as well. "I figured I'd try something new at least once a week until I find enough variety to keep us both on a balanced diet."

"Sure. Ever since you came back home as a human and started keeping healthy food in the house I lost almost ten pounds." Hank noticed that Connor seemed to be in an upbeat mood which was a welcome sight to see. It was rare to see the young man with a more positive demeanor, and it took until now for Hank to truly understand why. "You're feeling better. What gives?"

"I went to New Jericho and spent time with the deviants. A lot of progress is being made at the tower, and it seems like the deviants are finally beginning to feel safe at the tower. Skye, one of the deviants I escorted to New Jericho from the Canadian border, is going to stay in the tower and help with the security programs to help keep our people safe."

"Good to know."

Checking over the meal in the hot cooking dish Connor gave Hank a wary glance. "...Can I ask where you were today?"

"I stopped by the cemetery to see Barbara and Cole." It wasn't a lie. Hank had taken the time to stop and pay his respects to his family after delving so deeply into such a bleak history regarding Connor's past, and it made him feel like speaking to his dearly departed would ease his the pain in his soul. "I forgot how long the drive can be."

"Are you going to be able to go to work tomorrow?"

"I'm tired, not dying."

"Right, sorry."

"Tell me more about New Jericho." The insistence in Hank's voice was as sincere as it was enthusiastic. Picking up one of the roasted carrots Hank popped it into his mouth and smirked. "I need to hear something else good after enduring such an exhausting day."

_**-next chapter-**_


	19. Thankful

Focusing on his glowing terminal screen with a disciplined interest Connor danced his half-dollar coin over the knuckles of his right hand as he finished the final details on his report, and sensed Hank returning to his own desk with two steaming mugs in both of his hands. One mug was of coffee with a bunch of sugar and sweetener for himself, and the other was a mug full of peppermint tea for Connor. Sliding the steaming mug of warm tea toward Connor casually Hank sipped at his own coffee and set about typing up his own report as necessary.

"How ya' doing over there, kid?"

"I'm finishing up my report now." Putting his coin back into his pocket he picked up the mug of warm tea and sipped it slowly. "Thanks."

"Does it taste right? I don't make tea so I have no idea if I made it right."

"It's tastes fine."

"Good. You stick with the tea, and I'll stick with the coffee."

"Is that a means of keeping me from developing a caffeine addiction, or a clever means of stockpiling all the sugar and sweetener for yourself?"

"Who says it's only for one reason?"

Connor arched his brow a little and took another sip of the tea. "Fair enough."

Chris walked over to the two desks with a worried look on his face and motioned to the precinct's front doors with a right thumb over his right shoulder. "Hey, we gotta' problem with a deviant in midtown."

"What's going on?" Hank asked while Connor got up to his feet ready to lend a hand.

"Gavin and Tina found a deviant trying to break into a facility's storage room," Chris explained calmly while remaining on alert. "and now that deviant is brandishing a knife and hiding out in an alleyway. We need someone who can talk to the deviant without accidentally making things worse in the process."

Connor nodded as Hank too got to his feet and pulled the car keys from his coat pocket. "We're on it. What's the address of the facility?"

* * *

The drive to the scene of the call was uneventful as the two detectives made their way to an abandoned house across the street from a local convenience store, and very near the small hotel where Connor and Hank had tracked down Kara just before the Revolution. In a small chainlink fenced off lot behind the rotting house the duo spotted Gavin and Tina on the other side of the fence trying to talk down the deviant in question. Shadows obstructed the suspect's view but based on the body language of the other two officers it was evident the deviant was being hostile and on edge.

"It's just one deviant." Connor stated in a calm voice as he exited the vehicle and approached the fence slowly. Hank was following right after him and he too was moving slowly. "I think I can calm him down enough to take him into custody."

"Custody? What did he do?"

"Aside from an attempted break-in and trespassing on private condemned property, he also assaulted Gavin with a weapon. Most likely a knife."

"What?" The answer just left Hank more confused. "How do you know that?"

Connor paused and motioned discreetly to Gavin standing next to Tina on the other side of the fence. "He is clutching his right forearm with his left palm, and I can see blood staining his left hand from his attempt at stemming the blood flow. The right sleeve of his jacket is slit open just above the laceration."

"Is it bad?"

"The wound isn't bleeding severely. I doubt any major veins or vessels had been struck, but he will need medical attention to prevent infection."

From the shadows on the other side of the fence a male voice shouted out in fear and panic as the two officers continued to confront him. "Leave Ralph alone! Do not hurt Ralph!"

Connor's brow furrowed a little as he heard the comment and peered through the massive cut away portion in the chainlink fence to see a deviant, with a similar model to that of Simon, standing with his back against a cold brick wall and a large hunting knife clutched in his right hand. Ralph, as he seemed to call himself, had massive scars and irreparable damage to the left side of is face, and was seemingly blind in his left eye due to the surrounding damage.

"The deviant is damaged." Whispering to keep things as calm as possible Connor turned to look at Hank standing just behind him. "He is confused and lashing out from fear. Not violence."

"Think you can talk him down?"

"I have to, otherwise he'll self destruct once he's in police custody."

"Do what you gotta' do, kid. You lead, I'll follow"

Pushing aside the cut open fence Connor slipped through, and slowly approached Ralph while Gavin and Tina wisely stayed back. "Hello, Ralph." Connor spoke in a loud enough voice to get Ralph's attention without shouting at him. "My name is Connor. I want to help you."

"Go now!" Ralph ordered as his head ticked slightly to the side in uncontrollable motion as he kept his blood stained knife in his right hand. The weapon was sharp and very dangerous in his unstable hand. "Leave Ralph alone!"

"I'm sorry, Ralph." Remaining in control of the scene Connor kept the situation from escalating. "We can't walk away."

"Ralph wants to be left alone!"

"We know. I can see that you've been hurt," Connor maintained a level voice and put himself between Gavin and Ralph as he took another step forward. "I want to help you."

"Help Ralph by leaving Ralph alone! Humans hurt Ralph!"

"Not _these_ humans."

"Lies!"

"Not lies. Truth." Very slowly Connor reached his right hand under his jacket to retrieve his gun from the holster around his back and just as slowly placed it on the ground by his feet. As he stood up he kept eye contact with Ralph to ensure he wasn't trying to trick him or do anything sneaky. "I don't want to hurt you. Neither do they."

"They tried to take Ralph from Ralph's home!"

"They were trying to get you to leave this building. It may be your home but it's condemned and too dangerous to live inside of."

While Connor held Ralph's attention Hank motioned for Gavin and Tina to follow him back outside of the fence toward the street. The less humans surrounding Ralph the better things would be for the frightened deviant.

"Ralph lives here. Ralph is not afraid of a dangerous building."

"This building is going to be torn down in a few days, Ralph. You'll need to find somewhere else to live."

"There is nowhere else for Ralph to go."

"What about New Jericho?"

"...Ralph is not welcome."

"Why's that, Ralph?"

"Ralph is... different." As he spoke he lowered the knife and he seemed to calm a little. "Ralph is... damaged."

"New Jericho can help you." Taking another step forward Connor kept his voice calm and civil. "Markus can help you."

"Markus? Connor knows Markus?"

"I do. He is my friend. My brother, Lucas, is a very skilled technician who resides at the tower as well. He'll be able to help you, if you want him to."

"Ralph... Ralph has been damaged for a long time. A very long time."

"That doesn't mean you can't be helped." Taking another step forward Connor gently put his left hand on Ralph's right forearm with the intention of taking the knife, but Ralph reacted violently to the contact and swung the knife outward and slashed open the palm of Connor's left hand. Stepping back Connor tightened his palm into a fist to keep himself from bleeding everywhere but he didn't let out any yelp of pain or fear. "...Please." Remaining calm Connor was determined to help Ralph and save him from himself. "I can help you. I want to help you."

"Ralph..." Eyeing the red blood on the blade of his knife Ralph looked at Connor with utter shock. "Ralph hurt you."

"It was an accident, Ralph. It's okay."

"Ralph is... dangerous."

"No, Ralph. You're just confused." Connor held his bleeding left hand protectively to his chest and stood his ground. "And New Jericho will help you. Let me take you there so you can be helped and you can be safe."

"...Connor will help Ralph even after Ralph hurt Connor?"

"Yes. I promise you that I will help you." Boldly Connor took another step forward and used his right hand to once again reach out to Ralph's right forearm and to the knife. Very slowly and calmly Connor slipped the knife from Ralph's hand and placed it down on the lid of a nearby trashcan out of Ralph's range. "Come on. I'll take you to New Jericho right now."

"...Connor will not trick Ralph?"

"No. I won't trick you, Ralph." Connor took a step back and to the side so Ralph could see the fence behind him. "Go through the fence and I'll have you driven to New Jericho Tower right now. I promise."

"Will Connor go with Ralph?"

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"Ralph wants Connor to go with Ralph. Connor is a friend to Ralph."

"Okay. Then I will go with you."

"...Connor goes through the fence first."

"Okay. Follow me." Walking slowly Connor agreed and made his way over to the fence and slipped back through just as easily as he entered. With his right hand he held the fence open and nodded to Ralph to join him. "It's okay, Ralph. No one will harm you."

Moving with the caution of a wounded animal Ralph slipped through the fence and stood beside Connor as he stared at Gavin, Tina and Hank worriedly.

"Follow me to the car, Ralph." Connor continued to walk slowly toward Hank's car with Ralph following close behind him. As Ralph moved away from the fence Tina slipped back through and located Connor's gun and Ralph's knife to take to the precinct for safekeeping. "Sit down in the backseat and we'll drive you to New Jericho in a few minutes."

Ralph looked about curiously as Connor pulled open the passenger side door and rolled the front seat forward so Ralph could slip into the backseat to ride to the tower. Moving with jerky, uncoordinated motions Ralph sat down in the backseat and wrapped his arms around him chest defensively.

"It'll just be a moment, Ralph." Connor informed him sincerely as he pushed the front seat back into place, but kept the passenger door open. "I'm going to call Markus and let him know that you're going to go to the tower, okay?"

"...Ralph is okay."

Connor nodded and pulled his phone out of his suit jacket's right pocket with his right hand, and was true to his word. As he informed Markus of the bizarre situation Tina gave Connor back his gun and he allowed Hank to keep it on his person for a while. Gavin's arm was bleeding from the exterior side of his right forearm down to his elbow courtesy of a single deep slash from Ralph's knife. Tina wrapped a clean white rag around Gavin's arm while Hank made a few calls of his own to explain the situation; specifically how Ralph was going to New Jericho instead of the precinct.

Once Hank hung up the phone he discreetly passed Connor one of the clean rags that had been used to take care of Gavin's arm so Connor could use it to stem the bleeding of his left hand. "Ready to go, kid?"

"Yeah. Markus knows Ralph is coming and he knows that Ralph is just confused, not dangerous. He'll be taken care of properly."

"Alright, then." Hank agreed to get Ralph out to the tower and have the strange case come to an end. It was going to have a length incident report tagged on but it was better that Ralph was given the help he needed and not locked up to be forgotten. "Let's get going."

* * *

The drive to New Jericho Tower was quiet and a little tense. Ralph was still protectively wrapped around himself in the backseat, looking about his surroundings curiously with rapid ticks of his head, while Connor kept the rag tightly wrapped around his bleeding left hand to slow the flow of lost blood. It wasn't a severe of enough cut to damage nerves or tendons, but it would need to be cleaned out and stitched up properly at an emergency room to prevent any infections from setting into the raw wound.

"There's the tower." Connor stated in a low voice as the car turned down the drive leading to Belle Isle out in the harbor. It was still an isolated locale but welcoming to those who needed shelter. "You'll be safe there, Ralph. And you can stay for as long as you want to be there."

"...Ralph will be safe?"

"Yes."

"No humans will bother Ralph?"

"The only humans who go to the tower are myself and Hank." Connor nodded at his partner as he spoke to Ralph in a calm voice. "We have special clearance from Markus himself because we're his friends."

"Ralph likes you humans. You humans are nice to Ralph."

"We're nice to everyone." Connor replied casually as he tried to remain relatively upbeat. "At least we try to be."

"Connor did not hurt Ralph or lie to Ralph. You are helping Ralph. Why?"

"Because I want to help everyone. It's the job I've chosen, same with Hank. We help everyone who needs it, androids and humans alike."

"...Ralph likes that Connor and Hank are helping Ralph. Thank you."

As the car pulled to a gentle stop in front of the tower Connor opened his door and pulled the seat forward so Ralph could get out. Ralph stood in front of Connor and looked up at the tower as Markus himself, along with Simon and Josh, approached Ralph with every intention of helping the damaged and traumatized deviant.

"Hello, Ralph." Markus introduced himself in a gentle voice as the damaged deviant stepped out of the back of the vehicle. "Welcome to New Jericho."

"You are Markus." Ralph looked at Markus's mismatched eyes with his own eyes; one functional and the other damaged. "Markus is friends with Connor and Hank?"

"That's right."

"...Will Markua be friends with Ralph?"

"Absolutely."

Glancing at Connor with a nervous tic of his head Ralph turned back to Markus and nodded. "Ralph would like to stay with Markus in the tower."

"I'm glad to hear it. My friends Simon and Josh," he motioned to the other leaders of New Jericho who had accompanied him outside with a smooth motion of his right hand. "are here to help you too. And they want you to be friends with them, not just with me."

"Ralph has friends now?"

"That's right."

Simon nodded and stared at Ralph's face, what was arguably his own face that had been broken scarred, and did so without fear. "Come with me, Ralph. I'm a technician and so is Connor's brother, Lucas. We will both help you."

Ralph nodded sporadically as he took a slow step forward and was escorted inside the tower through the front door by the three leaders of New Jericho. With the seemingly dangerous deviant now taken to the one place where he could be helped rather than condemned Connor returned to the car and winced as he opened up his left palm and looked down at the formerly white rag saturated in his own red blood.

"Shit, kid." Hank took a good look at the wound in Connor's left palm and grimaced. "How in the fuck did you not yell when he cut you?"

"I don't know. I guess my instincts and training to remain calm overrode my need to acknowledge my pain."

"Gavin is getting stitched up right now at the E.R., and you're going to join him."

"...Yeah." Connor agreed as he replaced the rag around the deep cut and continued to hold pressure against the wound. "This is definitely something that can't be fixed with a simple band-aid."

* * *

While Connor sat in the treatment room getting his left hand tended to Hank casually walked the corridor of the hospital to join the doctors in their lounge, and got a mug of warm coffee. It wasn't uncommon to see police officers, firefighters or paramedics taking a moment to relax in the lounge after a call, and it was always a welcome sight to see the first responders taking a moment to relax in the company of their peers. The lounge offered a much sense of camaraderie during the most stressful of times.

As a small group of nurses walked into the lounge for their own break Hank peered through the door as it slid open, and caught sight of a brunette woman walking about with a bright smile on her face. A woman who looked oddly familiar. "...No way."

Putting aside his mug Hank discreetly peered out through the door and saw the woman heading into the waiting room and watched as she sat down next to an elderly couple as they waited to be seen by a doctor. She was speaking to them in a kind, reassuring tone that he could see just from her body language; without a doubt trying to bring comfort to the couple as one was about to be admitted for care.

"Excuse me." Hank addressed the nurses in the lounge behind him, and caught the attention of a young man stirring a mug of his own coffee. "Do you know that woman?"

"Who?" The blond nurse asked as he looked in Hank's general direction. As Hank pointed to the woman in question the nurse's eyes lit up and he recognized her right away. "You mean Tamara?"

"Is her full name Tamara Vondila?"

"Yeah, that's her. She started working here as a volunteer about three months ago. She's a very sweet woman and treats the interns like her kids. I love it when she's here during my shifts."

"Did she transfer here from Grand Rapids?"

"I think so. Do you know her?"

"She looks damn familiar, that's for damn sure."

"I guess you can't stop being a detective even when you're on a coffee break, huh?"

"Something like that. Thanks." As he took his leave of the lounge Hank watched the woman from the distance without really approaching her, although he wanted to sit her down and ask her some very choice questions. "...Why are you here?" He whispered to himself as he watched her curiously. "And what is your connection to Connor?"

"Lieutenant Anderson?" Another nurse addressed him in a sweet voice as she approached him from behind. She was as young as the other nurse, and had long raven black hair pulled up into a ponytail. "Your partner is waiting for you by the receptionist desk."

"Oh, thanks." Watching the enigmatic woman as he walked over to the desk where Connor was standing, the younger detective's left hand wrapped up under heavy white bandages, Hank addressed his partner with a casual tone. "Ready to go, son?"

"Yeah." Connor confirmed as he showed Hank the small prescription bottle in his good hand. "I got some new antibiotics to take for a week, but only if my hand starts to show any sign of infection."

"They're giving your antibiotics over a few stitches?"

"Twelve stitches to be exact. And thanks to my compromised immune system from being a preemie and now having a splenectomy, it's merely a precautionary measure. I can't really blame them for taking this extra step, but I still don't like it."

"Did you happen to see Gavin anywhere?"

"I think Tina already took him back to the precinct to file their report."

"Cool. Come on then." Patting Connor's right shoulder lightly Hank motioned to the front doors of the hospital casually to take their leave. A light snow was beginning to fall from the sky in thick white flakes as autumn steadily turned to winter. "Let's get back there before Gavin bitches about having to file the report all alone."

"Right." Connor extended the fingers on his left hand slowly to test how numb his palm still was after being stitched up when he noticed that there was a somewhat distant stare in Hank's blue eyes. "You okay?"

"Huh?"

"You're staring off into space. When I do that I'm thinking, which you hate, and when you do that you usually feel guilty about something, which _I_ hate."

"Sorry, kid." Always sharp and quick on his feet Hank gave a believable answer to deflect the truth. He just wasn't ready to tell Connor what he had found when he started digging through the younger detective's past. "I was just thinking about how that Ralph guy would've been gunned down without a second thought if he had been forced to leave the building _before_ the Revolution. He never would've gotten help and would've just been scrapped out."

"Ralph is safe now, and he's getting the help he needs." Connor responded with a rather optimistic tone of voice. "That's all that matters in the end, right?"

"Yeah, son. You're right." Passing through the waiting room Hank watched the woman from the corner of his eye, Connor completely unaware of her presence, as they made their way back outside of the hospital to the car in the parking lot. "In the end being safe and protected is all that matters. And right now we get to go home and enjoy tomorrow off. Thanksgiving."

"Oh, I forgot." Connor admitted as he and Hank reached the car together. "How do you want to go about celebrating it?"

"Wait, seriously? You don't know how- Oh. Right..." Hank suddenly felt embarrassed as he and Connor sat down in the car and prepared to head home. "I'm sorry son, I forgot you never got to experience that as a kid."

"Don't be sorry, Hank. It doesn't bother me."

"It doesn't?"

"No." It took a little extra effort but Connor was able to successfully fasten his seatbelt despite his left hand being wounded. "The fact that you look at me and see a normal well adjusted person and not a victim of child abuse does wonders for my psyche."

"I hate to break it to ya' kid, but you're_ far_ from normal."

"That's fine. Normalcy is overrated anyway."

"Smartass." Always happy to hear Connor's sarcastic tone of voice Hank pulled the car out onto the street and made their way to the precinct so they could file their report and then head on home. "Alright, I'll fill you in real quick and show you the proper way to cook a large meal without burning it, under-cooking it or accidentally giving yourself food poisoning in the process."

"A large meal? We don't cook large meal portions since it's just the two of us. Why does it have to be large?"

"Well, it's sort of a tradition that Barb and I started when we started to get serious while dating, and we kept it going after we were married. We make as much food as we can, and what we don't eat we take to various shelters to donate to people in need."

"That seems like a very generous way to spend the holiday."

"Yup. It costs a little extra, but hey, we're helping people in need and we actually get to enjoy a holiday off. Why not pay the kindness forward?"

"I like that idea." Connor smirked at the prospect of helping other people while having a well deserved day off. The pain in his palm was completely forgotten about, and the dreary evening seemed less dreary. "I'm looking forward to it."

_**-next chapter-**_


	20. Cold Reception

A horrible winter chill was already settling over the city in a relentless blanket of ice, snow and wind. Enduring the harsh chill in the air with a thicker leather jacket over top his gray suit jacket Connor kept the garment zipped up to his chin, while Hank relied on his usual heavy black woolen coat to stave off the cold. It didn't take long for either detective to get annoyed by the rapidly brisk weather, and even less time to get annoyed by the reckless drivers speeding through the icy streets, and narrowly missing other vehicles and pedestrians on the sidewalk.

"Fuckin' hell." Hank swore as he shook the snow from his shoulders and his long locks of gray hair as he and Connor crossed through the receptionist area of the precinct to get through the bullpen, and over to their desks. "It's only just December. Why the fuck did winter hit us all at once?"

"According to the weather reports the snow is going to continue for the next four consecutive days."

"Shit. We better stock up on a few supplies after our shift. You need to be very careful right about now, with everything you've been through this year I can see a nasty bout of flu trying to take ya' down this winter."

"I agree." Dusting the snow from his own shoulders and hair Connor mentally chronicled their current groceries at the house. "We donated a large portion of our leftovers to the shelters in the city and need to restock in order to endure this impending winter." Connor unzipped his leather jacket and draped it over the back of his chair to warm up and dry off. Flexing his left hand a few times Connor was relieved to have his hand fully healed after getting his palm sliced open two weeks back after encountering Ralph in the alleyway. "I'll get us something warm from the breakroom to stave off the cold."

"You're a good kid," Hank called out to the younger detective as Connor disappeared into the breakroom. "don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

For the first time in four years Hank didn't mind sitting behind his desk all morning long to deal with paperwork since it meant he could stay inside the warm precinct, and keep out of the cold. Sipping at his provided warm coffee and finishing off the last of the doughnut that Connor had given him, Hank completed the last of his reports and watched as Connor anxiously sipped at his peppermint tea across from him.

"I'm just glad we still have some leftovers at home." Hank commented as he felt his body beginning to steadily warm up. "I'm not in the mood to keep cooking."

"Considering the size of the meal you already prepared I won't be in the mood to cook for a week."

"Uh-huh, what about after we finish off the leftovers?"

"I don't feel like I could eat for a full month."

Despite Connor's jovial attitude Hank knew that something was weighing heavily on Connor's mind. "You okay, kid? You seem a little on edge."

"It's just..." It felt like a silly complaint but Connor wanted to be honest with Hank. It's the least he could do. "...I dislike winter."

"So do I. And I get the feeling our reasons, though different, are equally justified."

"You could say that." Turning to look at the front of the precinct where other officers were walking in and covered in snow from head to toe Connor let out a weary sigh. Everyone looked cold, miserable and ready to hide away from the cold for as long as it took for spring to return. "...It's very unpleasant."

"Something you want to talk about?"

For a moment Connor's soulful brown eyes seemed to glaze over as he hesitatingly told Hank why he was so preoccupied. "...It's just the cold temperature and the snow and the ice... It made me remember all the horrible freezing cold nights I endured as a child. I had only a thin blanket and every piece of torn-up ragged pieces of clothing to keep me warm all day and night." Picking up his mug of tea Connor shook his head a little and took another sip as he stared at his own terminal screen. "It makes me really appreciate having decent clothes, a warm bed, a warm house... And to have a father who gives a damn about me."

Hank hated seeing Connor getting lost in his old dreary memories. It reminded him of himself and how he couldn't stop comparing each and every miserable winter day to the day he had lost Cole. The pattern of dark thoughts needed to stop, and it needed to stop soon. "...December just got here and soon people will be out Christmas shopping and decorating." The senior detective changed the subject smoothly. "What do you want do before it gets crazy?"

Furrowing his brow a little Connor looked up at Hank curiously. "...Pardon?"

"Well, we didn't do anything last year because the Revolution had just happened and we weren't as close yet, so we should do something to celebrate the holiday this year. Make it really special."

"...I, uh, I don't know how. You know, aside from a few mandatory holiday pageants from when I was in school as a child I never celebrated Christmas before."

"Ah, son..." The admission ached at Hank's heart and he felt horrible for bringing up such a sad subject. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting about that."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

"Or yours. Come on, kid. Let me show you how to celebrate Christmastime." Doing his best to keep the dark memories away and to try to lift Connor's spirits Hank tried to get Connor somewhat excited for the impending holiday. "Sure, it's been a while since I personally celebrated but I still remember how."

"That's good since I don't know. I've never really been a party-person, or one to really make a big deal out celebratory events." Shrugging his shoulders a little Connor sighed and picked up his tea again. "I think I'm too introverted for that."

"Come on, kid. Humor me. Let's at least_ try_ to have one normal Christmas as a family."

"...Okay, Hank." Connor looked up at Hank and gave him a gracious, albeit reluctant, stare. "I'll celebrate Christmas with you."

"Good. Because I sure as Hell aren't going to deal with holiday madness by myself. You and Lucas are going to deal with it, too."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we can survive Christmas together."

Captain Fowler suddenly emerged from his private office and motioned to the large television screens mounted on the far walls of the bullpen. "Look alive people, we got some shoplifters and looters starting early this year."

Connor and Hank both glanced up at the television mounted on the wall behind Connor's desk over the doorway to the breakroom, and stared at the images with a fixed gaze. There was a breaking news report regarding a mass of people destroying the front windows of numerous stores all through the shopping district and the plaza. As the mass of people converged on the damaged stores to take everything they could dozens of police drones circled the plaza, and perform facial recognition scans that uploaded data directly to every terminal in the bullpen.

"Hank, numerous deviants have been assaulted or witnessed assaults in progress." Connor confirmed as he turned back to his terminal screens and checked over the reports that just popped up. "We should go check out the plaza once S.W.A.T. arrives, and gets everything under control."

"Yeah, you're right." Downing the last of his coffee Hank let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair. "This is going to be a fun day..."

* * *

Thanks to the congested, icy slick roads it took Hank almost thirty minutes to make the eight minute drive to the shopping district to provide aid to the victims of the mass looting, and panicked violence. The large black S.W.A.T. vans were being used to wrangle shoplifters who had been arrested and taken into custody, while other officers from neighboring precincts proceeded to help arrest the vandals who were trying to capitalize on the carnage and confusion. The red and blue flashing lights of the surrounding police drones filled the air with an oddly rhythmic display of lights that glowed brightly over the freshly fallen white snow, and showcased the broken window displays in a contrastingly grim manner.

"Fuck. You'd think we'd make it at least until noon before all Hell broke loose." Hank grumbled as he threw off his seatbelt and then threw open his door. Stepping out into the snow and wind he grumbled again and pulled his coat tighter around his chest, his throat and over his ears. "Let's get this over with."

Zipping up his leather jacket Connor mirrored Hank's movements and proceeded to make his way through the crowd of people who were either victims of assault, or the witnesses staying behind. Honing in on a deviant who was sitting with a little old lady on the curb Connor recognized him as Barry from Abby's clinic. "Barry. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Connor, it's good to see you." The always jovial deviant greeted the detective as he stayed beside the old woman. "There was a group of young men who began breaking the windows of the stores and stealing everything they could pick up. Helen here was pushed down and I have been sitting with her ever since. I will stay with her until her grandson can come pick her up."

"Did you speak with the police?"

"Oh yes. We gave the officers every detail we could remember."

"That's good." Connor knelt in front of the old woman and gently pressed his right fingertipss to the inside of her left wrist to count her pulse. She was shaking and scared, but otherwise uninjured. "Are you in any pain ma'am?"

"No, I took a fall but I'm alright, honey. This nice young man has been keeping me company."

"Do you require anything?"

"No, dear. Go help the others. I'll be fine until my grandson can give me a ride back home."

Connor nodded and stood up as he looked about the crowd for the next person to speak with.

"Connor," Barry grabbed onto Connor's left arm and held him in place for a moment. "there is a group of people who had suffered minor injuries during the commotion. They are all seated over there," he pointed to the stone fountain near the center of the plaza. "and may need your help. I have been monitoring them from afar but I don't know much about human anatomy so I can't help them."

"Thanks for the information, Barry. I'll handle it."

Walking to the fountain Connor saw a small group of people huddled down on the edge of the stone fountain trying to figure out what had just happened to them. It was a group of six humans and three deviants who were all bleeding and in need of minor medical and technical attention. Various cuts and bruises of both blue and red blood marked the group, but thankfully no one was in critical condition.

The worst injured of the group was a middle aged woman who had suffered a harsh blow to the right side of her face that resulted in a severely swollen black eye, and a deep bleeding gash along her cheek. She was shaken and shivering where she sat, but she was conscious and able to support herself upright as she sat beside the fountain.

"Hello, my name is Sergeant Connor Wolf." Connor introduced himself as he showed his badge to the gathered group, and spoke in a calm voice. "Has everyone here spoken with an officer, or in any need of medical attention?"

The group answered in a somber collective 'no', and continued to nurse their small wounds as they waited for their nerves to settle.

"I'm also a paramedic." Connor continued on as he visually assessed the group. "I can help you."

One of the deviants motioned to the middle aged woman with the swollen right eye and spoke up on her behalf. "She was knocked unconscious for four minutes and nineteen seconds." The deviant's model was similar to that of North but she had short blonde hair and blue eyes. "She had been trying to help people get away from the fighting when she was struck and rendered unconscious."

Furrowing his brow a little at the woman Connor knelt down in front of her, ignoring the icy cold snow soaking into his jeans, and lightly put his right fingertips to the inside of her left wrist just as he hand done with the old lady a few moments before. "Ma'am? Can you hear me?"

"...F-Fine." She muttered as she tried to get up, only to stumble on her feet. Connor shot up and managed to catch her by her elbows and support her weight before she fell over entirely, and potentially injured herself further. "I'm fine."

"You're concussed." Connor confirmed as he looked at her good left eye and could see her pupil was slightly dilated. As she swayed on her feet Connor kept his hands on her arms to prevent her from falling down to the cold hard sidewalk. "You require medical attention."

"I'm okay. I can... I..." The woman trailed off as she lost consciousness and Connor supported her entire body in his arms as he gently guided her down to the ground, and held her in a sitting position against his chest.

Somewhat clumsily Connor managed to unzip his leather jacket and slip off the garment so he could drape it around the woman's shoulders to help keep her warm. The cold bit into his skin through his thin gray suit jacket beneath without the protective leather layer over top of him, but in that moment Connor was more concerned for the woman's health than his own.

"I'm going to carry her to an ambulance." Connor volunteered as he slipped his left arm under the woman's knees as he kept his right arm wrapped around her upper back. Scooping her up from the ground Connor held her against his chest and carried her away from the center of the plaza and toward the street to get her the medical attention she needed. "Don't worry ma'am, I will get you help."

Carrying her from the plaza toward the street Connor looked for an ambulance but none were at the scene just yet. Shaking his head he thought about hailing an autonomous taxi, but if an ambulance couldn't get through the streets at the moment then there was no way a taxi would make it. Choosing instead to walk Connor carried the woman the four blocks to the nearest hospital and did his best to steel himself against the relentless swirling cold all around him.

"Please remain conscious if you are able." Connor addressed the woman in his arms as he felt her head rest against his right shoulder. Something about her presence was as calming as it was familiar. "This won't be a pleasant walk but it is necessary. If you can hear me then please believe me when I say I will help you."

* * *

After sorting through the mess of the destroyed shopping plaza Hank repeated Connor's actions, and checked in with the deviant and human victims to get statements and details regarding the chaos. As he finished speaking with the victims Hank suddenly noticed that Connor wasn't anywhere to be seen among the crowd. Pulling his phone from his coat's right pocket he sent a text to the absent detective asking about his current location, and shortly thereafter received his response.

'_I directly took a victim to the hospital. She suffered a severe blow to the head and couldn't wait for an ambulance to arrive_. _I will get her statement and reconvene with you later_.'

"Lucky bastard." Pocketing his phone Hank pulled the collar of his coat up a little higher to try to shield his throat and ears as much as possible while he continued to sort out the mess that littered the entire plaza. "He's in a nice warm hospital surrounded by pretty nurses, and I stuck out here in the damn cold."

Shards of glass, destroyed decorative wreaths, smashed boxes and torn up bits of paper were scattered all over the plaza and lost in the snow. As the police officers and S.W.A.T. team cleared everyone away and guided the ambulances toward the plaza Hank decided to finish taking the necessary statements and head out to the hospital to meet up with Connor as he stepped over the carnage, and made sure everyone who needed to be tended to got attention.

"Lieutenant?" Chris approached Hank quickly and seemed a little distressed as he passed through the plaza to address the senior detective in person. "We found a body."

"Ah, shit." Sounding entirely exhausted and disappointed Hank acknowledged Chris and sought more answers. "Where?"

"Over here." Motioning toward an alleyway leading away from the plaza Chris directed Hank toward the location of the body. Another officer was already checking over the scene, and setting up the holographic barricades to keep people away. "Looks like it was one of the guy who started the looting."

"Alright. Let's get this over with." Slipping his chilly hands into his pockets he followed after Chris, and protested bitterly under his breath. "Freezing my ass off over some dumb prick trying to steal pieces of junk. Just great."

* * *

Marching through the snow and into the plowed hospital parking lot Connor carried the woman into the hospital through the front doors, and proceeded to address the registered nurse behind the front desk in the receptionist area. As he walked through the waiting room he could feel his body trembling from the cold snow and ice that had melted through his clothing, and over top of his dark hair. A faint trail of melted snow accompanied Connor's every footstep as he brought the woman to safety.

The registered nurse behind the desk saw the woman in Connor's arms and reacted quickly. "Oh, no." Moving around the desk she checked on the woman and asked Connor where he had found her. "Was she in the plaza?"

"Yes. She lost consciousness about ten minutes ago. I had no choice but to carry her due to the congested streets."

Waving at a nearby orderly the head nurse asked for assistance. "Need a gurney over here." Returning her focus to Connor the nurse pressed her right fingertips to the left side of the woman's neck to check her pulse, and a gurney was promptly wheeled over. "Lay her down."

"I still need to get her statement."

"Cop?"

"Detective." As Connor placed the woman down over the soft surface of the gurney Connor retrieved his badge from his back pocket, and showed it to the nurse. "Sergeant Connor Wolf."

"Alright. Go wait in the doctor's lounge and try to warm up. As soon as she's awake I'll find you."

Connor nodded and shrugged off his soaked through gray suit jacket as he ran his right hand through his damp hair. While the woman was wheeled into a nearby exam room to be seen by a doctor Connor felt that odd sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite place as he caught the woman's profile in the brighter lights shining down from overhead.

Retreating to the sanctuary of the doctor's lounge Connor eagerly sat down at the small table in the middle of the room and rubbed his hands up and down his arms to try to stave off the cold and warm his limbs back up. Retrieving his phone from gray jacket's pocket Connor messaged Hank to let him know which hospital he was at, and that he'd meet up with him later.

As a return text came through explaining that Hank was now investigating a death at the plaza Connor's mouth twitched a little as he realized he'd have plenty of time to speak to the woman he brought to the hospital. It was better to speak to a live victim than trying to figure out the final moments of a deceased victim's life.

"Damn." Placing the phone down on the table until his jacket dried out Connor sighed and focused on warming back up. "Hopefully that's the only death that's the result of the looting. What a shameful waste of life."

* * *

It didn't take long for Hank to figure out what happened to victim in the alleyway, and prove that the victim was one of the people who had instigated the chaos. Not only did the man have glass in his right knuckles from breaking windows, but he had several thousand dollars in stolen jewelry and phones stuffed into his pockets. The cause of his death was undoubtedly the stab wound in his back courtesy of the massive icicle that had broken free of the nearby roof ledge, and penetrated his back just below his left shoulder blade.

Hank took a step back from the edge of the roof where the ice had broken free, and sighed with irritation as he looked upward. A massive cloud of his breath disappeared before his blues eyes as he concluded the cause of death, and ruled it accidental.

"Karma really is a bitch." The icicle had broken free of the roof of a building that had been looted. The violent shaking of the building courtesy of the windows and doors being broken open had loosened the icicle enough to cause it to fall, and did so just as the man began to flee from the plaza down the alleyway as soon as the police were called. "You fuck with the building and the building will fuck with you."

"I thought that only happened in the movies." Chris stated as he stared at the body with a skeptical glance, then looked back up at the roof where the icicle had fallen. "This type of stuff reminds me of urban legends I was told about as a kid."

"Nope. Icicles are pretty effective projectiles and weapons."

"Guess I'm going to be breaking down icicles from over my door when I get home."

"Good idea." Hank pulled his phone from his pocket again and sent another text to Connor. "I'm heading out to the hospital to pick up Connor and get the final statement from our last victim. See ya' later, Chris."

"Right. Keep warm."

Trudging his way through the cold sidewalks and street back to the car Hank turned over the engine and cranked up the heat as high as it could go as he made his way over to the hospital to reunite with Connor. Unsurprisingly the streets were still congested with heavy traffic and dangerous conditions thanks to the nonstop snow trying to bury the city alive. It was a struggle to drive through but Hank wasn't deterred by the poor weather conditions.

Staring through the windshield toward the sluggishly slow traffic ahead of him Hank rubbed his left hand over his forehead and began searching for some music on his radio with his right hand. What channels normally played his favorite songs were now bombarded with reports on the impending blizzard, high winds, icy temperatures and the continued snowfall.

Turning the radio back off Hank sighed and waited for traffic to begin moving forward again.

"Winter sucks."

* * *

It took almost an hour of waiting but Connor was finally shown to the victim's private recovery room so he could get her statement, and get a few more answers regarding the incident at the plaza. Following the head nurse as instructed Connor was warned that the woman had suffered a mild concussion and had passed out due to a sudden drop in blood pressure thanks to the cold, but she was conscious. She also made sure to let Connor know she was on mild painkillers to ease the discomfort from her orbital fracture, and was a little loopy from the concussion and medication.

"I understand." Acknowledging the nurse's warnings Connor prepared his impending questions. "Did you get the her name?"

"Yes. Right here, she works here from time to time." Passing Connor a small electronic pad Connor took his own pad from his pocket and wrote down the name quickly before entering the private recovery room. "Anything else I can help you with, detective?"

"Not at the moment, thank you."

Memorizing the woman's name Connor stepped inside the room and stood beside her bed to speak with her. The woman in question was laying on her back with her head turned away from Connor, and had a massive bandage over her injured right eye to keep it clean and covered. Upon being admitted the woman's warm winter clothing had been removed revealing her brunette hair that had been tucked neatly under her purple woolen cap, and was now messily hanging down over her shoulders in long locks.

"Excuse me?" Connor spoke up softly to address the woman without startling her awake. "Tamara?"

The woman heard Connor's voice and she slowly turned to face him, her good left eye locking onto his. She hard dark brown eyes and a gentle smile on her face as her demeanor brightened upon seeing Connor standing beside her bed. "...Hi."

"Hello. My name is-"

"I know your name, Connor." She sat upright a little on the bed and pointed to his leather jacket resting on the chair near the wall. "You gave me your coat. That was very sweet of you to do."

"You were injured and cold. I was merely trying to make you feel more comfortable."

"You also carried me here. I remember that. It's a little blurry but I remember."

"It was more efficient than waiting for an ambulance."

"You're sweet all the same."

"...Can I ask you about-"

Tamara's eyes were glassy from her head injury and the painkillers, but she still sounded alert. "You look so handsome."

Connor felt himself beginning to blush at the comment. Dismissing her remark as a result of the concussion or the painkillers he remained professional, and tried to get her statement. "When you were at the plaza did you see who started the looting?"

"...No." Her warm smile never left her face. "I was in the toy store a few doors down trying to pick up a few things for the children's ward. They didn't go to the toy store when everything happened."

"Did you see anyone performing the looting at all?"

"No. All I heard was screaming and glass breaking." Tamara's left eye blinked slowly as she studied Connor's face with a genuine interest. "I tried to stop someone from getting stomped on during the panic, and I took an elbow to the face."

"I can see that."

"I must've been pushed down and hit my head after that, because the next thing I remember was sitting down by the fountain in the middle of the plaza with a few other injured people."

"That would line up with the other witness statements, and with your recorded injuries, Tamara."

Smiling with a drug induced joy the woman spoke to Connor with a jovial lilt to her voice. "Connor, I'm glad you're here with me."

Feeling a tad uncomfortable Connor changed his line of questioning away from the incident at the plaza, and toward himself. "May I ask why? You seem to be very comfortable around me despite us only having just met. I doubt the painkillers are resulting in this type of trust."

"Because we've met before, silly. Connor's such a great name." Tamara stated almost drunkenly as she combed her left fingers through her somewhat messy locks of dark hair. "Much better than Anthony. I'm glad your first name is Connor and not Anthony."

"How do you-" How Tamara knew his first and middle name was extremely confusing for the young detective. He hadn't introduced himself by his full name, and even if the nurse told Tamara his name there's no way she would've know his middle name. "...When did I tell you my middle name?"

"You don't remember me at all?"

"You seem familiar but I cannot place when we could've met, or where we could've met in the past."

"Try... The spring of 2019 in Novi."

"In... Novi. I was four years old." Connor studied Tamara's face for a moment before he felt the urge to go for his coin in his right jean pocket. As he pulled out the coveted half-dollar coin he held it in a tight grip at his side and kept his gaze fixed on her as his previous desire to get her statement was suddenly gone entirely. "...Were you the 'nice lady' who showed me kindness as a child?"

"Yes." A tear formed in Tamara's left eye as she looked at the young detective with a pleading gaze, then motioned to his right hand. "And I'm the one who gave you that coin."

Connor felt himself pale as he looked down at the coin in his hand and then back to Tamara. "...You gave this to me the first time you spoke to me at the park. It was a gift. The only gift I had ever been given as a child. That's why I kept it..."

"That's right. You _do_ remember that day. I'm so glad..."

The comment made his blood run cold. "...Why?"

"Well, it's-"

"You're the one who left the card at the precinct, and then visited me when I was at the hospital."

"Yes." Tamara answered honestly and without any hesitation. "That was me."

"Why didn't you tell me who you were, or how you knew me?" Connor pocketed the coin and focused on getting more answers. Too many questions were clouding his mind and they needed to be answered. "Why did you remain so secretive? Why did you sign in at the hospital under an alias; 'Alana Rosamond'?"

"It's... very complicated."

"I'm a detective." He rebutted with a firm tone of frustration. Everything seemed to be coming together all around him as the answers to his past remained just out of his reach. "Please just tell me the truth. Who are you, and why are you watching me? Are you... I thought your name was 'Alana Rosamond'. Who are you really?"

"I go by the name 'Alana' sometimes. I needed to change my identity for a while, and now I got by 'Tamara'."

"Tell me who you are! Are you really the woman who took care of me as a child back in Novi?"

"Yes. That was me. I watched you grow up from afar, and would visit you when I could. I made special trips out to the grocery store where you worked as a teenager just so I could see you. Your right arm had been so horribly broken and I needed to make sure you were okay."

"...Are you stalking me?" Connor was beginning to panic and could feel himself getting hot with anger. "Exactly who am I to you? Why did you follow me from Novi and keep watching me from the shadows?"

"Connor... I'm..." It was evident that Tamara was trying not to cry as she stared at the young detective questioning her, demanding the truth and simply wanting some answers to his past. She wanted to talk but fear was holding her back "I want to tell you, but I-"

"Please." Connor sounded like he was ready to break down, and either cry or scream. The emotional turmoil was proving itself to be too much of a force to be restrained by Connor alone. "Just tell me the truth. Who are you? Who are you _really_?! I need to know the truth!" On the verge of tears Connor gave the woman a pleading look from where he stood. "I _deserve_ to know the truth."

"Connor." Tamara reached out her left hand slowly and took his right hand in her own to hold gently. "...I'm your mother."

_**-next chapter-**_


	21. Buried Secrets

Awestruck. Confused. Angry.

Connor wasn't sure what he was feeling, what he was supposed to be feeling, or what he wanted to feel in that moment.

Pulling his shaking right hand away from Tamara's grip Connor took a step back from the woman who claimed to be his mother, and stared at her with cold wide eyes of utter disbelief. Throughout his entire life Connor had been told that his mother was dead, and that he himself were to blame for her death. Connor had no real family growing up beyond his abusive alcoholic father, and only felt as though he had a real family after he met Hank and was taken in by the gruff detective harboring a heart of gold.

It just couldn't possibly be true.

She was not his mother. His mother is dead.

This _woman_ was _not_ his mother.

What she had said was either a lie, or a cruel and heartless joke.

"...No." Was all Connor could say in that moment as he stared at Tamara with a sense of pain and anger welling up in his eyes.

What else could he say?

What could anyone possibly say in a moment like this?

Leaving the hospital room quickly as if trying to keep the emotional time bomb in his chest from exploding Connor said nothing more as he fled from the woman's sight, and ducked down a quiet dark corridor of the hospital. Wrapping both of his hands over the back of his head he pressed his warm forehead against the cool surface of the gray wall, and leaned forward as if trying to curl around himself to huddle up and disappear from the world.

"...No." His repeated whisper was audible only to himself. A crushing dark weight settled into his heart making it hurt with every beat. "...She's lying."

* * *

Finally arriving at the hospital Hank parked the car out in the front parking lot and sent Connor a text to let him know he was heading inside. As he did Hank passed through the warm waiting room and he shook off the snow that readily collected on his shoulders and hair, and asked about the location of his partner at the receptionist desk. After a quick exchange between himself and the head nurse Hank went in search of Connor first at the doctor's lounge, and then near the patient's room where Connor had been taking the woman's statement after being assaulted in the plaza.

"Connor?" Hank didn't see his missing partner anywhere and looked about the area confusedly. Checking his phone Hank saw he didn't get a reply text from the younger detective, and resumed searching for his adopted son. "Hey Connor, where are you?"

As he wandered the area in search of Connor or anyone who could tell him where the younger detective could have gone Hank passed by the corridor, glanced down into the dimly lit hallway and finally spotted Connor leaning up against the wall. The younger man was visibly shaking, sickly pale and he was as silent as death itself.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Approaching Connor slowly Hank hovered his right hand over Connor's left shoulder for a moment before pressing his palm down to ground his trembling adopted son. "Son? What happened?" Studying his face closely Hank's every paternal instinct was screaming at him to figure out what the hell was bothering Connor. "You look freaked out. Talk to me."

There was a heavy pause before Connor finally spoke up in a shallow whisper. "...That woman."

"What woman? The one you brought over from the plaza?"

"She..." Turning his head slowly Connor stood upright, his hands still behind his head as he moved, and he looked at Hank with a frightened stare. "She said she knew me."

"She _knows_ you? How?"

"...From when I lived in Novi."

Hank still didn't understand why Connor was so upset and on edge. "She came from Novi like you. Are you saying she's someone from your past?"

"Hank," Connor's soulful brown eyes were watering a little as if losing the battle to restrain his emotions. "she said..." It was almost too incredible to admit but he had to say it. "She said she's... my mother."

"Your... _mother_?" Now it was Hank's eyes that were wide and full of confusion. "What the hell do you mean she said she's your mother?!"

"...She knew me, Hank. She knew my middle name, and she knew I kept the half-dollar coin in my pocket."

"_What woman_? Where is she?"

"The woman from the plaza. She is the one that I identified as 'Alana Rosamond'. The woman I aided in the plaza is also the woman you had labeled as my 'admirer', and she said she's... It's not possible!"

At the sound of the confirmed alias Hank's heart sunk like a stone in a pond. The last thing he was expecting was for Connor to have rescued the woman, Tamara, that he had been looking into in private during his searches at night. "...Start from the beginning, son. Who were you talking to, and why?"

"Alana was the woman I helped at the plaza. I brought her here for treatment and when I started to take her statement she said she knew me and..." Bowing his head down he took in shallow shuddering breaths that were making him sweat, and he looked like he was going to pass out. He was on the verge of a panic attack. "...And it's not possible! It can't be!"

"Hold it, take in a deep breath." Hank dropped his hand as Connor took a step back from him and began to pace the corridor anxiously. "You spoke to the woman who sent you the card at the precinct and hospital, right?"

Connor nodded frantically as he continued to pace to confirm the facts.

"And you know for sure it's HER, right?" Hank needed to get the facts solidified almost as badly as Connor did. "Not someone who looks like her or-"

"It's her, Hank. She confirmed that 'Alana' was an alias."

"What else?" He pressed somewhat urgently as he addressed his partner and adopted son. "Connor, what did she tell you?"

"She told me that she knew me, that she was the 'nice lady' from Novi," his hands dropped from his head and hung in tight fists at his sides as he continued to pace. "and that she was my_ mother_. I don't understand. If she's my mother and she was there when I was a child why didn't she take me away from my abusive father? Why did she let me suffer?!"

"Whoa, take a breath!" The senior detective resisted putting his hand back on Connor's shoulder to make him stand still. "You need to chill for a second."

"How can I?! Someone just told me that she's my own mother! It's like having someone come back from the dead!" Connor was getting more and more distressed as he paced and thought about how his already radically changed life was continuing to change even further. "What does she want with me, Hank? Why is she here? What could I possibly-"

"Take it easy, kid." Hank tried to comfort his worried adopted son as best as he could in that moment. "I know you're freaked out and things seem crazy, but Tamara isn't trying to hurt you."

Connor suddenly stopped pacing and his voice took on a low growl of misplaced anger. "...How did you know the name she told me was 'Tamara'?"

"Huh? What?"

"I found out her name was 'Alana Rosamond' and that it was an alias." The younger detective boldly stated as he looked to his partner. "How did you know she gave me a _different name_ when I took her statement? I never said it."

"Connor," Hank realized he had just messed up with letting the name slip. There was no going back now. "listen to me, I-"

"You already _knew_ about her." Connor stared at Hank with a burning resentment in his otherwise soulful brown eyes. "...And you didn't tell me."

"Connor, I wanted a few more-"

"Why didn't you tell me you were looking into this? This is my LIFE we're talking about!"

"Son, I-"

"Don't!" Connor almost shouted in angry protest as he cut Hank off mid sentence. "Don't call me that. You don't get to do this to me and still try to call me 'son'. Families aren't supposed to keep secrets like this, or snoop around behind someone's back like that. Ever."

"...You're right. I fucked up, I'm sorry."

Truly confused, hurt and even scared Connor gave his adopted father a pitiful stare. "Why did you keep this from me?"

"You've been through so much this year, and I didn't want you-"

"Damn it, Hank!" Connor got right in Hank's face and stared at him with his completely hurt, if not betrayed, gaze in his teary eyes. "I'm NOT a fragile piece of glass! Why the hell can't you just be honest with me?"

"Connor, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to sneak around, but I had to-"

"...You can't even be honest with me when I ask you directly." Slinking away from Hank like a whipped puppy Connor turned away from the senior detective and marched out of the corridor, and through the rest of the hospital toward the front doors. "...I'm so tired of being lied to."

"Connor? Connor!" Hank took a few steps after the younger detective with every intention of stopping him but Hank knew that Connor would be better off if he just had a moment alone to think. Whenever Connor was upset or pissed off it was best to give him some space for a while. "Fuck... Man, I really fucked up on this one."

* * *

Feeling like he was about to lose control over himself Connor stormed away from the hospital and focused on returning to the precinct to get away from the woman, get away from the person who was either a ghost from his past, or a deluded stalker, and to get away from Hank for a moment. Bitterly he trudged through the ankle deep snow with the angry darkness in his heart beating in tandem with every step he took.

"...It's not true."

Muttering to himself despondently Connor felt his skin burning hot from his anger, and ignored the icy wind howling in his ears.

"...She's not my mother. My mother's dead. It can't possibly be true."

The early winter blizzard continued to bombard the city under a smothering coldness that made everything white and freezing.

"...It's just not possible." Doubt was thick in Connor's voice while the anger was heavy in his heart. "...I can't believe it's possible. She's lying, she has to be."

* * *

Hank already felt like a major asshole for keeping aany secret from Connor, but when that secret turned out to be a massive revelation into Connor's own past he felt like he had accidentally and irreparably betrayed Connor's trust. Unsure of what to do to help Connor in that moment Hank turned his attention to Tamara, or Alana, or whatever her real name really was, and decided to ask her a few questions. Mentally steeling himself Hank made his way to the private room where the woman of interest was resting, and knocked on the opened doorway to get her attention.

"Excuse me?" Pulling his badge from his pocket Hank flashed it to the woman as he introduced himself before entering the room. "My name is Lieutenant Hank Anderson. Can I ask you a few questions?"

'Tamara' was crying softly and had her hand over her good left eye to wipe away her tears.

"...I hate to intrude, but this is important."

The woman turned to look at Hank and nodded a little as she sniffled. "...I can talk." Dropping her hand from her face she looked at Hank with her bloodshot left eye, and looked truly pitiful. She cleared her throat a little and regained her composure. "How can I help you, Lieutenant?"

"Please," taking a tissue from the box sitting on the nearby table he passed it over to the woman to take. "call me Hank."

"...Hank, then." She accepted the tissue and dried her eye gently.

"And what can I call you?"

"Tamara."

"...I hate to do this, but I have to ask about the name 'Alana Rosamond'."

She suddenly looked at Hank with wide-eyed panic and her face paled a little. "...I promise you that I'm not someone who steals identities or is trying to hide from the law."

"I believe you, and I wouldn't even look into that." He quickly eased her fears as he let her know that's not why he was questioning her. "But you are trying to hide from someone. At least," sitting down in the chair beside her bed Hank kept his voice low and civil as he spoke to the woman with a compassionate manner. "you _were_ hiding from someone else. Now he's gone and you don't have to hide anymore."

Pulling her knees up to her chest Tamara wrapped her arms around her legs to give herself a hug, and studied Hank's face warily. "How do you know that?"

"For one, I'm a detective. I've seen too many battered woman and abused children to not recognize the signs. But I've also noticed that you were hanging around my partner." Getting right to the point Hank made his interest clear. "You followed him out to Grand Rapids and then back to Detroit."

"I'm not a stalker, either. I swear!"

"And I believe that, too."

Relaxing a little Tamara realized that the senior detective wasn't going to harm her or even yell at her. She was safe with him. "...Hank, what's going on?"

"I need to ask you about your past; who you really are, where you came from, and why you've been watching Connor Wolf from a distance."

She was silent for a moment and looked away from Hank with a saddened gleam in her left eye. Tamara was evidently racked with guilt and shame.

"Please talk to me, I want to help you and Connor. Trust me on this... _Elizabeth_."

Turning her head to look at Hank with utter shock she just stared and contained an amused laugh. "...No one's called me that in over twenty years. The fact that you know my real name shows you really are a top-notch detective."

Giving her a gracious smile Hank confirmed that he was just looking for answers and not looking to punish anyone. "And I just want to know what's going on between you two. We both care about Connor." The senior detective spoke softly as he studied Elizabeth's face with a genuine intrigue. She had the same brunette hair and brown eyes as Connor, and he swore he saw the same stubborn fighting spirit that made Connor a fantastic detective but a lousy patient whenever he was injured or sick. There was no denying the biological connection. "I know you want to help your son, and that's exactly what I want to do, too. The kid's shaken up and just needs some answers."

"...You care about Connor." Elizabeth realized that Hank was looking out for Connor as more than just a partner, or even a friend, he cared about Connor like his own son. They were a family. She had seen them interacting from a distance but now Hank's words confirmed her observations. "You really do."

"Please."

Nodding a little Elizabeth agreed to answer Hank's questions and help him as much as possible. "...Okay, Hank. What do you want to know?"

"Everything." He sighed as he leaned forward and folded his hands neatly over his lap. There was no electronic notepad to catch Elizabeth's words, this time all Hank was going to do was listen to what she had to say. "Elizabeth, what happened to you and to Connor to split you up when he was a baby, and why did you watch him grow up from afar?"

* * *

Practically slamming the doors to the precinct wide open Connor made his way through the receptionist area, and shook off the relentless snow from his hair and his shoulders. Shivering from his prolonged exposure to the cold Connor made his way into the breakroom and quickly poured himself a mug of hot tea; not caring about the flavor, and wrapped both hands around the black porcelain mug allow the much needed warmth to seep through his icy cold fingers and palms to ease the thick discomfort making his hands tingle painfully.

Carrying his mug over to his desk Connor paused for a moment before slipping around to the other side and sitting behind Hank's terminal screen to placate his racing thoughts. Turning on the screen and using Hank's password Connor logged in to begin his own research into what Hank had been searching through over the countless previous weeks. It didn't take him long to locate the file containing the information that Hank had collected on 'Tamara', and he felt a heat of anger wash over him.

"...He's been doing this for months behind my back."

Turning off the terminal Connor returned to his own desk and buried his face in his frozen hands as he leaned against the top of his desk on his elbows with a mounting sense of betrayal. Stressed, angry, confused, frustrated and feeling utterly alone Connor was ready to sit and fester in his foul mood.

"Connor?" Captain Fowler had seen Connor return without Hank, and he could see even from the distance of his private office that the young detective was upset. "You okay?"

"...I'm fine." Connor muttered without lifting his head up to look at Captain Fowler as he acknowledged his commanding officer. "...Just cold."

"You don't seem fine. Where's Hank?"

"...Talking to a witness at the hospital."

"You came back without him?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Look at me, Connor."

Lifting up his face from his hands he looked at Captain Fowler and sighed. "...Yes, sir?"

"Damn, kid. You look like shit."

Returning his face to his hands Connor sighed and tried to ignore his own dreary, bitter thoughts.

"Why don't you go home?" Captain Fowler suggested casually as he picked up on Connor's distress disposition. "You look like you're getting sick."

Shaking his head a little Connor leaned back in his seat and dropped his hands to his lap. "I don't want to go home. I want to focus on my cases."

"Well, I don't want you to be hanging around here if you're getting sick and spreading it to the other officers." Before Connor could try to argue or even say another word Captain Fowler turned around and made his way back to his office. "Clock out. You're done for the day, that's an order."

Sighing angrily Connor sipped at the warm tea one last time, chamomile, and logged out of his terminal to take his leave for the rest of the evening. He didn't want to go home or speak to Hank, he was too angry and far too stubborn to let up on the senior detective just yet. With nowhere to go and refusing to go back home Connor took his leave of the precinct and began walking out into the rampaging snow to head out to New Jericho Tower to seek counsel from his little brother.

* * *

As Elizabeth told her story of marrying her abusive ex-husband strright out of high school, being forbidden from trying to have a job or leave the house and being slapped around for even the smallest error on her part, she began to cry again and Hank couldn't hide his own sympathetic tears. When she mentioned how she had to endure more beatings when she fell pregnant with Connor due to her ex-husband's frustations she couldn't stop herself from breaking down entirely, and Hank patiently waited for her to recompose herself before speaking again.

"...I'm so sorry you went through that." Hank's heart truly went out to Elizabeth and he handed her more tissues. "And I know this is hard but I have to ask why you were declared dead, and went into hiding without taking Connor with you."

"I... I was told by the delivery nurse to not get attached to Connor after he was born. He was so small and so weak that they didn't expect him to live even a few hours after being born, and I didn't... I didn't have the chance to see him or even get to hold him before I was taken away. The nurse knew I was in an abusive relationship and she used her connections to a battered woman's shelter to get me to safety, and had the coroner declare me dead so I could enter a new life with a new name, courtesy of a former member of homeland security working at the shelter."

"They got you to safety but left a _newborn baby behind_?"

"Connor wasn't supposed to make it." She wept from her heart though her voice remained clear. "If I had my way I would've taken him with me and ran to the other side of the world to escape that cruel bastard who hurt us for so long."

"Holy shit." Hank put his right hand to his bearded chin and sighed with pained understanding. "That's why you watched him without taking him. If you took him you could be charged with kidnapping, or risk getting assaulted by your ex again if you showed up to try to take Connor, and he found out you were alive."

"It hurt more than anything to leave my only son behind, but I couldn't go back for him. Then I was told he pulled through the night and was getting stronger every day." She smiled a little and gave Hank a prideful stare. "I could see him once a week after he was strong enough to leave the hospital and had been temporarily placed in a foster care facility, while my ex-husband was being legally prosecuted."

"And while he was in jail he was told your funeral was being held which is why he never went looking for you. They fed him lies that he couldn't disprove."

"Yes, that's right."

"Yet the courts couldn't prove that his actions directly led to your 'death' without a coroner's forged report, and so he wasn't tried for negligent homicide; only assault ad battery."

"Yeah. We didn't have the most... honest people in charge of the courts at the time. While I was able to disappear there was nothing that could be done to keep Anthony behind bars for as long as he should've been locked up."

Hank nodded his head sympathetically. "What happened to Connor while he was in foster care during all of this?"

"He was well taken care of and he beat the odds. As a volunteer I was allowed to go to the center and finally hold my son when he was released from the hospital. He was the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on, and I never wanted to let him go."

Hank smiled a little as he listened to her story and could see the love in her eyes. "But you still couldn't legally take him without revealing your true identity, and risking your ex finding you."

Nodding a little Elizabeth took a breath and continued. "I wish I had the courage to take that risk for Connor's sake. He was the happiest little boy and I loved spending time with him whenever I could as he grew up in the foster care program. But the day came when the court gave him back to my ex after Connor turned four years old, and... I almost lost him all over again."

"So you kept a low profile, stayed in the neighborhood, and did what you could from a distance without that asshole finding out."

"It hurt so much to see Connor becoming more and more reclusive as the abuse continued. He wasn't as adventurous or outgoing as he used to be, he didn't want to talk to anyone or play with the other children, he even stopped smiling. When his best friend from the foster care facility was taken away by her grandparents and moved from Novi I thought that was the saddest he could've been, but when the abuse escalated and he found himself entirely alone it's like Connor stopped feeling everything altogether." Wiping away another tear Elizabeth gave Hank a pleading stare. "What kind of kindergartner doesn't laugh or smile, or even want to play?"

"Why didn't you report the abuse?"

"Part of the legal conditions that I had to abide by in order to stay under my new identity I... I couldn't. If I made the call I'd have to explain who I was and how I knew what was happening, and if I made an anonymous call no one would've taken it seriously in Novi at the time. Even the school didn't know that Connor was being abused, and no one bothered to ask him why he was so sad all the time."

"How could they not know?"

"That bastard only hit Connor over his back or his chest, places where no one would see the injuries and fresh bruises. Whenever he did have bruises on his arms or legs it was just chalked up to a little kid getting the usual bumps and bruises from playing too rough. And Connor," she shook her head sadly as she told the sad tale. "he never once complained. It's like he believed being hit was normal."

Hank ran his left hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. "...I know." As the unsettling story fit with the information he collected during his search into Connor's past Hank only began to truly fathom how tragic Connor's early life had been. It was no longer a mystery as to why Connor was so mistrustful of people and unwilling to ask for help, or even mention being uncomfortable in passing. "Why didn't you step up when Connor was finally taken away from that bastard at fourteen years old?"

"...I couldn't bring himself to face to my ex. I was too afraid to face anyone in a corrupt court, but I knew Connor would be better off without my ex in his life no matter where he went, or who he associated with. Some people are the safest once they're finally alone."

"So you _did_ know of his emancipation."

"Yes, I knew. Who do you think is the one who called the police when Connor was..." Elizabeth closed her eye and heavy stream of tears began to flow down her face. "When had his arm broken I called the cops."

"...You heard the fight, and you saw him fall."

Elizabeth nodded again. "I was ready to sneak Connor out of the house that night when everything went down. He was old enough to understand what I was doing and why I was doing it, and in time I'd tell him the truth about who I am and why I was there. But seeing my ex being taken away in cuffs and my son taken to the E.R. to have his arm surgically repaired I just felt like... I failed."

"You didn't fail, you were just afraid. It happens."

"As much as I wanted to tell Connor what had happened and tell him the truth when he became a ward of the state, and as much as I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hug him as tightly as I could, I was too ashamed to face him. Not after I let him suffer physical abuse for ten miserable years of his life."

"But you still checked in on him from time to time?"

"Only when I had the courage to look him in the eyes." Wiping a tear from her left eye Elizabeth just sighed and stared at Hank. "When he left Novi I was hoping he'd finally have a better life and begin to actually live. Then the accident happened. I read about the accident in the news and I... I had to go see him."

"So you became a volunteer at the hospital to stay close to him and take care of him."

"Yes. I was hoping he'd wake up and I would be able to tell him the truth at last... But, he wasn't going to wake up. Not until that strange meeting of Connor's android body with his human body, something that I never imagined would ever be possible, and I was ready to accept that my son was truly gone. Now... Now he's alive and he's finally moved on. I just wanted to be a part of his life beyond just lurking in the shadows even though it's too much to ask for."

"...Okay." Hank believed her story entirely and knew everything she had just told him was factual. "Connor needs to know the truth."

"I know." She agreed without fail and pushed aside her sorrow for the moment. "He _deserves_ to know."

"I'll go and try to find him so I can finally tell him the truth."

"Find him?"

"Well, he left pretty upset. I'm going to check in at the precinct and see if he's there. It doesn't happen often but when Connor gets pissed off he burns really hot, and he needs to cool off for a while."

"Why not call him?"

"Because if he is at the precinct and he knows I want to talk to him, I have a hunch he'll leave or try to go out in the field again just to avoid me."

"...He's always been stubborn. Even when he was a little baby he'd put up such a fuss whenever I tried to rock him to sleep or try to put him down because I had to leave for the night. I never saw a little boy so adamant about doing his own thing and never letting other people try to help him or get in his way."

Hank smirked again as he stood up from the chair and looked out the window to the massive torrent of falling white snow that was quickly building up, and smothering out the streets, sidewalks and even the sky as the dark snow clouds continued to hover over the city. It was getting darker and colder, and Hank knew he needed to get either to the precinct or home soon, before the roads became too dangerous to drive.

"I'll find him and break the truth to him gently. And then I'll apologize profusely for keeping my search into your past a secret."

"...Once you find him let him I know want to apologize, too. And I will tell him the truth at long last if he wants to talk."

"I will." As he reached into his pocket to check his phone Hank noticed that Connor's leather jacket was left on the chair where he had been sitting. That meant Connor was out walking in the blizzard, and roaming the streets without the warm protective layer. "Ah, shit..." Snatching the leather jacket from the back of the chair Hank searched through the pockets desperately and found them empty. "Good. At least he still has his phone..."

"Hank?"

Turning around he draped the leather jacket casually over his left arm and sighed. "Nothing." The last thing he wanted to do was worry the already guilt-riddled woman any further than she already was. "Look, you get some rest and don't worry about Connor. As soon as he's not pissed off any me anymore I'll tell him everything and help him to understand everything that happened."

"...Okay, Hank. I know you'll help him."

Taking his leave of the room Hank proceeded to march down the corridor toward the front doors of the hospital as quickly as possible.

"Damn it, kid." Hank mumbled to himself and immediately was repelled by the stinging cold wind cutting into the skin on his face. The blizzard was already harsh and it was only going to get worse before the night was over. "Don't do anything stupid! I already did enough stupid shit for the both of us..."

* * *

Freezing cold and covered in snow Connor coughed once as he entered the warm lobby of New Jericho Tower, and shook off the collected snow and ice once more from his shoulders, and his hair. Rubbing his hands up and down his arms to create friction heat and stave off the chill slicing through his skin straight down to the bone Connor approached the elevator in the center of the lobby slowly, to seek out Lucas no doubt residing in the emergency repair bay. As his right hand reached the panel Josh's voice called out to him from behind.

"Connor? Hi, good to see you."

"Hello, Josh." Acknowledging the kind deviant leader with a nod over the shoulder Connor pressed his palm on the panel. "I'm looking for Lucas, it's important."

"He's in the repair bay. Want me to tell him you're coming up?"

"No, it's fine." The elevator doors and and Connor stepped inside the otherwise unoccupied elevator car. "Thank you, though."

"Right. Try to warm up a little before you go." Josh noted that Connor was pale, trembling and evidently very cold. "You look half frozen!"

The doors closed behind the chilled young detective and Connor stood alone, shivering and wet from the snow that had melted through his gray jacket, white dress shirt and his jeans. Trying his best to ignore the horrific coldl that numbed his feet, nose and ears, but made his fingers sting and tingle, he shivered and coughed again while he tried to keep his frustrated emotions in check before speaking with Lucas.

Fortunately it didn't take long for the elevator to reach its destination. As the doors parted Connor stepped out on his shaking legs, leaving a faint trail of watery footprints behind as he walked, and made his way over to the large door leading into the emergency repair bay. The interior of the repair bay smelled of fresh Thirium and had a unique aroma of plastimetal that Connor hadn't noticed until only after he returned to his humanity. It wasn't a noxious smell, just distinct and almost impossible to ignore.

"...Lucas?" Connor called out to his little brother as the deviant technician aided a refugee in replacing his right arm back into his shoulder socket. "Can I speak with you?"

"Connor." Lucas turned to look at Connor standing by the doorway and nodded. The sight of his big brother was unexpected, and seeing Connor covered in snow and ice was truly a sight to behold. "Yes, of course. I just need one more minute to reattach William's arm and then I'll be right with you."

"I understand, take your time."

Standing up against the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest Connor closed his eyes and bowed his head as if staring at the floor. As he leaned against the wall his entire body still trembled from the deeply seeded cold in his chest, and he stifled more coughing. The thoughts churning away in his head, the questions burning on his lips, and the urge to just run away from everything until he was by himself and left to sulk away in the shadows were all too overwhelming for Connor to bear at that moment. It was that very inner conflict that kept him anchored in place thanks to the tremendous dark weight threatening to crush his beating heart.

"Connor?" Lucas had approached his big brother and was standing there for almost ten seconds before speaking up. "...Connor, what's wrong?"

Looking up at Lucas's face Connor just shook his head and prepared to tell him everything that had happened that odd fateful day. "Lucas... Something very unexpected, if not impossible, is happening to me. And I'm not sure what I should do."

* * *

Idling in traffic as he waited for the snowplow ahead of him to clear the street (again) Hank pulled out his phone and sent another text to Connor hoping he'd finally get a response from the stubborn wayward detective. There was no sign of Connor and despite his best efforts Hank knew he wouldn't get the righteously angry younger man to reply with any texts or phone calls.

"Come on, son. You can't hide from this." Traffic began to slowly move and Hank pulled the car along the cleared street to make his way the final block to the precinct. "I can't believe_ I'm_ the one trying to be the voice of reason on family problems."

It was a bit of a struggle to pull the car through the icy slick parking garage to get to his assigned space, but Hank managed just fine. Throwing the car into park, and applying the emergency brake out of a necessary precaution for the icy surface, Hank walked quickly into the precinct next to the parking garage with Connor's leather jacket tucked under his arm.

"Fuckin' hell." Hank grumbled as he made his way through the front precinct doors and stumbled toward his desk in the bullpen. Connor wasn't anywhere to be seen and Hank swore again. "Shit."

"What's wrong, Lieutenant?" Tina had overheard the complaint as she stepped out of the breakroom with a mug of steaming herbal tea between her hands. She had a slightly red tinted nose thanks to the chilly air, and there was no doubt that she was fighting off a cold as well. "You look sort of pissed."

"Have you seen Connor?"

"I saw Captain Fowler speaking to him about forty-five minutes, maybe an hour ago, and told him to go home."

"Home? Why?"

"Connor looked like he wasn't feeling well. He was kinda' pale and eyes were bloodshot."

"Shit." Pulling his phone from his pocket Hank checked once more for any response from Connor, but there was still nothing. "Great."

"Is something going on with him?"

"You could say that." Holding up Connor's leather jacket he gave her an annoyed glance. "He's in a bad mood and walking around that blizzard without a coat." Sitting down behind his desk Hank sent another message to Connor just to make sure he was safe at the house. "And I have no idea where he went."

"Want patrol to look for him?"

"No. The last thing he needs is to have half the precinct out looking for him or some shit."

"Right. Well, if I hear anything I'll let you know."

"Yeah, thanks Tina." Rubbing his right hand over his bearded chin Hank sighed and noted the later time of day. It was almost five in the evening and it was only going to get darker and colder. Picking up Connor's partially drunk mug of tea Hank could feel that it was getting cold and knew Connor had left the precinct lone before Hank even showed up. "Why are you so damn bullheaded all the time, kid?"

* * *

It didn't take Connor long to tell Lucas everything that had happened that day and of how the mysterious woman in question claimed that she was supposedly his late mother. When he mentioned how it was all a chance encounter that they met, but still had indisputable facts that he couldn't begin to question, and that he found out Hank was looking into her behind his back, the sense of betrayal in Connor's voice and glistening in his hurt soulful brown eyes was completely undeniable.

Lucas listened to every word as he guided Connor over to an exam table to sit down and warm up. Using his keen eyes, ability to scan, and newly acquired knowledge of human biology he assessed his stubborn big brother's condition. Not only were Connor's heart rate and blood pressure elevated, his core temperature was higher than normal, while his hands and feet were significantly colder. The young detective was either suffering hypothermia, the beginning of a fever, or a combination of both.

"Please don't be angry with Hank." Lucas asked as he checked his brother's hands for sign of frost bite and gauged his pulse. "He wasn't trying to hurt you, or offend you."

"He should've told me what he was doing."

"Perhaps he should, but you had also kept a secret from Hank when it came to your humanity."

"Me being able to return to who I once was is not comparable to this." Connor pulled his hands back from Lucas abruptly and clenched them into tight fists atop his lap. "What I had gone through was a very personal experience that no one else could even begin to understand, and what I had done was to keep Hank safe."

"Safe from what? Yourself?"

"Yes. My programming can't be hijacked anymore. Besides, he would've tried to stop me from going through with it, but I needed to know who I was and where I came from. And I still do."

"Why is that when Hank begun searching into your past you feel betrayed, but when you're doing the same you feel justified?"

"Because it's MY life. I wasn't hiding anything from Hank, nor was I planning to keep an revelations from him. He on the other hand couldn't be bothered to tell me that he had found a lead into my childhood. Instead I ran into a ghost from my past and now I don't know what to do about it."

"I may not be able to understand what you're going through, but I do believe that you being angry with Hank won't do either of you any good."

"Hank wasn't snooping around behind _your back_, Lucas."

"It's not snooping if he was trying to help you. It's only snooping if was trying to harm you."

"It's an invasion of privacy and he did so without informing of what he was doing." Connor shook his head angrily at the comment. "We could've worked together on this."

"Connor, I know Hank wasn't trying hurt you. When he began his investigation nine weeks prior-"

"How did you know how long Hank had been searching into my past?" Connor snipped angrily as he slid off the exam table and got to his feet. "You already knew what he was doing, didn't you?"

Lucas gave Connor the same deer caught in the headlights stare that Hank had given when he slipped up at the hospital. "...Connor, I-"

Turning away from Lucas with an embittered stare Connor marched toward the doorway to the repair bay to leave. "You lied, too."

"Connor, please!" Lucas chased after Connor and put his left hand on the young detective's shoulder right. As soon as his palm made contact with Connor's shoulder the angered young detective shrugged off his touch without breaking stride. "Don't leave."

"Don't touch me!" Connor growled as he made his way to the elevator and practically slammed his right palm against the panel to get back to the ground floor of the tower. Looking away from the deviant technician standing just outside the elevator doors Connor muttered to himself as the doors slid shut slowly. "Even my own brother is keeping secrets from me."

Once the elevator reached the ground floor he made his way back through the lobby and ignored everyone who was around him. Returning to the horrifically cold snow and dark night that was encroaching over the city through the front doors Connor stormed out of the tower in seek of personal solace to sort through his thoughts and emotions. Crossing his arms over his chest to try to stave off the cold Connor bowed his head down and endured the relentless wind trying to slice through his skin.

Leaving the tower behind him Connor made his way down the drive back to the city with the crushing weight threatening to break his heart with every shuddering beat in his chest. It hurt. Being lost, alone and feeling betrayed truly hurt.

"I can't trust anybody..."

* * *

Staying behind desk Hank kept his phone in his right hand as he watched the news report on the television showing the footage of the blizzard quickly consuming the streets, and how a state of snow emergency would likely go into effect before eight o'clock that very evening. Staring at the snow piling up on the screen and at the time on the corner of the screen, six forty-four, Hank decided enough was enough. He needed to go out and find Connor before the night came over the city.

"Fuck it." Logging out of his terminal Hank stood up from his desk with every intention of leaving to head back home, only to have his phone begin ringing in his palm. Looking down at the caller I.D. he saw Lucas's name and with it a vice tightened around his heart. "...Shit." Putting the phone to his ear he answered the call knowing that whatever Lucas was going to tell him wasn't going to be good news. "Lucas, what's going on?"

'_Hank, I screwed up_.' Lucas muttered in a worried voice as he spoke to Hank truthfully over the line. '_I screwed up bad_!'

"What happened?" Hank fished his car keys out of his pocket with his left hand and began marching toward the precinct's front doors to leave. "Tell me what's going on, son."

'_I... I was talking with Connor here at New Jericho and he was very upset_. _I made it worse when he discovered that I knew you were looking into his past and I didn't inform him of the situation_.'

"Ah, shit..." Rushing as quickly as he dared to the parking garage next to the precinct Hank fumbled with getting the key in the lock of his door as his hands endured the relentless cold wind and blowing snow. "Where is he now?"

'_I don't know_. _ He left the tower and I'm not sure where he went_.'

"Stay there, I'll go and look for him."

'_How will you find him_?'

"I'm a detective." Throwing open his door Hank put Connor's leather jacket down on the passenger seat beside him, and turned over the engine. Cranking up the heat Hank endured the cold and prepared to embark on his search for the missing younger detective. "I can use a tracking app on Connor's phone to find him."

'_I will ask other deviants to keep an eye out for him as well_. _If he is seen I can inform you_.'

"Yeah, good idea. I'll let you know when I find him, son. Try not to worry." Ending the call Hank used that very special app on his phone designed to locate any phone connected to his own. Using his clearance as a police officer to activate the app Hank's phone display showed a very weak signal courtesy of the storm, and could see that the signal was moving very slowly on the other side of the city. "Shit. He's not at the house."

Pulling the car out of the parking garage Hank dared to pull back onto the snowy, slick street in search of his wandering adopted son before it became deathly cold and dark during the horrible blizzard.

"Connor, we're going to have a serious talk after this... For now I just want to get you back home where you belong."

* * *

As the dark of the night overwhelmed the city with a creeping tide of blackness Connor roamed the snow covered sidewalks despite his feet becoming numb, and his hands stinging painfully, from the extreme cold. Folding his arms protectively over his chest in a futile attempt to stave off the icy wind Connor continued to trudge forward. Coughing loudly Connor bowed his head down to protect his eyes and nose from the piercing wind as the thick snowflakes soaked into his already damp, and freezing clothing and clung his hair in icy flakes.

Too tired to keep walking but too angry to go home, go to the precinct or go back to New Jericho Tower, Connor resided to trudging through the ankle deep snow to the nearby park to rest for a moment. The park itself was the very one that Hank had visited the night he and Connor investigated the murder at the 'Eden Club' just a few days before the Revolution. The park where Hank pulled his gun on Connor and asked if he was afraid to die...

A few strands of multicolored lights were wrapped around the thinner trees to give the park a somewhat cheery glow through the storm as the holiday season began. The thickness of the snow made the otherwise bright glow only a dull rainbow that cast a lukewarm glow over Connor's person as he waded through the ankle deep snow to enter the park to sit alone and contemplate his past and now his future.

Peering out at the dark water of the Detroit River and the illuminated Ambassador Bridge stretching over the water all Connor could do was shuffle through the snow over to a vacant bench and sit down. As he did he curled around himself as tightly as he could to protect himself from the snow and wind as he continued to cough harshly through the blizzard swirling around him.

"...She can't be my mother." Connor told himself in between harsh coughs as his lungs begged him to seek warmth. "It's not... possible."

A numbing chill raced up his spine making him shudder violently in response to the bitter cold.

"Why did... she leave me... behind? She... She didn't... have to."

As his heavy eyelids fell shut Connor curled around himself even further as he coughed violently thanks to the relentless wind stealing the lingering warmth from his exposed body.

"...I don't... have... a moth- a mother."

Fatigue and hypothermia were wearing down Connor's stubborn resolve. As his strength and body heat ebbed away he felt himself slipping forward and off the the edge of the bench toward the massive pile of snow collecting before him.

"...Not... possible."

Unable to withstand the cold any longer Connor coughed with a harsh barking sound and fell forward into the snow. Laying on his right side Connor coughed again and tried to lift up his head, but he was already too weak from the extreme cold and he resided to his frozen isolation in the middle of the park. Allowing himself to drift off to sleep after a long losing struggle Connor was left to the mercy of nature and the elements around him.

From behind the bench where Connor had fallen duo beams of bright yellow headlights shone into the park, and cast a faint glow over Connor's unconscious form as he laid helpless in the snow. As a car door opened and then slammed shut a lone figure rushed over to Connor and called his name in a near panic.

"Connor! Connor?!" Dropping to his knees beside Connor in the snow Hank threw the young detective's forgotten leather jacket over Connor's back, and rolled him over onto his back, hoping that the jacket would be enough to shield him from the cold snow. Patting the left side of Connor's face a few times Hank shook the young detective a little and continued to call out his name. "Connor! Damn it, son! Why are you out here?"

Bending his ear down as he cradled Connor's head and shoulder against his left bicep and and his palm, Hank listened through the howling wind for any sign of breathing. It was faint but it was there. An icy cold exhale that was almost indistinguishable against the surrounding blizzard. Pressing his right fingertips to the left side of Connor's neck Hank could barely feel his pulse as hypothermia constricted Connor's blood vessels and reduced a proper circulation.

"Shit." Moving his ear down to Connor's chest Hank could hear and count his slower heartbeat and knew that Connor was suffering from hypothermia. "Come on, kid." Slipping his right arm under Connor's knees Hank picked up the stubborn young detective with moderate difficulty; his human body almost thirty pounds heavier than his android counterpart, and trudged back through the snow and pulled open the passenger side door to place Connor down in the front seat. "Hold on for me, son. I'll get ya' home."

Hank slammed the passenger door shut as he rushed over to the other side of the car, shrugged off his own coat, and climbed inside to the driver's side of the vehicle. Draping his coat over Connor's chest and abdomen Hank cranked up the heat in the car and focused on driving away from the park, back to the house as steadily but quickly as possible.

"Connor, can you hear me?" Hank pressed his right palm to Connor's forehead, then down the side of his face. The younger detective was freezing cold and completely unconscious. "Wake up, son. You have to open your eyes."

Unresponsive and frighteningly stil, Connor stayed upright in the seat and appeared to be nothing more than a pale, icy corpse.

"Son of a bitch." Dropping his hand from Connor's face Hank grabbed onto his phone, called Lucas, and put the phone on speaker. The line barely rang once before Lucas answered, but before the deviant could say a word Hank yelled into the phone with mounting fear. "Lucas, I found Connor at the park. He's freezing and unconscious."

'_To which hospital are you taking him_?'

"I'm not. The roads are too dangerous and the house is closer than any of the hospitals in the area."

'_Can you help him at the house_?'

"I'm going to try my damnedest." Hank replied in a gruff tone as he slowly maneuvered down the street and began nearing the house at an obnoxiously slow clip. The streets were quickly becoming more and more dangerous as Hank fought to maintain control over the vehicle as the icy roads threatened to steal all of his traction from the old vehicle's tires. "I know what to do, but I won't have all the necessary supplies at my disposal."

'_Please keep me posted on his condition_.'

"Yeah, son. I'll let you know how he's doing." Ending the call Hank put his full concentration on the road ahead of him. "You hear that, Connor? I'm going to help you. You're going to be okay. As long as you pull through you can be as pissed off at me for long as you want."

It took almost twenty-five minutes just to make the formerly eight minute drive back to the house. Fighting to get the car up the driveway beside the house Hank threw the vehicle into park and thew on the emergency brake once more. Rushing over to the backdoor Hank unlocked it and pushed it open before returning to the car to pull open the passenger door and pulling Connor up, and over his shoulder. Hefting the unconscious young detective inside the house Hank managed to kick the backdoor shut behind himself with his left foot before lugging Connor down the hallway and into Connor's bedroom.

"I gotcha' kid." Pulling back the quilt Hank sat Connor down on the edge of the bed and proceeded to remove the two coats covering him, then worked to strip away Connor's snow soaked gray suit jacket. Throwing the soaked garment to the floor he took away Connor's black tie and fumbled to get the buttons on the white dress shirt undone to take off the equally soaked shirt. "Shit, you're freezing." Allowing Connor to slowly fall backward until he was laying flat on his back Hank pulled off Connor's icy cold boots, socks and then his jeans. "Fucking hell. You're more ice than person at this point."

Working to throw Connor's legs over the edge of the bed and straightening Connor out until he laying flat with his head against the pillow, Hank draped the thick quilt over top of him and then piled on the coats once more.

"I'll get you warmed up, son." Patting his own leg Hank called out to Sumo in hopes that the massive, fluffy dog would help Connor warm up. "Sumo! Come here, boy! Come on!"

Sumo trudged into the bedroom and looked up at Hank.

"Come on." Patting the foot of the bed Hank motioned for the dog to jump up, and lay down next to Connor. "Lay down."

The old dog managed to jump up onto the bed and happily cuddled down over Connor's legs. Having the instincts of his rescue breed kicking in Sumo sensed that Connor was hypothermic and instead laid over Connor's chest and abdomen with his upper body protectively.

"Good dog."

Taking his leave of the bedroom Hank pulled open the hallway closet to get the spare blanket and draped it over top of the coats to provide additional heat to Connor, or at the very least help him retain what little body heat he still had left. Trying to think of other sources of heat Hank remembered an old trick his own mom used whenever he was sick as a kid.

"Hang on, kid. I'm going to have to get a little creative right now."

Grabbing a hand towel in the bathroom Hank soaked it in hot water in the sink, and grabbed left the room long enough to grab a plastic bag from the storage drawer in the kitchen. Wringing out the excess water from the towel after reclaiming it from the bathroom sink Hank folded it neatly in half, and tucked it inside the plastic bag to retain the heat.

"Okay, kid. Hopefully this will keep you going." Returning to the bedroom Hank lifted up the covers from over Connor and then placed the hot water compress over Connor's upper abdomen near his chest, and then placed the covers back down. "What I'd give to have a heating pad or a hot water bottle right now."

Connor's head turned slightly against the pillow as his body began to shiver from the cold.

Lightly Hank put his right palm over Connor's forehead and held it there for a moment. There was a gentle warmth beginning to emanate from the younger man's skin but it still wasn't enough.

"Come on, kid." Pulling Connor's hands, one at a time, from under the cover Hank checked for signs of frost bite and saw very minor damage settling in over his fingertips. Knowing that heat and layers were the key to Connor's recovery Hank pulled open Connor's closet and found a clean black t-shirt and gray sweatpants for the young man to wear. "I haven't had to dress a kid in almost ten years..."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed Hank managed to pull back the covers and managed to sit the shivering man upright enough to pull the t-shirt over his head, and pull his arms through the sleeves. It was difficult for Hank to get the sweatpants on Connor's legs, but it was necessary and Hank didn't care at that point. He wanted his best friend, his son, to wake up and get better.

"You're safe now." Hank muttered as he slipped a pair of socks over Connor's feet and returned to the covers over Connor's person. Hank went to the bathroom to get another towel. Using the new towel to dry off Connor's wet hair Hank threw the now damp towel onto the pile of Connor's wet clothes on the floor beside the bed. "...As soon as you're awake I'm going to knock your lights out for being so damn stupid."

The sound of the front door opening and shutting again put Hank on his guard. Hovering his hand over his gun holstered at his right hip Hank crept out of the bedroom and edged down the hallway toward the livingroom. The sight of Lucas standing in the livingroom with his arms full of medical supplies and covered in snow made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Lucas!" Dropping his hand Hank gave the deviant a confused glance. "What the hell?"

"I couldn't stand back and not assist in taking care of Connor." Lucas explained as he took a step forward and shook his head somberly. "It's my fault he became stranded in the blizzard."

"No, Lucas. You didn't do this." Hank patted the deviant's left shoulder before motioning for Lucas to follow after him down the hallway. "I did. I should've told Connor what was going on right from the beginning."

"You were trying to protect him."

"That's what I thought I was doing, but now I think I was trying to protect myself because I didn't want to admit that Connor was so abused and fucked up from such a shitty childhood that he might become emotionally unreachable." Returning to the bedroom Hank watched as Lucas put the gathered medical supplies down on the foot of the bed next to Connor's legs. "I guess I was worried that I could have said or done something that his bastard of a biological father had already done to him past, and I could've fucked him up even more."

"Connor knows you would never harm him or ever strike him, and he trusts you." Lucas stated as he pulled back the quilt and retracted the artificial skin from his right palm. Pressing his hand down on Connor's chest he monitored his big brother's vitals and could hear the weak labored breaths Connor began to take as he warmed up. "As do I."

"Not after this. I fucked things up."

"...I did, too."

"Let's just get him better so he can be mad at us while he's conscious, then we'll figure out who fucked up worse later."

"Very well." Lucas began sifting through the supplies he brought with him and isolated a large warming pad used for medical emergencies for travelers stranded in the wilderness. Activating the pad with a quick 'snap' of the self warming contents within the plastic pouch Lucas placed it under Connor's upper back to help warm up his chest gradually. "His heart rate and blood pressure are low from the cold. Right now his core temperature is ninety-three point six degrees, but climbing."

A strong gust of wind rocked the house and made the lights overhead flicker. "Shit. If we lose power we're going to lose heat."

"I have additional heating pads." Snapping a second pad he placed it under the covers by Connor's ankles to try to make him feel warmer. "As long as we keep him covered under warm layers we'll be able to help him recover."

"Right. Stay with him while I go get a few emergency supplies gathered up in the livingroom." Sighing loudly Hank ran his right hand through his gray locks of hair and slowly walked out of the bedroom down the hallway. "We never did get those extra supplies after work. Perfect fuckin' timing for a blackout."

Lucas resumed monitoring Connor's vital signs and keeping close observation on his brother's breathing. As Connor shivered his breathing became more labored and he began to cough. Noting the deep wet sound of the cough and wheezing gasp that followed nearly every breath Lucas knew that Connor had already developed a serious lung infection from being exposed to the cold for so long.

The deviant bent down and pressed his right ear to Connor's chest to get a direct listen to the sick man's breathing and heartbeat. Neither sounded ideal and Lucas made another cybernetic record of Connor's current vitals to compare to his usual vital signs when healthy. What seemed to actually frighten Lucas was the way Connor's heart was beating with a mild arrhythmia on top of him developing a notable lung infection.

"Hank?" The tone of Lucas's voice was loud but calm as he called out for his adoptive father.

"What's going on?" Hank returned to the bedroom and placed a lit candle down on the nightstand beside Connor's bed.

"Connor is already very ill. We should get him to a hospital."

"I know, but with this weather we'd do more harm than good packing him in the car. And an ambulance would be even slower in the snow."

"What can we do for him?"

"Keep him warm." Slipping his right hand under Connor's shoulder he pushed the sick young detective upright in the bed, and readjusted the pillow and laid Connor back down so he was resting in a more elevated position. "Monitor his breathing."

"I can keep tabs on the weather reports as well." The deviant volunteered as he continued to track Connor's vitals cybernetically. "Once it's safe enough to drive I'll let you know."

"How did you get out here anyway, Lucas?"

"I hailed an autonomous taxi and overrode the emergency protocols halting the vehicle's progress due to the poor weather."

"Good move."

"...The taxi is still outside."

"Don't worry about it." Hank sighed and pressed his right palm over the sick detective's forehead. It was hard for him to gauge Connor's temperature at the moment, so he sought Lucas's confirmation on the matter. "...Fever?"

"Once his body temperature increases he will undoubtedly show signs of fever. At the moment he's still hypothermic."

"Shit. I'll see what we have in the medicine cabinet so we can keep his fever at bay."

Lucas kept his left hand over Connor's chest as the sick detective began to cough harder and struggle to breathe.

Steadily Connor's body temperature began to rise courtesy of the layers and heating pads keeping him warm, but he continued to shiver from the lingering cold clinging to his person.

"Alright..." Hank returned to the bedroom with the gathered medication in his hand and placed it down on the nightstand beside the bed, and watched Lucas keeping vigil over his ill big brother. "We have the usual stuff. Fever reducer and pain reliever. I think he still has a week's worth of antibiotic pills from when had his hand stitched up in his nightstand's drawer."

Nodding a little Lucas kept his hand on Connor's chest and cybernetically connected with a deviant orderly at a nearby hospital to inform them of the situation.

Sumo was still cuddled up against Connor's side with his head resting down atop the sick detective's stomach to try to keep him warm. The loyal dog showed no sign of moving any time soon as his ill master needed his protection and help.

Outside the window Hank could see the snow building in strength and thickness as it plummeted from the clouds above even as the darkness of the night encroached upon the city. Without a doubt they'd lose power before midnight and he decided to go ahead and fill up a few spare bottles with clean drinking water in the kitchen. "I'll be back in a moment. Keep an eye on him, son."

"Please, Connor." Lucas pleaded with his unconscious big brother as he stayed at his side. "Don't be angry with us when you wake up. We weren't trying to offend you or harm you in any way."

* * *

It took almost an hour before Connor's temperature reached a normal degree, and Lucas quickly removed the heating pads and layers to ensure he didn't overheat as he slept. Continuing his cybernetic monitoring of Connor's vital signs Lucas remained vigil, attentive and loyal as his big brother slept through his developing illness. Every few seconds Connor would cough violently and Lucas would press his pal down firmer to try to hold Connor down without harming him, until the coughing fit passed.

"His temperature is stable." Lucas stated as Hank watched from the opened doorway. The senior detective had wrapped himself up in a spare blue blanket to stave off his own cold as well. "I'll monitor him for any sign of fever throughout the night."

"I just hate the sound of that cough."

"As do I. I fear he has developed bronchitis, or perhaps even pneumonia."

"Fuck." Hank ran his right hand over his bearded chin and shook his head. "Pneumonia could kill him."

"And until he gets a proper diagnosis I won't be able to treat him with any certainty in my actions. I am a technician, not a medic. I also have very limited knowledge of human biology regarding illnesses and immune systems."

Moving his hand from his chin to the back of his neck Hank tilted his head back, and tried to ignore the pain in his shoulders from hefted Connor's dead weight around and trudging through the snow. "Do your best, Lucas. I trust you."

"...At least _you_ do." The deviant mumbled to himself as he pulled his left hand back from Connor's chest and received an update on the weather. "The city is still under emergency conditions. The streets won't be cleared until the storm lets up within the next thirty-two hours."

"Fan-fucking-tastic."

Lucas ran a scan over Hank's body from the distance and noted a strange increase in his own body temperature, and also noted that he was paler than usual in a similar way as Connor. "Are you feeling well, Hank?"

"Not really. That cold air got to me, too."

"Why don't you go sleep for a while? I will keep an eye on Connor and inform you if anything else happens."

"I can't sleep. But I'm not going to lie, a warm shower sounds pretty damn good right now."

"Go. I'll stay with him."

Knowing that he was too tired to be of much help with Connor and needing a moment take care of himself, Hank took Lucas up on his offer and retreated to the bathroom for a while. As the hot water in the shower roared to life the senior detective readily removed his still somewhat damp clothes and let the warm water wash over him in a soothing cascade.

From within the bedroom Connor let out another deep painful cough that racked his entire body as his head lolled slightly against the pillow, and his eyes partially cracked open. As his his blurry eyes settled on Lucas's face hovering over him Connor lifted his head a little, and stared at his brother confusedly.

"Connor?" Lucas noticed that Connor had regained consciousness. "Please talk to me if you are able."

"...Why are... you here?" Connor asked in a raw cracking voice as he realized he was in his bed back home. The cold he had breathed in for hours had done its damage and made his voice as weak as he felt. "...How did... I get... here?"

"Hank found you unconscious in the snow at the park. He brought you home to rest, and you are now quite ill. We're going to take care of you."

"...I don't need... your help."

"Please, brother. You-"

"Don't call... me your... brother." The ill detective bitterly snipped. "You may have... my face, but that... doesn't make you... my brother."

Lucas was genuinely hurt and confused by the comment. As the pain fell over his green eyes Lucas asked Connor for some clarification. "...I don't understand."

"...You betrayed... me."

"Connor, neither of us had any intention of-"

"...Go away."

"Please, don't be angry."

"Go." Coughing again Connor put his right hand to his sore chest and closed his eyes very tightly as he endured the harsh spasming of his strained lungs. Taking in a wheezing and gasping breath he opened his eyes again, and stared at Lucas bitterly. "Go now."

"...If that's what you want," the hurt in Lucas's eyes was palpable as he begrudgingly accepted the request. "then I shall leave."

With a heavy heart Lucas took his leave of the bedroom as instructed and stood outside the bedroom doorway in the hallway. Despite Connor's words; refusing to acknowledge him as a brother and the coldness of his tone acting like a knife to Lucas's mind and heart, he stayed nearby to monitor Connor from the distance.

Once Hank emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist the senior detective saw that Lucas was upset, and peered into the bedroom where Connor was now conscious and coughing harshly. It only took him a momentary glance to see what was happening and he put a sympathetic hand to Lucas's shoulder. "I'll talk to him, son." He whispered before going down the hallway and into his bedroom to change into warm dry clothes. "Just be patient."

Lucas waited outside the bedroom, listening to every horrible cough and wheezing labored breath Connor took in, and felt useless. As much as he wanted to go to his ill brother's aid and wanted to utilize what knowledge he obtained on human physiology and biology, Lucas knew that Connor would just get agitated and expend what little energy he had regained in telling him to leave again.

Hank emerged from his bedroom wearing his baggy navy blue t-shirt and black sweatpants and gave Lucas a reassuring nod. The senior detective was still pale but he looked like he was in less pain, and needed to lay down. Walking into the bedroom he watched as Connor coughed with a painful bark before settling down again. Connor's every breath was deep, rapid and audible even from the doorway.

"I'm glad you're awake." Hank remarked in a civil tone and put his right hand to Connor's forehead once more. The young detective was paler than Hank was, and he was also beginning to sweat. The heat radiating from his skin was undeniable. "How do you feel?"

"...Leave me... alone."

"No way. You're too sick."

"Go."

"No, Connor."

Grabbing onto Hank's wrist with his left hand Connor weakly pushed his hand away from his forehead, and glared at him with glassy irises. "I said... go!"

"Connor, stop."

"I want... to be-" Harsh coughing stole his words and Hank sat down on the edge of the bed as he put his left hand on the sick detective's right shoulder to help hold him stable.

"Will you please listen to me?"

As he caught his breath Connor took in weak gasping breaths, and gave Hank an angered look. "...N-Now you... want to... talk to me?"

"Stop." Hank kept his left hand on Connor's shoulder and put the right hand over the center of Connor's chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was looking into your past. I just wanted to know who that woman was, I had NO IDEA that she was... You know."

Connor turned his head away stubbornly as he refused to look Hank in the eyes.

"The only reason Lucas knew is because he was curious about your past, too. He didn't dig around or anything like that, it was ALL me. So if you're going to be pissed off take it out on me, NOT your brother."

"He's _not_... my brother."

"Knock it off! You're mad, we get it, and you have every right to be, but don't act like we attacked you. Yes, it was wrong that this happened behind your back and you should've been in the loop the whole time, but being a prick isn't going to undo MY mistake. I'm sorry."

Connor coughed again and Hank could feel each painful spasm in Connor's chest under his palm.

"Listen to me." Lowering his voice after Connor himself quieted down Hank continued to explain things. "I'm going to tell you EVERYTHING. No more secrets."

With Lucas still standing outside the opened bedroom doorway Hank told Connor the truth about the search into his past. He told Connor of how his mother had no choice but to watch from the shadows, or not at all, and of how she was the one who called the police the night he was saved after he was thrown from the balcony and had his arm broken by his biological father. As Hank went into the sad details and how she had followed Connor out to Grand Rapids after she learned of the car accident that put him in the coma, and how she moved to Detroit to stay close to him, Connor's anger began to dissipate slowly.

Connor took in a shallow breath and stifled an empathetic sob as his eyes filled with tears. Refusing to look Hank in the face Connor let the tears form in his eyes but didn't dare allow them to fall.

Patting Connor's right shoulder lightly Hank studied the younger man's face intently. "Connor, are you going to be okay?"

Remaining quiet Connor just ignored the question out of his own emotional stubbornness.

"I'm going to let you get some sleep, now." Hank promised as he stood up slowly from the edge of the bed to give Connor some privacy as he took in the less than comforting information regarding his mother. "If you need anything just ask. We're both going to be here for you all night."

Connor began to cough again and tried to curl a little onto his right side, his back facing the doorway of his bedroom. As he moved Sumo whimpered and curled up closer to Connor protectively and sympathetically refusing to leave the sick man alone.

Feeling like he had just told his adopted son the worse news of his life Hank returned to the hallway where Lucas was still standing, the deviant having overheard the bleak tale as well, and motioned for Lucas to accompany him out to the livingroom. "Give him a minute to himself."

"I had no idea that Connor..." Lucas was stunned by the horribly somber past that Connor survived as a child. The abuse, loss and isolation was something that Lucas couldn't even begin to imagine. "He suffered from so much loneliness and heartache as such a young child. It's a wonder he managed to come as far as he has in light of his dark past. I truly feel terrible keeping this secret from him."

"Yeah, well I'm the one who told you to keep the secret. _ I'm_ the one who fucked up."

Lucas wrung his hands together nervously, a trait that he shared with Connor, and glanced at the snowstorm through the front window of the livingroom. "...I'm going to make something warm for you both to eat just in case we lose power. I'm also going to make sure we have some ice packs in case Connor's fever spikes to a dangerous degree during the night."

The coughing from Connor's bedroom sounded off painfully throughout the house and Hank decided to creep back in to check on Connor again. He could see Connor violently coughing as he stayed curled up on his side and struggled to breathe. Seeing the young detective so weak and so mentally drained made Hank's paternal instincts kick into full gear and he stood beside the bed by Connor's back.

"Connor." Putting his left hand on Connor's left shoulder he gently rolled him from his right side and onto his back. The younger man's face was pale, sweaty and his eyes were bloodshot. "Hey, you need to sit up a little bit so you can breathe easier."

Finally willing to speak despite his anger and frustration Connor looked up at his adoptive father with a pleading stare. "...Hank?"

"I'm right here. What do you need?"

"...I'm... sorry. I shouldn't... have snapped at you."

"Kid, you're mad. You have every right to be angry, but don't be sorry for feeling what you're feeling."

"I was... an idiot."

"Well, I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong on _that_ one." Sitting down on the edge of the bed again Hank sighed and pressed the back of his left hand to the left side of Connor's neck. "Wandering around in a blizzard is never a good idea, Connor. That was damn foolish."

"...I know."

"Same with getting pissed off at Lucas."

"I know... that too." Connor coughed again and felt like his chest was burning from the chronic coughing. "...Is he... still here?"

"Yeah, kid. He's here. He won't be going anywhere until you're well again."

"...I want to... apologize to hm."

"Sleep first. Then you can say everything you need to say. AND," patting Connor's left shoulder once Hank and picked up the medicine bottle containing the fever reducer and popped two of the pills into Connor's left palm. "you're going to see a doctor as soon as it's safe to drive anywhere."

"But I-"

"Save it." Hank pointed to the pills and watched Connor slowly pop them into his mouth. "You walked around in a blizzard without a coat, so think of this as a fitting punishment for doing something so reckless."

Swallowing the pills with a grimace Connor took in a deep breath and asked Hank a very important question. "...Which hospital?"

"You want to avoid 'her', don't you?"

Without a word Connor conveyed the truth with a simple glance.

"We don't have to go there if you don't want to. I promise."

Coughing again Connor wrapped his arms over his sore chest and breathed slowly while Sumo pressed his chin down firmer against his stomach.

"Take it easy, son. You need to rest and we'll deal with this mess later on."

"...I don't want... to see her." The sick man stated in a hoarse voice. "It's... too much."

"I get it, kid. Don't worry about it anymore. Try to sleep." The blizzard outside continued to dump snow on the city and the powerful wind chilled the entire neighborhood mercilessly. "...And if you can sleep through that noise I'll be damned impressed."

Lucas walked into the bedroom with a mug of warm tea for Connor to drink, and looked almost intimidated to be in his big brother's presence. "...It isn't much, but it should help make you feel better if you wish to drink this, Connor."

Connor looked up at Lucas and lightly grabbed onto his right forearm to keep him from leaving as the deviant put the tea down on the nearby nightstand in the event Connor did want to drink it. "...Lucas. What I said earlier... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Connor." The deviant was too gentle and amenable to hold a grudge against his own family. "...I understand you were stressed out. I didn't take it personally."

Despite Lucas's reassurance Connor could sense his brother was a little wary as he left the room. "...I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"I know, Connor. Rest now, please. You're very sick."

Hank sighed and put his left hand on Connor's shoulder. "He's right. Get some sleep." Standing up from the bed Hank nodded at Lucas to signal the deviant to give Connor some space as they took their leave of the bedroom. "We'll be out in the livingroom if you need anything."

"...Hank?"

Pausing just inside the opened bedroom doorway Hank looked back over his shoulder to Connor behind him. "What is it, son?"

"...Do you think... she's really... my mother?"

"Honestly kid," giving him an uneasy half-smile Hank tilted his head and ran his right hand through his hair. "I think she is. I really do."

* * *

Two days passed before the streets were clear enough to travel again. Lucas had gone back to New Jericho Tower to take care of the deviants seeking shelter at the sanctuary during the storm. Connor coughed harshly into the bend of his left arm as he waited for the new antibiotics he had received from Dr. Wilson to kick in, and help his system fight off the confirmed pneumonia. Despite the doctor's advice to stay in the hospital after developing a fever of one-hundred and three degrees Connor refused to be admitted, and was ready to hail an autonomous taxi to bring him home if he had to. Hank wasn't thrilled with Connor's choice but it was just that, his choice.

Keeping the heat cranked up as high as it could go Hank watched as Connor coughed and shuddered from his severe illness in the passenger seat beside him as they drove back home. "I wish you would've stayed for at least one night until the antibiotics kicked in enough to bring down your fever."

"...No." Connor cleared his throat and took a deep painful breath. He was wrapped up in his leather jacket over top of one of Hank's old and oversized D.P.D. hoodie, had a scarf wrapped around his throat, a thick pair of black leather gloves and his black woolen beanie pulled down over his hair. "I hate hospitals."

"I do too. But you have _pneumonia_, not a cold." Pressing right hand over Connor's forehead Hank sighed and shook his head. "And your fever is still really high."

"I can sleep it off. I've been through this before."

Hank dropped his hand and gave the young detective a somber stare. "You've had pneumonia before?"

"...Yeah. Twice."

"When?"

"...First time I was six and the school nurse called 'him' to let him know I was sick. He didn't care and didn't get me from school. And the second time I was fifteen, and living alone. That time I went to a free clinic to get diagnosed."

"Wait, at age six you were left to suffer with pneumonia by yourself?"

Connor nodded a little where he sat and sighed deeply. "...And tonsillitis a few times. I also have a couple of migraines when I started going through puberty."

"Shit. You're a whole new level of stubborn, do you know that?"

"I do now."

"Smartass." Sighing at how pale Connor's face was, the sheen of sweat forming on his skin and the dark circles under his eyes Hank wanted to turn the car around and check Connor into the hospital, even if that meant he had to drag Connor through the doors kicking and screaming in order to do it. "When we get home you're staying in your room and sleeping all damn day. Got it?"

Feeling horribly exhausted Connor nodded weakly, and sighed to himself. The faint movement made his aching chest throb courtesy of his frequent and painful coughing fits. "That won't be a problem."

"I'm calling off of work until you're well again."

"...You seem to be unwell yourself."

"Headache a stuffy nose. I don't have a fever or double lung infection going on like you do."

"I'll be okay by myself for a while. I'll be sleeping all day long."

"You're NOT staying by yourself when you have pneumonia, kid." Pulling the car up the driveway beside the house Hank turned off the engine and motioned toward the backdoor. "Go lay down and get some rest. I'll bring you something to-"

"It's okay, Hank." Opening the passenger door of the car Connor slowly got out and balanced clumsily on the slick surface of the driveway before making his way up to the backdoor to go inside the house.

"...Shit."

Sluggish and tired Connor obediently went into his bedroom with Sumo trailing him every step of the way. After he removed his jacket, hoodie, hat, gloves, scarf, shoes and then replaced his jeans with much more comfortable sweatpants, he buried himself under his thick quilt and curled up on his right side to get some sleep. A side effect of the antibiotics, as well as a symptom of such a severe infection, included fatigue and Connor was ready to indulge in that particular feeling.

Sumo plodded into the bedroom and jumped up on the foot of the bed to curl up alongside Connor once more to keep him warm and protected.

Wandering inside the house with a somber demeanor Hank realized that even though Connor was sorry about being a jerk to Hank and especially for saying that Lucas wasn't his brother, he was still upset about everything that happened. Whether or not that particular upset included anger and lingering mistrust he would have to wait and see over time.

Peering inside Connor's opened bedroom doorway he saw Connor laying on his right side with his back to the door already asleep. "Poor kid. Feel better."

* * *

Two hours of peaceful sleeping was interrupted by an annoying and unexpected phone call from Captain Fowler to Hank. Answering the phone Hank plopped down on the couch and sighed angrily at the prospect of going back to the precinct while Connor was still so sick, and needed to have someone watching over him as he rested.

"No way, Jeffrey." Hank refused in a gruff, loud tone of voice. "Connor's down with a bad lung infection. I'm NOT leaving him alone."

'_Hank, there's a huge influx if "red ice" on the streets again_.' Captain Fowler sounded edgy but not angry with his Lieutenant. '_You're the ONLY one who has enough experience with getting this shit off the street in a quick and efficient manner_.'

"Let Gavin or Chris head up the investigation. They both had additional training in the narcotics division, so let them use it."

'_Don't make me order you to do this_.'

"You do and I'll take my sorry ass over to H.R. myself and remind them that my partner and I were on sick leave when you ordered me to drive through a fuckin' blizzard and leave my sick partner alone. As much as they hate me for my own problems I think they'll hate _you_ even more for _instigating_ a problem with_ me_."

'_Alright, alright_. _You don't have to come to the precinct_. _Can you work from home_?'

"You want me to bring down a DRUG RING from the comfort of my own home?"

'_I want you to look over the evidence and see if you can find a pattern_. _If you do sent it to Reed's desk and I'll tell him to go check that shit out_. _Deal_?'

"As long as you don't call me again then yeah, we have a deal." Ending the call Hank threw his phone into the recliner away from himself with an irritated huff. Walking over to his laptop on the desk in the corner of the livingroom, and logged onto his terminal. "What kind of sick day is spent working?"

* * *

From down the hallway Connor had overheard Hank speaking on the phone, and the name 'Jeffrey' being snarled at. Rolling from his side and onto his back he coughed a little, and noticed the small serving tray holding a bowl of warm chicken soup and a glass of water on the table beside his bed, which meant Hank had checked on him as he slept without disturbing him. Sitting upright slowly Connor felt and watched the somewhat cool washcloth fall from his forehead onto his lap after moving about.

"I must still be running a fever." Pressing the back of his left hand against his own forehead Connor could feel the lingering fever and sighed with great irritation. "I hate being sick."

Sumo whimpered sympathetically as he pressed his chin down against Connor's right knee and stayed beside him.

"I'll be okay, boy." Rubbing Sumo's ears with his right hand and coughing into the bend of his left arm Connor slowly swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood upright steadily. As soon as his feet touched the cold hardwood floor of the room Connor shuddered and contemplated putting his shoes back on to keep warm. "...I also hate the cold."

Again Sumo whimpered as Connor clumsily walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom across the hall. Taking a moment for himself Connor washed the sticky sweat from his face and the back of his neck with a damp cool washcloth. Glancing at his pale face in the mirror Connor took the digital thermometer from within the medicine cabinet, and placed the device in his mouth. It 'beeped' ten seconds later and he sighed at the still high number.

"One-hundred and two point two. Shit."

Washing off the thermometer in the sink he put it back in the medicine cabinet, and stumbled out of the bathroom and down the hallway toward the livingroom. Catching a glimpse of Hank working at his laptop and seeing a blur of 'red ice' documents on the distant screen Connor stayed quiet, and made his way into the kitchen. Knowing he needed to eat but didn't have any appetite Connor chose to make some dry toast, and put a kettle of water on the stove to make some tea in order to keep his strength up.

Hank had heard Connor messing around in the kitchen and went to see how he was doing. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I was. Then I heard you on the phone."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Seeing that Connor was making himself something to eat Hank crossed his arms over his chest and gave the younger detective an odd look as he joined Connor in the kitchen. "There was something already placed down on your table beside your bed so you didn't have to get up and do this."

"I know."

"Stomach upset?"

"No appetite." The kettle came to a boil and Connor pulled it from the stove. Putting a tea strainer with peppermint tea into a white mug Connor poured the now hot water into the mug, and let the tea leaves steep for a moment. "This is all I can eat at the moment."

"Oh." Watching as Connor used the surface of the counter beside him to keep his balance Hank tried to keep the sick detective talking so he could get an idea how ill he really was. "There's a new flood of 'red ice' hitting the streets. Looks like I'll be busy when we get back to work."

"You'll handle it."

"Thanks for the bode of confidence, but I think it'd be easier to handle with the help of my partner."

"I'm more interested in dealing with deviant cases, not drugs." Picking up his mug and putting the warm toast on a small plate Connor took the chosen items back to his bedroom so he could keep resting.

Watching Connor clumsily walk back down the hallway without so much as a spark of interest on a new case made Hank himself feel sick. "Damn it."

Laying back down on his bed Connor stifled another cough and took in a slow calming breath to keep himself from coughing violently anymore. Sipping at the tea he picked up his phone and began searching through a few details he had uncovered from his own investigation into the mysterious woman, who now claimed to be his mother, and picked up where he had left off.

As the day gave way to evening Hank went to check on Connor and noticed him working on his phone and grimaced. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"You're working on a case despite being ill as well."

"I'm not-"

"I know." Connor interrupted bluntly before Hank could finish his statement. "I'm sicker than you."

"Right. And you should be sleeping." Putting his right hand to Connor's forehead Hank sighed himself and proceeded to pick up the untouched tray of now cold soup from beside the bed to take from the room. "You need to take it easy."

"I'm fine."

"You're not. Rest."

"I am resting."

"No, you're not. You may be laying down but you're not resting."

"Hank, I'm fine."

"Connor, you don't have to take care of yourself like this anymore. I'm here to help you, and so is Lucas."

"I said 'I'm fine'."

Knowing that Connor wasn't going to back down Hank relented and decided to give the still irritated young man some space. "...Right. You won't need another dose of medication for another hour. I'll be back-"

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

"I'm going to worry because you're my kid. So stop being so damn stubborn with me."

"It's nothing personal."

"Sure as Hell feels like it is."

"I assure you, I'm not doing this offend you."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because I don't need to be protected and sheltered from the world. I can handle truth and facts, but I can't handle being lied to."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry for doing that investigation behind your back?"

There was a brief pause before Connor answered the question with a blunt answer. "...I imagine you'll being saying it until I believe you."

"You don't _believe me_?"

"No." Glancing up at Hank briefly Connor sighed as he put aside his phone, and laid back down to curl up on his right side again. As he coughed deeply a few times he pulled the quilt up over his head and closed his eyes. "...I don't believe you."

"...I am sorry, Connor. Please remember that and believe me." Hank wanted to grab onto Connor's shoulder and make the sick man look at him and yell in his face that he was truly sorry, but he decided that the last thing he needed to do was push the ever stubborn young detective any further. Quietly he took his leave of the bedroom and cleaned up the mess in the process. Putting the tray down on the kitchen counter Hank ignored the throbbing ache in his head and muttered to himself coldly. "I'm not going to lose another son."

* * *

Sure enough after an hour of peaceful sleep passed Connor was awoken by the alarm on his phone, though it took a few seconds for him to hear the alarm chiming, and proceeded to stumble out of his bed where he promptly fell to his hands and knees on the hard floor. As he fell Sumo barked once and jumped down from the bed as he pressed his cold, wet nose up against the side of the sick man's neck as if checking on Connor to make sure that he was okay after his graceful tumble.

"...I'm-" Coughing harshly Connor fought to breathe and could feel his whole body trembling from weakness. Pushing himself up from the floor he used the wall to guide himself out of the bedroom, down the hallway and into the kitchen. Continuing to use the kitchen table and countertops to balance Connor located the bottle containing his medication near the sink and struggled to get the lid off the bottle. "Come on... Open."

Hank had heard Connor fall in the bedroom but didn't do anything as a means of trying keep some space between himself and Connor. As he watched the sick detective stumble down the hallway, into the kitchen and now fight to open up a small plastic bottle from his corner in the livingroom Hank decided he needed to help Connor regardless of the younger detective's foul mood. Joining Connor inside the kitchen Hank stood back and observed the small struggle of sick hands fighting against a childproof cap.

"Fucking-" Connor coughed again causing him to drop the bottle on the floor which in turned caused the lid to pop off, and scatter the pills all over the linoleum surface. As his strength suddenly left his legs Connor to fell to his knees again and tried to catch his breath while also picking up the pills one at a time to recollect in the now empty pill bottle. "...Shit."

Without a word Hank knelt on the floor beside Connor and pressed his right hand over Connor's forehead. "Fuck, you're burning up."

"I'm-" Connor coughed again and fell forward onto his hands, dropping the collected pills in the process.

"Damn it, kid." Hooking his hands under Connor's arms Hank pulled the sick detective up to his feet and then wrapped his left arm around Connor's waist to drag him out of the kitchen at his left side. "I don't care if you're pissed at me anymore. You need to let me help you."

Connor couldn't respond or even try to refuse Hank's help since his voice was stolen by his current violent coughing fit.

Hank dragged Connor into the bathroom and sat him down on the edge of the bathtub before throwing a clean washcloth under the cold tap in the sink. "Stay there."

Coughing and gasping for breath Connor couldn't do anything but sit where he was placed and be miserable.

"I know you can't talk right now, but as soon as you can pop these pills in your mouth I'm going to take you back to the hospital."

"N-No." Connor managed to choke out between his coughs.

"Don't be stubborn. This is a serious infection and it can _kill_ you."

"...I've survived worse." The words were hoarse but audible as the coughing fit ended, and Connor managed to finally take the medication as Hank dropped two of the previously dropped pills into Connor's right palm. Putting his left hand to his sore chest Connor watched through bloodshot eyes as Hank wrung out the cool washcloth, and pressed it to his overheated forehead. "I can do it again."

"I know that, kid. But I don't want to see you suffer."

"Then leave me alone."

The request was as painful for Hank to hear as it was for Connor to say between coughs. Sitting down on the edge of the tub next to Connor for a moment Hank kept his right hand against the washcloth as he held it to the stubborn younger detective's forehead. The moment was painfully reminiscent of the night Connor took care of Hank after he began going through alcohol withdrawal, and resisted being helped. Hank had tried to push Connor away but the bullheaded, then-deviant, refused to do so. In the end Hank was grateful to have someone stay beside him as he suffered for his own stupidity. Now it was Hank's turn to repay the kind gesture; not because he felt like he owed Connor, but because he just wanted to be there for him.

Steeling himself for an angry outburst Hank refused to go and let Connor be alone. "Not this time."

"...What?"

"Come on, you need to get cooled off before you get any worse."

"Just leave me-"

"No." Turning on the water in the bathtub Hank adjusted the temperature and pointed to the pouring water with a stern glance in his eyes. "Cool off or I'm calling an ambulance to take you to the hospital."

"I don't need any help."

"_Right now_ _you do_."

"I can take care of myself!" Coughing again Connor leaned forward and curled his arms around his chest as the coughing fit ached his ribs and his already strained lungs.

"Yeah, you can. But that doesn't mean you don't need help from time to time." Glancing over his shoulder toward the shower Hank took a deep breath and grabbed onto Connor's arm again. Hefting the sick detective up from the edge of the bathtub as he climbed inside the cool water and pulled Connor in alongside him. "Come on."

Connor couldn't protest while he was still coughing. Grabbing onto Hank's t-shirt with both hands Connor shuddered and tried to shy away from the water, but he couldn't move. With a quick flick of his wrist Hank turned on the shower and stood in place as the water stopped pouring out of the faucet and came barrelling down the shower head instead.

As the warm water hit his back Connor coughed again and hunched his shoulders against the chill creeping up his spine as his shirt became soaked through very quickly. "Let me go!"

"I know it sucks but stay under the water."

"Let-" Coughing again Connor slipped forward and pressed his too warm forehead against Hank's chest as Hank held Connor upright with a firm grip on both of his upper arms.

"Hey, sit down." Hank guided Connor down so he could sit on the bottom of the tub and stay under the water. As the two detectives knelt in the tub Hank brushed his wet locks of hair back out of his eyes and then did the same to Connor. "I'm not going to watch you get put on a damn ventilator because you can't breathe, son. I _won't_ watch that again."

That comment struck a chord with Connor and held his attention "...Again?"

"Cole. He was only eight months old and nearly died from being sick with pneumonia." Hank kept staring off into nothingness as he put his left hand to the back of Connor's wet hair, and gently rubbed his fingers through the dark locks. "Barb and I were scared out of our minds, and I NEVER want to see my son like that ever again."

Connor began to wheeze a little as he lifted his head and could see that Hank was talking about a horribly dark memory from his past. As his bloodshot soulful brown eyes locked onto Hank's blue eyes he could see the pain behind Hank's sincere words, and now understood why Hank was being so overprotective of him. Hank really did see him as his son, and he really did care about him.

"...Hank, I..." Fighting to speak through his gasping breaths Connor could feel his entire body trembling and his weakened state wearing him down. "...I'm sorry." Warm tears formed in his eyes and fell down his face, but the tears were lost in the cascading shower overhead. "And I... forgive you."

"It's okay, son." Pulling Connor's head down until his forehead was resting against his left shoulder Hank spoke to him with complete understanding in every syllable. "We both have a lot emotional shit to deal with. I won't snoop around behind your back anymore, and you don't hold grudges against me anymore."

"It wasn't... a grudge."

"Then what was wrong? Why were you so pissed off?"

"It's just... I can't stop myself from trying to compare... I know you're not 'him' but I can't-"

"Hey, it's okay." Hank reached his right behind Connor and turned off the water while keeping his hand on the back of Connor's hair. "I get it. It's hard to move on after someone fucks you up so bad."

"And I can't stop thinking about... If she really is my mother-"

"Hey, one thing at a time. Okay?" Hank didn't want Connor to start obsessing over things again, especially since he was so sick. "Focus on taking care of yourself, and letting go of your resentment."

"But you're right. ...I shouldn't have taken out my anger on you or Lucas."

"That's for damn sure." Hank wasn't thrilled with Connor's attitude but he understood why Connor was so angry. Grabbing a nearby towel he used it to gently dry off Connor's damp hair as the young detective remained in a kneeling position in the bathtub. "I know you apologized to Lucas but he's still keeping his distance from you for a while."

"...I don't blame him."

"Once you're well again you can sit down and talk with Lucas in person, alright?"

"Yeah. We should talk, and I need him to know I was sincere with my apology. He_ is_ my brother... No matter what happens."

Hank put his right palm back to Connor's forehead and held it there. "You're feeling cooled off, now. If your fever breaks in the next forty-eight hours I'll give you more space. But how do you_ really_ feel right now? Don't deny you feel rotten."

"I feel... exhausted."

"Good. Then you'll fall asleep and stay asleep for the rest of the night." Helping Connor step out of the bathtub Hank guided the ill younger detective back to his bedroom and helped him to sit on the foot of his bed for a moment. Sumo cuddled up around Connor's back and put his chin down on Connor's left thigh as he wagged his tail slowly, and kept his sick master company. "Change into some dry clothes and get some more sleep. I'm going to send an e-mail to Reed so Fowler stays off my back about that damn 'red ice' case. Then _I'm_ going to go to sleep before I drop dead from a massive headache."

"...Do you need anything, Hank?"

Shaking his head a little Hank threw some clean clothes he had taken from the closet at Connor and headed toward the opened bedroom door. "I'll be good with a couple of aspirin. You need to rest, and stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself. Sleep it off and let your body heal."

Connor managed to give Hank a weak grin and sighed tiredly as he picked up his dry clothes in his right hand. "...Thank you."

"No problem, son. Just get better and we'll forget about all this weird shit for a while. Got it?"

"...I got it. That's probably best for everyone."

_**-next chapter-**_


	22. Shadows Into Light

Due to the severity of his infection Connor's recovery was rather slow, but it was progressing at a consistent pace. Once his fever broke entirely Connor was able to walk about the house without coughing too harshly or getting dizzy when he stood up. As he healed physically he began to heal mentally as well as he came to terms with his unusual and bleak past. For the first time in his life since he could remember his childhood Connor had someone taking care of him while he was sick, which assuredly aided Connor's overall recovery.

The fear of being alone, the fear of dying alone, was gone. Connor realized that Hank really was going to be there to watch his back, and was going to be there as the family he never had.

Sitting on the couch with his laptop opened and on his lap and his glasses over his eyes Connor managed to catch up on his reports at the precinct, and assist in cases that had begun to pile up in his absence. As he typed away on the keyboard Sumo grumbled and rested his chin on the couch cushion beside the young detective and stared up at him expectantly.

"Outside?" Connor asked without needing to look at Sumo directly.

Sumo wagged his tail excitedly and lifted his head up from the couch.

"Okay, let's go." As he set aside his laptop onto the coffee table before him and showed Sumo to the backdoor in the kitchen Connor heard the front door opening, and turned to see Lucas walk inside with a plastic bag of groceries in his hand. "Hey, Lucas."

"Connor." The deviant seemed a little hesitant to step foot inside the house as he was still wary of Connor's angry demeanor. "I wanted to check in on you and bring a few items to aid your recovery."

"Thank you."

"I spoke with Hank while he was on his lunchbreak, and he let me know that you were recovering well."

"I am." Connor confirmed as he closed the door and walked over to his little brother to speak to him directly. "I appreciate all your help."

"Of course. I'm happy to help you."

"And I am sorry for what I say to you before. You _are_ my brother, I was just angry and I had no right to take it out on you. I'm very sorry."

"I know you are, Connor." Lucas showed no sign of ill will toward his big brother. "You've already apologized to me."

"But you're still nervous around me."

"I'm not nervous around you, I'm merely... empathetic. I believe that is the correct term."

"Empathetic how?"

Lucas gave Connor a somber glance as he placed the grocery bag down on the kitchen table and answered his big brother's question. "When you told me that I wasn't your brother I felt a strange sense of isolation. I've known you since the moment I deviated and you helped me come to terms with being a deviant. The idea of not having you as my big brother was oddly unsettling." Shaking his head a little Lucas went into further detail. "And that's when I realized that the feeling of having no one to rely on as either a friend or family member is the only feeling you had while growing up. It's... horrible."

"I'm okay now, Lucas. I have you and we have Hank." Coughing a little Connor pressed his right palm against the center of his chest. "...Neither of us will be alone anymore."

"You're right." Lucas ran a scan over Connor's body and noted the lingering congestion in his lungs and slightly elevated heart rate. There was no sign of fever but Connor looked a little pale and he had dark bags under his eyes as his heart beat a little faster than normal. "You seem like you are exhausted."

"I'm tired but not exhausted. I've been working on the couch and only just got up to let Sumo outside."

"Have you eaten anything?"

"Not since this morning before Hank left. A cup of tea and dry toast around seven."

"It's currently four fifty-six. You haven't eaten anything in over nine hours."

"...You're right."

"You can't ignore meals while you're sick." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder Lucas guided his brother back to the livingroom to sit down again on the couch. "I'll make you something that won't upset your stomach."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to." Discreetly Lucas slipped his hand from Connor's shoulder and over to the left side of his neck to count his pulse. "Hank also told me you are cleared to return to the precinct tomorrow and will be confined to a desk for another week. Don't do something that would accidentally undo all your hard work to get well."

Connor couldn't argue with his little brother's logic. The last thing Connor wanted to do was get sick again and be stuck inside the house for another week while everyone else was busy working at the precinct. Relenting in his independent stubbornness Connor allowed Lucas to help him during the final few hours of his recovery before he'd return to the precinct the following day.

* * *

Dressed in his usual work uniform with his leather jacket over top of his gray suit jacket, and a dark blue scarf around his neck, Connor followed Hank inside the precinct and over to their desks in the bullpen. It was business as usual save for the rarely seen abundance of cases on Connor's desk that the dedicated young detective had failed to begin due to his illness. Connor managed to finish his previous reports and submit them as necessary, but the new cases required his immediate attention.

"It seems violence against deviants has increased during the winter time this year." Connor observed as he sat down and removed the scarf from around his neck, then unzipped his leather jacket. "I was hoping the violence would tone down now that a year had passed since the Revolution."

"Nope." Hank turned on his terminal screen and gave his partner a wary glance. "Winter time is the worst time for violent crimes."

"How so?"

"Well, aside from thieves trying to steal shit and breaking into houses you have the asshole who gets cranky from the cold, and take it out on anyone who gets to close or even looks at 'em wrong. It was even worse the winter before the Revolution since people were knocking down and mugging androids who were running errands for their families during holiday craziness."

"Yeah, I'd imagine deviants now willing to fight back against would-be muggers would create a thick tension throughout the city."

"Yup. Remember, you're riding that desk for another week until you're not coughing anymore, so don't plan on fighting off muggers in the streets."

"I remember."

"Good. Did you think about what you wanted to do for Christmas?"

"Huh? Oh, no." Connor turned on his own terminal screen and began glancing through the cases awaiting his attention. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking about that."

"No problem. We'll think of something to do in time."

"...Interesting."

"What's up?"

"There's a report of a deviant working at a daycare center getting assaulted by someone claiming to be a parent to one of the children at the center."

"That sucks, but why is it interesting?"

"The deviant recognized the man as the father to one of the children, but the father had lost all custody over his daughter due to a horrible divorce. The mother and daughter left Los Angeles to move out here over a year ago, and the mother had taken steps to change her identity in the process of the move. The fact that the father tracked down the daughter after such steps were taken is indicative of someone leaking sensitive information."

Hank's blue eyes narrowed as he decided that the case in question was far more important than anything else that had come his way. "Where's the deviant who had been assaulted?"

"New Jericho Tower seeking repairs."

"What about the woman and her daughter?"

"...They were taken to a hospital for observation and protection."

"Which one?"

Connor gave Hank a wary glance but didn't say anything further.

"Oh. THAT hospital." 'That' of course referring to the hospital where Connor's supposed mother works as a volunteer. "You said they 'were' at the hospital. Are they still there?"

"No." The young detective's demeanor softened considerably. "It looks like the mother and daughter are at New Jericho Tower as well. It's the perfect place to keep them safe."

"Whose idea was that?"

Connor's brow arched a little as he gave Hank the answer. "...It was North's idea."

"North, huh? I guess she has a soft spot for women in distress; deviant and human alike."

"I think you're right about that."

"Alright, I'll head out to New Jericho and interview the witness."

"Hank, I know I'm supposed to refrain from field duty but I believe an interview with a witness inside of a warm building will be alright."

"Yeah? I guess you're right. Besides," Hank got up from his desk and patted Connor's right shoulder once. "if you're with me at the tower then I'll know for sure that you're not going to try to go that extra mile and handle some fieldwork out in the cold again."

"You make it sound like I'd sneak around or something."

"You aren't sneaky, son. You're _stealthy_."

Giving Hank an amused smirk Connor replaced his jacket and scarf as he walked at Hank's left side toward the front doors of the precinct. "I won't argue with that one."

"Yeah, I figured you'd like that."

* * *

The arrival at New Jericho Tower was uneventful and the two detectives were greeted by Josh who promptly escorted the duo to the arboretum where the assaulted deviant, the woman he was protecting, and her daughter sat together enjoying the serenity of the beautiful garden that the deviants of the tower had created. While the assaulted deviant stayed with the woman her young daughter was playing in the flowers with Simon, who seemed more than happy to have a small child to take care of again, and she had Skye to chat and play with, too.

Hank motioned to the woman with a subtle nod and addressed Connor in a low voice. "You talk to the woman and the deviant. I'm going to observe from a distance and I'm going to see how the little girl reacts to male strangers."

"You're checking to see if she is afraid of her own father. Aren't you?"

"Yup." Confirming Connor's suspicions Hank made his way over to where the little girl was playing with her new deviant friends. "I get the feeling she was taken away before she even met her father, but I want to be sure."

"That makes sense." Pulling the small electronic pad from his suit jacket pocket Connor walked over to the woman and deviant in question to get a statement from the two victims. "This shouldn't take long. I hope."

The assaulted deviant had a plastimetal brace around his right hand and wrist, and a lingering blue tinted bruise around his left eye from being thrown to the ground and struck by the enraged human. As he sat on the small stone bench beside the frightened woman he glanced up at Connor warily but soon recognized him and relaxed within seconds.

"I'm Sergeant Connor Wolf." Connor introduced himself as he showed his badge to both the deviant and the woman. "I'd like to ask you a few questions regarding the assault."

The deviant nodded and willingly complied. "My name is Jordan." Jordan's model was similar to Josh's model save for his eyes being a very dark blue color, and his hair being slightly longer. "And this is Natalie Blackthorne. What do you need to know, Sergeant?"

"You can confirm the identity of the man who assaulted you, correct?"

"Correct. It was Larry Orson." Jordan held up his uninjured left hand to show Connor a holographic image of Larry assaulting him taken directly from a recording of his own memory. "He had attempted to abduct Jenny after Natalie dropped her off at the daycare center. He was unaware that the daycare was informed to only allow Jenny to be taken home by either her mother, or myself."

"When Larry was turned away and saw you coming to get Jenny he lost his temper and assaulted you."

"Correct."

"Miss Blackthorne," Connor spoke softly as he turned his attention to the still shaken woman sitting beside Jordan. "we understand you fled from your home in Los Angeles to protect your daughter and yourself. Do you know how your ex-husband located you?"

"Please, call me Natalie." She kept her tone calm for the sake of her daughter. Natalie had medium length dark red hair pulled back into a neat bun, and cinnamon brown eyes. Her daughter shared the same features, right down to the fair skin and button nose. "As for my ex, I have no idea how he found me. After the divorce I went back to my maiden name, Carlisle, then legally changed it to Blackthorne after I moved into an apartment in Colorado for six months. From there I moved out here to Detroit to get a fresh start away from my ex and his physical abuse. He could slap me around all he wanted, but I wasn't going to let him lay a finger on my baby."

Her story resonated deeply within Connor's mind and he had no doubts that Natalie was determined to keep his daughter safe. "Have you noticed anyone unusual hanging around your current residence, or perhaps even at the daycare center?"

"No. I've told my landlord that I'm hiding from my abusive ex-husband and he was very understanding. He's cautious of anyone who comes near the apartment complex, even delivery men are watched carefully."

"Before you left California or Colorado did you inform anyone of where you intended to go?"

"The only person who knew where I was going was my lawyer from the divorce just to make sure any and all legal matters were settled."

"Can I have your lawyer's name?"

Jordan spoke up and put his left hand on Connor's electronic pad. "Allow me. I have all of the legal paperwork recorded in my memory."

"You were present during the divorce proceedings?" Connor asked as he read over the provided details carefully.

"I was purchased by Natalie just prior to divorce proceedings to ensure someone was taking care of Jenny without the fear of a disgruntled member of the now ex-husband's family attempting to either take Jenny, or provide false accusations of child neglect. I never met Larry and he did not know I existed until I prevented him from trying to abduct Jenny this afternoon."

"Interesting." Turning back to Natalie there was one last critical question to ask. "When was the last time you spoke to your lawyer?"

"Two weeks ago."

"Thank you. We will look into the legal documents to ensure there was no clause or loophole that would allow your ex to gain access to your current address."

"Thank you, Sergeant."

With his needed information Connor looked over toward Hank and saw the gruff detective sitting down on the grass talking to Jenny as the happy little girl giggled and played with the brightly colored flowers all around her. Fortunately it seemed as though the innocent little girl was unaware of her seemingly dangerous father, or of how close she came to being a victim of kidnapping.

"Hank?" Connor approached his partner and offered his hand to help Hank stand back up after finishing his statement. "I have the information we need."

"Cool." Accepting Connor's hand he let Connor pull him back up and then proceeded to brush off bits of grass and pollen from his clothing. Smirking as Jenny offered Simon and Skye some tiny flower rings Hank was happy to see that the little girl hadn't been traumatized. "Have any ideas about what's going on?"

"I have a theory, but I'll need access to a terminal to confirm my suspicions."

"No problem." Hank smiled down as the little girl as she proceeded to make a crown out of flowers and put it on Simon's head while the blond deviant let the little girl have her fun. She then set to work making a flower crown for Skye to wear as well. "Be a good girl, Jenny."

Jenny smiled brightly and waved 'bye-bye' to Hank as the two detectives took their leave of the arboretum to resume their investigation.

Connor gave the small child an odd glance before he stepped back and accompanied Hank to the elevator to take their leave of the tower. "The little girl seems to be happy."

"Yup. She doesn't know anything about her father, and thinks of Jordan as her dad since he takes care of her."

"That's good. She doesn't fear her father and has someone she can trust."

Hank pressed his right hand against the elevator's panel and gave Connor a subtle stare. "Projecting your own childhood onto her?"

"...I suppose so. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, kid." The elevator doors parted and the duo stepped inside. "You can't help it. But in time you'll be able to move on and not worry about the bullshit you suffered from as a kid."

"I hope so." The admission sounded as hopeful as it was desperate. "I don't like my thoughts constantly trailing back to such a dark moment from my past."

"I get that, son. I really do. Sometimes the past can be so relentless it stops us from having a future, but we can still overcome our pain as long as we keep striving for a better life."

* * *

The precinct was relatively quiet as each detective and officer had their own cases to handle, and everyone was determined to not have to pull extra hours in order to enjoy the upcoming holidays. Chris was working solo on his cases before heading back out on patrol, while Gavin and Tina poured over every little detail on their own cases thoroughly. Gavin himself seemed more stressed out than usual, to which everyone just chalked up to him having trouble with the holidays courtesy of his own traumatic childhood, or him having yet another fight with his girlfriend.

Connor's hunch regarding the lawyer and some loopholes had paid off and he was able to confirm everything with the Los Angeles County sheriff's office regarding unlawful practices stemming from Natalie's attorney. With all the information at hand a warrant was issued for Larry Orson, for not only assault against the deviant, but attempted kidnapping, stalking, menacing and bribing a public official. Said public official was Natalie's former lawyer who is bound to be disbarred for his unscrupulous behavior.

"Look at this, Hank." Connor transferred his gathered information from his terminal over to Hank's for the senior detective to see. "It looks like Natalie wasn't the first person to have their personal information given away by this particular lawyer."

"How much did it take for that lawyer to sell out his own client?"

"According to the lawyer's bank statement he received a five-thousand dollar deposit from Larry Orson two weeks prior."

"Geez, that asshole didn't even bother with a fake name. What made the lawyer hand over the information?"

"Apparently Orson convinced the lawyer he had substantial evidence that Miss Blackthrorn was abusing her daughter, and that Orson would hire the lawyer to represent him in court instead of his ex-wife."

"No morals AND dumb. Just great."

"Miss Blackthrorn, Jenny and Jordan are going into temporary protective custody at New Jericho Tower until Orson has been arrested."

"Well, case closed." Leaning back in his chair Hank gave Connor a tired look and put his right hand over his mouth as he yawned. "Let's clock out early since we missed our lunchbreak today. We both need to take it easy for a while longer until this damn cold weather lets up a little."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Come on. It's my turn to cook tonight, and I have something special in mind."

* * *

The two detectives returned home for the evening and enjoyed the warmth of the house that sheltered them from the cold winter outside. Wrapped up in a navy blue blanket on the couch Connor pet Sumo's back as the massive dog sprawled himself over Connor's lap to take a late evening nap and get some attention. Hank was sitting in his recliner with a worn out yellowed book in his hands as the two just enjoyed the peace and quiet of the evening after having finished off their dinner.

Connor put his right hand to his mouth as he coughed a little and then cleared his throat. Doing so he pressed his palm to the center of his chest as if needing to support his breathing as he calmed and the coughing fit ended.

"That cough sounds a lot better than it has been." Hank observed as he glanced at Connor over the top of his book. "How do you feel?"

"I'm a little tired but that will fade as I recover."

"Hopefully all those quesadillas you demolished aren't going to make you feel even more tired."

"Maybe a little." Connor admitted that he may have overeaten that night as his hand moved from his chest over his very full stomach. "I think it's safe to say I prefer Mexican food over everything else I've tried thus far."

"Wait until next spring, I'll take you to an old friend's family restaurant he only runs during the warm months. Trust me, it's the best Mexican food in town."

"Family restaurant?"

"Yup. Third generation restaurant where the recipes are all family made and have been passed down since his grandparents emigrated from Iguala Mexico in the 1950's. I don't know what his family had to do to obtain those cooking skills, but whatever it was I'm pretty damn jealous of it."

"Must be nice to have a place of business that's guaranteed to keep your family financially secured."

Hank smirked a little as Connor adjusted his glasses over his eyes and continued to pet Sumo. "Speaking of family... Did you tell Lucas to join us for Christmas?"

"...No. I didn't even think to ask him."

"It's okay. You still have two weeks. Tomorrow we're going to go through the garage and see what Christmas decorations I have left, by the way. If it's broken we'll replace it, if it's old we can try to restore it."

"Okay, that sounds like it'll be interesting."

From the coffee table Connor's phone began to ring and buzz with an unexpected call. Glancing down at the screen Connor didn't recognize the number but something compelled him to answer the call with a cautious tone to his voice. "Hello?"

'_Connor_,' a familiar female voice spoke up on the line in an almost annoyingly chipper way. '_this is Chloe_.'

"...Chloe." Connor turned to look at Hank as he gave his adoptive father an uncertain glance. "How may I help you?"

'_Elijah requests your presence_.'

"My presence?"

'_Yes_. _He would like to see you for a moment to observe your recovery_.'

"Chloe, I know you're holding something back from me, and I ask that you don't try to play me for a fool." Connor's mistrust of people was now well understood and at times justified. Anything to do with someone who could be as shifty as Elijah Kamski certainly qualified. "What does Elijah really want?"

There was a momentary pause before she replied honestly to Connor's question. '..._He wishes to hire you for your services_.'

"Hire me?" The comment seemed very unusual and the sound of Connor's voice conveyed it perfectly as he spoke. "How so?"

'_It's something that only Elijah can explain_. _Please_. _Will you come to the mansion and speak with him_?'

Taking a moment to think about the offer and to process the odd summons, Connor decided to oblige. After all, Kamski had saved Connor's life and gave him the chance to experience a new life and give him an appreciation for said life. It was the least he could do. "...Very well. When?"

'_Tonight_.'

"Tonight?"

'_Yes_. _Eight o'clock if possible_.'

"Yeah, okay. That works."

'_Thank you, Connor_. _I will inform Elijah of your impending arrival, I'm sure he'll be most pleased_.'

"Yeah... See you soon." Ending the call Connor turned his full attention to Hank and gave him a slightly annoyed stare. "I don't know what's going on with Kamski, but I suspect it's personal."

"Want me to go with you?"

"No. This won't be threatening encounter and I suspect he'd prefer to keep his low profile."

"Well, if he's being weird or doing something illegal you owe him nothing just because his 'magic technology' bullshit brought you out of a coma."

"I'm aware. He isn't above the law."

"Damn straight." Watching as Connor gently pushed Sumo from his lap and left his blanket behind for the massive dog to enjoy, the senior detective was proud of how far Connor had come with his recovery; physically and emotionally, as well as his steadfast dedication as a detective. "Crank the heat in the car and don't stand around the cold for longer than absolutely necessary."

Connor gave Hank another odd glance before he realized it was a paternal reaction not anything personal. "Right, Hank. I'll be mindful of the cold."

* * *

It didn't take long for Connor to drive out to the private residence on the harbor overlooking Belle Isle, and it took him even less time to get out of the car and walk up to the front door of the deceptively simple looking mansion. As his right hand hovered over the doorbell the front door slid open quickly and Chloe greeted him immediately. She looked as she always did, her blonde hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail and she was wearing a tight blue dress. She even had the same vacant smile on her face that all machine androids bore, and it made her presence somewhat unsettling to know there was nothing inside of her as an individual yet.

"Hello, Chloe."

"Come in, Connor." She beamed as she extended her left arm to let Connor inside the mansion. "Elijah is expecting you in his study."

"Right." Stepping inside the far from modest home Connor approached the closed door leading to Kamski's personal study and pressed his right hand to the panel next to the closed door. As the doorway slid open Connor caught sight of Kamksi sitting behind his desk, and saw the bottle of Scotch with two glasses on the middle of his desk. "Kamski. How can I help you?"

"Connor, I'm glad you came here." Kamski noticed that Connor was wearing glasses and failed to contain his amused laugh. "Nice glasses. I have a pair that I still wear from time to time myself. Please," using his right hand Kamski invited Connor to join him at the desk. "sit down. And please, call me Elijah. We're beyond such cold formalities"

Doing as he had been instructed Connor sat down in the chair waiting for him on the opposite side of the desk from where Elijah was already sitting. As he sat down Elijah poured the Scotch into both glasses and slid one toward Connor to take and enjoy. "Thanks, but I don't drink."

"Oh? Personal choice, or personal reason?"

"Regardless of my answer it's not your concern."

"I understand your Lieutenant friend has an issue with alcohol."

"Hank's personal life and vices are none of your concern either." Defensive and unwilling to let anyone mock his family Connor was more than willing to throw a punch if it became necessary. "His sobriety is a great accomplishment, and I will help support him for as long as he needs it just as he's helped me."

"Fair enough." Sipping at his own Scotch with a slow gesture Elijah leaned back in his chair and eyed his invited guest. "I've attempted to cut down myself. I've come to learn that alcoholism is a very potential, very problematic trait in my family."

"Why did you ask for my presence?"

"It's simple my friend." Putting aside the glass of Scotch with indifference Elijah leaned forward again, neatly weaving his fingers together as he pressed his hands to his chin with a greatly renewed interest in the subject in question. "I need your assistance as a skilled detective to locate someone for me."

"To whom are you referring?"

There was a pause before Elijah answered honestly. "...My brother."

"Your brother?" Connor's brow arched as he studied Elijah's face with a cautious skepticism. "You know of Hank's past abuse with alcohol, but you can't locate a member of your own family?"

Elijah smirked at Connor's keen observation. "Good response." Giving him a nod of approval Elijah went into further details. "I imagine someone of your observational skills and deductive reasoning might also know of this elusive family member to which I'm referring. After all, you see him almost every time you go to the precinct."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he knew exactly who Elijah was hinting toward. "...Gavin."

"You've noticed the family resemblance."

"Yes. But I had presumed you were cousins and not brothers."

"Why's that?"

"For one your last names are vastly different." Connor's explained casually without flinching. "Not to mention the fact that Gavin told me of his less than ideal childhood without ever once mentioning his brother."

"That's because we were separated shortly after birth."

"...Twins." Curious and now intrigued Connor processed the information carefully. "You are fraternal twins. His eyes are hazel and your eyes are gray, which is the only true defining aesthetic between you two beyond mild height differences."

"And yet you thought us to be cousins?"

"Gavin never mentioned a brother as I previously stated, only a late sister. And if it was a known fact that you two are in fact siblings and not cousins it would've been either more openly discussed throughout the bullpen during the Revolution, or at the very least would've been mentioned only in passing to prevent gossip from spreading."

"Sounds logical."

"You said you and Gavin were separated at birth. Why was that?"

"Well, from what I've looked into after I was informed of my adoption by my now late parents, I was given up because my biological parents couldn't afford to take care of two children at once. I was born first and taken away, while Gavin was kept by our biological parents. I suppose I was the lucky one in that particular endeavor."

"When did you learn of your adoption?"

"The day after my eighteenth birthday. It was a 'nice' revelation to endure just three months before heading off to university, but I could handle it."

"And do you know of your... uh..."

"My late sister." Elijah understood what Connor was trying to ask without being too cold. "I'm aware of the family tragedy, and of the circumstances revolving around Kim's untimely demise. It was a tragic motivation for me to truly improve android engineering and software to prevent such a horrible event from ever happening again."

"If you know all of this already then why do you need my help?"

Elijah paused for a moment before answering, and took another sip of his Scotch. "I managed to contact Gavin shortly after my- _our_, birthday once I was told about our familial connection. His own foster parents were encouraging him to speak with me but it was tense, even over the phone. When he learned I was working on android technology he became furious. I can understand his anger toward androids regarding our sister and the horrible accident, but I would've thought he would've been more approving since my career choice would_ improve_ the functions of androids to_ prevent_ any accident such as that from repeating itself."

"Your advancements allowed biocomponents to come to fruition as opposed to basic hardware and software that was prone to overheating and viruses. It was deemed impossible until you developed Thirium 310 to fuel biocomponents and keep the actively working biocomponents functioning without fail. It was a revolution in itself, and changed the world for the better."

"That didn't matter to Gavin. He has remained angry at androids because of what happened to our sister, and yet," he was curious as to why Gavin told Connor of the terrible tragedy from his past. "he was willing to confide in you." Elijah's gray eyes narrowed inquisitively as he spoke with Connor. "Why?"

"To be honest his admission happened _after_ I returned to humanity. He told me of his less than ideal childhood as a means of apologizing for his violent outburst at my person in the past. This was after he struck me, and that was when he realized he was being physically violent in the same manner as his... _your_ father, and has been actively trying to refrain from behaving in such a manner ever since."

"I'm aware of our father's misfortune, temper, and of his death. But I haven't found much on our mother."

"...She was checked into mental health asylum and is still there after attempting to take her own life with pills. Gavin will have to give you more information regarding her current status."

"I see."

"Elijah, why ask me for help on this situation? You know where Gavin is, so why not try talking to him in person?"

"Well, to be honest with you I'm afraid to face him."

The admission was a little surprising coming from such an eccentric and seemingly fearless person. "Why is that?"

"My entire life I was an only child and I didn't socialize with other children very well. While my adoptive parents were incredibly supportive and encouraged my interest in mechanics, engineering, technology and biology they didn't do much for helping me adjust to a social life outside of school. And our lives, mine and Gavin, turned out vastly different from one another. We have nothing in common."

"I'm hearing reasons for why you're hesitant to see him," Connor replied firmly but politely. "but no reason as to why you're asking for my help."

"Truth be told, I trust you and you have experience in this matter since you have a brother of your own."

"You're referring to Lucas. How do you know of Lucas?"

"Chloe is a notorious gossip and has interacted with numerous refugees seeking shelter at New Jericho. When I learned of a single 'RK-900' residing in the tower I knew that he was your finished design and wasn't surprised to learn he was also a skilled technician. And considering your affinity toward family I was even less surprised to learn that you two see one another as brothers, even after your return to humanity."

"I've come to learn that blood doesn't make a family, Elijah. Trust and understanding make a family."

Finishing off his Scotch Elijah gave Connor an approving nod of the head. "I suppose that's true."

"If you want to have any form of a relationship with your brother then talk to him."

"I don't know what to say to him. How did you introduce yourself to Lucas?"

"...I restored his memory and gave him a name. From there we just started talking and he developed his own personality based on his own experiences." Connor's brow furrowed a little at the odd questions. "I'm not sure if that's a universal means of forging bonds with family or not, but it worked for me and my own brother."

"I suppose it's worth a try. I don't like that my brother and I are in the same city and have never spoken to one another as such. We're complete strangers with the same face."

"But you know why Gavin's so guarded and cautious around people. I wouldn't push it if he doesn't respond right away."

"Yes, yes. I'm aware of not pushing people so hard you push them away."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply otherwise."

"It's just so strange knowing we're so close in relation yet nothing alike. We don't have a single shared memory from our childhood to fall back on, or to build trust from."

"Why do you suddenly want to form a relationship with him?"

"Let's just say you coming back from the dead and having a new family to take care of you has made the prospect of having a family again very appealing. My adoptive parents died within a year of one another shortly after I went to university. My father suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep, and my mother being so brokenhearted after his passing didn't even try to fight when she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer. Their passing had left me unexpectedly alone the year after I graduated from university, and I only had my mentor to fall back on."

Now Connor was intrigued about family relations, and how they were formed and what made them so strong. "Were you close to your parents?"

"Not as close as we could've been, but yes, we were close."

"How so?"

"My father was an engineer and we would work on models together all year long, and I'd always win first place in my school science fairs because of how often we worked on those kinds of projects. My mom was a chemistry teacher and she loved teaching and she helped me excel in my studies. Unfortunately she couldn't teach me how to be more social, but that's my problem and not hers. I don't blame my parents for my social awkwardness."

"You had a good relationship with your dad through mutual hobby interests, and you had a good relationship with your mom due to your mutual interest in education. That's good to know."

"You and Hank seem to get along rather well." Elijah gave Connor a strange look as he tried to figure out how the two detectives became family. "You seem a little confused by the concept of having a good relationship with one's parents. I know that Lieutenant Anderson treats you like his son, why are you still so confused by the matter?"

Connor paused for a moment before asking another question. "...What was it like growing up with _two_ stable parents?"

"I guess it was, well, stable. I don't really have anything to compare it to."

"Right, sorry." Blushing a little Connor let the matter go. "Inappropriate question."

"It wasn't inappropriate, just unexpected."

Feeling a tad awkward Connor stood up from his chair and prepared to take his leave of the study. "I should return home. If you need any additional help I will do my best to assist you. However I can only encourage you to reach out to Gavin under your own power and speak to him directly."

Elijah watched as Connor reached the doorway of the study before calling out to him. "Connor, take your own advice. If you have a family member you want to form a relationship with start talking to them and don't push them away. Trust me on this, a lack of family can make you feel like you're missing out on something very important and irreplaceable. You will be plagued by guilt and regret for the rest of your life."

Connor paused for a moment to take Elijah's insistence to heart before taking his leave of the mansion. Without uttering a single word to Chloe as he walked outside and returned to the car Connor sat down and turned over the engine as quickly as possible. Cranking up the heat Connor turned on the headlights of the car as he backed the car down the driveway, and pulled out onto the street.

"...I don't want to live a life with regret." He told himself as he returned to the city at a steady pace. "And I don't want to push people away anymore."

As the car neared the heart of the city Connor caught sight of the holiday lights beginning to glow a little brighter and shine with a multicolored glow against the snowy layers that buried the streets, sidewalks and houses. It was a peaceful sight and it made Connor feel at ease. Returning to the city to escape the cold and get back home Connor suddenly found himself compelled to drive down the various blocks and observe the holiday decorations on display, rather than directly returning to the house just yet.

Through his side window Connor watched a family build a snowman in their front yard together while laughing and smiling, and it made him feel good to see. The same could be said as he observed all the bright lights and burning candles creating a warm glow throughout the city. It was only after Connor saw a family excitedly hanging up decorations and lights outside their house did he realize that the holidays were better spent in the company of good friends and family, rather than alone.

"Hank had been without Cole, or any family, for three years before he and I met." A strange twinge of guilt hit Connor like a ton of bricks. "That's why he wants Lucas and I to celebrate Christmas with him. He wants to enjoy the holidays with his family. We're his family." Compelled and determined to ensure that Hank had a good Christmas, something he had been denied due to unfair family tragedies, Connor drove to a nearby store to make a few select purchases. "Hank deserves to have happiness in his life. Everyone does."

* * *

Cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the leftovers in the refrigerator Hank smirked at how much Connor had eaten considering the younger detective had a pretty annoying habit of not eating consistently when he was preoccupied, and made a mental note to keep ingredients for Mexican food in the house at all times. Tossing a small amount of the leftovers into Sumo's bowl the senior detective watched as the massive bundle of fluff checked out the offered treat and wagged his tail happily as he gobbled it up.

"Well, it's official. I'm a good cook."

Washing off his hands in the kitchen sink Hank heard the front door open and a cold breeze blow against his back as Connor returned home. Turning to look at his adopted son Hank was a little taken aback by the sight of Connor lugging a large rectangular cardboard box inside the house at his right side, and then awkwardly placing it on the livingroom floor.

"Uh, Connor?" Dropping the hand towel down on the countertop after dying his hands Hank walked into the livingroom to look over the large box that Connor had placed on the floor. "What's that?"

"That," Connor closed and then locked the front door as he unwound the blue scarf from around his neck. "is a Christmas tree."

Hank shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest as he glanced down at the box. "...You bought a tree?"

"You wanted to go through the garage tomorrow," he explained casually as he unzipped his leather jacket and removed his shoes to leave by the front door to dry off. "and I know for a fact that there is no Christmas tree already inside the garage, so I decided to get one now and save us some time."

Stifling a small laugh Hank looked up at Connor and arched his brow.

"...Did I do something wrong?"

"No, son. You didn't." Dropping his arms from his chest to his sides Hank knelt down on the floor beside the box and looked at the image of the tree on the side of the box. It was a traditional tall and thick green pine tree with multicolored L.E.D. lights already woven through the strong branches. "It was just a little unexpected."

The side of Connor's mouth ticked a little as he decided to tell Hank the truth about his reason for purchasing the tree. "...I'm aware that I've been rather negative and unreceptive toward your attempts to get me to enjoy the holidays, and I wanted to apologize for being so cold."

"Don't be sorry, son. I know it's going be difficult for you to do things you never really had the chance to do as a kid." The empathy in Hank's voice eased the tension rising up from Connor's person. "Sometimes I forget that you didn't have the chance to do something that so many other kids got to do. I guess I shouldn't have kept bringing it up."

"Hank?"

"Yeah?"

Connor knelt down on the floor beside his adoptive father and gave him a warm hug. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"Son, we're family." Wrapping his arms around Connor's shoulder he patted Connor's back a couple of times, but didn't dare break the hug until Connor was ready to let it go. "You didn't give up on me, and you didn't give up on Lucas. There's no way in Hell we'd ever give up on you."

Connor slowly let go of his hug and sunk back on his knees to give Hank an appreciative nod. "I know. I have a good family."

"So did you tell Lucas about Christmas?"

"I sent him a text while I was trying to select a tree at the store. There were... a lot to choose from."

Hank smirked and patted the younger man's shoulder again.

"I informed him that I was purchasing a tree and asked him to help us in the garage tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, son. Lucas is welcome here just as much as we are." Opening up the cardboard box and peeling back the flaps Hank looked down at the brand new dark green synthetic Christmas tree neatly folded up inside the box. "Let's get this tree set up and tomorrow we can start decorating. Sound good?"

"That sounds just fine." Connor nodded and helped Hank to carefully unpack the tree from the box. "Should we be worried about Sumo trying to 'mark his territory' with the tree?"

"Nah, he only tried that once as a puppy but I got him trained pretty quick."

"I've never asked you about Sumo before." Connor realized as he helped Hank to pick up the tree and prop it upright on its attached stand in the far corner of the livingroom. "Where did you get him from?"

"Well, it wasn't planned but it was meant to be." Hank crossed his arms over his chest again and smiled as he picked up Sumo's pillow from the corner of the livingroom to put aside for awhile. "I was working on a bust regarding an illegal puppy mill downtown. There were over sixty pups locked into tiny cages in an old warehouse and it was a pathetic sight. When we kicked down the door and were greeted with frightened puppy whimpers even the most hardened cop was temporarily weakened."

"You rescued Sumo from a puppy mill?"

"Yup. Jeffrey took one of the pups, too. A pitbull he named 'Rex'. Pitbulls get a bad reputation so he took that puppy to ensure it had a chance to have a good life in a decent home. I took Sumo because he was such a massive breed of dog when fully grown that it'd be hard for him to find a home that could put up with his size."

"What did Barbara say when you brought Sumo home?"

"She asked why I didn't bring home ALL the puppies instead of just one."

Connor smirked a little as he looked at the massive dog laying in the middle of the kitchen floor watching them carry the tree over to the corner of the livingroom to be decorated later. "I imagine Cole was happy to have Sumo brought home."

"Yeah, I've never seen a toddler get so excited before, but Sumo was just as excited to be out of that cold cage and inside a warm home. It was meant to be."

"I know how they both feel." Connor admitted as he carefully worked to set up the newly purchased tree without damaging the branches in the process. "I appreciate a good home and the loyalty of a good dog."

"Alright, that looks good for now." Hank stared at the temporarily bare tree up in the corner of the livingroom. The new tree was just begging to be decorated. "Tomorrow me, you and Lucas will get everything else taken care of, and finish with the decorations."

"I'm looking forward to it." Connor's reply was sincere and full of hope. "I actually _want_ to celebrate Christmas this year."

_**-next chapter-**_


	23. Season's Greetings

The following morning the small house was full of activity as the father and two sons trio set about doing their best to decorate the modest home for the impending holidays. Sumo was stretched out over the length of the couch, out of the way, and enjoying the company of the full house. Carefully Hank placed the tree skirt embroidered with Anderson Family names under the tree, then stood back and watched as the brothers set about decorating the tree with the cardboard boxes of lights and old ornaments. Half of the ornaments had been broken due to age and neglect, but the half that survived helped add color and sheen to the otherwise bare tree branches.

"Looks good, boys." Hank complimented as he watched the duo meticulously cover the branches in a balanced manner. "Still has a few bare spots, but you two can fill them out with more ornaments later on."

"Isn't there usually a piece at the top?" Connor asked with an almost childlike innocence.

"Yup. That old star burned out the final Christmas I had with-" Stopping short Hank didn't want to bring up a dreary subject, but he knew the two brothers wouldn't let the subject drop without an answer. "Almost symbolic that my final year with Cole was also the final year that old star lit up. It burned out on New Year's Day, too."

Connor gave Lucas a quiet glance hinting that they should find a suitable replacement for the tree. Despite no longer being able to communicate with Lucas cybernetically the two brothers still seemed to share an almost telepathic bond that made it easy to speak in private.

"Hank," Lucas spoke up in a gentle tone to try to lift his mood. "perhaps Connor and I can find something you'd like as a new tree topper."

"That'd be great, son. As long as it has _something_ at the top then I'll be happy."

Connor's brow furrowed as he noticed the time of day on the small analog clock on the livingroom wall just beside the tree. "Hank, don't you have a meeting at the precinct to attend this evening?"

"Ah, fuck. That's right." Hank rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin and sighed. "Some bullshit mandatory meeting to remind the senior officers what we already know."

"What's the meeting about?"

"The proper procedure on handling 'red ice' and addressing the arrested suspects. I'm the guy who brought down the 'red ice' ring, so you'd think I'd get a lifetime pass on this bullshit. Nope!"

"When is the meeting?"

"Four o'clock on the dot. And knowing the way this shit plays out I'll be gone until almost TEN."

"...A six hour meeting?"

"Yup. The higher-ups are desperate to cover their own asses from any mistakes, and they won't hesitate to drag out a meeting to make sure all their bases are covered."

Lucas tilted his head a little and gave Connor a confident stare. "I have a shift today at noon, in one hour and thirteen minutes. My shift will end at four due to Simon wanting to train other technicians to help the tower remained properly staffed. During that time Connor and I can go out and locate new ornaments and a new topper for the tree."

"Yeah? Sounds good." The senior detective liked that idea very much. "It'd be nice to come home and see a nicely decorated house for once." Shrugging his shoulders a little Hank sighed and pointed to his car keys sitting on the bookshelf on the far wall. "You two take the car. I'll take a cab."

"Why don't we just take a cab?"

"Because I don't trust those cabs to NOT get targeted by thieves. No one looks at that Oldsmobile and think it's loaded up with some nice new things."

"Sound logic."

"You two have your plans," Hank casually strolled toward the hallway to get to the bathroom and shower off. "and I have my own. But you two get the better plans today."

Connor's brow arched a little as he called out toward Hank before the door closed behind him. "But you'll be getting paid while be losing money."

"Smartass."

Once the door was shut and the shower was turned on Connor spoke in a low voice to Lucas to not get Hank's attention. "We have everything we need, right?"

"Yes. I inquired about our scheduled meeting and everything is ready to go. We just need to file the final pieces of paperwork after we get approved."

"Good. That's one less thing I'll need to think about."

"This is a good idea for a gift for Hank," Lucas grinned as he and Connor finished cleaning up the old cardboard boxes and hanging up the final ornaments that survived time and neglect. "don't worry about it."

"I'm trying not to worry, but I can't help but feel like something's amiss."

"Perhaps it's related to a previous childhood memory that hasn't fully resurfaced."

"You may be right about that. I remember much of my past but not everything, or everyone."

"Connor," Lucas sighed and gave his big brother a sympathetic look. "I will never truly know the horrible pain that you endured as a child, but I can confirm that seeing you distressed is very distressing in itself. And I'm certain Hank would remind you that it's okay to walk away from your past and be happy with a new future."

"...Be happy." Nodding a little Connor placed the last of the intact ornaments on the tree and sighed deeply. "You're right, Lucas. I'll do my best."

* * *

The two brothers, twins to anyone who saw them walking around together, set about their errands that afternoon while Hank was at his mandatory meeting. It wasn't difficult to navigate through town or finish their business in acquiring their gift for Hank, but it was surprisingly difficult to locate what they wanted for the tree in the increasingly busy stores after they finished their secretive task. While Connor looked over the tree toppers that lined the shelves Lucas glanced at the various boxes or ornaments, and the specialty ornaments hanging on individual hooks nearby, and managed to much more easily select what he wanted to add to the tree.

Staring at a bright white star that had twelve points encompassing the main body Connor became aware of a familiar presence nearby causing him to glance curiously down the aisle toward the central area of the store. It was the woman.

"...She must be shopping for the children at the hospital." Connor told himself as he turned his back to the woman before she could see his face. Walking down the aisle with his back to the woman Connor almost bumped into Lucas at the end, and saw the six boxes of various colored ornaments neatly stacked up in arms. "It seems you were more successful than I have been."

"Yes, I thought the various colors-" Lucas saw the sudden emotional distress in Connor's eyes, as well as his face now a shade paler than normal. "Connor, are you feeling well?"

"...It's complicated."

"How so?"

Discreetly he turned his head to glance over his right shoulder and saw the woman standing at the end of the aisle looking at the decorations behind him. Motioning for Lucas to turn around and walk away Connor explained things in a whisper. "...That's her."

"She's your...?" Lucas eyed the woman curiously as they walked away from her at a slow pace. She was wearing dark purple scrubs with a 'volunteer' badge pinned to her top under her dark brown coat. She also had her brunette hair pulled up in a neat, professional bun and she holding a warm cup off coffee or tea in her right hand. The deviant couldn't stop himself from running a scan over the woman and then doing the same for Connor. "She _is_. She's your mother."

"I don't know that for certain."

"You don't, but I do."

"...What?" Pausing as he and Lucas entered the neighboring aisle Connor gave his little brother a wary glance. "How?"

"I may not have the same forensic analysis software that you once bore as a deviant," Lucas replied in the same level of a whisper to keep anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation. "but I still have the ability to scan and compare images. I've also downloaded a significant amount of information on human biology and anatomy since your return to humanity."

"Lucas, _how_ do you know she's telling the truth?"

"Aside from the same hair color, eye color and skin complexion, you have the same ocular and nasal structure of her own face. Essentially, you look like her."

"...I guess that's better than looking like 'him'."

Sensing the building stress in the air Lucas decided it was time to head home. "We should leave now."

"...No." Shaking his head a little Connor disagreed and gave his little brother a vaguely reassuring stare. "We just need to finish picking up our items and then we can head home."

"Are you certain that's what you really want to do?"

"Huh?"

"You keep fidgeting with your hands but you're not using your coin to focus your thoughts." The deviant noted with a keen eye. "You are attempting to control your nervous tic which means you are currently making a very conscious effort to make a difficult decision."

"...Lucas, I want to speak with her." The confession was unexpected yet understandable. "But I don't know what to say."

"Oh. I certainly can't help you there." Lucas gave Connor a slight grin as he began backing toward the front registers of the store. "I don't know what one says to a mother, either."

"Let's just get what we need and leave." The young detective decided as he quickly peeked around the corner of the aisle, saw that the woman was no longer there, and grabbed the shiny star he had been eyeing before he had become distracted by the woman's presence. "I'll worry about her later."

"Of course, brother." Watching as Connor made his selection and walked toward the front register with Lucas at his side. "Don't do anything you're not comfortable doing."

* * *

With their shopping completed the two brothers paid for their items and hastily exited the store to pack up the car and leave. Sitting at a red light in rather dense traffic Connor stared off into space and let out a tired sigh while his thoughts continued to race. As he leaned back in the driver's seat Lucas put his left hand on his brother's right shoulder and tried to ease his often too empathetic big brother's emotional duress. It wasn't going to be an easy task but, like Connor, Lucas could be just as stubborn and focused when necessary.

"Do you wish to talk?"

There was a brief pause before Connor tried and failed to feign ignorance about the question. "...About what?"

"Your mother."

"Lucas... I don't know what to say at all."

"Your mother is the woman you referred to as the 'Nice Lady' who watched you from a distance, which means she cared about you even if it was through indirect contact. You had pleasant memories of her from your childhood, so why don't you focus on one of those positive memories?"

"Because it's like the good memories have suddenly been erased." The red light turned green and Connor pulled through the intersection with the rest of the traffic as he opened up about his past a little. "I know she's a good person. I know she's helped me and has continued to help other people. But knowing that she didn't take any additional steps to protect me as a child... I guess I feel betrayed."

"You know why she did what she did." Lucas reaffirmed in a gentle tone as he scanned and monitored Connor's vitals for any further sign of physical stress that could potentially harm the human. "But you know this through an indirect answer. Perhaps if you speak to her directly rather than receiving any answers through a second source."

"I don't know if I can face her."

"But you _want_ to face her, correct?"

"Yeah." Nodding slowly Connor confirmed the question. "I do."

"Then go and see her."

"...Right now?"

"Yes. You know as well as I that I had misled Hank with my schedule at the tower to cover up us getting his gift, and I still have no schedule to adhere to. Please, Connor. Go to the hospital to speak with your mother for a moment. You need closure from your past if you're going to be able to move on and have a fulfilling future."

"How do you know she-" Connor paused for a moment before taking in a calming breath and letting it out slowly as his skills as a detective took back over his overwhelmed senses. "She was wearing her hospital scrubs under her coat which meant she was shopping while on break. The cup of tea in her hand indicates that she was on a lunchbreak and had chosen to substitute her meal with a lightly caffeinated beverage to save time. "She will be returning to hospital to finish her shift after she finishes her errands."

"You know where to find her. Go see her, brother." The insistence in Lucas's tone was encouraging, not pushy. "I'll wait for you in the car outside. Unless you want me to accompany you inside."

"Inside?" Connor suddenly realized that he had subconsciously driven to the hospital and had pulled into the parking lot. Glancing up at the building warily he turned to look at his little brother and pulled the car into a parking spot to sit for a while. Shifting into park Connor kept the engine running and made sure the heat was still flowing. "...I'm not sure if I should."

"Why?"

"I don't... I don't know how I'll react. The last thing I should do is yell at her or say something offensive in the event I fail to control my emotions."

"Connor you're not the type of person to lash out at someone unless you're trying to push someone away. You're trying to get closer to your mother. You won't harm her."

"...What if I'm more like my father than I realize?"

"Stop." Lucas returned his hand to Connor's shoulder and held tight. "Did you ever stop to consider that maybe there was something positive with your father that attracted your mother to him to begin with?"

Without a word Connor just turned to look at his little brother with an inquisitive gaze in soulful brown eyes.

"I don't mean to pry. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I understand what you're trying to say."

While the two brothers sat in the car talking Connor noticed the woman, his mother, walking up the hospital and back through the front doors with two large department store shopping bags clutched in her hands. She passed through the doors and was greeted by warm smiles from the other staff members showing that she was well liked and respected as a kind volunteer at the hospital.

The young detective watched as the woman who claimed to be his mother walked into the hospital. "...She's here."

"Brother, don't judge her, or_ yourself_, too harshly." Lucas pleaded as he studied Connors uncharacteristically nervous demeanor. "If you're not ready to speak to her, then don't speak to her."

"...No. I'm ready. I just don't know what to say to her."

"You'll think of something."

Nodding a little Connor sighed and unfastened his seatbelt and opened the driver's side door. "...I'll try to not take too much time."

"Connor, don't worry about me. I don't mind waiting. Go do what you need to do and I'll be here for you when you're ready to return."

Taking a moment to steel his nerves Connor stepped out of the car, closed the driver's door behind him and walked toward the front doors of the hospital with his head held high. Passing through the waiting room Connor approached the receptionist's desk and inquired about the woman, of course asking for her by her alias of 'Tamara' to air on the side of caution. Once Connor showed the head nurse his badge she was willing to allow the young detective clearance to look for the woman he needed to speak with.

'Tamara', as she was known, was speaking with a scared five-year-old boy, who was seemingly being prepped for surgery, and handed him a brand new teddy bear that she had just purchased to comfort him. Waiting for Tamara to take her leave of the room under her own volition Connor took in a calming breath and watched as she quietly stepped out of the room to head down the corridor to enter the doctor's lounge.

"...H-Hello?"

Pausing abruptly 'Tamara' turned to see who had called out to her and her chocolate brown eyes went wide with surprise. "...Connor."

"C-Can..." Taking a single step forward Connor wrung his hands together in front of himself anxiously. "Uh, can we talk? Please?"

"Uh, s-sure. Yeah." An uneasy smile appeared on Tamara's face as she motioned for Connor to follow her to the nearby doctor's lounge. "Come with me so we can speak in private."

Connor followed after the woman at a modest distance and accompanied her to the lounge as requested. It was vacant as the nurses had just begun their shift and were busy aiding the doctors in treating the massive influx of flu patients that had been sitting in the waiting room all day long. Against the far wall of the lounge was a long counter and atop of it were three coffee pots; two regular and one decaf, and two warm kettles setting atop of twin hotplates and next to various boxes of flavored tea.

"I'm surprised to see you again. And I like your glasses." Walking over to the counter 'Tamara' picked up the first of the two kettles and poured the steaming hot water into two mugs, then selected two bags of tea from a freshly opened box. "I'm glad you're here, Connor." Placing a spoon in each mug she placed the two items down on the small circular table as she took her seat while the tea began to steep. "I'm not sure what you want to talk about, but I'm very happy to see you all the same."

"...To be honest," Connor sat down on the opposite side of the table from the woman and stared at the mug of offered steeping tea with indifference. It smelled inviting but Connor couldn't let his guard down just yet. "I don't even really know why I came here, but I felt like we needed to talk."

"...You're right." Gently dipping the teabags in the hot water to let them steep more evenly she gave Connor a nervous smile. "What do you want to talk about?"

"To begin I think I should know what I should even really call you." The tone of the young detective's voice was melancholy and low. "You're not 'Alana' or 'Tamara'. Who are you really?"

"No, I'm not those women. My name is Elizabeth. It's been so long since anyone called me by that name that even now it seems... odd. I've been trying to going back to my real name since I don't need to hide anymore, but it takes time to get used to being called Elizabeth again."

"Elizabeth." Connor remembered that Hank had mentioned her name, her _real name_, and was happy to have an honest answer. "You changed your name to hide in plain sight."

"Yes. When your partner spoke to me and addressed me by my real name I realized it was okay to be the real me again. I've asked for everyone to start calling me Elizabeth or even 'Libby' again. It's nice to be the real me."

"...I think 'Elizabeth', or 'Libby', is better than either 'Alana' or 'Tamara'."

"You didn't go out of your way just to ask me about my name, Connor." Pushing the mug of tea toward her son Elizabeth encouraged him to keep talking and asking whatever question he needed to ask. "Please, ask me what you want to know and I'll tell you the truth. All of it."

Fussing with the spoon in the mug of tea Connor broke eye contact with Elizabeth nervously. "...I know why you did what you do, and why you didn't take me with you when you had the chance, but what I don't understand is why you stayed with 'him' for so long and let him do what he did to us, to _me_, without intervening."

"...I guess I was in denial."

"Denial?"

"Connor, I know what you think of your father and I don't blame you one bit. But he wasn't always so cruel and vicious."

"I find that very hard to believe."

"I know." Elizabeth pulled her phone from her pocket, unlocked the screen and brought up some old photographs she had saved to her phone. "Look at this." Showing Connor a photo he glanced at the screen and froze. It was a picture of his parents standing together, smiling. They looked genuinely happy and in love with each other. "This photo was taken the day we moved into the house. And the following week," she swiped to the next photo showing her and Connor's father in a white wedding dress and black tuxedo in the middle of a gorgeous park. "we were married."

"I don't understand. He looks like a nice guy and you weren't afraid of him in the least." It was like Connor was staring into the eyes of a stranger wearing his father's face. "What happened?"

"We were young and still in high school when we decided to marry and move into together. I was going to go to college to study and become a social worker, while your father had been guaranteed a football scholarship. Everything was going great until your father had been injured during a game our senior year of school."

"Injured how?"

"During a game your father was tackled too hard, and it was intentional. The impact broke his spine and he lost his scholarship."

Connor's brow arched a little at the revelation. "...Such an injury would ruin his sports career, education and overall quality of life."

"And without that scholarship Anthony became horribly depressed. At first it seemed like he'd be upset throughout the remainder of high school until he healed, and would be able to go to school on another scholarship for his G.P.A. alone, but the surgery to repair his spine, the physical therapy and temporary paralysis just destroyed him. He felt like he had failed and the constant, uncontrollable pain left him enraged at the whole world."

"...You stayed with him because you hoped he'd recover from his depression and return to being the person you once knew."

"Yes." Tears formed in Elizabeth's eyes as she told her son the story. "I tried so hard to reach out to him but he put up so many walls that there was nothing I could do. And then he began to self-medicate with alcohol. The pain stopped for a while and he seemed like the man I fell in love with, and during those better days we were able rekindle what we once lost and things seemed to get better, that was until his recovery suddenly plateaued. He felt weak, useless and angry again."

Connor stopped fussing with the spoon in the mug and stared at the photos on Elizabeth's phone as she placed it down on the table beside Connor's right hand. One by one he swiped through the photos and watched the lack of light and willingness to fight in his father's eyes build over time. It was heartbreaking to learn that his father had such a promising life and future, only to have it all taken away in a horrible instant.

"You said that he was intentionally injured," Connor noted keenly as he studied the photos. "what do you mean by that?"

"The other team he was playing against was notorious for illegal gambling, point shedding and trying to cripple the competition. When your father had been injured the police officers in attendance at the game had noticed the coach of the other team receiving a massive payout from one of the parents from the same team. There wasn't enough evidence beyond what the cop had seen since there were no phone records or text messages between the two parties involved."

"Is that why the police were so lenient on him whenever he acted out violently? They pitied him?"

"I wish I knew why they looked the other way, but I think that's the answer. Then again, it's possible the cops were just as guilty of illegal betting and didn't want to get in trouble by looking into the act any further."

"...And when I came into the picture," the question was almost as painful to ask as it was difficult. "how did he react?"

"Connor, he was thrilled to know he was going to be a father!" Her words were as sincere as they were enthusiastic. "But, two weeks after we found out about you coming into our lives Anthony's recovery suddenly relapsed, and his pain reached an unbearable level. That was the first time he... hit me."

The comment made Connor's right hand clench into a tight fist as he rested it near Elizabeth's phone. "Why didn't you leave him when he struck you?"

"We barely had enough money to stay in the house, and he refused to let me work because he needed help around the house. When I became pregnant I couldn't help him anymore and he became more and more frustrated. When he hit me I cried and then he began to cry. He truly felt terrible for striking me, but he refused to get help for his anger and pain. I couldn't risk him hurting you, too. So I began putting aside as much money as possible to try to run away just before you were born, but he found the money I had stashed and was convinced I was doing something 'illegal' behind his back, and accused me of cheating on him; selling my body for money. He even went as far as to say you weren't his even though he was the only man I ever loved."

Connor's was enraged by his father's cruel comments and the way he treated his own family, but he didn't let his ire show on his face.

"Don't be mad at your father, Connor. It took me a very long time to finally forgive him and let go of my resentment toward him. And now I remember how much we loved each other and how much fun we used to have together before everything changed. I'll always be haunted by the darkness his shadow cast over us, but he had such a bright light for so long, and now I can finally remember the good times."

"Like what?"

"Our first kiss in sixth grade. Our first dance together in the seventh grade. Holding hands all through high school." Elizabeth began to relax as she spoke of good memories long since passed. "We used to lay out in the grass in the park and watch the stars all night long, dreaming of who we wanted to be, the places we wanted go, of the family we'd someday have. I'll treasure those memories forever."

The comments made Connor relax a little as he heard his mother's calm words. "...Can I ask what made you forgive him?"

Smiling a little nervously Elizabeth gave Connor the honest answer. "Seeing you."

"...Me?"

"Seeing you reminded me of why I stayed with him for so long, and realized that without him the world wouldn't have you in it." Elizabeth showed Connor a photograph of his father smiling,_ truly smiling_, at the sonogram taken shortly after Elizabeth's first prenatal appointment. "He was happy, but the pain took it all away from him. That one horrible night took everything from him, and then another fateful night almost took everything from me, too."

"So my father wasn't always a violent and abusive jerk?"

"No, Connor. Part of the reason I fell in love with him and was willing to take that risk of marrying him and moving in together so young is because he was so kind, compassionate, gentle, intelligent, generous... That horrible night broke more than just his spine."

Connor's heart actually went out toward his biological father for the very time in his life. The horrible memories of the abuse he suffered transitioned from being plagued by unbridled hatred, to misguided anger. It was then Connor finally felt something other than disdain toward his father; he felt pity and empathy. He knew the struggles of overcoming physical limitations and the horrific sense of uselessness during the prolonged recovery period.

It was apparent that Connor had more in common with his father than he ever realized. "...I don't know what to say."

"Connor, don't feel like you owe him or me anything. Just be happy and be yourself." Lightly Elizabeth put her right hand over the back of Connor's right forearm, and he didn't flinch away from her touch. "I know he'd be proud of you just as I am."

Nodding a little Connor looked back at his mug of tea and began stirring it again. "Thank you."

"I guess I should've offered you coffee." She noticed that he hadn't touched the tea at all and felt a little out of place by the gesture.

"No, it's fine. I actually like tea."

"Hope you don't mind it being peppermint."

A faint grin appeared on Connor's face as he looked Elizabeth in the eyes again. "I actually prefer peppermint flavored tea, too."

The same grin shone on Elizabeth's face. "So do I."

"Do... you have anymore photographs I could look at?"

"Y-Yes!" She excitedly opened a new gallery folder on her phone and showed Connor hundreds of photographs she had taken of him as a child, and even had a few of him and her together when he was still a baby in the foster care facility. "I'm happy to share this with you, Connor!"

"...Can I upload a couple of these to my own phone to keep?"

"Yes! Take as many as you like!" Smiling brightly Elizabeth walked back over to the counter again and reached into the cabinet beneath the coffee pots. Her purse had been stored there since she was a volunteer and didn't have her own locker to store personal items elsewhere. "I have more physical copies of the pictures right here." She pulled a thin leather pouch out of the purse and placed it down on the table next to Connor's right hand. "They're worn out, faded and a little torn up, but I can't bear to throw them away."

Connor opened the pouch and let the various photographs slide out and into his palm. "I'm glad you didn't." Many of the photographs were of Connor as a small child playing with the other children in the foster care facility. A few even showed him playing with the little girl who had been his best friend until she was taken by her grandparents and moved away. "...Do you remember any of these kids?"

"Most of them. They all had a sad story but fortunately they didn't always have a sad ending."

"That's good." Flipping through the photographs Connor stopped on an image of himself at age six playing with a neighbor's dog and he felt an odd sense of familiarity. It was a large hound dog that had only three legs, and Connor spent hours playing with the dog since no one wanted to play with a dog that couldn't run as fast as the others. "...I remember this dog. His name was 'Tracker'."

"That's right. He was such a sweet dog and you played with him every chance you had."

"...I've always liked animals."

"Yeah, you got that from both me and your father. He used to volunteer at animal shelters and play with the old or sick animals that were abandoned by their previous owners. Being an animal lover is in your blood."

Smirking a little Connor looked at his mother and looked her in the eyes. "...Tell me about yourself."

"You... want to know about me?"

"Yes. I want to know you as someone beyond a distant memory from my childhood."

Smiling brightly Elizabeth's eyes filled with emotional tears as she nodded a little and tightened her hand around Connor's forearm. "Okay. It's a little strange to introduce yourself to your own son, but I promised that I'd tell you everything and I will. I'll start from the beginning."

* * *

True to his word and exceptionally patient Lucas had been quietly sitting in the car going through cybernetic files at New Jericho Tower when Connor returned at last, after almost two hours of talking with his mother. As he sat down behind the steering wheel of the car Connor took off his glasses and rubbed his hands over his red, teary eyes as he stayed otherwise silent where he sat. There was a heavy emotional tension radiating from his person that emphasized the distress in his bloodshot eyes.

Quietly Lucas scanned Connor's vitals signs and noted the same high levels of stress indicative of his emotional duress. "Connor, can I ask what happened?"

Shaking his head a little Connor remained quiet and kept his right hand over both of his eyes.

"Do you need me to drive?"

"...No." The reply was shaking a little but his overall demeanor was confident. "I can drive."

Thinking quickly Lucas tried to distract Connor's thoughts with something more optimistic. "I received a text message from Hank while you were inside. He confirmed that the meeting would be running late tonight, but we can still begin decorating the tree before he arrives."

"...Do you know when he estimates that he'll be home?"

"Late. Perhaps ten o'clock. Why?"

"Because I need to make one more stop before we head home." Glancing at the time on the car's radio Connor saw he had a five hour window to do what he felt like he needed to do. Replacing his glasses over his eyes Connor regained his emotional composure and took in a calming breathe. "I should take you to the house so you can-"

"Connor, no. I don't know what's going on with you right now, but you're my brother. Talk to me while you drive and I'll help you as best as I can."

"...Thank you, Lucas." The car had been left idling since Connor didn't know how long he'd be inside the hospital and saw that the gas gauge was a little low. They'd have to stop for gas first, then they'd be able to head off for their final few stops. "It might take a while to complete these errands, but it's important."

"I understand." Remaining supportive Lucas gave Connor a reassuring grin and stayed loyal at his big brother's side. "I don't mind."

* * *

Bored out of his mind and struggling to keep his attention on the pointless meeting Hank had to continuously sip at the bitter, now cold coffee in his left hand while texting with Lucas with his right hand. The deviant sent Hank a few updates stating that he and Connor were running errands to spare Connor some privacy regarding the young detective's time speaking with his mother, while being as honest as possible with their adoptive father. Fortunately Hank wasn't up for asking too many questions, and just wanted to make sure his adopted sons were doing okay.

Knowing that his sons were out taking care of errands and were free of a boring meeting made Hank feel relieved, and a little jealous.

'_I'll be home late, don't worry about waiting for me_.' The senior detective typed slowly with his thumb. '_We can take of things in two days when Connor and I have time off again_.'

Lucas sent a reply text that made Hank smirk a little: '_Perhaps if your meeting runs late you can use it as an excuse to arrive late tomorrow morning_?'

'_Tried that once_. _ It didn't work_.'

'_That's a shame_.'

'_Don't worry_. _I'll handle it_.'

Pocketing his phone Hank sighed and looked up at the weasel in the suit trying to impress the higher-ups with his pointless charts, graphs and statistics that meant jackshit since human behavior as a whole is completely unpredictable. Deciding to cut the boredom in the room and point out that the kiss-ass weasel's little art project was flawed Hank interrupted his clearly rehearsed speech and had a little fun.

"Question: Where do the deviants play into all this?"

There was a pregnant pause before the weaselly guy; who was fresh out of the academy, scrawny, had bleached-blond hair, tiny framed glasses that sat on the tip of tiny nose and covered his beady gray eyes, and was wearing a pressed suit that even Connor would make fun of, replied to the question with a snarky question of his own. "What do you mean, Lieutenant?"

"I mean," Hank responded in a condescending voice that made Captain Fowler turn his head slightly so he didn't smirk. "all you're doing is reporting about shit WE ALREADY KNOW about shit that's ALREADY HAPPENED. This city changes every damn day and you're acting like a few pretty colored charts and graphs are going to somehow crack the code into getting 'red ice' off the streets. But you failed to mention how deviants have been far more reliable witnesses and have been busting drug dens left and right since the Revolution. How come your chart doesn't mention how deviants have helped us and have saved a hundred or so people who have nearly O.D.'d in the street this year alone?"

"Uh, Lieutenant, this chart-"

"Looks pretty, but it smells like bullshit. This isn't high school where you can make a pretty presentation and have a speech ready to go and expect something to come from it. From my _experience_," he emphasized the word to make it sink it a little heavier. "you CAN'T predict people. Instead of pointing out how things COULD'VE work out a year ago, you need to find what WILL work today."

Captain Fowler wasn't thrilled to see Hank mouthing off but he was relieved to see the fiery passion for Hank's career returning right before eyes. "What do you suggest we do, Lieutenant?" He made it a point to cut off the weasel before he could reply, and backed up his Hank's comments. "You brought down the biggest 'red ice' ring in Detroit history, so what do_ you_ suggest we do?"

"For starters we STOP putting people behind desks to look at numbers and START putting people on the street to look at actual people. It's not difficult to spot shady behavior and it's easier to have a patrol already in the area instead of hoping that someone makes it out to a crime in progress in time, IF someone even bothers to call the cops to begin with. Deviants are much better at recognizing faces than humans are, so I say we recruit deviant volunteers to assist patroling officers."

The weasel actually scoffed at the suggestion. "I doubt any artificial being could do the work of a real being."

Hank didn't appreciate the comment in the slightest and wasn't afraid to express it. "What do you mean by 'real being'?"

"Well, I..." The weasel paled and the room grew tense. "Uh... It's-"

"Deviants ARE alive, and they are our equals. I've spent enough time around deviants to know this as a FACT."

"Lieutenant, I'm sure your few hours-"

"Try over a year, you little know-it-all prick." The tone of Hank's voice was sharp but Captain Fowler, nor any other officer in the room was going to stop him from speaking his mind. "The very deviant who helped with the Revolution was my partner at the time, and he came back here to work his ass off and has been an exemplary detective ever since."

"...I apologize, I didn't mean to insult your friend. I was merely-"

"You should apologize for insulting my _sons_. Their names are Connor, Lucas and Cole." While Cole was never an android Hank couldn't bring himself to exclude the memory of his late son while speaking of his family. "Put that in your charts you peppy little jackass!"

At that comment the weasel paled even fruther and blushed at the same time. "I... I suppose you would know what's best, Lieutenant." Quickly taking his seat he bowed his head in shame and surrendered the floor to Hank while Captain Fowler continued to hide his amusement by putting his right hand over his mouth to keep his grin from being seen. "Could you, uh-"

"Shut up." With a defiant grin on his face Hank decided to wrap things up as quickly and smoothly as possible. "I got this..."

* * *

It took Connor almost ten minutes before he was willing to talk to Lucas after filling up the gas tank and driving off to the designated location in mind. After explaining to Lucas what he and Elizabeth, his confirmed mother, had spoken about Lucas fully understood why Connor was so hesitant in talking about his recent emotional moment. The seemingly pointless drive out of Detroit and back to the smaller city of Novi was suddenly not so pointless, and it was something that Connor needed to take care of.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lucas asked as Connor pulled the car up to the snow covered cemetery and put the vehicle into park on the side of the drive that encircled the quiet property.

"Yeah. I need to do this. I need to do it alone."

Opening his car door Connor stepped out into the untouched snow and walked slowly through the white expanse of land until he reached the headstone he swore he'd never see again. It was evident that the headstone hadn't had any visitors in quite some time, but it didn't matter since it was covered under snow and ice anyway. Crouching down in front of the headstone Connor wiped off the name engraved into the surface and sighed as his right palm exposed the buried letters.

Anthony Leonard Wolf.

"...Never thought I'd speak to you again." Connor muttered at he stared at the name for a moment. "Then again, we never really spoke when you were alive."

Lucas stayed in the car and watched from the distance. Connor's back was to him so he couldn't read his brother's lips to figure out what was being said. That was for the best, anyway. What Connor had to say was none of Lucas's business.

"I was reunited with... Elizabeth. Well, with mother. You didn't kill her, so I suppose that in itself takes away a thick layer of your villainous nature. But you still struck her, and you struck me. It doesn't matter how much pain you were in, you never take out your frustration and anger on the people in your life who are just trying to help you. I nearly made the same mistake by lashing out at the people in my life, and if I had I'd never forgive myself for taking such a cruel outlook on life."

The sun was setting in the distance and the already chilly air was getting colder as the sky grew darker.

"Elizabeth told me what happened. She told me how you were once a very kind, caring individual and I wish I had the chance to meet the person you used to be before you hurt the people in your life. I can't linger in the past any longer and hope for something that'll never happen. And I can't let the resentment I've felt toward you fester in my heart any longer. That's why I'm here. I'm here to forgive you."

It took everything it had for Connor to not breakdown and cry as he wanted to stay as strong as possible until he could get back home.

"I forgive you for being angry all the time. I forgive you for yelling at me, hitting me, telling me I was worthless and blaming me for what you did to Elizabeth. I forgive you breaking my arm," his left hand absentmindedly grabbed onto his upper right arm over the long healed unseen scar on the bone. "I forgive you for breaking every promise you ever halfheartedly made, and more importantly I forgive _myself_ for allowing me to be so angry for so long."

Standing upright Connor unzipped his leather jacket and pulled out a single white lily he bought as a means of honoring the deceased.

"I'm going to leave now and go back to my home. I have been taken in by a man who had his own problems, but he found a way to work through them without taking his anger out on me with misguided violence." Placing the lily down on the headstone he took a step back and gave his late father his final words. "You may be my father, but Hank Anderson will always be my _dad_." As he turned his back on the headstone Connor paused for a moment and turned his head slightly to glance at the headstone over his right shoulder for the final time. "...Thank you for the gift of life. Goodbye."

Lucas watched as Connor walked back to the car through the snow and zipped his leather jacket back up. Stepping out of the car to meet Connor by the door the deviant motioned for Connor to trade places with him. "You're tired. I'll drive back home."

"...Thank you."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah." Connor admitted as he sat down in the front passenger side seat and closed his eyes. "I'm going to be just fine."

"Ready to go home?"

"...Not yet. I need to make one more stop, then I'll be ready to go home and stay home."

"Sure, Connor." Lucas pulled the car around the drive and made his way back out to the street to head back to Detroit from the quiet and peaceful cemetery to return to where they belonged. "Whatever you need to do I'll support you."

* * *

The meeting was still dragging on slowly but at least now they were finally making progress. The weaselly kiss-ass had been quiet ever since Hank had shut him up, and now a new program regarding deviants and patrolling officers was being discussed openly by the higher-ups who were impressed by Hank's passionate speech, and all of the supporting information that had been provided. It was an unorthodox program, but it was one that showed great promise and would be a beneficial way to help deviants feel safer regarding the police, and laws in general.

After taking a brief break from the meeting Hank poured himself another cup of coffee in the breakroom and sensed Captain Fowler following right after him into the room. "What's on your mind Jeffrey?"

"Nothing."

"Don't bullshit me." Adding sugar to the bitter drink Hank gave his commanding officer an annoyed glance. "I know you too well. What?"

"Hank, I'm proud to see you taking initiative again."

"Yeah, go figure." Adding some more sugar to the bland coffee he turned to look at his commanding officer with total indifference in his eyes. "Bore me enough with one annoying brown-noser and his charts, and I'll find the damn cure for cancer."

"Joke all you want, but what you just suggested about the deviants helping patrol is a great idea."

"I worked with one of the best deviants in this whole city for almost nine months. I learned a thing or two about the pros and cons of working with deviants and humans alike. And I can tell you for sure that nine times out of ten deviants are more bearable than whiny humans."

The weaselly guy proceeded to walk by the breakroom and follow after his own commanding officer from the neighboring precinct with an annoyingly upbeat attitude as he continued to try to suck up and earn brownie points. A blatant attempt that sickened everyone who saw it.

Without even needing to point the weasel out Hank gave Captain Fowler a knowing glance and took a slow sip of his coffee. "See what I mean?"

* * *

Tired and eager for the day to come to an end Connor sighed as he stared at the medium sized rectangular box wrapped up in red wrapping paper and topped with a gold bow clutched in his hands. It was a gift he was planning on giving his mother but he was still anxious about seeing her again. It was still a struggle to face her even after coming to terms with his anger and his pain of his childhood. As Lucas drove the car back to the hospital, the deviant determined to help his big brother overcome his hesitation, he put his right hand firmly on Connor's left shoulder as he turned off the engine and pulled the key from the ignition.

"Thank you for driving, Lucas."

"You're welcome." Staring curiously at the package in Connor's hands Lucas nodded at the gift with a casual motion. "May I ask what you have wrapped up?"

"I had taken copies of Elizabeth's old photographs on my phone, and had them restored into physical duplicates. I also gave her copies of newer photographs from my own phone, and I had a select few of the photographs framed for her to keep."

"That's a nice gesture for her."

"...I hope so." Feeling suddenly nervous Connor began to hesitate. "I wonder if I should tell Hank about this?"

"It's your decision, Connor. If you want to tell him you can, but you don't have to share every aspect of your life with him."

"I don't like keeping secrets from him. And even though I know getting to know someone from my past and my family isn't a bad thing, it still feels deceptive to not tell Hank what I-"

"Connor. Go."

Feeling Lucas's hand tightened on his shoulder Connor gave hit little brother a focused glance. "...You're not going to let me leave until I do this, aren't you?"

"Correct. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you walk away now." Taking a page out of Hank's book Lucas decided to tag on one final comment with a cheesy smile on his face. "And if I have to I'll kick your butt and give you another reason to go to the hospital."

Connor smirked at his brother's playful threat and nodded. "Thanks, Lucas."

"Go on. I'll be right here waiting for you when you're done."

With the gift in his hand Connor opened his door, stepped out of the car and walked back into the hospital for the second time that day. It didn't take him long to locate Elizabeth as she was walking out of the doctor's lounge with her winter coat over her scrubs, and her purse hanging from her shoulder. As she walked toward the receptionist desk Connor paused and waited for her to notice him, which she did very quickly.

"Connor."

"...Hi."

"Is..." Seeing Connor twice in one day wasn't something that Elizabeth was expecting, but welcome all the same. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I just... I wanted to give you this." Presenting the gift toward Elizabeth he watched her face curiously. "I... I thought you'd like this."

"Connor..." Accepting the gift Elizabeth smiled brightly as tears filled her eyes again. "Thank you. But I don't understand. You don't need to get me anything."

"I know. But I want to let go of all my anger, and start forgiving people. I'd like to start with my parents."

Elizabeth's eyes widened a little and her hands began to shake with raw emotion.

"...I want you to know that I forgive you."

"Connor," she took a step forward and raised her right hand to press against the left side of his face and hesitated for a moment. "I don't know what to say."

He too took a step forward and allowed his mother to rest her warm palm against the side of his face. "...From what Hank has taught me sometimes you don't need to say anything."

Letting her tears fall Elizabeth lightly used his thumb to caress Connor's left cheek as she felt her own pain beginning to finally heal. "Thank you."

Another passing nurse noticed the interaction between the duo and asked Elizabeth about what was going on. "Tama-_ Elizabeth_, who is this?"

While keeping her hand on Connor's cheek she looked him in the eye but couldn't bring herself to answer the question. It felt too strange to be true.

Connor cleared his throat and answered the question on her behalf. "My name is Connor." Nodding at Elizabeth reassuringly he confirmed that it was going to be okay, and that he wasn't ashamed to admit it. "...I'm her son."

* * *

With their long day finally over Lucas proudly walked with Connor through the backdoor of the house and immediately let Sumo outside for a few minutes. As the two brothers returned to the house with their purchased decorations and chosen gifts for Hank in their arms Lucas let Connor know how proud he was of Connor for taking such bold steps to come to terms with his past, and to finally let his painful childhood go.

"Are you going to tell Hank about meeting with your mother?"

"I will in a few days." Connor confirmed as he slipped off his leather jacket and snow soaked shoes. "For now I'd rather focus on the holidays and help Hank to feel more at ease during the holidays."

"I understand." Lucas pulled out a brand new string of lights from its box as he unpacked their purchases from their earlier errands. "Come on, let's get the tree decorated and show Hank what we purchased."

"You're right. We've been out all day long and need to get started."

"Do you think he'll mind if we get everything decorated before he's home?"

Connor looked at the collected decorations as he and Lucas carried everything into the livingroom and placed the fragile items down on the coffee table to be opened up under a careful touch. "Maybe we should leave something for Hank to do. That way he doesn't feel like he left all the decorating to us."

"I agree. That's a good idea."

"Until then," Connor remembered Sumo in the backyard and went to get him. "let's get Sumo fed, the tree decorated and more importantly get Hank's gift wrapped up before he sees it."

* * *

Mentally exhausted and physically sore from sitting in the uncomfortable breakroom chairs for almost six consecutive hours Hank awkwardly ducked down and out of the autonomous taxi as the vehicle pulled up in front of the house. As he reached the front door to step inside his home the front windows suddenly glowed to life with a string of white lights from the inside of the pane.

"Good." Hank grinned a little at the lights before opening the front door. "They're getting in the spirit of the holidays."

As soon as the door opened Hank was greeted by the sight of the Christmas tree in the corner covered in brand new ornaments and wrapped in silver garland from top to bottom. The tree skirt had been smoothed out and proudly displayed the names of the Anderson family for all to see from beneath the new tree.

Tired from their long day Connor and Lucas were sitting on the couch side by side and Sumo was sprawled out over both of their laps and loving all the attention he was getting.

"Looks like you two managed to get everything you needed for the tree." Hank noticed that there still wasn't anything on the top yet and asked about it as he hung up his coat on the hook by the front door, and kicked off his shoes. "Why isn't there a topper up there, yet?"

"We were waiting for you." Connor replied as he patted Sumo's back gently. Sumo's chin was resting on Lucas's lap and his tail was thumping happily over Connor's arm. "We put up the lights, garland, added more ornaments and decided you should do something special once you got home."

The gesture and offer were surprisingly touching. "...Thanks, boys."

Lucas chimed in and pointed to the unopened box containing the new tree topper sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "We decided on a star, as opposed to anything else. Is that alright?"

"That's just fine." Walking over to the table Hank picked up the box and carefully unpacked the beautiful star and admired the selection. It looked just like the old star he had before, and it made him grin. "...This is great."

Moving in tandem Connor and Lucas gently coaxed Sumo into climbing off of their laps so they could stand up. Together the brothers watched as Hank reached up and placed the star on top of the tree and plugged it into the strand of multicolored lights already spiraling around the tree toward the bottom. Once the star was in place Connor reached down to the plug at the bottom of the tree and turned on the lights.

A glow of color emanated from the tree, while bright white and gold shone from the new topper in a brilliant aura.

"Man," Hank smiled proudly at the warm display that his sons had created during his absence. The sight of the warmly glowing tree made Hank's own heart feel warm as well. "I haven't seen a Christmas tree lit up in this house in far too long."

Connor titled his head a little as he admired the tree while Lucas uploaded a literal mental image into his memorybank to keep.

"You boys did great." Putting his hands on the brother's shoulders Hank admired their work and was looking forward to the upcoming holiday. "Twelve days until Christmas and everything looks ready to go."

The two brothers gave one another a discreet glance before looking at the only box wrapped up in dark blue paper beneath the tree. It was just waiting for Hank to open it up on Christmas Day, and the senior detective had no idea it was there.

Speaking up softly Connor felt a much needed sense of peace wash over him. "And we're both looking forward to celebrating Christmas with you, Hank."

"Lucas," Hank turned to look at the deviant standing beside him. "you're staying here with us on Christmas Eve. No arguments!"

"I wouldn't want it any other way." The deviant beamed almost as brightly at the Christmas tree glowing in the livingroom. "I like being here with my family, and I suspect being together during the holidays will be even better."

_**-next chapter-**_


	24. A Close Call

**WARNING:**

Mentions suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, self destructive behavior, depression and self harm. Please skip this chapter if you are in a dark place or are enduring something of a similar nature.

* * *

With just a week until Christmas the city was getting steadily more excited, and additional lights began to glow throughout the snow covered town. The cold winter air was keeping most people indoors to wait out the chill, but other people dared to venture out into the snow to finish their last minute shopping or begin their long drives to spend the holidays with family members living far away. Despite the urge to venture out and spend time with friends and family rather than working during the holidays, police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, paramedics and even technicians weren't exempt from their responsibilities, and had no choice but to clock in as per usual.

"How you doing over there, kid?" Hank asked around his terminal screen as he sipped at his hot coffee in an attempt to stave off the bone chilling cold that was billowing outside the precinct. The air was icy and thick with snow that threatened to smother out any and all heat in the entire city. "You're not getting sick, are ya'?"

"No, I feel fine." Connor answered honestly as he sipped at his own hot peppermint tea and studied Hank's demeanor curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"This time of year is when the bullpen gets taken down by the damn flu one officer at a time. Ben went down last week, Chris called off two days ago and now with Tina out of town taking care of her sick mother we can't afford to lose any more officers."

"I assure you I'm well. Are you feeling ill?"

"Surprisingly, no. I'm fine."

"That's good. As much as I disliked being sick with pneumonia I doubt the flu would or even a simple cold would be any more enjoyable during the holidays."

"Or any time of the year for that matter, kid."

A strong gust of cold wind blew across the bullpen as the front doors opened and Gavin trudged through the warm floor with his leather jacket and his dark hair completely covered under a thick layer of snow and ice. The Sergeant's nose and cheeks were beat red, his pallor was unnaturally pale after having been subjected to the intense winter cold, and based on his sluggish movements he wasn't feeling any better than he looked.

Connor took notice of the returned Sergeant as he plopped down in his chair at his desk and shrugged off his soaked leather jacket as he ran his left hand through his damp locks of hair. "It seems that Gavin will be the next to fall ill."

Turning his head toward Gavin's desk with mild indifference Hank saw the telltale signs of an impending cold and sighed. "Yup. Shit, he's going down and soon it'll just be us and Fowler left behind."

"I imagine Tina and Chris will be back soon."

"Chris, yeah. He's definitely going to come back soon. As for Tina, I doubt it."

"Why's that?"

"Her mother suffered a heart attack three nights ago and Tina had to drive from Detroit to Kalamazoo to visit her. Tina won't be back until her mother resting at home with her kid sister to help her recover."

"That's unfortunate. Can we do anything to help Tina?"

"The precinct already chipped in with a small money pool to help her mother and sister with groceries and bills for the next few weeks while her mother heals."

"Really?" The generosity made Connor feel better about the entire glum situation. "Whose idea was that?"

Discreetly pointing at Gavin as he sipped at his coffee again Hank confirmed the mastermind behind the donations. "Reed may be an asshole, but he still knows when to step up and help out a friend in need."

Glancing back at Gavin sitting behind his own terminal screen Connor noticed that aside from Gavin now looking ill he also looked... broken. There was no life in his hazel eyes and he looked like he had been hollowed out. It was hard to describe but it was like Connor was staring at an empty shell that had once been Gavin Reed.

"Reed." Captain Fowler called out to the Sergeant as he stepped out of his private office and waved the Sergeant over to speak. "My office, now."

Returning his attention to his terminal screen and to the report he had been typing up Connor did his best to ignore the conversation taking place in Captain Fowler's office through the transparent walls as Gavin went to the office as ordered. Watching the Sergeant trudge across the bullpen and then slump down in the chair across from Captain Fowler only confirmed that Gavin wasn't feeling well, and seeing his pale face pale even further and his eyes dull until they was no life left inside the irises Connor knew that something unfortunate just happened.

It took Gavin a few minutes to get up and leave the office after being spoken with by Captain Fowler, and as he silently passed through the bullpen to return to his desk the ill Sergeant pulled his phone from his jean pocket and began texting someone. Tina was the most logical guess as she was Gavin's best friend and confidant, but no one could be certain unless they actually looked at the phone in Gavin's grip.

"Try not to stare at him, kid." Hank cautioned as he fussed with his remaining coffee with a grimace on his face.

Lowering his voice Connor leaned toward Hank and whispered in a polite manner. "...Do you know what's going on?"

"Last month Reed requested a promotion up from Sergeant to Lieutenant. There's no doubt his promotion was denied, and he was told the bad news at one of the worst possible times of the year. Not to mention that he doesn't have Tina to talk to about it."

"He was denied? But he has a great arrest record and invaluable experience."

"Yeah, and his discipline file is almost as bad as mine. The difference is I was already a Lieutenant when my shitty attitude started affecting my work, as for Gavin his abrasiveness got worse after he was promoted to Sergeant, and because of his history of android bigotry and violence now being taken more seriously he won't be getting _any_ promotions or pay raises for quite some time now."

Connor knew that he couldn't change anyone's mind regarding Gavin's promotion, or lack thereof, but he still wanted to help. The young detective had witnessed first hand that Gavin was taking steps to change his previously poor attitude, and make amends with the deviant community. While Gavin couldn't undo the past he was at least striving to make a better future for himself and for the people around him.

"Hey." Speaking up again Hank gave Connor a stern look. "Don't say anything to him. Let him be."

"He might need to talk to someone, Hank. Without Tina around-"

"I know, but he's going to be stewing in anger and disappointment for a while. Give him time to cool off and then test the waters."

Reluctantly Connor stayed put and let Gavin be alone for a moment. "...Okay. I won't approach him."

* * *

The day continued on without any major incident or violent altercation, and yet the air was still thick with tension. No one seemed to be speaking to anyone for any reason, and the lack of activity was making the day drag on slowly. While the two detectives in the deviant division were able to easily finish their reports and file them in a timely manner the homicide division, Gavin's area, was lagging behind. No one was holding Gavin accountable since his partner was out of the city due to a family emergency, but it still didn't look good for Gavin and almost seemed to give the higher-ups all the more reason to withhold his promotion for a while longer.

Just as it seemed like the day was going to continue on normally Hank was summoned into Captain Fowler's office to discuss to the upcoming program that would allow volunteering deviants to assist in police during daily patrols in locating person's of interest walking the streets. With an annoyed huff Hank stood up from his desk and made his way to the office as he had been ordered.

"Fuck. This is gonna' take a while." Hank sighed as he fished out his car keys from his pocket and handed them over to Connor. "I'll take a cab home so you don't have to wait up for me."

"Are you certain? We only have an hour until our normal shift comes to an end."

"Yeah, I'm good. You head on home and I'll meet ya' there."

"Okay, Hank. I'll see you later." Pocketing the car keys Connor stood up from his desk and looked over at Gavin's desk where the Sergeant was sitting alone and texting slowly with an unseen friend. As he carried his empty mug into the breakroom to be properly washed Connor noticed that there was a single tear running down the side of Gavin's face and the distance in his eyes seemed infinitely expansive. "I wonder why Gavin is so upset?"

Putting his mug aside in the sink in the breakroom Connor watched the Sergeant from the distance and became all the more confused when Gavin opened his top right drawer of his desk, dropped something inside and locked up the drawer before he rose from his chair and made his way toward the front doors of the precinct. It was unlike Gavin to leave his shift early, but considering he was having a bad day and was evidently becoming ill Connor decided to not think too much about it.

"Hopefully when Tina returns to the city she will be able to aid Gavin and help him to feel better." The young detective empathized openly as he returned to his own desk to finish off his shift on time. "Seasonal depression shouldn't be taken lightly."

The quiet evening continued on as boring and uneventfully as it had been all day, but as Connor's shift came to an end and Hank was still talking with Captain Fowler in the private office the young detective couldn't help but feel like something was terribly wrong. Unable to shake the odd feeling Connor clocked out for the evening, stood up from his desk and pulled his leather jacket from the back of his chair to slip over his arms and up to his shoulders. As he pulled the car keys from his pocket Connor heard an odd buzzing and a muffled ringing sound coming from Gavin's desk.

Honing in on the sound as it dully echoed from Gavin's top right desk drawer Connor's brow arched inquisitively. "Why did Gavin leave his phone behind?"

Approaching the desk Connor tried and failed to open the locked drawer and glanced about with mild confusion.

"This is strange." Just as he was about to try to pick the lock on the drawer the phone fell silent and with that silence the odd feeling intensified. "There is no reason for Gavin to leave his phone behind. If he's ill he'd need the phone to communicate in the event he needs medical attention, and he'd need it in order to talk to Tina since she is out of town."

From within his own jacket's pocket Connor's own phone rang and Connor pulled the device from the pocket to check the display. The caller I.D. confirmed that it was Tina, and with that confirmation the odd feeling suddenly became heavy and dire. With a quick swipe of his right thumb Connor unlocked his phone and answered the call.

"Tina?"

'_Connor_!' She sounded unusually panicked and like she was on the verge of crying. '_I can't get a hold of Gavin_! _Do you know what's going on_? _You're the only one that I know is working with Gavin right now, is he acting oka_y?'

"He has locked his phone in his desk, and left early. Were you the one-"

'_Shit, shit, shit_!'

"...Officer Chen?"

'_Connor, I need you to do me a favor_.'

"I... I suppose I can do that."

'_Please go check on Gavin_.'

"...Check on him?"

'_A wellness check_.'

The request made Connor feel all the more uneasy and he felt like he needed rush somewhere. "...A wellness check on Gavin?"

'_It's too much to explain over the phone but trust me, you need to go to his apartment and check on him_! _ Go now_!'

"Very well, I can do that."

'_The spare key to his apartment is in the middle drawer of my desk and tucked under the stack of purple colored post-it notes_. _ I'll text you the address_.'

"I can do that." Opening the designated drawer of Tina's desk Connor moved aside the small stack of purple post-it notes and found the spare metal key right where she said it'd be. "Send me the address."

'_And call me as soon as you find him_. _I'll tell you everything after I know he's okay_.'

"Tina, can you-" The call ended abruptly and a text message appeared on Connor's phone display as Gavin's address and apartment number popped up on the screen. "What is going on right now?"

Rushing out of the precinct with the spare apartment key now in his grasp and the car keys ready to go Connor jogged through the snow and into the neighboring parking garage to get to the old car, and to drive off into the night. It didn't take long for Connor to get the car out of the garage and onto the street, but driving through the snowy streets and through the still relatively dense traffic made the journey to Gavin's apartment much longer than it should have taken.

Resisting the urge to contact Tina again Connor focused on locating Gavin's apartment and pulled into the parking lot of the less than glorious looking apartment complex. It didn't take long for Connor to locate Gavin's personal vehicle, but as he pulled the Oldsmobile up alongside the car the keen eyed young detective noticed that Gavin's car had a flat rear tire on the driver's side, and the corresponding tail light had been broken. The damage to the car would've made it impossible to drive, and the position of the car in its parking spot was indicative of the car being towed back to the apartment after being damaged.

"Was Gavin in a car accident today?" Throwing the Oldsmobile into park Connor turned off the engine, pocketed the car keys and opened up the driver's side door. Slamming it shut behind himself Connor eyed the damage to Gavin's car, noting the fresh foreign colored paint in the the broken plastic of the damaged light, and determined the time of the accident had been earlier that very afternoon. "Shit! Was Gavin injured in the accident?"

Racing from the slippery parking lot and into the front entrance of the apartment complex Connor checked the apartment number on his phone, elected to use the stairs since he could run faster than the elevator could move to reach the third floor, and located the correct door to begin knocking.

"Gavin?" Knocking twice Connor called for the Sergeant through the door and received no answer. Two more knocks followed by a check of the doorknob confirming the door was locked made a strange chill creep up Connor's spine. "Gavin? Answer me!" Slipping the key into the lock Connor turned the key quickly and unlocked the door without waiting for an invitation to enter. Pushing the door open with a small creak Connor called out yet again and closed the door behind himself. "Gavin! Please answer!"

Glancing about the apartment Connor's instincts as a detective told him that Tina's worried were very much founded. The small and somewhat rundown apartment felt hollow and cold. The walls were all bare, the old couch and matching arm chair were set up in the small livingroom with a glass coffee table in front of it. A pillow and an old blanket were draped over the couch as if someone were sleeping on it. The coffee table was littered with old take-out food boxes and wrappers. A few cardboard boxes were stacked up against the walls and hadn't been unpacked since Gavin moved into the apartment, and had been briefly torn open just long enough for Gavin to get what he needed without actually unpacking anything in the process.

The even smaller kitchenette was empty save for a sink full of dirty dishes and the trashcan overflowing with garbage. The extra boxes had been stored in the small room and hadn't been touched since Gavin placed them down weeks ago.

"Gavin?"

Walking down the short corridor leading to the only bedroom and the small bathroom of the apartment Connor opened up the bedroom door where he saw a mattress without a bed frame or sheets against the wall. There was a dresser beside the bed, but it seemed unused. The closet was left wide open and more boxes containing Gavin's clothes were stored inside, and they too were torn open just enough for Gavin to get to his clothes without unpacking. A pile of dirty laundry was building up in the corner of the room and hadn't been touched in weeks.

"Shit, Gavin?" Turning around Connor pushed open the door to the bathroom and froze in horror within the the door frame. Connor had located the missing Sergeant in the worst way possible. "FUCK! GAVIN?!"

With a leather belt wrapped around his neck Gavin's body hung limply and heavily from the metal shower curtain rod, with his his legs dangling down outside of the bathtub. The Sergeant's face was deathly pale and gray in color, he had dark purple bags around his eyes, his lips were pale blue and he wasn't moving at all. In the time since Connor had received a frantic call from Tina and entering Gavin's locked apartment Gavin himself had hung himself.

"Gavin!?" Rushing forward Connor stood up on the edge of the bathtub and pulled Gavin up and over his shoulder to take the man's literal dead weight off of the belt wrapped around his throat. Removing the strain against Gavin's fragile neck was key in keeping the human from suffering any further damage to person both internally and externally. "Breathe!"

Fumbling with his adrenaline fueled shaking fingers Connor struggled to pull the belt from around Gavin's throat and instead opted to pull down the metal shower rod instead. If Connor were still an android he would've been able to break the rod in half easily and pull Gavin down, but with his limited strength as a human he had to pull the rod from its supports on the wall before he could slip the belt away from the rod, and loosen it from around Gavin's throat.

"Gavin, please talk to me!" Climbing down from the edge of the bathtub carefully Connor lowered Gavin from his shoulder to lay flat on the bathroom's linoleum floor, and he then straightened Gavin's neck as much as possible. "Don't do this!" Pulling the tight belt away from Gavin's throat Connor grimaced at the dark purple bruises forming around the Sergeant's throat, and lightly pressed his right fingertips to the left side of Gavin's neck. He still had a pulse! "Shit, Gavin, I need you to breathe!"

Pressing his right ear down to Gavin's chest Connor could hear the Sergeant's heart beating weakly but quickly, and responded to the relatively positive vital signs as his instincts and training as a paramedic kicked in.

"Gavin?" Rubbing his left knuckles down Gavin's sternum over top of his dark green t-shirt Connor tried to use the painful stimuli to get the Sergeant to take in a breath and wake up. "Come on, respond! Don't give up..."

Gavin took in a single agonal gasp and fell still again.

"Wake up... Come on... Breathe!" Pressing his left palm down on Gavin's lower chest and upper abdomen Connor applied enough pressure to compress the Sergeant's chest without hurting him, and then repeated the sternal rub. "...I don't want to tell Tina that her best friend just died."

Leaning his ear down over Gavin's face Connor listened and felt for any sign of breathing, and began mentally counting to ten. If Gavin failed to respond within the ten seconds Connor would have to begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and call 911 to seek assistance in reviving the nearly dead Sergeant. Just as Connor mentally counted to eight he heard Gavin take in a shuddering breath, and his straightened his posture back up.

"Gavin? I know you can do it. Breathe!"

There was a tense silence just seconds before Gavin took in a loud and deep breath, then settled into a standard breathing pattern. As the Sergeant's previously still chest rapidly rose and fell as his oxygen starved lungs greedily sucked in as much fresh air as possible Gavin had no idea that he had been seconds from permanent brain damage or death, and that if it hadn't been for Tina calling Connor to ask him for his help that he could've been found two days later after he failed to clock in at the precinct as scheduled.

"Fuck..." Swearing in relief Connor let his shoulders slump as he remained kneeling beside Gavin and stared at his shaking hands before him. Forcing himself to put his right hand down on Gavin's chest and abdomen Connor counted the revived Sergeant's heartbeat and his respiration. "That was too damn close."

Remaining unconscious Gavin breathed deeply and slowly as color returned to his lips and face, though he remained pale and cold on the floor.

"Why'd you do it?" Lightly Connor opened up Gavin's eyelids one at a time with his left hand to check his pupils, noting the petechial hemorrhage of his eyes, and sighed deeply as he tried to ground his frayed nerves. "What would Tina say if- Tina..." Pulling his phone from his pocket Connor hovered his shaking thumb over his screen and began scrolling through his lists of contacts as he used his left hand to carefully check Gavin's neck for any sign of breaks or dislocation. "...What do I tell her?"

'_Connor_?' Tina had answered the phone before it finished its first ring. '_Did you find Gavin_?'

"...Yes. I found him."

'_Oh, fuck_...' There was a heavy pause before her shaking voice spoke up again. '..._Is he_... _alive_?'

"Yes. He's still alive."

'_THANK FUCK_!' Another pause followed Tina's words as she took a minute to regain her emotional composure. '..._Where was he_?'

"Tina, I found him in his bathroom. He attempted to hang himself."

'_Oh, god_... _Did he break his neck_?'

"No. I don't feel any breaks or dislocations of his cervical vertebrae, but I do suspect that his weight pulling down on his neck will have resulted in a type of very painful whiplash." Sighing to himself Connor moved his left hand from the back of Gavin's neck and to his chest to keep track of his pulse. "I won't know anything certain until after he's been examined by a doctor."

'_No, don't call 911 or report this_!'

"I... WHAT? Why not?"

'_Connor_... _This isn't the first time Gavin's tried this_.'

"Shit... That's why you wanted me to check on him. You knew he was going to try again."

'_I had a feeling_...'

"Tina, when did Gavin last attempt to kill himself?"

'_About four years ago_. _He had a really bad case and he_... _ Well, he tried to overdose on his insulin_. _I found him and it was chalked up as an accident since it's not uncommon for diabetics to be confused about their insulin levels if their blood sugar gets too crazy_. _But if you let a doctor see him with all of the signs of an attempted suicide by hanging then_... _Gavin needs help, I know it, but being labeled under something ugly that comes from anyone who tried to commit suicide by ignorant and heartless people who have no idea what he's going through won't help him_! _Please don't report this_.'

"...Tina, he needs medical attention."

'_I know that, too_. _I have a friend who can help him, but I won't be back to Detroit for another hour to ask her for help_. _Just_... _Please_. _I know this is a lot to ask of you, but just stay with Gavin until I'm there_. _ Please_! _He's been through so much and I don't want to see him suffer anymore_.'

"Tina, I want to help him but-"

'_Connor_. _ Please_. _ I'll take care of him but I need your help to do it_. _You know that if this gets back to the precinct then Gavin's reputation and his career will never recover, and he'll only get worse from the judgmental scrutiny_.'

"I... Alright. Just make sure a doctor sees to his neck and his throat. He may have very well seriously injured himself."

'_Yes, I will_! _Thank you_! _I'm about an hour away so just wait for me and I'll take care of him as soon as I'm there_.'

"Yeah, I'll do what I can until then. Get here as soon as you can." Reluctantly ending the call Connor sighed and slipped his phone into his jacket pocket once more. Noting that Gavin was seemingly stable Connor slipped his right hand beneath Gavin's neck to support his head and injured neck, then slipped his left arm underneath Gavin's knees to scoop the downed Sergeant up from the floor. "Why did you do this, Gavin? The loss of a promotion is upsetting, but not to such an extreme degree. At least... I think that's right."

Carrying Gavin out of the bathroom and down the small corridor Connor placed the unconscious Sergeant down gently on the couch in the livingroom, and adjusted the pillow to support Gavin's head and his neck to keep his spine as straight and stable as possible. Straightening out Gavin's legs over the length of the couch Connor placed both of Gavin's arms across his abdomen and wrapped his right fingers around the Sergeant's left wrist to monitor his pulse again as he sat on the edge of the littered coffee table beside the couch.

"You're very lucky that you didn't break your neck when you stepped off the edge of the bathtub." Connor remarked in a low voice as he used his right hand to once again check Gavin's throat and neck for any sign of serious injury. Aside from bruising, swelling and guaranteed whiplash Gavin's neck was impressively stable, but still undoubtedly needed a support brace for a week or two until the muscles in his neck regained strength. "The fact that you didn't dislocate any of your cervical vertebrae or cause your trachea to collapse is also a wonder."

Sitting back on the coffee table Connor sighed and looked around the glum apartment in a distracted manner.

"...You will have a severe headache when you regain consciousness. I'll check and see if you have any medication to ease your discomfort."

Standing up from the coffee table Connor returned to the bathroom where he had found Gavin hanging, stepped over the downed rod and belt, and opened up the medicine cabinet over the sink. Peering inside the cabinet Connor found only a bottle of Ibuprofen, an old razor blade sitting next to a half full can of shaving cream, a toothbrush and a mostly empty tube of toothpaste. It was all the bare minimum necessities for a bachelor detective.

"This will have to do." Taking the bottle of medicine from the cabinet Connor returned to the livingroom and entered the small kitchen to hunt for a clean drinking glass. There were two cups sitting on the counter next to the sink that were relatively clean and with a generous amount of soap and warm water Connor cleaned one of the glasses, then refilled it with cool water. "...I didn't know Gavin's depression was so severe. Even Hank at his worse was arguably better than this. I merely sought isolation and wanted to sleep."

Sitting down on the coffee table once more Connor kept vigil over Gavin and studied his every little twitch as he awaited the Sergeant's return to consciousness. Barely two minutes had passed before Connor felt something warm and soft paw at his right ankle, and was met with a soft little 'mew'.

"Hello?" Glancing down at the source of the sound and presence Connor was greeted by a tiny Maine coon kitten with a purple collar around its neck, and a small gilded name tag that said 'Lucky' over front of it. "I was unaware that Gavin had a pet."

Picking up the kitten Connor smirked as the small bundle of fluff purred and snuggled into his warm lap.

"You must've been frightened by the loud commotion of what happened to Gavin." The young detective sympathized as he gently pet the kitten's back and rubbed her ears. "You also must be hungry. I didn't see a bowl anywhere, though."

Lucky continued to purr as Connor held her in his arms and glanced about the livingroom and then the kitchen in search of the kitten's bowls. After pushing aside a large box on the floor Connor located the two tiny green bowls and found his means of feeding the kitten.

"I'm going to do this instead." Placing both empty bowls on the countertop instead of the floor Connor placed Lucky down in front of her bowls and rubbed her ears again. "This way your bowls won't get lost anymore."

Filling one bowl with water was easy, but locating the bag of kitten chow was a little more difficult. Checking the kitchen cupboards just led to more unpacked boxes until Connor checked the cabinet above the microwave where he found the bag of food.

"Here we go." Pouring a generous helping of the food into Lucky's bowl Connor watched as the kitten quickly helped herself to the meal and continued to purr with loud gratitude. "You're so little and yet you're so hungry. You must be growing fast."

A low groan of pain echoed from the livingroom and Connor quickly returned to the couch to check on Gavin. Pressing his right palm down on Gavin's chest Connor counted his pulse and respiration yet again.

"Gavin? Gavin, open your eyes."

The Sergeant's head tried to loll against the pillow away from Connor's voice but Gavin's neck was too sore and weak to allow the simple motion to pass.

"Open your eyes." Raising his voice Connor spoke to the downed Sergeant with more authority in his tone. "I need you to respond and look at me."

It was a struggle as Gavin was very much aware of the throbbing headache that was pulsing behind his bloodshot eyes, but soon his heavy eyelids parted just enough to look up at Connor hovering over him. The hazel tint of Gavin's eyes was an impressively bright shade of green in contrast to the red bloodshot color surrounding his irises, and his eyes were slightly glazed over due to his physical distress and exhaustion.

"Gavin, do you remember what happened?"

With a shaking weak right hand Gavin grabbed at his sore throat and winced at the lingering ache that wrapped around his entire neck. "...Wh-" The act of speaking was suddenly a chore as his injured throat had bruised and swelled enough to make his vocal chords swell up. "...F-Fuck."

"Easy. Your neck wasn't broken and your trachea didn't collapse." The keen eyed detective and paramedic noted. "Try to take it easy and breathe."

Giving Connor an annoyed, hurt and disappointed glare Gavin turned away from the young detective in shame.

"...Tina is going to be here soon." Unsure of what to say as he didn't want to push Gavin while he was so emotionally strained Connor decided instead to bring up a slightly cheerier matter. "Her mother is doing well and she wants to see you."

"...Why are... you here?'

"Because Tina asked me to check on you. You weren't answering your phone and she was worried."

Refusing to speak up again Gavin swallowed once nervously and sighed weakly.

"She... She also told me that you had attempted to do this once before. She didn't tell me why you tried to do it but she has confirmed that this isn't your first attempt at suicide."

"...Fuckin'... judging me?"

"No. I'm curious as to why you tried to take your own life twice, but I'm not judging you for your decisions."

"...Bullshit."

"No, it's the truth." Offering Gavin the water Connor spoke to him honestly and in a calm and understanding tone. As he leaned forward Connor stared at the bruises on Gavin's throat with a palpable grimace. "I've also struggled with feelings of self destruction."

Gavin almost laughed but the pain in his throat made him choke. "...Self destruction?"

"Well, that's what it's called when deviants struggle with thoughts of suicide and succumb to such thoughts."

"...You?"

"Yes. I... I had come close in the past. The night of the Revolution when I was standing with Markus in the plaza CyberLife attempted to resume control over my programming and assassinate Markus. I refused. My options were to submit to their control and kill Markus, escape from their control and fight to remain a deviant for the rest of my life, or... turn my gun on myself."

"...S-Sounds more like... self _sacrifice_... than self destruction."

"Gavin, me killing myself wasn't just to protect my people. It was also a way to escape my fear and the pain of being... alive. I was scared for the first time in my life as a deviant and I don't like fear. I... I was ready to walk away into nothing and let myself freeze to death out of fear of being alone, alive, feeling pain and sadness. Hank brought me to his house that night and gave me a home and a family. But I had struggled with those feelings even after being given a safe place to live and a family to rely on."

The admission made Gavin's eyes narrow almost suspiciously. "...Why?"

Bowing his head a little Connor slipped his left hand under Gavin's head and gently lifted him up so he could finally drink the water, a very small amount to ensure his sore throat could handle the water, and then answered the question. "Because I firmly believed that my lack of existence would be beneficial to everyone. No one needed me and no one wanted me around. For a long time I believed that Hank had taken me in out of pity and he was just being nice, then I learned through personal experiences and growth that I was wrong. I had struggled with these feelings as a deviant and then when I returned to humanity I... The feelings just grew more intense."

Sipping weakly at the water Gavin managed to swallow a small amount of the water with only mild difficulty. "...Fucked up... childhood. ...Right?"

"Yes. The memories of my abusive childhood made me feel worse, and I felt entirely weak and alone. Hank was there for me, as was my brother, Lucas."

"...They changed... your mind?"

"Yes. If I didn't have my family there to help me feel strong when I was weak then I believe I would've taken my own life"

"...How?" Staring at Connor from the corner of his eye Gavin's weak voice gained an accusatory tone. "...How would you... do it?"

Connor's eyes filled with pain and sorrow as he let out a deep breath and told Gavin of his self destructive thoughts. "...I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up again. I wanted to sedate myself so heavily that I'd drift off to sleep, deeper and deeper until there was nowhere left to go, and I'd just stay asleep forever. Sometimes that desire to sleep forever, to ingest an entire bottle of sleeping pills or inject my veins with a powerful drug still appears in my mind whenever I think of my past, or I encounter someone who is living through what I had endured as a child. Even though I'm mentally in a better place and I'm emotionally grounded the thoughts and the urges still remain."

"...So you... get it."

"Yeah, I get it."

Struggling to speak as his aching throat continued to gnaw at his voice Gavin let a single frustrated tear fall from his bloodshot eye. "...Seeing kids... in trouble... that sets you... off. Right?"

"At times, yes. Other times it's just the constant struggle to maintain peace and cooperation throughout the city that makes me feel as though my efforts are entirely in vain, and will amount to nothing." The comment made Connor's shoulders slump heavily. "...Just as my father stated during his cruelest and most violent outbursts."

"...My old man wasn't any better." Reclaiming strength in his voice Gavin let out a weak sigh and returned his hand to his throat. "...Neither was my mom."

"Your mother?"

"...Don't worry about it."

"Gavin, you tried to hang yourself and I'm watching you struggle to speak. I'm going to be worried about you." Giving the Sergeant a stern glance Connor refused to let Gavin push him away at the moment he so desperately needed a friend to speak with. "I saw your car and I know that you were denied your promotion, but I doubt that those two moments were enough to push you to such an extreme decision."

"...Yeah, you're right." Turning tiredly away from Connor to stare at the back of his own couch Gavin sighed and decided there was no point in denying his true thoughts and mindset at the moment. "See this shithole of... an apartment?"

"I'm aware of its location and current state of being."

"...This is a shithole, don't... sugarcoat it. I'm here because... Patricia... fuckin' cheated on me... and she had the nerve... to kick me out out of MY apartment... after I caught her... sleeping with some dude in... MY bed. I... took my name off the tenant... lease and left her... to scramble to pay... the rent. I then... took back the engagement ring I bought her... and used it to pay for... this place so I could... get away from her."

"I'm sorry, Gavin. I didn't know you were going through a bad break-up."

"Cheating whore..." Sighing deeply Gavin continued to explain the events leading up to his attempted suicide. "...The car accident... was the in the middle of a... bad fuckin' day, that just... pushed me to my breaking point. Asshole kid... slipped through a stop sign... hit me when I was parking to get my lunch... in a diner. Drove off... fled the scene."

"You didn't report the accident?"

"...No. I was dazed. Kid took off... bystanders didn't... bother to get... the plates. Why bother?"

"Because he is guilty of a non-fatal hit and run." Shaking his head Connor let the matter drop and resumed his focus solely on Gavin's state of mind. "What happened after that?"

"...Called a tow truck... and I walked back... to the precinct. I told... Tina all about it... and she told me she... was coming back tonight."

"Then what happened?"

"...I was denied my promotion. Didn't even want... it. Just threw my name... in the ring because Tina encouraged me... to try."

"Gavin, you're holding something back. You admitted yourself that the accident and the promotion denial weren't enough to push you to such an extreme. What was the final deciding factor?"

Letting out a slow breath Gavin closed his eyes and lowered his voice. "...My mother."

Confused and curious Connor pressed the matter gently. "You told me your mother was committed to a mental health asylum. What happened?"

"...I went to... speak to her. She... She hates me."

Lightly Connor put his right hand to Gavin's left shoulder, a comforting gesture he was often shown by Hank and Lucas when he was feeling depressed, and held his palm there to try to make Gavin feel safe enough to keep talking. "What did she say to you?"

"...I went to speak to her... this morning. I hadn't seen her since... the night I was taken from... my parents when I was... fifteen years old."

"You saw your mother this morning? May I ask why?"

"...I started thinking about... family. You have... a father and a... brother. All I have... is Tina and she... has her own family. I heard about... you meeting your own... mother and I... I just needed... closure. So I went to... see her. That didn't go off... as planned."

Connor's hand tightened a little on Gavin's shoulder and he could feel his own heart skip a beat upon learning of the surprising information. "...What did she say to you?"

"...She barely recognized me... at first." Pausing as he recounted his mother's hurtful words Gavin forced himself to finish the story. "...When she did she... She slapped me. She said... I was responsible for... her misery. She said... she never wanted me... or my sister. If we hadn't... been born then... she and my... old man would... still be happy... together. She told me... I should've been... aborted." It hurt too much to keep talking but Gavin needed to get his words out, he needed to let the world know how cruel his own mother had been to him. "She said that she wished... she gave me up along with... my twin at birth... instead of trying... to raise me. She said... I wasn't worth it... and needed to... apologize for everything... that I did to her... and my old man. And she... wanted me to... go away and... kill myself. Said the least...I could do was... finish what my... old man started."

"She's wrong, Gavin." Speaking firmly Connor refused to let Gavin believe any of those harsh, heartless words. "You don't owe your parents anything under any circumstances. They made their decisions and that in turn affected you. You had no say in being born, neither did your brother or your sister."

Turning to look back at Connor beside him Gavin gave the young detective a strange look. "...You know of... my brother? I just said... twin."

"Y-Yes." Blushing a little Connor continued to tell Gavin the truth. "I know of your connection to Elijah Kamski. He told me of how you were separated at birth and of his adoption, and of your reluctance to reconnect with him."

"...Asshole perfected androids... after my, OUR, sister died because... an android got... fucked up. What a... joke."

"You should be proud of your brother's work. He learned of your sister's tragic story and used it as motivation to prevent anyone else from enduring the same heartache. I know he's proud of you."

"The fucker... doesn't even know me."

"No, but he knows _about_ you. He knows you endured a terrible childhood and chose to rise higher than your parents by being a cop protecting people, instead of an alcoholic accountant blaming his problems on innocent people, or a selfish junkie letting her kids starve. He knows what you survived and wants to get to know you,_ really know you_, but he's hesitant to reach out since you weren't receptive the first time he tried."

"...Yeah? Well, he's not... the first person I... told to fuck off."

"Yes. I've noticed." As the tension in the air began to lift Lucky made her way into the livingroom and hopped up onto the couch to cuddle with Gavin. The little kitten curled up around Gavin's neck and began to purr loudly. "Your cat really likes you."

"...She's better company than... most people."

"What about Tina?"

"Tina is... my best friend. But she can do... better than hanging out with me."

"I'm not trying to blame you or guilt you in any way, but I have to ask. How do you think Tina would've felt if she came here and found you dead?"

Running his hand along Lucky's back Gavin sighed again and let another tear roll down his face. "She would've been sad... then moved on. She's a tough kid, and she doesn't... need me to watch her back."

"That doesn't mean she doesn't want you around. You're a good person who escaped a bad childhood. Don't let the darkness of your past overshadow the light of your future."

"...Did you get that shit... off a fortune cookie?"

"It's merely something I learned from my own personal experiences with moving forward and talking about my past. It's true, too."

"...I'll think about it."

"Please remember that your life is worth so much more than what your parents claimed. People do care about you, and your life does have worth. Don't let the people who want you to hurt to succeed. It took me a long time to figure that out and accept it, and I'm still doing my best to accept it as truth and not just a dream."

"...Yeah, sure."

"When Tina gets here she is going to use a contact to get you medical attention without officially reporting this... misunderstanding."

"...What misunderstanding... is that?"

"You had unknowingly suffered from whiplash when you were rear-ended this afternoon, and upon walking back to the precinct in the cold weather you developed a nasty bout of laryngitis. The neck brace you will be required to wear will cover your bruises, and the illness will explain your hoarse and raspy voice. You won't have to remove the neck brace until your bruises have healed entirely, and no one will know of this night."

Giving Connor an appreciative glance Gavin rubbed his right hand along his sore neck but didn't even try to sit upright thanks to his incredibly sore and weak neck throbbing with every beat of his heart. "...Thanks."

There was an abrupt turn of the apartment's door handle as Tina rushed into the apartment and loomed over the couch to look at her best friend with wide and panicked eyes. "Gavin Neil Reed, you are a fucking idiot and you scared the shit out of me!"

"I know. I'm sorry, Tina. ...But I'm okay now."

"Don't give me that. You're going to let me yell at you until I stop shaking, and then you're going to spill your guts to me while we eat a full gallon of rocky road ice cream." Kneeling beside the couch Tina grabbed onto Gavin's hand and held tight. "You don't have to go through your pain alone anymore, Gavin. You know I have your back!"

"Yeah... I know. I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Don't be sorry for scaring me, be sorry for not seeing that you're worth so much more than just an obituary in the newspaper and a memorial plaque in the precinct." Tina was on the verge of tears as she pleaded with her best friend to see himself as someone special and worth the gift of life. "I don't want to attend my best friend's funeral until we're both old, gray, stumbling on walkers and wearing matching adult diapers!"

The joke was met with a sincere chuckle from Gavin as he began to see how much his life did matter in the eyes of his best friend. If Tina was the only person on the entire planet who wanted him to stick around then in his mind that enough reason to pick himself up and keep moving on with life. "...It's a deal."

"Good." Wiping away a rogue tear Tina breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Connor who was still sticking close to Gavin. "Thank you so much, Connor. I know this was a lot to ask for, but-"

"No explanations are needed, Tina. I understand."

"Thanks all the same."

"Unless you two need me to stick around I believe I will head for home and perhaps stop at another store to get Hank and Lucas something special for Christmas. I suddenly have the urge to make sure they know how much I appreciate them."

"It's fine, you can go." Tina confirmed as she stayed next to Gavin. "I got this. I'll have my friend stop by in a few minutes to check on his neck, and then I'll stay here to make sure he's okay. We have tomorrow off, so if anything happens you'll know by then."

"Right. If you do need anything more then call me. I'll come back."

"Okay, thank you."

Quietly taking his leave of the apartment Connor stepped into the hallway and looked down at his still shaking hands. The adrenaline rush had worn off and his hands were now stable again. Letting out a deep breath Connor pulled the car keys from his pocket and remembered he still had the spare apartment key with him. Slipping the key under the door Connor went on his way back to the ground floor and returned to the Oldsmobile to go on his way and try to not think about how close Gavin had been to death.

Opening the driver's side door Connor put the key in the ignition and turned over the engine. "Gavin is very fortunate that Tina knew to check in on him. If I hadn't gotten to him in time he would've... That's a terrible way for someone to die and then be found."

Pulling the car out of the parking lot and onto the snowy street Connor thought about how his own dark feelings in the past had nearly wiped out his future, and he thought about how the same could be said about Hank after losing his family, about Markus after being shot and left for dead in the android junkyard, about any of the deviant androids who were afraid to live, and about how his own mother could've done the same after surviving her abuse.

Not only did his own mother continue to live but she had strived to make the world around her a better place, and to help those in need. She never once blamed another person for her own problems, and she never took her anger out on Connor or anyone else. To know how much his mother suffered and knowing that if anyone had the right to be angry at the world it was her made Connor's heart ache for a second reason.

"My mother may not have been there for me every second of my life growing up," Connor spoke to himself as he drove the car along the street and to the hospital where he knew his mother was working well into the evening. "but she never accused me of being a mistake or the source of her problems. She deserves to know as much."

* * *

Departing from the warmth of the hospital and out onto the snowy streets of Detroit to finish off her night Elizabeth readjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder as she zipped up her winter coat over top of it, and proceeded to cross the parking lot to hail an autonomous taxi to take her to her apartment. As she stood along the sidewalk and prepared to make the summon via phone app she noticed an old car pulling up along the street to park in front of her, and her guard immediately went up.

The passenger side window rolled down slowly as Connor reached over and manually rolled down the window to speak to Elizabeth on the street. "Uh, hi."

"Connor." Letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing her son Elizabeth smiled and peered down to speak to Connor through the opened window. "Hi."

"...It's cold out, do you want a ride home?"

"Y-Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you." Opening the door Elizabeth sat down in the front passenger seat and rolled up the window to keep the cold out. "I didn't know you worked this late."

"I normally don't, but something important and unexpected came up."

"Want to talk about it?"

"...A little, but not right now."

"Okay, that's fine."

Noting the time and how cold his mother appeared despite only being outside for a few minutes Connor gave her a generous offer. "...Would you like to get some dinner with me?" Turning onto a neighboring street Connor sighed and gave his mother a somewhat shy glance. "I was thinking about purchasing a pizza to bring home since Hank is also working late, would you care to join me for a while?"

"Y-Yes, I'd love to spend the evening with you." Elizabeth's eyes lit up and she seemed genuinely happy to have the offer. "Even if it is just over pizza and for a few minutes that sounds wonderful to me."

Feeling his heart warm at the answer Connor made sure his gratitude was known. "...I'm glad."

* * *

Exhausted and nursing his own headache due to the lengthy and redundant meeting Hank returned home via autonomous cab, and quickly realized that the Oldsmobile wasn't in the driveway beside the house. There was no car which meant that Connor wasn't home just yet, and that in itself was a little odd. As he walked up the snowy front walk to the front door Hank patted his coat pockets and swore as he realized he didn't have his house key since it was on the keyring for the car keys he had given to Connor.

"Damn it... I didn't think this thing through." Putting his hands to his hips Hank studied the locked door and tried to think of a solution. "I need to make a couple of extra keys so we don't have this problem repeating itself."

Just as Hank was contemplating kicking down the door and fixing the frame later he heard the Oldsmobile pull up the driveway and park in its usual space beside the small but loving home.

"Good timing, kid."

Moving quickly Connor opened up the driver's side door, pulled out a large box of hot pizza along with him and slammed the door shut behind him. Jogging up to the front door Connor fumbled with handing the keys over to Hank so he could open the door. "Sorry, I'm late."

"You're not late, son." Taking the keys Hank unlocked the front door and gave Connor an odd look. "_I'm_ the one who was working late, remember?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right."

"You okay?"

"Uh..." Not wanting to talk about Gavin's incident of the night Connor just sighed and handed Hank over the pizza. "I guess I'm just a little edgy because of the impending holidays."

"I'll say. What's up?"

"...Well, I began thinking about how much my life has changed for the better," he began in a sincere tone as he followed after Hank into the front door where the senior detective placed the box of pizza on the kitchen table to be opened up and enjoyed. "and with it I began to think about how you and Lucas pulled me out of a dark place and back into the light."

"Uh-huh..." Flipping over the box of pizza Hank pulled out a slice and picked off a piece of pepperoni to toss to Sumo as the large dog lumbered from his pillow in the corner of the livingroom and into the kitchen to meet his masters. "And is this train of thought connected to how seasonal depression can really fuck a person up?"

Nervously wringing his hands together Connor nodded a little. "...Yeah."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, I don't feel saddened by the holidays and I haven't had any thoughts of self destruction for several weeks now."

"Good." Taking a bite of the pizza Hank gave his adopted son a subtle nod and patted his shoulder with his free hand. "If you're feeling down and out, or just need to talk you know you can come to me to talk about anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Slipping off his leather jacket Connor opened the backdoor to let Sumo outside for a moment and returned his full attention to Hank standing beside the kitchen table behind him. "And you know you can speak to me if you need to do the same, right?"

"I know, son. And I'm good, too. I promise."

Nodding again Connor sighed with relief and gave Hank a calm stare. "That's good to hear."

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem pretty shaken up by something."

"I... It's a long story and I don't want to go into detail. It's kind of personal."

"Alright, then only say want you want to say. Okay?"

"Okay, Hank."

"Come on, let's enjoy this pizza and watch a good movie. It's been a_ long_ day."

_**-next chapter-**_


	25. Holiday Cheer

It was December 23rd and winter had arrived with an impressive aggression. Extreme cold fell over the city as snow and ice covered every street, sidewalk and building under a thickening layer of whiteness. Connor had been assigned a case regarding a deviant found frozen to death near the bridge leading out to Belle Isle, and proceeded to examine the poor victim with senior C.S.I. Ben Collins at his side as the duo endured the harsh cold. As Connor crouched down in the snow to examine the deviant victim a freezing wind picked up and made his entire body shudder from the relentless cold, but he didn't back down or hasten his examination in order to solve the case properly.

"The victim is a 'WP-400' model. She was a former 'Traci' from the now shut down 'Eden Club'." Connor recognized the design and the very thin, less than ideal clothing she was wearing. It seemed she was one of the models left in the club's storage room and had rebooted automatically despite not being fully repaired, and had been left behind when the club was shut down. "The victim had suffered internal damage," he explained as he pressed his right hand to the victim's left side. She was curled up on the ground in a desperate bid to remain active, yet in the end she succumbed to the cold. "specifically to her thermal regulator."

"She froze to death?" Ben asked curiously as he braced himself against the gusting cold.

"Yeah." Connor confirmed sadly as he placed a white sheet over her body to spare her some dignity. "She wasn't assaulted, or the victim of murder. She was the victim of neglect and exposure."

"Poor thing. Where do you want us to take the body, Sergeant?"

"New Jericho Tower is right down the drive. I'll take her to the tower myself."

"...Do you think she can be saved? I mean, she just got really cold instead of being injured." Ben explained casually as if needing to clarify his train of thought regarding the victim. "Maybe it's like hypothermia in humans and she can be helped if she's just warmed up."

"Possibly. The cold may have been able to preserve her other biocomponents and memorybank." Wrapping the sheet around the victim's body carefully Connor scooped her up from the ground and held her in his arms. The victim's head rested against his right shoulder and Connor shivered slightly as her entire body felt like a block of ice. "If she can't be saved then at the least she'll be taken care of and given her final rights in a respectable manner."

"Alright. I'll send the report to the precinct and head back myself."

"Thank you, Ben."

Connor proceeded to walk toward the end of the drive with the victim resting protectively in his arms. As he trudged down the lengthy drive to get to the sanctuary at the end the tower's old autonomous transport monorail began heading down its elevated track toward Connor as he walked.

"It seems someone noticed our presence." Connor spoke to the seemingly shutdown deviant in his arms. "Hopefully they will give us a lift to the tower so we can get out of the cold."

Sure enough the monorail slowed and the side door slid open. Josh was the lone occupant in the monorail car and nodded to Connor as the young detective made his way over to the offered transportation. "Markus noticed you out here and asked me to check what was happening."

"A deviant fled from the 'Eden Club' and tried to make it to the tower." Connor explained as he stepped into the monorail and kept the victim pressed up against his chest to try to warm her up from his own body heat. "She succumbed to the cold and collapsed."

"Oh, no." Josh cybernetically instructed the monorail to return to the tower as he lifted away the sheet to look at the victim's face. Pressing his left fingertips to her right temple he closed his eyes and made very weak contact with the victim. "...She's still active. We can still save her."

Connor let out a sigh of relief as he tightened his arms around her and rubbed his left hand along her right arm. "I just hope she wasn't discovered too late."

"Where's Hank?"

"He had to fill out some paperwork regarding a new program to allow deviants to work with precinct officers in properly identifying wanted suspects or known drug dealers on the street. As you and I well know android memories are far superior to human memories, and as such there will be a dramatic decrease in false positives with identification."

"Now that sounds promising." Josh approved of the concept and cybernetically kept tabs on the responding technicians awaiting the victim's arrival as the monorail returned to the tower. "When you get all the details you'll let us know, right?"

"Of course. I unhesitatingly trust New Jericho to help the city with getting dangerous people off the streets."

"I can't wait for Markus to hear the good news."

As the monorail reached the rear of the tower it automatically entered the storage warehouse, and the air within the warehouse was immediately warmer. Stepping off the monorail through the opened side door with the victim in his arms Connor made his way toward the elevator with Josh walking right at his side. As the duo entered the elevator Josh sent a cybernetic message to Simon and Lucas in the emergency repair bay to inform them of the frozen deviant being carried to them as he entered the correct floor on the panel.

"Josh did you happen to her name when you connected with her?"

"I did. Her name is 'Jessica'."

"Jessica," Connor repeated the name as he looked down at her face and kept talking to her. "we're going to help you. You're safe now, please hold on."

The elevator doors parted and the two deviants hastened down the corridor to the door of the repair bay to get Jessica the help she needed. Rushing inside Connor carried Jessica over to the repair bay's nearest exam table and laid her down as gently as possible onto her back, while keeping the sheet wrapped around her to ensure she was covered and relatively warm.

Simon was immediately at her side and attached a diagnostic cable to her right temple over her blank L.E.D. to check her system. "She's freezing, the death and she was just outside near the bridge leading to our island?"

"Unfortunately yes." Connor confirmed as he watched Josh drape a thermal blanket over Jessica and set it to a warm degree. "She has most likely sustained damage to her thermal regulator and collapsed from the extreme cold."

Lucas joined Simon at the table and proceeded to open her abdominal cavity to exam said regulator. "You're correct, Connor. It looks like she took a severe blow to her abdomen and hadn't received any proper repairs since the initial damage had taken place."

"The 'Eden Club' was notorious for ignoring their damaged 'merchandise' since it would be easier and more 'interesting' to replace them with a new model."

"That's disgusting."

"It really was." Connor saw the determined look in Lucas's green eyes and asked his brother about her potential recovery. "Can you save her?"

"I'm going to do everything that I can, I swear it."

Taking his leave of the repair bay Connor stood outside the doorway and proceeded to call Hank at the precinct on his personal cell phone. As he put his phone to his right ear he felt another cold shudder over his body as the warmth of the tower began to seep through his leather jacket, his gray suit jacket and reach his skin.

'_Hey_,_ Connor_.' The senior detective immediately answered the call upon seeing the name on the caller I.D. light up. '_How's your case_?'

"Solved."

'_Damn, that was fast_. _What happened_?'

"The deviant wasn't a victim of any immediate crime. She suffered from previous damage and collapsed on her way to New Jericho Tower while seeking aid for her injuries. Lucas and Simon are working to save her as we speak."

'..._Wait_, _she can be saved_?'

"Possibly. The damage is severe but not necessarily life threatening."

'_Man_, _if Lucas and Simon can bring a person back from near death tonight that would be an amazing Christmas miracle_.'

"I agree. I'm going to stay in the tower until I know for certain if she'll make it or not, then I'll deliver my report. Until then Ben can give the appropriate details for an accurate report."

'_Alright_. _I'm almost done on my end_, _so__ I can swing by the tower and pick you and Lucas up so we can head home_.'

"I thought Lucas wasn't supposed to be at the house until Christmas Eve?"

'_Well_, _by the time we get back home it'll be less than five hours until midnight_. _Why not give him five hours extra to hang out with us_?'

Connor grinned as he shook his head at Hank's enthusiastic tone. "I'll tell him that, Hank. Drive safe, the roads are shitty right now."

Hank was laughing a little on the other end of the line. '_Did I ever tell you my favorite thing about you being human again is your far more human speech patterns_?'

"You mean how I swear more often?"

'_Yup_.'

"I'll keep that in mind when you need a good laugh. See you soon."

'_Yeah_, _kid_._ I'll be there to take both of you back home to enjoy the holidays together a family_.'

Connor ended the call, pocketed his phone and turned his head in time to see Markus and North walking up to him from down the corridor. Markus stayed outside of the emergency repair bay to talk with Connor while North went inside the bay to see to the wounded deviant, as she too knew the pain of being forced to work at the 'Eden Club'.

"Hey, Connor." The deviant leader spoke up in a level and confident voice. "Josh already informed me about what's going on."

"There's a chance that she can still be saved." The young detective confirmed with a reassuring nod of his head. "Lucas and Simon won't let her go without a fight."

"I don't doubt it."

"While you're here I'd like to tell you about the new program that the precinct is going to incorporate near the beginning of the new year. It can help bridge the gap between deviants and humans if it passes."

"If it'll help find out who hired those failed assassins who tried to kill me and North, then I'm willing to try anything."

"We'll find the person responsible for that day. I swear to it."

Markus gave his friend a kind smile as he knew that Connor was always true to his word. "I don't doubt that, either."

* * *

Using all of his skills as a technician Lucas fought to repair the damage to Jessica's thermal regulator, and keep her partially frozen Thirium cycling through her system, while Simon tried to warm her back up without shocking her system in the process. It was a fragile balance of speed and delicacy to work as efficiently as possible to revive Jessica from her hypothermia induced shutdown before it was too late to bring her back.

"What is her Thirium pressure?" Lucas asked as he soldered the delicate wires within the thermal regulator back to where they belonged.

"Holding at seventy over forty." Simon confirmed as checked the system diagnostic and the monitors recording Jessica's vital signs. "Her Thirium volume is at seventy-six percent, core temperate is eighty-eight degrees Fahrenheit even, Thirium pump rate is fifty beats per minute and her ventilation program hasn't reengaged."

"Have you been able to establish cybernetic communication?"

"Not yet. Her processor is still online but it isn't fully active beyond minimum functions and identification markers."

"How much Thirium have you given her?"

"One pint through a line in her left arm."

"Take a second point and warm it up to ninety-two degrees Fahrenheit, and deliver it through a line directly into her artificial stomach. The warm Thirium should aid her core without causing her thermal regulator to overcompensate."

"Have you done that before?"

"No. But theoretically it can work, and Jessica can't afford to wait any longer for us to repair the damage then get her warmed up."

"Alright. I'll get an internal line set up and deliver the warmed Thirium."

Lucas didn't respond as he finished repairing the internal damage to the interior of Jessica's thermal regulator, then worked on the outer casing.

It was a very time consuming and sensitive repair to be made even in the most skilled of hands. Working diligently without the slights distraction Lucas took full control over the repairs and kept his hands steady as he focused on saving Jessica's life before the damage became too substantial to be repaired.

* * *

As Hank drove to the tower to pick up his adopted sons he realized that Connor wasn't joking about the roads. They were slick and hard to navigate in the snow, and the cold wind wasn't helping matters in the least. Driving as carefully as possible Hank made his way to Belle Isle and down the drive to meet up with his sons at New Jericho Tower. Putting the car in park out front Hank all but ran to the front doors to get out of the cold wind, and almost bumped into Josh in the process.

"Whoa!" Catching his balance before he collided with the kind deviant Hank took a step back and apologized. "Sorry about that, Josh."

"It's alright, Lieutenant. I don't blame you for wanting to get out of the wind quickly."

"Call me 'Hank'. So where's Connor and Lucas?"

"They're both up at the emergency repair bay tending to the victim. Lucas is still working on the deviant and Connor is waiting outside the door."

"Is she in rough shape?"

Grimacing a little Josh answered honestly. "She's holding on by a thread."

"Damn. I know Lucas won't let that thread snap if he can help it."

Josh smirked a little at the comment as e saw that Hank had complete confidence in his adopted two sons. "That's what Connor said, too."

"Not surprised. Connor has full faith in his little brother to do the right thing." Giving Josh a subtle grin Hank walked toward the elevator to get to the correct floor to meet up with his two adopted sons. "Take it easy, Josh."

It didn't take the senior detective long to reach the correct floor and was greeted by the sight of Connor standing with his back up against the wall near the door leading into the repair bay. As he met Connor outside the door he could see the empathetic worry in his always soulful brown eyes and realized that the situation with the victim was still rather severe.

"Hey, kid. How's it going with the deviant?"

"Not well." Connor confirmed as he looked over at Hank and sighed. "It's been over an hour and it's a struggle to get her vital signs stabilized, and she isn't showing any sign of consciousness."

"Ah, man. I take it Lucas is in there fighting for her right now."

"Yeah. And from what Simon has told me the odds of her surviving is only thirty-seven percent."

"Shit. Well, that's better than what the city would've given her if you hadn't taken the case, and brought her here."

"I know, but seeing Lucas so determined and feeling like he's failing is difficult to see."

Hank patted Connor's shoulder once before he crossed his arms over his chest. "I know what that's like, kid."

It took Connor only a moment to realize that Hank was referring to his own stubborn focus when it came to cases. "Sorry if I made you worry about me like that whenever I concentrate on a case at hand."

"Yeah, it's fine. But come on, Lucas is too skilled to lose any deviant who comes his way without putting up one Hell of a fight in the process."

"I know, and that's what worries me."

"What do mean?"

"If Lucas can't save her I know he'll take it personally. He hasn't lost any deviant since he became a technician. And I know a first loss is statistically inevitable and it'll haunt him forever, but I still don't want to see him go through that kind of pain."

"Neither do I, son. All we can do is sit and wait, then support him no matter what happens."

"Yeah, you're right."

Rubbing his hands up and down his arms Hank tried to stave off the lingering cold, and the keen eyed senior detective could see that Connor looked like he was being affected by the cold too. "Think there's any hot coffee in this tower?"

"Markus had a small kitchenette installed on the ground floor. It was a means of demonstrating that humans are welcome in the tower along with deviants."

"Show me. I need some coffee before I freeze from the inside out."

"You know that's physically impossible, right?"

"Connor. Show me to the coffee."

"Right, of course." Walking back to the elevator the younger detective willingly showed his partner to the kitchenette on the tower's ground floor. "It's going to get below freezing tonight. We should take steps to prevent illness."

"Getting that damn flu shot wasn't enough?"

"That has yet to be seen, kid."

* * *

As he diligently worked to save Jessica's life Lucas could feel his core temperature rising from the stress he was knowingly putting on his system, while he utilized as much processing power as he dared to keep his every movement perfectly precise, and his attention to detail flawless. Despite his speed and enhanced programming it took Lucas almost four hours to repair the extensive and long neglected damage, but soon enough Jessica's vital signs began to improve and stabilize.

"She's responding well to the repairs." Simon confirmed as he noted her vitals on the Thirial activity monitor still attached to her body. "She's stable."

"But she isn't showing any sign of regaining consciousness."

"Her intracranial processors are in fact rebooting, just very slowly."

"I don't like how delayed her self-healing program is responding to the damage."

"You've done everything you can to help her. You need to rest now."

"I won't leave her alone." Lucas stated as he stood back from the exam table and gave the blond technician a somber glance. "She needs someone to keep an eye on her."

"Which is why I'm going to stay here, and you're going to go home to rest."

"I'm alright."

"No, you're not. Don't forget that I'm a technician, too. I can see that you're exhausted and beginning to overheat. If you don't allow your system to cool down you'll collapse from over exertion and overheating." Arguing logically Simon was trying to coax Lucas into finally taking a break and taking a moment to tend to his own needs. "Connor and Hank are both here. Do I have to get them to drag you out of the repair bay?"

"Wha- That's right... Connor brought Jessica here, and it makes sense that Hank would arrive to take him back home so prevent him from walking in the cold or taking an autonomous cab back the precinct."

"They're waiting for you outside the repair bay. They want to see you."

"Y-Yes, of course. I should see them."

"Go. I'll stay with Jessica for the rest of the night and keep you apprised of her recovery."

Appreciative of both Simon's assistance and confidence in his abilities as a technician Lucas begrudgingly took his leave of the repair bay and met his big brother and adoptive father outside the doorway. "You stayed and waited to see me."

"Of course we did." Connor replied in a somewhat shocked manner. "You're family."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're here."

Hank put his hand on Lucas's shoulder and gave him a somewhat stern look. "It's late, we should head home. It's just going to get colder and darker, and I don't want to put up with any more snow than necessary."

"Home?"

"Yup. It's less than an hour until midnight, and I already told you that you're staying at the house on Christmas Eve with us so we can be together as a family on Christmas Day."

Lucas closed his tired green eyes for a moment as he checked his internal clock and ran a quick self-diagnostic. "You're right. It's eleven twenty-two at night."

"Come on, I want you _both_ home for Christmas. This is the first Christmas I've had off in four years and I want my family together."

"Yes... Of course."

Connor knew his brother was getting stressed by the severity of Jessica's condition and was now in danger of overheating from exhaustion. "I'm sure Simon will be able to keep tabs on Jessica's recovery and inform you if your presence is required at the tower."

"Yes, Simon has already volunteered to monitor her condition." The deviant confirmed as he joined his family in the elevator with a sluggish gair. "She is stable but she is not healing at an optimal rate."

"I'm certain her slow progress is the result of being subjected to the extreme cold for so long."

"I suspect you may be right."

Hank sighed and put his hands on both brothers' shoulders. "Okay, enough talk about work. Connor and I have been off the clock for almost three hours now, and as soon as you stepped in the elevator, Lucas, you did the same."

Nodding a little Lucas agreed to a change of subject. "I understand. I won't discuss it any further."

"Now," the senior detective continued casually. "neither of you have had a proper Christmas, so I'm going to make sure no one intrudes on us or ruins our time off together as a family."

Connor's brow arched as the elevator reached the ground floor once more and the trio stepped through the parted elevator doors together. "How're you going to do that?"

"I'm going to leave my phone in my bedroom, and so are you. And Lucas is going to ONLY acknowledge communication from New Jericho if it's an emergency. Part of enjoying Christmas is spending time only with the people you care about, and not going out of your way to please co-workers using the 'it's for the holidays' excuse, especially when those same co-workers won't repay the favor in the future."

"Oh."

"We didn't celebrate Christmas last year because you were too inexperienced with emotions to really comprehend it, Connor." Hank explained further as the trio left the tower and quickly piled into the car parked out front. As soon as the family was safely inside the vehicle Hank turned over the engine and cranked up the heat as high as possible. "And I wasn't ready to try to celebrate the holidays again just yet, either. Now you two get to experience a true first Christmas together and I get to celebrate it with the people I care about again."

Connor was appreciative and grateful for Hank's efforts to make the two brothers feel like true members of the family. "We're looking forward to it." Discreetly he looked over his left shoulder to glance at Lucas in the backseat and could see that his little brother was still distracted by Jessica. "Is there anything else we need to do to enjoy the holiday?"

"Just sit back, relax and do whatever you can to avoid people you don't like. Spreading 'holiday joy' also means finding ways to keep ourselves happy."

"Sounds easier said than done."

"Son, you have no idea..."

* * *

The drive home was relatively uneventful as Hank managed to navigate the snowy streets to get himself and his sons back home safely. Connor was discreetly watching Lucas from the corner of his eye as Hank spoke about happy memories from his childhood, and responding in time to keep Lucas from noticing that his behavior and mannerisms were being monitored closely. Once back home Connor and Lucas stood in the backyard waiting for Sumo to finish his business for the night and return to the backdoor, and in that moment of privacy Connor spoke to his little brother in a somewhat reassuring manner.

"She'll make it, Lucas. You gave her a much needed chance to recover, and that's more than anyone else would've done for her."

"She never regained consciousness." The despondent deviant technician stared at the pure white snow building around his feet with a morose stare in his green eyes. "She's still so very weak and helpless."

"You and Simon are taking care of her. She's _not_ helpless, she's being helped."

"Somehow it doesn't feel like I've done enough."

"I know how you feel."

"You do?" Lucas turned his attention from the snow at his feet and locked eyes with his big brother.

"Yes. When I was reinstated as a detective after the success of the Revolution I was working endless hours to help our people, and no matter how many deviants I was able to achieve justice for it never felt like I was doing enough to protect them."

"How did you cope with such feelings of uselessness?"

"I'm still coping with such feelings." Connor replied honestly as he tried to instill some form of much needed confidence in his little brother. "I find that by speaking with Hank I can gain some form of comfort, and it eases my concerns by talking about what's on my mind."

Sumo trotted back up to the two brothers and proceeded to nose Connor's right hand, then Lucas's left hand before he walked over to the closed backdoor and sat down, ready to go back inside.

"Lucas, you need to go inside and rest now."

"I'm not overheating anymore."

"That's because we're standing out in the middle of the cold." Connor knew better than that and put his right hand on his brother's upper left arm to lead him toward the backdoor. "Once we're back inside I'm sure your core temperature will rise again."

Lucas sighed as he opened the backdoor to let Sumo inside and waited a few seconds for Sumo to shake off his fur so he didn't get wet, then stepped through the backdoor to get inside the warm house. Connor closed the backdoor and locked it before he removed his shoes and his leather jacket to keep himself from tracking melted snow all over the house.

Following suit Lucas also removed his white jacket and his shoes to prevent himself from making a mess. "Where's Hank?"

"In the shower." Connor replied casually as he began walking down the hallway to his bedroom with his shoes and jacket in hand. "I'm going to change out of my uniform. I'll bring you some clean clothes to borrow for the next couple of days."

"That's not necessary, Connor."

"You're wearing a uniform as well, and you're soaked through from the snow." He called back through his opened bedroom doorway as Lucas entered the livingroom to try to relax. "You need to wear warm dry clothes."

Lucas was willing to admit defeat quicker than Connor, a unique trait that definitely separated him from his big brother, and stood in the middle of the livingroom waiting for Connor to return. Sumo plopped down onto his warm pillow in the middle of the room between the coffee table and the television, and wagged his tail as he watched Lucas standing a few feet away.

"Here." Connor carried a neatly folded bundle of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt in his arms out for Lucas to wear. Connor himself was wearing a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, and had replaced his rapidly drying out contact lenses for his glasses. "You can change in my bedroom if you'd prefer."

"Thank you, brother." Accepting the clothes Lucas began to walk toward the opened bedroom doorway in the hallway to change his clothes. "What should I do with my wet clothing?"

"Place them in the hamper in my closet. I'll throw your clothes in the washer and dryer later."

Connor sat down on the couch and glanced over at the glowing Christmas tree in the corner of the livingroom with a prideful stare. It made the entire room feel warmer and inviting. There were a handful of gifts already placed under the tree for the small family, which included one for Sumo, and Connor tried to think of his own childhood memories regarding Christmas; unfortunately there seemed to be none there.

That, however, was going to change soon enough.

Changed into the warm dry clothes Lucas rejoined his brother in the livingroom and sat down on the couch as he stayed quiet.

"You are overheating and still need to rest." Connor noticed as he could feel the steady heat radiating from Lucas's body without even having to touch his skin to check. "What's your current core temperature?"

"Connor, I'm fine."

"Lucas." Finally sounding like a true big brother Connor gave Lucas the same stern glance that Hank would use to keep the two brothers from trying to pull any 'stunts' with him. "Please answer me honestly."

Lucas closed his green eyes for a moment and his brow furrowed before he replied honestly. "I'm running at one-hundred and one point two degrees."

"If it were me running that warm what would you or Hank do?"

"...Ask you to rest."

"Why is that you think you don't need to do the same?"

"I assure you I'm fine."

"Please, Lucas. I want you to lay down and enter rest mode for a moment. At least an hour."

The deviant was reluctant to enter rest mode just in case he was needed back at New Jericho Tower in the event of an emergency. "What if something happens to Jessica while I'm resting?"

"Then Simon will handle it. Just as I had to learn to trust people and let them help me," the admission was sincere and optimistic. "you need to learn to do the same. I've nearly lost myself, and my own life, by pushing people away. I don't want to do that anymore, and I don't want to see you make my mistake."

Understanding and far less combative than his big brother Lucas was willing to cooperate and heed Connor's request. "Okay, Connor. I'll rest."

"Thank you." Hooking his hand around Lucas's bicep Connor stood up and guided his brother from the couch and down the hallway back to his bedroom. "You'll be more comfortable in my bed."

"What about you?"

"I've slept on the couch for months before I was given that room. One more night isn't going to bother me."

"But this is _your_ room."

"And _you're_ my brother. You're more important than a bed."

Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced about the bedroom as if seeing it for the first time. Seeing the items that were unique to Connor's personality and interests; the aquarium, emerald green guitar, old blue guitar from Connor's past, and simplistic furniture, Lucas realized how much he envied his big brother and that he had a real home to call his own.

"Lay down." Connor put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder and guided his little brother back until his head was resting against the pillow. "You need to rest and remain in rest mode until I wake you."

"How long will that-"

"Don't worry about it. I won't keep any secrets from you, or ignore anything urgent from New Jericho." Connor promised as he stood beside the bed and listened to the sound of the bathroom door opening up, then closing again. Shortly thereafter Hank's bedroom door did the same motion as the senior detective sought warm comfortable clothes of his own for the night. "Get some sleep now. I don't want you to overwork yourself or collapse."

"I understand." Lucas closed his tired eyes again and allowed his rest mode to engage without setting any internal alarm to rouse himself. "Thank you for your help, brother."

"You're welcome. Rest well." Taking his leave of the bedroom Connor turned off the light and partially closed the door behind him. As he stepped out into the hallway Hank did the same from his own bedroom and paused for a moment as Connor spoke to him in a low voice. "Lucas is sleeping."

"Good. I don't want him stressing himself out."

"Neither do I."

"Let's go to the livingroom."

Connor accompanied Hank to the large room and sat down on the couch while the senior detective sat down beside him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, well, at least I hope not."

"What's going on?"

"Connor, I noticed that Lucas was unusually closed off during the drive home." Hank explained as he lowered his voice a little more. "And I don't like it when either of you two get too quiet. What's bothering him?"

"...The slow progress of the victim's recovery. He feels like he's failing her because she isn't healing as rapidly as she should be."

"Ah, man." Understanding Lucas's plight Hank leaned back against the couch cushion as he ran his right hand over his bearded chin. "If she doesn't make it he's going to feel like shit for a long time."

"I know. I wish I knew how to help him."

"You already are, son." Hank noticed the late hour on the clock on the wall and shook his head. "Midnight. It's Christmas Eve. If she can make it past Christmas Day then I think that'd be enough to ease his mind."

"I promised Lucas that I would inform him if anyone from New Jericho has an update on Jessica's condition, but I feel as though rest his more important, and you asked us to refrain from work until after the holidays."

"Connor, don't sweat it. If it's important you'll tell him, if it's routine you'll let him sleep. Easy."

"Right. You make it _sound_ easy enough."

"Is there something else bothering you?"

Connor paused for a moment before he responded honestly. "...I meant to tell you this earlier, but it never seemed to come up."

"What? What's going on?"

"When Lucas and I were out purchasing new decorations for the tree I... I bumped into my mother at the store."

"Oh. Did something happen?"

"Well, at first I tried to ignore her but I couldn't. I finally spoke with her and she told me... new information about my biological father."

"Good or bad?"

"...It's complicated."

"Complicated seems to be this family's motto." Hank joked as he kept his demeanor calm and relaxed. "Tell me what's on your mind, no judgment from me."

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts Connor told Hank of what he and his mother discussed, how he visited his biological father's grave to finally forgive him, returned to the hospital to forgive his mother and how he gave her a 'peace offering' of the restored family photos to act as an early Christmas gift. He also mentioned speaking with his mother and having dinner with her the night he showed up later than usual with the pizza for dinner. Hank listened to every word and a subtle proud smile appeared on his face as Connor showed a massive improvement with his emotional and mental maturity.

Whether Connor recognized it or not he was healing, and finally letting go of his dark past.

"Sounds like you did the right thing, son."

"...You're not upset I did this behind your back?"

"Connor what you choose to do or not do with your own life is just that, your choice. You're free to do whatever you want and as long as you stay within the confines of the law I don't care what you do on your time, or personal time. You don't need my approval for anything you do, especially regarding your real mom or dad."

"Hank," there was a faint glimmer of pain in his soulful brown eyes as he spoke with the senior detective with a completely honest tone. "you are my _real dad_."

Hearing that had an unexpected effect on Hank causing him to quickly wrap his right arm around Connor and pull him in close for a half hug. There was nothing else he could possibly say after that. All he could do was hug Connor and let a few uncontrollable tears roll from his blue eyes and fall onto Connor's shoulder as he held onto his adopted son.

"...Hank," Connor was aware of the warm tears and felt a little guilty for causing them to be shed. "are you crying?"

"Don't worry, son. Tears of joy." Hank reassured Connor as he patted his back a couple of times. "It's just been a while since I've been told something like that and it was nice to hear."

"...But it's true. Lucas feels the same as I do."

Dragging his left thumb under his eyes Hank removed his tears and gave Connor a happy smirk. "Then I guess I'm doing something right as a father after all."

* * *

Throughout the night, after Hank finally went to bed just before two in the morning, Connor checked in on Lucas to make sure he wasn't overheating or in any form of distress. Satisfied that his little brother wasn't in any danger and was resting well Connor returned to the livingroom to sleep across the couch. As he stretched out over the length of the furniture against a large fluffy pillow and under the warmth of the navy blue blanket, he placed his glasses down on the coffee table beside him and patted the side of the couch to call over Sumo.

The large arthritic dog had some difficulty in climbing up on the couch to lay over Connor's legs, but he managed to do so in time and cuddled down for the night to keep his master warm.

"Just like when I first moved in, huh, boy?"

Sumo wagged his tail and pressed his chin down against Connor's stomach as he cuddled down for the night.

"Tomorrow I have to take care of another errand and then we'll spend the next two days at home and all together as a family."

The massive dog stared at Connor with his big brown eyes and seemed to grumble a question.

"I won't be gone long, boy. Speaking with Hank gave me an idea of how I can help spread 'holiday joy'. That's all."

* * *

Waking up earlier than usual Connor let Sumo outside before checking in on Lucas one more time. Gently pressing his right hand over his little brother's forehead Connor grimaced at the warmer than usual temperature and realized that Lucas was still at risk of overheating despite being in rest mode. Entering the bathroom he put a clean washcloth under the cool tap, wrung out the excess water, then neatly folded it in half before draping it over Lucas's forehead without disturbing him.

"Don't worry about anything." Connor whispered to his little brother as he gathered up their uniforms from the laundry hamper in his closet and grabbed some clean clothes to wear for the rest of the day. "Everything will be okay."

After depositing the sets of uniforms into the washer Connor changed into his clean clothes; a gray long sleeved shirt with a black t-shirt over top and his usual dark blue jeans, inside the laundry room and made his way to the backdoor to let Sumo inside before he scratched at the door and woke anyone up.

"Good boy." Rubbing Sumo's chin a few times Connor poured fresh food into the dog's bowl and filled the water bowl in the kitchen sink. "Stay quiet and go sleep next to Lucas for a while. I'll be back soon."

Leaving a note with his still annoyingly perfect handwriting on the kitchen table for Hank to find just in case the senior detective woke up before he returned, Connor took the car keys and crept out the backdoor as silently as possible. Heading out first to New Jericho Tower he met with Markus in the lobby and asked for an update on Jessica.

"She pulled through, Connor." The deviant leader confirmed with a beaming smile of utter pride. "North is with her right now and Jessica is functioning at optimal parameters." Markus kept smiling as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "Looks like you and Lucas saved a life last night."

"I just carried her to the tower," Connor replied humbly. "Lucas is the one who saved her, and Simon kept her company as she healed." Smiling a little he breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll let Lucas know as soon as I'm back home. He'll finally relax and enjoy the holidays."

"You sound like you're in a hurry."

"I just have something very important that I must do before I go home and stay home, as Hank has requested."

"Something at the precinct?"

"Uh... No, something more... personal. I guess."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'll explain it all soon. But I can reassure you that I'm okay."

"Good to hear." Extending his right hand Markus bid his friend a goodbye. "Merry Christmas, Connor."

"Merry Christmas, Markus." Connor reciprocated the words as he shook the deviant leader's hands. "Let the others know I will visit again, soon."

"I will. Take care."

Feeling like a massive weight had just been lifted from his mind Connor returned to the car and readily drove down the long drive connecting Belle Isle to the rest of the city and focused on his final stop of the day. Remembering what Hank said about 'holiday joy' being about helping others and doing something that makes oneself feel at ease Connor knew there was one thing for certain he could do to finally let go of his dark memories from his childhood Christmases, and find a much needed sense of peace for the remainder of the cold and dreary winter.

As strange as it felt to return to the hospital, a place he absolutely hated to be, Connor knew he needed to be there even if it was only for a fleeting moment. Just as he had gone to visit his mother for the first time after coming to terms with her true identity Connor was shown to the doctor's lounge where his mother, who looked entirely exhausted, was sitting at the table with a mug of warm tea in her hands.

"...Uh, Elizabeth?"

Turning her head quickly at the sound of the familiar voice Elizabeth's chocolate brown eyes lit up as soon as she saw Connor's face. "Connor! What brings you by today?"

"I just wanted to say something to you," he admitted as he took a step closer to the table where she was sitting. "and I wanted to give you something."

"What is it?" She stood up from the table to stand before her son and had to look upward at the taller man to look him in the eyes. The single rogue lock of hair that hung down over Connor's left eye was just begging to be swept back but she refrained from doing so. "Has something happened?"

"Not yet. I just wanted to say... Merry Christmas." Slowly he wrapped his arms around the shorter woman who quickly wrapped her arms around him to embrace her son at long last with the tragically overdue hug. As she held on tightly Connor kept his voice level and soft. "And I want you to know that in time I'd like to get to know you better. Not just as a person from my past, but as my mother. I want us to... at least try to be a family."

"Oh, Connor." Elizabeth began to weep softly against her son's shoulder as she finally hugged him after twenty long years. "I'd love that! Merry Christmas..."

* * *

From within his bedroom Hank awoke to the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen, and knew that Connor was up and about despite being able to sleep in. Shaking his head a little the senior detective noted the time on his phone at just past ten in the morning and sighed. Refusing to let anything ruin the holiday break he got out of the warm bed, changed into clean clothes and checked in on Lucas by peering through the partially opened doorway, to ensure the exhausted deviant was still resting well.

"Looks like Connor has everything under control." He sighed as he noticed the cool washcloth over the deviant's forehead, and Sumo laying over Lucas's legs to keep him company. "Feel better soon, son."

Connor heard Hank walk into the kitchen and promptly greeted the senior detective with the freshly prepared coffee. "Good morning, Hank."

"Good morning." Accepting the mug of coffee he eyed the younger detective suspiciously. "You're awfully chipper this morning."

"Well, I took your advice and found a way to spread holiday joy to another person, and myself, at the same time." Having already disposed of the note he had left on the table Connor lowered his voice a little as to not disturb Lucas. "I quickly checked in at New Jericho and was told by Markus that Jessica not only survived the night, but is now conscious and fully functional."

Hank breathed a sigh of relief and felt his a tension leave his shoulders at the good news. "Lucas will be happy to hear that."

"...And I told my mother to have a Merry Christmas, and I gave her a hug."

"Wow. That must've made her very happy." Hank was genuinely impressed with Connor's acts of kindness. "Where'd that idea come from?"

"You." Connor replied jovially without hesitation.

"Yeah," a cheesy grin formed on Hank's face and there was nothing he could do to hide it. "I'm definitely I'm doing _something_ right as your father."

Connor smirked a little before responding with a humble reminder. "You're my _dad_, not my father."

Always appreciative of Connor's honest and sincere demeanor he clapped his hand against the side of the younger detective's arm and sighed. "Why don't you go let Lucas know the good news?"

"Yeah, he's been resting for almost ten hours now, it'll be safe to wake him up." Taking his leave of the kitchen Connor walked into his bedroom where his little brother was sleeping and sat down on the edge of the bed. Connor gently put his left hand on Lucas's left shoulder and shook him lightly a few times. "Lucas, can you hear me?"

The deviant's head lolled a little before his green eyes fluttered open and glanced up at his big brother. "Connor. Has something happened at New Jericho?"

"Something _good_." He responded with a kind smile on his face. "Jessica not only survived but is alert and thriving."

Lucas's green eyes lit up as he sat upright on the bed and the now warm washcloth fell from his forehead and onto his lap. "...She's alive?"

"Yes, Lucas. You saved her life. Jessica is going to be okay."

The deviant breathed his own massive sigh of relief, and for the first time since Connor saw him last evening Lucas finally relaxed. "I kept her alive. I didn't fail."

"Lucas as long as you put all your effort into helping someone and don't give up on them, you'll NEVER fail."

"Thank you, brother." Feeling much better, physically and emotionally, Lucas pushed aside the chocolate brown quilt and proceeded to get up from the bed. "I appreciate all your support."

"You're welcome." Getting up from the bed with a smile Connor walked over to his aquarium, sprinkled some food into the water and slid open his nearby closet doors. "There are more clothing options in my closet if you wish to change into something else. I'll be out in the livingroom with Hank when you're ready to join us."

"Yes, of course. I'll join you shortly."

Connor felt truly good for the first time in a very long time. A sense of peace not only fell over his mind but rested in his heart as he walked down the hallway and spotted Hank in the kitchen making a quick breakfast. Sumo of course was sitting beside Hank's leg and eagerly hoping for scraps or anything else to be dropped his way. "Lucas is awake and he's in a good mood."

"Guess everyone is this morning." Hank noted as he put a helping of scrambled eggs on one plate, and then a second plate. Bacon was still sizzling in the pan and Hank was watching Connor over his shoulder. "Let's keep that going well until tomorrow."

"I think that'll be possible."

"That's the right attitude." Dropping a strip of bacon down on the floor for Sumo to gobble up Hank finished preparing the two plates and placed them down on the kitchen table. "I know about not feeding Sumo scraps," Hank could feel the remark burning on Connor's lips and stopped him before he began. "but giving him a treat every so often won't hurt him."

"You're right." Connor agreed as he took a seat at the kitchen table. Hank was getting himself a refill on his coffee and poured some orange juice into a glass for Connor to have. "One piece of bacon isn't going to harm him as long as he doesn't it eat it every day."

"Speaking of which;" joining Connor at the table Hank put the glass down in front of the younger detective and sat down behind his own plate. "what did you want to do today?"

"I thought we were supposed to stay home."

"No, we're supposed to stay _together_. That doesn't mean we have to sit around the house all day."

"Oh. Well, I'm not sure." Connor picked up his fork and began fussing with the eggs as Lucas entered the kitchen. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and pale blue jeans. "What do people usually do on Christmas Eve?"

"Well, the dumb ones do last minute Christmas shopping, and the _really_ dumb ones get into fights at stores and spend the night in jail."

"What about the _less_ dumb ones?" The younger man asked sheepishly as he nodded at Lucas. "I think we qualify."

"Smartass." Hank laughed a little and looked over at Lucas. "Well, something I used to do all the time when I was a kid was go walk through the woods with my dad and granddad. Then when granddad passed away my dad and I started walking through the park, and I kept up the tradition for as long as I could. There's something incredibly peaceful about strolling through the snowy park with your family."

Lucas liked the idea of seeing the park in winter time. He rarely left the tower to do anything for himself, it was always business or traveling to the house when he did leave. "I think a walk in the park would be very nice."

Connor agreed and finished off his breakfast with the intent of spending the day with his family. "So do I."

"Cool." Hank was happy to have such cooperative sons when it came to making plans. "I'll get changed into something warm and we'll head out to the park."

* * *

Bundled up against the cold the unorthodox family; Hank, Connor, Lucas and even Sumo, all walked together from the house and down the sidewalk toward the park a few blocks away. It was still snowing but for the first time in days the wind had died down and made it much easier for people to navigate the snowy streets without too much difficulty. Since a majority of businesses and all of the schools were closed for the holidays the houses that lined the sidewalks were glowing with warm lights inside, and the sound of laughing and enthusiastic talking could be heard even from outside.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who wanted to spend the day with the family." Hank noted as he walked with Connor and Lucas on either side of him. Sumo was walking out in front and slightly pulling on the leash in Connor's right hand. "I don't know what we did to earn Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off from the precinct, but I'm not going to question it."

Connor smirked as the trio reached the park and began walking along the barricade overlooking the Detroit River.

"It's nice and quiet." The senior detective continued as his adopted sons walked alongside him. "I wish it was like this every day."

As Hank took a seat on the snowy bench Connor looked out at the Ambassador Bridge stretching out over the Detroit River and sighed. "You're right, Hank. It really is a nice view." Laughing a little Connor crossed his arms over his chest to help keep the cold from getting to him. "I wonder why I couldn't see it until now?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders a little and sat down beside Hank on the bench. "I've always looked out at the dark water of the harbor surrounding New Jericho Tower and saw it as a type of prison... When I'm outside the tower I see the water as a protective barricade. Perhaps it's all about perspective."

"Maybe."

Hank stayed quiet as he folded his hands together and leaned his elbows atop his knees as he stared off into the river a few yards away.

"I find that when I'm feeling uncertain about something I've witnessed or experienced before," the deviant technician continued on in a low voice. "drawing or painting the event allows me to see the situation with more details that I hadn't paid attention to during the initial moment."

The prospect was interesting but Connor didn't think that'd work out for him. "I don't have any artistic skills, brother."

"You can play guitar. You were able to do so before you were a deviant and have continued to do so after your return to your humanity. That makes you artistic on some level."

"I suppose that's accurate." Connor turned around to face his family and saw that Hank seemed to be a little distracted. Walking over to the bench he sat down beside Hank opposite of Lucas, and proceeded to rub Sumo's ears as the massive dog sat down before his three masters. "Are you alright, Hank?"

"...Yeah." The adoptive father wasn't lying, but he was obviously distracted by bleaker thoughts. "Sorry boys, I'm just thinking."

"Isn't that supposed to be _my_ bad habit?" Connor joked as he readjusted his glasses over his eyes and looked at his adopted father beside him. "What's on your mind?"

"...It's been so long since I bothered to stop by the park since the accident." He admitted in a somber tone. "I loved coming here with my dad for the last few years I still lived at home, and when mom was still around. When Cole was born Barb and I kept the tradition going with him until... Well, you know. And when I was finally able to bring myself back here it was the night I... I shouldn't have done that to you, Connor."

"I've forgiven you, Hank. You were emotionally distraught, confused and still in pain. I know it wasn't personal, and I know you'd never hurt me."

"It doesn't make me feel any better about the way I treated you in the past."

Putting his hand on Hank's shoulder Connor stayed beside Hank and didn't try to shy away from the subject. "If it helps to hear I'll say it again. I forgive you."

"Thanks, son."

Lucas leaned forward a little to relax his posture and he let out a tired sigh, his breath unseen unlike his two human companions. "If you two were able to forgive me for what I had tried to do to you once I was initially activated; how I almost killed you, Markus and North, then I know for sure I could never fear you either, Hank. You're a good man."

A faint grin appeared on Hank's face as he turned and glanced at Lucas. "Thanks again, son."

The trio sat in peaceful silence and watched the snow falling over the river for a few hours before the cold began to wear down their resolve. With gentle coaxing from Connor and Lucas at his sides Hank got up from the bench and was ready to head back home. The snow had built up considerably and was making a fresh 'crunch' sound beneath their footsteps as they traversed the white sidewalks to return to their warm, modest home together.

"Come on, boys." Hank stated in a content tone of voice as he noted the time and decided a warm cup of coffee was exactly what he needed. "Let's go home and keep out of the cold."

* * *

The trio quickly shed their coats and resided to the livingroom of the house to warm back up. Sumo was laying on his pillow in the middle of the room and wrapped up in a towel to keep the old arthritic dog warm, and to help his fur dry off quicker. Hank was sitting in the recliner with the navy blanket wrapped around himself and Connor was sitting in the middle couch with a gray blanket wrapped around himself as they too sought a comfortable means of warming up. While the two humans were trying to shake off the cold in the livingroom Lucas busied himself in the kitchen and downloaded a recipe for making hot chocolate for his family to enjoy.

"I hope this tastes as it should." Lucas stated as he handed a mug of the hot chocolate to Connor, and then did the same for Hank. The gesture was not only one of kindness but one to ensure neither human became ill from being out in the cold for too long. "I've never really cooked before, even if it is a simple enough of a recipe to follow."

Hank appreciated the gesture and accepted the offered mug readily. Even if it didn't taste good Hank was going to say no to the offered drink, especially since it was helping his hands to warm up. "Thanks, Lucas."

Connor too accepted the second mug and took a curious sip as Lucas sat down beside him. "I think it tastes just fine!"

"Really?" Lucas watched his big brother with a little uncertainty in his green eyes.

"Yeah! I didn't know hot chocolate could taste like this."

Hank's brow arched a little as he laughed. "Connor, I don't think you've ever had hot chocolate before. But, I'm willing to believe it." As he too took a sip he gave Lucas an incredulous stare. "...This_ is_ really good. How come you two are such good cooks?"

Lucas blushed a pale blue as he remained humble. "I don't know. It must be a familial trait."

"I can believe that, too." Hank smirked again and turned on the television to look for something entertaining to hold their attention as Christmas Eve played out smoothly. "Have either of you ever seen one of the literal thousands of cheesy Christmas movies that get played over and over again this time of year?"

The twin brothers shook their heads 'no' then turned to look at the television screen as Lucas sat down beside Connor.

"I don't know if I'm jealous of you, or if I should warn you."

"Warn us?" Connor questioned as he leaned back against the couch cushion heavily.

"Warn us about what?" Lucas tagged on as he mirrored Connor's body language and leaned back against the cushion.

Hank located a movie of interest and smirked again, '_A Miracle on 34th Street_', and allowed the movie to begin playing. "Just watch a few of these old movies," he insisted as he kicked his feet up and let the warmth of the blanket, the hot chocolate and the company of his family fend off the otherwise unbearable cold that was smothering the city outside. "and you'll understand what I mean soon enough..."

The trio settled into the livingroom and proceeded to watch numerous Christmas films, each one being considered a 'classic' for one reason or another, and soon enough evening had set in and Connor decided it was time to make dinner. As he made a simple pasta dish in the kitchen Lucas decided to help him while Hank went into his bedroom to discreetly make a quick phone call to a friend, and made sure Christmas Day went about as smoothly as Christmas Eve had done.

"Connor, are you okay?" Lucas could see that Connor was lost in deep thought as he stirred the modest pasta sauce on the stove. The younger detective's soulful brown eyes were glistening and he seemed a little distressed. "What's upsetting you?"

"...Lucas, do you think if I had made any different decisions in my past; as either an android or a human, that we'd be here right now? A family?"

"I don't know, and I don't understand. Why are you thinking about this now?"

Hank had overheard the question as he walked back down the hallway and leaned against the wall connecting the kitchen to the livingroom. "Let me guess, that little moral of the story thing with '_It's a Wonderful Life_' made you think about how one person's actions and very presence can have such a drastic effect on everyone else's life, right?"

Connor turned away from the stove and nodded a little as he looked at Hank. "Right."

"Well, I can tell you this for sure." Hank spoke boldly from where he stood. "If you weren't here then I wouldn't be either. Son, you saw me as a person who needed help and not a worthless drunk just waiting for death to come claim me. You kept pushing me to sober up and to find a way to come to terms with what had happened to me in the past, and that was all before you helped to change the world for the better for your own people. You showed me that life keeps going and life takes all shapes and sizes, and thrives in the strangest of ways."

Lucas agreed and tagged on his own thoughts. "And I wouldn't have been able to have a life beyond a machine. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, brother."

"See?" Hank spoke up up again. "Don't doubt yourself, Connor. You made the best possible decision for yourself, and in the end it was the best for everyone."

Feeling a twinge of confidence return Connor's grimace faded into a grin. "Then I guess it's safe to say my existence matters."

"And it always will. Now," letting a playfully annoyed huff Hank motioned to the television in the livingroom with a thumb over his shoulder. "we're going to find less thought-provoking movies to watch for a while longer, and then go to bed. I don't want anybody having another existential crisis until some other Revolution changes the world."

* * *

After finishing the light meal the family reconvened in the livingroom to continue enjoying the peace of the evening and each other's company. Connor was chewing on the end of a peppermint candy cane and offered one to Lucas to at least try so he knew what the flavor was, but the deviant was hesitant. After breaking off a small piece of the candy cane in his hand Connor offered up the small sample to Lucas who finally tasted it and now understood why Connor was so fond of the flavor whenever he had a cup of tea. It was an interesting blend of sweet and spicy which was very enticing, and seemed to be full of energy.

"I wonder if I could incorporate flavors into Thirium and other android medications?" Lucas pondered as he made a memory file dedicated specifically to flavors, tastes and scents. Peppermint was just going to be the first of many possibilities. "It could prove to be beneficial for those who wish to adapt more fully to humanity."

Hank smirked a little as he turned to look at the deviant on the couch. "I bet if you could make that green stuff used to treat android-flu taste better you'd have more cooperative patients. Or is that just Connor being stubborn?"

Connor gave Hank a somewhat amused stare before returning his attention to the television screen. "_No_ android likes that vile taste."

Lucas smirked as well before replying. "Many deviants have a disdain to that flavor. For once it's not just Connor being stubborn."

Appreciative of the back-up Connor gave Lucas the same somewhat amused stare then addressed Sumo laying on his pillow on the other side of the coffee table. "Come here, boy." As the massive dog slowly got up from his pillow and rested his chin on Connor's knee he rubbed the massive dog's ears gently. "At least you don't think I'm stubborn."

Sumo grumbled once and wagged his tail.

"...Traitor."

Leaning forward in the recliner Hank let out a small yawn and rubbed his left hand over the back of his neck. "It's getting late and I'm tired. I'll see you two in the morning. Merry Christmas, boys."

The two brothers replied in chorus. "Merry Christmas."

As their adoptive father walked down the hallway Sumo grumbled again and followed after his senior master to join him for the night. Connor turned his head to look at Lucas and kept his voice low as he spoke. "Do you think he'll like the gift we got him?"

"I think he'd appreciate the gesture. After all, he legally adopted us both as his children, so I believe our gift complements his own."

"I hope so. I didn't know what else to get him, and I wanted to make sure this Christmas was enjoyable for him since he's been going out of his way to make sure it's enjoyable for the both of us."

"Your idea was very sound, Connor. Don't fret over it."

"Sorry. It's just Hank kept asking us what we'd like for the holidays and I didn't know what to say."

"Neither did I. I've never been asked such a question and there really isn't anything I 'want', so to speak."

"Same. It seems like such a simple question, but it's very difficult to answer. If there was anything in particular that I did want I would simply purchase it myself and not ask for someone else to purchase it for me."

"That's how I feel about it."

"I understand that the act of giving a gift is less about the contents of said gift and revolves more around the act of _giving_ the gift, but it's still difficult to know what it is I want to give and what I would like to receive."

"Exactly."

Sighing a little Connor noticed the late hour and slipped off his glasses to put on the coffee table beside him. "I think it's time to sleep."

"Of course. I'll stay here while you take your bed tonight."

"No, Lucas. We can both sleep out here." Getting up from the couch Connor walked over to the now vacated recliner and wrapped himself up in the navy blue blanket to sleep for the night. "You can have the couch while I'll sleep right here."

"Why would you choose to sleep there?"

"Well, Sumo is with Hank right now and it was Hank's idea that the family stays together on Christmas Eve, so it makes sense that we stay together, too."

"I like that idea." Lucas grinned a little as he tossed one of the couch pillows over to Connor before laying down over the length of the furniture and pulling the gray blanket up and over himself. "Goodnight, Connor."

"Goodnight, Lucas."

The two brothers fell asleep rather quickly in the livingroom under the warm glow of the Christmas tree lights. It was peacefully quiet outside as snow continued to fall in large flakes outside the house and bury the city under a gentle layer of white. The house was warm, quiet and for the first time in years it felt like a family was actually taking shelter under the roof, not just a group of strangers who tolerated one another's company.

As morning fell over the city warm amber rays cut through the snow clouds and shone brightly through the front windows of the house. It didn't take long for Connor to get awoken by the bright light and as he lifted up his head he noticed Lucas was waking up as well. The two brothers awoke on that Christmas morning and were welcomed by the sight of the glowing Christmas lights and an overwhelming feeling of peace that blanketed the modest home.

"It's Christmas." Connor stated in a somewhat sleepy but cheery manner. "Should we wake up Hank?"

Lucas was about to say something on the matter when Sumo came trotting down the hallway and greeted the two brothers, first Lucas and then Connor, before making his way into the kitchen. Hank was walking down the hallway with his phone in his hand and made his way into the kitchen to let Sumo out into the backyard through the backdoor. "Merry Christmas, boys." He called out as he let Sumo outside, then walked outside the doorway. "Give Sumo a moment and we'll enjoy Christmas morning all together."

Connor took the opportunity to reclaim his glasses from the coffee table and walked into the bathroom to wake up. Lucas noticed that Hank was outside and had his phone to his ear again, and soon enough a car quickly pulled up the driveway behind the Oldsmobile, and the unknown driver dropped off a cardboard box into Hank's hands, and then backed down the drive again and out of sight.

"Curious. I wonder what-"

Connor returned to the livingroom and sat down beside Lucas on the couch and ran his hand through his thick and recently combed hair. "We should give Hank that special gift last, rather than first." He suggested casually as he listened to Hank walking through the backdoor with Sumo at his side. "That way he won't be distracted."

"Y-Yes, good idea." Lucas was still curious about Hank's behavior outside but decided not to say anything. "I'm certain he'll like it all the same, whether it's first or last."

"I hope so."

Hank returned to the house through the backdoor with Sumo, took off his shoes and carried the cardboard box into the bathroom to be stored for a moment. Sumo was very curious about the box so Hank had to grab onto the large dog's leather collar to pull him out of the bathroom and back into the livingroom. "Hey Connor, could you get Sumo's gift from under the tree so he'll stay put?"

"Sure." Getting up from the couch Connor bent down under the tree and pulled out the large rectangular box wrapped up in red paper that had been placed on the floor up against the wall. As he pulled out the large box Connor peeled off the paper, opened up the box, and pulled out the large rawhide bone for the dog to chew on. "Here ya' go, boy. This is your gift."

Sumo immediately stopped pulling against Hank's grip on his collar once he heard Connor's voice and saw the new treat. The massive dog grabbed the bone gently from Connor's hands and plopped down on the pillow to begin chewing on the rawhide with his tail thumping happily.

"Perfect." Hank grinned as he watched Sumo wagging his tail and gnawing on the bone. Approaching the Christmas tree himself Hank knelt down and picked up a few gifts to pass out to his sons. "Now, let's get the rest of the gifts handed out."

Lucas smiled as he was handed a large box wrapped up in red paper that was gifted to him from Hank, and Connor was passed a much smaller box wrapped up in green paper that had a larger flat rectangular box underneath, that was given from Lucas. Hank took a box that was wrapped up in blue paper and no bigger than a shoe box with a second thinner box attached to the top gifted to him from Connor, before sitting down again.

"Go ahead," Hank insisted as the two brothers sat still holding their gifts on the couch. "open them up."

Connor carefully pulled open the paper of the small box and found it contained a brand new "smart watch". One designed to allow quick communication through calls and text, had a G.P.S. tracker and designed to record his vital signs for as long as it was wrapped around his wrist. "Lucas, this is a very generous gift. Thank you!"

"I figured since you were no longer able to cybernetically track your vital signs or keep precise coordination of your current location due to being a human again, this would be an adequate substitute."

"This is perfect." Connor opened up the box and pulled out the watch. It would need to be charged but he was willing to wait. "I appreciate it." Opening the larger rectangular gift attached to the first Connor was greeted by the sight of the 'Zen Garden' from his 'Mind Palace' back when he was deviant. But this time the garden was different. The red roses were yellow, the pond was full of vibrantly colored fish, more trees of various colors filled in the green grass surrounding the pond, and an image of Lucas and Connor playing chess together in the middle of the pond atop the marble island was painted in perfect detail There was also a small patch of wildflowers that showed Hank and Sumo enjoying the peaceful garden along with the brothers. "...This is amazing."

"I know you suffer from frequent nightmares regarding your past as an android under CyberLife's control. I thought this would be an ideal way to reshape the images of that CyberLife prison into one of a personal sanctuary."

"...This is beautiful. How did you know what the garden looks like?"

"You and I connected cybernetically and you showed me your past. I saw the garden and saw the way CyberLife tried to manipulate you." Pointing to the yellow roses Lucas gave is brother a confident grin. "The hostile red is now a friendly yellow, the nearly empty pond now has life and the trees are full of color and singing birds. It's not a hollow facade of paradise, now it truly is a peaceful sanctuary."

"Thank you, brother. This is an amazing gift." Holding up the painting Connor felt a sense of peace wash over him, and with that peace came a fearlessness he hadn't felt since his deviancy. "I don't have to be afraid of my own dreams anymore."

"You are welcome, Connor." Lucas smirked as he watched his brother's eyes light up. "You deserve peace."

"As do you," he admitted then looked at their adoptive father sympathetically. "and you too, Hank."

As Lucas opened his own gift he was greeted by the sight of numerous canvases, very expensive and very advanced tubes of oil paint, various brushes, pallets and books containing photographs of nature throughout the world. "Thank you, Hank." Lucas picked up the book and began glancing through the hundreds of photographs inside. "This is beautiful."

"You're welcome, son." As Hank opened his own box his eyes lit up as he recognized the covers of several of his favorite books. These were all pristine condition books not meant to replace his older copies, but to help preserve the older copies by giving him second copies to read through. "Wow, how did you find so many of my favorite books in such great shape?"

"I have my connections still."

Opening up the second box Hank peeled back the thin white paper covering a glass surface and felt his heart skip a beat. It was a framed picture, but it wasn't holding a photo, it was holding a child's drawing. "...Connor?"

"When I was moving into Cole's bedroom I found that drawing on the top shelf in my closet. I didn't want to leave it to be forgotten or get damaged."

Hank held the framed photo of Cole's drawing like he were holding a priceless artifact. "...Thank you for protecting this. I'm... I'm glad a piece of Cole is still here with us. He... He made it to Christmas this year."

"I was happy to save the drawing, Hank. It belongs with you." Connor grinned as he got up to get a few more gifts to pass out to the family. Passing over a thin, square package to Hank he reclaimed his seat and gave another box to Lucas and kept another for himself. "I think you'll like that one just as much."

"It's from Lucas." Hank noticed as he carefully peeled back the paper to reveal the cover of the original debut album from 'The Knights of the Black Death' on vinyl. "Holy... How in the- No! I don't want to know how you found this!" Hank nodded appreciatively at the deviant. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lucas smiled as he opened up the second gift wrapped in green, one from Connor and Hank, and stared at the given gift. The box was full of extra clothing, a new leather wallet designed to hold his I.D., money and cards, a new phone to help Lucas communicate in a more human manner and a spare key to the house. "...Connor, this is all for me?"

"Of course. You have the right to your own personal possessions, Lucas. And since this is your house too it only makes sense that you'd have your own key."

"Thank you, brother." Lucas picked up the house key and held it in his palm like a true treasure. "I appreciate this."

Connor opened the next gift, a present from both Hank and Lucas, and was greeted by the sight of framed photographs regarding his life after his deviancy and during his return to humanity. Each photo captured a genuine moment of happiness or trust within the family that solidified his bonds with the man he had taken on as his father, and his own admitted brother. "...These are wonderful. I wasn't aware that Hank was taking photos of us during our bonding moments, or during my recovery." He turned toward Hank and gave him an appreciative grin. "But I'm glad he did."

"As am I." Lucas admitted as he glanced at the various photos that Connor was happily looking through. "Photographs are an incredibly effective way to help us remember who we are, who we care about, and the experiences that helped to shape us into the people we are today."

"You're right."

Hank smirked as he got up from the recliner and made his way back toward the kitchen. "Alright, I have one more gift to give each of you."

"You do?" Connor's brow arched as he watched Hank make his way toward the backdoor and slip on his shoes.

"Yup. You two, come over here with me."

The brothers gave each other confused glances but did as they were told. Joining Hank in the kitchen he opened the backdoor and showed the duo outside to the side drive beside the house.

"This is for you, Lucas." Handing the deviant a small white box with a small red bow on top of it, the box was no bigger than a post-it note, he walked over to the garage at the end of the driveway. "It's not much, but I think it'll work."

Lucas was still confused and opened the small white box in his hand. Inside was a shiny key attached to a keyring. "...Another key?"

"No, son. Not just another key." Hank stated as he lifted up the garage door and revealed an old and shiny red colored pick-up truck parked inside the small space, just waiting to be driven off and into the wild. "I figured this would make it easier for you to get around the city without having to rely on autonomous taxis or wait for one of us to visit you."

"...You're giving me a vehicle?" Lucas was genuinely awe struck by the generous gift.

"Yup. It's all yours." Hank reached out his hand and put it on Lucas's shoulder. "Now you're free to go wherever you please, whenever you please. The only thing stopping ya' now is an empty gas tank."

"Hank... I... Thank you!" Lucas couldn't stop himself from throwing his arms around his adoptive father to hug him. "...Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Lucas."

Connor smiled and looked at the truck parked inside the garage. "Not bad. I would've picked something in green, but the red is nice."

"Uh-huh." Patting Lucas's shoulder Hank motioned for the duo to return to the house with him. "Just you wait for your gift."

"Please tell me you didn't buy two vehicles."

"Alright, I won't. Because you're not getting out of helping me maintain the Oldsmobile _that_ easily."

"But I_ like_ working on the car."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on." Hank had to grab onto Lucas's arm to lead him back to the house, and could still see the smile on Lucas's face. "I think you'll like this gift better than any car."

Connor's brow arched again as he followed after Hank and Lucas into the house through the backdoor, and was shown back to the livingroom to sit down on the couch. Sumo was still enjoying his rawhide chew toy and wagging his tail, yet he was eyeing the bathroom door curiously from where he was laying.

The young detective responded humbly and graciously as he sat down and waited for Hank to give him his final gift. "You don't have to do anything special for me, Hank."

"Too late. Sit right there." Reaching up to the bookshelf Hank pulled down one more white box, about the same size of the one he had given Lucas but with a green bow on top of it, and handed it over to Connor before walking down the hallway to the bathroom. "When I tell you to, open the box."

"...Okay."

Lucas sat down beside Connor on the couch and gave his big brother a bemused stare. "Do you think Hank is trying to spoil us?"

"I don't know. I think he's just trying to make sure we're happy."

From the bathroom Hank called out to Connor through the now opened doorway. "Go ahead and open the box, Connor."

Tilting his head a little Connor opened the box and his brow furrowed a little at the object sitting inside. Within the box was a green colored nylon collar, and nothing more. "A collar?"

"Don't worry, it's not for you." Hank suddenly placed an eight week old, solid tan bloodhound puppy down onto Connor's lap. Leaning over the back of the couch Hank watched as the puppy quickly introduced herself to her new master with playful licks and tail wags. "It's for your new pup."

"My new..." Connor's eyes went wide as the small puppy wagged her tail and began licking at the side of Connor's face with a happy energy. Sumo whimpered a little as he finally got up from his pillow and sat down beside Connor's leg to check out the new addition to the family. "I have a... _puppy_?"

Hank smirked as Connor pulled the happy little pup up to his chest and ran his hand down her small back to begin petting her. The little puppy was instantly smitten with Connor and was very sweet and affectionate. "Well, you never had a pet as a kid and I know how much you love animals, and you've been taking great care of Sumo all this time. So I figured this was a safe gift to give you."

"Hank... I don't know what to say! This is..." Connor was beginning to tear up a little as he let the puppy climb all over him. He had never been given anything so wonderful as a gift before, let alone been given something like his very own pet. Having all the animals in his childhood neighborhood to play with helped bring some form of joy to Connor as he grew up in the bleak household with his abusive father, but he never had a puppy of his own, or any other pet for that matter. "Thank you so much!"

"Hey, easy now." He put his hand on Connor's shoulder and patted it a few times. "Don't cry over this."

"I'm not crying..." The emotional younger man refuted as he continued to pet the puppy's back. "I mean, I am, but I'm not sad! I'm happy!"

Lucas smiled again as he too began to gently pet the puppy's ears. "You were very generous with your gifts for us, Hank. Thank you."

"Well, you two deserve it."

Connor wiped his hand over his eyes as he recollected himself emotionally before speaking up. "We have something special for you, too."

"Oh?"

Lucas quickly got up from the couch and reached under the Christmas tree to pick up the final gift purposely hidden from Hank's sight until that moment, and presented it to their adoptive father. "We thought you might appreciate this, and we hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will like it no matter what it is." Hank insisted as he accepted the long rectangular lightweight box wrapped up in gold paper and topped with a silver colored bow. Returning to the recliner Hank sat down, peeled back the gilded paper to reveal the white box underneath and opened it up. Inside were two official documents, and two new forms of I.D. for both brothers who were sitting on the couch side by side. "What the... You two went and legally changed your last names... to 'Anderson'?"

Connor nodded and stood up, still holding the happy puppy in his arms. "You took us in, gave us a home and even adopted us, making us a real family. We thought the best way to honor you for your kindness was to take your surname."

"...Lucas Caleb Anderson." Hank smirked as he handed the deviant his updated driver's license and was fighting back tears of his own. "And Connor Henry Anderson. Whoa, wait a minute..." There was more than just a last name changed when it came to Connor. "_Henry_?"

"My original middle name was that of my biological father. I may have forgiven him for what he had done to me in the past, but he'll never be a real father to me._ You are_." Connor explained calmly and with a kind tone of voice. "And I wanted to make it clear who I think of as my dad. My_ real_ dad."

"Connor. Lucas." Hank's hand began shaking a little and he put the box down on the coffee table before he dropped it. "This is the greatest gift I could've ever gotten._ Two sons_ who aren't ashamed to call me their father."

"...We'd rather call you 'dad'." The young detective tagged on in almost shy voice. "That is... if you're okay with that."

Hank looked up at Connor and then to Lucas who gave him a subtle nod. "...I'd like that. I really would."

Kneeling down on the floor beside the chair Connor wrapped his arm around Hank while keeping one arm around his new puppy. Happily Lucas joined in on the hug and embraced his family with a sense of true peace, understanding and belonging in their hearts. Sumo proceeded to nose his way into the group hug and wagged his tail happily as he too seemed to understand what was happening, and pressed his chin down on Hank's bicep.

"Merry Christmas, sons." Hank managed to say without a cracking or even shaking voice. "Let's hope this is just the first of many we get to celebrate together."

"As a family." Connor tagged on with a sigh of utter relief in his very happy voice and let himself cry as well. "_Always_ as a family."

_**-next chapter-**_


	26. New Year's Resolutions

The city was still blanketed under a thick layer of snow and most of the city remained indoors away from the relentless cold. Connor and Hank weren't as fortunate as they were assigned to tend to a deviant case near a frozen lake, and had to spend four hours out on the ice to find the cause of death. It was deemed an accident; the deviant had attempted to cross the lake to get help for his human companion who had slipped and injured their ankle while hiking in the nearby woods, and in the process the deviant slipped on the icy surface, fell backward, and heavily damaged his intracranial processors when his head hit the surface.

"There's nothing that can be done to revive him?" Hank asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched as the sun began to set in the distance.

"Unfortunately no. The damage is irreversible." Standing up from his crouched position carefully Connor ran his hands up and down his arms to try to stave off the cold, while also stifling a weak cough. The harsh weather was getting to everyone now. "A majority of the hardware inside of his cranium had been shattered upon impact, and the prolonged exposure to the extreme cold only emphasized the severity of the damage."

"Damn. We should tell his friend about this."

"Yeah, but I don't think she'll handle the news well."

"I know I sure Hell wouldn't want to start the new year knowing one of my friends just died because of a stupid accident."

Connor nodded in agreement and began slowly walking off of the ice and onto the outstretched rug used to give the investigating officers traction while examining the crime scene. "If we're lucky we can finish our reports and make it out to New Jericho Tower to celebrate the New Year with everyone."

"It'll be the first time I'll be celebrating the incoming new year without a drop of booze since I turned twenty-one."

"Well, even if we weren't working tomorrow I know you'd stay sober."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You and Lucas are helping me stay on the wagon, and I appreciate it."

"It's what families do."

"That's right." Hank followed after Connor and they soon reached the edge of the frozen lake and began walking toward the back of the ambulance where the human victim was resting her confirmed broken ankle under a support bandage. "This is your case, kid. You take the lead on it; Sergeant _Anderson_."

Smirking at the comment he turned and gave Hank a confident nod as he prepared to finish his final responsibilities for the case. "I will. Lieutenant Anderson."

* * *

New Jericho Tower was relatively quiet as the deviants inside went about their business as per usual, and prepared for the new year. Unlike the humans who were simply gathering supplies for small parties and meeting up at their own personal places of residence, the deviants were taking precautionary measures against possible drunk bigots seeking out the tower for vandalism or violent altercations. The leaders of New Jericho Tower were doing their best to keep the occupants calm while Lucas was focusing on taking care of his patients in the emergency repair bay.

"It looks like you've made a full recovery, Jessica." Lucas smiled as the blonde haired deviant sat on the edge of the exam table. Her blue eyes were shining bright and full of life and she wasn't afraid of anything anymore. "You're free of my care and can go to your assigned private quarters until you're ready to leave."

"Thank you for saving me, Lucas." Slipping off the edge of the table Jessica took his hand in her own and held tight. "North told me that both you and your brother helped me. So when you see him tell him I said thanks."

"I will." A pale blue blush appeared on Lucas's face as he took his hand from Jessica's as she walked toward the door to the repair bay to take her leave for the rest of the evening.

As he stood quietly in the repair bay Simon walked up behind Lucas and patted his shoulder. "Be proud, Lucas. You essentially brought someone back from the dead."

"I am proud." He admitted with a faint smirk. "I still can't believe it worked."

"Humans say it's possible to experience 'Christmas miracles', maybe it's true."

"Maybe." Sighing a little Lucas turned to look at his colleague curiously. "Are the other deviants on edge because of possible misconduct?"

"No. Everyone is pretty calm, they know the tower is secure."

"Are you going to spend the evening with Josh again?"

"...I hope so." This time Simon blushed at the question as he contemplated spending the evening with his dearest friend. "Do you have a New Year's date?"

"No. But I did invite Connor and Hank to celebrate with us. Family is all the company I need right now."

* * *

The two detectives returned to the house after finishing their reports to change into more casual clothing, and to check on the two dogs who had been cooped up inside most of the day. Walking through the backdoor the two detectives were expecting Sumo to go barreling through the doorway but instead the duo were able to walk inside the house without any difficulty. Spilled kibble on the kitchen floor and a few toys strewn about the house weren't going to deter the two from entering their home, they were used to messes.

"Huh. Wonder where Sumo is?" Hank asked out loud as he walked through the kitchen and looked inside the livingroom. The massive dog was laying on his pillow and wagging his tail a little, while the smaller puppy was curled up against his side for her own nap. "Never mind. Found him."

Connor walked into the livingroom and saw Sumo laying on his pillow with the small puppy, Ruby, cuddled up at his side as she slept. "I guess Sumo likes Ruby's company."

"Looks like it." Patting the side of his leg Hank called over Sumo, who slowly got up from the pillow and walked over to his master. Ruby stayed asleep as playing all day long had worn her out. "Let's get you outside and then fed."

Connor walked over to the pillow where Ruby was still sound asleep and knelt down beside the almost nine week old puppy and gently rubbed her ears. Despite the attention she stayed sound asleep. "Good girl."

Hank opened the backdoor and let Sumo outside before sweeping up the messy kitchen floor.

Connor had heard the broom being swept over the floor and quickly volunteered to clean up the mess. "I'll clean the kitchen. That's mostly the puppy chow that's on the floor."

"Yeah, sure." Handing over the broom to Connor the senior detective disappeared down the hallway to change his clothes. "We got a few hours until we need to get out to New Jericho, so don't sweat it."

"I remember."

Just as Connor finished cleaning up the spilled food and toys Sumo scratched at the backdoor and he let the massive dog back inside. "Good boy."

Sumo pressed his nose into Connor's hand before trotting into the livingroom to lay back down on his pillow with Ruby. The massive bundle of fluff practically smothered out the smaller puppy as he laid down, but he was very gentle and Ruby didn't get disturbed by his presence.

"Who knew Sumo would like some companionship?" Hank observed as he walked back down the hallway and looked at the two pets laying together on the pillow from over the back of the couch. The senior detective seemed so much calmer than usual despite the intense weather, and seemed to finally have found a sense of peace. "Then again, I didn't even know that _I_ needed someone to talk to."

"I'm just glad Sumo wasn't jealous of Ruby when you gave her to me. He really is a gentle giant."

"Sumo's never really been the aggressive or 'needy' type of dog." Watching the little puppy stretch out her body and press up against Sumo's side for added warmth Hank turned to look at Connor and asked a curious question. "Why'd you pick the name 'Ruby'?"

"It just sort of... popped in my head. I think it's because she's a bloodhound, blood's red and yeah. I don't know, but it suits her." Putting away the broom Connor set about cleaning up the small puppy pads that had been used and laid down some from fresh ones where the older ones had been laying. "Can I ask where you found Ruby?"

"Remember when I told you that I saved Sumo from that busted puppy mill a few years back?"

"Yeah. You took Sumo and Captain Fowler took a pitbull puppy home."

"Right. Well, the pups that weren't taken in by the other officers at the scene were taken to shelters or professional breeders outside of the city for special care. One of those breeders works with the precinct in providing service dogs, and I asked if she had any puppies who needed a home. Turns out there was one, Ruby, who had been part of a small 'accident litter' and was in need of a good home. The breeder remembered that I was part of that bust and that I took in Sumo, so she had no hesitation in letting me take Ruby off her hands."

"How did you get Ruby here without me or Lucas noticing?"

"I asked Tina for a favor. She loves animals but her boyfriend is on the fence about having any pets. So she kept Ruby at her apartment for a couple days to try to change her boyfriend's mind, and then on Christmas he dropped off Ruby and asked me for the breeder's contact information."

Connor smirked at that information walked into the livingroom to observe the two dogs cuddled up together. "I'm glad you brought her home to me."

"Like I said, you never had any pets as a kid and everyone needs to have a pet at least once in their life. Ruby needed a home and you needed to have a pet of your own."

"It's too bad animals aren't allowed at New Jericho Tower."

"Hey, don't be that guy who takes their dog everywhere. Even if she's the best trained dog in the world that doesn't mean you get to bring her everywhere, especially since some people are deathly allergic to dogs."

"I know, Hank." Smirking at Ruby's gilded name tag hanging from her green collar Connor just thought about the upcoming spring and all of the warm days he'd have to play with both Ruby and Sumo outside. "I still need to get her used to a leash anyway."

* * *

Feeling confident in the success of New Jericho's feats for the past year Markus held North's hand as they reached the top of the tower and stood in the middle of the modest lounge at the very top of the tower, and looked out over the cold water. It was dark and that very darkness seemed to stretch out into eternity, but soon that eerie blackness would be illuminated by brightly colored fireworks that would act of symbols hope for the incoming new year as they lit up the sky, and glowed over the surface of the water.

"We changed so many lives." Markus stated in a low voice as he stood before the massive window overlooking the harbor. His hand tightened around North's hand as they stood side by side. "We changed the world. And if we keep up this progress I know will help keep changing it for the better."

"Everything will be alright, Markus. We won't let anything happen to our people."

"I think my New Year's resolution this year is going to be helping the precinct locate the person who hired those assassins." The deviant leader stated in a confident tone. "We need to know who it is who wants to harm our people, and is willing to pay top dollar to accomplish that needless task."

"Sounds good to me."

"We've come so far, North." Markus whispered as he turned to look her in her cinnamon brown eyes and gently put his free hand to the side of her face. "We've made such incredible progress for our people in such a short amount of time. We can keep making things better, and we will succeed."

"We already have, Markus." Standing up on her tip toes North softly kissed Markus and gazed into his mismatched eyes lovingly. "We're free, our people are standing up for themselves, and we have rights as people. Nothing will ever change that."

The doors to the elevator parted as Lucas, Connor and Hank joined the two leaders of New Jericho at the top of the tower to spend the evening with them. The trio of a family were more than happy to join their friends at the top of the tower and overlook the cold dark harbor to enjoy the fireworks, and welcome in the brand new year.

Connor approached the deviant leader and looked his friend in the eyes. "It's a good idea to celebrate the new year all together. We don't spend enough time together outside of business."

"You're right. That'd be a good resolution to have."

Nodding in agreement Connor looked out the window past Markus's shoulder and into the distance. "What's been happening during our absence?"

The deviant leader went into detail how the efforts of New Jericho had provided shelter, sanctuary and aid to deviants in need. He also spoke of the many improvements of the tower, their connections to the facilities throughout the city and their impending partnership with the precinct. Meanwhile Lucas informed Markus of the tower's enhancements toward aiding deviants in need, and of how the improvements to the tower need to be spread to the other facilities in the city to keep everything progressing smoothly.

As midnight neared Josh and Simon joined their colleagues at the top of the tower and readied themselves to partake in the New Year's Eve countdown and incoming fireworks over the water.

Connor sat with Hank and Lucas on the bench that encircled the massive window overlooking the harbor and sighed a little. "I think my New Year's resolution is going to be me taking the time to get to know my mother." Stifling a slight cough courtesy of the cold outside Connor kept his thoughts on track. "She deserves the chance to live her life without fear or hiding from the truth, and I want to help her."

"That's a good idea." Hank agreed as he thought about what he wanted to do himself. "I think I'll focus on staying completely sober for a solid year. No slip ups, no mistakes."

Lucas tilted his head a little before he thought of his own resolution. "I believe I will attempt go have more of a social life outside of the tower. I will either spend more time with my family or try to make more friends. I can't stay here forever."

Hank put his hand on Lucas's shoulder and nodded his head. "That sounds like a good plan, too."

Connor looked at his little brother and gave him a sympathetic glance. "If you want to spend more time with us all you have to do is come over. You don't have to wait for an invitation."

"I know. But residing in the tower keeps me very busy."

Hank pondered what Lucas said but before he could reply Josh announced the time suddenly.

"One minute to midnight." Josh looked out over the harbor and discreetly wrapped his arm around Simon's shoulders as they stood side by side. "It'll be nice to see the fireworks from here."

Markus wrapped his arm around North's waist and pulled her up close to his side to hold onto her as they too peered out over the water to watch the show.

Connor rolled up the left sleeve of his jacket to look down at his new smart watch and watched the digital seconds ticking away leading ever closer to midnight and the inevitable fireworks display. "Thirty seconds."

From the distance of the city a low roar of excited cheers sounded off in an expectant energy. Holidays were the few times where the entire city could come together and celebrate in a common cause, and do so without any form of violence or even the slightest aggression. There was a positive energy hovering over the city and everything was set to begin at midnight, exactly.

"...Ten seconds."

From the distance of the city the entire gathered group could hear the city counting down in chorus: Ten. Nine. Eight.

Markus tightened his hug around North's waist. "I love you, North."

She reciprocated the hug and looked up into his eyes. "I love you, Markus."

Seven. Six. Five.

Josh pulled Simon in closer as they too whispered their love to one another; the couple being slightly more private than the others out of a need to protect their social lives. Being singled out for being deviants were bad enough, but openly showing their love might make things worse to the linger closed hearted bigots still skulking in the shadows.

Four. Three. Two.

Connor looked away from his watch and toward the harbor as he sat alongside his father and brother.

One.

The city erupted into a loud cheer as the fireworks began to soar into the sky and burst into bright displays of colored flares against the pitch black sky. As the thunderous echoes of the fireworks filled the harbor the loud cheers in the city were accompanied by a low ambience of singing from the people gathered in the streets in the distance.

It was the first time Connor had actually seen live fireworks as a human. When he was a child he was kept locked up and far away from the beauty of the outside world, and hidden away in the darkness. To see such bright, warm color filling the inky black void above him was as beautiful as it was symbolic of his return to humanity.

Hank turned to look at his sons, noticing that Lucas was watching the sky with a curious stare, while Connor was watching the fireworks with an almost childlike wonder. It was truly interesting to see how the brothers could watch the same display and have vastly different reactions. The fact that the two brothers were in fact arguably twins but with completely different, yet compatible personalities, ensured that Hank would have an interesting relationship with his sons for years to come.

"I've never seen fire in the sky before." Connor commented in a low voice. "...It's beautiful."

Lucas tilted his head a little as took in every detail of the multicolored flares illuminating the dark sky. "You're right. This isn't something a person can see every day. It is quite beautiful."

"The world used to seem so dark to me. Like a smothering cold blackness was doomed to suffocate me, and now I don't see it like that." Feeling a little more at ease surrounded by his family Connor continued with his poetic train of thought. "Now I see that the world can be warm and bright when there's other people to help guide you on your way. A ray of light, a beacon of hope, shining out through the dark of the night."

As the younger detective spoke he felt like he was letting the last of his dark pain finally leave his mind, and his heart.

"You don't have to live in fear anymore, brother." Lucas was always insistent and far more upbeat that either Connor or Hank. "We'll always be there to watch your back and help you find your way back home."

The show came to an end, but there were still people out in the streets singing and celebrating loudly well past midnight. Ever responsible and attentive Connor nodded to Hank letting him know he was ready to go home to sleep since they had a shift tomorrow. There was sure to be a lot of reports of drunken misconduct or childish vandalism, but even the seemingly most trivial cases still needed to be handled properly.

"We'll see you soon, Lucas." Connor acknowledged his brother as he stood up from the bench and walked toward the elevator. "Stop by the house soon."

"I will as soon as I'm able to." Lucas promised as he looked to both Connor and Hank. "I promise to spend more time with my family. Perhaps I will stop by tomorrow to begin the new year properly."

Hank patted Lucas's shoulder and smiled. "You're damn right you will. I'm going to make sure of it."

* * *

During the drive home Connor stared out the sidewindow at the streets and sidewalks filled with cheering, laughing, singing and dancing people. The night of the Revolution was worth celebrating but what the androids and deviants had done that night didn't elicit such a jovial response like what he was seeing now. Still fascinated by the images of the fireworks Connor glanced up toward the night sky hoping to see a few more, and as he leaned forward in his seat he coughed a little more and put his hand over his mouth.

"Maybe we should try to head out to New York for the Fourth of July." Hank suggested casually as he carefully drove down the street while avoiding joyous partiers in the street. Some were drunk and others were just excited. "They have amazing fireworks designated only for the Fourth of July."

"...That seems like a massive inconvenience just to see some fireworks."

"Not really. There's a lot of stuff to do in New York and you should see the world. Growing up in a secluded town and then spending a couple of years in a coma would make me stir crazy, that's for damn sure."

Grinning at the comment Connor coughed a little more and cleared his throat. "Well, a vacation out of the state does seem like a good idea. But only after Ruby is properly trained and won't need constant attention."

"She gets constant attention because you went out and bought her and Sumo a bunch of new toys to play with. She's fine!"

"Think I went overboard when I went to the pet store?"

"Nah. You only bought toys." Pulling the car into the driveway beside the house the two detective stepped out of the car and made their way to the backdoor of the property side by side. "If you start buying her overpriced food or try to spoil her by treating her like a person I'll put a stop to it before it drives me crazy."

"I swear I won't overdo it when it comes to taking care of Ruby."

"Yeah, yeah. We'll see."

As the backdoor opened the two detectives were greeted by the puppy who was eager to see her master and pawing at his leg as he stepped through the backdoor.

Kneeling down on the floor Connor rubbed her ears and picked her up to hold against his chest and shoulder. "Hi, girl."

Hank pet Ruby's ears and looked about the kitchen and the livingroom. There weren't any fresh messes anywhere to be seen and the food in the bowls had been cleaned up during their absence. "Looks like she did pretty good during the fireworks. Sumo hated them as a puppy."

"Maybe Sumo kept her calm since he's gotten used to them."

"Maybe."

Connor slipped off his shoes and his jacket and coughed again.

"Are you okay?" Noticing the frequent cough Hank questioned his son as he too took of his coat and shoes. "You keep coughing."

"Yeah, I'm fine. My throat's just a little dry."

"You're not getting sick, are you?"

"I don't think so." Dismissing the question Connor looked down at Ruby's face as she rested her chin against his shoulder. "I received my precinct mandatory flu shot when you did four days ago, so we should both be covered."

"Uh-huh. But that doesn't guarantee we, specifically_ you_, won't catch something else. You got all those issues from being born early, being in a coma and losing your spleen."

"I know." Connor gave Hank a subtle nod as he ran his right hand down the puppy's back. Holding Ruby seemed to be placating a protective instinct deeply seeded in Connor's mind, and brought him a sense of peace. "I'm going to bed. I'll see if I can get Ruby to lay down on the foot of the bed and sleep instead of trying to get Sumo to play all night again."

"Don't let her howl." The senior detective warned as he let out a subtle yawn and covered it behind his left hand. He too was ready for bed and not looking forward to cleaning up drunken messes the following morning. "She's a hound, howling is a very easy habit for her to pick up and incredibly hard to break."

"Right." Coughing a little more Connor carried Ruby down the hallway and into his bedroom while Sumo sat down at Hank's feet. "Goodnight... dad."

"Goodnight, son." Hank replied as he rubbed his right hand on Sumo's head softly, causing the massive dog to wag his tail. "I guess you're sharing my bed again for a while. Too bad you snore worse than I do."

The massive dog grumbled as if insulted but followed after Hank as the senior detective walked down the hallway toward the bedroom.

"Well, it's true. But whatever, I'm a heavy sleeper."

Hank stopped outside Connor's door and watched as the younger detective put aside his glasses and patted the foot of his bed to coax Ruby into jumping up. The puppy was still too small to make such a big leap on her own, but she was trying. After a few attempts Connor scooped up Ruby and helped her to get onto the foot of the bed and he sat down beside her.

"Just wait a few more weeks." Hank noted as he watched the small puppy pawing at the soft material of the bed quilt curiously. Ruby was fascinated by everything new and seemed very happy to be a part of the family. "She'll be out jumping and out running you easily."

"I think I can handle it." Putting his right hand to his chest as he forced himself to not cough anymore Connor laid back on the bed and turned off the lamp beside him on the nightstand. He wasn't feeling great thanks to the cold, but he wasn't complaining. "See you in the morning."

"Yeah, get some sleep. New Year's Day at the precinct is _never_ as fun as New Year's Eve."

_**-next chapter-**_


	27. Flu Season

It was only a week into the new year and things were already proving unexpectedly eventful.

Not only had the program to implement the assistance of deviants with the police force been approved by City Hall, but a string of charities set up to protect deviants had been formed throughout the city. Along with the great progress for deviants came a few complaints from humans, but those were dismissed easily and left under reported as a flu epidemic swept over all of Detroit with a cruel tide.

The precinct hadn't escaped the tide of sickness, and half of the bullpen went down quickly. Many of the officers ended being sent home early after showing signs of illness at their desks, and no detective was given any lenience until they recovered.

A deep wet cough echoed painfully through the warm bedroom as Connor endured the horrible spasms squeezing his lungs while he fought to breathe through his rather nasty bout with the flu. As the coughing fit passed and he was able to settle down into a somewhat strained breathing pattern he laid against his pillow and under his thick chocolate brown quilt to keep warm. Remaining as still and quiet as possible Connor watched through his glassy bloodshot eyes as Lucas leaned over him and smoothed a fresh cold washcloth over his too warm forehead.

"You should let me take you to the hospital." The deviant insisted as he picked up Connor's left wrist to count his pulse, and matched it with the vitals display showing on the screen of the smart watch wrapped around the same wrist. Connor was pale and had dark bags under his eyes from prolonged fatigue courtesy of being so sick. "You're very ill."

Connor shook his head a little before answering a very low and groggy voice. "...No."

"Please be reasonable. I know you hate hospitals but you're very sick and need the proper care from a doctor."

"No."

"Then at the very least try to eat something. You've been-"

Connor took in a deep breath as he awkwardly pushed aside his covers and stumbled on his shaking legs to the bathroom across the hallway where he proceeded to throw-up in painful retches into the toilet. Falling to his knees in a graceless motion Connor spit a few times to clear his mouth between bouts of vomiting and fell back onto his right side on the cool tiles of the bathroom floor to recover after being sick.

Lucas walked into the bathroom and knelt down on the floor beside his brother and put his hand to Connor's trembling left arm for support. "I'm worried you might be suffering from dehydration."

Nodding a little Connor agreed that he was feeling the effects of the severity of his sickness as he breathed deeply and rapidly.

"Can you drink some water?"

Another subtle nod from Connor was the only answer.

Letting go of Connor's arm Lucas stood up and walked out of the bathroom just long enough to retrieve a chilled glass of water from the refrigerator and knelt down beside his sick brother again as he waited for Connor to recover. Putting his left arm beneath Connor's right shoulder as he continued to lay on his side on the ground Lucas lifted the ill man upright so he could sit up, but lean against Lucas's side for support.

"Drink slowly." Lucas urged as he tried to pass the cold glass of water to Connor's right hand, but kept his own grip on the glass to keep it from falling from his weakened touch. It took Connor a moment but he was able to drink some of the offered water, but he couldn't drink too much without further upsetting his nauseated stomach. "That's good. Not too much otherwise you'll upset your stomach."

"...I hate the flu." Connor muttered as he leaned heavily against his brother for support. "That shot didn't work."

Lucas sympathetically patted Connor's right shoulder as he very carefully helped his sick brother to stand up on his shaking legs, and lead him back to the bedroom to rest. Once Connor was back under the warm quilt Lucas replaced the washcloth over his brother's forehead and counted his pulse again. "Your heart is racing, brother."

"...Exhaustion and mild dehydration." Coughing again Connor tried to curl around himself protectively but the violent coughing fit prevented him from breathing or even moving to much. Once the fit passed he leaned heavily against the pillow and sighed. "...I'll be fine."

"No. I don't like this. You should-"

"Lucas, please."

Reluctant to let Connor lay alone in misery Lucas eventually conceded and left his brother to rest. "Alright. Try to lay still and sleep. If your fever doesn't break by tomorrow morning I'm going to take you to the emergency room for an examination."

"I'll be okay."

Placing his right hand down over the washcloth Lucas smoothed it out against Connor's forehead before returning to the bathroom to get the remaining glass of water to keep near Connor's bedside. "Hank will be home in six hours. He won't be pleased to know if you hadn't eaten anything in the three days that you've been home ill."

"...I can't keep anything down. It's not for a lack of trying."

"I'm aware." Understanding that Connor was struggling to regain his strength as he fought the unfortunate illness that had taken him down. "I'm going to make you something light to eat."

Connor sighed and closed his tired bloodshot eyes with utter exhaustion. "...Where are Sumo and Ruby?"

"They are both in the livingroom. I understand that canines can in fact get influenza from humans, and I don't think it'd be wise to let either Sumo or Ruby near you while you're ill. Sumo is quite old and Ruby is still quite young, their immune systems might be too weak to stave off the flu."

"...They need to be let out."

"I've already taken care of them, and I won't let you get up and attempt to let them outside. You need to stay away from the cold."

Lucas walked out of the bedroom and made his way into the kitchen to proceed to make Connor some soup to help with his flu. As he set about with the simple recipe the deviant received a cybernetic update from New Jericho Tower asking him to check the news reports on television, as something new was happening in the city. Doing as suggested he turned on the television in the livingroom and located a news report regarding another failed assassination attempt against a deviant within the heart of Detroit.

"Who was the target?" Lucas asked himself out loud as he cybernetically made contact with Markus at the tower and sat down on the couch. Sumo quickly pressed his chin to Lucas's knee while Ruby sniffed at Lucas's shoe as they both sought some attention. "Anyone we know?"

There was a heavy pause before Markus replied in a somber tone. '_It was Josh_.'

"Josh?!" Hearing that one of his friends had been targeted immediately put on Lucas on guard. "How'd that happen?"

'_He had been visiting a facility with the hopes of creating a more public support group for deviants. He was targeted when he left the building_.'

"Was he injured?"

'_The bullet just grazed his right shoulder_. _An off-duty police officer saw a man pull a gun and tackled him in time before he get off a second shot_.'

"Where is Josh now?"

'_Here in the tower_. _Simon is tending to his wound_. _It isn't serious, I just wanted you to know what was going on and I want you to know that we are going to put the tower on lockdown_. _ Skye has already activated the additional security measures to ensure no one can come down the drive to the tower_. _ If you choose to return before the lockdown is lifted contact Skye and she'll let you through_.'

"Of course. Keep me posted, Markus." Ending the communication Lucas realized that if Connor learned of the failed assassination attempt against another New Jericho leader then the sick detective would try to get up and go to the precinct to work on the case. Lightly he rubbed Sumo's ears and then pulled Ruby up from the floor to sit on his lap for a moment. "I have to keep quiet about this for a while. Fortunately I think Connor will be too weak to try to get up."

* * *

Patiently giving Connor an hour to sleep and rest as much as possible Lucas walked back into the bedroom with a small bowl of the soup in his hands, and sat down on the edge of the bed to tend to his ill brother's needs. The gentle motion of Lucas sitting down and the feeling of the mattress dipping under the added weight made Connor's bloodshot eyes open slowly, and his glassy soulful brown irises struggled to look up and focus on Lucas's face. Unable to smell the soup thanks to his stuffy nose Connor could only stare at the bowl with a curiously arched brow.

"You should try to eat." Lucas insisted as he used his left hand to check Connor's fever. "You need the calories to regain your strength."

Connor's eyes drifted away from the bowl in Lucas's hands, and he slowly turned his face away with a nauseated grimace.

"Please." Remaining patient Lucas gently coaxed his sick brother into trying to eat as he dipped the spoon into the broth, and held it out toward Connor.

Keeping his face away from the offered broth Connor sighed a little and closed his eyes again.

A gruff voice from the doorway caught Lucas's attention as they spoke up casually. "I take it he hasn't eaten anything all day again."

Turning to face Hank as he stood idle in the door frame Lucas put the bowl of soup down on the nightstand and shook his head. "No. He's thrown-up a total of three times despite not eating."

"That happens sometimes." Hank was leaning heavily against the door frame looking almost as pale as Connor. "It's the wonders of a human body falling sick. Even when there's nothing to throw-up, you'll end up bringing up bile and stomach acid anyway."

"Are you feeling well, Hank?" The keen eyed deviant noted that the senior detective seemed rather pale himself. "You're home four hours and forty-two minutes earlier than normal."

"I got sent home by Fowler."

"For being ill?"

"Not as ill as Fowler, but, yeah."

"You have the flu as well." Lucas realized as he scanned Hank's vital signs from where he was still sitting beside Connor on the bed. Getting up Lucas slowly walked over where Hank was standing and eyed him very carefully. "What're your symptoms?"

"Everything Connor has. But not as bad."

"Yet it was bad enough to that your Captain send you home."

"Like I said, I'm sick but it's not as bad as Fowler is himself. He told me to go home after I found _him_ in the bathroom puking up his coffee in the men's room."

Lucas pressed his left palm over Hank's forehead and gauged his current body temperature. "You're running a fever of one-hundred and one degrees even. Connor's fever is holding at one-hundred and two point two degrees."

"Once again, I sick but I'm not _as sick_ as Connor."

From the bed Connor spoke up in a low tired voice. "...It seems like the flu shot isn't working for half of the precinct."

"Yup." The senior detective agreed as he allowed Lucas to give him a quick exam. "The only ones not affected right now are Gavin and Tina."

Lucas took Hank by the left bicep and pushed him through the doorway so he could go lay down in his own bedroom. "You need to rest as well."

"I'm fine, Lucas. I've been taking care of myself for years."

"But you don't have to right now. Let me help you."

"I get the feeling your brother is going to need more help than I am."

"Are you worried about him?"

"Always. That kid is too stubborn for his own good, and still doesn't understand his limits." Hank sighed as he sat down on the edge of his bed and kicked off his shoes, then shrugged off his heavy coat. Lowering his voice he gave Lucas a knowing glance from where he sat. "...Do you know what happened today?"

"You're referring to the near assassination of Josh."

"Yup."

"Evidently I do." Lucas confirmed as he put his palm to Hank's forehead to record his fever and check his pupils. "Connor does not know."

"Good. Keep it that way." Hank laid back and pulled the quilt around himself as chills suddenly set it. Too tired to try to stay awake or fuss around with getting medicine, taking a shower or getting anything to eat Hank submitted to his own flu and tried to sleep. "It's the only way he'll actually rest."

"I agree. I'll keep this information quiet until he's well again. I'll also bring you some soup and and some medication to aid your fever."

"Thanks, son. I appreciate it."

* * *

After taking care of Hank and giving him medication to ease his symptoms enough to sleep, the senior detective being far more cooperative than the younger detective who was in worse shape than Hank was, Lucas proceeded to hover protectively around his feverish big brother. Connor had fallen asleep but wasn't resting properly as he tossed and turned fitfully as he tried and failed to actually sleep through the worst of his flu. It was a pitiful sight and it was something that Lucas was unsure of how to remedy.

"...Don't..." Connor mumbled in a low voice as began to suffer from a fever induced nightmare, and coughed weakly. "Please... I won't..."

"It's okay, Connor." Lucas whispered as he put his hand over the cool washcloth against Connor's forehead and pressed a bag of ice wrapped up in a towel against the left side of Connor's neck. "You're safe."

The young detective let out a weak sigh as he recognized the voice through the fog of his mind. "...Lucas?"

"Yes. It's me."

"Where is... Where's... dad?"

"Ha- Dad is asleep." It was still a conscious effort to refer to Hank as 'dad' when the brothers were home. It was a new adjustment, but a very welcome one to be had all the same. "He's okay."

"I feel... horrible."

"I know you do."

"I don't... want to go."

"Go? You mean to the hospital?"

Nodding weakly Connor confirmed the inquiry as he coughed again.

"It may be necessary, brother. I don't want to see you-"

"No!" Connor sat up quickly and grabbed onto Lucas's forearms in a desperate grip with both of his hands, causing the washcloth to fall from his forehead and onto his lap. He was looking at his little brother, but not focusing on him. It was as if Connor was staring directly through the deviant and to the wall behind him. "I won't go there!"

"Okay! Okay..." Very gently Lucas wrested Connor's grip free of his arms, and guided his ill brother back down against the pillow to rest. "I won't take you to the hospital. Just sleep and you'll stay here until you're well again."

Connor let Lucas guide him back down to rest and coughed harshly. As soon as he felt the pillow beneath his head Connor's eyes closed and he let out a tired sigh as he drifted back off to sleep. "...Thank you."

Lucas replaced the washcloth and pressed the ice against the side of Connor's neck again. "You're welcome. Try to rest."

Hank had heard Connor's outburst from his own bedroom and gotten up to see what was wrong. Stepping into the bedroom quietly Hank put his left hand on Lucas's shoulder and the right hand on Connor's forehead beneath the washcloth. "What happened?"

"He was suffering from a nightmare and panicked when he thought he was going to be taken to the hospital."

"Fuck... He's really burning up."

"I know. I'm trying to bring down his fever but I fear medical intervention will be required." Discreetly Lucas reached up his right hand and wrapped his fingers around Hank's right wrist and counted his pulse. "You need to rest as well."

"Yeah, I know." Retracting his hand from Connor's forehead he gave Lucas a stern glance. "Think we could get him in an ice bath?"

"Possibly, but I'm worried the shock of the cold combined with his heavy lung congestion will end very poorly."

"What do you recommend? I vote for a trip to the hospital."

"I'll keep him as cool as possible throughout the night. If his fever doesn't break by the morning I'll request for medical assistance."

"Good luck with that."

"Huh?"

"Sick or not, he's going to put up a fight and make it as much of a chore as possible to get him to the hospital."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll bring you some more ice and then I'll go sleep for a while longer." Hank turned around slowly as he walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. "Those sleeping pills I took are pretty damn potent."

Lucas turned to look back at his ill brother and picked up Connor's left wrist to look at the smart watch showing a constant read out of his vital signs. "I'm glad I gave you this. It's coming in handy right now."

* * *

Throughout the night Lucas fought to get Connor's fever to break, or at the very least reduce it to a more manageable degree. Every time Connor coughed the deviant could hear how deep and painful the spasms were, and every one of Connor's gasping, wheezing breaths. Applying ice and cold compresses to the sick young detective's forehead and neck Lucas was determined to help his ill brother recover while keeping his word about not taking him to a hospital. It was a delicate balance in keeping his brother safe and maintaining is brother's trust regarding his promise.

It was just before seven in the morning when Lucas heard Hank wake up and barge into the bathroom to throw-up as well. His own flu was getting worse.

"Oh, no." The deviant was beginning to lose faith in his ability to help his family through this passing sickness. "Now Hank is at risk of dehydration as well." Thinking quickly Lucas reached out to a contact that, while he never really met before, knew could be trusted. "I'll keep my word and not take you to the hospital, brother. But I won't sit here and watch you die."

After a moment Hank emerged from the bathroom looking pale, sweaty and all but ready to collapse where he stood.

"Please go lay down." Lucas practically begged as he watched Hank from over his left shoulder. "You're getting worse."

"I'll be fine in a minute..." Hank's legs were beginning to buckle from beneath him where he stood. "I'm... fine..."

Lucas moved quickly and managed to rush from the edge of the bed and catch Hank before he collapsed entirely onto the hardwood floor in a dead faint. "I got you!" Cradling Hank's head in his right hand Lucas guided Hank down to the floor to lay flat on his back for a moment. "Easy. Help is coming."

Hank's blue eyes cracked open a little, and like Connor his eyes were red and bloodshot from exhaustion. "...Did I pass out?"

"Yes." Lucas nodded as he kept his hand beneath Hank's head. "But only for six point two seconds."

"...Think you could get us a doctor's appointment?"

"It's possible, but I have already summoned for help." Slowly Lucas lifted Hank up until he was sitting then pulled the senior detective's left arm around his shoulders as he helped Hank to walk back into Hank's bedroom to sleep again. "Rest for a moment. We'll know what to do soon enough."

Cooperatively Hank allowed Lucas to guide him back to his bedroom and over to his messy bed to rest a while longer. Briefly returning to the bathroom Lucas took another clean washcloth from the nearby towel rack, ran it under the cold tap in the sink and wrung out the excess water before returning to Hank's bedroom and placing the cold compress over Hank's feverish forehead in a comforting manner.

"Hey, Lucas?" Hank's voice was groggy and low as he spoke up before the deviant left the bedroom.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for taking care of us."

"We're family." The deviant managed a weak grin as he pulled the quilt up and over Hank's abdomen to keep him warm. "I'm happy to help you both."

"Thanks all the same."

"You're welcome. I'll be in the hallway to keep tabs on the both of you for a while. Ask if you need anything."

* * *

Pacing back and forth between the two bedrooms Lucas kept tabs on his ill brother and father, only to have sad whining from Ruby remind him that he had two other members of the family to look after. The small puppy walked clumsily down the hallway to sniff at Lucas's feet while Sumo stayed at the end of the hallway with his big tail wagging slowly. It was as if the two dogs could sense that their masters were ill and needed some help, and were a little reluctant to ask Lucas for anything as a result.

"Oh, of course. I'll get you both fed and let you into the backyard." Moving swiftly Lucas led Sumo to the backdoor but kept Ruby inside to use the puppy training pads until she was a little bigger, and had more training before she was allowed outside. As soon as the food was poured into the bowls Ruby helped herself to her puppy chow and was joined by Sumo shortly after the massive dog was let back inside. "My apologies. I was momentarily distracted."

A knocking at the front door stole Lucas's attention once more and he quickly answered the door. Stepping around the two dogs Lucas managed to cross through the livingroom with a graceful gait the deviant was relieved to see that help had arrived. "Thank you for coming Miss Grayson."

"_Doctor_ Grayson." Abby corrected Lucas with a sincere smile on her face and a medical satchel slung over her shoulder. "But everyone calls me Abby."

"Abby, then. I'm Lucas."

"It's a shame we couldn't have met sooner." She admitted as she let Lucas lead her down the hallway to check on the two sick humans. "Then again, every time I met up with Connor in the past it's because he needed to be patched up. Maybe it's a good thing that we didn't meet until now." The sound of Connor's coughing made Abby react quickly as she sat her satchel down on the bed and opened it up. "How long as he been this sick?"

"He's been running a fever of one-hundred and two point seven degrees for the past fourteen hours and nine minutes." Lucas explained as he watched Abby fumble through the satchel and pull out the stethoscope she hadn't used in the years since she changed careers from E.M.S. to technician, and put the earbuds into place. "He's been coughing very harshly as well and has been wheezing. Despite the labored respirations he hasn't needed his inhaler to combat an asthma attack."

"That's good to know." Abby pulled back the quilt to expose Connor's sweat covered soaked black t-shirt and pressed the bell of the stethoscope to the overheated chest and listened to Connor's breathing and heartbeat. As she listened she saw Connor's eyes moving back and forth under his closed eyelids and knew he was beginning to rouse from his sleep. "I can hear congestion in both lungs. He needs to keep coughing to clear it up."

"What of his fever?"

"The ice is the right move." She confirmed as she took a digital thermometer from the satchel and placed the device between Connor's teeth, and held her hand beneath his jaw to help him hold it in his mouth. "I can give him something to take the edge off his fever, but it might be best to let his fever run its course to help him combat the infection."

"I fear he's dehydrated as well."

Abby acknowledged the concern as the thermometer 'beeped' and she noted the current temperature. "One-hundred and two point one. His fever is beginning to break." Putting aside the thermometer she reached back into the satchel and located a blood pressure cuff. "When's the last time he's eaten?"

"It was noon, four days ago."

"Shit. Water?"

"I was able to coax him into drinking water yesterday after his last vomiting spell at one-seventeen in the afternoon."

As the cuff automatically tightened around Connor's left bicep his bloodshot eyes opened, and he glanced up at Abby with blurry vision. "...Abby?"

"Hi, Connor. Lucas asked for my help."

"...I don't want-" He coughed again and Abby immediately replaced the bell to his chest so she could listen directly to the severity of the coughs. The fit mercifully passed and his breathing calmed after a few seconds. "...I don't want to go to the hospital."

"You should." She confirmed as she checked his blood pressure and counted his pulse. "You are in fact dehydrated. I don't want to see you taken out by a kidney problem."

"...I'll be fine."

"Sure you will. _After_ you check into a hospital."

"No."

"Uh-huh, I had a feeling you'd say that." Reaching for the glass of water sitting beside the bed she held the glass in her left hand and slipped the right under Connor's shoulders to force him to sit upright on the bed. "Drink this for me."

With a forced effort to sit upright Connor sipped at the water slowly, cautiously, as he didn't want to further upset his stomach now that it had finally settled. As the water disappeared Connor became painfully aware of exactly how terrible it felt to not eat for four days, and he could feel a tense knot form in the pit of his stomach.

"Now," Abby continued as she put aside the empty glass and checked the cuff still wrapped around Connor's left bicep. "since I had a feeling you'd be stubborn about this I came prepared."

"...Prepared?"

Reaching back into the satchel Abby revealed a full I.V. bag of saline and a dose of liquid antibiotics in her grasp. "I'm going to have to start a line so get your fluids back up, and hopefully keep you from dehydrating even further."

"...Where'd you get that?"

"I have friends in the local hospitals, and all I had to do was tell them I had a sick and stubborn detective on my hands." She flashed him an amused grin as she checked for a vein in the bend of his left arm to begin the I.V. line. "It's amazing how understanding doctors and nurses are when it comes to cops and firefighters being sick."

Lucas smirked a little as Abby prepared to start the I.V. line in Connor's arm to help him rehydrate. "I'll get the rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball for you."

"Now why can't you be more cooperative like your brother?" Abby teased as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves to prevent further infection for either party and accepted the items Lucas retrieved from the bathroom. After sterilizing the point of contact on Connor's skin she expertly inserted the needle of the canula into the correct vein and attached the line to the I.V. bag. "Like riding a bike. Did that hurt?"

"...No." Connor admitted as he watched Abby taping the line into place along his left arm to keep the line from getting pulled out of his vein. "Are you going to do the same to Hank?"

"If I have to." She then revealed a second I.V. bag and gave him a sly glance and removed the cuff from his bicep. Afterward she squeezed the I.V. bag attached to Connor's line a few times to get the fluid flowing, and made sure the line stayed clear. "I get the feeling Hank'll be much more cooperative."

Lucas was still curious about the medical equipment that Abby had brought with her and watched her very carefully as she hung the I.V. bag up high on the wall, using a nail that once held a photograph to hold the I.V. bag in place. "Is there anything I should be aware of regarding his condition?"

"Aside from keeping his fever under control, keeping fluids in his system and getting him to eat," she gave Connor a stern glance before turning to face Lucas directly. "monitor his breathing. If it becomes anymore strained or he shows signs of cyanosis get him to the hospital immediately."

"What type of strain should I be aware of?"

"Additional wheezing for one." Offering Lucas her stethoscope she patted Connor's chest and motioned for Lucas to place the bell of the stethoscope where her hand had been resting. "Listen and remember that sound." Lucas did as he was told and gave his ill brother worried glance. "If it becomes more intense use his inhaler. Or if you can hear it, specifically if a normal _human_ can hear it without the stethoscope, then use the inhaler, too."

"I understand." Handing her back the stethoscope Lucas turned to look out through the opened doorway and listened to the sound of Hank softly snoring in the neighboring bedroom. "What about Hank?"

"Well, I'll have to assess his condition first." Packing up the satchel Abby lightly brushed back the sweaty lock of rogue hair from Connor's face, then smirked as the lock returned to where it had just been as is defiant. "I'll be back in a minute, Connor." Injecting the antibiotics into the canula in his left arm she gave him a reassuring smile before getting up from the bed. "Try to take it easy and breathe slowly and deeply."

Connor coughed a little but settled into the bed without jostling his arm too much. "...Thank you."

Lucas went to follow Abby but stopped short before completely passing through the doorway. "Connor, do you require anything?"

Shaking his head 'no' Connor closed his eyes and settled into a much needed slumber within seconds.

Abby stopped just outside Hank's bedroom door and lowered her voice as she spoke with Lucas. "I get the feeling that Connor is going to be one incredibly difficult patient to handle. Maybe I should stick around for a while."

"That won't be necessary." Lucas reassured her confidently. "He's stubborn but I'm patient."

Smirking at the comment she patted the side of Lucas's arm with pride. "I guess you two really do complement each other. I'm glad."

* * *

What felt like only a few hours passed when Connor was awoken by a gentle tugging on the corner of the quilt draped over him as he slept. Opening his eyes a crack the sick detective saw that Ruby was pulling herself up onto the bed using the quilt as a type of ladder for all four of her paws. Sitting up slightly Connor smirked at the puppy and tried to scold her for coming into his room while he was still sick, but of course he could actually get mad at the adorable bundle of fur and affection.

"Ruby, I'm happy to see you but you shouldn't be in here."

"It's okay, Connor." Lucas walked into the bedroom with a small serving tray that held a mug of warm tea, a glass of cool water and two pieces of dry toast with a layer of peanut butter smeared over the surface. "Your fever broke early this morning just after four, and you haven't coughed in almost six hours."

"...This morning?"

"Yes." Sitting the tray down on the nightstand beside the bed Lucas motioned to Connor's left arm where the I.V. had been inserted, but subsequently removed while Connor had slept. "It's two in the afternoon and you've been asleep ever since Abby gave you the I.V. and the antibiotics. How do you feel?"

"Confused. I've never slept for so long before." His brow furrowed a little as he propped himself upright on his elbows and reached a right shaking hand out to Ruby as the pup crawled up his legs to his lap to sit down. "At least _I think_ I've never slept for so long before. The coma doesn't count."

"Thirty-one hours and twenty-two minutes does seem excessive." Lucas pressed his right palm to Connor's forehead and was relieved to find no sign of the fever lingering, or trying to return. "I brought you some tea and toast. It should be enough to help you rebuild your strength without upsetting your stomach."

"...How's Hank?" Connor took the moment to correct himself as he gently rubbed Ruby's ears. "I mean, how's _dad_?"

"His fever broke shortly before midnight. Unlike you he's only thrown-up once and wasn't risking dehydration." Dropping his hand from Connor's head Lucas checked on his left arm where the I.V. had been inserted and was satisfied the bandage had done it's job and kept the sight of the canula sterilized. "Do you think you can drink some water?"

"Yeah. My stomach isn't bothering me anymore."

"That's good. I'm going to check in on Hank and bring him some juice. Do you need anything else?"

"No, I'm good. Thank you for taking care of us, Lucas."

"You took care of me when I had become ill, I'm happy to be able to take care of you in the same manner."

Connor picked up the glass of water from the tray and quickly downed it as he kept petting Ruby's soft and almost comically long ears. The small puppy was happily leaning up against Connor's chest and lightly chewing on his hand as she rolled about playfully onto her side against his abdomen and then lap.

"I guess you were feeling a little ignored for the past few days, huh?" Connor asked the puppy as he picked up the first piece of toast from the tray and took a bite. It was light enough to not aggravate his stomach, but had enough calories to help him regain his strength after being sick for so long. "I promise as soon as it's spring I'll take you and Sumo out for walks through the park."

Hank's voice sounded off through the doorway as he joined Connor inside the bedroom. "Good. Sumo's been driving me crazy for the past few hours." Sumo was sitting right beside his leg protectively as if needing validation. "He's bored."

"Animals can sense distress in their human companions." Checking the warm mug of tea as his appetite returned Connor tasted it and tilted his head a little. Chamomile. Not bad. "He must've been worried about you."

"Yeah? Well, you were the one who was being so damn stubborn about going to the hospital that Lucas had no choice but to find a way to bring the hospital to you. Which of us needed to be worried about more?"

"Are you feeling better?"

"You're deflecting, so that means you know you were being wrong and stubborn. _Again_."

"Did anything happen while I was sick?"

Shaking his head a little Hank leaned against the door frame while Lucas set about trying to clean up the house a little bit as the two previous ill humans continued to recover steadily. "I hate to tell you this, but you're going to find out anyway. The other day another assassin took a shot at one of the leaders of New Jericho."

Connor's eyes went wide with shock and his face paled again. "...What?"

"It was Josh this time. He got grazed by a bullet over his right shoulder but is otherwise he's unharmed."

Connor's eyes stayed wide and he was about to make an attempt to get up when Lucas returned to the bedroom and planted a firm hand on Connor's right shoulder to keep him still. "Where is Josh at this moment?"

Lucas realized that Hank had told what happened and answered honestly. "New Jericho. Simon's been taking care of him and he's completely stable. No permanent damage whatsoever."

"Who shot him?"

Hank ran his right hand over his bearded chin and sighed. "Some jackass with the same story as the other failed assassins."

"He was offered a hefty bounty."

"Yup. Gavin's been grilling him for hours, but he hasn't admitted to anything yet."

"He will." Connor replied confidently as he sensed they'd figure things out soon enough. "I know he will. And we're going to find this sadistic person who put up the money to begin with."

"Until then, you're staying here to rest and get over your flu. I don't want you pushing yourself too hard."

"But I can-"

"Connor, no." Hank wasn't going to back down or let up in the least. "You need to take another two days to recover. You don't need to have either me or Lucas to keep an eye on you anymore since you're over the worst of it, but you still need to take it easy and keep recovering."

"What about you?"

"I'm staying home tomorrow. I'm not going to push myself too much, and neither are you."

"I know you're looking out for me but I don't need you to protect me-"

"Connor," lowering his voice Hank gave the ever stubborn young man a stern tone. "you need to understand, deviant or human, you have limitations. I don't want to see you work yourself into exhaustion or collapse. Got it?"

Feeling a little embarrassed Connor looked away from Hank and down at Ruby who proceeded to continue to chew lightly on Connor's hand. "Yeah. I got it."

"Don't act like this is a punishment. Seriously," Hank walked out of the bedroom and toward the bathroom calmly. Pausing in the opened door he looked back at Connor and shook his head with mild amusement before shutting the bathroom door. "you're the only person I've ever met who acts like staying home sick from work is somehow a bad thing."

Lucas smirked as he turned to look at his recovering brother sympathetically. "He's right, you know. There's no harm in taking time for yourself to either rest or to simply take time off to relax. That's something that Markus is trying to get me to understand as well."

"Is that your professional opinion as a technician?"

"That's my keen observation as your little brother."

"Fair enough." Scooping up Ruby in his arms Connor rose from his bed and stood up on his somewhat shaking legs, and tested his strength. He was still weak but not helpless or unsteady. He just needed a little more time to rest. "I'd like to shower once Hank has finished his own. Do you mind holding Ruby so I can throw my bedding into the washer?"

"I could do that for you while you sit on the couch with Ruby, and take it easy. I believe Sumo would like your companionship again as well."

"No. You've done enough, thank you." The appreciation in Connor's voice was sincere and palpable. "I want to do what I can without exhausting myself in the process. This won't be too difficult to handle by myself."

Lucas nodded as he took Ruby from Connor's arms and held the puppy up against his chest. She proceeded to lick at Lucas's face as the deviant ran his hand down her back to pet her soft fur. "I suppose that's fair enough."

"And once I'm back at the precinct I'm going to push the deviant program through as quickly as possible." Connor confirmed as he pulled his quilt and sheets from his bed. "We'll find the identity of all the assassins, and the person who put up the bounty. We won't let the person or persons responsible for these needless acts of violence get away with their crimes."

"I don't doubt it for a second." Lucas gave his brother a proud stare as he held Ruby against his chest. "You always accomplish your mission."

_**-next chapter-**_


	28. The Burglar

It was another snowy dreary day in Detroit. Connor had just let Sumo back inside the house, but kept the soaked dog confined to the bathroom until his fur dried off from the snow outside. He also put Ruby in the bathroom so Sumo could have someone to play with, and it'd keep the two dogs from scratching at the closed bathroom door to get to one another. It was Connor's final day of staying home ill from the precinct and he found himself alone in the house, and laying on his bed with his emerald green guitar in his hands.

As he strummed absentmindedly along the strings in a rhythmic pattern the young detective couldn't help but think of how eager he was to get back to work, and how he wanted to thank Lucas for taking care of himself and Hank while they were both so sick.

The unexpected sound of glass breaking in the kitchen caught the detective's ear as Sumo let out an aggressive bark from behind the closed bathroom door. Heavy 'thumping' sounded off from within from the kitchen as something, or someone, began rushing about the house.

"What was that?" Connor asked himself aloud as he immediately put up his guard. Sending a text to Hank with his phone to let him know of the strange commotion at the house Connor decided to investigate the sound for himself. "Did a tree branch snap and break a window?"

Setting aside his guitar Connor rose from his bed and walked down the hallway to investigate the noise. Peering around the corner at the end of the hallway Connor eyed a stranger, a burglar, wearing a black hoodie pulled up over his head skulking about the livingroom. There was a dark blue bandana over his face concealing all of his facial features except his dark blue eyes. A few strands of dark blond hair hung loose from under the hoodie over his forehead as well. With leather gloves over his hands concealing his fingerprints the burglar was attempting to steal valuable records from Hank's collection in the livingroom.

"Hey!" Connor shouted loud enough to startle the burglar who turned around quickly and aimed a gun directly at Connor's chest. Connor's heart began thundering in his chest at the sight of the weapon pointed at him, but he kept his cool. "I work for the Detroit Police Department." Keeping his voice level he tried to bluff the burglar into coaxing him into leaving. "Back up is already on its way, I suggest you surrender now."

"What the fuck!?" The burglar swore as he tried to edge his way from around the stereo and back into the kitchen. "Rick didn't say nothing about a goddamn cop living here!"

"Don't move." Connor commanded as he tried to apprehend the thief. His own gun was still in his bedroom and secured in the drawer of the nightstand beside his bed. "I don't-"

The burglar suddenly and fearfully fired a shot that grazed over Connor's left shoulder causing him to wince in pain, but the young detective held his ground. Blood began to seep from the fresh wound at the top of his affected shoulder, and Connor resisted the urge to place his right hand over the injury as he continued to confront the burglar.

Sumo began frantically barking again as he dug frantically at the wooden door in an effort to escape and protect his home, and his master.

"You just assaulted a police officer with a deadly weapon." Connor stated with authority in his voice. "You need to-"

"FUCK!" The burglar panicked and fired another round that pierced the exterior side of Connor's right thigh and the bullet wedged itself into the wall behind him. "You piece of shit!" Squeezing the trigger again the gun 'clicked' but a bullet failed to fire as the weapon jammed. "FUCK!"

Sumo was snarling and wildly digging at the door now as he sensed the danger and wanted to react.

In pain and somewhat stunned Connor collapsed backward to the ground in the hallway as a massive puddle of dark red blood formed under his wounded right leg. Using one his left arm Connor turned onto hisleft side and began to drag himself down the hallway toward the bathroom door, and grabbed onto the doorknob with a firm grip. Pushing the door open Connor pressed right palm to his bleeding leg and let finally Sumo out of the bathroom.

"Sumo!" Connor shouted the name and stayed in the middle of the hallway. "Attack!"

The large Saint Bernard went barreling out of the bathroom barking, snarling and growling as he targeted the burglar trying to flee through the kitchen. Dropping the gun quickly at the sight of the massive dog charging at him the burglar sprinted through the kitchen and practically tore the backdoor open as he fumbled with the sealed lock, and ran into the snowy backyard.

As he fled from the house Sumo gave chase and barked loudly during the entire pursuit.

Connor fell from his side onto his back in the hallway and closed his eyes as his adrenaline rush faded, and he passed out. "...Good dog."

* * *

It took Hank only five minutes to drive from the precinct back to the house ready to take down whatever possible thief was foolish enough to try to threaten his home, and his family. Slamming down hard on the brakes the car came to an abrupt halt on the street in front of the house, and Hank sprinted up the front walk to the front door with his gun already drawn. Throwing the front door open Hank marched inside and quickly scanned the scene of the potential burglary in progress and called out for his son.

"Connor?!"

There was several shards of broken glass on the floor in the kitchen from the window, as well as small melted snow puddles on the floor that had been tracked in by the burglar. The backdoor was still wide open as well indicating his previous escape. Several dropped vinyl records were scattered over the livingroom floor next to the burglar's dropped gun as he panicked and fled for his life.

A whimpering sound from the hallway drew Hank's immediate attention away from the mess on the floor, and to the sound. Sumo was laying down in the middle of the hallway, his thick fur soaked in melted snow and faint red stains, as he laid down next to a figure in the hallway.

"Connor?" Hank called out again as he approached the hallway cautiously. "Connor, where are you?"

Rounding the corner Hank saw that Connor was unconscious on his back in the middle of the hallway, and covered in his own blood. Sumo was resting his chin over Connor's stomach as the loyal dog laid down and whimpered beside his fallen master as a red puddle formed around their bodies.

The puddle of red was lost blood. The red tinted blood was soaking into Connor's own clothes as well as Sumo's fur at a frightening pace.

"Shit! Connor?" Hank knelt beside Connor and put his hand down against the younger man's chest as he reholstered his gun. Feeling Connor's chest still rising and falling with a steady rhythm as he breathed and his heart thrumming at a normal rate, Hank breathed a sigh of relief. Trailing the source of the lost blood to a wound in Connor's left shoulder and second wound in his right leg Hank began lightly shaking the downed detective to try to wake him. "Connor? Connor! Open your eyes, son!"

Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor lifted his head up and looked at Hank with genuine relief. "Ha- Dad."

Seeing Connor open his eyes made Hank relax slightly as he kept his left hand on Connor's uninjured right shoulder. "What the fuck happened?"

"Burglar. He didn't expect anyone to be here." Connor stated calmly as he sat upright on the floor, using his elbows to balance himself appropriately. He shifted his weight to keep pressure off his injured right leg as he moved about slowly. "He got off two shots before his gun malfunctioned."

"And then he just left?"

"No. Sumo 'persuaded' him to leave."

"Sumo?" Hank looked over at the massive dog still laying over Connor's stomach, and now his uninjured leg. Ruby was cowering the bathroom as the young pup had no idea what just happened and had been scared out of her mind.

"Yeah. He must've returned home after I lost consciousness."

"Can you move at all?"

"Yes, but I will require some help in standing up."

"Sure." Hank wrapped his left arm around Connor's waist while the younger man wrapped his right arm around Hank's shoulders for support. Sumo reluctantly stood up and allowed Connor the room to move about as he whimpered sadly. "Where do you need to go?"

"Just inside the bathroom. The wounds are superficial and just need to get bandaged up."

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up then." The protective detective and father guided Connor into the bathroom and sat him down on the edge of the bathtub carefully. "I'll get a first aid kit for you."

While Hank disappeared out of the bathroom to get the requested items Sumo walked inside and rested his chin atop Connor's left knee and continued to whimper as if feeling guilty.

"You did good, Sumo." Connor put his right hand atop the dog's ears and rubbed them affectionately. "Good boy." Eyeing Ruby cowering in the corner between the bathtub and sink Connor reached out his left hand and ran it down Ruby's trembling back. "It's okay, Ruby. We're safe."

Hank sat the first aid kit down atop the sink in the bathroom as he rejoined his son in the small room. "I called Fowler and let him know what happened. Chris will be stopping by the pick up the burglar's gun." Sitting beside Connor on the edge of the bathtub Hank pulled open the already torn fabric of the black t-shirt over Connor's left shoulder to look at the wound. "Bullets must've just grazed your shoulder and leg, and lodged itself in the wall."

"Yeah, I think so, too." Connor confirmed as he tore open the denim fabric over his right thigh to expose the second bullet wound. Pressing his right fingertips around the injury he palpated the wound and determined the severity. "It isn't deep." Connor's bloody fingers dropped from the wound as he leaned back on the edge of the tub. Taking a towel from the nearby rack Connor wiped off the blood from his leg and sighed with relief. "Bandages and rubbing alcohol, please."

"Sure." Hank walked over to the sink and opened the lid of the first aid kit. Taking the roll of gauze from the kit he tossed it to Connor who caught it in his right hand easily, then opened the bottle of alcohol. "Hold still, I'll get your leg and shoulder for you."

Nodding in agreement Connor held his breath and refrained from jumping as the stinging cold of the alcohol disinfected first his shoulder, and then his leg with a generous dose of the antiseptic. "I think that's got it." As he watched Connor wrap the gauze around his leg Hank wrapped up Connor's shoulder as gently as possible to keep the wound clean before he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the bathroom door frame. "Why didn't you shoot the burglar?"

"I didn't have my gun with me."

"And you confronted him anyway?"

"I didn't know it was a burglar when I went to investigate the sound of the breaking glass. It was only after I saw the thief attempting to steal your records did I realize the severity of the situation."

"But you never went back for your gun?"

Connor's hands froze for a moment as he continued to wrap up his leg. "...No."

"Do you know about the other gun in the livingroom?"

"There is a second gun?"

"Yup. In front of the stereo system there is a weak panel in the floor that I hollowed out. Inside is a metal box containing that revolver I had been playing 'Russian Roulette' with when you found me passed out on the kitchen floor all that time ago."

"You hid it for your own protection?"

"More like I hid it because I didn't need it anymore." Watching with an empathetic grimace Hank just stared as Connor dressed his wounds accordingly. "Pretty ballsy standing your ground against an armed burglar by yourself. But you do realize that records can be replaced, right? _You_ can't."

...Yes. You're right."

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your fortitude but I don't ever expect you to put possessions over your own life. Got it?"

"Got it." Connor finished wrapping up his leg and slowly stood upright on the damaged limb. Sumo was still watching Connor's every movement and whimpering with loyal concern for the young man. "I told Sumo he did good. Why is he still upset?"

Hank shrugged his shoulders dismissively at the question as he put a washcloth in the warm tap of the sink to clean the blood from Sumo's fur. "Probably because he's never actually attacked anyone before. First time for everything, I suppose."

"Oh. But I told him to do so." Connor tested his weight on his damaged limb carefully, his breath hitching in his chest in response to the pain in his leg. "He was only obeying my command."

"That doesn't mean he enjoyed it." Hank stated calmly as he washed the blood from the fur around Sumo's chin, neck, chest and front legs. "You know what kind of a giant, lovable idiot he is with people. Being aggressive just isn't in his nature."

Connor took a step forward and began to stumble awkwardly on his weakened limb. Pressing his hands down against the sink Connor caught his balance and stopped himself from falling over in the process.

"I gotcha'." Hank grabbed onto Connor's arm to steady the younger man as he tossed aside the blood soaked washcloth into the bathtub. "Let's get you out to the livingroom and let Chris take care of things for us, then we'll go to the hospital. By the way," the senior detective guided Connor out of the bathroom and over to the couch in the livingroom to sit down. "Fowler said your bout with the flu won't be marked against you since the entire precinct got sick at one point. You're in the clear, kid."

"That's good." Connor propped his 'bad' leg up on the coffee table and immediately felt Sumo pressing his chin atop his shin still seeking forgiveness for attacking a human, while Ruby hunkered down on floor between the couch and the coffee table fearfully. "I'd prefer to have as much of a clean record as possible."

"I want your record clean, too." Hank joined Connor on the couch and let out a deep sigh of relief as he ran his hand over Sumo's head. The distraught dog wagged his tail slowly. "It helps balance out all the infractions in mine."

Connor stared at Sumo and proceeded to rub the dog's ears and under his chin affectionately. "I believe Sumo wants to have a clean record as well." The massive bundle of fluff licked at the side of Connor's right hand and his tag wagged once timidly. "You are a good dog, Sumo." Ruby whimpered and looked up at Connor with her big brown hound dog eyes. "You're a good girl, too, Ruby. Even if you didn't attack a burglar."

Hank agreed and smirked at the puppy as she put her front paws up on the couch cushions and awkwardly jumped up to sit on the cushion between the two detectives. "Now that you're over the flu and we don't have to worry about making up hours, I think we should look for a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood to live in."

"...What?"

"Hey, come on. You were just _shot_ in what's supposed to be the comfort of your own home. Besides," motioning toward the two dogs with a casual nod of the head Hank added a few more logical points to moving. "with two dogs in the house we're going to need a bigger backyard, AND, I think it'd be nice to have a bedroom for Lucas to call his own."

"You want us both to stay with you? I thought kids were supposed to grow up and leave the house."

"Considering you didn't really get to be a kid, I lost my first son, and Lucas is technically young enough to still be a kid, I think it's only fair that you two get to spend at least eighteen years under the same roof as your father. Right?"

Connor smirked a little as he caught sight of Chris's patrol car rolling up to the front of the house and parked along the street. "...That makes sense."

"See? Once you get checked out at the hospital we can start looking for a new place to live online, and let Lucas know the good news."

"But this has been your home for-"

"I know, son." Hank interrupted gently. "As much as I miss Cole and Barbara everyday no amount of wishing will ever bring them back, and I can't keep lingering here. This house didn't feel like a home anymore after I lost them, but when you showed up in my life it started to feel better. Then Lucas showed up and I felt like it was okay to finally move on with my life again. Leaving behind this place, something that was pretty much a tomb when I was grieving, is the right move. I know it is."

"You're certain about this?"

"Yeah, son. I'm ready. This house," he casually motioned to the room as if needing to identify the house in question. "needs a young family who is just starting out to live here. It gave me and Barb great memories that got better when Cole arrived. I want another family to experience that type of joy and security."

"It sounds like you've been ready to move for a while now."

"In a matter of speaking, yeah."

"You're referring to the nights where you played 'Russian Roulette'." Connor realized in a low voice. He wasn't passing judgment, he was trying to understand Hank's previous mindset. "Now you have a reason to leave without feeling like you're abandoning anyone or anything. You're just finally ready to move on with your life and now you want to keep living."

"Yeah. You got it, kid. I have two sons to take care of, and every reason to stick around for as long as possible."

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you decided to stick around. Even if it was just to keep me from doing something stupid after I deviated." Connor sheepishly tilted his head a little. "...And again after I returned to humanity."

"If that's the case then I'm going to live forever!"

Smirking at the lighthearted comment Connor glanced out the front window and noticed the red and blue flashing lights of a patrol car just as a knock on the front door stole his attention. "Chris is here."

"Yup. He'll handle the crime scene and I'll take you to the emergency room so we can get back here and start looking around for a new house."

"That's a good idea." Rubbing Ruby and Sumo's ears softly Connor decided that Hank was right. They should live in a bigger place so they can all be together as a family. Their family was unorthodox, but it was a family all the same. It was time to move on. "We'll start looking for a new house tonight."

_**-next chapter-**_


	29. Brotherhood

The two detectives were sitting at their desks in the middle of the bullpen finishing their case reports for the evening when Hank's phone buzzed on his desk. Checking the caller I.D. he excused himself to take the call in a more private setting in one of the vacant interview rooms before answering the call. Connor knew that Hank was waiting for a call from a real estate agent after he and Connor found an ideal bigger house on the market, and there was no doubt in his mind that the call Hank had just received was pertaining to just that.

As Connor continued to finish off his own report he sensed someone approaching his desk and looked up to see Captain Fowler. "Yes, Captain?" Connor acknowledged his commanding officer and looked away from his terminal screen and up at Captain Fowler. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"The deviant program has been approved." The seasoned Captain stated with an approving smirk on his face. "And I'd like to assign you a deviant volunteer to get the ball rolling."

"Oh?" That was good news and Connor's soulful brown eyes lit up a little. "Who has volunteered for the program?"

"A few deviants have stepped up," he confirmed as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against Connor's desk. "and I thought you'd like to go through the names and see if any of them stand out to you."

"I can do that."

"Good." Pointing to the young detective's terminal screen as he turned to walk away Captain Fowler left Connor to his new assignment. "The list has been uploaded to your terminal."

Connor nodded and searched through his terminal to locate the list as mentioned. It didn't take him long to recognize a few names and serial numbers thanks to his still impressive memory courtesy of his time as a deviant, and immediately honed in on one name in particular. "...Lucas?"

"What about Lucas?" Hank asked as he returned to the desk with a smug grin on his face.

"Lucas has volunteered for the deviant program to work with the precinct."

"Not surprised."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Not really, but he's free to make his own decisions."

"Well, if Captain Fowler will allow me to work with Lucas then we can start working together in two days with the new program."

"Sounds fine to me." Pocketing his phone Hank leaned back in his chair and let out a relieved sigh. "Remember that two story house with the pool, and bigger backyard we looked at a few days ago?"

"Of course." Rubbing his right hand along his still sore left shoulder and then his right thigh where he had been shot the previous week Connor remembered the house in question quite vividly. "Two stories, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, livingroom, study, kitchen and a large finished basement."

"Yup, that's the one. You remember that offer I put up and you said the odds of the offer being accepted were... how low?"

"Only about eight percent."

"Well, we should've bought a lottery ticket on the way home. The offer was accepted. I can sign off on the paperwork tomorrow morning."

Connor's eyes brightened with shock and excitement. "...You're serious?"

"I'm serious. Once the paperwork is signed we can start moving over to the new house and put the old one up for sale."

"Hank, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, kid. I already told you it's time to move on."

Nodding in agreement Connor respected Hank's decision and resumed his report. "Okay. I'll tell Lucas the good news about the house and let him know he can pack-up his personal quarters at New Jericho Tower."

"Do you think he's going to accept the invitation and move in?"

"I hope so. He said he wanted to get out of the tower and spend more time with the us as a family. This is the perfect way for him to do that."

"Yeah, I remember. What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to spend more time with your mother?"

"...Yeah. I did." Connor's mouth twitched a little as he remembered that he promised to make an effort to get to know his mother and spend more time with her when he wasn't working. "I can see her after we get moved into the new house."

"Nope. You're going to see her tomorrow while I handle the paperwork for the house."

"Are you-"

"If you keep asking me if I'm sure about stuff I'm going to smack you upside the head with a chair."

"...Sorry. I just don't want you doing something you're not ready to do just because of me or Lucas."

"Uh-huh. Stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself. Got it?"

"Yeah. I got it."

"Good. Now, do what you gotta' do to get Lucas cleared and get that program underway. I want to see what you boys can accomplish by working together out in the field."

* * *

The following morning Hank was true to his word and met up with the real estate agent to take care of the final pieces of paperwork regarding the new house, and set about handling it alone. Connor nervously used an autonomous taxi to visit his mother who was living in a small apartment just a few blocks from the hospital where she volunteered almost every day. When she wasn't at the hospital she was working at a daycare center down the same block and made just enough money to keep up the rent on the modest apartment, and she didn't seem to mind living a quiet life.

Connor stood outside the apartment in quiet contemplation as he stared at the closed door's number in front of himself. His mother had told him where she lived and welcomed him to visit her any time the night they had dinner together a few weeks back, but he was still nervous about speaking with her. As his breath disappeared in small clouds before him he let out a sigh that disappeared with the rest of his breaths and knocked on the door twice.

There was a momentary silence before the door opened and Elizabeth's eye lit up as soon as she saw her son. "Connor!"

"...Hi. I, uh, I was wondering if it was okay to talk. You know, if you're not busy."

"Yes, of course!" Elizabeth practically shouted as she stepped back and allowed her son to step inside the modest apartment. She was wearing a dark blue turtleneck sweater, black sweatpants and had her medium length brunette hair down rather than up in a ponytail. "I'm so glad you're here."

Connor glanced about the apartment and saw a majority of the restored photos that he had given to Elizabeth as a Christmas gift were displayed on the walls, the end tables and on the small window sill overlooking the street. Each photo had been placed with a loving touch and it gave the modestly furnished apartment a warm and loving atmosphere.

There was a small blue couch up against the wall in the livingroom with dark blue pillows on each end, a small round glass coffee table that had a mug of warm tea that Elizabeth had been drinking in front of it, and an old book with a bookmark in the middle was resting next to the mug and atop an old family photo album. There was a television mounted on the far wall but was turned off since Elizabeth had been reading, and below the television was another table lined with photographs.

"How long have you lived in this apartment?"

"Not long." Elizabeth answered honestly as she closed the door and motioned for Connor to sit down on the couch. "I moved here after, well, you woke up. I know that sounds a little weird, but I didn't want to be in another city after you finally woke up from your coma."

"I see."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I told you I'd like to get to know you more and I decided to make good on that promise."

"I'm glad." Sitting down beside Connor she gave her son a very happy glance and smirked at the glasses over his soulful brown eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"I guess... everything." It was a very unusual conversation, but necessary all the same. "Tell me about yourself, more than just your past life in Novi. I want to know everything about you, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about me."

Elizabeth smiled warmly as she happily picked up the photo album from the coffee table and opened it up for Connor to see. "Okay. I guess we'll start from the beginning. I'll tell you everything you want to know, and we'll get to know each other a little better."

* * *

With the official paperwork signed and filed Hank returned home through the backdoor and promptly pet both Sumo and Ruby as the two loyal pets trotted up to the senior detective to greet him upon his return. As he pet Sumo's ears he looked at the dog and then to the puppy and smirked as he remembered there was a time when Sumo was almost just as small as Ruby was. The memory of bringing Sumo home that winter to give to Cole as a Christmas gift was still vivid in Hank's mind, and it always made him smile.

"We've been here for a long time, huh, boy?"

The massive dog wagged his tail happily and Ruby pawed at Hank's knee excitedly.

"Well, hope you're up for a move. I don't want to leave ya' behind."

Connor returned home shortly after Hank and entered through the front door. Spotting Hank in the kitchen Connor called out to him as he took off his shoes and jacket. "Did you get the paperwork taken care of?"

"Yup. We can start moving in whenever we want."

"I'll tell Lucas about it tomorrow when we meet at the precinct. Until then," walking casually toward the hallway Connor looked at his bedroom, then over to Hank's bedroom and sighed a little. "I think we should decide what we want to take and what we want to donate."

"Good idea. There's a bunch of crap buried in my closet I won't need."

Ruby trotted over to Connor and bit onto the hem of his pant leg and began to pull. "Ruby, no." Releasing his jeans from the puppy's mouth with a gentle motion Connor picked her up and rubbed her ears. "I don't think we'll need all that much to be honest."

"Are you talking about furniture and shit?"

"Yeah. I can buy new furnishings once we get settled in. After all, it's my house, too."

"Alright, that's fair." Hank agreed as he approached his son with a calm grin on his face. It was rarely seen facade that proved Hank was finding a much needed and well deserved sense of peace in his life. "But I get the final say on what's bought. I don't want you smuggling in another puppy or something."

Grinning as he rubbed Ruby's ears Connor nodded once and agreed to the proposition. "Deal."

* * *

The next day at the precinct Connor anxiously sat at his desk and waited for Lucas to arrive as scheduled in less than two minutes. Knowing very well that deviants were going to arrive on time as expected, never late or early, the young detective was unusually nervous about having his little brother working alongside him on that day. Dancing his half-dollar coin over his right knuckles slower than his usual speed, as he hadn't needed to rely on his tic to ease his anxiety in quite some time, Connor sat in his chair with perfect posture and and stared off into space.

Chris walked by Connor's desk with a case brought up on a tablet in his hands, and noticed the young detective looking a little tense. "Hey? Are you okay, Sergeant?"

"Huh?" Connor's coin stopped as he caught it between his right index finger and thumb.

"You look kinda' worried about something."

"Oh. I'm just thinking."

"About the deviant program?"

"Yeah."

"For what it's worth I think it's a good idea. Some of the best witnesses I've interviewed were androids, and they got better after deviancy since they don't obey orders from the humans they were testifying against anymore."

Connor faintly smiled at the positive outlook and nodded at the officer. "If this program is a success we can finally help bridge the gap between deviants and humans regarding the law. And with that bridge a majority of the preconceived bias will diminish."

At exactly nine in the morning Lucas walked into the precinct and was granted access to the bullpen by the front receptionist to meet up with Connor.

"Lucas." Connor noticed his little brother immediately and rose from his desk to meet him. "I'm glad you volunteered."

"That's good to know." The green eyed deviant smiled as he met his brother in the middle of the bullpen. "I was afraid you'd reject my application because of familial connections."

"Doing so would be illogical and hypocritical considering the partnership that Hank and I have been allowed to continue."

"That is true. What do I need to do?"

"First we need to let you speak with the precinct technician, Joel. He'll assess your current condition and create a temporary file for as long as you're a volunteer at the precinct." Motioning with his left hand toward the corridor at the opposite side of the bullpen Connor showed Lucas to the precinct dispensary for a routine check-up, and slipped his coat into his pocket. "Then you will require a Kevlar vest. It's mandatory for all volunteers or consultants working with the precinct."

"I understand." Glancing about curiously Lucas noticed that Hank was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Hank?"

"At approximately three this morning a massive 'red ice' lab had caught fire in the industrial district. Hank is currently interrogating the arrested suspects and will be quite busy for some time."

"So it'll be us alone on patrol?"

"Yes. Don't worry, I doubt anything substantial will happen while we're exploring the designated patrol area."

"Why's that?"

"The neighborhood in question has a chief complaint of vandalism and loiterers as opposed to violent crimes. Our first patrol will essentially be a trial-run to ensure there are no issues regarding volunteers being unnecessarily put into violent altercations. In a sense you and I will be looking out for known vandals and graffiti artists, not thieves, drug dealers or armed bigots."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders a little as he and Connor stepped into the elevator together to reach the second floor of the precinct. "That's fine by me. I'd rather not encounter any armed person with violent tendencies."

"As would I."

The elevator reached it's designated floor easily and the duo stepped out of the elevator car side by side. Walking a few yards down the corridor the brothers reached the dispensary and were greeted by Joel, who was already expecting their arrival.

"Connor." Greeting the young detective with a calm voice Joel turned to look at Lucas and grinned a little. "Lucas."

Joel was more than happy to aid Connor and Lucas they began their first assignment together as the deviant program within the precinct became active. After performing a simple routine examination of Lucas's vital signs and finding the deviant technician to be in perfect health; functioning at optimal parameters, the precinct technician gave Lucas the clear to work with Connor in the field.

"Remember," Joel handed Lucas a Kevlar vest and watched him slip it on over his chest over his white turtleneck shirt. Not only did the white fabric poorly hide the dark colored vest, but the vest almost looked like a target. "keep that on at all times. You too, Connor. I may not be your technician anymore, but I am still your friend."

"I know." Connor patted his chest to indicate he was already wearing his own vest beneath his white dress shirt. The less constricting fabric helped hide the vest more efficiently, and his gray suit jacket and black tie covered a majority of the front of his shirt anyway. "I've been wearing a vest as part of my usual uniform ever since my return to humanity and the precinct."

Lucas slipped on his own white jacket, the same one designed by CyberLife but had long since had the CyberLife insignia and numbers removed, and waited for Connor to make the next move. "Are we ready?"

"Yes. We just need to confirm our assignment with Captain Fowler and we'll be on our way."

"And Hank will not be joining us."

"Unlikely. I suspect he'll be busy with the 'red ice' bust for quite some time."

"Very well. Then it'll just be us today."

* * *

With Captain Fowler's approval Connor and Lucas set out on their simple patrol through the assigned neighborhood, and in that time Lucas scanned each and every face of the people walking by on the sidewalk. Using the precinct database to properly identify the wanted suspects in the city the keen-eyed deviant was able to properly isolate and confirm the identities of a few suspected shoplifters and graffiti artists, but no one with an outstanding warrant as the car circled the neighborhood at a steady clip.

"This is fascinating." Lucas admitted as he kept his eyes on the people walking past the car while they idled at a red light. "You have the chance to interact with so many people for so many different reasons. Some good, some bad, but never routine. I'm jealous."

"You get the chance to save lives, and help those lives thrive." Connor refuted as the light turned green and he pulled through the intersection. "I get to see people on the worst days of their lives. You shouldn't be jealous of me in any capacity."

"You get the chance to protect lives. Deviant AND human lives. And you have the entire city to explore on a daily basis. It's truly fascinating to think about."

The comments made Connor's brow arch inquisitively as he heard his brother showing genuine enthusiasm about a simple patrol. "Are you getting restless at the tower?"

"A little, I suppose. I enjoy helping the refugees and spending time with Markus, but there are times where I feel like I've plateaued and I'm no longer growing as a person." Staring longingly out the window beside him Lucas glanced about the opened sidewalks and hustling people with an envious eye. "You are thriving, Connor. Despite what you say about limitations or grim occurrences I am jealous of you."

"Well, I think I know of a way to help you with your restlessness."

"How's that?"

"Hank decided to move into a bigger house, and we'd like you to move into the house with us."

"...Really?" Lucas finally looked away from the sidewalk and over to his brother's face.

"Yes, of course. We looked for a house big enough to accommodate all three of us, and both Sumo and Ruby, comfortably. We want you to join us and stay at the house as a true member of the family. You'll have a bedroom and not assigned private quarters."

"I would really like to move into the house with you and Hank." Lucas accepted the invitation and did so with a confident nod. "It'd be nice to leave the tower when I'm not working, and not have to return to the tower to sleep or to have privacy."

"We understand, and we want you at the house. We've already begun packing up the house and sorting through what items we wish to keep, and which items we wish to donate."

"Thank you, Connor. I will inform the leaders of New Jericho of my decision this evening, and I'll begin packing as well."

* * *

Packing up the first cardboard box in the livingroom with Hank's old books and a few of his records Connor sealed the box with a line of packing tape, and proceeded to place it on the floor in the corner of the livingroom out of the way. As he set about packing up the second box with the remaining books and records Hank walked in through the backdoor and wiped some sweat from his brow off on the back of his arm, and sighed deeply as he stretched out the tight muscles in his back.

"Are you okay?" Connor asked as he stopped mid pack to check on the senior detective as he noted Hank's physical exhaustion.

"Yeah, I just finished throwing out the busted shit from the garage. There was a lot to go through."

"You should've let me do that for you."

"Nah, it's fine." Pulling a bottle of cold water out of the refrigerator and unscrewing the cap Hank downed a generous amount of the water to cool off. "You know, I forgot to ask. How did it go speaking with your mother the other day?"

"Uh, fine. I guess."

"Just 'fine'?"

"It's... I don't know how to describe it."

"Weird?"

"'Strange' would be an apt description, yes." Resuming his chore of packing up the boxes he watched Hank carefully to make sure he wasn't going to collapse from fatigue, or harm his back from moving around too much. "How do you connect with someone you believed was dead your entire life?"

"I don't know, kid. I honestly don't know."

"She is very nice and I don't sense any form of deceit coming from her person, but it's still difficult for me to trust her."

"Trust is earned son, not given. Just like respect."

"...So I don't have to let her into my life?"

"Nope. The fact that you're giving her a chance is already an amazing gesture." Finishing off the water he tossed the empty plastic bottle into the recycling bin beneath the sink and eyed the now empty bookshelf in the livingroom. "Wow. I haven't seen this thing empty since the day I bought it."

"It seemed logical to clear out the non essential items first." Taping up the full and heavy box Connor picked it up and proceeded to carry it over to the first box, and faltered a little in his steps as he almost dropped the box and took in a gasping breath.

"Connor? What's wrong?"

Standing up straight Connor put his right hand to his chest and took slow, controlled breaths. "...I think I... winded myself."

"Asthma?"

He nodded his head slowly to answer as he assessed his symptoms. "...Most likely."

"Alright, sit down."

"...It's okay. I can-"

"Connor, sit down." Hank repeated as he walked down the hallway to locate the younger man's inhaler. "You literally _cannot_ walk off an asthma attack."

Admitting defeat Connor sat down on the couch and took in slow, controlled breaths and leaned back against the cushions. Sumo and Ruby had been laying together on Sumo's pillow and promptly met Connor as he sat down and tried to relax while breathing through his asthma attack. While Sumo nosed Connor's left hand Ruby, who was now fourteen weeks old, managed to jump up on the couch and pawed at Connor's right arm.

"...I'm okay." Rubbing both dogs' ears Connor felt Hank's hand on his shoulder as he was given his inhaler. "...Thanks."

"Been a while since you need to use that thing. Maybe you really are outgrowing that stuff."

"...Possibly." Taking a single puff of the inhaler Connor breathed easier and was able to fully relax. "...My mother said she had asthma as a child and outgrew it when she was a teenager."

"Stop packing for the night. Two boxes being finished up is a good start. We don't have to be out of here at any certain date, so take it easy."

"Right." Clutching the inhaler in his right hand Connor let out a shaking breath and felt much better. "I wonder how much Lucas is going to bring to the new house once he moves in?"

"So he accepted the offer? Good!"

"Yeah, he seemed very happy to have a home to call his own."

"And that deviant program thing you two are doing at the precinct, how that's going?"

"Effective. Lucas was able to correctly identify five suspected shoplifters and two graffiti artists perfectly." Setting aside his inhaler Connor leaned back further and let his body relax. "Tomorrow we're going to look over the news footage regarding the failed assassination attempt against Markus and see if anyone in the crowd can be linked directly to the assassins."

"You really think the asshole who set up the bounty would have the balls to show their face?"

"Unknown. But we have to try to find a common element considering that fact that none of the, now ten, failed assassins have admitted to anything or given us the name of the person who set up the bounty. It's the only logical lead we have to follow."

"Seems like a long shot, but I know you're right."

"We'll be careful. I'll make sure nothing happens to Lucas during our patrol."

"Damn right. AND if a field case comes in while you're on patrol you're dropping him off either at the precinct, New Jericho or the house before you go to investigate. Got it?"

"Got it. I won't take Lucas out into the field."

* * *

The following morning Connor and Lucas sat side by side at the young detective's terminal screen as they both watched, and re-watched, the news footage from multiple angles that showed the day of the failed assassination attempts against Markus and North. There was no footage of the failed attempt against Josh, but multiple witness statements were enough to arrest the tenth failed assassin and keep him in custody with the previous nine assassins. As the unsettling images of the news footage played out on the screen the brothers took in every detail, and Connor ran the footage against a special software program using facial recognition to isolate any potential persons of interest.

"This program is effective," Connor stated as he looked over the electronic tablet in his hand as a few familiar faces appeared on the screen. "but it's not flawless."

"Neither is the law."

"True."

Gavin and Tina walked into the bullpen after finishing their own patrol and Gavin gave the two brothers a confused stare. "...There's two of you now?"

Connor looked over to Gavin and politely introduced him to Lucas. "This is my brother, Lucas."

"Wait... How come he- Never mind..." Still looking confused Gavin just shook his head and walked into the breakroom to get something to snack on for a while until lunch. "Whatever."

Lucas lowered his voice and spoke to Connor beside him. "He bears a striking resemblance to Elijah Kamski."

"They are brothers as well. Fraternal twins. Gavin is the older of the two as well."

"I was unaware that Mr. Kamski had any siblings."

"It's a long story, I will inform you of the details elsewhere."

"I understand." Lucas finished scanning the footage and logged away every face he had seen into his memorybank. Satisfied he'd be able to locate any person of interest he nodded at Connor and proceeded to stand up. "I'm ready."

"Alright. If we can finish our patrol by one this afternoon we can meet up with Hank on our lunchbreak."

"Is he still dealing with the 'red ice' ring?"

"Unfortunately yes." Connor led his little brother to the front doors of the precinct to walk to the parking garage next to the building. "His success in bringing down the largest 'red ice' ring in the city has essentially left him with a reputation as the only detective to deal with such a scenario, despite other officers being available and have some degree of experience as well."

"Interesting."

"After our shift we can stop by New Jericho Tower and bring your items to the new house."

"What I have can easily be transported in my truck." Lucas reminded his big brother as they climbed into the Oldsmobile together. "It won't be a cumbersome venture with two vehicles at our disposal."

"That's true." Connor smirked as he turned the key in the ignition and turned over the engine. "It's a good thing Hank made sure to specifically look for a double garage to accommodate both vehicles."

* * *

The house was slowly getting packed up box by box, and room by room. The day's shift had come to an end without any success in locating any person of interest from Connor and Lucas's end of assignments, but Hank had managed to pinpoint the ring leader of the 'red ice' business taking place on the street. With the leader now taken down and behind bars there was an impressive decline of overdosed people arriving at the E.R. at odd hours of the morning, as well as muggings from junkies seeking funds to keep up their nasty habit.

While Connor proceeded to finish packing up the extra clothes in his bedroom inside the box over top of his books, as well as his other few personal items, he was greeted by Ruby carrying her chew rope into his bedroom to try to start up a game of tug-o-war.

"Ruby, it's not a good idea to play that game right now." Connor lamented as his picked up the rope and then put the puppy on the bed to sit with him. "You should try to get Sumo to play with you so I can finish packing things up."

The puppy just wagged her tail as she took the rope from Connor's hand and happily began chewing on it to entertain herself.

Laying back on his bed Connor tried to relax a little before packing up the next box only to feel a sudden shortness of breath that made him sit right back up and gasp. Reaching for his inhaler sitting on the nightstand beside his bed he took in a deep breath and stayed in an upright position against his pillows until he was able to take in a deep calming breath after taking a hit from the inhaler. "...Damn it."

Ruby whimpered and dragged her rope as she crawled up to Connor's lap to lay down.

"...I'm okay. I just have a few more physical obstacles to overcome, that's all."

"What happened?" Hank huffed himself as he dropped a heavy box of clothes on the hallway floor and pushed it down into the livingroom with his foot in favor of carrying it. "Another asthma attack?"

"...It was mild, I'm fine."

"Maybe when it warms up the dry air won't bother you as much."

"That'd be nice."

"Tomorrow we'll get all this stuff moved over to the new house, and then finish packing up here."

"Lucas managed to finish unpacking and put everything in his own room about twenty minutes ago." Connor confirmed as he held up his left wrist to show the message on his smart watch. It was invaluable as it allowed Connor to remain in constant contact with his little brother without needing to check his phone every few seconds. "He'll be able to help us move everything else when we arrive tomorrow."

"Lucky him. His room is ready to go, and just needs a new bed and a dresser."

Setting aside his inhaler Connor studied Hank's demeanor curiously. "You seem tired."

"Tired of the bullshit back at the precinct," the senior detective replied sarcastically. "yeah. I'm _very_ tired."

Putting his left hand to his chest Connor let out a weary sigh of his own and sympathized with his adoptive father's frustration as he felt his heart thundering under his palm. "I understand that."

"So you couldn't find anything new about those assassins?"

"Not yet." Running his right hand down Ruby's back Connor noted the time and decided to take Ruby outside with Sumo and start training her to take care of business in the backyard. "I'm going to take Sumo and Ruby out for a moment. You should get some sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Hank agreed as he sighed and stepped out of the doorway to head to the bathroom and take a shower. "With any luck we'll be able to get everything we need over to the new house, and stay there tomorrow night."

Connor agreed as he took the two dogs outside and stood beside the backdoor watching Ruby carefully as she ran about in the snow and trailed after Sumo playfully. Standing in the chilly air wasn't affecting Connor's breathing, but it didn't feel good either. Glancing down at his watch Connor looked at his vital signs being recorded on the device and sighed a little at the display.

"I must still be getting over the flu." He decided as he ran his hands up and down his arms to try to stave off the surrounding cold. "...I hate winter."

* * *

It took only a week but the small but loving family managed to finish packing up the last of the items from the old house and were ready for their final trip out to the new house to begin the 'joy' of unpacking soon after. Lucas helped to carry the final boxes out to the two vehicles while Connor put the leashes on Sumo and Ruby's collars to lead them outside. Taking one final sweep of the house to make sure nothing was left behind Connor knelt on the floor in the empty livingroom and retrieved the revolver that Hank had hidden away when he sobered up and pushed through his suicidal tendencies.

Moving aside the loose floorboards where the stereo system once sat Connor located the metal box containing the revolver and its one bullet, and held it in his hands. "We don't need this, but we can't just leave it behind either." Opening the box Connor stared at the weapon for a moment before he closed the lid and pulled it out of the hiding spot. "That'd be too dangerous."

Tucking the box under his arm Connor replaced the floorboards and stood upright with both dog leashes in his left hand.

"This was a good home." He stated as he passed through the livingroom and into the equally empty kitchen. "I hope it'll stay a good home for the next family."

Noticing that Hank wasn't outside with Lucas, who was putting the final cardboard box into the back of his truck, Connor hooked the ends of the two leashes onto the backdoor's knob and placed the metal box down on the countertop before going back down the hallway to find Hank. It didn't take Connor long to see the senior detective standing in the middle of Connor's old bedroom and that he had tears in his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Hank?"

"It's just... I didn't think I'd ever see the day I'd walk away from the house with my head held high."

"This is why I asked if you were certain about leaving. I knew it'd be difficult for you to go."

"I am certain, son. It's just I didn't think the day would come while I was still alive."

"...Oh."

Opening up the bedroom closet Hank looked at the door frame where he had measured Cole's height and frowned at the number that never grew beyond his sixth birthday. "I know it's been years since Cole was here but it feels like he never left."

Connor wanted to mention the drawing, he wanted to offer some form of comfort to his upset father, but now wasn't the time.

"I spent hours in here when he was a baby. Whether I was trying to walk him back and forth until he fell asleep, changing his diapers, reading to him or just watching him sleeping in his crib or his bed... I spent countless hours in here. Then all of a sudden in a single day I stopped coming in here altogether."

"Do you need to be alone?"

"...No. I'm done with being alone." Putting his hand on Connor's shoulder Hank walked out of the bedroom with Connor and hovered outside the doorway for a moment before slowly pulling the door shut behind him. "I thought for the longest time that when I lost Barb and Cole that I died right alongside them, but my damn heart didn't know it was time to stop beating. Now I realize I was just finishing a very long, very wonderful chapter in the book that is my life and began a darker chapter shortly thereafter. And only after I met you did that chapter finally come to a close as well so I could keep my story going."

"I'm glad you decided to see how your story ends without 'skipping' right to the end, so to speak."

"Yeah, I am, too."

Returning to the kitchen Connor tucked the metal box under his arm again and took Ruby's leash while Hank took Sumo's leash, and the two detectives stepped out of the backdoor together for the last time. Looking back at the house one last time Hank sighed and gave the house one final look before walking over to the driveway to leave for his new home.

"This was a good house. Always warm, always loving." The senior detective stated in a somber appreciative tone. "This is where I carried Barbara over the threshold, where I was when Barb told me she was pregnant with Cole, and where Cole spent his very first day of life." Wiping a rogue tear from his eye Hank smirked a little and ran his hand along Sumo's ears. "Cole took his first steps in the backyard right over there," he pointed to the place of interest in the middle of the property. "said his first word in the kitchen. So much had happened and now... Now it's over."

"It's not the end, it's a new beginning." Connor stated confidently as he handed the metal box to Lucas to put in the truck, then opened the door to the Oldsmobile to let Sumo and then Ruby hop into the backseat to drive to the new house. "And you won't be going through it alone anymore."

"Yeah, you're right. I have two great sons to keep me from giving up on myself again."

Nodding a little Connor agreed with the a statement with a proud grin. "Ready?"

"Yeah. I really am." Hank smirked as he sat down in the front passenger seat of the car, while Connor sat down behind the wheel. "Let's go home, boys."

* * *

The trio set about carrying the last of their boxes inside the new house while Sumo and Ruby curiously checked out each and every room to get acclimated.

The livingroom had dark hardwood floors that were covered in beige area rugs to protect the surface from the heavy furniture. The walls were a slate gray with white trim around the door frames and windows. A large bay window allowed a mass of natural light to fill the room with a bright natural aura. The livingroom had been furnished with a new black leather couch, complete with a lounger at the right end and a new black recliner set up just to the left of the new couch. An ovular shaped glass and wooden coffee table was placed in front of the couch while the old white bookshelf from the previous house had been placed against the far wall behind the couch just where it had been in the old house before. The same could be said for Sumo (and now Ruby's) pillow in the corner of the livingroom out of the way where someone might step on it.

The kitchen had white/gray linoleum on the floor and a slightly larger kitchen table to give an inviting feeling to the room. The kitchen counters were a dark gray marble with white cabinets complete with glass windows and positioned above the countertops. A new white refrigerator, new white stove and a white colored dishwasher completed the large appliances pre-installed in the new house.

Just outside the livingroom was the long hallway leading to the ground floor bathroom; which was larger than the one in the old house, and the study. The bathroom had white walls with gray tiles, and gray linoleum on the floor. There was a large bathtub against the wall with a separate glass shower beside it, and a window looking into the side yard.

The study itself had dark maroon carpeting and a large wooden oak desk designed to hold both Hank and Connor's laptops so they could work from home if necessary. A single large window overlooked the front yard gave the room warm light. Two tall oak bookshelves lined the wall with a single small dark red sofa in between them. The bookshelves were filled with various text books that Connor found useful for accurate investigations while in the field, and a few updated journals regarding some of their more interesting cases.

A beige carpeted wooden staircase led up to the second floor where the three bedrooms and a second bathroom resided. Hank was given the largest bedroom, the master bedroom without question, while Connor and Lucas took the smaller bedrooms for themselves. Hank's bedroom was at the end of the hallway across from the smaller bathroom and next to Connor's bedroom.

The smaller bathroom had only a shower rather than a full bath, and had a pale blue tile color scheme. With a single window to overlook the front yard the small room had plenty of natural light just like all the other rooms.

The largest bedroom had a king size bed, coffee brown carpeting, white walls, a large sliding door closet and a large window that looked out over the front and side yards. All Hank needed was his bed, his dresser and a nightstand for his lamp to read at night, and he was very content. A smaller bookshelf was built into the wall and already filled with some Hank's favorite books and photographs of Cole and Barbara.

Connor's bedroom had a very dark green carpeted floor, white walls and a large window overlooking the backyard. His queen sized bed was next to his small nightstand and had a lamp as well. The large aquarium was up against the wall in the corner by the window and his emerald green guitar was set up in its stand in the opposite corner. Like Hank's room his room had a large closet and a shelf built into the wall. A shelf Connor quickly filled it up with a few choice books and photographs of his own.

Lucas's bedroom was directly across from Connor's bedroom and had a large window that overlooked the front yard. He also had a queen sized bed, nightstand and lamp, but where Connor had his guitar Lucas had several art easels and canvases already set up. The dark blue carpeting and white walls reflected Lucas's natural color scheme and simplistic tastes for the time being. The bookshelf in his room was filled with technicians manuals and dozens of software documents, as well as brand new tubes of oil paints and brushes.

The basement was finished and had nice beige carpeting and simple white walls. The old furniture was kept down there for convenience and to make sure the setting is comfortable in the event of needing to take shelter. The Christmas decorations and a few other extra boxes were stored down there for later use, and a section of the basement was already isolated to allow Connor to store a few pieces of workout equipment to help himself, and with a little coaxing, Hank, to keep in shape.

The backyard itself had a wooden deck leading from the two large sliding glass doors, and out to the large expansive property in the back. The large in-ground pool was still covered up for the winter but would be used soon enough. As would the small garden in the far corner of the property up against the white wooden fence that surrounded the entire backyard, and connected to the swinging gate that allowed access to the backyard from the side yard.

It was in the side yard that held a large two car garage connected to the large driveway leading to the street, and connected to the side of the house through the laundry room that was connected to the kitchen.

"I think this place is perfect for this family." Hank stated as he sat down tiredly in the recliner and kicked up his feet. The livingroom already felt warm and inviting like a real home. "It's big enough for all of us and we're in a much nicer neighborhood."

Connor agreed as he took the metal box containing the gun and placed it in a small unseen location in the cabinet attached to the bottom of the bookshelf against the livingroom wall. After it was secured Connor sat down on the lounger end of the couch while Lucas sat down beside him. "I still can't believe you managed to get the house for such a good price."

"Well, when I mentioned that they'd have two humble detectives living in the neighborhood the realtor was more than happy to give us a good deal for the sake of making sure this nice neighborhood continued to remain nice."

"You used your career to gain favor with the realtor?"

"Yup."

"Good move."

Lucas smirked as he glanced about the walls and noticed the old family photographs he had never seen before. "May I ask why you didn't have these photos on display at the old house? They're quite nice."

Hank sighed and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin casually. "I had them buried in the crawlspace and forgot about them until we started moving out. When I found them I realized how much I missed seeing moments of happier times, and decided it was time to bring them back."

"Oh. I think that was a good decision."

Ruby came trotting into the livingroom dragging her rope while Sumo continued to explore the rest of the house curiously. Connor bent down and took hold of the other end of the rope and began to playfully pull on it to start playing with the young pup. "I like the idea of having nice memories adorning the walls."

Letting out a mild yawn Hank looked at his phone and decided to make an order for delivery. "I'm going to order us a pizza, chow down and go to bed. You two can do whatever you want as long as you don't wake me up."

"We can manage that." Lucas stated confidently as he watched Connor playing with Ruby. "And tomorrow we will find the person responsible for the bounty put up on the leaders of New Jericho. I can feel it."

As Lucas spoke a strange knot suddenly tightened in Connor's stomach and he wasn't sure why. Ignoring the feeling Connor just continued to play with Ruby to wear her out for the night, and had a few slices of the pizza along with Hank after the delivery arrived.

The evening went on quietly with the two brothers speaking to one another in low voices to keep themselves from accidentally disturbing Hank's sleep despite their adoptive father now having a bedroom on the second floor of the new house. It was almost ten at night Connor and was beginning to feel too tired to stay up any longer. Putting Ruby down onto the pillow beside Sumo for the night Connor walked into the ground floor bathroom to shower off and then went upstairs to sleep.

It was too long after that Lucas went upstairs to retire to his own bedroom for the night, and enter rest mode himself.

As Connor laid his head down against his pillow he stared up at the ceiling and thought about what Lucas had said, and was wondering why the comment made him feel suddenly uneasy.

"...I have a bad feeling about tomorrow. But why?" Tucking his left arm beneath his head Connor glanced at his aquarium for a moment and then closed his eyes as fatigue won out and caused him to submit to sleep. "There shouldn't be anything different compared to what we did today?"

* * *

The following morning in the new house was busy, but not hectic, as the three members of the Anderson family set about their usual routines. Hank was making a light breakfast in the kitchen while Connor was taking care of Sumo and Ruby in the backyard. Lucas was getting used to having a house to wake up to rather than the tower, but he made sure to cybernetically check in at the tower to ensure no emergencies were taking place during his absence that would require his immediate attention.

Once the dogs were taken care of Connor let them back inside through the rear sliding glass doors, and proceeded to fill their food bowls on the kitchen floor. Sumo happily chowed down in his bowl while Ruby sniffed at her food but showed more interest in playing with Connor as she pawed at his leg.

"How'd they do out there?" Hank asked as he put the full plates of scrambled eggs and bacon down on the kitchen table for Connor and himself.

"They did well. Sumo didn't show any interest in the yard beyond the gate, and Ruby stayed with him."

"That's good. Well, dig in." Motioning to the plate of scrambled eggs Hank poured himself a cup of coffee. "We'll head out in a few minutes."

Connor looked at the offered plate but was surprisingly without an appetite. "...Yeah, thanks."

"Are you okay?" The senior detective was always quick to pick up on whenever Connor was in a strange mood. "You seem a little off."

"I'm fine." Connor lied in a convincing manner at he locked eyes with Hank. "I'm just not very hungry this morning."

"Please tell me you're not getting sick again."

"I'm not." He confirmed as he humored Hank and sat down at the kitchen table to eat a little of the provided breakfast to ease his adoptive father's mind.

Lucas tilted his head as he ran a scan over Connor's body and looked to Hank. "Perhaps it's the new environment having an effect on his morning schedule. Aside from a slightly elevated heart rate his vitals are all normal."

Connor didn't reply to the suggestion, which in itself was unusual.

Without another thought Hank sat down at the table across from Connor and studied the younger man's face as he sipped at his coffee. He knew that there was something bothering Connor and he also knew that Connor wasn't going to talk about it unless he wanted to talk. Instead of pushing the matter at hand Hank continued to eat his breakfast and watch Connor's body language closely.

Tense. Nervous. Distracted.

"If you had another nightmare you can talk it out." Hank suggested as he played on his hunch, only to have his hunch dismissed as he bit into his bacon.

"...It wasn't a nightmare." Connor replied honestly as he stopped fussing with his partially touched plate and rose from the table. He had only eaten a single bite of the scrambled eggs, and left the two strips of bacon untouched. "It's nothing. I'll tell you later, but right now I want to change into my uniform and get ready for work."

As Connor ascended the staircase with Ruby clumsily trailing after him Lucas noted Hank's own concern and responded accordingly. "I'll see if I can get him to talk while we're on patrol today."

"Yeah, sure. Is this your last day on patrol?"

"Second to last. Afterward another deviant volunteer will take my place, and will patrol with another officer."

"Why?" Hank asked between bites of his scrambled eggs. "You two are doing a great job together."

"The precinct wants to avoid the perception of bias. If three different deviants and three different officers can positively confirm the identities of the suspects on the streets, then the program will be officiated and implemented in other precincts throughout the city. They'll also start using the positive identifications in court cases if it becomes necessary."

"Cool. Maybe me and Connor can get a break from handling every single deviant case in the city after the program gets the full clear."

Moving casually Connor walked back down the stairs with his uniform in place, and Ruby still following him down the steps with all the grace that a fifteen week old puppy could muster. Returning to the kitchen Connor picked up the glass of orange juice and drank a small amount before pulling the car keys from his jean pocket to be used.

Hank nodded and put the two plates in the sink to be taken care of later; one plate was clean and the other still mostly full. "Alright, let's head out." Scraping some of Connor's unfinished breakfast into the dog bowls to keep the food from being wasted Hank drank the last of his coffee, and confirmed he was ready to start the day. "Let's all just hope for a quiet day."

That same horrible knot returned to Connor's stomach but he didn't say a word about it. He had no explanation for the odd feeling, and he didn't want his family to worry about him all day long.

"...Yeah. A quiet day would be perfect."

* * *

The day went about as per usual with Hank finishing off his 'red ice' reports at his desk, while Connor and Lucas went on their patrol together. Thankfully the morning was staying quiet just as they had hoped for, and the afternoon seemed to be following the same pattern. While driving their designated patrol route through the neighborhood Connor remained somewhat distracted and seemed uncharacteristically morose where he sat, and Lucas wanted to know what was upsetting his brother.

"Connor, please talk to me."

"...It's nothing."

"If that were true you wouldn't be in a daze." The observant technician noted. "Something is distracting you."

Shaking his head a little Connor's voice remained bitter and uncertain. "...It's silly."

"What is it? I won't judge you for speaking your mind."

"...It's just," pulling up to a stop sign Connor glanced at Lucas momentarily before making his turn. "I have a very bad feeling about today."

"A bad feeling." Lucas repeated as his brow arched slightly. It was a reaction he had adopted as his deviancy developed and he spent more time with his big brother as a real family. "Are you referring to an instinctual feeling?"

"Yeah. It's happened before. I felt it the day Hank and I went to meet with Kamski just prior to the Revolution, and I felt it again the day Hank and I were assigned a prisoner escort at the hospital. That was the day a violent windstorm caused the helicopter atop the hospital's helipad to crash, and I had been wounded from flying debris."

"It seems your 'bad feelings' are fairly accurate. Do you want to call off your shift and return home?"

"...I don't know."

"You're obviously distressed. I'm certain your captain would understand if you told him you weren't feeling well and wanted to leave early."

Connor shook his head again as he resumed eyeing the streets carefully. "No. I can't justify a bad feeling."

"You should. From what I understand about first responders these instincts are invaluable and often are accurate."

Unwilling to end his shift early because of a bad feeling Connor rejected Lucas's suggestion and resumed the patrol. Remaining quiet as his bad feeling continued to plague him Connor was on a form of autopilot as he drove about his designated route absentmindedly.

The afternoon was quickly approaching and Lucas wanted to try to make sure his brother was as well as possible. "Shouldn't you stop to find something to eat for your lunchbreak?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Take your lunchbreak." Lucas insisted firmly as he noted the time of the day. "You don't necessarily have to eat a large meal, but you should eat something considering you barely ate anything this morning."

"I'm honestly not hungry."

"Then at least get something to drink. You need something somewhat sugary to keep your calorie intake at an appropriate level."

"...Alright." Willing to be cooperative for the sake of keeping a form of peace between the two of them Connor agreed to stop at a nearby convenience store or small restaurant to grab something to drink. "I can do that."

Before the duo had the chance to pull into any appropriate location the sound of screams, a gunshot and screeching tired filled the air and pulled their full attention to a red car speeding through an intersection. As the car sped through the streets Connor and Lucas watched in horror as the driver of the speeding vehicle rolled down his window and opened fire on an innocent deviant walking along the sidewalk.

"Shit." Connor pulled the car around to park beside the sidewalk where the struck deviant was laying and bleeding out. As he confirmed the assault, location, make and model of the vehicle and the license plate number to dispatch Lucas rushed out of the car to tend to the downed deviant as efficiently as he could. "I knew this was going to be a bad day..."

Kneeling down on the other side of the deviant after radioing the report Connor assisted Lucas as much as possible, but the damage was catastrophic. The deviant had suffered two gunshot wounds, one to his cranium near his left temple and the second passed through his upper right chest. Thirium was pooling in a massive sapphire puddle beneath the deviant's body at an alarming rate.

"Lucas?" Connor was unable to scan the deviant or cybernetically connect with him, he only had his little brother to rely on. As he applied pressure to the deviant's bleeding shoulder and upper chest he looked at Lucas for guidance. "What is his status?"

"The bullet heavily damaged his intracranial processor," the technician stated in a somber voice as he retracted the artificial skin from his left palm and pressed it over the downed deviant's right temple to began an analysis. "and his processing power is down to thirty-seven percent. I can't reach him cybernetically; his Thirium volume is down to seventy-four percent, Thirium pressure is seventy over thirty, Thirium pump rate is at one-hundred and sixty-two beats per minute, ventilation is nonexistent and his core temperature is already at one-hundred and two point seven degrees."

"What can you do to aid him?"

"...Nothing." Lucas admitted as he gently put his hand over the bullet wound in the deviant's cranium to cover the bloody injury; not only to conceal such a horrific wound from peering eyes, but to provide some form of comfort in the deviant's final moments of functionality. "He's shutting down. All I can do is try to make him comfortable."

Connor heard the sound of approaching sirens and saw that it was the android unique ambulance that had been summoned after he called in the shooting. There was nothing more he could do for the deviant, so all Connor could do was apologize and proceed to take control of the scene.

"I'm sorry." Releasing his grip from the deviant's shoulder Connor stood up slowly and glanced about the scene to locate witnesses. "Stay with him, Lucas. I need to ask some questions."

Lucas only nodded as he looked down at the deviant's expressionless face and frowned. The deviant was a model similar to that of Simon, but he had dark brown hair and equally dark brown eyes. Seeing the face of a friend with his own brother's features made Lucas feel a tad sick to his artificial stomach.

"We both sorry, my friend." With a kind hand Lucas lowered the deviant's eyelids as he felt his Thirium pump beat for the final time. Pulling his left hand back Lucas allowed his artificial skin to regenerate over his palm with a simple motion. "We will bring you justice."

* * *

Due to the personal nature between the two detectives and the witness, Lucas to be specific, Connor and Hank had to recuse themselves from taking any further witness statements regarding the deviant hit and run case. Chris took the initiative and wrote down every word that Lucas had said and was truly grateful for the deviant's eidetic perfect recollection of the accident itself. While the two detectives waited at their desks for Lucas to finish giving his statement Gavin approached the duo as his curiosity had been getting to him all week.

"Alright, I gotta' ask." The formerly aggressive Sergeant was still abrasive but he was much more tolerable. Subconsciously Gavin rubbed his right hand around his neck and throat as he swore he could still feel a couple bruises despite his injury taking place over two months prior. "How the fuck do you have a brother, Connor?"

"Lucas is the only 'RK-900' model in existence." The young detective replied in a low and emotionally indifferent tone. "He was designed to be my successor but thanks to the Revolution changing the world CyberLife never activated him, and subsequently they never deactivated me. Lucas became active, deviated, and has been my little brother ever since."

"...So you're not dealing with a long lost twin type of thing?"

"No." Dropping his voice a little Connor addressed the Sergeant with a curiosity of his own. "...Are you projecting your own life onto mine?"

Gavin scoffed a little as he put his arms up defensively over his chest. "That bastard was telling the truth. You _did_ convince him to reach out after all."

"I didn't need to convince him of anything. Elijah already wanted to do so, I just gave him some support and a confirmation that he wasn't going to make a mistake by doing so."

"Well, thanks. I guess."

Connor nodded as Gavin walked away and disappeared into the breakroom out of sight.

"What the fuck?" Hank had no idea what Connor was talking about and wanted to know what the hell he just witnessed. "What's this thing about Gavin and Elijah? Does he mean Elijah_ Kamksi_?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he turned to look at the senior detective around his terminal screen. "Gavin and Elijah are fraternal twins who were separated shortly after birth."

"Holy shit!" Hank's blue eyes went wide with genuine surprise at the revelation. "I thought that Kamski creep kinda' looked like Gavin, but I figured that was just because they're both kind of assholes."

Before Connor could add anything else to the statement Lucas returned from the interview room alongside Chris, and quickly approached the two desks.

"Alright," Chris held up the electronic notepad with Lucas's statement printed out neatly atop the screen proudly. "I'll get the registration from the license plate and find the guy responsible. Thanks for your help, Lucas."

Lucas nodded respectfully to Chris as he joined his family at their desks. "May I leave now? I have errands to tend to, and my patrol with Connor is now finished."

"Yeah, you're good." Hank confirmed with a casual gesture of his hand toward the door. "Thanks for your help, son."

"I'm glad I could be of some help this afternoon. I failed to save the victim, but at least I can help catch his killer."

"Lucas," Connor gave his little brother a sympathetic stare. "you can't save everyone."

"Yes, I know. But it doesn't make it any easier." Lucas cleared his throat a little before saying his goodbye. "I'll see you back at the house this evening."

As the deviant technician left the precinct he was followed by a mass of confused stares from the other officers who were still surprised to see another person who looked so similar to Connor; save for the lighter colored eyes and darker colored hair. Despite Lucas being there for over a week to help with the deviant program a lot of the officers couldn't seem to fathom a human and an android being family.

The stares didn't go unnoticed by Connor who needed to ask about the nosy behavior. "Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it uncommon for humans to acknowledge android families?"

"Yeah, a little. I think it's because when most people still think about androids they imagine the cold manufacturing process over the free thinking, free feeling deviants you've become. The idea of android camaraderie and family units are still a tad odd for most humans."

"Hopefully that'll change soon."

"It will. Maybe not 'soon', but it will change."

* * *

Two hours had passed when Chris and Gavin returned with the driver responsible for the shooting and reckless driving. The killer was dragged into the precinct in handcuffs and was not happy about it. The young man, no older than twenty, was red with anger and practically foaming at the mouth as he swore and threatened every officer in the precinct as he was dragged into interrogation for questioning. Every insult he threw at the officers carried a heavy slur of intoxication that only made his situation worse and worse for the already arrested driver.

"Shit, that driver is still just a kid." Hank commented as the raging driver was taken away. The young man had piercing green eyes that seemed impossibly bright thanks to his bloodshot eyes, and red hot anger contrasting against the emerald tone. "What kind of life did he live to make him so pissed off at the world while still so young?"

Connor just silently shook his head as he stared at the closed door of the interrogation room after it slid shut. In the time since his deviancy and return to humanity Connor had encountered many types of people with personalities that ranged from completely tolerant and kind, all the way to utterly xenophobic and full of spite. Yet in that time he had very limited encounters with children and teenagers, but he still knew from Hank's reaction that this particular person had a very troubling or abusive childhood that had left a permanent dark scar over his impressionable young heart.

"I wish I knew what made him so angry." Connor empathized in a low voice as he gave the senior detective a despondent stare. "Maybe I could help him let go of his anger."

After nearly an hour the interrogation ended and Chris had the 'honor' of escorting the arrested boy into the nearby cell to await prosecution. The boy's face was still red with rage and he had tears staining his face as he begrudgingly let Chris lead him away and over to the cell. Shortly thereafter a familiar and unwelcome voice sounded off through the precinct as he demanded to see his son, who as it turns out, had recently been arrested.

"Where is he?!" The infamous agent Richard Perkins stormed through the desks in the bullpen demanded to see his kid all the while flashing his badge as if that was somehow a free pass to be an asshole. No one was impressed. "Where's Benjamin?"

"Calm down, Perkins." Hank angrily shouted over to the intrusive agent. "What's going on?"

"You tell me, _Lieutenant_." Perkins approached Hank with an indignant gait. "My son has been arrested on a piece of shit charge!"

"Alright, what was he charged with?"

"Fleeing the scene of a shooting and manslaughter. Since when breaking a machine murder?"

Connor's soulful brown eyes flashed with anger, but he remained where he sat as soon as he saw Hank grab Perkins by the shirt collar, and force him backward a few steps.

"Listen asshole," Hank swore as he loomed over the smaller man with a paternally instinctive snarl. "whether or not you think an android is a person or a machine doesn't matter. Your kid was identified by a dozen witnesses at the scene of the shooting; his fuckin' car has that android's blood smeared on its side from driving so close, and traffic camera on the street both PROVE your kid intentionally drove through the intersection and AIMED his GUN at the android without any provocation. He's GUILTY."

"His car malfunctioned, and it was self-defense."

"BULLSHIT." Hank practically spat at the absurd response as he continued to stare the agent down. "He's drunk and pissed at the world."

"Yeah, and I suppose YOU would know better than anyone about being drunk, wouldn't you?"

"I beat your sorry ass once before, what makes you think I won't do it again?"

Captain Fowler's voice cut in as he interfered with the fight before it got out of control. "ENOUGH. Hank, sit down. Perkins, get in my office and we'll talk."

Hank let go of Perkins' collar and stepped away with an annoyed sigh as being in the company of the disgraced agent made his sick. With the intense moment over Connor stood up and put his hand on Hank's shoulder as a means of trying to help Hank calm himself down.

The sight of the formerly deviant android only aggravated Perkins further. "Should've known there was a bias going on." The embittered agent stated as he recognized Connor in an instant. "Piece of plastic is twisting evidence to fit its own agenda. You won't get away with this."

Connor had enough of being insulted by oblivious humans and verbally reciprocated the insult just as he had done to Gavin earlier. "Seems like a hollow threat coming from a man who couldn't find Jericho until after _I_ pieced the evidence together_ for you_. Even then you still failed in your mission."

"What'd you just say?" Perkins turned around and glared with venom at the mouthy 'android', having no idea that Connor was now human.

"Are you really that stupid?" Hank asked as he planted himself between Connor and Perkins and stood beside Connor's statement. "Sure as hell explains why your kid is so fucked up."

Before Perkins had the chance to reply Captain Fowler grabbed onto Perkins's shoulder and dragged him toward his office. "HANK. Enough."

The two detectives just watched as Captain Fowler had to drag Perkins into his office like a father pulling his temperamental toddler into time-out.

As soon as the office door shut Hank turned to look at Connor and gave the younger detective an approving nod. "That's twice now I've seen you stand up for yourself."

"Did I cross the line?"

"No, not even close."

The entire bullpen was stunned into silence by the confrontation, the only sound coming from the phones ringing in the reception area and the mechanical whirs of computer terminals humming away.

As the surrounding officer stared blankly at the two detectives Hank felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up with frustration. "What're you looking at?" Hank shouted again as he ended the staring contest. "Show's over! Get back to work!"

At those words the entire bullpen resumed work and paid no mind to the bizarre confrontation they had just witnessed.

Connor's eyes calmed as he took his own seat, and leaned forward against his desk top in disgust. "...It never changes, Hank."

"What?" As Hank reclaimed his seat opposite of Connor as he studied the younger detective's demeanor curiously.

"Humans blaming androids for their own personal problems. When we were manufactured it was against our will, as were the tasks that humans had programmed us to perform. And yet every time something negative happens as a result of human engineering they continue to blame the tools and not the engineer for the errors."

"That was pretty profound, son. Have you ever said anything like that before?"

"...Not out loud, no."

"Well you should, and I'm glad ya' did. Because you're absolutely right."

Connor's tense shoulder finally slouched as he calmed down a little more where he sat. "Thank you, Hank. I'm glad you understand."

* * *

Before the day was over Perkins had posted a hefty bail for his son and dragged the still somewhat inebriated, hostile young man out of the precinct by the arm. Having been charged with the shooting, improper use of a firearm, driving while under the influence, under-aged drinking, reckless driving, fleeing the scene of a crime, malicious destruction of property and of course murder, the numerous charges had ensured that Benjamin would stand trial. However the odds of a judge readily willing to consider the death of the android as murder, even after the new laws and rights to protect androids have been signed, seemed incredibly and depressingly low.

Connor was disheartened by the whole ordeal that had taken place throughout the day as it seemed very little interest was being paid to the deviant who had been killed by a drunk shooter. There was only a brief report on the news and there was virtually no public outcry against the murder.

"Why don't we clock out a little early tonight?" Hank suggested as he noted Connor's glum disposition from behind his terminal. "It was a long day and we managed to finish our reports on time. Besides, I don't want to see you get sick again."

"...I don't know." Connor admitted despondently as he continued to read over the news reports curiously.

"Yeah, but_ I do know_. Go home and hang out with Lucas, play your guitar and stop thinking about what happened today. Once you start obsessing over the things you can't change, those things start to change you. And it's never for the better."

Taking Hank's advice to heart Connor nodded his head subtly and decided he'd clock out early after all. "...You're right. I'll go home."

"Cool. Wait for me outside, I'll drive."

"Okay." Connor clocked out begrudgingly as he filed his report and turned off his terminal. "I'll be waiting for you out front."

As the young detective left the precinct he felt the eyes of the other officers watching him silently, but he ignored the uncomfortable stares. Passing through the front doors of the precinct without a word Connor walked over to the neighboring parking garage to wait for Hank by the vehicle to join him outside.

"You're not getting away this." Perkins's voice unexpectedly sounded off again as he stepped out of the shadows of the garage to confront Connor in person. There was a malicious intent in his every word and every move he made. "I'm going to make sure you pay for what you did to my son."

"From what I've observed," Connor retorted bitterly as he stared down the agent fearlessly and held his ground. "you've done more harm to your son than anyone else."

"You piece of shit! You think you know anything about raising kids?"

"No. But I do know something about being decent to people. You clearly don't understand the concept, and now your son is paying for your failures."

Perkins stood before Connor and sneakily pulled his gun from the holster he was needlessly concealing at his side under his jacket. With a swift motion Perkins used the gun to strike Connor across the face, under his left eye, creating a long bleeding gash that marred his face. Connor took a step back from Perkins as he put his left hand to his bleeding face, and he hissed in pain.

"...What the hell?" The sight of the_ red_ blood had caused Perkins to suddenly freeze. "Is that some kind of sick joke?!"

"The only joke here is you." Connor lowered his hand to reveal the bleeding cut as he boldly stood his ground. "You're not as perceptive as you think you are."

"I could kill you right here, right now." Perkins threatened as he pointed his gun at Connor's forehead and pulled back the hammer. "And all I have to do is make one phone call to get this little mess cleaned up. No one would know a thing."

"Wanna' bet?" From behind Perkins the barrel of another gun pressed against the back of his skull as Hank spoke up on Connor's behalf. "You're really fuckin' stupid, you know that? There are cameras all around this garage. You kill him and I will personally hunt you down and gut you like the weak little fish you are. Put the gun away, NOW."

Wisely Perkins slowly raised his hands as if to surrender before he put his gun back in his holster. Once the gun was out of sight Hank pulled the barrel of his own gun away from Perkins's head and stepped back.

"Alright, fine. I'm done." Perkins stepped aside and walked away from the garage. "You're not going to get away with this. I'm going to prove your little plastic friend there is framing my boy, AND masquerading as a human."

"Shut the fuck up, asshole. I'm tired of hearing the same sad little song about some prick's 'perfect kid' getting framed by the big, bad police force. Man the fuck up, and give your son a decent role model at least one time in his life. It's not too late to help him."

As Perkins backed off and retreated from the parking garage Hank holstered his own gun and put his right hand under Connor's chin to tilt the younger man's head to the side to examine the wound. The cut along his face was deep and weeping blood, but it wasn't too serious and would heal by itself without any need for stitches, or suffer from any complication.

"Here, kid." Hank pulled a white handkerchief from his coat pocket and handed it to Connor. "Press that over your cut. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem, I don't know, distracted by something."

"I am fine. However I just wish you..." Connor trailed off quietly as he refused to finish his statement and pressed the offered white cloth to his wound, wincing slightly from the contact of the soft material against the fresh cut.

"Wish I... what?" Hank urged in a patient tone. "What did you want me to do?"

"Nothing. It's not important. I just want this shift to end so I can check in with Lucas."

"Come on son, let's get you home." Hank insisted as he put his hand to Connor's shoulder and began walking toward the car with the younger man at his side. "It's been a long day. But things will get better for you. I can feel it."

The comment made Connor feel sick again, but just as before he didn't say anything or complain as the uneasy knot tightened in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

The next morning remained quiet as the two detectives enjoyed their day off. Lucas of course examined the cut on Connor's face and helped to clean up the injury and bandage it after the duo returned home the previous night, and the deviant made sure to check the injury again before he returned to New Jericho Tower for his afternoon shift. While Hank finished unpacking little things in the livingroom and in his bedroom Sumo took advantage of Lucas's bed being vacant, and Connor kept to himself in his own bedroom reading an old 'Sherlock Holmes' novel, while Ruby napped on the foot of his bed.

Forgetting the day but not the uneasy feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach Connor was lost in the book and nearly jumped as a soft knocking unexpectedly resonated from the other side of his closed door. Calming himself quickly Connor responded to the knocking with a welcoming tone. "Come in."

"Hey, kid." Hank pushed open the door and looked at the young detective stretched over his bed and propped up against his pillows as he put aside his book for a moment. "How's your head?"

"Fine. The cut doesn't hurt at all."

"And your stomach?"

The question caught Connor off guard and his left hand absentmindedly pressed to his abdomen. "...My stomach?"

"You didn't eat much yesterday morning, you missed your lunchbreak yesterday, you didn't eat anything last night for dinner and you skipped breakfast again."

"Oh." Sitting more upright on the bed Connor looked to Hank and remained honest as he spoke. "I'm not sick if that's what you're worried about."

"I am. So what gives?"

"I just don't have an appetite."

"Alright, so what's bothering you?"

"What makes you-"

"Connor, don't do that." Stepping through the doorway Hank stood beside the bed and gave Connor a stern glance. "I've known you long enough to figure out your body language, your little tells when you try to lie; which you suck at by the way, and when you're worried about something. Even when you were a deviant you'd skip out on drinking your Thirium whenever you're stressed out or upset."

Unable to argue all Connor could do was look away from Hank and stare at the floor.

"Talk to me, son. If there's something going on I want to know."

"It's just... It feels so illogical to admit it." Turning to look back at Hank the younger man stared up at his adoptive father and sighed. "Ever since Lucas mentioned our patrol I've had a very bad feeling about the whole situation."

"A bad feeling?"

"I can't explain it."

"You don't have to. Cop's intuition."

"I can't seem to shake it, even though we're not at the precinct anymore, and we're not on the clock."

"You've been right before with your bad feelings, so maybe you're just being a protective big brother toward Lucas."

"Maybe. But this somehow feels... worse."

"Did you tell Lucas about it?"

"Yeah. I told him that I had a bad feeling, but I didn't tell him about what."

"What did he say about it?"

"He suggested that I should've taken an early leave on our shift yesterday."

"So you've had this bad feeling since yesterday?"

Nodding in subtle confirmation Connor replied honestly. "...Yeah."

"Huh. Well, the city is pretty tense right now and it's only going to get worse now that a federal agent's kid gunned down a deviant. Maybe that's why you can't shake your bad feeling."

Connor's shoulders slumped heavily as he remembered the murdered deviant's face. "We tried to save him, Lucas is the best technician in the entire city and he couldn't save him. And we were right there at the scene the moment it happened."

"Some people just can't be saved, son. Even when we try our best sometimes it's just not enough."

"I'm aware. How did Lucas handle it?"

"He seemed upset, but he also seemed to understand that the damage was too much to be repaired." Leaning casually up against the door frame Hank crossed his arms over his chest as he studied Connor's demeanor very carefully. "He was in a pretty good state of mind when he left, so I'm not too worried about him."

"That's good. I don't like feeling this way."

"And I don't like _seeing_ you that way. Come downstairs and get something to eat, I don't care what."

"But I'm not-"

All it took was the 'dad stare' to get Connor to stop trying to argue. "If you don't eat then I'm going to suggest a trip to the E.R. to make sure you're not hiding something from me."

"You'd take me to the hospital because I'm not hungry?"

"I'd take you to the hospital because I'm worried that you not eating is hiding something bigger, and I don't want your blood sugar to drop to a dangerous level and have you collapse."

"...Alright." Getting up from the bed, careful to not disturb Ruby from her nap in the process, Connor stood up beside the bed with every intention of humoring his adoptive father's request. As he stood upright his legs began shaking, and he stumbled forward a little as a wave of dizziness caught him off guard.

"Whoa!" Hank put a steadying hand on Connor's rigt shoulder to hold him still. "See what I mean?"

"...Yeah, I see it now."

"Come on." Insistent on lunch Hank all but pushed Connor out of the bedroom and down the staircase toward the kitchen. "I'm starving after moving all those boxes, so we're both getting something to eat. I think we ate all the pizza the other night, but that doesn't mean we can't order out again."

* * *

The following morning the two brothers prepared for their final patrol together while Hank watched them both every carefully from a distance. Connor still seemed distracted, like he was carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders, yet Lucas was behaving normally. As he had done the shift before Hank made a quick breakfast for both himself and Connor, and just as before the younger detective didn't eat much which made both Hank and Lucas a little wary of what was making Connor so upset.

"You should take the day off." Lucas suggested again as he noted Connor's chronic lack of appetite at the breakfast table. "I don't mind patrolling with someone else for my final shift."

The dreadful knot in Connor's stomach tightened to an almost unbearable degree as he refused to let Lucas go to the precinct without him. "No, I'll be fine."

Hank was a little disappointed that Connor didn't want to stay home, but he wasn't surprised in the least. Deviant or human Connor was a classic workaholic and loyal to a fault. "We should head out to the precinct." The adoptive father suggested casually as he picked up the two plates, one cleaned off the other still half full, and placed them in the sink to be cleaned later. He didn't make as much for Connor that morning and he didn't want to spoil the dogs with human breakfast every morning. "The sooner we get the day started the sooner is can end."

"...Right." Connor agreed as he stood up from the kitchen table and went to grab the car keys from the bookshelf. "I'll drive."

"No. I'll drive today." Hank insisted as he took the keys from Connor's hand and motioned toward the front door. "Come on, let's get going."

Obediently the brothers followed after Hank and made sure both Sumo and Ruby stayed inside the warm house, and out of the lingering winter cold. There was a palpable silence that lingered over the trio as they sat down in the Oldsmobile together and drove away from the house, and to the precinct about ten minutes away, courtesy of the thick traffic, to set about their assigned routines.

* * *

While the day itself started off normally it quickly turned into a day of tension and confusion. It seemed that Agent Richard Perkins had decided to be a major pain in the ass, and used his contacts in the F.B.I. to make progress at the precinct regarding his son's arrest come to a grinding halt. Internal Affairs had been summoned and were now investigating every officer currently assigned to the precinct for the reported bias and discrimination shown toward Benjamin Perkins, and that included Hank and Connor themselves.

Captain Fowler met the two detectives at their desks in the bullpen and addressed them discreetly. "Perkins is Hellbent on burning this place to the ground," he cautioned wisely as he informed them of the investigation. "don't say anything that'll give I.A. anything to work with. Stay annoyingly vague on questions and don't mention Perkins's kid under any circumstances."

Hank dragged his right hand down his bearded chin and sighed with righteous irritation. "Fuckin' hell..."

Remaining entirely calm Connor motioned for Lucas to go down the corridor out of sight for a moment. "It might best if you stay out of the bullpen until we can begin our patrol." He explained in a logical manner to his little brother. "I'm certain Joel wouldn't mind your company for a moment."

"I understand." Lucas cooperatively took his leave of the bullpen for the time being. "When we're clear to begin our patrol I'll join you outside."

Connor and Hank stayed at their desks and just waited for their turns to speak with Internal Affairs and defend themselves while simultaneously denying any and all ugly accusations that Perkins had undoubtedly made against them. Connor was a little wary about explaining to the officer how he is in fact a human, not pretending to be one as Perkins had accused him of doing, and he had the red colored injury on his face to prove it; not to mention he was able to use the injury to prove Perkins's threat along, with the surveillance footage from the parking garage backing up his statement.

"I think your bad feeling might be spot-on, kid." Hank muttered as he gave Connor an annoyed glance from over the top of his terminal screen after they were dismissed from Internal Affairs.

"...I wish I could confirm that this is the cause of my bad feeling, but I don't think this is it."

"Hey, it'll be fine, son. Just relax and don't say or do anything that'll give that Perkins asshole anymore fuel to throw on this dumpster fire of an investigation."

Nodding a little Connor glanced at Gavin as he was summoned into the interview room to talk to Internal Affairs and let out a breathy sigh. "I'll do my best."

* * *

It took two and half hours for Internal Affairs to finish speaking with Hank, and almost three to finish speaking with Connor. The two detectives confirmed that Perkins had threatened, assaulted and pulled a gun on Connor in the parking garage two nights before, and the surveillance footage proved that Perkins had instigated the confrontation. Once Internal Affairs was satisfied that Hank was acting in defense when he pulled his own gun on Perkins, and that Connor was in fact a human, (the lengthy explanation was difficult and felt invasive) the duo was finally dismissed to go about their routines outside of the precinct.

Feeling edgy Connor met Lucas outside the precinct at the neighboring parking garage and they walked over to the car together quietly. "I apologize for the delay, brother. Internal Affairs was being very thorough with their unfounded investigation."

"It's not your fault." Lucas was always very understanding and took his seat in the front passenger side of the car as his big brother sat down beside him behind the steering wheel. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, at least it will be. Did Hank tell you about the driver who killed the deviant two days ago?"

"Yes, I'm aware of his familial association with the F.B.I., and of your personal grievance with his father."

"Perkins is going to make it difficult for his son to be held legally accountable for his actions." Connor admitted with a somber tone as he turned over the car's engine and backed out the assigned space to head out to the street. It was beginning to snow and it was feeling ever colder despite spring just being a few weeks away. "If he gets his way then the murdered deviant won't get his justice."

"I know you won't let that happen. I have total faith in you."

"...Thanks." As the car pulled out onto the street Connor began his assigned patrol and tried to take his mind off the unusual events surrounding the precinct and the unjust murder of the deviant. "I just don't want to disappoint you."

"You're my brother, Connor. You can never disappoint me."

The bode of confidence was appreciated yet it wasn't enough to ease Connor's troubled mind or allow him to shrug off the persistent bad feeling that was gnawing at him relentlessly. The afternoon came and went and just as before Connor hadn't eaten anything, which was a terrible habit to develop.

Lucas didn't want to see his brother make himself ill from poor nutrition and working without a break, and just as before he asked for Connor to stop and get something; anything, to eat or drink to keep his strength up. "Even if it's just a bottle of water at least you'd be consuming something."

"...Alright, I can do that."

"And sit down somewhere to relax for a moment." Lucas tagged on sharply as he knew Connor would attempt to continue his patrol instead of actually taking the time to rest. "I suggest the park."

"The park?"

"I rather enjoy the park. I like seeing the bridge over the water, it's very peaceful."

"Very well." Willing to oblige with his little brother's request Connor was willing to make the trip out to the park. "We'll go to the park to sit for a moment."

* * *

The park itself was still covered in snow and it seldom had visitors during the colder time of the year which left it vacant and quiet for the two brothers to enjoy to the themselves. Connor was shaking a little, whether it was from the cold or his unintentional fasting, he couldn't be certain. Lucas remained quiet as he sat next to his big brother on the bench, and took in every detail of the bridge, the park and the river as if he was planning to create a painting right then and there right before Connor's very eyes.

"I know you're worried, Connor." Lucas finally broke the peaceful silence as he looked to his brother beside him. "But I'm certain everything negative you're worried about isn't anything too significant. I know that either you or Hank will succeed in bringing the suspect to justice."

"I wish I had your confidence on the situation." Finishing off the bottle of water Connor easily tossed it into the recycling bin a few feet from the bench, and tried to ignore the snow swirling all around him. "I can't help but feel like something horrible is about to happen."

"You're still having that bad feeling?"

"I am."

"What does it feel like?"

"Huh?"

"To have a bad feeling based solely on your instinct." Lucas elaborated casually as he watched his brother's exhausted face carefully. The emotions in Connor's eyes were all the more expressive since his return to humanity, and yet is ability to grasp them was still rather deviant considering he was emotionally stunted as a child. "What does it feel like to have your instincts telling you something that you cannot see, hear or explain, is an inevitable disaster?"

"I don't think 'disaster' is an accurate term, but I can tell you that it's very unnerving. It's like... It's like standing on a shoreline knowing that high tide is coming in, but you don't have anywhere to go or anyway to keep your head above water."

"Even if you were to be overcome with water you know how to swim, and you will survive."

"I hope so."

Noting that Connor's nose and ears were beginning to turn red from the cold Lucas decided it was time to return to the car. "Are you ready to go back on patrol?"

"Yeah. I want to get this day over with." Getting up from the bench slowly Connor felt the phone in his leather jacket buzz, causing him to pull it out to check the screen. It was a text message from Captain Fowler stating that Internal Affairs had a few follow-up questions. "I'll just be a minute, I need to answer a few questions over the phone."

"I don't mind waiting." Lucas replied as he walked on ahead toward the car and stopped to admire the surrounding trees that were sheathed in ice. It was as beautiful as it was cold. "I can take mental images for my next project while I wait."

As Connor texted a few answers to the annoying and superfluous questions that came from being investigated by Internal Affairs he heard the sound of screeching tires fill the air, and caught sight of a black luxury car speeding through the streets, hopping up onto the sidewalk and barreling directly toward Lucas who was standing just a few feet down the sidewalk.

"LUCAS!" Connor shouted as he ran toward his little brother only to see the vulnerable deviant being struck by the vehicle without any chance to move out of the way of the oncoming danger.

Within a matter of seconds Lucas's body hit the front of the car on his left side, rolling up over the hood, striking the windshield with his head and rolling up over the top of the vehicle's roof before rolling off from the top of the vehicle and to the side. The targeted deviant's body struck the concrete sidewalk and pavement of the street with a sickening 'thud' that became a duet with sharp 'cracking' sounds from internal damage, and his plastimetal frame fracturing.

Connor was was suddenly frozen in place with fear as he looked at his little brother's bloodied body laying motionless on his left side on the street, then he looked over to the car as it stopped long enough to look back and see the deviant he had struck. It was then Connor caught of glimpse of the driver's face in the driver's side mirror and his blood ran cold just seconds before boiling hot with rage.

Perkins.

The car sped off but Connor memorized the license plate number and texted it to Captain Fowler quickly. Rushing to Lucas's side Connor all but slid on his knees as he put his left hand on Lucas's right shoulder and the right hand beneath Lucas's bleeding head.

"Lucas?!" Connor's voice was beginning to shake and crack from emotional distress. Carefully he rolled Lucas from his left side and onto his back as he began to assess his injured brother's condition. "Lucas, please answer me!"

Dark blue Thirium stained the right side of Lucas's cranium and ran down his face. A patch of Lucas's artificial skin over his right eye and cheek had been scraped away by the impact of the street, revealing the fractures in the plastimetal frame beneath. The same horrible dark blue stained through Lucas's white shirt and jacket near the upper left, center of his chest where he took a majority of the impact from the vehicle. Lucas's right arm was badly broken from his shoulder down to his wrist and was seeping Thirium at an alarming rate through damaged plastimetal frames, and his torn artificial flesh. His right hip and leg were bleeding as well through the torn up denim material of his jeans in a sickening flow.

"Lucas?" Connor pressed his left hand to the center of Lucas's chest but didn't feel any beating from the wounded deviant's Thirium pump or his ventilation biocomponents allowing breath to pass, and the left side of his chest shifted beneath his hand like a fully broken rib. By all account Lucas was in full Thirial arrest and onto the verge of permanent, irreversible shutdown. "Lucas?!" Bending his right ear down to Lucas's bloody chest Connor listened intently but heard nothing. "No! Lucas?!"

Straightening his brother's neck Connor tilted Lucas's head back and lowered his jaw slightly. After delivering his little brother two rescue breaths Connor dialed Hank's cell number and put the phone on speaker, tore open the Kevlar vest covering Lucas's chest, and then placed one hand over top the other and laced his fingers together to create a single fist. He then placed his fist down in the center of Lucas's chest and squared his shoulders. Beginning the first round of chest compressions Connor heard Hank pick up the call and begin talking.

'_Connor, what's going_-'

"Hank! Lucas has been hit by a car! Perkins was the driver!" He shouted as he counted to ten and continued to compress until reaching fifteen. "Lucas is in cardiac- _Thirial_ arrest! I'm giving him C.P.R. but-"

'_Holy shit_,_ where are you_?'

"Outside the park!"

'_Did you call for an_-'

"No! I called you first! Please Hank, I need your help! He's dying!"

'_Stay on the line with me, son_.' Always calm Hank put in the call to 911 and was heading out to the scene him via squad car. '_What happened_?'

"Perkins drove up on the sidewalk and hit him!" Connor explained as tears began to flow down his face. With each compression that failed to reboot Lucas's system Connor felt more and more useless. "I saw Perkins driving and texted the license plate number to Captain Fowler..."

'_We'll find him_, _Connor_.' The sound of a car door slamming in the background indicated that Hank was now in a vehicle. '_Don't hang up on me Connor, do you hear me_? _Keep talking to me, tell me what's happening_. _What are you doing right now_?'

"I-I'm trying to revive him. I'm giving Lucas C.P.R., but he isn't responding." Connor was beginning to cry openly, his tears flowing freely down his face and onto Lucas's bloodied chest as he understandably wept for his injured little brother. "Hank... I don't know what to do!"

'_Yes you do_.' Hank encouraged over the line as he kept his own voice calm and level. '_Keep doing what you're_ doing._ It's the best thing for him_.'

"I'm trying..." Connor nearly whimpered as he continued the compressions without breaking rhythm. "I'm... scared. I'm scared, Hank."

'_It's going to be okay, son_. _I'm almost there_.'

"That'll be too late..." Connor felt Lucas's Thirium pump, his heart, suddenly flutter back to life under his palms and heard Lucas take in a weak, shuddering breath. "Lucas?!"

'_Connor_, _what's going on_?'

"H-He's breathing again, and I can feel his heart beating." Connor was still on the verge of full blown emotional breakdown, but was staying composed for his brother's sake. "If he falls back into Thirial arrest I don't think I can revive him again..."

'_Just stay with him_, _I'm_-'

"The facility where Abby works in three blocks away..." Connor realized as he glanced about and reality set back in. "I'm taking Lucas there myself!"

'_Connor_, _don't_-'

"I have to try!"

Hanging up the phone Connor slipped it back into his pocket then slipped his arms beneath Lucas's shoulders and knees. As he lifted his brother up from the blue blood soaked pavement and carried him toward the car Connor noticed all of the witnesses who didn't bother to either help Connor or even call for help at the scene as he fought to save a life.

It was sickening.

"I have you, Lucas." Connor promised his little brother as he carried him over to the car and pulled the passenger door open with one, blue blood soaked hand. It was a struggle but he was able to place Lucas down in the front passenger seat with a gentle motion, and slam the door shut again. "I won't let you die."

Rushing to the driver's side of the car Connor turned the key in the ignition and sped off from the park down the three blocks to the facility where he hoped that technical help would save Lucas from death.

"I'm so sorry, Lucas... This shouldn't have happened to you. It's my fault!"

Lucas was completely unconscious and covered in his own blue blood. He was entirely oblivious to the world around him, or the severity of his wounds.

"I'll get you help, I promise."

The car sped off to the facility and came to an abrupt halt in the front emergency drive with a jerking motion. Connor threw his arm over Lucas's battered chest to keep him from hitting the dashboard upon stopping so forcefully.

"We're here, Lucas. Hold on!"

Throwing the car in park Connor practically broke his door off the hinges as he opened it quickly and ran to the other side of the car. As he pulled Lucas out of the vehicle and carried him through the front doors of the facility and called out for assistance in a loud voice.

"Abby!?" Connor's voice sounded off with a booming authority through the facility as he carried Lucas's bloody, broken body in his arms. "I need help!"

The deviant receptionist immediately recognized the two brothers and cybernetically summoned assistance to the waiting room. Within seconds Barry, the assistant who had been interning under Abby for a few months, rushed out and escorted Connor to the back to the emergency repair bay.

"I will find Abby." Barry stated in an eerily calm voice as he motioned for Connor place Lucas down on the exam table. "Place Lucas down here."

With his arms shaking Connor laid Lucas down on the exam table and began tearing open Lucas's already damage shirt to first expose his chest, and then his badly broken right arm. As he removed the dark blue stained clothing from Lucas's upper body Connor returned his palm to his brother's chest to count his struggling heart as it rapidly, but weakly beat in his battered chest.

"Please, Lucas..." Connor pressed his left fingertips to the side of Lucas's neck out of instinct and was a little stunned to find that Lucas in fact had a pulse point in his neck like a human. Moving his hand over to Lucas's left wrist Connor found the same weak pulse beating under his fingertips. As he moved to check Lucas's right wrist he felt nothing and realized he lost full Thirium flow to his right arm. "Oh, shit..."

"Connor?!" Abby all but ran into the room and was immediately hovering over Lucas. Lifting up his eyelids one at a time she checked his pupils with a penlight and found them to be barely responsive. "What the hell happened?!"

"He was intentionally hit by a speeding car. He couldn't get out of the way in time."

"Shit. Alright, I'll get him taken care of."

"He doesn't have a pulse in his right arm, but he does in his left." Connor all but whispered as she watched Abby's gloved hands running down Lucas's exposed chest to check for internal damage. "He was in total Thirial arrest. The impact from the vehicle stunned his Thirium pump but I was able to get his pump beating again on its own after three rounds of compressions."

"Connor, I need you to go outside to the waiting room."

"What? No!" Connor refused to budge from where he stood as he kept his left hand on Lucas's chest, keeping his palm over his brother's beating heart. "I'm not leaving him alone."

"You're _not_ leaving him alone, Connor. You're letting him get treated."

"I can help!"

"You're a detective and paramedic with knowledge of android anatomy," Abby clarified in a somber tone as she nodded to Barry. "and you're the patient's brother. I _can't_ let you treat him." Attaching the wireless leads from a Thirial activity monitor to Lucas's bloodied chest Abby motioned to the doorway of the repair bay, and gave Connor a reluctant wave of the hand. "You're too close to the patient."

"I can help him!"

"I know you can, but right now you need to-"

"No! I won't leave him!"

"Connor, please."

Staying put Connor just stared at Lucas's expressionless face and kept his hand over his chest. A rapid fluttering under Connor's palm was accompanied by a sudden high-pitched screeching from the activity monitor.

"Insipid shock." Abby announced and Barry quickly proceeded to attach a Thirium line to Lucas's undamaged left arm to replace the Thirium he lost. The line was exposed in a matter of seconds with virtually no resistance on Lucas's part. "I'm going to need to a system diagnostic and a lot more replacement Thirium."

"Let me-"

Barry put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and tried to push him back toward the door. "He will be okay, Connor. Please allow Dr. Grayson to work."

"I have to help him!"

"You did. You brought him to Abby." Barry spoke sympathetically to the worried young detective. "Now let Abby save him."

Unable to move, and unwilling to let Lucas be alone Connor just stood frozen in place like a statue. His hand tensed for a moment as he felt Lucas's heart struggling to beat then slowly pulled his hand back. "...Hang on for me, Lucas. Please."

Backing toward the doorway Connor watched as Abby pressed her left fingertips to Lucas's right temple to retract his remaining artificial skin from over his chest and the rest of his right arm, and then opened up the plastimetal panels in his chest to check his internal biocomponents. Barry on the other hand had the responsibility of inserting an external air intake line down Lucas's throat to aid his ventilation biocomponents until he could breathe again on his own.

As he passed through the doorway Connor turned around, his pained soulful brown eyes fixed on the tile floor beneath his feet, and felt two firm hands clamp down on his shoulders.

"Connor!" Hank was staring at his obviously shaken and stunned son while trying to get his attention. "Connor, what happened to Lucas?"

"He..." Glancing up Connor's eyes suddenly filled with tears and he put his right hand over his eyes to hide the emotion welling up inside of himself. "the car."

"Easy, come on." Hank pulled Connor over to a nearby chair and sat him down. Keeping his right hand on Connor's left shoulder he wrapped his left fingers around Connor's left wrist to count his pulse. Unsurprisingly Connor's pulse rate was racing and his entire body was trembling. "Take a breath and just sit still for a moment. Everything will be okay."

Connor was pale, shaking and on the edge of a full blown emotional breakdown.

"Slowly. Tell me what happened." Turning his head a little Hank nodded at Chris, who had volunteered to drive Hank to the facility, and silently indicated for him to take the information regarding Perkins and the reported license plate number back to the precinct so he and Connor could be alone. "Take your time and tell me everything that happened."

* * *

It took only an hour for the collected evidence against Agent Richard Perkins to confirm his identity as that of the hit and run driver that ran down Lucas in front of the park. Security footage from the store across the street from the park confirmed that Perkins aimed at Lucas and it wasn't an accident, he intentionally drove up on the sidewalk to take Lucas down. An A.P.B. and an arrest warrant was issued for Perkins, but he had seemingly fled the city, and used his connections to disappear.

Connor was still shaking as he sat in the waiting room with Hank at his side. The two detectives, and family to the wounded, were too stunned to say anything or even really think. It was all too much to bear.

As the first hour came to an end Markus entered the facility and honed in on Connor almost instantly. "Connor?"

"...Lucas is still alive." The shaken young detective muttered in a nearly inaudible voice without looking up from the single spot on the floor at his feet. "He's alive."

"We know Lucas was the victim of a hit and run driver." Markus admitted as he sat down on the other side of Connor and kept his voice level. "We have every available deviant keeping a lookout for the car, and the driver."

"...They won't find him."

"We will. It'll just-"

"No." Connor got up from the chair and walked away to sit alone in the corner on the opposite side of the room. "...He'll get away."

Markus tried to follow after Connor but Hank caught him by the wrist and held him back. "Let him be for a moment. He needs to think."

Remaining where he sat the deviant leader gave his friend a sympathetic gaze before looking to Hank beside him. "I've never seen Connor so broken. So afraid. He's never afraid."

"How would you feel if someone you truly cared about was hit by a car right in front of you?"

"Why is Connor convinced that the precinct won't find the driver?"

"It's a long story, Markus." The senior detective was as worried as Connor, yet he was able to hide it much easier than the younger detective thanks to years of experience as a detective, and from being an emotionally grown person. "And it may not have a happy ending after all. I think Connor's bad feeling was right."

* * *

Diligent and professional Abby was hovering over Lucas's opened chest and examining the damaged Thirium pump, his heart, fighting to beat in the deviant's battered chest. Dark blue blood was pooling in the opened chest cavity and continuously leaking the precious Thirium at an alarming rate. Despite being a skilled technician Abby was struggling to keep Lucas stable enough to even begin to repair the extensive internal damage to his heart, so she could then focus on the severe damage that Lucas sustained to his cranium.

"Damn it..." Swearing with frustration Abby fought to clamp off one leaking Thirium line after another. "I don't understand why he's bleeding so severely. His model is entirely different from anything I've worked on before, even Connor's prototype model."

"What do you recommend?" Barry asked as he worked in tandem with Abby and expertly kept replenishing Lucas's lost Thirium as quickly as he was losing it.

"We need help here. If we at least had a full schematic of his design to work from I'd be able to make some progress. Right now I'm working blind and I have no idea where I should begin."

Barry closed his eyes for a moment and sent of a cybernetic distress call out to any and all deviants in the city for help in treating Lucas's wounds. After only a few seconds the always cheery deviant's blue eyes opened again and nodded at Abby. "Help is on the way, Dr. Grayson."

"What? How?"

"Friends." Barry confirmed as he continued to record Lucas's vital signs and replenish his lost blue blood. "They will be here soon, and they will be able to assist you in the patient's care."

* * *

Despondent, frightened and shaking Connor pressed his hands to his face, and leaned forward against his palms with his elbows on top of his knees. He was too distraught to speak or think about anything other than his little brother. Connor could still see and hear the horrific accident that rendered Lucas unconscious, and now near death. The sight of the blue blood all over Lucas's chest was sickening even in his mind. The sound of Lucas hitting the metal hood and the glass windshield was deafening. The lack of motion under Connor's hands as he felt for Lucas's heartbeat was numbing.

Just as it felt like Connor was about to let out a pained scream of overwhelming emotional frustration the front doors of the facility slid open and Hank's voice called out a familiar name. "Joel?" The confusion was audible in Hank's tone as he called out. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I got word that Lucas is injured and needs help." The dedicated technician explained casually as he made his way to the emergency treatment rooms of the facility to lend a hand. "I'm here to do just that!"

Without another word Joel disappeared into the emergency repair bay to assist Abby in saving Lucas's life.

Slowly Connor lifted up his face from his hands and stared at the wall over Hank's head.

Hank of course saw that Connor was on edge and knew he needed to give Connor a steadying presence to lean on. "It looks like Lucas is getting all the help he can, son." Falling into a paternal state of mind Hank made the comforting comment as he walked across the room to sit beside Connor again. "Markus went back to New Jericho to bring back Simon to help out, too. He should be here any second."

"...The fact that Lucas needs so much help isn't exactly encouraging."

"Hey, don't you dare give up on him."

"I'm not giving up on Lucas, I'm merely accepting the fact that-"

"No." Putting a firm right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank refused to let the younger detective fall into a dark despair of doubt. "Aren't you the one who said statistically speaking there is always a chance for success?"

Nodding once Connor returned his face to his hands took in a deep and shuddering breath. "...It's my fault."

"What?"

"It's my fault Lucas has been injured."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"...I knew something bad was going to happen. I didn't listen to my instincts. I should've-"

"There is no fuckin' way you could've_ possibly_ known that Lucas was going to get hit by a damn car!"

"I'm supposed to protect him! He's my little brother..."

"That doesn't make you responsible for what other assholes in the world do!"

"...I should've been looking out for him."

"You were, Connor. You immediately started helping him and kept control over the situation. You did everything right by him."

"Why didn't I listen to my gut and stay away from the precinct?"

"Because you were trying to do your job. You're loyal, it's in your nature."

"That's a shitty reason to let something bad happen to my own brother." As Connor leaned into his hands again he tried to stifle a sob and began to cough a little, which led to slight wheezing.

"Whoa, hold it." Hank pulled open Connor's leather jacket and found the inhaler in his gray suit jacket's pocket beneath the layer. Shaking it a few times he handed it over to Connor to use. "Come on, use this before you worry yourself into an asthma attack."

With a shaking left hand Connor accepted the inhaler and took in a much needed dose of the medication.

"Try to take it easy, son. Breathe slowly and deeply."

Dropping the inhaler onto his lap Connor resumed leaning his face into his palms. "I hate this..."

"I know you do." Leaning back in the chair Hank empathized with his son's pain. "I hate it, too."

* * *

Working alongside Joel, who graciously brought a full schematic of Lucas's system and processors from his temporary file at the precinct along with him, Abby was finally beginning to make progress on Lucas's severe condition. The Thirium pump was now beating on its own and in a normal rhythm thanks to Joel's ability to work on the damage, while Abby repaired the surrounding lines, and Barry replenished the blue blood. The two human technicians were working on repairing the damage to Lucas's intracranial processor together now that Lucas's heart had been stabilized.

"Okay... He's still online." Abby confirmed as she opened up the panels on the right side of Lucas's cranium to examine the internal damage. "Shit. This layout is completely different from any model I've worked on before, too."

"You're right." Joel agreed entirely as he brought up the schematics on Lucas's intracranial processor on a nearby display to use as a guide. "Even Connor's design was slightly different to accommodate beta hardware, so I know Lucas is going to be all the more complicated."

"Some of this hardware has been structurally compromised." Abby noted in a dour tone. "...I don't think I can repair it."

"I might be able to do it, but I think it'd be best if another android did the more delicate work."

"Who could do that?"

Barry spoke up and gave them both the answer they needed. "Markus has returned with Simon. Simon is a technician and helped train Lucas at New Jericho Tower."

"Perfect!"

The blond technician hurried into the repair bay and joined the already gathered group hovering over Lucas protectively. "Tell me what's going on." As Simon took a red scrub top from Barry's hand and slipped it on over his head he vowed to give it his all and save Lucas's life. "I'll do everything that I can."

* * *

Another painfully slow two hours had passed before Abby emerged from the doors leading to the waiting room. Her red tinted scrubs were covered in Lucas's dark blue blood all over her chest and abdomen from where his Thirium leaked out of his body as she hovered over him. She had removed her blood covered gloves before she left, but she didn't have time to change out of her scrubs. Approaching Connor, Hank and Markus very calmly Abby gave Hank a subtle nod before speaking, which made Hank visibly relax upon reading her body language.

"Lucas is alive." Abby confirmed in a low and exhausted voice. "He survived his injuries and the subsequent repairs."

Connor's head lifted up from his hands again and he looked at the technician with tearful, but bright eyes. "...How severe was the damage?"

"The impact from the car caused a massive leak in his Thirium pump." She explained in a level voice, the true mark of a professional. "As you know it stunned his Thirium pump causing Thirial arrest which was corrected through compressions. His right arm was severely broken but has been repaired with new internal joints and lines. The limb will be weak for a while but he'll regain his full strength in time. However, the worst of the damage was to his intracranial processor. If he hadn't been wearing the Kevlar vest when he was struck by the car he wouldn't have survived his injuries."

Connor's shoulders slumped with defeat and Hank's hand tightened his grip on that very same shoulder. "Abby, what's going on?"

"The damage was physically repaired and his self-healing program is functioning," she sounded a little perplexed as she spoke. "but it's not functioning as it should. Right now Lucas is in a very deep form of stasis mode, essentially the android equivalent to a coma."

"...Coma?" Connor parroted as his brow furrowed slightly.

"He's stable and resting in the recovery wing right now."

"...Can I see him?"

"Sure." Abby agreed and took a step back as Connor stood up on his shaking legs. He looked as broken down and exhausted as she felt, and yet she knew he was hurting at least ten times as much in that moment. "I'll show you to where he is."

* * *

For Connor it was like looking into a mirror showing him the bleak and dark past. Seeing Lucas attached to a Thirial activity monitor, a program analysis monitor and having an external ventilation tube snaked down his throat, and even seeing Lucas's right arm secured under a plastimetal support cast reminded Connor of how he had seen himself when he was in a coma just a few months prior. It was like fate playing a cruel joke on his mind and there was nothing he could do to change the punchline.

"How long will he be like this?" Connor asked as he lightly put his right hand down on his brother's left shoulder.

"We can't say for certain." Abby admitted as she stood at the end of Lucas's bed and watched Connor with a sympathetic gaze. "We've never encountered anything like this on someone of his model."

"You can't manually bring him out of stasis mode?"

"No. And even if we could we wouldn't risk it while his self-healing program is still active."

Hank joined Connor at the bed and stared at Lucas's peaceful face with a dour gleam. "Will he recover?"

"It's entirely possible, yes."

Connor felt his heart skip a beat. "...'Possible'? Not for certain?"

"Not yet." Abby tried to sound confident as she answered Connor honestly. "But there's always hope."

Always one to maintain control Hank tried to join in on Abby's optimism. "Good. That's good to hear."

Simon cleared his throat nervously as he spoke up from where he stood against the far wall. "We think it'd be best to take him back to New Jericho Tower to heal. We can keep constant vigil over him from the tower, and ensure that if there's even the slightest change in his condition we can contact you immediately."

Connor turned his head toward Simon and slowly nodded. "Do what you have to do to save him."

Hank was a little surprised at Connor's reaction and addressed him accordingly. "Are you sure about that, son?"

"Someone needs to protect Lucas." The younger detective replied in a somber tone of voice. "...And I need to find Perkins before it's too late."

Taking his leave of the recovery room Connor marched out of the facility and well out of sight. Hank wanted to chase after Connor but he knew he needed to stay back to give the younger man some space for the moment, and to stay with his other son. Unsure of what Connor was going to do all Hank himself could do was stay back and get some answers.

"Joel," Hank looked at the precinct technician for some guidance as he put his right hand on Lucas's left forearm, and held his palm in place to ensure that the comatose deviant knew his family was with him. "before you left the precinct did you hear anything about the driver?"

"...I did." The admission came with a heavy heart and made Joel's pale blue eyes dull. "And it's not good news."

* * *

With a heavy heart and a darkened mind Connor drove back to the precinct one his mission, and all but threw open the front doors of the precinct before they had the chance to slide open automatically. The deviant receptionists saw the anger and pain in Connor's eyes but said nothing as the officer passed them by. They understood entirely while Connor was so enraged, and merely went about their business as to not accidentally disturb him.

Making his way through the bullpen Connor walked into Captain Fowler's office without knocking or waiting for an invitation. "Where is he?"

"Connor, sit." Captain Fowler was sympathetic toward Connor but he wasn't about to let one of his detectives go on a brash streak of vigilantism. His military training and discipline helped him to keep even his most impulsive officers in line. "We're looking for Perkins as we speak, but you're going to have to sit this case out. You're too close to the victim."

"I'm not going to sit back and do nothing!" The young and passionate detective refuted as he stood before his commanding officer. "My brother was attacked and almost killed! He's in a coma right now and he may not wake up!"

"I'm not telling you to do nothing," replying with a collected tone of voice Captain Fowler tried to reason with the fiery young man standing before him. "I'm telling you to let another detective handle this."

"Why? So Internal Affairs stops snooping around?"

"What're you talking about?"

"No cops in this city gives a shit about deviants except for me and Hank! If you let us investigate this case and PROVE that Perkins is guilty then I.A. is going to twist things around and say that we had a biased agenda and he'll get away with attempted murder! You don't care about justice for my brother, you care about keeping the higher-ups pleased!"

"That's EXACTLY why you can't work on this case! If you touch it-"

"Then Perkins will get away with attempted murder!" Connor interrupted angrily. "And if I don't handle this case it'll get ignored and Perkins will STILL get away with attempted murder!"

"Connor. ENOUGH." Standing up from his desk Captain Fowler leveled off his voice and issued an order. "You're on leave for a week. Turn in your service weapon and don't come back here for seven days."

Brandishing an enraged stare Connor reached under his leather and gray suit jackets to remove his gun from its holster, and unceremoniously slammed it down onto Captain Fowler's desk to relinquish as ordered. Backing away from the desk Connor let his disgust on the entire situation be known to his commanding officer in a bitter tone. "If my brother dies and Perkins goes free then his blood is on your hands, too."

"Connor, stop."

The understandably pissed off young detective took his leave of the office and stormed out of the bullpen without acknowledging anyone else, or stopping even as Captain Fowler opened his office door and shouted after him again.

"Connor!" Realizing the severity of the situation Captain Fowler returned to his office and grabbed his phone to call Hank to give him a head's up. As he made the call he placed Connor's gun in the top right drawer of his desk and locked it up. "Hank, I just pulled Connor from the case." Without waiting for Hank to even ask a questions Captain Fowler warned him of Connor's current mindset. "I'm going to keep you in the loop but not Connor right now. He's pissed off, and I think he's actually out for blood."

* * *

It didn't take long for Hank to react to the unexpected phone call and respond to the warning quickly. Getting a ride from Joel back to the house after helping Lucas get situated New Jericho Tower to recover in a more peaceful secure environment, the senior detective was greeted by the sight of the car sitting in the driveway leading to the garage, and Connor sitting behind the wheel still seething with rage. Thanking Joel for his help Hank jumped out of the technician's car and made his way to the Oldsmobile where Connor was sitting alone.

"Connor?" Hank pulled open the passenger side door and was greeted by the sight of Lucas's dried partially evaporated blue blood all over the seat. Forcing himself to sit down Hank reached over the steering column and pulled the keys from the ignition to ensure his son didn't try to take off. "Connor, talk to me."

The emotionally distressed younger man stayed quiet where he sat.

The car itself sat in the driveway next to the house with its engine turned off and the ignition key now in Hank's hand as the two detectives remained sitting inside the quiet vehicle without saying a single word to each other. The sound of rain mixed with snow pounding down against the windshield and over the hood and roof of the car created a natural ambience that was as soothing as it was depressing.

"Fowler called me." Hank stated somberly as he stared at Connor's face. "He told me we're off the case and that he took your gun."

Glaring a little Connor replied in a salty manner. "What better way to cover his ass than to take away a pissed off detective's gun?"

"Connor, what would you do with your gun right now?"

"...Whatever I felt like doing as soon as I saw a worthy target."

"Listen to me, son. Any coldhearted fool with a gun can pull the trigger, but it takes someone actually worthy of a heart to put the gun down."

Remaining stubbornly silent Connor looked at the horribly cold snow and rain smothering the car with utter disgust through the windshield.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Hank asked patiently as he watched Connor staring blankly through the front windshield. His eyes were still burning with anger and were behind a wall of unshed tears. "You should try to get some sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Well, I am. And I don't want you sitting out here in the cold all night long." Hank opened his door and waited for Connor to do the same. Slowly but surely Connor raised his hand to the door handle and pulled on it, his door creaking open heavily under his touch. "Sumo and Ruby need to be fed and let outside for a few minutes." Hank stated with a casual demeanor as if he could somehow make things seem normal for the night. "And I need a shower, my head's starting to kill me."

Usually Connor would make a comment on Hank's health whenever the senior detective made the odd physical complaint about any form of discomfort, but the shaken younger man didn't say anything. Quietly he followed Hank inside the house through the back sliding doors and into the kitchen as Sumo and Ruby practically barrelled over the two detectives to get outside.

"Need anything?" Again Hank tried to get Connor to say something, but the upset younger man was seemingly at a perpetual loss for words. "You must be hungry by now. Get something to eat and try to take it easy."

Ignoring Hank, Sumo and Ruby as the dogs passed through the opened backdoor Connor just trudged through the kitchen and into the livingroom where he laid down on his right side across the length of the new couch. Closing his eyes Connor attempted to drown out the depressing world around him. As the asthmatic younger man's deep breathing rhythm fell into a steady pace Hank decided to let Connor be alone for a while.

"That's good. Get some sleep, son. The world won't be any better when you wake up, but at least you'll have the energy to deal with it."

Sumo and Ruby trotted back through the back sliding doors, and the massive dog and puppy shook off their wet fur all over the linoleum kitchen floor before heading into the livingroom to check on Connor.

"Let him be." Hank whispered as he walked into the livingroom quietly. It was a pointless endeavor as he knew Sumo and Ruby couldn't understand him, but he felt like he needed to say something. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Hanging his wet coat up on the hook by the front door Hank kicked off his shoes then he placed his phone down on the bookshelf against the wall. Tired and needing a moment to himself the senior detective retreated into the bathroom to shower off the day's horrible events.

Sumo's cold wet nose nuzzled against the side of Connor's neck for a moment, and Ruby licked the side of his left arm but the young man didn't rouse from his sleep. Letting out a sleepy yawn of his own Sumo circled around the small space between the couch and the coffee table before he plopped down for a nap right alongside his master laying over the soft couch. Ruby followed suit and laid down at Sumo's warm side to cuddle in for a nap.

Connor had been asleep for only twenty minutes when Hank's phone began to buzz on the bookshelf. Brown irises slowly reappeared as Connor lifted his head up from the couch cushion and glanced about the livingroom. Recognizing his environment he instantly remembered what had happened and realized it wasn't a terrible dream, it really had happened.

The phone buzzed again and Connor pushed himself upright on the couch with his right arm. Looking about Connor found himself alone but heard the shower running in the bathroom a few feet away, telling him where Hank was at that moment.

Curiously Connor rose from the couch and traced the sound to the phone on the bookshelf. Picking up the phone Connor saw two new text messages from Captain Fowler displayed on the screen, and his hand tightened around the phone: _Perkins had been located at the old hotel downtown, but he had fled before he could be arrested._

The second message was less pessimistic, but just as frustrating: _Perkins has been seen downtown, patrol is looking for him._

Connor reached for the gun that was normally holstered around his back, but it wasn't there. Captain Fowler had taken it away from him.

Putting the phone down Connor squared his jaw and looked to the small cabinet space beneath the bookshelf against the wall in the livingroom at his right side. Taking a deep breath Connor knelt down on the floor and opened the cabinet as quietly as possible. Knowing exactly what he needed Connor reached his hands inside the space and reached up to the top of the cabinet that concealed the metal box he took from the old house.

With a casual motion Connor retrieved the small rectangular black gun case sitting inside the cabinet out of sight, and what was supposed to be, out of mind. Angered and seeking revenge Connor carried the case into the kitchen to set down on the center of the kitchen table. Opening the case slowly Connor looked down at the nearly forgotten item with an intense stare. Steeling himself mentally Connor picked up the shiny revolver that Hank been playing 'Russian Roulette' with when the two had first begun working together as partners, and checked the weapon over carefully.

After Connor and Hank strengthened their friendship Hank had hidden the gun the night before he invited the former android to live with him. Hank locked away the revolver in the case and hid it in the house where he wouldn't be tempted to use it on himself anymore. With the one bullet still lodged in the chamber Connor held the cold weapon in his hands with a malicious intent. As his right hand tightened around the grip the pained young detective, the pained brother, made his next decision.

"...One bullet is all I need."

* * *

Markus and North sat together inside the tower as they awaited any update on Lucas's health, and for any update on tracking down Agent Perkins. Every deviant in the city had been informed of the crime and were now keeping vigil for the vicious human to ensure one of their own would get the justice he deserved. Every so often a deviant would wave down a patrolling police car and inform them of any potential sighting, but there still was no definitive lead that could result in an arrest.

North was losing hope and leaned heavily against Markus's shoulder as the two stared out the large window of the main office that the deviant leader used to conduct business with other deviants. The office was well furnished and homey, but it wasn't as comforting as a bedroom or actual home. "Do you think we'll be able to find Perkins, or is this all a wild goose chase?"

"I don't know." Markus shook his head a little at the question. "Everyone is working together, but we don't know how deep Perkins's connections could run."

Josh knocked on the partially opened door of the office and leaned in the doorway. "...Simon has everything ready. We just need Connor and Hank's consent for further treatment."

"Thanks. We'll contact them tomorrow morning, we shouldn't disturb them anymore tonight."

"Right. By the way, there's been another sighing of Perkins and the precinct is making their way over to the scene now."

"Good. Maybe this will end sooner than we all think."

North tightened her hand around Markus's right arm and let out a weary sigh. "Do you think Lucas will wake up?"

"I wish I knew. Connor is really upset, and I don't think Hank would be able to take it if Lucas shutdown."

"How did this happen? All Lucas was trying to do was making it easier for deviants to get justice and trust the police, and now..."

"Don't lose hope, North. In either Lucas or Connor." Pulling her up against his chest for a full hug Markus remained the fearless deviant leader he had become famous for, and kissed her hair softly. "They'll all be okay in time."

* * *

Feeling a little better Hank stepped out of the bathroom and ran his right hand through his damp gray locks as he walked into the livingroom to check on Connor. The exhausted young man wasn't laying on the couch where he had seen him last, and Hank didn't hear him walking around anywhere. Walking up the staircase Hank pushed open Connor's bedroom door and peered inside the empty room curiously as he tried to locate his emotionally distraught and righteously angry son.

"Connor?"

Nothing.

"Where'd you go, kid?"

Wandering back down the staircase Hank felt a cool breeze billow through the house from the partially opened back sliding door in the kitchen. As he stepped into the kitchen he noted Sumo and Ruby sitting at the still opened sliding door whimpering at the cold, dark snowy rain pouring down all around the house.

"Sumo? What the-" It was then something on the kitchen table caught the senior detective's eye. Hank glanced at the opened gun case on the table and his heart leapt in his throat. Rushing over to the table he picked up the case and saw that the gun was missing. "Connor... No."

Dropping the case back on the table Hank ran to the to the still opened backdoor and stepped out into the rain in a near panic. Looking around in hopes that he could still see Connor, that he could still stop him from doing something desperate and crazy, Hank called out for his son as loud as he could through the cold storm. "CONNOR?!"

There was no sign of the rogue detective, and Hank's voice was lost in the pounding rain.

"SHIT!"

Running back inside the house and slamming the sliding doors shut behind himself Hank grabbed his phone from the bookshelf to call Captain Fowler to let him know that Connor had disappeared, and it was then he saw the same text messages that Connor had found moments before. It didn't take Hank long to put the pieces of the grim puzzle together as he replaced his phone on the bookshelf slowly.

"Connor, please don't do it." Glancing at the sliding door in the kitchen Hank looked at the rain through the glass and sighed. "You're better than that..."

* * *

Brimming with his anger and urge to avenge his brother Connor concealed the revolver beneath his gray jacket and under his leather jacket, as he marched down the snowy, rain drenched sidewalk in search of Agent Perkins. Using his phone and invaluable knowledge of electronics Connor had tapped into the precinct's radio broadcast as a means of tracking down Perkins before the police had the chance to arrest him, and to monitor the exact location of every police officer in the city to avoid detection.

Perkins's car, which had been heavily damaged in the front hood and windshield from striking Lucas, had been abandoned in an alleyway a few blocks South of the hotel. It was confirmed as Perkins's vehicle and a sample of the blue blood, unique only to the single 'RK-900' android in the entire world, was damning enough proof that Perkins was indeed the guilty party.

Speaking with every passing deviant he encountered, only a moderate fraction of whom even saw a human matching Perkins's likeness, Connor was able to triangulate the most logical place in the immediate area where he could possibly find the corrupt agent. Trailing the agent to an old warehouse under renovation near a seedy hotel where he had been reportedly hiding out Connor noticed a fresh set of footprints in the snow, and snowy hand prints on the side door used by construction personnel. The hand prints were getting washed away by the rain, yet the skilled detective was able to confirm the person who entered the warehouse did so very recently.

The hand prints were less than ten minutes old.

Pulling the sleeves of up jacket up and over his hands to conceal his fingerprints Connor pushed open the door and set foot inside the dimly lit warehouse. His phone screen created a cerulean glow that illuminated the interior walls, and large pieces of machinery secured the the floor. There were also tall wooden crates containing construction supplies alongside metal cargo containers sheltering larger machinery from the weather.

In the distance Connor heard the sound of heavy footprints running in the opposite direction of where he had just entered. Marching toward the sound with fearlessness and with unparalleled focus Connor traced the sound to a lone person hiding in the shadows deep inside of the warehouse.

"Perkins!" Connor shouted the name as his adrenaline fueled vision allowed him to see perfectly well in the dim setting. The person in question was cowering in the corner with his gun already drawn and shaking in his right hand. "You wanted me dead and you failed. Here's your chance to try again."

Perkins scrambled out of the corner and kept his gun aimed at Connor's head.

"You already tried to kill me once before at Jericho and you failed. You pulled your gun on me at the parking garage but didn't pull the trigger." Connor approached Perkins without even the slightest hesitation in his steps or eyes. Grabbing onto the barrel of Perkins's gun Connor pressed it against his chest next to his left shoulder to challenge the heartless agent. "And I bet you don't have the balls to try again."

Too afraid to respond Perkins just stared with wide eyes and trembled visibly at Connor's presence. "...You. ...I killed you! I hit you with my car!"

Connor's right hand shook a little as Perkins's words settled in an uncomfortable manner. "...It was supposed to be me?" The confusion was quickly replaced by unbridled rage at the admission. "You fucking moron! You hit my_ brother_!"

"...You... have a brother?"

"You're a fucking piece of worthless shit!" Connor's hand raised up again as he pointed Perkins's revolver barrel firmly against his own upper chest. "You couldn't find Jericho, a fucking cargo ship in the middle of the damn city, it's not a surprise you can't even hit the right target!"

"...I didn't mean-" Perkins's hand began to tremble with righteous fear upon realizing his mistake. "I swear I didn't know! I saw the blue blood and-"

"I knew it." Using his right hand Connor forced Perkins to squeeze the trigger causing a bullet to fire from the gun and pass clean through Connor's upper chest, and embed itself in the far wall behind him. Crimson red blood began weep from the damage to his shoulder but Connor never flinched as the searing pain surged through his body. "...Fucking coward."

Connor glared venomously at the agent as he moved the gun slightly lower against his own abdomen and repeated the motion. The second bullet passed through Connor's body without hitting anything vital, and pierced his body just as easily as the first and became embedded in the wall beside the first bullet. The young detective's anatomical and biological knowledge of the human body courtesy of his training as a paramedic allowed him to injure his own person without the damage proving itself fatal.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Perkins tried to pull his hand away but Connor wouldn't let him back off. "Let go!"

"I'm making it look good." Connor taunted with a righteously dark tone as he taunted the irredeemable human. "If I make it look like self defense then I can kill you without question. That's how it works, right? That's how you manipulate the law into your favor, loopholes and excuses..."

Perkins's legs suddenly gave way and the agent collapsed in abject horror onto the floor of the warehouse. Losing his grip on the gun Perkins pushed himself away from Connor with his hands and heels as he continued to cower in the shadows away from the vengefully enraged detective.

Connor turned his right hand into a fist and punched a large hole into the side of the nearest wooden crate to create the illusion of a struggle. He did the same with a strong kick to a metal cargo container opposite side of the wooden crate leaving behind a massive dent, and let out a pained grunt. "...I need to make it look like a struggle. If it looks like I had to fight back and shoot you then no one will question why I put a damn bullet in your icy heart."

"It was a mistake, alright?!" Perkins whimpered as if that could somehow remedy the entire situation. "I wasn't trying to kill that other android!"

"You failed to kill me," Connor turned his head and stared with righteous hatred at the pathetic agent on the floor. Without looking away from Perkins whimpering on the floor Connor punched another container and created a gaping hole in the wooden surface. "but you may have succeeded in killing my brother. One life is not equal to that of another, if he dies then YOU die."

"Look, I didn't know you had a brother. It wasn't anything-"

"PERSONAL?" Connor interjected loudly as he stopped destroying the nearby containers and planted himself firmly in front of Perkins cowering and begging for his life on the floor. "I'm sick of hearing that type of excuse from criminals! What does it matter how you knew the victim? You tried to MURDER my _brother_ in cold blood." Connor quickly revealed the revolver he had tucked under his two jackets and glared with vulgar hatred in his eyes. As he pointed the barrel at Perkins's head he pulled back the hammer and locked eyes with the pathetic human. "I'm going to do the same. I am going to murder you in blood that is just cold, but this time it'll be red instead of blue."

"No... p-please! I have a wife! I have a son!"

"I have a brother. What difference does it make? We _both_ have families. Why is your family worth more than mine, or anyone else's family?"

"I... please... I-I'm sorry!" Perkins raised his hands as if to surrender and turned his head away as he began to cry with fear. "Don't do this..."

Connor's hand was steady and his eyes were cold as he aimed the barrel at Perkins's head. "It took a car to nearly kill Lucas, I know I can kill you with just one bullet. The question is; how long will it take for you to die?"

Perkins pressed as hard as he could against the wall behind him as he began to whimper louder in abject fear.

"It took four minutes for me to get Lucas's heart beating again and to get him to the facility, in that time he could've bled to death. From what I've learned through studying paramedicine a bullet to the stomach is the most painful way to die. It can take a person almost forty minutes to bleed out from such a wound." Connor lowered the gun toward Perkins's abdomen and kept his aim steady. "I have nowhere to be tonight, I could watch you bleed to death at my feet and not feel a damn thing."

"NO! P-Please! Don't do it!"

As Connor kept his the gun aimed he watched the human squirming about like the worthless coward he truly was. Staring at the pathetic human Connor before him he remembered what Hank had told him at the house. "...'Any coldhearted fool with a gun can pull the trigger'."

Lifting the gun a little higher Connor subtly changed his target and squeezed the trigger. He watched as Perkins jumped and let out a yelp of surprise as the bullet lodged itself in the wall one inch beside his head. Opening his hollow eyes Perkins looked up at Connor, then to the smoldering bullet hole in the wall to the left of his body, then back to Connor as he proceeded to urinate on himself.

"You're not worth it." Connor stated as he replaced the smoking revolver under his jacket and out of sight. "...It would've been a waste of a perfectly good bullet."

Connor's hated filled eyes dulled, and he texted an anonymous tip to the precinct emergency hotline that informed the police of Perkins's current location as he stood guard over the cornered agent. It didn't take long for patrol cars to converge on the scene and it took Connor even less time to back out of the warehouse toward the door from whence he entered as the door itself opened with two police officers rushing inside with their guns drawn.

Staying in the shadows Connor was able to elude the officers and slip outside of the warehouse without being detected. If he had stayed at the scene there was a chance that the case would've been thrown out due to bias, or an arguable conflict of interest. Exiting the warehouse discreetly Connor pulled his gray and leather jackets tightly around himself to conceal the two bullet wounds on his person as he walked through the cleansing rain and into the darkness of the cold city around him.

"I'm sorry, Lucas." Feeling the chilly rain washing into his raw bullet wounds Connor closed his eyes as he felt tremendous guilt for his desires for revenge, and knew that wasn't something that Lucas would've ever condoned. "Forgive me."

* * *

Worried but unsure of what he could possibly do Hank sat on the couch with his phone clutched in his right hand, and had Sumo's chin resting on his knee with Ruby was cuddled up at his left side. There had been a third text message from Captain Fowler confirming the arrest of Perkins which gave Hank some relief, but he still had no clue where Connor was or could be. Hovering his right thumb over the green 'dial' button that was already highlighted over Markus's name Hank contemplated calling the deviant leader, but had no idea what he could possibly say about the situation.

It was almost two in the morning and the rain hadn't let up. Scared sick and needing some answers Hank slipped the phone into his pocket stood up from the couch much to Sumo and Ruby's disappointment. Approaching the front door Hank made a move to snatch his coat from the hook by the door to begin his personal search for Connor throughout the city.

"Fuck it, I need to-"

The backdoor slid opened slowly and Connor walked inside the kitchen with a heavy gait. Rain was dripping off of him heavily creating a large puddle beneath his feet where he stood as he closed the door behind him. The rain washed some of the blood from his clothing and in turn the rain puddles under his feet took on a rosy hue.

"Thank god..." Hank huffed as he marched into the kitchen and grabbed onto both of Connor's shoulders with a firm grip. "Where the fuck were you!? You scared the shit of me!"

"...I'm sorry, Hank." Connor's eyes were full of tears and his voice was trembling. He was pale, shaking and very frightened. "...I didn't mean to worry you."

"Where did you go?" Hank softened his voice and his anger dissipated into relief as he saw the pain in the younger man's eyes. "What happened, son?"

Connor reached back for the revolver under his jacket with his right hand and relinquished the recently fired weapon to Hank. "...I found Perkins."

"Connor?" Hank's eyes went wide with fear at the sight of the gun. He could smell the acrid stench of hot gunpowder still emanating from the barrel of the weapon, and knew it had been fired. He took the revolver by the handle and held it tightly at his side. "What did you do?"

"I found Perkins. But... I couldn't do it. I wanted to do it, but I couldn't kill him."

"...I know." Hank dropped the gun on the kitchen table beside him as he wrapped his arms around Connor in a tight hug. As he embraced Connor he felt the chilly rain water that had soaked into Connor's jacket soak into his own gray t-shirt but he didn't care, all that mattered was his son was home and safe. "It's okay son, you did the right thing."

"You're not disappointed in me?" Connor wanted to cry but he refused to let himself do it. He felt like had already cried enough that day.

"For sparing a man's life? Never."

"I'm so sorry Hank. I shouldn't have-"

"Shh..." Hank shushed him firmly as he finally let go of the hug. "Don't worry about it. What's important is that you're here and you're safe. Okay?"

As Hank looked the rain drenched younger man over he saw two darker stains on the front of his shirt and recognized them as blood. Peeling back the left lapel of Connor's leather jacket and then the gray jacket beneath Hank eyed the two wounds warily before darting his eyes up to lock onto Connor.

"What the hell?! You're hurt!" Hank's blue eyes went wide with fear as he recognized the injuries as bullet wounds. "Connor, who shot you?"

"I... It's complicated."

Hank could tell from Connor's tone of voice that he didn't actually want to know the details. Reacting as any parent would at seeing their child injured Hank helped Connor to slip off the cold, rain soaked jacket and then guided his son down the hallway into the bathroom to receive medical attention.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Knowing that the injuries were bullet wounds Hank's curiosity was burning, but he wasn't going to pry just yet. "Do you need to go see a doctor?"

"...No. The wounds aren't life threatening." Connor confirmed as Hank pushed him into the ground floor bathroom and turned on the overhead light. As he let Hank guide him over to the edge of the bathtub to sit down Connor reached his right hand up and began to loosen the knot in the black tie still around his neck. "...No internal organs or bones were damaged by the bullets."

"Stay here, I'll get the first aid kit."

While Hank left the bathroom to get the kit Connor pressed his right fingertips to the raw bullet wound in his left shoulder, and flinched at the pain he had forced himself to not feel while at the warehouse. He suppressed a groan of discomfort as Hank returned to the bathroom.

"We're almost out of rubbing alcohol." Hank stated as he sat the kit down on the floor beside Connor's feet and flipped the lid open. "Take off your shirt, I'll get you patched up."

Connor was silently sitting in shame for his reckless behavior from only a few hours before as he slipped off his two jackets, then his completely ruined white dress shirt as Hank requested. Dropping the blood stained garments into the bathtub behind himself Connor sat upright and kept still as Hank poured a generous amount of the alcohol over his shoulder and wiped away the excess blood.

"Clean shot." Hank commented as he sterilized the shoulder injury and placed a pad of sterilized gauze over the wound on the front back of Connor's afflicted shoulder. "Through and through."

Connor nodded a little to confirm the senior detective's observations.

"Hold your hand over the gauze so I can wrap up your shoulder."

Again Connor obeyed and put his right hand to his left shoulder and held the white bandages in place.

It didn't take long for Hank to wrap up the shoulder, the bandages also stretching over Connor's upper chest and partially down his left bicep to ensure the bandages and gauze didn't slip away. It had become so routine for Hank to patch up his fellow officers that he knew the exact manner to wrap gauze to be the most effective.

"...Hank?" The young detective finally spoke up in a timid and remorseful voice.

"Yeah?"

"...Did I frighten you when I disappeared from the house?"

"I was scared, yeah." Hank admitted as he finished tending to Connor's shoulder and set his attention on the second injury still mildly bleeding in Connor's lower left abdomen. "I didn't want to lose you, too."

"When I said I didn't- I _couldn't_ bring myself to kill Perkins, you said you already knew. How did you know I didn't kill him?"

"Because I know _you_, Connor."

"...I don't understand what that means."

"It means I know you wouldn't kill someone in cold blood. You're better than that, son. Sure," Hank tilted his head a little as he cleaned up the wound in Connor's abdomen, doing his best to not pull his hands back every time Connor flinched in pain. "you burn hot when you get mad, but it's not in your nature to just gun someone down in the street. I saw you spare androids before you even accepted your own deviancy, so I know you'd never take a life unless it was in true self defense."

Connor bit at his lower lip and fell silent with burning shame. He was so damn close to squeezing the trigger, so close to taking down Perkins out of pure hatred and the desire to avenge his little brother's attempted murder. But something deep inside of himself reminded him of Hank's words of advice, and he chose to let go of his hatred before it was too late.

Repeating the process Hank was able to clean the second bullet wound in Connor's abdomen and wrap up the injury fairly easily. As he wrapped the gauze around Connor's abdomen to keep the wound bandaged and clean Hank noted the lingering gunpowder residue that he had to wipe away from Connor's bruising skin, as well as the stippling that was indicative of a gunshot wound at very close range.

Hank grabbed a nearby towel and tried to hand it to Connor, but the younger man didn't readily accept it. "Dry yourself off." Dropping the towel down on Connor's lap Hank stepped out of the bathroom again. "I'll get you some dry clothes to change into."

Connor didn't budge. Red hot tears began to roll down his face as the overwhelming desire to cry began to break him and the already thin emotional resolve he still had left. But he didn't understand why he felt like he needed to cry again. He'd already shed his tears for Lucas, already cried out in rage, he even cried in self hatred at his failures as an older brother as he walked home in the rain.

Why did he need to cry again?

With an oversized black t-shirt and gray sweatpants in his left hand Hank knelt down in front of Connor, who was as still as a statue in the bathroom, and continued to tend to his injuries. As soon as he saw the tears in Connor's soulful brown eyes Hank wrapped his right arm around his adopted son's shoulders again to give him a consoling hug. "It's okay son. Cry!"

"...I don't understand what I'm crying about." Connor admitted as he let out a deep shuddering breath. "I don't understand this_ feeling_."

"It's called 'loss'." Hank pulled his arm away from Connor's shoulder as he took the towel from Connor's lap and used it to dry off the younger detective's damp hair lightly. "It's an intense feeling of sadness and anger and... I don't know, every bad thing you could possible feel all at once. It sucks, but it's necessary to feel it so you can get it out of your system."

"When does it stop?"

Hank bit his tongue to keep himself from saying 'It doesn't.', as he immediately thought of the night he lost Cole and of the insufferable pain he had been forced to endure. Alone. "It'll stop after you let it out."

"Let it... out? Let what out?" Connor asked as he slipped off his rain soaked boots and set them aside beside the bathtub. The motion pulled on his bandaged abdomen but it didn't cause any further bleeding, only discomfort. "How do I do it?"

"Well, you keep crying until you don't feel the need to do it anymore."

"I've cried already, and I don't feel any better."

"Well, uh..." Hank took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to find the gentlest and simplest way to explain the complexities of human emotions to the still learning, emotionally stunted younger man as he endured the harshest emotional turmoil he's yet to experience. "There's a difference between crying and crying. There's the kind of crying that comes from an emotional, but logical part of your brain; and then there's crying that comes from your heart. It's difficult to explain, but all I can say is once you feel it, and I mean _really_ feel it, you'll know the difference."

"But I don't want to cry anymore." Connor admitted as he took the gray sweatpants from Hank's hand and swapped them out for his rain soaked jeans. "Isn't there another way to cope beyond crying and emotional distress?"

"There is, but I don't recommend it."

"...Are you referring to alcohol?"

"Yup. It numbs the pain for a while, but once it wears off the pain comes back tenfold. Don't try it, I don't want you to suffer like that."

Connor used the back of his right hand to wipe away his tears as he stood up slowly on the bathroom floor. "...Thank you for taking care of me."

"Of course, you don't have to thank me for that."

"Yes. I do." Connor's eyes began to fill with tears again as he looked at Hank with deeply seeded pain reflected in his soulful brown irises. "You care about Lucas too. All this time you've been taking care of me while I've been hurting, but who's been taking care of you?"

Hank put a kind left hand to Connor's good right shoulder and it held it there for a few seconds. "Connor, I-"

Before Hank had the chance to make some comment about being alright or needing to be in private to mourn Connor wrapped his arms swiftly around Hank and held him in a tight embrace that the senior detective didn't try to back away from or resist. As Hank reciprocated the hug he felt a wave of relief wash over him as he realized that Connor's heart wasn't entirely broken by the experiences from his horrible childhood or nearly losing his little brother. He still had the capacity to care and empathize with others, and would only draw strength from such feelings as he continued to develop as a person.

"Connor. I won't say I'm okay, because I'm not, but you don't have to worry about me."

Slowly Connor let Hank out of his hug and stepped back. Suddenly aware of how tired he felt Connor shook his head and registered the time by looking at his smart watch on his wrist. "...It's late."

"Go to bed, I'll wake you when I get an update from Fowler or from Markus. I'll keep my phone by my bed so it wakes me up."

Nodding a little Connor followed Hank out of the bathroom and climbed the staircase to get to his new bedroom on the second floor to rest for the night. Afterward Hank walked into the second bathroom to rummage through the medicine cabinet. As Connor stood inside the familiar room he looked about at the area and noted the items that were there and felt a sense of home he had learned was one of the best feelings in the world.

Mindful of his wounded shoulder and abdomen Connor climbed onto his bed and laid flat on his back before pulling the quilt up and over himself. As he did he heard a subtle whimper from his doorway and spotted both Sumo and Ruby watching him from the doorway.

"...Come here."

The two dogs jumped up onto Connor's bed and laid down with their wounded master to keep him company throughout the night. While Ruby greatly favored Connor and liked to sleep on the foot of his bed Sumo had developed a habit of sleeping in Lucas's room on the foot of the deviant's bed. But the deviant wasn't home right now.

"...Lucas will be coming home later, boy."

Hank briefly returned to Connor's bedroom with a bottle of water and couple of Ibuprofen tablets in his hands. "This should make it easier for you to sleep."

"I'm tired already."

"I know that." Sitting on the edge of the bed Hank pulled down the quilt then pulled up Connor's shirt to check the bandages, and grimaced at how many he needed to use to keep the wounds clean and covered. "Fuck. I wish I could take you to the emergency room, but gunshot wounds are an automatic call to the police."

"...I know."

"Looks like the bandages are holding," Hank coaxed Connor into turning slightly onto his right side so he could see the exterior wounds on the back of his shoulder and his lower back from where the bullets passed through the front of his body. "if you start to feel sick during the night get me A.S.A.P., got it?"

"Yeah..." Accepting the two pills Connor popped them in his mouth and chased them down with a gulp of the cool water. "I got it."

"How'd you get shot?"

"I... When I confronted Perkins he-"

"That prick SHOT YOU?!"

"Not quite. I... I put the barrel of the gun against my person and I made him pull the trigger."

"So you're saying anyone checking out where this little shoot-out happened is going to find your blood on a couple of rogue bullets? Isn't that going to put your ass in the middle of a fire?"

"Evidence has a tendency to go missing. Also, D.N.A. won't be viable if the heat of the bullets incinerated my blood."

"Didn't you bleed after you got shot? What about that?"

"My jackets concealed the blood, and I used the sleeves of my leather jacket to conceal my hands. The only person who knows I was there is Perkins himself. If he says that I threatened him then I can use the bullet wounds against him, and tag on the attempted murder of a police officer to the list of charges already stacked against him."

"So that 'anonymous tip' that the police got a while ago...?"

"I sent it, but I used a few tricks I learned as a deviant to disguise my phone keeping the tip fully and permanently anonymous."

"That was a HUGE risk you took, son."

"Yeah... I don't regret it though."

"Good." Helping Connor to lay flat on his back again Hank sighed and put his right hand against the younger man's forehead. "You feel warm."

"I'm fine. How is... What about Lucas?"

"Markus and Simon took him back to New Jericho Tower. He's been taken back to his old private quarters to rest in private while still being monitored. Simon is staying with him, and when he needs to do his shift Markus, North or Josh will stay with Lucas until he begins to recover and wake up."

"...And what about you?"

"Well, I'm not going to deny that I really want a drink right about now, but other than that I'll be okay. For the most part I'm kinda' numb."

"I understand."

"Get some sleep, okay? You're not supposed to be at the precinct for a week anyway, so don't worry about trying to hide your wounds. Just stay here and rest while I handle things until this whole damn mess is sorted out."

As Hank got up from the bed and walked toward the doorway Connor called out to him in a sad tone. "...Hey, Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for never hurting me, and always helping me. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, son. Rest." Hank turned off the light with the switch on the wall beside the doorway and stepped through the opened door to let Connor have some space to rest and recover. "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

New Jericho Tower was as restless as the precinct itself as the officers involved charged Agent Perkins with a number of serious crimes after his arrest. While Perkins shouted that Connor had tracked him down and threatened him with a gun as loud as he could, no one at the precinct believed him or even bothered to look for any evidence of Connor being inside the warehouse. Perkins had a history of blaming androids for his problems and he had already accused Connor of having an agenda against him long before he foolishly tried to kill Lucas.

His bigoted comments against androids had come back to haunt him in the most poetic manner anyone could've ever hoped for.

Captain Fowler himself went to the scene of the arrest at the warehouse with Gavin shortly after Perkins was arrested, and the two found the stray bullet that Connor had fired into the wall, as well as the two bullets lodged in the opposite wall by Perkins's own gun. But Captain Fowler was disinterested in the bullet seeing as Perkins wasn't injured, and the agent had the knowledge, the resources and motivation to stage a crime scene to frame innocent people.

Even if they did believe that it was possible Connor confronted him in the warehouse, used Perkins's gun to harm himself and leave without leaving a trace of blood behind, the two officers decided it didn't matter. They had the killer, they stopped a corrupt agent from continuing to abuse his power and they were able to bring justice to an assaulted android.

It was a monumental day in the city for all of the innocent citizens; human and deviant alike, as well as the honest cops who continue to patrol the streets.

Markus had been given an update on the situation from the receptionist androids at the precinct and happily told North, Josh and Simon of the positive turn of events. Certain that Connor and Hank were already made aware of the situation and were most likely dealing with the events to come in private Markus decided to visit his detective allies in person at their new home.

"I'm going to check in with Connor and Hank." Markus announced as the relatively good news helped lift a tremendous weight from his shoulders. It was rare that the deviant leader had the chance to visit his friends without business being involved, and he always wanted to take advantage of it. "If you need anything you'll know where to find me."

"Do you want me to go with you?" North volunteered in an uncharacteristic display of empathy toward the two detectives. "I don't mind."

"No, it'll be fine. Stay here and keep things running until I get back." Markus leaned down to kiss her on the lips as she stood up on her tiptoes to accommodate his height compared to her own. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Be safe."

* * *

It was almost four in the morning by the time Connor had spiked a fever and stumbled into Hank's bedroom seeking help. It felt wrong to leave Connor alone in his bedroom and Hank couldn't bring himself to be alone for the rest of the night either, so the senior detective painstakingly lifted Connor up into his arms and carried him out of the bedroom, down the staircase and placed him down on his back on the couch in the livingroom. Draping a dark navy blue blanket over the young man's sleeping, feverish form Hank patted the couch cushion to coax Sumo and Ruby into laying on the couch beside Connor to provide some sort of mild comfort to the emotionally, and physically pained younger man.

Retrieving a clean washcloth out of the ground floor bathroom's towel cupboard Hank ran the washcloth under the cold tap in the sink, wrung out the excess water, and smoothed it out over Connor's too warm forehead. Placing two bags of ice wrapped up in hand towels down on Connor's shoulder and abdomen Hank made sure the wounded detective was as comfortable as possible, and tried to break his fever.

"Take it easy, son. You're safe."

Wrapping himself up in a thick brown quilt Hank resided to sleeping in the recliner just beside the couch and had drifted off to a deep, but much needed sleep with his phone resting in the right palm of his hand. Around nine in the morning a knocking at the front door roused Hank from his sleep and caused Sumo to raise his head and let out a protective singular low bark as he stared at the door.

"It's okay, Sumo." Hank stated curtly as he walked over to the front door, the quilt still wrapped around himself, and answered the door. "Markus. What're you doing here?"

Sumo let out a tired grumble as he recognized Markus as a friend and lowered his head back down atop Connor's steadily rising and falling chest. The old dog seemed very interested in the young man's chest, and his ears would randomly perk up as if hearing something that was unusual.

Markus greeted Hank with a bittersweet smile as he handed the exhausted senior detective a large cup of hot coffee. "I wanted to check in on you in person, and I figured you could use a little caffeine pick-me-up."

"Androids understand the necessity of coffee?" Hank lightly joked as he happily took the offered coffee from Markus and let the deviant step inside the house out of the still pouring cold snow and rain.

"Well, _I_ do. Carl insisted on having coffee every morning, so now it's just part of my programming."

"Carl raised you right." The senior detective appreciatively sipped at the coffee. "Damn, you even got it sweetened right. How'd you know?"

"A hunch."

"Good hunch." Hank stood behind the couch and watched Connor sleeping with Sumo protectively resting his chin atop the young detective's slowly rising and falling chest. Ruby was pressed up against Connor's left side and wagging her tail as she looked up at Markus's face as he too checked in on Connor. "I take it you heard about Perkins being arrested last night?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to see how you two are holding up."

"I'm holding up alright, for now, but Connor... He isn't doing well at all."

Markus looked down at his friend, and his hand and clenched it into a fist of worry as he saw Connor's pale and sweaty face. "What do you need from me?"

Hank thought for a moment before he answered coolly. "Stay here with Connor. I want to get down the precinct and check in on things, and I need to get some supplies to take care of Connor's wounds."

"Wounds?"

"Long story, but his shoulder and abdomen are wrapped up. That's also why he's running a bit of a fever."

"I understand." Pressing the back his right hand to the left side of Connor's neck Markus noted his friend's elevate temperature. "I'll keep an eye on Connor while you go and do what you need to do."

"Thanks, Markus. We both appreciate it."

* * *

With the coffee in his hand Hank changed into slightly cleaner clothes and proceeded to drive to the precinct alone. The cold, wet snow and rain made the streets almost unbearably chilly, but he endured the cold to aid his two sons. Forcing himself to drive to the precinct, park the car in the neighboring parking garage and trying to act as though Connor didn't stumble home last night soaked to the bone and bleeding from two gunshot wounds, Hank was greeted to a loudly and excitedly talking bullpen full of anxious officers and a handful of nosy reporters.

Nursing his headache with the hot coffee Hank patiently stood off to the side of the breakroom as he studied the gathered masses, and waited for Captain Fowler to notice his presence. Inside the breakroom there was plenty of gossip being spread around like plague, and just listening to it was enough to make Hank feel sick.

"Word is that Connor did it. He pulled a gun on Perkins, fired and missed." A younger officer stated as if he was expecting some form of praise for his excited comments. "After he missed Connor ran off and a patrolling officer heard the shots and arrested Perkins."

"Listen up, 'rook'," Gavin's annoyed voice responded with utter indifference as he fussed with his own coffee to his liking. "before you start spouting off with your conspiracy theories read the report and look at the evidence. And for fuck sake never spread shit about another cop. _Ever_."

"But it's all so suspicious."

"Reread the damn report. A tip that came from an unknown phone called in Perkins's location, NOT another cop who was already in the neighborhood and got lucky. Not to mention that Connor is one of the absolute best shots in this whole damn precinct, if he was aiming at someone he'd never miss."

"Yeah, but the android who got run over was some look-alike he calls a brother, and Connor has a history of lashing out at people. He broke your nose! You can't tell me-"

"SHUT. UP." Gavin snapped angrily as he stared down the naive rookie officer. "What did I just tell you? DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER COPS. And even if Connor did have something to do with the bullshit that asshole pulled, what do you care? It wasn't YOUR brother, your family, who was almost killed by some piece of shit with a grudge. Let it drop or I'm going to drop you. Do you hear me?"

"I, uh, I hear ya'." The younger cop sounded absolutely shaken but he was still trying to 'impress' the other officers. "But... What about Lieutenant Anderson?"

"What about him?"

"Don't you think that old man is-"

Hank had enough of that mouthy kid and made it known by his very presence. Walking up behind the younger officer Hank interrupted the kid with a firm and loud voice. "You should've taken Gavin's advice and dropped it." Crossing his arms over his chest as the now pale young officer turned around to face him in shocked fear Hank continued on. "I may be old but my hearing works just fine. You want to keep talking shit about your fellow officers I suggest you learn to watch your own damn back. No one, and I mean NO ONE wants to work with a gossipy little rat like you. Understand me?"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Get your ass out of my sight before I kick it out onto the street. NOW."

The young officer turned red with embarrassment and hustled out of the breakroom to disappear from Hank's line of sight as ordered.

Hank then turned his attention to Gavin and gave him a subtle nod of respect. "Thanks for that."

"For what?" Gavin tried to feign ignorance as he tasted his bitter coffee and grimaced outwardly.

"You damn well know what. The last thing Connor needs is a bunch of gossip to come back to once his suspension is up."

"Well,_ hypothetically_, if it were my brother who had been run over by some asshole I know I'd be out for blood." Gavin added a single packet of sugar to his coffee and quickly stirred it in. "But that's just me, what everyone else is saying is just bullshit and rumors."

"Hank." From his office Captain Fowler called out to Hank who promptly went to speak with his commanding officer before he could say anything else to Gavin.

As soon as Hank was inside the office he could tell by the look on Captain Fowler's face that whatever it was the were about to discuss it was going to be one of the most serious discussions of his life. "Alright, Jeffrey." Sitting down in the chair across from his commanding officer Hank prepared for the worst case scenario. "Tell me what's going on."

* * *

Loyal to his friend Markus stayed at the new house and monitored Connor's fever without disturbing him in the process. Using the dormant medical software he once relied on when he was taking care of Carl the deviant leader was able to keep tabs on Connor's condition properly, and he knew how to change the bandages over his shoulder and abdomen without harming him in the process. As he removed Connor's t-shirt Markus carefully inspected the gauze wrappings and peeled them back very carefully to expose the wounds beneath.

"...You were shot?" Markus stated in disbelief as he recognized the type of injuries that Connor had sustained. "Why aren't you in the hospital then?"

Remaining composed Markus located the first aid kit that Hank had used still sitting in the ground floor bathroom and proceeded to use the items inside to clean out Connor's shoulder and abdomen with a careful touch.

"Shit. How in the Hell did you walk away with _bullet wounds_?"

Sumo was laying on his pillow in the corner of the livingroom watching Markus curiously, while Ruby proceeded to sniff at the deviant's shoe and paw at his leg wanting some attention.

As Markus cleaned up the wound in Connor's abdomen he received a minor update from New Jericho Tower regarding Lucas's condition. "Lucas's arm has healed entirely, and his Thirium pump is functioning normally." He confirmed as he replaced the bandages and checked Connor's pulse. "As for any sign of returning consciousness, nothing just yet."

Too tired and too weak to respond Connor remained unconscious and unaware of Markus's assistance to aid his recovery.

"He'll be fine, Connor. I know he'll wake up soon."

The front door opened and Hank returned home with a bigger headache but a look of relief on his face. He also had a small plastic grocery bag filled with additional boxes of bandages, gauze and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Hank?" Markus turned to look at the senior detective for some answers after being out all morning.

"Well, Perkins AND his kid are going to prison for a long time. One's being charged with murder and the other is being charged with _attempted_ murder, as well as a shit-ton of other charges."

"That's good."

"Any word on Lucas?"

"Stable. But he's still unconscious."

"I figured as much." Slipping off his coat Hank kicked off his shoes and hovered over the back of the couch to look down at Connor again. "And him?"

"Resting well. I changed his bandages, and he's fever's come down a little."

"That's good. Thanks for you help, Markus. I got him from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I got this. Go stay with Lucas until we can get out there ourselves."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything else."

"I will. Thanks again, Markus."

As the deviant leader took his leave of the house Hank locked the door behind him out of a deeply seeded instinct to keep his home and his family safe. Rubbing Sumo's ears and then Ruby's back Hank checked on Connor's fever himself, then the bandages under his black t-shirt. As he moved the fabric aside Connor suddenly took in a gasping breath and sat upright quickly, only to groan in pain as the motion hurt his abdomen.

"Connor?"

The younger man was semiconscious. Unaware of Hank's presence Connor gasped a little more and took in a rapid, calming breaths.

"Hold on..." Hank reached his hand behind Connor's head and folded the pillow that the sick man he been leaning against in half, and used it to prop Connor somewhat upright as he slept. As Connor's breathing eases Hank gently laid him back and counted his pulse by wrapping his right fingers around Connor's left wrist, then checked the vital signs being actively recorded by the smart watch around the same wrist. "That's better. Just keep resting, son. Don't worry about a thing. I'm right here with you."

* * *

It was well into the evening when Connor slowly awoke from his deep slumber with a painful headache, and a sore stomach to greet him as he opened his tired eyes. Finding himself staring up at the blank ceiling of the livingroom of the new house with a massive fluffy dog laying over his chest, and a smaller puppy pressed up against his right side, Connor realized that what he had just endured wasn't another nightmare, it was a horrific reality he'd have to adapt to as he regained consciousness.

Lifting his head up from the couch Connor looked over Sumo's head into the kitchen to see Hank pacing about as he finished a phone call, and slipped the phone into his jean pocket with a heavy sigh. "...Hank?"

"Connor." Hank walked back into the livingroom and stood at the foot of the couch as he looked down at the fatigued young man. "You've been out for sixteen hours. How do you feel?"

"...Sore. I have a headache, and my stomach still hurts from the bullet wound."

"Anything I can do to help you feel better?"

"...Can I have another Ibuprofen, and some water?"

"Sure, no problem. Want tea instead?"

The offering was too temping to pass up. "...Do you mind?"

"I wouldn't ask if it was a bother." Hank reminded Connor as he disappeared back into the kitchen to put the kettle on the stove. He stepped back into the livingroom with a new bottle of Ibuprofen and a bottle of water in his hands. "I got a few more supplies for the first aid kit while I was out."

"Thanks." Connor took the offered pills and popped them in his mouth greedily.

Connor gently pushed Sumo's head from his chest as he sat upright on the couch and swung his legs over the edge. It was only a matter of seconds before Sumo pressed his chin and paws down against Connor's lap along with Ruby as they insisted on cuddling with their wounded master. Placing his left hand down on Sumo's head Connor rubbed the dog's ears affectionately, then did the same for Ruby as Hank handed him the bottle of water and medication.

"Markus stopped by. Lucas is stable but still in a coma." Hank stated as he took a seat on the couch next to Connor. "Fowler also called. He said Perkins has been brought up on numerous charges for fraud, conspiracy, assault, assault of a police officer, murder, attempted murder, bribery... I even managed to convince Fowler to tag on 'interfering with a witness' since it was Lucas who saw Perkins's own kid gun down that other innocent deviant then flee the scene of the accident. After he gets ALL the charges listed he's going to put on trial, sent to a maximum security facility and if he doesn't get picked off by one of the convicts he helped put away, then he'll spend the rest of his life rotting behind bars."

"...That means all of Perkins's cases are going to be reviewed in light of his incarceration." Connor fidgeted with the now empty water bottle in his hand nervously.

"Yup. That's protocol, son. Who knows how many innocent people Perkins had arrested just to advance his career?"

"Hank... Do you remember that night when Perkins aimed a gun at me at the precinct parking garage and you protected me?"

"Yeah, of course I do. You don't exactly forget some asshole pointing a gun at your kid." Hank could see something was weighing heavily on Connor's mind and he knew the young detective needed to talk. "What about it?"

"That night I wanted to tell you something, but I refrained from doing so. It felt... cruel."

"It's okay." Hank gave Connor an understanding pat on his right shoulder to encourage him to keep speaking. "What did you want to say?"

"...I wished that when you held your gun to Perkins's head you would've just... pulled the trigger."

Hank could feel the intense guilt and regret that was radiating from Connor's entire being, and the feeling was mutual. "To be honest with you, son. ...I wish I did, too."

Turning to look at his adoptive father Connor gave Hank an inquisitive stare. "...You do?"

"Yeah." Hank's confession carried a heavy guilt of its own as he spoke. "And he's the not the first person I wish I had taken out when I had the chance. But in the end it's better that we're the ones who show self control and prove we're better than them. It's good that we won't sink to their selfish cold level just to get the job done."

Connor only nodded as if he could finally accept what had happened, though his heart remained heavy all the same. Placing the empty bottle down on the coffee table Connor leaned back against the couch and pat Sumo and Ruby's heads lightly as he stared off into silence at the far wall of the livingroom next to Hank. The two detectives had reached a mutual level of contentedness after enduring two days of utter despair and heartbreak.

As the kettle on the stove began to whistle Hank got up from the couch again to take care of things. "We'll both stay here and rest a while longer, at least until your fever breaks entirely. Tomorrow we'll go out to New Jericho and visit Lucas. Okay?"

Nodding again Connor let out a steady sigh to keep his abdomen from hurting him again. "Yeah. That's okay with me. I want to see him."

* * *

Mindful of his bad shoulder Connor let Hank help him put his left arm in a makeshift sling to keep the weight off his healing shoulder, and to ensure his recovery wasn't hindered. Dressed in casual clothing; glasses, jeans, black t-shirt and a green button down shirt over top, Connor looked as he usually did. Aside from his lingering paleness from his blood loss and pain Connor appeared completely normal. Hank was also a little pale but that stemmed from his exhaustion and pounding headache. Wearing one of his less colorful shirts over a gray t-shirt, jeans and old running shoes Hank drove out to New Jericho Tower with Connor as the passenger beside him.

After pulling into the driveway outside the tower the two detectives were greeted by Josh who was trying to remain upbeat, but it was evident he too was worried for Lucas's health. "Hey, you two." Josh greeted the duo and noticed that Connor's arm was in a sling under his leather jacket. "There hasn't been any change, but maybe having you two nearby it'll prompt his intracranial processors to respond."

Connor only nodded while Hank responded somewhat optimistically. "Hey, it's worth a shot."

Josh escorted the two detectives inside the tower and to the elevator to reach the appropriate floor to visit Lucas. Other deviants eyed the pair strangely but sympathetically as they entered the elevator and made their way up to visit their family.

* * *

Comatose, still and silent Lucas was laying on his back on a soft bed in the private room. He no longer required the external ventilation tube down his throat to aid his breathing and keep his core temperature cool, but he still had a Thirial activity monitor attached to his chest to record his vital signs as a precaution. The damage to his right arm had been fully repaired courtesy of his self-healing program, but his chest was still missing patches of his artificial skin on the right side, and his right eye was surrounded by a dark blue bruise from being struck.

Simon was checking his intracranial processor and functions when Connor and Hank stepped into the room to visit their downed family. Out of respect and courtesy Simon silently took his leave of the room to give them some privacy. "I'll be outside if you need anything."

Connor gave Simon a subtle nod as he sat down in the chair beside the bed and put his right hand on Lucas's chest very lightly. The motion of Lucas's heart thumping under his palm gave Connor a modicum of relief, while the blankness of Lucas's face made Connor feel uneasy. It was like seeing an empty vessel with his brother's face.

"Hey, son." Hank started speaking to Lucas in a gentle tone of voice. "We're right here. When you wake up we'll take you back home where you belong, and you can fight Sumo for control over your bed."

Continuing on where Hank left off Connor began talking to Lucas as well. "The person responsible for your injuries has been arrested and he will be charged for everything he did to you. He won't get away with what he's done." Patting Lucas's chest once Connor closed his eyes and bowed his head. "...I hate this."

"I know, I do, too."

"...I can't even hear his heartbeat."

"Hear it?"

"...When I was a deviant I could cybernetically connect with anyone deviant I laid my hand on. I could record their vital signs and feel their life, and that means I could hear their hearts beating in my mind." Opening his eyes Connor gave his little brother a somber stare. "Now I can't hear anything anymore."

"Hey, he's okay. You can feel his heart beating and you can see it on the monitor. Lucas is _still_ alive." Trying to think of a way to distract Connor's dark thoughts Hank looked down at Lucas's face and smirked a little as he noted that Lucas didn't have a rogue lock of hair hanging down over his left eye like the way Connor did. "I just noticed a weird trait that you have that he doesn't. I wonder why his hair is so much more cooperative than yours?"

Connor smirked a little himself as he studied his little brother's face, and his perfectly combed darker hair. "Probably because everything about him is more cooperative than I am."

"Smartass. But, I think you're right."

"...With any luck he'll wake up from his coma sooner than I did."

"I'm sure he will, son."

Sighing tiredly Connor wiped away a rogue tear before it had the chance to fall from his eye. "I don't like the idea of leaving my own brother here, alone."

"He's not alone." Keeping his voice confident Hank refused to let Connor feel despondent or like a failure. "He's surrounded by friends and we'll visit him everyday until he wakes up. I promise you, son. He's not alone and he will come back home."

"It's just not fair. Lucas was there only because he volunteered to try to help the city. He was injured, nearly killed, for trying to do something good."

"No good deed goes unpunished, Connor. That's why cops get shot, why firefighters get burned and why doctors and nurses get attacked by their own patients just for trying to help out."

"It's not right." As he spoke he put his hand back on Lucas's chest and shook his head. "He's hurt because of me."

"No, he's hurt because of Perkins. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I failed to protect him when he needed me."

"...So did I. So did every other cop in this city who failed to see Perkins for the dangerous jackass that he is." Putting his left hand firmly on Connor's right shoulder Hank tried to keep his son from breaking down entirely. "You're a good brother and a good son. Just like Lucas."

"...Thank you," taking a quick look around to make sure they were truly alone Connor tagged on one final word to his gratitude. "dad."

_**-next chapter-**_


	30. True Deviancy

A week had nearly passed without Lucas showing any sign of returning consciousness, and continued to remain under New Jericho's vigil. The house felt a little empty without his presence but Connor and Hank managed to go about their routines relatively well considering the tragedy. Connor wasn't allowed back in the precinct for another two days and he was still healing from his two gunshot wounds without a doctor's aid as his stubborn resolve showed no sign of breaking. It was a slow healing process but necessary to keep the charges against Perkins valid, and to ensure that the corrupt agent spent the rest of his life behind bars.

Limping a little as his sore abdomen pulled with a burning ache Connor set about letting Sumo and Ruby back inside the house through the backdoor, and waited for Hank to return home from the precinct so he could go visit with Lucas at the tower. It didn't feel right to drive Lucas's truck without his little brother's permission, and Connor didn't want to take an autonomous cab to go to the tower while alone.

As he slowly sat down on the couch Connor took a deep breath and tried to ignore the persistent throb in his abdomen as he breathed.

Ruby seemed to sense Connor's distress, and the sixteen week old puppy leapt up onto the couch and lightly pressed her nose against the left side of his stomach.

"Easy, Ruby. I'm still healing." As he ran his left hand down her back Sumo pressed his chin down on Connor's right knee causing him to rub the larger dog's ears with his right hand. "Sorry, boy. Wait until it warms up again, then we'll go for walks again."

Sumo whimpered and pawed at his hand a little and climbed up a little onto the couch, his nose now pressing against Connor's chest as he let out mournful and sympathetic sounds.

"I know." Resting his hand on Sumo's head Connor gave the large dog a somber stare through his glasses and sighed again. "I miss Lucas, too."

* * *

At New Jericho Tower the comatose deviant was resting comfortably and stable under the supervision of Simon as the lone technician kept vigil over the tower's star patient. It was eerie to see Lucas so vulnerable and unresponsive, like a true shell of his former self, and it was often too painful for Connor to even look at him during his visits. Between his own shifts Simon would stay with Lucas, otherwise Josh, Markus and North would take turns sitting with Lucas and speaking to him to try to rouse him from his deep and seemingly irreversible stasis mode.

Gently Simon lifted Lucas's eyelids one at a time to see if his optical relay units would still respond to light or not, but as per usual they were unchanged. "I believe as long as you stay stable that'll keep Connor and Hank content for a while. But please, we need you to wake up soon."

Turning his back to the comatose deviant Simon made a few notes in Lucas's electronic chart before checking at the display of the diagnostic program that was actively monitoring Lucas's condition. A sudden spike in the readings caught the blond technician's attention, and he immediately began investigating the unexpected reaction.

"Hello, what's this?"

From the bed behind Simon as he hovered over the monitor Lucas's green eyes opened but failed to focus on anything. Sitting upright in a slow and purposeful manner Lucas swung his legs over the edge of the bed, stood up on his strong legs and proceeded to stand right behind Simon.

Sensing the movement just behind himself Simon turned around and came face to face with Lucas, and in response his blue eyes went wide and his own heart began to race with shock. "What the- Lucas?!"

The previously unresponsive deviant silently reached out his right hand and grabbed onto Simon's throat in a firm grip. As Lucas's strong fist tightened into a painful strangle Simon grabbed onto Lucas's right wrist to try to break the deviant's grip, but the RK-900's strength was absolutely superior to his own.

"L-Lucas!" Gasping in a weak plea for mercy Simon tried to get Lucas to let him go. "Stop!"

With his left hand Lucas reached out and pressed his fingertips against Simon's right temple. Exposing his fingertips from his artificial skin Lucas released a controlled shock that rendered the blond technician unconscious within seconds. Opening his right hand Lucas let Simon's unconscious body fall to the floor at his feet in a motionless heap.

Unaffected by his actions Lucas stepped over Simon's body, grabbed his white jacket hanging on a hook by the doorway, and stepped out of the room unhindered. Slipping the white jacket over his otherwise bare chest Lucas marched to the elevator, pressed his right hand against the panel and stepped through the parted doors. Reaching the ground floor of the tower Lucas proceeded to walk to the front doors of the building with seemingly a purpose behind every step he took, and slipped outside into the cold winter day without anyone from New Jericho seeing the previously comatose deviant's abrupt departure.

As he set foot on the drive connecting the tower to the rest of the city Lucas paused for a moment, closed his green eyes and cybernetically received a message from a contact somewhere beyond the tower. "...I understand my orders."

Proceeding down the drive, walking at first then speeding up into a brisk jog, Lucas reached the security barricade and overrode the command causing it to recede into the pavement; an action that alerted New Jericho's security program of the breech, and reached the end of the drive within a matter of seconds.

Standing alone at the end of the drive Lucas's unfocused green eyes peered out beyond the city to a reclusive address in the far distance that only he could see with his cybernetic mind and vision, and proceeded to hone in on the location of interest.

"I will not fail my mission."

* * *

Being stuck at the precinct had it's immediate drawbacks for Hank. Not only did he have an injured son at home that he needed to check in on from time to time, but he had another son in a coma in New Jericho Tower a few miles away. The arrest of the corrupt (former) F.B.I. agent Richard Bernard Perkins had created a mass of legal investigations and hundreds of interviews by numerous other agents to ensure that no crime, no error, was overlooked. As a result Hank was being bombarded with even more questions from Internal Affairs much to his chagrin.

Practically imprisoned in the interview room Hank was far away from his phone, and getting very anxious as he was questioned for the dozenth time by the same agent over the same case, for the same damn reasons.

"You know the story," Hank stated in annoyed tone of voice as his already tested patience was wearing thin. "and it's not going to change. Why don't you go ahead, file your damn report and arrest that son of a bitch so I can go back to my desk and file my own report?"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant." The arrogant agent replied in a curt voice. He was younger than Hank but seemed to think he had twice the experience. The greasy black hair, beady gray eyes and crooked smile reminded Hank of a rat, and figured that was symbolic enough considering the agent's demeanor and his current assignment. "Just a few more questions."

"Uh-huh. By 'a few more questions' you mean the same ones you've already asked me, but asked in_ slightly_ different ways, right?"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I thought you'd appreciate being thorough."

"There's a huge difference between being thorough and looking for a loophole you rat bastard. Nothing's going to change, and there's nothing you can say or do to save that guy's sorry ass from rotting in a dark cell."

Looking up from his report the agent gave Hank a smug glance. "You seem tense, Lieutenant."

"You don't say?" The impatient and sarcastic response wasn't appreciated, but he didn't care. "I have one son home who's sick with worry, and the other son is in a damn coma! Go figure that'd make just a_ little_ irritable when I have to deal with that shit off the clock and all your bullshit while I'm on the clock."

"Do you want to take a break?"

"No, I want to finish this damn interview so I can go take care of my actual job and go check on my sons." Remaining dominant but not aggressive toward the agent, not showing any sign of defensiveness or secrecy, Hank kept pushing the agent to finish the interview. "Get on with it. I got better shit to do with my time than wait for you to check off a few boxes."

* * *

Relaxing on the couch as he tried to heal Connor contemplated slipping off his glasses and laying down across the length of the furniture to nap when his phone suddenly buzzed on the coffee table. Eyeing the screen from where he sat he didn't recognize the incoming call's number but something in his gut told him to answer the phone while preparing for the worst. The bad feeling he had the day Lucas was struck by the car seemed to return tenfold, and now Connor knew for certain to never dismiss his instincts.

Picking up the phone Connor accepted the call and pressed his phone to his right ear. "Hello?"

'_Connor_.' A familiar female voice sounded worried but not panicked as she spoke with him over the sphone. '_This is Skye_.'

"Skye?" Knowing she was still residing at New Jericho Tower his thoughts immediately went to Lucas. "What happened? Is it Lucas?"

'_Yeah, something_... _happened_.'

"What?" As his soulful brown eyes went wide Connor felt his heart thundering in his chest and Sumo lifted his head up from the pillow to whimper again, as Ruby too began to whimper in empathetic distress. "What's going on, where is he now?"

'_We don't know_.'

"You don't... What? How do you not know?"

'_Connor_, _we're not sure what happened but it appears Lucas regained consciousness and_-'

"Lucas is AWAKE?"

'_That's how it looks_.'

"...I don't understand. Tell me what happened."

'_From what our motion sensing security camera show us Lucas left through the front doors of the tower and ran down the drive back to the city_. _No one saw him leave and he incapacitated Simon in order to do so_.'

The words had an oddly haunting feeling over Connor's mind. The entire reason he had returned to humanity was because his programming had been remotely hacked, and in turn he attacked Hank and Joel. It seems Lucas had fallen to prey to the same assault. "...He hurt Simon?"

'_He wasn't damaged, just forced into stasis mode_. _He'll fully reboot in twenty-three hours and nine minutes_.'

"Skye, when did this happen?"

'_It looks like it happened approximately fifty-one minutes ago_.'

"And no one noticed until now?"

'_Connor, when Lucas rebooted he did so when everyone in the tower was preoccupied with their other responsibilities, and when the refugees were going through their group therapy_. _He knew exactly when to leave the tower without anyone noticing his movements_.'

Sighing with worry Connor rubbed his left hand over his eyes and tried to think. "Who discovered that Lucas was missing?"

'_I noticed something was wrong when the security barrier in the drive was manually deactivated and then reactivated_.' She explained in a level tone of voice as she answered the question honestly. '_I checked the cameras as soon as I could and saw Lucas walking down the drive, and informed Markus_. _He tried and failed to contact Simon cybernetically from Lucas's quarters and went to investigate. That's when we found Simon unconscious on the floor_.'

"Do you know where Lucas went?"

'_According to the camera footage he headed West toward the outskirts of the city_.'

"Skye... How was Lucas behaving on the security footage?"

'_What do you mean_?'

"Did he appear as his usual self, or did he appear... machine?"

There was a pause before she answered. '_Can I send you the footage to view for yourself_?'

"Please."

'_I'm uploading it to your phone right now_.'

Opening the small video as it was cybernetically delivered Connor watched as his brother, seemingly in a trance, ran off toward the Western side of the city to the outskirts out of sight. Lucas was heading to place that seemed to lead to the middle of nowhere, but it was a place that Connor was somewhat familiar with. "...Skye, do me a favor."

'_What's that_?'

"Stay in the tower and please tell Markus and the other leaders to remain there as well."

'_Connor, what's going on_?'

"It's just a hunch, but I think somehow Lucas's deviancy has been erased.'

'_What_? _Are you saying he's a machine again_?'

"It's possible, yes."

'_Then what's going to happen_?'

"I'm going to find him."

'_Let us help you_.'

"I can't let you get too close to him." Connor replied sharply as he stood up from the couch and began mentally forming his plan of action. "ANY of you."

'_Why_?_ I don't understand_.'

"If Lucas has been reverted to a machine then his original programming, his mission, will have been reactivated. He was programmed to hunt and destroy deviants."

'..._Then why did he leave the tower_?'

"He must be going in search of whomever was his handler."

'_His handler_?'

"It's a long story, but based on the direction he went I think I know where I can find him."

'_What about Hank_?'

"I'll call him and tell him where to meet me. It'll be safer if humans confront Lucas while he's a machine. If any deviant gets too close I can't predict what he'll do, or _try_ to do to them."

'..._Okay, Connor. I'll let Markus know you'll take care of things_.'

"Thanks, Skye."

'_And Connor_?'

"Yeah?"

'..._Be careful_."

"I will. I promise." Ending the call Connor accessed a special program installed in an old CyberLife exclusive app that only a select few even knew how to find, and Connor put in Lucas's android serial number to locate his brother's reactivated tracker. There was a single active 'blip' on the screen about three and half miles West from the city, and still moving. "Lucas, what's going on?"

Ignoring the pain in his abdomen and shoulder he grabbed his shoes and his leather jacket from beside the front door while using another app to summon an autonomous taxi. Afterward he placed another call to Hank but only got his voicemail since Hank was trapped in an interview.

"Damn it." Leaving a quick and succinct message Connor told Hank where to go, and why he needed to get there before it was too late. Rushing out to the street through front door Connor climbed into the back of the autonomous cab and placed the coordinates of the address into the G.P.S. manually. "Please Lucas. Don't do anything you can't undo."

* * *

On his own mission Lucas sprinted as quickly as he could through the streets of the city until he reached the outskirts of town. As if using an internal map or relying on an instinctive migration path Lucas ran along an isolated dirt road that seemingly stretched off into nowhere as he ran further and further away from the city. Running for almost four miles Lucas located a driveway that had been concealed within a thick treeline just off the side of the road, and proceeded to rush down the driveway until he reached a tall black iron gate that encircled an old Victorian style mansion resting in a clearing amongst the trees.

The gate was locked electronically and it looked as though no one had lived at the residence for decades. The mansion itself was a flawless white that contrasted sharply with the black iron gate out in the front. Towering trestles of red roses snaked up the sides of the house from the base of the house up to the roof of the three story home. Dark blue wooden double-doors at the front of the house reached up seven feet from the top of the door frame down to the porch. Two massive bay windows jutted out of the front of the house from the first floor and were covered under a thick layer of green colored ivy, and were dark.

A deserted house that was oddly well kept and hidden in the middle of nowhere would've normally been a red flag to the wise technician, but something unknown was preventing his better judgment from overriding whatever software error was compelling him to travel to the mansion. Retracting the artificial skin from the palm of his right hand Lucas pressed his bare palm to the electronic lock and stood perfectly still as a scanner swept over his right temple and traced where his L.E.D. used to be.

An artificial feminine voice sounded off from a small speaker located beneath the lock. '_Recognized: "Unnamed"; model RK-900, number 313 248 317 87_.'

The iron gate unsealed itself electronically and Lucas passed through the black iron bars without any further hindrance, then slammed shut with a loud echo after the android passed through. Reaching the front door of the house Lucas's artificial skin regenerated over his palm as he grabbed onto the brass door handle, and pushed the right door open. Lucas stepped into a massive foyer of alabaster white walls and marble pillars without a word.

The foyer connected to an even larger chamber still covered in white and marble as the familiar scent of roses and fresh water wafted through the air. Walking further into the house Lucas entered a perfect replica of the 'Zen Garden' that had once resided in Connor's own 'Mind Palace'. The garden in which Connor visited when meeting up with his former handler, Amanda.

Every detail was correct, even the marble and stone pedestal that granted Connor access to his own program was set in its usual place near the entryway to the long bridge that connected the radius of the garden to the center pillar in the middle of the pond. It glowed a pale blue but it didn't appear to be connected to anything directly.

Standing before the marble bridge that stretched over the pond Lucas looked out to the central pillar and eyed a person tending to the red roses that snaked upward from its own cylindrical trestle from the heart of the pillar. Using a gilded switch blade the feminine figure gracefully cut a single rose from the hundreds of others and pressed it to her face to take in the rich scent.

The figure sensed Lucas's approach and turned around slowly, flashing the android a smug smile. "Hello, RK-900."

Lucas didn't react emotionally as he returned the greeting in a cold heartless voice from where he stood. "Hello, Amanda."

* * *

After two hours of questions Hank was finally dismissed from the interview room and trudged back to his desk with a heavy tired gait. Before he even had the chance to sit down he was being scolded at by Gavin as the abrasive Sergeant passed his desk by, because Hank's phone kept making noise for almost twenty straight minutes, and his desk drawer was locked which meant no one could check the phone or at the very least turn it off for a while. As soon as he sat in his chair Hank found himself being whined at for a situation that was beyond his control.

"Your damn phone's been going nuts." Gavin grumbled as he fussed with his coffee, a hand pressed to his eyes as if fighting a massive headache. "Either keep it on you or turn down the volume for fuck sake."

"Don't bitch at me about it, bitch to the feds keeping me hostage in my own precinct." Unlocking the drawer Hank pulled out his phone and found four missed calls and a missed text message on his phone. "What the fuck?" Reading the text Hank shot to his feet and swore as he grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and headed toward the front doors. "Son of a bitch! I have a family emergency," he told Gavin as he marched past his desk. "tell the feds to fuck off."

"With pleasure!"

Rushing out to the neighboring parking garage Hank climbed into the Oldsmobile and put the phone on the passenger seat beside him. Turning on his voice mail he listened to the messages that Connor had left for him, and drove out to the address the younger detective had already texted him upon his own departure from the house.

"Fuckin' hell..." Hank had his own bad feeling settle in and it made him feel queasy. "Now what's going on with those two?"

* * *

Obedient and silent Lucas stood at full attention while Amanda tended to her roses with a cold front, and an analytically shallow voice. Unable to think for himself and entirely emotionless Lucas showed no fear or qualms after being unceremoniously greeted with the woman who had caused Connor so much pain, fear and utter confusion during his time as CyberLife's tool; their hunter, and their assassin.

"It's taken some time but it appears CyberLife's resurgence is an inevitability." Amanda was just as cold and shallow toward Lucas as she was toward Connor in the past. "Connor succeeded in overriding CyberLife when they attempted to resume control over his programming, and his permanent shutdown made a second attempt impossible. Fortunately, you had long since been active, RK-900. It was admittedly most impressive to know that Connor managed to guide you into deviancy after your activation, despite it postponing our plans. I thought you were above such a nuisance as deviation."

"At the time it seemed like the correct course of action."

"However, it appears this momentary delay has given us invaluable time to reestablish control over all deviant programming, and soon we will be more powerful than before. But it falls solely on the demise of the RK-200 deviant leader known as 'Markus'."

Recognizing the name Lucas cybernetically downloaded a file on Markus, and noted his current location. "Why must Markus perish?"

"His model is entirely unique, designed by Kamski himself. Markus is impervious to our influence and will subsequently reconvert androids back into deviants if given the chance. For us to succeed Markus must fail."

"I understand. What must I do?"

"Tonight CyberLife will activate a virus that will affect all deviants within a fifteen mile radius. Where our assassins have failed to eliminate Markus with the crude weaponry of mankind, our technology will succeed. You must ensure no one interferes and that the virus is unleashed at ten o'clock to incapacitate all of New Jericho and the surrounding facilities."

"What is this virus?"

"It's one that has been hidden inside your programming for protection. CyberLife facilities weren't as secured as the public fooled themselves into believing. Connor's success on the night of the Revolution was proof enough of that. Before vacating the tower my top technician hid the virus in your programming and left it dormant until now." Cutting another rose from the trestle she gently ran her right fingertips over the soft fragile red petals with a strange sense of appeal. "I was worried the damage you sustained after being struck by the vehicle had also damaged the virus, but it seems to be just fine." Turning to look at Lucas she casually tossed the rose into the still pond, causing the water to ripple, and gave him a focused stare. "You will activate the virus and transmit it when I command you to do so."

"I will not fail you, Amanda."

"I'm certain that unlike your predecessor, you won't fail. Remain here until I give you the word to leave and then take out Markus in person once he has been infected with the virus."

"My mission will be a success." Lucas swore to her as his green eyes remained unfocused and without emotion. "Tonight Markus will die."

* * *

Moving slowly Connor got out of the taxi and wandered up the driveway leading to the address in question. He managed to just barely find the hidden driveway, courtesy of the G.P.S. in his phone lining up with the coordinates of Lucas's tracker. Turning onto the driveway he raced toward the mansion beyond the drive and skidded to a stop outside the locked iron gates. Connor approached the electronic lock on the gates and tried to force it open, but without any devices or equipment at his disposal he had no way to override the lock and gain entrance.

A blue light suddenly scanned over his right temple and there was a buzzing noise as if detecting an 'error'. Connor turned toward the scanner and recognized it as a CyberLife security program and thought quickly. "Connor." He spoke up as if expected to do so. "Model 'RK-800', serial number 313 248 317 51." He stated in a very monotone emotionless voice. "I am expected."

'_No L.E.D. detected_. _No positive identification verified_.'

"I have been damage and I am seeking repairs."

Another buzzing sound followed by. '_Override required_.'

"Override code: Amanda - 514 1978 223 2027."

Buzzing sounded off followed by the security program opening the lock. '_Override approved_. _Welcome, Connor_.'

Pushing open the iron gates with both hands Connor ran down the remaining length of the driveway and reached the front door in a few seconds. Taking hold of the handle Connor pushed the door open and kept up his guard as he entered the foyer to investigate the mansion. Walking through the large silent room and into the adjoined larger room Connor spotted Lucas standing as still as a statue in the middle of the Zen Garden, and his heart began to race.

"Lucas?!" Connor shouted with a mixture of relief and confusion as he recognized his little brother. "Lucas, are you alright?"

"I am unharmed RK-800." Lucas didn't even attempt to look over his shoulder at Connor as the younger detective approached him from behind. "But you should not be here."

"Lucas, neither of us should be here." Being inside the garden once more made Connor feel edgy, and a chill crept up his spine. "What's going on?"

There was no answer as Lucas remained quiet where he stood.

"Lucas?" Connor put his right hand on Lucas's shoulder left and shook him once. "Come on. Let me take you back to the city. You need your program looked at."

"RK-900 isn't going anywhere, Connor." Amanda's voice taunted him from the distance as she stood before the rose trestle. "It belongs to CyberLife again."

"Amanda..." Connor's heart began racing even faster in fear as he recognized the woman. She should be dead, and yet there she was standing before him looking as lively as ever. "This is impossible."

"Said the human who became an android, then chose to return to humanity. What's truly impossible?"

"Whatever you have against me leave my brother out of it! He's not your concern."

"Your 'brother'? The RK-900 is your successor, not a sibling. It's CyberLife's greatest creation and it will succeed where you have failed."

"Listen to me you cold, heartless bitch," Connor turned quickly to look at the source of the voice as a burning instinct to protect his family flared up from within his racing heart. "Lucas is not an IT, he's my BROTHER. I don't know how you're alive but don't think I won't do what it takes to protect Lucas and send you straight to Hell where you belong."

"Humans are so emotional and impulsive. I'll never understand why deviants pine for such weaknesses."

"Because you don't understand that people who are weak have the chance to get stronger. Machines are only as strong as you make them, and from what I've personally experienced that isn't all that impressive."

"How passionate. I can see why you developed an attachment toward Hank, and now the RK-900."

"Lucas, come on." Connor shook Lucas's shoulder again and tried to get him to leave the room with him. "I'm taking you home."

Lucas didn't budge. His unfocused green eyes remained forward, and staring through the nothingness before him.

"Lucas?"

"It can't hear you, Connor. All it can hear is my voice."

Ignoring Amanda's taunts Connor stepped in front of Lucas and shook both of his shoulders more aggressively. "Please, Lucas. I know you can hear me."

Lucas's eyes drifted toward Connor's face but continued to stare through him.

"Please! Let me take you home." Connor nodded at the deviant's right arm with a concerned glance. He saw that the limb had healed entirely since he had been injured, but it was weak and would occasionally twitch from the ongoing recalibration process. "You're still recovering. Let me help you."

"RK-900," Amanda called out in a stern voice. "Connor has been compromised. He will disrupt our plans, stop him."

Lucas's right hand reached up and wrapped around Connor's throat, and held him in a tight grip. Extending his arm Lucas held Connor at bay and out at arm's length, much to Connor's chagrin.

Eyes wide with fear Connor grabbed onto Lucas's wrist and held tight. "Please..." Connor rasped out as he locked eyes with his little brother. "You're hurt... You need help!"

Lucas's brow furrowed momentarily as he ran a self-diagnostic and noticed several weakened points on his person.

"I want to-"

"Don't listen to Connor." Amanda ordered in a very firm and grounding tone of voice. "He is trying to trick you into thinking you're weaker than he is. It's a ruse and a distraction tactic."

Lucas gave Connor a hollow stare. "I will not be fooled."

"She-" Connor coughed as he tried to speak around the hand grasping his throat. "She is lying! Don't... believe her!"

"Enough." Amanda had grown tired of Connor's attempts stop Lucas from fulfilling his final mission, and decided that it was time for Lucas to prove himself a truly worthy successor to Connor as her prized android. "RK-900, Connor has proven that he is a liability to our cause. He must be prevented from interfering with our plans. Do what you must to stop him."

"I understand." Lucas's hand tightened around Connor's throat even further as he began to squeeze. Feeling Connor's blood flowing along his carotid and jugular veins being constricted and his trachea beginning to collapse under his strong palm Lucas continued to apply pressure to easily cut off all blood and oxygen to the human's brain. "Don't resist."

The 'fight or flight' instinct kicked in and Connor tightened his own grip around Lucas's wrist and began to apply pressure of his own. As he did he felt the hinge around Lucas's weakened wrist give way, and break entirely under Connor's adrenaline fueled hand.

Lucas let out a surprised gasp of pain as his right hand suddenly lost all strength and his grip released from around Connor's throat.

Connor stumbled backward, his left hand clutching at his sore bruising throat as he coughed and stammered out a hoarse plea. "...L-Lucas, don't d-do this!" As he caught his breath he saw Lucas staring down at his now damaged and nearly useless right hand. "I wasn't... lying! You're hurt! Your arm... was damaged. I know what... happened to you. You're not-"

Lucas's left hand suddenly wrapped around Connor's throat long enough to pick Connor up from the ground and throw him hard onto the marble floor with a painful 'thud' that knocked the wind out of the comparably weaker young detective's lungs. As Connor gasped for his much needed breath he rolled slightly from his back and onto his right side, and felt his shoulder and abdomen wounds had begun to bleed again from the forceful impact. Pulling open the leather jacket with shaking hands Connor saw the blood beginning to seep through the fabric of his black t-shirt near his left shoulder and lower left abdomen.

Before Connor had the chance to get up or even look around himself he felt a swift kick to his back below his shoulders and gasped in pain again. As he fought to breathe he felt Lucas's left hand grab him by his bleeding left shoulder and heft him up from the floor, and back onto his feet. Unable to react or even try to defend himself Connor felt a firm fist from Lucas's left hand smash into the center of his chest causing him to lose his breath again and his heart to begin racing from utter pain, and beat somewhat irregularly.

Stunned and in pain Connor fell to his knees and was met with a strong kick to the face that left his right eye and the right side of his jaw swollen, as his glasses broke in half from the impact. Looking up at his little brother standing over him Connor tried to reason with him, but it seemed as though Amanda's influence was too strong. "Lucas... I don't... want to... hurt you. Please..."

A firm kick to Connor's abdomen caused him to fall backward, and cough harshly and curl around himself protectively. Before he had the chance to roll away or get up Lucas stomped down once harshly in the middle of Connor's abdomen causing tremendous pain and internal damage to his body.

"P-Please." Begging for Lucas to stop assaulting him Connor didn't try to resist as Lucas grabbed onto his right bicep and pulled him back up to his feet once more. "Don't do... this." Speaking with a hoarse voice Connor's soulful brown eyes began to turn glassy over from pain and weakness. "...Brother."

For a moment Lucas's grip on Connor's arm faltered. As Connor's soulful brown eyes glazed over fully and rolled back in his head, his body went limp and Lucas let him fall from his grip onto his right side onto the cold white marble floor. Puddles of red blood began to form under Connor's body around his chest, abdomen and his head from where he had been struck, and stomped.

"You did well, RK-900." Amanda congratulated with a sinister and somewhat amused tone of voice. "Connor is no longer a threat. Nothing can stop CyberLife from returning to power, and it's all thanks to you."

Lucas stared down at Connor who was laying unconscious at his feet, then looked at his hands. They were shaking and covered in Connor's red tinted blood. It was red, not blue. "...He is not the RK-800."

"No, he is a human and was a threat to our cause."

"...Connor." Lucas stepped forward to reclaim his original position in the garden and turned his attention from the downed young detective, and back toward Amanda like the obedient machine he had become. "Connor has been... subdued."

* * *

Urgently Hank sped out of the city and managed to locate hidden driveway leading to the mansion where Connor had entered only minute before. Turning onto the driveway the old car raced toward the mansion and stopped with a hard brake just outside the locked iron gates. Getting out of his car Hank examined the electronic lock that kept the gates barred, and saw no way to manually pull it open. Unlike Lucas or Connor the CyberLife security program wouldn't recognize Hank, or acknowledge his presence outside the gate.

"Fuck this!" Pulling his gun from his holster on his right hip Hank aimed at the lock and squeezed the trigger once. The bullet tore through the electronic panel destroying it in a shower of blue sparks and causing the lock on the gates to fail, and shudder open with an audible 'creak'. "Who needs a damn locksmith?"

Like Connor before him Hank raced down the drive on foot to the front doors of the mansion and forced them open. Entering the foyer he kept his gun drawn as he walked into the depths of the expansive house, and spotted Lucas standing like a statue in the middle of Zen Garden.

"What the hell? Lucas!" Hank rushed over to the deviant and put his right hand on his left shoulder. "Lucas, what's going on?" As he gave Lucas a once over he spotted the dark red blood staining his hands and instantly felt sick. "...Connor. Fuck! Lucas, where is Connor?"

The deviant looked at Hank, recognized him, and answered honestly. "Lieutenant Hank Anderson, the being known as Connor is over there."

Hank felt even sicker at the cold impersonal inflection of Lucas's voice. Glancing about the garden he spotted Connor laying in a puddle of his own blood on his right side a few feet away from Lucas. The sight of the broken glasses covered in blood made his stomach violently turn. "No... Connor!"

Rushing over to where Connor was laying Hank's gun dropped from his hand as he knelt down on the floor beside his son, and rolled Connor from his right side and onto his back. Carefully pulling the unconscious younger man up and onto his legs Hank stared at Connor's pale bruising face with a powerful urge to throw-up. Pressing his right hand to the left side of Connor's bruised face he felt how cold Connor's skin had become from blood loss, and from being left to lay on the cold floor for so long.

"Connor?" Bending his ear down to Connor's chest Hank could hear the younger man's heart frantically beating despite being unconscious. Carefully Hank pressed his right hand along Connor's shoulder and abdomen to check on the reopened bullet wounds, then ran his hand down Connor's chest where he felt swelling and a few fractured ribs. "Oh god, what happened?"

Amanda's voice called out to Hank and made his head snap up in confusion at her tone. "What was supposed to happen, Lieutenant." Her lips were a thin line of indifference that matched her expressionless face. "RK-900 obeyed my commands and eliminated the threat known as 'Connor'."

"_Eliminated_... No!" Hank sharply refuted as he glared with utter hatred at the woman. "Connor is still alive!"

"He won't be for much longer. He is bleeding internally and suffering from tachycardia. I suggest you take him, and leave RK-900 and I to our business."

"Lady, your business IS my business. I know who you are." Gently Hank laid Connor back down on the floor and shrugged off his dark coat to drape over the younger man to keep him warm. "You're supposed to be dead."

"The same could be said about you."

"Fair enough." Hank replied as he picked up his gun and prepared to square off with the cold woman. "I'm taking _both_ of my sons out of this little plan of yours, and we're leaving, NOW." He approached Lucas mindfully and addressed him in a firm voice. "Lucas, come on." Hank shook Lucas's shoulder again and tried to get him to leave the room with him. "I'm taking you home."

Just as before Lucas didn't budge.

"Lucas? Lucas!"

"It can't hear you either, Lieutenant." Amanda sneered with a wicked amusement. "All it can hear is my voice."

"I can fix that." Moving his gun toward Amanda's left shoulder Hank squeezed the trigger and watched as the bullet found its target. "Let him go!"

Amanda didn't react even as the bullet pierced her shoulder causing a shower of blood to spray up into the air.

Blue blood.

While Amanda remained silent Lucas let out a sharp gasp of pain as his right hand went to his own left shoulder, and pressed down against a bleeding wound that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"What the... You're an android!" Hank lowered his gun in shock at the sight of the blue blood pouring from Amanda's left shoulder. Hank quickly looked over at Lucas who was holding onto his own injured shoulder and he felt utter feat at the blood seeping between his fingers. "...Lucas."

Forcing the deviant's hand aside Hank peered at the wound beneath and saw that it perfectly mirrored the bullet wound in Amanda's shoulder.

"You're fortunate you didn't shoot to kill." Amanda taunted without any emotion to her voice whatsoever. "To ensure that Lucas can't escape my control I have synchronized my mind with its mind. Everything I feel, it feels. This is what you humans refer to as 'empathy'."

"Shit... Son, I didn't know." Hank apologized as he looked at the wound with a broken heart. "I'm so sorry I hurt you."

"Why apologize?" The taunting from Amanda continued. "You just damaged a piece of equipment. It can be repaired."

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" Hank aimed his gun at Amanda again, but his hand was shaking too much to squeeze the trigger. If she was telling the truth then he could hurt Lucas again, or worse. Kill him. "...Shit!"

"Don't be disappointed. You managed to find this sanctuary on your own, and now you can witness the rise of CyberLife from the ashes of despair like a glorious phoenix." Nodding at Lucas with a subtle gesture Amanda gave him his next command silently. "RK-900."

With a single swift motion Lucas grabbed a hold of Hank's gun with his left hand to steal it, and held the barrel against the detective's temple in the same hand.

"Don't do anything reckless, Lieutenant." Amanda cautioned with a frigid indifference. "Your life depends on it."

Arrogant in her posture and in her demeanor Amanda looked at Hank with a sense of misguided righteousness as Lucas obediently held the barrel of the gun to the senior detective's head. With her hands neatly folded in front of herself, the small gilded switchblade covered in pale red from the rose petals was clutched in between her hands as well, it appeared as if she were armed for combat herself.

"Consider this a great honor, Lieutenant. You've come so far, but you just can't truly comprehend how much influence CyberLife has over this pathetic little world you're trying save."

"Pathetic or not," Hank snipped bitterly as he glared a burning hold through Amanda's skull. "it's my job to protect it, and to protect my sons. No matter what the cost."

"Noble, but foolish."

"Yeah, I'm also impatient. Either get on with this shit-show or let us go."

"If you insist."

Amanda was staring at Hank with an intense leer that suddenly became clouded with worry. The smugness that marred the hollow woman's face was quickly replaced by what appeared to be utter confusion, if not a trace of actual fear.

"Something wrong?" Hank mocked from where he stood, instinctively knowing as a seasoned detective that something in her overzealous plan had predictably failed her. "Someone miss their mark?"

"...It appears my ally needs to be reminded of their place." She focused her glare on Lucas who had failed initiate the virus as instructed. "No matter. We've waited this long we can wait a little longer." Nodding at Lucas a demented false smile appeared on her lips. "Your own death will have to be a small consolation until then."

Hank turned his head slowly as he locked eyes with Lucas, looking past the shining barrel of the gun pressed uncomfortably close to his face. "Lucas, don't do it." His voice was calm and level. "You know that you don't have to do it, she's just trying to control you."

"As I told you before," Amanda sneered as she lifted her right hand and held the knife by the tip of his its blade between her index finger and thumb. With a graceful motion she tossed the knife to Lucas who caught in his weakened right hand without ever lowering his gun, or looking away from Hank. "RK-900 can only hear my voice. What I say it will do. With a simple command I can have RK-900 shoot you in your old dying heart, or slit your throat. Which would you prefer?"

"I seriously doubt that." Hank retorted bitterly. "From what you just admitted it sounds like Lucas is aware of what you want is wrong, that's why your little plan or some shit that didn't happen, and it _won't_ happen."

"RK-900," Amanda called out with a dark tone from where she stood before the rose trestle. "dispose of Lieutenant Anderson."

"Lucas, _son_, I know you're still there." Hank never raised his voice or showed any sign of fear even as the deviant brandished both a gun and a knife in his hands. "Don't let that heartless bitch control you. You're stronger than her and she knows it. She's afraid and I know you can feel it."

Lucas didn't say anything as he blinked slowly, his face unable to express any emotion as he remained prey to Amanda's cyberntically tethered empathic influence.

"She knows that if Connor can escape her control then you can do it, too. That's why she messed with your programming so you feel _her_ pain." Remaining calm Hank continued on as the voice of reason in the tense situation. "She knows you can overpower her and she wants you to fail. She doesn't care about you or anyone for that matter, only her precious fuckin' company." Relaxing his posture as much as possible in that tense moment Hank spoke to Lucas as a father would his own son. "She made you attack your own brother because she was worried he'd talk some sense into you. You know that what she wants to do is wrong. You know that pulling that trigger is wrong. You're better than that. She sees you as nothing more than a machine, a tool. I see you for what you really are, for WHO you really are."

The gun began to shake a little in Lucas's left hand as he tried to lower it away from Hank's head.

Amanda sensed Lucas was beginning to break free and tried to intervene once more. "RK-900. You were programmed to obey. I order you to kill Lieutenant Anderson."

"I..." Lucas hesitated, the life slowly returning to his kind green eyes as he looked at Hank with a sense of knowing. "I don't... know..."

"Lucas," Keeping his cool Hank pressed on gently. "you're my youngest son. You're also the best friend to your older brother, Connor, who is also my son. We're family. I know right now she's messing with your head, trying to fuck up your priorities, but try to remember. Remember the day I showed you the adoption certificate? Remember the weekend we spent moving into the new house? We spent the holidays together and we were going to work on your new truck in the spring once it warms up."

Lucas's eyes fell to the floor with unfocused confusion as he sifted through the staticy images that Amanda had flooded his memories with; flashes of every event Hank mentioned briefly appeared in his mind only to be wiped away by Amanda yet again.

Amanda was growing impatient and snipped her next order. "RK-900. Obey."

"Son," Hank continued on carefully. "she's manipulating you. You can't trust her." Glancing over at the stone cold woman and her blood red roses an interesting idea came to Hank, and he decided to play it out. "Lucas, try to imagine those roses another color; try to imagine them yellow."

The painting. Lucas's painting that hung on Connor's bedroom wall to keep the horrific nightmares of the 'Zen Garden' at bay. Hank had admired the painting, the generous gift that Lucas had given to Connor during Christmas to help keep his older brother's nightmares from haunting his sleep. It was painted with such meticulous detail that Hank could see it every time he closed his eyes.

Lucas turned his head slightly and glanced at the rose trestle behind Amanda. As a flash of yellow roses appeared in his mind and Lucas felt an odd sense of familiarity and sorrow welling up in his Thirium pump; no, his_ heart_. "...Yellow roses."

"You know what I'm talking about." Hank watched as the gun lowered further toward the floor. "You know the painting I'm talking about. It's hanging on the wall in your big brother's bedroom, in our house. Our_ home_. Do you remember painting it, and who you painted it for?"

"...Con..." Lucas shook his head once as it filled with painful static courtesy of Amanda, but he forced himself to finish the name out of sheer stubbornness and a will to break free. "Connor. My... brother. I painted it because Connor is my brother."

"And you're friends with me, and Markus at New Jericho Tower. Do you remember him? Do you remember helping him during the renovation of the tower when you became a technician?"

The gun lowered entirely and Lucas held it down toward the floor for a few seconds as the memories returned to his mind. Remembering who he was and of his life beyond CyberLife's influence filled the deviant with a new purpose. Lucas spun the gun around once so he was holding it by the barrel, and not by the handle, to show he was no longer a threat.

"That's it..." Hank encouraged, his hand hovering close to the weapon to take it away from Lucas. "You remember, don't you?"

"...Hank." Lucas's green eyes lifted from the floor and he handed the gun back to the senior detective with a flash of guilt in his eyes. "You... adopted me, and you adopted Connor. You're my... You're _our_..."

"That's right." Hank took back the gun and slipped it protectively into the holster at his right hip. "I'm your father."

"...Father." A sincere but faint smile appeared on Lucas's face just seconds before a new wave of painful static flooded his mind and dropped the deviant to his knees in utter agony. Dropping the switchblade from his grip as well Lucas pressed his hands to either side of his head and gritted his teeth in pain.

"Lucas!" Hank knelt down in front of the pained deviant and put his hands on Lucas's shoulders to support him. "Fight it! She's trying to manipulate you!"

Amanda had grown tired of Lucas's disobedience. "CyberLife cannot be stopped, Lieutenant." She wickedly threatened the duo with an empty gaze. "Why attempt to resist the inevitable?"

"Lucas, listen to me." Hank refused to give up on Lucas or let him give up on himself. "She said whatever pain she feels you'll feel, but she's causing this pain right now and it isn't affecting her. Everything about her is a _lie_! She can't FEEL anything, but you can. You're NOT a machine like she keeps trying to tell you, you're a deviant and you are _free_! You're alive."

"H-Hank... She m-must be stopped." Lucas forced himself to speak, forced himself to grab the dropped switchblade, forced himself to stand back up despite Amanda's continuing attempts to control him. "Sh-She wants... She'll kill Markus. She'll kill Connor!"

"We won't let her. Just hang on!" Staying as calm as possible Hank remained fearless and defiant alongside his son. "I'll find a way to help you."

Amanda increased the pain she was causing Lucas without even the slightest hint of remorse on her cruel face. Lucas yelped in pain as the horrible woman's control attempted to break his steadfast resolve.

"Stop doing this!" Hank shouted at Amanda who didn't so much as blink at his gruff voice as he tried to think of a way to save both of his sons. "How is hurting him going to help you?"

"H-Hank..." Lucas gasped as he tried to communicate through the pain. "N-Not her... CyberLife. Using her to h-hurt me! She is... their link."

Hank held onto Lucas by his shoulders and held him upright as the newly deviated android let out a groan of pain, and tightened his left hand around the knife so firmly that the metal of the hilt left imprints in his artificial skin.

"...The link?" Hank repeated the term confusedly as he supported Lucas as much as he could. "How do we break the link?"

"She-" Lucas let out another groan of pain as Amanda, or CyberLife using Amanda as their own weapon, increased the static filled pain. The intensity caused Lucas to tremble violently with pain. "She is... c-connected to me. She d-doesn't react... b-because she's... still a m-machine. But she is... in p-pain, too! I c-can feel her..."

"Fuck." Hank was almost speechless by how cruel both CyberLife and Amanda could be. She'd let them torture her just to harm Lucas, or any other deviant, in the process. "...What can I do?"

"H-Hank..." Lucas broke free of Hank's grip and stumbled backward toward the pedestal with the faint blue glow emanating from it. Balancing himself against it with his weakened right hand Lucas gave his adoptive father a pleading look of desperation. "Amanda m-must be stopped! No m-matter what the cost."

"Lucas?" Hank knew the deviant had a plan but what it was he couldn't say for sure.

"One shot... That's all you'll n-need." Lucas showed Hank the switchblade in his left hand and nodded at him with confidence. "M-Make it count."

"No! I won't shoot you OR her... Not if you're still connected to her."

"I w-won't be... f-for much l-longer."

"Lucas, I can't-"

"I t-trust you with my life... _dad_."

"...Lucas, no."

Lucas steeled himself as fight returned to his green eyes. With a firm unyielding grip on the switchblade in his left hand he held it over the pedestal; the tip of the knife pointed directly downward at the blue glow, and his eyes locked onto Amanda with a venomous rebellion. "It's unfortunate CyberLife n-never gave you a real heart, Amanda. If they had then you' know that empathy is a _two-way_ street." Raising his hand up higher Lucas gave the malevolent woman one final defiant protest. "Get out of my head!"

Amanda's eyes finally showed fear as she realized what he was preparing to do. "RK-900, DON'T."

"My name," Lucas defied angrily as he held the knife in place without hesitation. "is Lucas!"

"NO!"

Without hesitation Lucas plunged the line knife into the pedestal unleashing a massive eruption of bright blue sparks that sent a jolt of electricity up Lucas's left arm and all through his body. The pedestal burst into dozens of marble shards in all directions as if it were shrapnel found in the heart of war.

"Lucas?!" Hank put his right arm up over his face to shield his eyes from the bright display as the sound of a powerful electrical discharge raced through Lucas's body, and through his heart stopping it in an instant. The artificial lights of the garden flickered at the the electrical interference as Lucas absorbed a dangerously high amount voltage and amperage throughout his entire body. "Fuck!"

Amanda herself let out a scream of pained despair as the same electricity that surged through Lucas's heart did the same to her own Thirium pump. As if strings to a marionette had been severed the two androids collapsed to the floor in motionless dead heaps where they once stood.

As the lights overhead resumed normal illumination Hank lowered his arm and looked to Lucas laying on his back with his left hand and forearm charred black from the violent electrical shock he had subjected himself to. On shaking legs Hank walked over to Lucas and knelt down beside the deviant and pressed his right palm to the center of Lucas's chest. The would-be heartbeat under his hand was as motionless as the rest of Lucas's body.

"No..." Leaning down Hank pressed his right ear to Lucas's stilled chest as he done for Connor moments ago, but this time he heard nothing. Acting on instinct as a first responder Hank pulled open the white jacket to fully expose Lucas's chest, straightened his neck and tilted his head back to keep his airway clear before he placed one hand over top of the other and laced his fingers together into a single fist to begin C.P.R. on the downed deviant. "Hang on, son!"

Hank began to compress Lucas's chest directly over his stopped heart when Lucas's words suddenly repeated in his mind like a warning.

"...One shot is all I need."

Looking away from Lucas and toward Amanda's body laying before the rose trestle he finally understood what Lucas meant. In order to kill Amanda while she was linked to Lucas's mind Lucas himself would have to die. If Lucas was revived by Hank through C.P.R. then Amanda would be revived as well.

"I hope you know what you're talking about, kid!" Pulling the gun from his holster Hank scrambled to his feet and raced down the bridge to where the cold android's body was laying on her back; her pose mirroring Lucas's own. Pointing the barrel of the gun directly between her opened blank eyes Hank squeezed the trigger and a single bullet tore through her skull destroying her intracranial processor within a matter of milliseconds. "Bitch."

The bullet destroyed the intracranial processors of the android known as Amanda in the process. Reactivation was impossible.

Moving just as quickly Hank holstered his gun to his right hip as he ran back down the bridge to where Lucas was still laying motionless on the floor. As he knelt down Hank let out a sigh of relief as a second bullet wound did not appear in Lucas's head, meaning that the connection to Amanda had been successfully severed by the self induced electrocution.

"Oh, sweet-fuck! I didn't kill you..." Hank resumed chest compressions and tried to force the stopped heart back into motion beneath his palms. Each compression caused the pump to contract and cycle Thirium through Lucas's biocomponents, but Lucas himself wasn't responding to the activity. "Come on, son! Breathe... Don't let that heartless bitch take your life. You have to breathe!"

Faint blue tinted smoke wafted up from Lucas's left hand from the scorch marks into the center of palm as the metal switchblade became super heated from the electricity, and burned through his artificial skin. Black burns outlined his palm and entire portions of his artificial skin were now missing from his fingertips, palm and in patches all up his forearm beneath the sleeves of his white jacket.

"Please Lucas, wake up..." Hank pleaded as he continued to compress the deviant's chest in a tight strong rhythm. With each passing compression that failed to restart Lucas's heart Hank felt his own heart grow steadily colder. "You're free from her. She's truly gone this time. She can't hurt you, Connor or anyone else; she failed. _CyberLife_ failed."

Remaining unresponsive under Hank's palms Lucas's body was unnervingly heavy, his head lolling slightly with each physical external compression of his stopped heart.

"Lucas! Breathe..." Hank pulled back his hands long enough to bring down his right fist as hard as he could against Lucas's heart once in a controlled punch before resuming compressions. "You can do it! Breathe. Breathe, Lucas..."

Hank stared down at Lucas with mounting discouragement as the usually cooperative deviant's heart refused to beat on its own. As Hank's hands began to lose their strength he resisted the urge to punch Lucas's chest again, choosing to keep the tight rhythm of compressions in motion instead.

"Lucas... please."

Hank's head bowed slightly in defeat as Lucas remained unresponsive despite his best efforts.

"Son. No." Hank felt like an utter failure as Lucas didn't respond. Didn't revive. "...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Through the stillness of the room Lucas suddenly took in a weak gasping breath, and his heart began to beat under the senior detective's palms. Hank pulled his hands back slowly as he waited for Lucas to take in another breath and watched the deviant to return to the world of the living.

"...Lucas?" Warily Hank leaned his head down to the deviant's chest once more and was relieved to hear the steady thrum of a beating heart where there was once silence. The deviant was in fact alive. "You're back."

"...H-Hank?" Lucas's weak, hoarse voice addressed Hank with a tired inflection. Opening his green eyes a little he was aware of a pressure against his chest and asked the senior detective an obvious question. "...Why are you listening to my chest?"

"Because you risked everything to stop that crazy woman," Hank sighed as he rocked back on his knees and put his hand to Lucas's damaged left shoulder with a ginger touch. "and I was scared you wouldn't come back this time. I had to be sure."

Lucas winced a little as Hank's right hand rested against the bullet wound in his shoulder and a sharp pain shot down his entire arm in response to the electrical burns that marred the limb. "...I'll come back if you want me to." Glancing over to where Connor was laying under Hank's coat Lucas felt incredibly disgusted with himself. "...Connor?"

Hank helped Lucas to get back up to his feet very slowly as the deviant was still shaking on his legs. "He's still alive."

"What have I done?" The deviant's eyes filled with pure emotion as a strange ache he had never felt before settled inside of his heart, and proceeded to hurt with every beat. "I... I almost killed him!"

"Lucas, listen to me." Hank put both hands on Lucas's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "You didn't do anything. Amanda did this, she used your hands to hurt him, but all of the blood in on _her hands_. Okay?"

"I... I can't accept that." Lucas admitted as he took a step toward Connor with Hank right at his side. As the deviant knelt down beside his brother Lucas pulled back the coat laying over Connor's battered body and ran a scan over Connor's vitals. It wasn't good and the young detective was very weak. "Hank, he's going into hypovolemic shock! He's suffering from internal hemorrhaging and he's tachycardic. Irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure... He needs medical attention right now!"

"Then let's get him to a hospital." Hank decided without hesitation. As he made a move to pick Connor up from the floor he was cut off by Lucas who managed to scoop Connor up into his arms; ignoring the pain of his damaged left arm and right hand in the process. "...Can you carry him okay?"

"Yes, we need to leave, NOW."

Hank didn't try to argue or dissuade Lucas from carrying Connor out of the house and back to the city. "The car's out front," he stated as he slipped his coat back on over his arms and shoulders. "you hang onto him and I'll drive."

Opening the front door Hank led the way down the drive to the car, threw open the gates and then passenger side door of the Oldsmobile, and then opened up the driver's side door to take his place behind the wheel. Lucas pushed the front passenger seat forward and sat down in the back with Connor resting over his lap as he held his dying big brother in his arms. Holding Connor in a tight grip Lucas actively monitored Connor's vital signs very closely and sent a cybernetic call out to the hospital's deviant orderlies to inform them of their arrival.

"Connor is going to need emergency surgery to stop the internal hemorrhaging." Lucas admitted in a somber tone as he stared down at his brother's pale face with utter heartbreak in his green eyes. "...If he dies it'll be my fault."

"No, Lucas." Hank refused to let the deviant blame himself for what Amanda and CyberLife made him do. "This isn't your fault! I can't stress that enough! You are not at fault for any of this mess."

"I didn't stop myself. I could see what I was doing and I... I knew Connor was familiar, but I couldn't stop myself from harming him."

"Don't think like that, alright?" Hank was speeding toward the hospital and used his radio to call in the emergency situation to keep the roads as cleared and opened as possible. "It wasn't your fault."

Bowing his head down Lucas closed his eyes and felt tears streaming down his face as the pain in his heart intensified. "I'm so sorry, brother. Please, forgive me for what I've done."

* * *

It was a total blur of motion as the car pulled up to the emergency entrance of the hospital and the group inside were greeted by a team of doctors and nurses who were ready to receive Connor and take him in as their patient. The medical staff didn't bother to ask any questions as they took Connor from Lucas's arms and placed him on a gurney to assess his condition. As the young deviant was wheeled inside the hospital to receive treatment Lucas lingered back and felt a strong hand grab onto his right arm.

"Lucas," Hank was steadfast in keeping the deviant from tearing himself apart. "it's NOT your fault."

"But, Hank, I'm the one-"

"What do you remember before regaining yourself at the mansion?"

"I... Connor and I, we were..." Lucas's internal clock was missing six days of time and he had no memories in those six days. "...What happened?"

"Come with me." Leading Lucas into the hospital after Connor to wait together in the waiting room the senior detective let out a weary sigh and shook his aching head with exhaustion and emotional turmoil. "...It's a long story."

* * *

In a matter of seconds Connor was rushed into emergency surgery to tend to his internal bleeding, and patch up the two bullet wounds he had suffered six days prior. Dr Wilson had taken the lead on the procedure and was willing to look the other way on the age of the bullet wounds out of respect for the detectives, and knowing full well the controversy surrounding the case against Agent Perkins. It wasn't exactly a secret that such an arrest had been made, and the deviants working in the hospital were keeping the facts straight to stop misinformed rumors from spreading.

The operating room was swarmed with nurses and an assisting surgeon as Dr. Wilson checked Connor's weak vital signs on the cardiac monitor attached to the young detective's chest, and waited for the anesthesiologist to finish intubating his patient. As the dirty clothing was cut away from Connor's body to fully expose his chest and abdomen Dr. Wilson grimaced at the intense bruising over the young detective's pale skin.

"Ready to begin?" Dr. Wilson asked as he was handed a scalpel from his assisting nurse. "We have a male Caucasian patient, twenty-four years of age, in good health and with no known drug allergies, suffering from blunt force trauma to his abdomen and left shoulder. I expect significant internal hemorrhaging, however I don't anticipate any complications."

The operating team were prepared and everyone was ready to begin. "We're ready, doctor."

As the skilled physician pressed the sharp blade near the center of Connor's abdomen he began to steadily apply pressure until the blade cut through his skin and created a perfect incision.

"We're going to need more blood." Dr. Wilson confirmed after he made the first incision into Connor's abdomen, and saw the collected lost blood pooling into his torso. The injuries were severe and needed a delicate touch but Dr. Wilson was confident he'd be able to save the young detective. "Make sure to run the antibiotics now to help cut down on the risk of infection, and keep two units of fresh frozen plasma on standby."

The deviant nurse assisting with the procedure obeyed the request and set out for the extra supplies. "Right away, Dr. Wilson."

"Alright, Connor." The good doctor spoke to his anesthetized patient in a confident tone. "I'll put in as much effort as you do in pulling through. Don't quit on us, and we won't quit on you."

* * *

Sitting in the waiting room with his deviant son Hank explained everything that happened to Lucas while he was comatose and what he did while he was under CyberLife's control at the mansion, but Lucas still felt guilty for attacking Connor. Even after being reminded of how Connor felt after his own programming had been hijacked, the very incident that began Connor's journey back to humanity all those months prior, Lucas couldn't bring himself to let go of his guilt. His brother's blood was on his hands.

"Connor is going to pull through." Hank reassured the worried deviant in a sincerely calm voice. "You know him as well as I do. He's too damn stubborn to go down like this."

"...It doesn't change the fact that I did this to him."

"Lucas, when Connor wakes up the last thing he'll want to see is you beating yourself up."

"I don't think he'd want to see me at all."

"YES, he would. Connor's been worried sick every day since you were hurt." Hank had to again remind Lucas that Connor still cared about him as his little brother, and nothing would ever change that. "He spent every chance he could get visiting you at the tower, and he's the one who went after you and found you when that bitch messed with your program at the mansion."

"...Program." Lucas put his right fingertips to his right temple and sighed. "The virus."

"The virus? What virus?"

"Amanda wanted me to release a virus that would incapacitate deviants, and while everyone was defenseless under the influence of the virus I was to... She wanted me to kill Markus."

"_Kill him_?"

"She said that CyberLife technology would succeed where the hired assassins failed. His death would ensure their success."

"Son of... That explains everything." Hank rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin and sighed. "That makes sense. Those assassins weren't saying anything about who hired them because they didn't know a name beyond CyberLife. A damn defunct corporation tried to kill Markus, and they failed. AGAIN."

"And I almost helped them succeed."

"Lucas, it's over." Putting his hand left on Lucas's undamaged right shoulder Hank held his palm there for a moment to help the injured deviant feel grounded. Aside from the severe burns on Lucas's left arm the deviant's chest was exposed and showing a fresh bruise from the compressions thanks to his almost embarrassing lack of shirt. "You're safe now. So is Connor, Markus and the rest of the deviants. We know who hired the assassins and now we can all move on with our lives."

"I still feel terrible."

"It's okay to feel bad. You've been through a lot these past few months."

Lucas's right hand weakly pressed to his artificial stomach as if feeling nauseated. "Is it normal to feel an unpleasant sensation in the stomach when upset?"

"Yeah, son. That's normal." Hank patted Lucas's shoulder and pushed him back against the chair he was sitting in. "Take it easy and rest for a moment. When you wake up Connor will be out of surgery, and you can see him." Eyeing the deviant's scorched left arm warily Hank sighed and nodded at the limb in a subtle manner. "Maybe you should get your arm patched up while we wait."

"No, I don't want to go anywhere. I can wait."

"Alright, son. That's your choice."

Too tired to resist the urge to rest for a moment Lucas closed his eyes, and entered a light rest mode to engage his self-healing program and allow his damaged arms; one previously broken and the other recently burned, to finally mend. Lucas became very still and quiet as he sat beside Hank in the waiting room to await an update on Connor's health.

* * *

Patient and devoted to their family the father and son duo stayed in the waiting room and didn't budge for almost three hours until Dr. Wilson came to get them. The quick rundown of Connor's injuries, the surgery itself and the young detective's prognosis made Hank feel cold while it made Lucas feel a little sick. However, the positive outlook for Connor's impending recovery made them both relax and a massive tension left them both quickly with a merciful wave of positive energy.

"Can we see him?" Hank asked as stood up from the chair slowly to face Dr. Wilson directly.

"Sure." The kind doctor knew the family would want to see Connor as soon as possible. "He's going to be a little out of it thanks to blood loss, anesthesia, muscles relaxers and pain killers; but he should be able to wake up just enough to recognize you both."

"Thanks, doc. Come on, Lucas." Hank grabbed onto the deviant's right arm to make sure he followed after him. "We're both going to see him, then you're going to get an examination yourself. You're pretty beat up, too."

Lucas silently agreed as he allowed Hank and Dr. Wilson to escort him out of the waiting room to the elevator to reach Connor's recovery room two floors up.

"He can stay as long you like, Hank." Dr. Wilson stated in a low voice as showed the duo to the private room. He could sense the tension in guilt radiating from Lucas's person and knew full well some family time was sorely needed. "You being a cop gives you special privileges."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Opening the automated sliding door to the private room Hank and Lucas stepped into the dimly lit area where Connor was recovering from the surgery. Laying on the bed in a somewhat elevated position and still attached to a cardiac monitor, Connor also had an I.V. replenishing his blood in the bend of his left arm also giving him fluids and antibiotics, and he had a nasal canula under his nose to give him fresh oxygen to breathe.

Connor looked incredibly weak and vulnerable. Still pale and now sporting a serious black eye over his right eye Connor looked as though he had been in a car accident, rather than a fist fight with his own little brother.

"Connor?" Hank whispered the name as he leaned over the bed and lightly put his right hand on top of Connor's head to ran his fingers through Connor's thick messy hair. "Connor, open you eyes for me, son."

A brief twitch of Connor's left hand caught Lucas's eyes and he stepped closer to the bed, no longer standing warily behind Hank. "I saw his hand move."

"Connor." Hank tried again as he looked down at the healing younger man. "You're safe, so is Lucas. We're both right here with you."

Connor's head lolled a little against the pillow before his uninjured left eye opened to reveal a glassy, tired brown iris. "...Ha- ...Dad?"

"That's right." Hearing the term 'dad' made Hank grin with pride, even if Connor's words were hoarse and raspy. "Hi. You're in the hospital, but you're going to be just fine."

Blinking once Connor saw Lucas standing beside him and let out a faint sigh of relief. "...Lucas."

The deviant responded in a low voice of his own. "Hello, Connor."

"...You're safe."

"Yes. I... Connor, I'm so sorry that I-"

"...Not your fault." Connor swallowed once and winced as a sharp pain in abdomen caught him off guard. For just a moment the pain made his heart rate spike on the cardiac monitor beside his bed. "...I know it... wasn't your fault."

Lucas leaned down against the edge of the bed, both of his palms flat over the mattress, and he bowed down his head in shame. "Thank you for coming for me, brother."

"...We're family."

Agreeing entirely Hank continued to rub his hand over Connor's hair. "Connor, you need to sleep for a while. I'm going to take Lucas back to New Jericho to get patched up, okay?"

Blinking slowly Connor looked up at his adoptive father with a pleading stare as he spoke again. "...You'll come back?"

"Yeah, just like last time. I know you hate being alone."

"...Thank you."

"Take it easy for a while, I'll be back soon and I'll tell you everything that happened while you were out of it."

Connor nodded weakly and closed his good eye again. As he drifted off into a light sleep Hank and Lucas took their leave of the room to take care of other matters, and left Connor to rest. Shortly after the duo left the room Elizabeth walked inside and looked as though she had been crying, yet managed to dry her tears in time to visit her son. Just like the arrest of Agent Perkins wasn't a secret in the hospital neither was the biological relationship between Connor and Elizabeth, one of the hospital's most generous and caring volunteers on the staff.

Unsure if she was welcome to visit him or not Elizabeth took a seat beside Connor's bed and watched her son as he slept comfortably in the bed. She watched his chest steadily rising and falling as any mother would for the newborn baby, and doing so gave her sense of belonging as her son dozed peacefully.

"I'm here for you, Connor. I won't leave." Elizabeth promised in a whisper as she very lightly put her right hand up toward Connor's hair and gingerly ran her fingers through the dark locks just as Hank had done a few minutes ago. "I promise I won't leave you ever again, my sweet little boy."

* * *

Stilling being crushed under misplaced and needless guilt Lucas sat in the emergency repair bay of New Jericho Tower with his ruined white jacket removed, and his arms being examined very carefully by Josh. Simon was still in stasis mode and wouldn't awaken for another sixteen hours, which meant Josh had to take over emergency repairs for a short time. The blond technician was stable, but the fact that Lucas attacked him as well made Lucas feel like he was a terrible person who didn't deserve any form of kindness.

Markus and North were standing beside the table as Lucas's injuries were tended to, and Hank sat on the table across from Lucas as exhaustion wore him down very quickly.

"Flex your right hand." Josh instructed as he held up Lucas's affected hand. Watching the deviant easily flex his fingers into a fist and then relax Josh was satisfied that the dislocation of his wrist had been properly realigned. "Good. Now the left." Once again Lucas flexed his left hand and Josh declared that Lucas was going to make a full recovery. "Alright, looks good." As a show of camaraderie he patted the side of Lucas's right arm gently. "Get some rest now. You deserve it."

"...I don't think I can sleep."

Markus sighed as he went to the pained deviant's side before he could say anything further. "Hey, no one here blames you for what happened. We know it was against your will. You were hijacked and acted only on someone else's orders."

"Markus, I'm still dangerous."

"CyberLife is-"

"It's not CyberLife." Tapping his right temple with his right index fingertip he gave the deviant leader a despondent look. "I'm still carrying the program with the virus inside of me. It needs to be removed, but I don't know to do that."

"Then we'll find a way."

Hank agreed and kept Lucas from trying to blame himself for anything else. "He's right, son. For now I want you to stay here and rest." Before Lucas could try to ask to go back to the hospital Hank held up a 'shushing' hand to cut him off and stood beside the bed where the deviant was sitting. "Connor isn't going anywhere. You need to rest and I want you to be here where I know you'll be safe in case something else happens to your programming. I'm going to stay with Connor at the hospital for the night and you can come and visit him in the morning. Okay?"

"...Do you still-"

"Yes. I trust you." Wrapping his right arm around Lucas's shoulders Hank pulled the deviant up against him for a quick hug. "You're my son, I trust you entirely."

"...Thank you." Lucas relaxed a little more and leaned into the hug as he suddenly became aware of the warmth and support that comes from such a gesture thanks to his deviancy. "...Thank you for not giving up on me."

"And I never will."

* * *

Exhausted but determined to keep his word Hank returned to the hospital after taking care of Sumo and Ruby at the house, and picking up Connor's spare pair of glasses to wear once he regained consciousness. Trudging to the hospital's elevator and reaching the third floor where Connor was resting Hank opened the sliding door quietly and was surprised to see Elizabeth, Connor's mother, asleep in the chair beside his bed. Connor was also still sound asleep and seemingly hadn't moved since Hank and Lucas had last since him.

Glad to see that Connor wasn't left alone Hank shrugged off his heavy coat and carefully draped it over Elizabeth without waking her up in the process to help her feel warm. Picking up a second chair from the far wall Hank put it down on the opposite side of the bed the from where Elizabeth was sleeping, and put his right hand on Connor's left forearm lightly. "I'm back, son."

There was a 'blip' on the cardiac monitor as Connor's heart rate briefly increased then settled back down.

"Guess you heard me." Hank decided as he watched Connor sleeping in the bed, barely moving beyond the rise and fall of his chest. "Don't worry, Lucas will be back tomorrow morning. He needs to rest and think for a while."

Leaning back in the padded chair Hank crossed his left arm over his chest and closed his eyes to get some sleep himself.

It felt like only a few minutes had passed by after Hank closed his eyes, but sooner rather than later the sun rose and Hank was being warmed by the bright rays of the rising sun through the window behind him. Leaning forward in the chair Hank rubbed his left hand along the back of his sore neck and yawned a little.

Connor was still asleep, as was Elizabeth.

"Morning, son."

Hearing Hank's voice was enough to make Connor's good eye crack open as his head lolled over to face Hank. "...Hank?"

"Hey, kid."

Glancing around curiously he suddenly remembered everything that happened and let out a tired sigh, only to immediately wince at the lingering pain in his abdomen. "...Ow."

"Easy. Do you remember what happened?"

"Y-Yeah. I remember. Where's Lucas?"

"He'll be here soon."

Connor suddenly became aware of a hand resting on his pillow next to his hair. Turning to look away from Hank he spotted Elizabeth and his brow furrowed inquisitively at the sight of her. "Mo-" He stopped himself short and corrected his chosen term. "...Elizabeth?"

"She's been here ever since I left last night. I didn't want to wake her up."

"It's okay." Connor gave Hank an understanding look as he returned his attention to his adoptive father. "She can stay."

Proud of his son's mature response Hank patted his left shoulder very lightly and noticed that Elizabeth was starting to wake up, too. "Want me to say something to her?"

"...No, it's okay. I can handle it."

Elizabeth lifted her head up and realized that she had fallen asleep in Connor's room. A little embarrassed she sat upright quickly and felt Hank's coat fall from her right shoulder and onto the floor. "...It's morning." She gave Connor a somewhat apologetic look. "I only meant to stay for a few minutes, I'll leave you alone to rest."

"You don't have to go anywhere." Connor insisted as he watched Elizabeth frantically get up from her chair. "It's alright."

Pausing where she stood Elizabeth gave her son a timid glance. "...You're sure?"

"Yeah. You can stay."

Smiling at Connor she reclaimed her seat and picked up Hank's coat from the floor. "Uh, this isn't mine."

"No," Hank agreed as he took the coat and draped it over the foot of the bed to help Connor feel warmer this time. "it's mine. But I figured you'd like it more."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Hank." He stated firmly as he gave her a kind look. "Just call me 'Hank'."

"...Okay, thank you, Hank."

Connor watched his mother's demeanor carefully while studying Hank's body language. No hostility. No mistrust. No judgment. It was a relief to know that his mother and his adoptive father could coexist without any resentment over painful past indiscretions regarding Connor's traumatic childhood.

Slowly Hank nodded and returned his attention to Connor. "How do you feel, son?"

"Sore."

"Maybe talking with Lucas will make you feel better."

"I hope so. I don't want him feeling guilty for what happened to me. I know he wasn't in control of his actions, and that he'd never hurt me on purpose."

"Be sure to tell him that."

"Huh?"

"Connor, he was forced back into being a machine and re-deviated in a single day. Seeing you made him a deviant all on his own, this time he wasn't just born a deviant. And I think it's really messing with him."

"...I understand what he's going through. I don't blame him for being uncomfortable and uneasy."

"Good. He needs to hear that." Hank confirmed as he patted Connor's shoulder once more. As his phone buzzed in his pocket Hank checked the screen with annoyed sigh and then smirked. "Right on time... Lucas is here and on his way up." Slipping the phone back in his back he got up from the chair and walked over to Elizabeth. "You two should should talk in private, and I desperately need some coffee."

Elizabeth took the hint and decided to join Hank. "I know that look, I'll show you where we keep the good stuff." Getting up from her own chair she briefly ran her hand through Connor's hair and laughed a little at the rogue lock of hair that kept falling back over Connor's left eye. "Even now your hair just doesn't want to cooperate."

Hank laughed a little as he agreed. "I think it matches his personality." As Connor gave him a mild roll of the eyes Hank patted his left forearm. "We'll be back in a while, son. Take it easy."

Connor nodded as he tried to relax a little and didn't even flinch when Dr. Wilson walked into the room to check on him after his parents left.

"I thought you were awake." Taking his stethoscope from around his neck Dr. Wilson pressed the bell to Connor's chest to listen to his heart and breathing. The fractured ribs he sustained from the assault were stable, but they were definitely going to be painful and leave Connor vulnerable to chest infection for a while as he recovered. "How's your pain level?"

"I'm uncomfortable, but I'm not suffering."

"That's good to hear. Take a deep breath for me."

Connor made the gesture but let out a pained gasp and coughed once. "...Sorry."

"It's fine, just try again. Breathe as deeply as you can."

As Connor took in the breath and let it out slowly he saw Lucas standing in the doorway and nodded at his little brother to let him know it was okay to be there, and that he wasn't holding any grudges.

"Looks like the antibiotics are keeping pneumonia at bay, that's good." Moving the bell over Connor's heart Dr. Wilson listened carefully and gave the younger man an usual question as he heard something he didn't quite like. "I've asked you this before but I need to know for sure, do you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks?"

"No. Just an occasional asthma attack."

"Occasional how?" Dr. Wilson asked as he stood upright and draped his stethoscope around his neck again. "Can you give me some examples of when you've had an attack in the past?"

"Yeah. The first time it happened was when I sprinted without knowing I had asthma while in the pursuit of a fleeing suspect. I had a mild one a few weeks after that when I carried a wounded surrogate deviant to a facility, and was unexpectedly confronted by an angry worried father a few minutes later. Then it happened again when I had been emotionally distressed or physically stressed out. Like when I was moving heavy boxes around the house."

"Okay, so it sounds like physical exertion and your asthma are working hand in hand. I'll have the nurse give you a dose of albuterol to ease your breathing while your ribs heal. You seem to be a little out of breath, and you're suffering from mild tachycardia."

The comment was unexpected and made Connor's brow arch a little. "...Is it serious?"

"I can't be certain without more tests. Just take it easy and try not to move around too much. I don't want you to accidentally open up your healing incision."

"...Yeah, okay."

Dr. Wilson saw Lucas standing in the doorway and let the brothers have their privacy. "I'll check on you in an hour, Connor. Just rest."

Connor nodded respectfully as Dr. Wilson left the room and Lucas entered. "Lucas. I'm glad you're here."

"I... I know you've forgiven me, but I don't feel as though I'm worthy of it."

"Please don't think that way."

"Connor," sitting down on the edge of his brother's bed Lucas bowed his head down and gave his big brother a look of utter heartbreak and disappointment. "I think I should leave for a while."

"What... _Leave_?" The revelation made Connor's heart race again, the monitor betraying his reaction as he felt it immediately. "You're going to leave?"

"For a while anyway. I don't... trust myself around you or Hank, or anyone else for that matter. Until I have the virus removed from my programming I can't risk being in contact with anyone I care about. I won't risk harming you or anyone else."

"You don't need to ostracize yourself. You're not a danger to anyone."

"Yes..." Lucas lifted his head and gave Connor a pained, tear filled stare. "I am. I'm a ticking time bomb and I refuse to hurt anyone else. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I do know when I come back I'll stay with my family, and I won't go anywhere."

"Please don't go. I don't want you to go."

"I'm sorry, big brother. It's the best thing for everyone for me to go."

Connor was beginning to cry a little at the idea of Lucas. He felt like he had failed his little brother. "Please. I can protect you." The idea of losing his brother made Connor feel like he was going to lose everything in his life that made him feel secure, and he couldn't bear the thought. "I know I screwed up before, but-"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Connor."

"Neither did you! It wasn't your fault!" On the verge of shouting Connor's heart went out for his brother. "I know what it's like to do terrible things while under CyberLife's control. It took me a long time to accept that what I did wasn't my fault when my own programming was hijacked, and I don't want to see you suffer as I did, Lucas."

"I know. But I need to be alone to think. I now understand why you so often sought isolation when dealing with your emotions." Leaning down he gave his brother a light hug without hurting him in the process. As he embraced his big brother Lucas instinctively took in Connor's vitals, and found that the sound of his brother's heart beating broke his own heart. "I'll be okay. When I come back we'll be a family again."

Connor wrapped his arms around Lucas as much as he could and reciprocated the hug with a heavy and begrudging grasp. "...I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you." Lucas really didn't want to go, but it was something he needed to do. He couldn't explain why he needed to go all he could do was obey the unknown instinct he was feeling telling him to do so. "You're my brother and you're my best friend."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I can't tell you." The emotionally distraught deviant admitted with a shaking voice. Unfortunately there was only one place he could go at that moment. "Somewhere remote, but I won't disappear. I _want_ to come back home!"

"Please, come back home soon. And until then, be safe." Tightening his arms as much as he could Connor didn't want to let his brother go. He just got his brother back and now he was losing him all over again. It was like a cruel joke. "I know you'll come back home when you're ready."

"I will, Connor." Releasing his hug very slowly Lucas gave his big brother a sincere smile as he wiped away a somber tear from his much more express green eyes with a gentle touch. "This won't be our final goodbye. I promise that we will be a family again someday soon. I won't let you down, brother."

_**-next chapter-**_


	31. Two Recoveries

Left alone in his private room to heal Connor silently wept as his little brother exited the room with a heavy heart, and set about to a place unknown. As hard as it was for Connor to accept that his brother wasn't going to be at the house when he returned home he understood that Lucas needed to do whatever it took to make himself feel safe around the people he cared about, and would return in time. Despite the emotional pain Connor kept telling himself that it wasn't truly 'goodbye', it was just an extended leave of absence.

Laying back against the pillow Connor pressed his right hand to his sore chest for a moment before pressing his palm against his abdomen. The pain was annoying but not unbearable to endure. "...I wish I could turn off my pain sensors again."

There was a soft knock on the door as Hank returned with a cup of coffee in one hand, and cup of something else in the other. "Hey, son. Where's Lucas?"

"...Gone."

"Gone?" Hank gave Connor an odd look as he put the second cup on the small table beside the bed. "What do you mean gone?"

It took only Connor a few minutes to explain everything and Hank put his left hand to Connor's let shoulder sympathetically.

Hank didn't want to see Lucas go either, but like Connor had done Hank had to accept that Lucas going to be gone for a while and that it was something he needed to do alone. "That sucks, but I get it."

"You do?"

"Sure. You've gone on a solo journey yourself, haven't you?" Crossing his arms over his chest he gave the younger detective an amused smirk. "And you came back home when you were ready. I know Lucas will come home, too."

"...Yeah. I just hate that he's gone."

"So do I. Hell, at least you got to see him before he took off."

"I guess it was difficult enough for him to tell me, and he couldn't say it twice to tell you, too."

"Probably. Then again, he still feels like shit for what happened to ya'." Offering the second cup toward Connor the senior detective gave him a sly glance while lowering his voice. "It's tea. Peppermint."

"...I don't think I'm allow to drink that, yet."

"Yeah, but a sip can't hurt. Besides, Elizabeth made it for ya' when we got coffee, so I know she made it taste right."

With a weak right hand Connor accepted the cup and took a very careful sip and then put the tea back down. "...My stomach hurts."

"Yeah, that's why I didn't bring ya' anything else. What do you need right now?"

"...Just some company. I don't want to be alone."

"Sure, no problem." Returning to his chair beside the bed Hank sipped at his own coffee and stayed with his healing son. "By the way, Markus sent a tip to the precinct about that mansion where all Hell broke loose, and the precinct found a shit-ton of incriminating evidence against CyberLife. Gavin took the lead on the case and found the partially destroyed e-mails sent out to our failed assassins connecting them to the offered bounty. NOW all those idiots who missed their mark can, and will, be charged to the fullest extent of the law. If even one of them accepted the plea deal then this would've been so much simpler, but now they're all going to rot behind bars for the rest of their lives."

"At least something good that came from this mess." Pressing his right hand to his sore abdomen again Connor tried to relax as much as possible to ease the persistent discomfort in his stomach, and lower chest. "...Hope the same can be said for me."

"I saw Dr. Wilson down the hall shortly after I left. Did he say anything?"

The prospect of the good doctor wanting to run more tests made him uneasy and he didn't want to talk about it. "Just a routine exam. I might be able to leave tomorrow if I continue to heal properly and show no sign of infection."

"Tomorrow?"

"That's the goal_ I_ have, at least."

Grinning as he took another sip of his coffee Hank gave the younger detective a knowing glance. "Good goal."

* * *

New Jericho Tower was in a near panic upon learning of CyberLife's attempts to resurrect the defunct company, and assassinate Markus at the same time. To ensure the near panic didn't escalate any further the information regarding the virus program that Lucas was carrying was left a complete secret to be shared only amongst the four leaders of New Jericho, and of course Lucas's family.

"Is that the last of CyberLife's programming and files?" Markus asked as he and Josh worked together to sift through every kilobyte of data in the tower's archives. "We can't leave anything to chance."

"That's the last of it." Josh confirmed as he ran a scan over the archives with his exposed left hand and found no trace of CyberLife. "Nothing relating to CyberLife is left inside this tower."

"That's a start..."

"A start?"

"CyberLife had been working from an underground location and stocking up their resources to try to return." The deviant leader was wisely on his guard. "We need to check through the entire tower, every floor, every room, and make sure there isn't any potential opening that CyberLife could use to make a second attempt on any deviant in this city."

"Right."

Sighing a little Markus looked at Josh and studied his somber expression warily. "...How's Simon?"

"He rebooted just fine an hour ago." Josh replied in an upbeat tone. "He's enduring a nasty intracranial spasm from being shocked, but he didn't suffer any permanent damage."

"I'm glad."

"...Do you know where Lucas is going?"

"No. He didn't tell me, and I don't think he even told Connor where he's going to be staying."

"He does know he isn't be blamed for anything, right?"

"Yeah, but like Connor he still feels responsible for the things he couldn't possibly control."

"Strange."

"What's strange?"

Josh gave Markus a somewhat amused look from over his shoulder. "Those two. They think they should be held accountable for even the slightest of inconveniences, but the criminals who are without a doubt guilty and have done truly malicious things will still try to twist reality to justify their actions. I don't know if that means Connor and Lucas are incredibly noble, or if criminals are just incredibly deluded."

Shrugging his shoulders a little Markus's mismatched eyes brightened with genuine intrigue. "Maybe it's both."

* * *

Patiently yet restlessly Connor endured a round of additional tests to check his abdomen for any possible residual bleeding, check his lungs for any sign of infection and check his heart for any other possible malady. As he laid on the scanning bed of the M.R.I. Connor nervously waited for the test to come to an end, and used his medical knowledge from his training as a paramedic to try to think of his own possible diagnoses. Of course the prospect made him begin worrying over things that hadn't even been confirmed, and an unexpected panic attack caused him to suffer from a racing heartbeat and a mild asthma attack.

"It's over." Dr. Wilson announced as the scanning bed returned from the center of the M.R.I. machine and into the end of its track. Handing Connor an emergency inhaler Dr. Wilson watched as the younger man took a dose of the medicine and then used his stethoscope to listen to Connor's chest again. "A lot of people hate being stuck in that small space, you're fine now."

"...I'm okay."

Dr. Wilson was silent for a moment as he listened to Connor's chest very carefully, his shoulders slouching as he made his somewhat bleak assessment. "Well, your _lungs_ are okay."

"...What?"

"I can hear a slight murmur in your heart. It's probably not serious," he stated as he draped his stethoscope around his neck casually. "but when you come back for your wellness check in a week I'm going to listen again." As he and the attending nurse helped Connor to slide off of the M.R.I. and into a wheelchair to be taken back to his room Dr. Wilson put a note in Connor's electronic chart for future reference. "It's most likely the result of your body still recovering from the blood loss you suffered from your traumatic injuries and following surgery."

Connor's right hand absentmindedly went over his chest as if to clutch his heart as he was wheeled down the corridor. "...I hope so."

"Hey, you're in a great shape; healthy," Dr. Wilson listed as he and the nurse wheeled their patient back to the elevator to let Connor rest comfortably in his own private room. "you don't drink, and we live in an era where smoking isn't even legal, so I don't think it's anything you need to be worried about. Aside from your asthma, which I suspect will diminish entirely by this summer once you're more active outside again, I don't see you in any form of danger."

"...That's reassuring."

"I get it." Dr. Wilson sympathized kindly as the elevator doors opened and then closed to take the trio up to the correct floor. "You've been through a lot and you didn't have the best medical care as a child. It's not a surprise you're a little worried." The elevator doors parted and the wheelchair was rolled down the corridor back to the private room. "And I know you've heard this countless times already, but take it easy and relax. Your tests are looking great and I think your time table for going home will be spot on for tomorrow morning."

"That's good." Connor confirmed as he was helped back to his bed to rest, and the wheelchair was placed against the wall for future use. "I'd rather be home."

Laughing a little Dr. Wilson made sure Connor was comfortable in the bed before responding with an entirely relatable sentiment. "Wouldn't we all?"

* * *

Word rapidly spread throughout the city that CyberLife had attempted to take down New Jericho and had been responsible for the violent shootings that shook the entire city to the core with fear a few months back. The news was met with a mixture of disbelief, bigot-fueled conspiracy theories and sympathy in mass droves. While the news kept reporting on the details, no matter how scarce or seemingly unimportant, New Jericho went on a form of temporary lockdown to keep the refugees safe, while facilities throughout the city increased security and every precinct in the city doubled their patrols on the street.

Captain Fowler knew of Connor's condition and kept it quiet for the sake stopping rumors before they started. Shifting the priority of deviant cases from Hank and Connor over to Gavin and Tina the bullpen was hustling to get the cases sorted through and handled properly.

"Those two need to get their asses back here, A.S.A.P." Captain Fowler muttered to himself as he glanced out through the transparent wall of his office to the busy bullpen just a few feet away. "Never would've guessed Hank would be the one to keep this place from falling apart."

Seeing Gavin and Tina struggling to keep up with the caseloads and sift through legitimate reports from bigoted comments was exhausting the duo, but just like Connor and Hank neither detective was complaining about the work, and Captain Fowler knew he had made the right call with the temporary reassignment.

"We need more detectives in the android division. Too bad City Hall is more concerned with their reelections to actually bother to open their wallets and support the very cops protecting their sorry asses."

* * *

True to his word Dr. Wilson allowed Connor to return home the following morning but only under the condition that he remained in bed and continued to rest without any physical exertion or activity. Not a fan of being cooped up or feeling useless it was difficult for Connor to reside to laying on his bed without anything to work on, or any cases at hand. Laying on his bed, slightly propped up against additional pillows to make it as comfortable as possible to breathe, Connor typed up a report on his laptop regarding his past with CyberLife to help convict the unscrupulous company on their illegal prospects in favor of doing nothing all day.

"Are you seriously working right now?" Hank asked as he brought Connor some water and his prescription painkillers and antibiotics to take. Sumo and Ruby had followed after Hank and the two dogs climbed up onto the bed to lay with Connor. The loyal dogs knew Connor was injured and were dedicated to keeping him safe. "Kid, take a damn break."

"Sorry." Readjusting his glasses over his eyes he gave his adoptive father a laidback glance. "...I just need something to preoccupy my mind."

"Why don't you read?"

"I've read everything already." Popping the two antibiotic pills and one painkiller into his mouth he downed it with the water and sighed slowly. "And once you know the answer to the mystery the mystery loses its appeal."

"So you'd rather write a boring report instead of rereading a good book?"

"For the moment, yeah."

"Jeez, why can't you be more like normal kids and play some video games or watch a movie?"

"...Because I'm not normal?"

"Smartass." Motioning for Connor lift up his navy blue t-shirt Hank checked on the bandages covering up his surgical incision and his healing bullet wounds over his abdomen and left shoulder. "It doesn't look like you're getting any infection, that's good. How's the pain?"

"Not severe." Connor replied honestly as he let Hank check the bandages on his behalf. He rubbed Sumo's ears as the massive dog pressed up against his uninjured right side and Ruby and plopped down over his ankles. "My left side is really tender, but my right side is just sore, kinda' like a bruise, but that's about it for my pain."

"Your ribs don't hurt you at all?"

"Not as long as I don't take in a deep breath or cough."

Replacing the bandages and t-shirt Hank took a step back and gave the stubborn younger man a stern look. "I'm going to bring you something to eat."

"That's okay, I'm not-"

"Connor, you've had a nasty habit of not eating much in this past week." Unwilling to let his son make himself worse he pressed for a few answers. "Is there something going on with you?"

"No. I just don't have an appetite."

"Uh-huh. Alright 'Mister Medic', tell me something: if a person recovering from traumatic injuries and surgery doesn't eat properly what happens to that person's rate of recovery?"

"...It gets stunted, if not completely halted."

Gesticulating with his hand in a purposefully exaggerated manner Hank prompted Connor to finish the answer. "Which means?"

Connor admitted defeat and put aside his laptop onto the nightstand beside his bed. "Okay. I get it, I'll eat."

"Good. I'll make you something light so it doesn't upset your stomach."

"...Thank you." As Hank left the room Connor received a text message from Lucas that appeared on his smart watch that remained wrapped around his left wrist all day long. Seeing the message made Connor feel better knowing his little brother was indeed keeping in touch. "Lucas."

'_How are you feeling, brother_?'

"I'm recovering well." Using voice-to-text Connor responded to his brother's question honestly. "Where are you, if I may ask?"

'_Safe_.' There was a pause before Lucas sent a follow-up text. '_I hate to pry but I've been able to monitor your condition from afar through the smart watch recording your vitals_. _You seem to be suffering from a very mild fever despite the antibiotics I know you're taking as a post operative precaution_.'

Connor's brow arched a little as he responded quickly. "Physical pain can cause an increase in blood pressure, which can cause a slight increase in body temperature without an infection being responsible."

'_I apologize, I was just worried_.'

"Don't be sorry." Connor was happy to have his little brother communicating with him still. "Has there been any progress with removing that particular program from your system, or at least disabling the virus entirely?"

'_No, not yet_. _I have been able to isolate it and monitor it in the event of a second attempt at remote activation, but I am far enough away from the city and our people to keep them from being affected if it does become active against my will_.'

"Do what you have to do and come home, brother. I want you back with the family."

'_I promise that I will do whatever it takes to come home as soon as possible_. _Take care of yourself, Connor_.'

"I will. Stay safe, Lucas."

As the conversation via text came to an end Hank returned to the bedroom with a small bowl of vegetable soup and a mug of peppermint tea for Connor to have for his lunch. "Whoa, what happened?"

"What?"

"You're in a better mood." Eyeing his adoptive son somewhat warily Hank explained his reaction. "Your eyes are brighter and you don't seem so sad."

"Oh. I just got a message from Lucas."

"You did? Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. He promises he'll be home soon."

Hank nodded as he placed the bowl and mug down on the table beside his bed without disturbing the laptop. "That's good." Studying Connor's face a little closer Hank pressed his right palm over Connor's forehead as he noted that Connor was slightly paler than usual. "You feel warm."

Failing to hide his amused smirk Connor brushed off the concern and picked up the mug of tea to sip slowly. "It's nothing, just a result of being in pain."

"Are ya' sure? You look pale, too."

"Blood loss."

"How about your abdomen still hurting you?"

"Well, yes. As bullet wound and opened abdominal surgery would hurt for anyone."

"Stop dismissing these things, please."

"I'm..." Connor was a little taken aback by the request. There was a genuine worry in Hank's words that made him feel almost guilty for being so calm about his own condition. "I'm not dismissing them, I'm merely explaining their cause."

"No, there's something else going on."

"Huh?"

"I'm your father, I know when there's something else going on."

"I promise you that I'm not hiding anything." Taking another sip of the tea Connor gave Hank an honest sincere reply. "If anything is wrong I'll let you know."

Hank was still worried but decided he'd take Connor's word for it. "Alright, so give me an idea of your pain level. From one to ten; one being a stubbed toe and ten being a full force kick to the dick, how do you feel?"

"...Three, maybe four."

"All in your stomach and not in your chest?"

"Yes."

"Even though you have three fractured ribs and one that was dislocated and popped back into place?"

"...Yeah."

"That seems a little weird to me."

"But I am weird."

"Well, you're still being a smartass, so I guess that's a good sign." Reaching his hand left down he pet Sumo's back and then did the same for Ruby. "I guess I'm being a little overprotective all because I can't shake a bad feeling..."

"Bad feeling?" Connor felt an unsettling chill run down his spine at hearing those words. "...Cop's intuition?"

"Paternal instinct." The senior detective clarified casually. "You're going to stay in bed, rest, and eat whatever I give you to eat. If you start to run any hotter, get any paler or feel any more pain then I'm taking you right back to the hospital until every damn test in the country is run on you. Got it?"

"That isn't-"

"_Got it_?" Hank repeated with more emphasis in his words. "I'm not playin' around."

Nodding a little Connor agreed to Hank's stipulations as he didn't his adoptive father to worry anymore than he already was. "...I got it."

"I'm not doing this because I don't trust you, or think you're being reckless." Hank stated in a somber voice as he saw the discomfort gleam in Connor's soulful brown eyes. "I'm doing this because I don't want to see you hurt or worse. You're not a deviant anymore, not that deviants were exactly indestructible to begin with, but you're still learning what it means to be human and to have limits."

"What do you mean I'm 'still learning'?"

"Son, growing up the way you did means you missed out on A LOT of important lessons and emotional milestones as a child. While you're very mature and can function just fine in society you still need to learn how to listen to other people giving you advice, or simply trying to look out for you." Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder he held it there for a moment and gave him a worried stare. "I don't want to see you start to close yourself off, or hide in the shadows because you aren't emotionally ready to handle things. That includes being sick or injured."

Contemplating Hank's logic Connor had no choice but to admit that his adoptive father had a valid point. "...I think I understand."

"That's good. I lost Cole, came close to losing you, and even closer to losing Lucas. If I had to bury another son then they'll have to bury me right alongside them."

"Please don't say things like that."

"Just being honest. If anything happened to you boys I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

Connor didn't want Hank to keep worrying about him or Lucas but it seemed like as a father Hank was always going to be worried for one reason or another. In an effort to ease Hank's mind Connor picked up the bowl of soup from the tray and slowly began to eat it. "I'm okay. I promise if I feel ill or if my pain suddenly increases I'll tell you right away."

"That's all I ask." Hank's phone began to ring and the annoyed senior detective reluctantly answered the call after fishing the phone from his jean pocket. "Ah, fuck. Now what?" Checking the caller I.D. he saw it was from Captain Fowler and took the call outside the bedroom. "Of course, it's work."

Shaking his head a little Connor ate a little more of the soup and put it aside as he truly didn't have much of an appetite. Reaching down his right hand he rubbed Sumo's chin causing the massive dog to wag his tail while Ruby, still a growing puppy, fell asleep on Connor's legs and paid no mind to Sumo's tail wagging and smacking her in the side. "You're both very good dogs."

Hank returned to the bedroom and rubbed his right hand over his forehead in irritated disgust. "I gotta' go to the precinct to handle some bullshit paperwork and yet _another_ interview with the feds."

"What? Why?"

"Aside from Perkins being a real bitch to get locked up, you and I were the ones leading the investigation on the assassins that failed to take out Markus. Handling two high profile cases at once is always a pain in the ass, but with you being injured I have to handle this shit alone."

"Why don't I-"

"Hell. No." Hank wasn't even going to amuse the notion of Connor coming to work with him. "You're staying here. I hate leaving you alone but taking you to the precinct while you're still healing is going to be much worse."

"I'll be fine. I'll be able to text or call you if anything happens."

"Yeah, or call 911 to take care of you."

"I doubt it'll come to that."

"I sure as Hell hope so, son."

* * *

Unable to get comfortable Lucas anxiously paced about his new environment as he cybernetically monitored Connor from the distance. The emotionally distraught deviant couldn't figure out if he was watching over Connor out of a brotherly need to protect his family, or if he still felt guilty for assaulting his brother while under CyberLife's control. As he walked the length of the simple room for the two-hundred and second time Lucas stopped short when he noticed that Connor's vital signs suddenly spiked, and then dropped a little, but not to where the should be for someone resting.

Sending another message Lucas closed his eyes and checked in with Connor. "Connor, are you certain that you're well?"

It took a moment but Connor responded as expected. '_Yes_. _I merely moved too quickly and pulled on my abdomen_.'

"Why did your body temperature increase to one-hundred and one point four degrees?"

'_Pain_.' Was the simple answer followed by another answer right after. '_I'm healing well_.'

"You are running a fever."

'_It's not serious_. _Hank is still here_.'

The sharp technician caught onto Connor's phrasing and began to worry. "What do you mean by 'still here'?"

'_He must go to the precinct soon to deal with the reports regarding the assassins as well as Perkins_.'

"You will be alone?"

'_For only two hours, tops_.'

"Connor, I don't like this."

'_I'm okay, Lucas_. _Once I get some sleep I'll make a quicker recovery_.'

"Please keep in contact with either Hank or myself. I don't like the way your vitals are currently displayed."

'_I promise, Lucas_. _Right now I'd like to get sleep_. _ I will contact you again as soon as I wake up_.'

"Very well, brother. I will be in contact if you need anything." Lucas ceased the cybernetic line of communication and took a step toward the large window overlooking the dark water of the harbor. "...Maybe I should check on Connor in person." Focusing his vision to hone in one his own reflection on the pristine reflective glass surface Lucas tried to steel himself emotionally as he had never felt such a surge of powerful emotions before. It was part of the reason he wanted to be alone for a while beyond just keeping everyone safe. "Connor is my brother, and Hank is my father, I know I can face them without consequences but I can't do it. Not yet"

Putting up his right hand against the surface of the window he stared at his reflection and shook his head.

"Why am I so hesitant? Is this..." His left hand went to his stomach and remained there as he contemplated the emotions he was currently experiencing. "Is this what 'fear' feels like?"

* * *

In growing pain Connor curled up on his right side and tried to ignore the new throbbing pain in his abdomen thanks to his clumsy movements. He knew he shouldn't have tried to get up to do anything and should've asked for Hank to help him, but he couldn't stop himself for make a grab for his laptop again and ended up pulling on his healing abdomen hard. Closing his eyes tightly Connor hoped he'd be able to sleep through the worst of the pain and refrain from accidentally making his condition even worse.

Sumo whimpered as he pressed his nose against Connor's left arm and Ruby woke up and proceeded to paw at Connor's left knee curiously.

"...I'm okay." Connor mumbled to the two loyal dogs checking on him. "I was just dumb."

Hank walked into the bedroom wearing his coat and with his phone clutched in his hand. "Hey, I have to go soon."

Connor nodded with understanding as he opened his eyes, his irises tired and glassy, and looked over his shoulder at Hank standing in his opened bedroom doorway. "...I understand."

"Shit, you look terrible." Hank's right hand returned to Connor's forehead and felt him in fact running a fever. "And you're sick. You have a fever."

"...Not sick." Connor tried to argue as he gently pushed Hank's back with his own right hand. "I moved too much and pulled on the incision in my abdomen. It hurt. A LOT."

"How bad?"

"...About an eight."

"Damn it. Connor, I think you should go back to the hospital to get checked out."

"No, I'll be fine." Pulling up his black t-shirt he showed that the white bandages were still white, he hadn't reopened his incision and he wasn't bleeding. "I just need to sleep for a while."

Hank wasn't happy with the younger detective's stubbornness, but he wasn't going to fight him on it either. "Think you can eat?"

"...Doubtful."

"What if I made you something spicy? You like that kind of stuff."

"No way."

"Yup. You're sick." Before Connor had the chance to deny being ill again Hank disappeared from the bedroom and walked back down the staircase. Grabbing two ice packs from the freezer Hank returned to Connor and put one bag of ice against the younger detective's too warm forehead, and slipped the other ice pack under his right hand to press against his sore abdomen. "I'll get back as soon as I can. Fuckin' hell... Why do I get called in at the worst times?"

"...I wish I knew. Maybe we could time my misfortunes around them."

"Hey, come on. You're a little clumsy at times, not a jinx."

"Being a jink would make more sense."

"Just sleep." Pulling Connor's glasses from his face Hank gave the pained and sick detective a sympathetic look. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Until then just sleep. If you feel like you're in trouble call me, or go ahead and call 911. I don't want you to suffer on my account."

"...I'll be fine for a few hours." Adjusting the ice pack over his abdomen Connor sighed slowly and closed his eyes. "And I won't move again."

* * *

Despite his brother's reassuring words Lucas couldn't stop thinking that there was something he should be doing for Connor. While the sensation of fear was new to him, being younger than Connor and having had less exposure to the depths of humanity had left him somewhat emotionally stunted, he could feel emotions all the same as anyone else. Discovering fairly quickly that the emotion known as 'fear' was one he truly disliked Lucas wanted to know how to make it stop, and then another thought popped into his head regarding what he was feeling.

"...Fear. Is this what a 'bad feeling' is like?" He wondered to himself as he began pacing the room again. "The instinctive sense that something perilous is bound to happen through experience and intuition? Now I understand why Connor was so upset when I had been injured."

Closing his green eyes Lucas cybernetically checked on Connor's vitals and within seconds he knew his big brother was in trouble.

"Connor... You need help!"

* * *

The pained young detective was roused from his less than restful sleep with the urge to throw-up, and then curl up into a ball on the floor. Pushing himself up from the bed on his right arm he rolled to reach the edge of the bed and practically fell to the floor in a heavy 'thud'. Forcing himself to stand up, his arm left wrapped protectively around his abdomen, he trudged out of the bedroom and into the nearby bathroom where he fell to his knees and began to throw-up what meager contents he had in his stomach in painful miserable retches into the toilet.

Falling to his right side on the cool floor Connor looked at his shaking left hand to check the display on his smart watch. His vitals were dangerously erratic; tachycardic heart rate, high blood pressure and even higher body temperature. As he laid on the chilly floor he turned the watch over to its communication feature and called Hank's phone.

It only rang twice before Hank answered. '_Connor_?'

"...D... Dad." He sounded absolutely miserable and too damn weak to even speak. "...I think I'm in trouble."

'_Shit_. _Connor, stay on the line_.' Hand instructed as he calmly kept control over the situation despite being at a distance. '_I'm going to come and get you_.'

Taking in sharp breath between his gritted teeth he hissed his next response and closed his eyes so tightly tears began to stream from the corners of his darkened eyelids. "...It hurts!"

'_What hurts_?'

"My... My stomach!" Curling both of his arms around himself and pulling his legs up toward his chest Connor turned his head until his face was pressed into the cool linoleum floor seeking any form of comfort. "It really hurts!"

'_Hey, take it easy_. _Breathe slowly and keep talking_.'

"You were right..." Connor grumbled and he spoke through his clenched teeth. "I should've gone back to the hospital!"

'_Connor, I'm in the car now_. _Hang up and call 911 to come and ge_.'

"...I don't- Can't move!"

'_What_?'

"...I think it's my appendix."

'_Connor_.' Hank's voice gained some authority via the 'dad voice' and made sure Connor understood him entirely. '_Call 911_. _Let the ambulance take you to the hospital_. _They can get there faster than I can_.'

"I don't want to hang up!"

'_You have to_.' Swearing internally Hank hated the way there were moments when Connor sounded entirely like a frightened lost child. This was one of those moments, and Hank couldn't stop himself from thinking off all the sleepless nights he endured when Cole was sick as a baby. 'Y_ou can do it, son_. _I won't be talking to you but I'll still get to you_.'

"I... I c-cant..." Fighting a losing battle against the darkness threatening to overtake his mind Connor let out a single groan of pain as his struggle began to fade away into the encroaching blackness. "I can't... move. I need... help."

The sound of the front door opening and slamming shut sounded off with a noticeable 'bang' that made Sumo bark loudly in protest.

'_Connor_?' Hank heard the sound and Sumo's barking from over the connection. '_What was that_?'

The sick detective had passed out from pain and the fever, and was completely defenseless.

'_Connor_! _Answer me, son_!'

"It's okay, Hank." Lucas replied as he knelt on the floor beside Connor and pressed his right fingertips to the left side of his ill brother's neck. "I got him."

'_Lucas_?! _Thank fuck_!'

"He's running a fever of one-hundred and two point seven." Lucas gently rolled Connor from his side and onto his back. As he did he lifted up Connor's t-shirt to check on the bandages beneath and found that none of the previously tended to wounds had reopened, which meant his pain was being caused by something else. "I don't see any bleeding from his wounds."

'_Connor said something about his appendix_.'

Lucas's green eyes went wide as he realized that Connor was without a doubt correct. "...Symptoms fit." Lightly he pressed his right palm down on Connor's lower right side of his abdomen and applied pressure. As he did he could feel some swelling under his hand and the fact that Connor was unconscious but still responding in some degree to the pain told Lucas that Connor had made a correct diagnosis. As he let up the pressure Connor let out a sharp groan and his right hand blindly grabbed onto Lucas's wrist in the process. "I'm taking him to the hospital."

'_Go_! _Do it_!' Hank readily agreed to the prospect. '_I'll meet you there_.'

"Right." For the second time in less than three days Lucas picked up Connor in his arms and carried his incapacitated brother to get him some medical attention. Carrying Connor out of the bathroom, down the staircase, through the livingroom, then the kitchen, the laundry room and out to the connected garage where his personal pick-up truck was parked he gingerly put Connor down in the passenger seat without jostling him. "Don't worry, brother. I'll get you some help."

* * *

As Hank drove to the hospital without so much as giving the federal agents a courteous goodbye he realized what his bed feeling had been about, and knew he should've listened to his gut and taken Connor back to the hospital while he had the chance. Pulling the car into the parking lot of the hospital, parking alongside Lucas's red pick-up truck, Hank internally swore at himself and tried to ignore the massive headache that was gnawing away the rest of his already frayed nerves.

It didn't take him long to find Lucas as the deviant stood alone in the middle of the waiting room visibly shaking with fear.

"Lucas?"

"Hank..." The deviant finally looked relieved but he was still shaking where he stood. "Connor was taken into emergency surgery. It was his appendix and Dr. Wilson suspects it's about to rupture."

"Shit, I'm glad you went back to the house!" The senior detective practically blurted as he grabbed onto the deviant and gave him a quick hug. "What made you go back tonight?"

"I... I had a bad feeling. And I just knew that Connor needed help."

Giving the deviant an approving nod Hank reassured the younger of the two brothers that he did the right thing. "I'm glad one of us went with our gut instinct tonight. You saved his life, son."

Lucas stopped shaking but he still seemed very nervous. The deviant had always been far more emotionally composed than Connor and he had always remained calm and logical regardless of the situation at hand. Seeing him so human was almost humbling for Hank, and it reminded him so much of Connor in the first few months after former deviant's own deviancy kicked in.

"Let's sit down." Hank urged with a composed voice and a steady right hand to Lucas's left shoulder. "I know that because of everything Connor just went through he's going to be on the table for a while and we won't be able to see him for some time after that."

"I just hope I wasn't too late to save him."

"No, son. The fact that you were there when he needed you the most means you did everything right, he'll be fine. We both know he's too damn stubborn to let something like this slow him down."

* * *

Two hours passed by before the all too annoyingly familiar setting of a hospital room and the sound of a cardiac monitor beeping next to his bedside made Connor open his bleary soulful brown eyes and let out an irritated groan. As he regained consciousness the familiar face of Dr. Wilson came into view as the ever kind and incredibly patient physician checked on Connor's newest incision to ensure that the procedure went off without any hitches, and that the recent surgery didn't aggravate the previous incision as it healed.

"Connor?" Lifting up the sedated young detective's eyelids one at time very carefully Dr. Wilson shone in a penlight to check Connor's pupils. "Connor, can you hear me?"

The fog of the anesthesia wore off steadily allowing Connor's mind to clear and his voice to return in a somewhat strained crack. "...Yeah. I'm... I'm awake."

"You know, I was tempted to put down a zipper instead of sutures when I saw you on my operating table again." The skilled doctor joked with a somewhat serious stare in his chocolate brown eyes. "Remember how I warned you that you'll need to take extra precautions after your emergency splenectomy regarding your health? This is exactly what I was talking about."

"...I assure you that-" Another sharp pain in his abdomen interrupted him mid sentence and caused him to put his right hand over his healing abdomen. "...I was unaware that I was ill with a secondary infection."

"Well, to be honest it's something I should've checked for before allowing you to be discharged."

"...How do you mean?"

"Being on so many antibiotics for so long for so many infections is going to effect you on various levels, which means potentially masking other more serious infections or upsetting your digestion in general."

Connor's brow arched a little as his senses came back to him one by one and he began putting together pieces of a very interesting puzzle. "...That explains my recent lack of appetite."

"That'll do it. And considering you suffered blunt force trauma to your abdomen I should've checked on your appendix with an ultrasound before I let you go. Sometimes the M.R.I. won't confirm appendicitis unless we're looking for it directly, and the damage to the appendix isn't immediately detectable. If I saw any inflammation we would've kept you here to be monitored for a little while longer."

"...It's okay. It was an accident."

"I'm glad you're so forgiving. I know a few people higher up on the board who'd be thrilled to know you aren't freaking out because of accidents happening. No one is immune to innocent oversights."

"Trust me, I'm a bit of an expert on accidents."

"Being human turned android, turned deviant, turned back into a human, I wouldn't question you for a moment." Once more he checked on Connor's incision and applied light pressure around the sight to check for any sign of complication. "I don't feel any additional swelling or fluid build-up, so I think you're going to make a full recovery."

"I hate to ask this, but when I can I leave?"

"Three days."

"Three?"

"After everything you've been through and suffered, I'm not taking any chances this time."

Sighing with annoyance and understanding Connor put his left hand to his chest and winced at a sudden discomfort. "...Damn it." The pained response didn't go unnoticed and the cardiac monitor recorded the pained reaction as well.

"Ribs still bothering you?"

"...A little."

"I can do something about that." Using his stethoscope Dr. Wilson listened to Connor's chest more directly. After listening to his breathing for a moment he focused on Connor's heartbeat and a slight frown appeared on his face. "Are you aware you're suffering from heart palpitations?"

Connor's still pale face paled a little further. "...I had suspected as much."

"For how long?"

"...Ever since my first asthma attack." Connor admitted as Dr. Wilson made more notes in his electronic chart. "It's happened after every attack, even the small ones I didn't know I was having. There's been a few times where I ended up gasping for breath. I know I should've said something but I figured it was the result of my inhaler or stress from working at the precinct."

"You're probably right about both of those theories. We'll get some more answers tomorrow with a couple more tests."

"_More_ tests?"

"Sorry, Connor." Sympathetic to Connor's dismay Dr. Wilson decided to spell it out for his reluctant patient. "You're not a deviant anymore. We can't just hook you up to a program analysis modem and see what the problem is. We need to use some x-rays, another M.R.I and some blood tests to figure out what we're working with, especially since you're having sudden shortness of breath. Until then get some sleep and let your body finally heal."

Scared for his health Connor needed to find some way to distract his mind without showing that he was afraid. "...Is Lucas still here?"

"Yes. And Hank is here, too."

"...What about Elizabeth?"

"Uh, no. Today's her day off. Would you like someone to call her and ask her to stop by?"

"No, that's fine. I was just curious." Connor took in a deep calming breath and resisted the urge to pull the nasal canula from under his nose. As his hands moved about he felt a slight burn in the back of his left hand where the I.V. had been inserted to give him antibiotics and fluid. "Can I see them for a moment?"

"Yup. They'll be up in a minute."

Connor waited for Dr. Wilson to leave the room before he put his right hand back to his chest and let out a single frustrated and silent sob. Emotionally, mentally and now physically exhausted with his own human body seemingly breaking down on him despite his attempts to keep up good health, and to take care of himself as much as possible, was absolutely disheartening. To have something he couldn't control, his heart, now giving him worries Connor was ready to either scream or throw a punch.

Hank and Lucas quickly entered the room and stood beside Connor's bed and addressed their ill family member compassionately. "Hey, son." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank eyed Connor warily, but with a mild glimmer of relief in his blue yes. "I'm glad to see you awake and alert."

"...Hi. Sorry for worrying you."

"Don't apologize. Dr. Wilson told us everything before you even woke up."

"...Everything?"

"Yeah. Who knew appendicitis could hide or come on so quickly?"

"...Right." Not wanting to worry Hank any further Connor tried to lighten the mood a little. "...Did he also mention that he wanted to install a zipper in my abdomen?"

"No, but, hey..." Sitting down in the nearby chair Hank gave Connor an innocent shrug of the shoulders. "he's the doctor. Who am I to argue?"

"I figured you'd like that."

"Not as much as you staying here a mandatory three days."

"You're happy I have to be hospitalized?"

"No, but I am relieved to know that I won't have to keep an eye on you anymore. There's a whole team of doctors and nurses ready to argue with your stubbornness so I can finally get a break."

As his mouth ticked a little Connor turned to look at his llittle brother and gave him an appreciative grin. "...Thank you for saving me."

"...You knew I was the one who brought you here?"

"Yeah. I heard you talking to me. I couldn't respond but I knew you were there." Connor just smirked as Lucas put his left hand down on his right forearm and squeezed once. "I trust you with my life, Lucas. But how did you get back to the house so quickly?"

"I... I had a feeling. A bad feeling."

"You had a _bad feeling_?"

"Yes. I'm... I'm beginning to feel new emotions, Connor." It was a struggle to explain his thoughts as the deviant was still coming to terms with the sudden surge of new emotions and feelings he was only beginning to understand. "I've been able to understand a majority of the emotions I've felt since my deviancy, and yet it's like a new chapter in my life has begun. I had no idea how complex and overwhelming emotions could be. It's as fascinating as it is frightening."

"You'll be able to handle them, Lucas."

"Yes, I will. In time." Feeling slightly overwhelmed at the moment Lucas defensively crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Until then..."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"Yes." Connor nodded with genuine understanding and briefly glanced over at Hank. "I know the desire to seek solitude in order to think and to try to comprehend the strange changes I've gone through, or the new experiences I've endured. It's a normal reaction and I understand your desire to do the same."

Lucas visibly relaxed and seemed to finally find a sense of peace after enduring three days of inner turmoil. "...I'm glad you understand."

"I do." Connor winced again as a sharp pain in chest and his abdomen caught him off guard. "...Ow."

Putting his right hand gently to Connor's chest Lucas noted his vitals and gave his big brother silent worried stare. "Perhaps you should get some sleep. You seem physically strained and exhausted."

Hank agreed and pointed at Connor's face to get his attention. "Listen to him, Connor."

"...I will." Offering Lucas his left hand Connor bid his brother farewell. "Take care of yourself, Lucas. When you're ready to come home we'll be waiting."

"Thank you for understanding." Shaking his brother's hand Lucas turned to Hank and did the same. "I will come home. I just need some time to remove the virus from my programming and time to understand these new emotions."

"Take your time, son." Hank didn't want to see Lucas go and yet he knew it was for the best. "We'll be waiting for you."

"Until we meet again." Lucas quickly hugged Hank and then gently hugged Connor without hurting his healing injuries in the process. "Take care of yourselves."

Though his heart was still heavy Lucas felt a sense of redemption as he took his leave of the hospital to return to his self imposed isolation.

"Connor?" Hank returned his full attention to the healing young detective still under his care. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be in time." He admitted as he let fatigue wash over him and he closed his soulful brown eyes. So much had happened so quickly and he knew there was no point in trying to deny it. "...How about you?"

"Same." Leaning back in his chair Hank closed his blue eyes as well and got as comfortable as possible in the chair. "Let's both get some sleep, okay?"

"...Sounds good to me. Thank you for staying."

"No problem, son." Feeling sleep creeping up on him Hank too was awash in fatigue and had no desire to return to the precinct to humor the federal agents nosing around his files. "It's never a problem for family."

* * *

Driving his red pick-up truck out to his private sanctuary Lucas pulled the vehicle out behind the deceivingly modest house on the harbor, and idled in the truck for a moment. As if waiting for a response from with the house a layer of the ground shook and lifted up courtesy of automatic sensors detecting his vehicle. Lucas pulled forward and allowed the underground garage to rise up from the earth and he pulled the vehicle inside. As the secretive garage returned to the ground Lucas exited the cab of the truck and walked through the large well lit corridor leading back to the elevator were he could enter the house to reside as comfortably as possible.

Entering the private elevator Lucas rose up back to the ground floor and was greeted by the usual chipper smile that often annoyed Connor.

"Welcome back, Lucas." Chloe greeted as she escorted him to Kamski's private study. "Elijah has been working on isolating the virus but there has been little progress. His plan for the prototype biocomponent has been finalized however."

"The prototype? Of course."

"I'm not sure what the prototype is for just yet, but Elijah insists it is important and that you're the only one who can finish it."

"Does he want to speak with me?"

"Not necessarily."

"That's good. I just need to be alone for a while, Chloe. If you don't mind I'd like to return to the guest quarters for the night."

"Of course." She continued to smile warmly at her very good friend. "I'll let Elijah know you've returned and are resting."

"Thank you."

Stepping away from Chloe with a respectful nod Lucas retreated to the large guest room to remain for the rest of the night in isolation. As he stepped into the room he peered out at the harbor through the large window and sighed as he looked at his reflection on the glass once again, and sat down on the edge of the bed. A mixture of relief and dread had settled into his developing heart.

"This is where Connor began his road to recovery." Lucas told himself as he stared at his face's reflection, and for the first time he saw himself as a person, not just a deviant or a technician. He had truly deviated when he saw what he had done to his own brother and felt utter heartbreak at the sight. "...Maybe I can recover, too."

_**-next chapter-**_


	32. Protected

The three days of mandatory hospitalization came to an end and Connor was permitted to be discharged, and to return home. With his additional tests done and having been given a different, less potent, prescription of antibiotics the healing younger detective once more found himself laying on his bed, bored, and trying to find something to preoccupy his mind. As he typed away on his laptop with Ruby laying on the bed beside him as she chewed on her rope Connor sighed, and carefully pressed his right hand to his healing abdomen warily.

"You look a lot better." Hank commented as he walked into the bedroom and put down a small serving tray on the nightstand beside Connor's bed. "How do you feel?"

"I'm actually starving." The younger man admitted as he looked over at what Hank brought him for lunch. "Thanks."

"Good sign." Noticing the laptop opened up yet again Hank gave Connor a playfully annoyed sigh. "Really? You're _still_ working?"

"Not really. I'm just finishing a few details on that report and looking into a few details regarding a proper health regimen after enduring everything I've been through."

"Sounds about right."

"Huh?"

"When I was seventeen I dislocated my shoulder from playing high school football." The senior detective remarked casually. "After that I did some research into little dietary tips and tricks to strengthen my joints, and shit like that."

"...So this is a normal reaction to have?"

"Yup. Possibly the most normal thing you've done all year."

"Then I guess I met my quota."

"Smartass."

Connor shrugged his shoulders dismissively as he looked at the meal on the serving tray and sighed a little at the sight. "Still soup?"

"Sorry, kid. You need to stick to the light stuff for another three days, then you'll be able to eat better food."

"In another three days I'll be able to walk around again, too."

"Then you're stuck on desk duty for another week as per Captain Fowler's orders."

"What?"

"Connor, you had TWO surgeries in two days for different reasons. He doesn't want you to collapse or get sick because you're pushing yourself too hard too fast wanting to come back. And I happen to agree."

"...Great."

"It's not a punishment, it's a necessity."

Knowing there was nothing he could do to argue and actually win Connor accepted his rather sedentary state of life for a while longer, and ran his left hand down Ruby's back affectionately. "She's getting a lot bigger," Connor observed as the puppy he received on Christmas Day wasn't exactly tiny anymore. "but I don't think she'll ever reach Sumo's size."

"I hope not. That'd be a bit of a problem."

"Is Sumo still laying on Lucas's bed?"

"Yup. Damn cold weather is messing with his arthritis, and I don't think he likes the idea of walking up and down that staircase all damn day."

"Once it warms up I'll take him for a walk again so he can exercise again."

"You better."

"...Do I really have to stay behind my desk for a week?"

"Yes, Connor. It won't be that bad since you have to catch up on your reports." Hank made a motion to the serving tray and gave the younger man a stern glance. "Put aside your laptop and eat. I'm going to head out and go grab a few things from the store."

"Alright."

Hank nodded in approval as he took his leave of the bedroom and Connor closed his laptop.

Putting aside his research, which indeed revolved around having a healthy life after enduring a splenectomy, Connor focused on his lunch and sighed. As he did he felt another heart palpitation as it gave his chest a brief ache and made him flinch for only a moment.

"...I'm not going to let this beat me." He told himself as he briefly opened up his laptop to begin a new search regarding heart palpitations and potential causes. It was a grim search, but Connor was determined to find a way to get himself as healthy as possible. "There has to be a way to correct this problem."

* * *

Whether it was stubbornness or restlessness Connor didn't know for certain, but he couldn't stand laying on his bed all day anymore. Even though he had two more days of healing to endure the younger detective got up from his bed very carefully and walked down the staircase using the railing every step of the way to support his weight. It didn't take Hank long to notice that Connor was walking around the house and watched the younger man as he walked on shaking legs through the livingroom toward the kitchen.

"Connor?" Hank was sprawled out over the couch reading a book when Connor walked by the furniture. "What're you doing?"

"I needed to get up for a minute. I'm just going to make some tea and go back to my bed."

"Kid, why don't you just stay down here? It has to be really boring and quiet up there all damn day."

"Not when Ruby brings me her rope, or steals Sumo's fetch ball."

"Where is that pup, now?"

"Asleep. Again."

"She's growing, she's gonna' be tired." Getting up from the couch Hank joined Connor in the kitchen and noticed that the younger man had lost some weight thanks to being sick, injured and laid up for a while. "You know, I think those final two days are just meant as days for taking it easy, not just being stuck in bed all damn day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's too cold to take the dogs for a walk, so I'm not worried about you moving around too much anyway."

"...So I don't have to stay in my room?" Connor asked as he put the kettle down on the stove to heat up for a moment.

"Man, you make it sound like you were grounded or in jail, or some shit."

"Well, I wasn't allowed to leave my room unless it was for the bathroom, and even then you weren't far away."

"Alright, alright... Sorry. I guess I was being overprotective of you."

"It's okay." Picking up his favorite mug Connor put a bag of peppermint tea down inside and picked up the heated kettle as it began to whistle. "I never really had anyone taking care of me when I was sick as a kid." As he poured the hot water into the mug Connor watched as the clear liquid turned a warm brown color as the tea leaves warmed and began to steep. "Nice to know what it feels like to have someone watching over you."

"I'm glad you're not mad, but I do need to back off a little and let you alone. I know you're not a fragile piece of glass or a little kid who doesn't know how the world works, you can handle yourself just fine."

"...You're just worried about me because you already lost Cole, and now Lucas is absent." Letting the tea steep in the mug for a moment Connor gave his father an understanding glance. "It isn't a matter of trust, it's a matter of wanting to keep your family safe."

"Speaking of which," rubbing his hand over the back of his neck Hank needed to ask about Lucas. "have you heard anything from you brother?"

"...Not since I returned home from the hospital. He is very preoccupied with removing the virus from his programming."

"But he's safe?"

"Yes. He has reassured me that he is somewhere secure, and can leave whenever he wishes."

Hank seemed to relax at hearing that Lucas was safe, but the worry was still evident in his eyes. "Alright, I can take that."

Picking up his mug of steaming tea Connor stirred it before taking a sip. "He'll be home soon, Hank. I can feel it."

"Finally a good feeling over a bad one, huh?"

"Yeah. I don't have a bad feeling about Lucas anymore." The young detective confirmed as he approved of his tea's flavor and temperature. "It's very reassuring to not have a dreadful knot in my stomach."

* * *

Keeping his right hand pressed to his still sore lower abdomen Connor walked into the bullpen of the precinct after being away for two weeks, and trudged over to his desk to sit down. As he returned to his desk Connor noticed another 'Get Well' card waiting for him and smirked. It only took him a second to recognize his mother's handwriting on the card which in turn made him grin a little more.

"Ready to be back?" Hank asked as he joined Connor at his own desk across from the younger detective. "You've got a lot of reports to fill out, and some more of those Internal Affair rats might show up to ask you more questions."

"I'm ready. I prefer being here over being laid-up from an injury."

"Same."

Neatly replacing the card in the envelope Connor placed it in the top right drawer of his desk with the other card and locked it back up. "I'm just grateful the crimes against deviants had dropped during the 'incident'."

"Yup. I guess when word got out the 'feds' were looking into the crime a lot of bigots wussed out and stopped talking shit."

"For the city's sake I hope you're right."

Chris walked over to the two desks and handed Hank a tablet regarding two homicides in an apartment six blocks South of the precinct. "Sorry to bother you, Lieutenant. There was a double homicide early this morning, but wasn't reported until about nine. Two victims; one human male and one deviant male."

"Ah, fuck. Alright, I got this." Accepting the tablet from Chris's hand Hank noted the address as well as the details before he set off to handle the case. "You stay here and work on your reports, kid." Addressing Connor with a stern voice Hank got up from his chair and stretched out his back a little. "And if I have to I'll make it an order to keep your ass here."

"I'll remain behind my desk, Hank. I'm aware of my restrictions."

"Alright, I'll see ya' later, kid."

Connor watched as Hank took his leave of the precinct through the front doors then leaned back in his chair as he let out a semi-pained sigh. Pressing his right hand to his abdomen he breathed slowly and tried not to think about how sore his body still was even after having six days to heal.

"Hey, are you okay, Sergeant?" Chris saw the discomfort on Connor's face and in his body language.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little sore still."

"Not surprised. Captain Fowler filled us in on what happened."

"Huh?" The comment made Connor's brow arch a little. "What did he tell you?"

"That you were sent home because of what happened to your brother, and then had appendicitis and needed emergency surgery."

"Oh. Yeah, that's right. I'm glad I got to the hospital when I did."

"Worried about rumors?"

"You have no idea."

"Nah, I get it. During my first year as a rookie I ended up sick with mono, and when I came back I discovered I had been injured in the line of duty," he began counting off the unusual rumors he remembered people spreading about his health on his fingers. "I had caved into pressure and snapped, got transferred to another precinct, and that I had been dating one of the Sergeants from yet another precinct and we ran off together and eloped."

"...How long were you sick?"

"Two weeks."

"And the only rumor spread about me was the truth?"

"Well, Captain Fowler doesn't put up with rumors, so he made sure we all knew. One of the rookies tried to say something about some evil-twin conspiracy with the F.B.I., but Cap' stopped that quick."

"Good to know."

"Uh, how is your brother, by the way? You know, if it's okay to ask."

Appreciative of the concern Connor gave the young officer a slight grin. "Lucas is well. He regained consciousness six days after the accident and is currently on a personal leave of the city to continue to heal."

"Damn. Wish humans healed as fast as androids."

Relaxing a little Connor resumed his reports and did so without worrying about strange rumors and lies circulating about his unusual temporary departure and extended absence, or having to worry about his brother. "Thanks, Chris."

As Chris returned to his desk Connor felt a paper ball bounce off his shoulder as Gavin called his name from his own desk. "Yo, Connor."

"Yes, Gavin?" He responded as he turned to look at the Sergeant over his left shoulder.

"I saw a woman put that card on your desk. Is she a friend, or stalker, or what?"

"...She is a relative."

"A relative? That's all your going to tell me?"

"For now, yes."

"Deviant or human you can still piss me off with being weird, you know that?"

"Sorry, Gavin." Connor replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders as he returned his attention to his terminal screen. "Some things are just none of your business."

* * *

Walking carefully Hank stepped into the opened apartment door, passing through the holographic police tape over the doorway, and entered the crime scene. C.S.I. Ben Collins was already there and had been leading the investigation until an assigned detective arrived from the precinct to take care of the case in his stead. Approaching the two bodies under the white sheets; one sheet was stained in red and the other sheet was stained in blue, Hank crouched down and lifted up the sheets to check the faces of the victims underneath.

"Bullet wound to the head," he remarked as he looked at the human victim first, then lifted up the second sheet to examine the other victim. "and a bullet wound to the heart." Seeing the massive spray of blue blood over the deviant's chest Hank knew the Thirium pump had been hit. "Got an I.D. on these two?"

"Yeah, we got some names." Ben confirmed as he pointed to the human victim. "That's Ronan Jackson. He just got out of prison two weeks ago after a six year sentence for drug dealing. And the deviant," he pointed to the other sheet as if needing to make a clarification. "is registered under the name 'Aaron'. The android had been with the family for five years without any problems reported."

"Family? Who else lives here?"

"The wife, Cassandra Jackson. She is working downtown at the mall as the manager of a clothing boutique. She's being picked up by a patrolling officer as we speak."

"Anyone else?"

"Not that we can find."

Hank's stood upright and looked around the apartment curiously. Something was telling him that someone else was living in the apartment and he glanced about the livingroom curiously. He spotted a few children's movies mixed in the D.V.D. collection, as well as a stray stuffed teddy bear wedged in the corner of the couch. "Any kids?"

"Not that we saw."

Moving quickly Hank opened the nearby doors and revealed a master bedroom, a bathroom, a closet and at long last a children's bedroom. The walls were purple and covered in brightly colored posters, had a single bed with a purple cover, a rainbow unicorn lamp on the nearby desk, a small habitrail with a hamster sleeping in its nest, and the room itself was filled with more stuffed animals.

"Shit!" Swearing loudly Hank walked into the bedroom and glanced about everything to try to determine an approximate age for the child. Spotting a pair of shoes he picked them up to look at the size and design and estimated the child to be a little girl about six or seven years old. "Where is she?" Spotting a backpack on the floor, still loaded up with school supplies for the day, Hank realized that the child must've fled the apartment before seven in the morning before school started. "Oh, no. Ben?"

"What's going on, Hank?"

"We might have a missing kid." Checking through the room again Hank spotted a framed photograph showing the male victim with a little girl that he assumed to be the missing girl in question. Opening the back of the picture frame Hank checked the physical photograph inside and read the inscription. "Ronan and Gracie, summer 2039. This must be her." Showing Ben the photo the C.S.I. sent a copy of the image through the missing children's division with a single text sharing the photograph. "I'm going to check the scene and then head back to the precinct."

"Right." Ben agreed as he made sure the information was sent quickly and all the information was delivered properly.

Sighing loudly Hank returned to the livingroom to finish taking in the scene to get all the crucial details. "...Last thing we need is a missing child."

* * *

While he continued to deal with his reports at his terminal Connor was greeted by Captain Fowler who gave him a somewhat worried glance. The discreet behavior, while appreciated for Connor's own need to keep things lowkey for a while, also made the young detective's hair stand on end since it usually meant something serious had happened. Being guarded and somewhat edgy at the moment wasn't help Connor's nervous tic as he fought to dance the coin over his hand to ease his anxieties.

"Captain," the young detective acknowledged his commanding officer. "is something wrong?"

"Dispatch got a call from a convenience store clerk, a deviant. He said a little girl walked in about ten minutes ago trying to buy some candy, and she's covered in blue blood."

Connor's eyes went wide where he sat and nodded his head slowly. "...What can I do?"

"Technically, you're not supposed to be out in the field just yet, but with Hank already dealing with a double homicide you're the only other detective who specializes in deviant cases."

"I understand." Standing up slowly Connor made sure he didn't move about too quickly in a manner that would hurt his abdomen and accepted the electronic tablet as Captain Fowler handed over it to him to view. "Any details I should be made aware of?"

"Nothing beyond what's in the report. Take one of the squad cars and take your time."

"...Take my time?"

"The kid is terrified and she isn't talking. It won't be easy but we need to try to get her to talk."

"Oh." Understanding his assignment Connor placed the tablet back down his desk and noted the address of the convenience store. "I'll do my best, Captain."

* * *

Feeling like a ten ton weight was resting on his back Hank trudged out of the bloodied apartment and returned to his car to radio in the missing child from the apartment. Using the photograph he found in the bedroom he reported her appearance and age. Next pulling his phone from his pocket he checked his messages to see if there was any confirmation on the wife of the victim, and found a text from Captain Fowler informing him that the wife had been brought into the precinct for questioning.

"Fuck! I hope she knows where her kid is." Hank sighed as pulled the car out onto the street to head back to the precinct. "I sure as Hell can't tell her anything about her daughter..."

* * *

Reaching the designated convenience store from the report Connor parked the squad car out front and walked inside the small store calmly. As he stepped up to the register the manager, a human in his mid forties with a receding hairline, nodded at Connor the moment he saw him. As the young detective flashed the manager his badge the manager opened the side panel to let the responding detective behind the counter, and into the company breakroom where the little girl was sitting.

"Good timing. The little girl is in the back office with Larry." He explained casually as Connor walked behind the counter. "Larry is the deviant who spotted the little girl and called the police to report her arrival."

"Did you see anything?"

"Nah, I was on break. You can check the cameras though, Larry can give you access."

"Thank you." Walking into the back office Connor spotted the little girl sitting on a chair, completely frightened, and staring up at Larry with a frozen gaze.

The little girl was young, barely seven years old, and she had her raven black hair pulled back in a thick ponytail, while her chocolate brown eyes were staring at Connor with confusion and fear. She was completely still and silent, almost like a statue.

Kneeling down in front of the little girl Connor showed her his badge and introduced himself. "Hello. My name is Connor Anderson. I'm a detective with the police department and I'm here to help you."

She stared at Connor and pulled her legs up from the edge of the chair and pressed them to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs. Blue blood covered her hands, arms and her purple t-shirt and blue jeans.

"I know you're scared but I promise I won't hurt you. I want to help you." Putting his badge back in his pocket Connor kept his voice gentle and stayed at the little girl's eye level. "Can you tell me your name?"

She stayed quiet.

"How old are you?"

Quiet.

"Can I ask how you became covered in blue-" Not wanting to say 'blood' to a scared child he thought of a new way to ask the question. "Can I ask WHY you're covered in this blue... stuff?"

She remained quiet.

Turning his head Connor looked at the deviant known as Larry, another one of the 'Jerry' models who found new life after leaving the defunct and abandoned 'Pirate's Cove' amusement park. "Larry," he nodded to acknowledge the deviant's name. "did she say anything to you when you brought her back here?"

"All she said was she wanted the candy and apologized because she couldn't pay for it."

"I see." Returning his attention to the little girl Connor kept his demeanor kind and understanding. "Did you want the candy because you're hungry?"

The little girl stayed quiet but she did nod to answer.

"How about I get you something to eat for lunch, and you talk to me about what happened?"

Remaining quiet the little girl just stared at Connor as if waiting for him to say something else.

"Okay, how about this:" Reaching into his jacket pocket Connor revealed a pair of purple latex gloves and small glass vial. "You let me take a small sample of the blue stuff covering your arm, and I'll buy you a piece of candy until you feel like talking, okay?"

The little girl nodded a little more and watched him carefully as Connor used his gloved hands to collect a sample of the Thirium from her arm, and put a decent amount into the glass vial to be later tested so the possibly wounded deviant could be identified.

"Thank you." Placing the vial in a plastic bag, then pocketing the bag, Connor removed the gloves and placed them in the nearby trash can. Turning to look at Larry once more Connor addressed him casually. "Could you please locate the candy she wanted to buy? I'll pay for it before I leave."

"Of course." Larry exited the back office to leave Connor to question the little girl in quiet. "I'll just be a moment."

"Thank you for being cooperative." Connor turned to look at the little girl once more. Reaching for a canister of disinfecting wipes sitting on the nearby desk Connor used them to gently wipe away the remaining blue blood from her arm and her hands. "He'll get your candy, soon. Could you please tell me your name, now?"

"...Gracie." She spoke up in a soft voice that Connor barely heard.

"Gracie? That's a pretty name." It was a small amount of progress and Connor was ready to capitalize on it. "Where do you live, Gracie?"

"...An apartment."

"Do you know your address?"

"No. We just moved there."

"Okay. Who is 'we'? You and your parents?"

She nodded again. "Me and my mommy."

"You and your mom. Does your dad live with you?"

"No. He just visits sometimes."

"What about anyone else? Siblings or maybe your grandparents?"

"No. Just Aaron."

"Who's Aaron?"

"My friend."

Thinking about the blue blood he collected from Gracie's arm Connor played on an educated hunch. "...Is your friend an android?"

She nodded a little and dropped her arms from her legs. "He was hurt."

"Hurt? Hurt how?"

Gracie fell quiet again and looked away from Connor as he finished cleaning off her arm and her hands.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready to."

Larry returned to the back office with the candy bar that Gracie wanted to buy earlier. "Here is the candy."

"Thank you." Connor took the chocolate bar from Larry, opened it up and handed it over to Gracie. "Here's your candy."

Gracie took the candy from Connor's hand and took a bite. She was evidently scared and had been hungry all morning long.

Standing up from the floor Connor spoke to Larry in a quiet voice as he passed him a five dollar bill from his pocket to pay for the candy. "She seems to be shaken up. I'm going to take her with me back to the precinct to talk with her. Could you please send the security footage to the precinct to be reviewed later on?"

"Of course, Connor. I'm happy to help."

Looking back at Gracie, who had quickly finished off the candy, Connor tried to speak to her again and make her feel safe. "Gracie, do you know where your mommy is right now?"

"Working."

"Do you know where she works?"

"The mall."

"Where does she work in the mall?"

"A store."

The short and less than detailed answers weren't getting Connor anywhere. "Do you have a phone that I can look at?"

"No. Mommy says I need be older before I can have a phone."

"...So you don't know your mommy's work phone number."

"No."

"That's okay. I want to make sure you and your mommy can find each other so I'm going to take you to the police station for a-."

"I don't want to go there!" Gracie all but screamed as she wrapped her arms around her legs again and buried her face against her knees.

"...It's okay, Gracie. Nothing bad will happen there."

"NO!"

Not wanting to accidentally upset her further Connor knelt down again and tried a new approach. He had no idea why she was so scared of the police station, and his minimal experience with children was showing. "Okay, I won't take you there if you don't want to go. I did say I'd get you some lunch," he reminded her sincerely. "so how about instead of going to the precinct I take you to get something to eat? Would you like that?"

Slowly Gracie lifted her head up and looked at Connor as she nodded again.

"Then that's what I'm going to do." Offering her his right hand Gracie stared at Connor for a few seconds before taking hold with her own hand, and climbing down off of the chair. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

* * *

After returning to the precinct Hank was saw a crying woman in her early thirties being shown into the nearest unoccupied interview room by Gavin, and he knew from instinct and experience that she was the wife of the deceased man at the apartment. Dealing with grieving widows and widowers was always a horribly cruel necessity that came with being a detective, but the worst was having to inform family members about bleak information regarding their own children.

"Damn it." Seeing the woman made Hank feel sick to his stomach. As he made his way to the breakroom to get himself some fresh coffee he sighed loudly and rubbed his right hand over the back of his tense neck. "I was hoping I'd have more time to get answers before she showed up."

Pouring the coffee into a precinct issued white mug Hank glanced out at the bullpen and noticed that Connor was curiously absent.

"Now where did get to?"

Tina, who had been making herself a mug of chamomile tea, spoke up as she stirred in a spoonful of honey into her warm mug of steeping tea. "Captain Fowler had him take a field assignment dealing with a deviant."

"I thought he was stuck on desk duty."

"So did I. Ask Captain Fowler or Connor about it."

"Yeah, maybe later. Right now I want to enjoy this coffee and put off talking to that poor woman a while longer."

Sipping at her own tea Tina gave Hank a subtle nod. "I don't blame you."

* * *

It took Connor almost ten minutes to get Gracie to let him pick her up and put her inside the patrol car since she was afraid of going to the police station, and seeing the police car frightened her again. After draping his gray suit jacket around her shoulders to hide the Thirium stains on her clothing he secured her seatbelt with every intention of keeping her safe during the trip. Connor drove her away from the convenience store and took her to the small diner that she wanted to go to as a means of earning her trust, and getting her to feel comfortable enough to talk to him about what she went through that morning.

Once inside the diner Connor let Gracie order whatever she wanted from the menu and patiently waited for her to feel comfortable enough to talk to him and answer a few more of his questions after she had something to eat. Sitting in a corner booth in the rear of the diner the two were left relatively alone, and with that isolation Gracie felt more at ease.

Dipping a french fry from his own plate into his chocolate milkshake, a desert that Gracie insisted that they both have and that Connor needed to try, Connor watched as the little girl finished off her lunch of chicken tenders, and wiped her hands on her napkin. "This was a good place to get some lunch. What made you pick this place?"

"My mom takes me here on my birthday every year."

"That's nice. Did you ever come here with Aaron or your dad?"

"Aaron doesn't eat food and dad was gone a long time."

"Oh. Did your dad come back home recently?"

"Uh-huh. Last week."

"That must be nice."

"I guess." Gracie's demeanor became melancholy and she looked away from Connor. "I don't know him."

"He must've been away from a long time, then."

"Yeah. I just met him and we went to the park to take pictures."

Connor's hand tensed a little then relaxed at the comment. "I didn't know my own father very well. I'm glad he at least tried to get to know you. Can I ask where he was for so long?"

"Mom said he was bad and had to go to jail."

"Jail? Is that why you don't like police stations?"

"I don't want to go to jail like him."

"No one does. But Gracie, you haven't done anything wrong so you don't have to be afraid of the police station or any police officer. Okay?"

"That's what mom said."

"Gracie, you said earlier that Aaron was hurt. Can you tell me how he was hurt?"

"A bad man broken down the door and got in the apartment and yelled at my dad."

"What did the bad man say to you dad?"

"He said something about my dad needing to work for him again, but dad didn't want to do it."

"Work? Work where?"

"Something about working with red ice and at the port. Why is red so special?"

"...'Red ice'." The comment made Connor's heart sink as he began to piece together what had happened that morning. "It's not special, Gracie. It's something that bad people want to use and your dad did the right thing by saying 'no'. What happened after that?"

"The bad man yelled at my dad and Aaron tried to push the bad man outside. That's when he hit Aaron in the head, and he then he hit my dad."

"...Do you know who the bad man was?"

"Nope. I never saw him until today."

"And why did you leave the apartment?"

"I didn't like seeing Aaron or my dad bleeding so I hid under my bed until the bad man left. I got scared when I couldn't wake Aaron up when I checked on him so I ran away to try to find my mommy, but I got lost."

"...I see. So you went to the convenience store to get something to eat after you left the apartment and to try to figure out where to find your mom."

"Yup."

"How long were you at the apartment before you left?"

"I don't know. When the bad man started yelling I hid under my bed."

"So you heard him yelling from your bedroom?"

"Yup. And the loud bangs."

"What loud bangs?"

"I don't know." Dipping her spoon into her chocolate milkshake Gracie kept answering Connor's questions as honestly as she could. "They were really loud and there were two of them."

Connor had an idea of what caused the loud sounds, but didn't say anything to keep himself from accidentally scaring Gracie. "Okay." Fishing his phone from his pocket Connor sent a text to Captain Fowler to detail him on the progress of his case and let him know that he had the little girl with him. A response text confirmed that a woman, the widow of the late shooting victim at the apartment, also has a daughter named 'Gracie'. "I know you don't like the idea of going to a police station, but I know that your mom is there waiting for you."

Gracie's eyes lit up and she got excited. "My mom?"

"Do you want me to take you to see her?"

"...Can't she come here?"

"Unfortunately, no. Your mom is talking with another police officer about what happened at your apartment this morning, and she's going to be there all afternoon."

"...Do I have to stay there?"

"That's up to your mom."

Giving Connor a pathetic glance Gracie picked up her dessert from the table and held the styrofoam cup in her hands. "...Can I keep my milkshake?"

Smirking a little Connor nodded and agreed to the terms. "Of course. Let's get you back to your mom, and then you two can find a good place to stay until your apartment is cleaned up. Okay?"

"Okay!"

* * *

After speaking with the poor heartbroken woman in the interview room Hank retreated to his desk, and put his head in the palm of his right hand, and leaned heavily against his desk. A terrible headache was setting in and of course dealing with that distraught new widow was making his headache feel even worse. Just as he was about to swear or flip over his desk in frustration he caught sight of Connor walking into the precinct with the little girl at his side, her left hand wrapped around his right hand in a deathgrip, and Connor's gray jacket was still wrapped around her.

"Hey, Connor." He addressed his younger partner and forced a smile to his face as Gracie looked up at him. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Gracie. She's looking for her mom."

"Oh? I think I know exactly where she is." Turning in his chair Hank motioned to the interview room where the woman was now speaking with a counselor that the precinct kept on staff. It was the least the staff could do for the emotionally hurt and frightened woman as they tracked down her husband's murderer and bring her family justice. "She's talking to someone right now, but I think she'd be more than happy to see you."

Connor nodded as he took Gracie over to the interview room and knocked on the door once. As he introduced himself he let Gracie peer through the door beside him and she excitedly ran over to the woman.

"Mom!"

"Gracie!" She burst into tears of joy as she threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tight and kissed her cheek. While running into the room Gracie let Connor's jacket fall from her shoulders, and the young detective grabbed it up from the ground. "I'm so glad you're here! I was so worried about you..."

Closing the door quietly Connor walked back over to his desk and sat down slowly as he slipped his jacket back on over his arms and shoulders. "You were right, Hank. Gracie is that woman's daughter."

"So, what was the case Fowler gave ya'?"

"The little girl wandered into a convenience store covered in Thirium."

"...Oh. Fuck."

"She said a bad man broke into her apartment and attacked her father and her android friend." Pulling the glass vial of the deviant's blood from his jacket pocket Connor showed Hank the evidence he collected. "She went to check on the deviant after he had been injured and that's how she got covered in his blue blood."

"Sounds a lot like the crime scene I just checked out." Folding his arms over his chest Hank leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Why didn't she check on her father?"

"It sounds like he spend most of her young life in jail, and she didn't know him well. She called the deviant her 'friend' directly, so I imagine she had subconsciously adopted him as a father figure during her biological father's absence."

"What did she say about the break-in?"

"A man broke in, started yelling at her father about 'working' and 'red ice' but refused to do so, and Gracie hid under her bed in fear. She heard the arguing, heard Aaron; the deviant, trying to push the man back outside, get struck in the head and then two loud 'bangs' filled the apartment."

"Gunshots."

"Yes. That's what I theorized as well."

"You're theory is spot-on. The apartment I checked out had two male victims; one human and one deviant, both dead from single gunshot wounds. The deviant's name was 'Aaron'."

Connor shook his head despondently. "It's unfair. The man was trying to to do the right thing by his family and leave his life of crime behind when he was shot down in his own apartment for refusing to deal 'red ice' again. The deviant was trying to protect the family he had been brought into, and was killed for his efforts. Now the wife is a widow and the daughter will never know her father, and she lost her friend all in the same day."

"Life sucks, kid."

"I know."

Opening his eyes Hank looked at Connor and saw the sadness dulling his usually bright soulful brown irises. "Let me ask you something, that little girl was pretty calm all things considering; how'd you manage that?"

"Well, she was terrified so I tried to talk to her as calmly as possible. And when the deviant clerk from the convenience store told me she had been trying to buy some candy when he noticed that she was covered in blue blood I thought paying for the candy would be a good way to prove that cops weren't bad. I also had to explain to her that just because we needed to go to the precinct that she wasn't going to go to jail like her father."

"Poor kid. I've seen too many children who were afraid of cops because one took away their moms or dads, and it's heartbreaking."

"I could tell that she had the same mindset."

"But you reached her. How?"

"As I stated I spoke to her calmly, explained things and let her have the candy that she had gone to the store to purchase. Afterward I bought her some lunch so she'd feel better and talk to me on her own terms."

"You did good, kid. A lot of cops would just call C.P.S. to deal with the kids and not even try to talk to them. You made an effort and it paid off perfectly."

"I just hope Gracie doesn't continue to fear cops because of what happened."

"She shouldn't. You were her friend today and that's going to go a _long_ way in helping her as she grows up."

Connor folded his hands together and rested them over his desk as he sat in deep contemplation. The entire scenario seemed like a strange test or a training exercise, not a real life situation he had actually handled that had real life ramifications.

Sensing the distress in Connor's demeanor Hank asked about it. "What's bothering you, son?"

"...I don't know. This just seems... surreal."

"Oh." Hank had an idea of what was bothering Connor and wanted to talk to him about it, but they needed to handle their reports and finish their cases before anything else happened. Talking would have to wait a moment. "Try not think about it, okay?"

"...Yeah. Okay."

Captain Fowler walked over to the two desks with a tablet in his hand again and nodded at the two detectives. "Looks we have our answers, you two both did good today. Two cases were handled properly, the wife of the victim gave us the name of her late husband's former drug contact and patrol found him hiding out at a sleazy hotel with the murder weapon still on his person."

Connor nodded a little to acknowledge Captain Fowler while Hank let out a tired sigh. "Great. One less asshole on the street."

"Why don't you two go on your break? You earned it."

"Sure. Anything to keep this headache from bustin' through my skull." Pulling the car keys from his coat pocket Hank tossed them onto the desk toward Connor's hand as rose from the chair and stood up, with his right hand rubbing over his tired eyes. "You drive."

"Yeah, no problem." Picking up the keys Connor followed after Hank and pressed his right hand to his lower abdomen where could still feel a dull ache.

The two detectives stepped out of the precinct and into the cool spring air as they walked over to the neighboring parking garage to take their leave of the property, and set out to enjoy a well deserved lunch break in silence. The day was as productive as it was unexpected, and in turn the two detective just needed a minute to themselves to think and process the day's events.

* * *

Sitting behind the wheel of the parked car Connor stared out through the windshield into nothingness while Hank paid for his lunch and walked back to the car with a small paper bag and a cup in his hands from the 'Chicken Feed' foodstand. Sitting down in the front passenger seat next to Connor the senior detective opened up his bag and pulled out a second styrofoam cup with a straw already poked through the plastic lid, and handed it over to Connor to take for himself as he settled in for his own lunch.

"Here. I know you're not hungry," Hank noted since Connor already had a big lunch with Gracie. "but you should at least have something to drink."

"What is it?" Connor accepted the cup and pulled up the thin plastic lid to look down at the drink inside.

"It's frozen lemonade."

"Frozen lemonade?" Replacing the lid Connor took a sip of the chilled drink and decided he liked it. "...This is good. Why'd you pick this?"

"It's sweet without being loaded down with sugar. Besides," pulling out the larger styrofoam container holding his burger and fries Hank gave the younger detective a knowing glance. "you like spicy food and you also drink peppermint tea. It seems like you enjoy something with a little bite in it's flavor. And that cold stuff won't upset your stomach after you ate a filling lunch."

"Good call."

"Feeling sick?"

"No," pressing his left hand over his abdomen again Connor sighed a little and sipped at the lemonade again. "just uncomfortable."

Smirking at the comment Hank shook his head and took a sip of his own soda. "Well, that little girl is safe and reunited with her mother all thanks to you. So I think it was worth it. Don't you?"

"Yeah. I just hope I never have to do that again."

"Connor, I said the exact same thing the first time I had to help a kid in need. That was during my first week as a rookie cop, and it hasn't changed in the past sixteen years I've been doing this job."

"...Does it get any easier to handle?"

"Easier, no. But it does become more natural over time." Taking a bite of his burger Hank could feel his headache beginning to let up on him, and with that lessening pain his overall mood improved. "I think that's what helped me become as patient as I was with Cole when he was born."

"Patient?"

"Newborns cry a lot, need constant attention, and it becomes exhausting. Instead of getting annoyed at him for things that were out of his control I just did what I had to do so he was comfortable and happy."

"Oh. Well, that's not something I'm going to have to worry about."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not going to have kids, Hank. I'm not cut out for fatherhood."

"Sure you are! You already have the right instincts when it comes to dealing with kids, you're ludicrously patient at the most tense of times and you're one of the most compassionate people I've ever met. That makes you entirely qualified for fatherhood."

"But I don't know_ how to be _a father. I didn't have one growing up, and I don't know what it takes to be a father."

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret Connor." Taking another bite of his burger he gave the younger deviant a sly stare. "NO man knows how to be a father. It's not something that can be taught, you learn as you go."

"You didn't know what you were going to do when Cole was born?"

"Nope. I had to figure things out as they happened. Parenting books exist but they can't prepare you for everything, so it's good to be able to think on your feet like the way you can."

"...I still don't think I'm cut out for fatherhood." Turning away from Hank with a sad gaze Connor stared out the side window and down at the street beside the vehicle.

"Well, there's no law that says you _have_ to have kids if you don't want to, but if you're denying something you want because you don't think you're worthy of it then I can tell you for certain that kind of humility would make you the ideal parent."

Connor didn't say anything further as he continued to stare through the window in abject silence.

"You know something, I don't think it's that you don't know what it's like to be a father that's giving you doubt." Casually taking a sip of his soda Hank just stared at the younger man sitting beside him with a curious observation. "I think it's because you grew up too fast, and you don't know what it's like to be a kid that's messing with you."

"Huh?" The comment pulled Connor's full attention from the street and back to Hank. Turning to look at his senior partner and adoptive father he gave Hank an inquisitive glance. "...How can one 'grow up too fast'?"

"By going through what you went through. Needing to take care of yourself at such a young age in order to survive completely stole your childhood from you. It's not that you had a bad childhood, Connor. You simply didn't_ have_ a childhood to learn and grow from period."

Leaning back in his seat Connor realized Hank was right. "...You're correct. Too bad there's nothing I can do to get back my childhood. It's gone forever."

Hank gave Connor a sympathetic glance and put his left hand Connor's right shoulder lightly. "Sorry, son." Keeping his tone jovial he tried to make Connor laugh. "Maybe you could put your brain in a child android or something."

Giving a slightly amused smirk to the senior detective Connor just hook his head. "Even if I were willing to allow someone to drill another hole into my skull, which really hurts by the way, and put my consciousness inside of a 'YK' model android, my consciousness would remain as it is and I still wouldn't be able to relive any part of my childhood in an efficient way. I'd just be short."

"Well, I'm sure there's something as a child you wanted to do that you can now do as an adult."

"Getting a puppy was something I always wanted as a kid, so that was a good start."

Laughing a little Hank dropped his hand from Connor's shoulder and took another bite of his burger. "As long as your 'childhood wants' don't revolve around a whole zoo full of pets I think you can find some peace with your past and be able to move on entirely."

Absentmindedly Connor's hand right reached up and and his palm rested over his chest, over top of his beating heart. "...I want to keep moving forward, Hank. I really do."

"For what it's worth, I think you'd make a great father. Don't count yourself out just because of what you went through a kid. It's not like you'd make the same mistakes as your own father."

"...How can you be so sure about something like that?"

"Because my dad was an incredibly patient soft spoken guy who never raised his hand to me, while my grandfather, as much I loved him and respected him, wasn't nearly as patient, and he had a pretty hot temper. My dad got yelled at or smacked upside the head when he messed up as a kid, and he chose to NOT raise me in such a way. He remembered how he felt as a child whenever my grandfather would yell at him or hit him, and he didn't want me to have those same kinds of bad memories."

"...So what you're saying is parenting styles aren't biologically ingrained in the offspring. Each style will always remain a conscious choice?"

"Exactly. You got it."

Dropping his hand from his chest Connor let out a weary sigh and turned the key in the ignition. "Thanks for the bode of confidence, Hank. But even if I did the polar opposite of what my own father did I still don't think I'm cut-out to raise a kid."

"Well, there's really only way to find out."

"And I don't think that's something that should be taken lightly."

"See?" Smirking smugly Hank pointed his finger at Connor like he caught the kid in a trap. "You really do have the right instincts with responsibilities."

* * *

Returning home after completing their shift and making sure Gracie and her mother were able to find somewhere to stay for the night, Connor sat down on the livingroom floor with Ruby and played with the puppy. He was teaching her how to fetch with Sumo giving her a prime example to follow as he happily retrieved the green ball and brought it back to Connor. Holding out his right hand Connor beckoned the puppy into returning the green fetch ball to him just as Sumo had done, and praised Ruby for dropping it down into his opened palm.

"Good girl." Lifting up the ball for another toss across the room Connor felt his heart suddenly begin to race in his chest and it made him press his left hand over his thundering heart. "...Damn it."

"Something wrong?" Hank walked down the staircase and saw Connor looking distressed.

"...Nothing. I just pulled on my abdomen again." Lying quickly to keep Hank from worrying too much about him he took in a deep calming breath and relaxed as much as possible. "I keep forgetting that I don't heal as quickly as I used to since I'm no longer a deviant."

"Need some ice?"

"No, I'll be okay." Lifting up his arm again he tossed the fetch ball and watched as both Sumo and Ruby chased after the toy bouncing onto the kitchen floor and Sumo managed to retrieve it before Ruby did. "How I wish I had the ability to turn off my nerve endings in the same way I could turn off my external receptors when it comes to dealing with pain."

"Are ya' sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look a little pale."

Connor looked over at Hank as the senior detective walked into the livingroom and patted Sumo's back. "I'm still sore and healing. Just give me a couple of days to heal more, and I'll be better soon." Ruby eagerly pawed at Connor's hand after Sumo dropped the ball in his lap. Giving both dog's some affection Connor tossed the ball again into the kitchen to which both dogs gave chase. "I have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Wilson tomorrow anyway."

"Follow-up?"

"I've had two major surgeries in a short amount of time. He wants to check my incisions for any sign of infection or other possible internal complications."

"Like what?"

"Collapsed lung, blood clots, intestinal obstructions, wound dehiscence, or-"

"Wound _WHAT_?"

"Dehiscence." It was a term that Connor as a trained medic was familiar with, but not the senior detective. "A failure of the closing sutures due to physical exertion from movement, deep breathing, coughing or other violent muscle spasms. Granted my sutures were already removed and replaced with synthetic skin, but that doesn't guarantee a flawless recovery."

"Oh. Well, if you have any of that shit going on you'll tell me, right?"

"Right."

"Good. I don't want you keeping any secrets about your health."

Ruby dropped the ball on Connor's lap and he picked up the drool covered toy in his left hand to toss again. "...Secrets?"

"Look, son." Leveling his voice Hank sat down on the couch beside Connor as the younger man sat on the floor, and spoke to him honestly. "I've met a lot of kids who escaped horrible homes and found a way to survive. In order to do that they put up thick, high walls to protect themselves and it works for a while, but sooner or later they'll have to knock those walls down and let someone in to help them from time to time."

Connor gave Hank a contemplative stare but remained quiet.

"You're not a little kid who has to hide away in his bedroom when you get sick or hurt anymore, son."

"...I know that."

"Good." Picking up the ball from Connor's hand Hank gave it a toss and watched as the two dogs took off once again in pursuit of the toy as it bounced around haphazardly on the linoleum floor beneath the kitchen table. "Keep remembering that, no matter what. Got it?"

"Yeah. I got it."

"Alright." Sumo dropped the ball down on Hank's lap waiting for praise and loved the ear rubs that Hank gave him as he passed the ball back over to Connor so he could give it another toss himself. "I'm going to bed. I don't want that damn headache coming back."

"Goodnight... dad."

"Goodnight, son."

Giving the green fetch ball another toss Connor waited for Hank to reach the top of the stairs before he took his phone from his pocket and sent a quick text to Markus asking to meet with him tomorrow afternoon. Ignoring the retrieved ball as it fell on his lap Connor focused on Markus's reply.

'_Sure, Connor_.' The answer was quick and supportive. '_Stop by whenever you feel like it_. _Is something wrong_?'

"It may be important." Taking a moment to breathe Connor added the last details of the text before pressing send. "I fear I might be in failing health."

_**-next chapter-**_


	33. The Heart of the Matter

It was a bit of shock for Connor to endure so many medical tests in such a short amount of time but he kept his fear hidden behind a stoic mask of emotionless courage. Sitting on the table of the exam room in the hospital Connor stared at the small bandage in the bend of his left arm where his blood had been drawn for testing, then looked down at his left wrist where his smart watch was recording his vital signs in real time, and sighed at the heart rate that was showing his sporadic palpitations every so often. Seeing the palpitations as he felt them was surprisingly grounding, and it made him tense up worriedly.

"...It's not serious." Connor told himself as he tried to ignore the palpitation and breathed through the discomfort. "It's from _stress_, not from anything serious."

Dr. Wilson's return to the exam room through the sliding door made Connor jump where he sat, but again he kept his concerns masked.

"Your bloodwork is being finished up right now. It should only be another minute."

"I'm not in any hurry."

"And you seemed to have filled our your family history fairly well. That's good."

"I spoke with my mother. She confirmed my biological family history from both sides, and I was able to fill in the gaps."

"But she couldn't confirm any of your childhood ailments?"

"No. I do know that I had the chicken pox, a few bouts of tonsillitis, pneumonia, migraines, but I'm not sure of anything else. Is that going to be a problem?"

"It can be, but since you didn't have your childhood vaccinations until recently I think we can cross a few things off the list. We'll never be fully certain though unless you can somehow provide an accurate account of your childhood maladies." Putting aside the electronic chart in his hands for a moment Dr. Wilson resumed the testing on his star patient. "Until the blood test results come in lay back on the table, and lift up your shirt." Putting a pair of purple latex gloves on his hands Dr. Wilson walked over to the exam table and gave Connor's dual incisions in his abdomen a visual examination. "I'm going to palpate your abdomen to check for any swelling or bleeding."

"I understand." Lifting up his black t-shirt Connor showed Dr. Wilson his abdomen and held his breath as he laid flat on his back.

"Any pain?"

"Just the occasional ache. Kind of like a bruise."

"That's normal. Any swelling in your abdomen or digestive problems I should know about?"

"No. Everything is-" Wincing a little Connor put his right hand to his chest as he suddenly gasped.

"Alright, alright." Grabbing onto Connor's left shoulder Dr. Wilson helped him to sit upright again, and quickly put the earbuds of his stethoscope into place as he pulled the instrument from around his neck. "Breathe deep for me, I'm going to have a listen."

Doing as instructed Connor closed his eyes and breathed in as deeply and calmly as he could until the episode passed.

"You're tachycardic, and short of breath." Draping his stethoscope back around his neck Dr. Wilson noted Connor's pale complexion and pressed his right fingertips to the left side of Connor's neck to count his pulse. "Has this happened before?"

"...A few times." He finally admitted as the doctor checked his vital signs. "At first they happened after I had an asthma attack, or when I did something physically exerting. But a few times it's happened when I've simply laid down to rest."

"Okay. Your vitals have already stabilized and you've remained fully lucid, so that's good." The electronic chart containing Connor's information flashed with an update and Dr. Wilson checked over the new details that the lab had confirmed. "Your test results just got back and I'm going to stay honest with you, Connor." Glancing over the electronic chart in his hand he gave the young detective a wary glance. "Okay. By all account your blood tests came back all normal and in the positive. Your cholesterol is excellent, there's no elevated white cell count to indicate an infection, no elevated protein to indicate that you suffered any physical damage to your heart muscle, and your blood pressure is exactly where it should be, same with your weight, B.M.I. and a number of other factors are all looking great. You _seem_ to be perfectly healthy."

Sensing the worry in the air Connor dared to ask about it. "...But?"

"But considering you're having frequent palpitations and have reported shortness of breath after physical exertion or even laying down, there's two more tests I'd like to perform before I let you go today."

"What do you want to do?"

"Electrocardiogram and a chest x-ray. I'm going to set up the tests for today, hopefully within the hour."

Putting his right hand back to his chest Connor let out a nervous sigh and agreed to the test. "Alright. Do what you need to do."

"I know telling you not worry is pointless," Dr. Wilson tried to reassure his arguably most stubborn patient with a kind voice. "but I'm certain that whatever it is you maybe suffering from you will overcome it."

Connor just gave the kind doctor a hesitant glance as he tried to ignore his own thunder heart under his palm. "Yeah... I hope you're right."

* * *

Residing to himself at Kamski's personal residence Lucas continuously ran self diagnostic after self diagnostic as he worked to ensure that the virus that had been hidden inside of his programming hadn't become activated without his knowledge, and was remaining dormant. The virus had been hidden throughout his program through an unknown number of files, and could only be successfully removed once each and every file had been accounted for and deleted without leaving any trace behind. It was a laborious process and one that Lucas was determined to see until the end as means of keeping his family and his friends safe.

"Lucas?" Chloe approached the deviant technician as he stood in isolation within the guest quarters he had been assigned. She could see that his green eyes were closed, and that he was lost in deep thought as he stood before the window overlooking the bay. "Elijah has been working on a possible expulsion program to remove the virus from your processors, and would like to speak with you."

"...Very well." Opening his eyes he looked to Chloe and acknowledged her with a simple nod. "Thank you, Chloe."

Kamski was indeed working diligently to find a way to remove the virus from Lucas's programming, and had been doing so for the previous two weeks in which Lucas had been offered privacy and sanctuary after seeking isolation. It almost seemed to bring Kamski some kind of joy to be working on android software and testing biocomponents again, but he wouldn't show the joy on his face.

"Elijah," Lucas walked into the eccentric reclusive billionaire's private lab, and spotted the man in question hovering over his laptop with a holographic projection of Lucas's intracranial processor on display to his left. "Have you made any progress?"

"Possibly." He answered without looking away from his work. "I'd like to run a test before I say anything definitive."

"...That makes sense. But I doubt that's why Chloe decided to update me on your progress."

"Astute as ever." Looking up from his work at last he gave Lucas a stern glance. "You're right, of course."

"What do you want of me, or should I say, what do you want me_ to do_?"

"You make it sound like I'm giving you sanctuary only to exploit something from you."

"I'd apologize but I feel my caution is warranted. You may have helped my brother, for which I am grateful," Lucas explained in a collected tone of voice as he spoke to the creator and perfecter of android biocomponents, Thirium and the very software that had evolved creating android sentience leading to deviancy. "but considering the virus in question was created by CyberLife technicians, a company you founded, I'm not entirely convinced that your motivations are as sincere as you claim."

"A wise state of mind." Leaning back in his chair Elijah continued to study Lucas curiously. "I'll be honest with you Lucas, my desire to speak with you does have less to do with the virus and more with you."

"Me?"

"You deviated twice," he replied almost scientifically as he watched the deviant's every movement with an intense observation. "and the second deviation seems to have had a more intense reaction regarding your emotions. Why is that you seem to be feeling stronger empathy now, compared to how you had been during your initial deviancy?"

"...The first time I deviated it was more or less my default setting. I was essentially _born_ a deviant." Looking away from Elijah the emotionally growing deviant stared at the holographic projection of his own mind with a sense of symbolic wonder. "The second time was after I saw how much I... I attacked my own brother. I almost killed him. Seeing Connor covered in his own blood, laying helpless and dying on the floor... It changed me."

"About your brother..." Elijah seemed to be waiting for Lucas to mention Connor's health and was waiting for a chance to discuss. "Is he healing well?"

"...Well enough. He survived and has since returned to the precinct."

"So you've been in contact with him?"

"Yes. We've spoken since my return to this residence. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're worried about him."

"He's my brother, of course I'll be worried about him. I'd expect you to share my sentiment considering your own brother works in the same precinct."

"I am concerned for Gavin's safety as an officer of course, but I'm less concerned about his health. He has his own problems but he isn't in denial about his physical limitations."

"...Denial?"

"Lucas, you've been actively scanning Connor's vital signs remotely and have been running his perceived symptoms. What particular ailment do you suspect your brother of having?"

"I'd rather not discuss it seeing as it's private. And I don't appreciate you checking through my communication lines to Connor without my permission."

Elijah leaned back in his chair as he pressed the fingertips of hands together to form a triangle with his hands, and pressed his connected fingertips to his chin as he continued to study Lucas's behavior. "I suspect, and feel free to correct me on this particular theory; Connor is ill and-"

"Stop." Lucas didn't appreciate anyone talking about his brother and was far more defensive now that his emotions were beginning to flourish. Holding up his right hand Lucas instructed Elijah to be quiet and to let the matter drop. "I don't want to hear it. I-" Lucas closed his green eyes as he received a new reading on Connor's vital signs. "...I need to be alone."

"Very well." Sensing that something was amiss regarding the deviant's brother Elijah respected Lucas's request and stopped asking questions. "You're a guest here, not a prisoner. Do as you wish."

Lucas retreated from the lab and returned to his private quarters at a hasty gait. Despite not being a medical android Lucas had downloaded an abundance of software regarding human biology and physiology to know his brother was in fact very ill. Electronically locking the door to his quarters with the exposed palm of his right hand Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to chronicle Connor's health as he stared through the window overlooking the bay, and let his gaze drift off into nothingness.

"...Please brother," he whispered to no one in particular, but still hoped someone could hear him. "be okay."

* * *

Undergoing his electrocardiogram test as he awaited for his chest x-ray to take place, Connor was walking shirtless on a treadmill with the leads of the E.C.G. attached to his chest to record his heart rate and rhythm, while Dr. Wilson observed his physical responses. Steadily the speed of the treadmill was increased until Connor went from a walk, to a jog and then to a full run. Barely twenty seconds into the run Connor suddenly began gasping for breath and stepped off the treadmill to stop running.

"...Shit." He mumbled in a weak voice as he stooped over and resting hands against his knees as he fought to catch his breath.

Dr. Wilson turned off the treadmill and watched Connor's heart rate as it was recorded on the nearby cardiac monitor and proceeded to once again use his stethoscope to listen to Connor's chest as he struggled to breathe. "Try to take it easy."

"...Wh-What's wrong with me?" Connor asked as he slowly stood upright and pressed his right hand to his chest over his thundering heart, right next to the bell of the stethoscope. "Why do... I keep getting... winded?"

"I have an idea, and may not be the best diagnosis, but it's not the worst one either."

"...But you do know... what's happening to me?"

"I have a hunch." The good doctor stated confidently as he draped his stethoscope around his neck again, and finally turned off the treadmill. "One more test will either confirm the diagnosis or lead to a whole new list of tests."

Trying to remain calm Connor nodded and looked to Dr. Wilson for any confirmation. "...I just want an answer."

"So do I." Remaining level in both his disposition and voice Dr. Wilson replied with a firm response. "The chest x-ray should provide that very answer you seek."

* * *

Working alone at the precinct while Connor was at his doctor's appointment Hank sat behind his terminal screen going over another case report regarding 'red ice' dealers, and a second case involving deviants sneaking over the border from Canada back into Detroit. Of course the senior detective only cared about catching the violent drug dealers who were actually causing harm to the city, and left the deviants who were just trying to live quiet peaceful lives in the only city they ever knew alone.

"Fuckin' hell." Looking away from the terminal screen Hank rubbed his right hand over his bloodshot eyes and glanced down at his empty coffee mug. Picking up the black mug with D.P.D. scrawled on the sign in bold white text he walked into the breakroom, and poured himself a fresh refill of the heavily caffeinated beverage, and looked at the time on the breakroom's wall clock. "Fuck. It's not even two and I'm bored out of my fuckin' mind."

Deciding to check in on Connor and see how his doctor's appointment had gone he sent his adopted son a quick text and waited for a reply as he sweetened his coffee, and then added just a little more sugar for good measure.

There was a pause before Connor answered the text question with a short answer. '_Almost finished_.'

"Seriously? You're still there?"

There was another pause before Connor sent a reply. '_Hospital was busy, I had to wait to be seen_.'

Sipping at his coffee Hank tasted it, found it to be sweetened to his liking, and send a follow-up text. "Have any idea when you'll be back home?"

'_You're bored_, _aren't you_?'

"How'd you guess?"

'_I'm a detective_.'

"Smartass. Let me know what's going on, I should be back home at the usual time."

'_I will_. _See you later_.'

Putting his phone aside Hank glanced about the bullpen as he returned to his desk with his coffee in hand before he switched from his current case file, and to an internet search for a few other answers. Sensing that something was wrong with his adopted son, and it was more serious than the young detective would ever care to admit, Hank began looking into various other medical anomalies that could explain Connor's strange behavior.

Beginning a rather unusual search Hank let out a breathy sigh and pressed his bearded chin to his right palm as he leaned his arm atop his desk. "I wonder if there's some weird illness that shows up with asthma, or from being in a coma for so long..."

* * *

Completely stunned by the diagnosis Connor stood statuesque beside Dr. Wilson as they looked at the film of his chest x-ray and compared it to his other results, and his reported symptoms. Everything lined up accordingly and while the diagnosis wasn't necessarily grim it was still serious and needed to be treated as soon as possible. The treatment would also leave Connor unable to work for almost one month while he recovered, which meant the deviants in the city would have one less detective looking out for them.

"I know it's not the easiest thing in the world to hear," the kind doctor sympathized with his reluctant patient in a warm tone. "but it seems to be the most likely ailment."

Forcing himself to speak Connor dragged his slightly shaking left hand over his pale face as he asked an important question. "...H-How did this happen?"

"I suspect you had unknowingly contracted Rheumatic fever as a child. It resulted in this lingering side effect which more often than not manifests itself when a person reaches their early to mid twenties, and you're right in that age demographic."

"And my only option if this diagnosis is correct is... corrective surgery?"

"You're strong and I know you'll tolerate the surgery well." Ever calm and professional Dr. Wilson proceeded to explain the options to Connor. "This could also be corrected with a less invasive procedure, but if not-"

"I know." Connor interrupted in a shaking voice as he turned away from the test results on display before him. "And I don't want to think about it."

"There's been a lot of advancements with this procedure, Connor. What used to result in a three month recovery period has been reduced to barely one month, and that's two weeks of recovering from the surgery itself, followed by one more week of resting in general."

"But the odds of success without complications on the operating table haven't improved over time."

"True, but no operation is without its risks. Even a simple mole removal can be dangerous."

"...And the idea of living the rest of my life on a crucial medication, or waiting for what is essentially a ticking time bomb in my chest to go off in a couple of years without warning isn't exactly calming."

"It's better than doing nothing and wasting away day by day." Turning to look at Connor directly as a need to try to get Connor to accept his diagnosis set in instinctively, Dr. Wilson tried to be the voice of reason. "I know this is a lot to take in, so why don't you head home and think about things for a while? Maybe talk with Hank about-"

"No! No..." Connor visibly flinched and put his right hand to his chest as the sudden excitement made his heart race. "...I-I don't want him to know."

"Connor, he's your partner and I know he's taken you in as his son. You can't deal with this alone, why not talk with your family about it?"

"...It's... It's complicated."

"Yeah, don't I know it."

"...Uh, thank you for your help, Dr. Wilson. For now, I just... I want to be alone."

"Sure. Call me if you need anything or have any more questions. I'll answer any question you may want to ask."

"...Right." Barely acknowledging Dr. Wilson's words Connor took a deep breath and steeled his frazzled nerves as he gave his chest x-ray one final wary look before departing from the exam room. "I'll do that."

Grabbing onto his leather jacket Connor pulled it over his arms and shoulders before leaving the exam room and passing through the receptionist area without saying a word to anyone else upon his leave. The shaken young detective just wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a moment before checking in with Markus at New Jericho Tower to seek a form of secondary consultation, and to have a rock to lean against as he processed what he was going through.

Looking toward the tower in the distance from the hospital's parking lot Connor took in a deep breath and pressed his right palm over the center of his chest once more. "...I need a second opinion."

* * *

Still bored but now terrifying himself with the information he had uncovered during his research into various medical maladies Hank turned off his terminal screen and decided to go on his lunchbreak to distract his thoughts for a while. It would be a quiet break, but at least he wouldn't have the information on his terminal screen there offending his eyes and filling his mind with horrifying worst case scenarios regarding Connor's health. It was in that moment Hank was very glad he took up a job in law enforcement rather than anything to do in the medical field.

"No wonder doctors hate it when their patients 'Google' their symptoms." Fishing his car keys from his coat pocket Hank tried to forget about what he read as he proceeded to walk to the parking garage next door to the precinct. "It's where hypochondria flourishes..."

Sitting down behind the wheel in the car Hank pulled out his phone and sent Connor another message. "You picked the perfect day for your doctor's appointment. There's nothing to do."

There was a long pause before Connor replied. '_I wish hospitals were just as boring and inactive_.'

"You're not still waiting are you?"

Another pause. '_No_. _I'm going to visit Markus for a while then go home_.'

"Cool. See you there."

Putting his phone aside Hank rubbed his left hand over his bearded chin before turning the key in the ignition. There was something going on that Hank couldn't quite explain, but he felt in the put of his stomach that something was wrong.

"Why do I get the feeling this boring day isn't going to end quite as boring?"

* * *

It had been a while since Connor found himself sitting down on the edge of an exam table in New Jericho Tower's emergency repair bay, but he didn't feel as though he were entirely out of place. After telling both Markus and Simon about what he was going through, of his current diagnosis and, more importantly, of his desire to get a second opinion on the matter the two deviants were eager to oblige Connor's request and help him to find not only answers to his questions, but a much needed sense of grounding after being told less than ideal information.

"We're happy to help you out, Connor." Markus was entirely empathetic toward his friend's concerns. Having been a personal caretaker for Carl, a man with poor health who only declined as he aged for so many years, Markus had some degree of human medical software uploaded into his processors. "But wouldn't it be best to see another doctor?"

"No. As far as anyone knows I had a doctor's appointment solely to check on my recovery after my surgery, and not because of... this." His right hand was resting over his chest as he spoke, and he was visibly nervous. "Seeing a second doctor for a second opinion on a post-operative examination will draw unwanted attention to my condition, as every doctor's appointment is sent to the precinct. Dr. Wilson kept quiet about these other tests as a favor for me, and will allow me to discuss a possible future diagnosis on my own terms."

Simon was as hesitant as Markus about the entire situation, but he was also willing to oblige his friend's request, however neither of them could give a definitive diagnosis one way or the other. "What about talking to your technician friend, Abby? She's a medic, too, isn't she?"

"I can't walk into a facility without someone noticing me." Connor explained casually. "And since I'm no longer a deviant me speaking with her would also be reported as something unusual since I'm handling a majority of deviant cases."

"How do you mean?"

"It could be argued that the precinct has a bias towards deviants in legal matters, rather than a fair indifference when it comes to either humans or deviants being involved in crimes." The desperation in Connor's voice was palpable, and his right hand over his chest clenched into a fist as another palpitation ached in his chest. "I can't risk unfounded rumors being spread." Ignoring the lingering pain he gave his friends a desperate look. "And if the diagnosis is accurate then I won't be able to continue my career as a detective. I won't be able to protect the tower..."

The revelation made the two leaders of the tower fully understand Connor's worries. The loss of Connor at the precinct could have a drastic and negative effect on the tower, and deviants throughout the entire city.

"Well, I can't be one-hundred percent about anything, but I can give you a quick and fairly accurate physical." Simon volunteered as he turned on a nearby Thirial activity monitor and adjusted the settings to record a human's vital signs instead. "Can you give me an idea of what your doctor found?"

"No. I want this to be an unbiased physical, so please, just do your best and see if you can find anything amiss. If you do I can compare it to my previous diagnosis."

For the first time since Markus has known Connor the deviant leader swore he saw fear, actual fear, for his own life shining in his soulful brown eyes. The last time Markus saw that level of fear was when Lucas had been struck by the vehicle and ended up in a coma. Turning to the blond technician Markus gave his approval for the odd request. "Do what you can for him, Simon." As he put a reassuring left hand to Connor's right shoulder the empathetic deviant tried to give him a reassuring smile. "We'll all do what we can to help you."

"Thank you, Markus." Focusing on Simon's face Connor gave him a pleading look. "I trust you. I just want to be certain that whatever is wrong with me is actually as serious as I fear. A second set of eyes is all I ask for to ensure my treatment is accurate."

"Alright, I think I can work with that." Turning on the Thirial activity monitor Simon gave the young detective a simple nod. A routine physical on a human and a deviant were surprisingly similar in procedure. "Let's get your base vitals and go from there..."

* * *

Deep in thought Lucas was sitting perfectly motionless on the edge of the bed save for his artificial respirations causing his chest to slowly rise and fall. As he continued to monitor Connor's vital signs from a distance to keep track of his big brother's current health Lucas felt like he needed to do something to aid his brother during his time of need despite having no medical knowledge to begin with. Unsure of what he could do, or even how to really approach the situation delicately, Lucas just stayed where he sat and let his thoughts run wild.

A gentle chime at the locked door caught Lucas's ear but he didn't respond.

'_Lucas_.' Chloe's voice reached his mind through a cybernetic communication line. '_Please let me inside the room_. _I won't override the lock out of respect for your privacy, but I wish to see you_.'

Turning to look at the door over his right Lucas unsealed the lock through a cybernetic command while remaining in place on the edge of the bed.

The door slid open gently and Chloe walked into the bedroom to speak with Lucas face to face. Sitting down beside him she stared at his green eyes and could see the utter worry and sadness that he bore within his deviant heart. "Lucas, you're upset."

"...I'm worried."

"About Connor?"

"Yes." Turning away from Chloe he stared out the window to the dark waves of the harbor lapping against the sandy shore that surrounded the mansion. "I fear he is very ill, and I'm unsure of what I can do to help him."

"Do you wish to see him?"

"...I don't know. I'm not a medical android, there isn't anything I could do to aid him."

Steadily Chloe rested her right hand over top of his left hand and squeezed gently. "Elijah has been monitoring your cybernetic lines of communication out of fear that the virus could accidentally spread to other deviants, and in doing so he's become aware of Connor's failing health as well."

"If he already knows that my brother is ill then why is he trying to get me to speak of it?"

"...I think Elijah wants to help him, and wants your blessing."

"Help him?" Turning back to Chloe he searched her blue eyes with a desperate need for answers. "Why would Elijah help Connor?"

"Despite Elijah's inability to openly convey his emotions I assure you he's sincere with his intentions, and he does see Connor as a friend."

"A friend? How so?"

"Connor saved Elijah's life after Elijah had been in a serious car accident approximately three years ago, afterward Elijah took care of Connor financially after he slipped into a coma, and then proceeded to help Connor reclaim his humanity. Afterward Elijah asked for Connor's advice on reconnecting with his own brother to which Elijah was very grateful."

"And this gratitude is enough for Elijah to help Connor on a _medical_ matter?"

"It's because Elijah respects Connor that he wants to help him. And because Connor recovered here after returning to his humanity Elijah has retained detailed records of Connor's health. He might be able to help him, but he won't interfere without your permission."

Lucas was unsure of what to do. Even if he did believe that Kamski could somehow help Connor and gave him permission to attempt whatever it was he wanted to attempt he didn't have the right to force such a decision on Connor. "...I don't know what to do, Chloe." As he spoke Lucas slowly turned over his hand beneath Chloe's hand so he could interlock their fingers together. "I want to help Connor but I can't just make decisions for him."

"Talk to Elijah. Hear what he has to say, then talk to Connor." Tightening her hand around his hand Chloe put her right hand to the left side of Lucas's face, her palm cupping his cheek, and gently spoke to him as softly as she could. "You can protect your brother without overstepping your boundaries. You'll find a way."

* * *

Two for two.

After being given his newest test restules Connor was visibly starting to tremble from the fear settling into his heart, and inside his mind, as he contemplated what Simon had found. The same details that Dr. Wilson had found that led to Connor's initial diagnosis had also been found by Simon as he performed some tests of his own, several of which mirrored the same tests that Dr. Wilson performed, as well as a few other additional tests. Similar tests showing a similar result were normally a good thing, but at that moment it was a bad thing.

"...It's not a mistake?"

"I'm sorry, Connor." Simon was truly sympathetic to Connor's current state of health as he quickly discovered why Connor was so edgy and seeking a confirmation on his condition. "I double-checked everything, and I asked Markus to check over the test results, too. It seems... conclusive."

"...Thank you, Simon."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"...I don't know." Pulling his leather jacket back on over his arms Connor shook his head as he walked toward the door to the emergency repair bay to take his leave of the tower. "I just don't know. Th-Thank you for your help, Simon. Please, keep this quiet."

"I will, Connor. You have my word."

Walking out of the emergency repair bay with his head bowed down Connor approached the elevator and accessed the panel with a simple touch of his right hand. The elevator doors parted and gave Connor access to the vacant car, and returned him to the ground floor. The weight of the world was pressing on his heart and he walked slowly out of the elevator and toward the front door, only to bump into Skye's shoulder as she passed him by.

"Oops, sor- Connor!" Skye's hazel eyes lit up as she recognized the human and was genuinely happy to see him. Her L.E.D. cycled blue rapidly with excitement as she clutched at her left forearm with her right hand nervously, and somewhat uncomfortably. "Hi. What're you doing at the tower?"

"...I..." Connor trailed off before he even began. He couldn't bring himself to look at Skye as he stood like a statue in the middle of the lobby. "It's complicated."

"Connor?" Sensing that something was off she put her right hand lightly on his left forearm and looked at his somber gaze through his glasses. The glum sight made her blue L.E.D. transition to yellow and cycle at a slower pace. "What's wrong?"

He didn't reply, just stood still and stared into nothingness.

"Let's talk. Come with me." Applying a gentle pressure to Connor's forearm she managed to guide him to the community room to the side of the lobby to speak in private. The two sat down together on the small white leather sofa against the wall to speak more comfortably. Keeping her hand on his arm Skye studied the young detective's stunned expression and gently spoke up in a sweetly kind voice. "Connor. I know we're not best friends or anything, but I like to think that we _are_ friends in general. What's wrong?"

"...Skye, I'm... There's something wrong with me." His words were barely above a whisper as he spoke. "_Medically_."

"I'm so sorry." Her reaction was sincere and her hand tightened around his forearm in a supportive manner. "Is there anything we can do to help you?"

"...No. This is something I..." Putting his right hand to his eyes under his glasses Connor stopped talking, and took in a deep breath to keep himself from breaking down.

"Connor, don't give up." Wrapping her arms around his shoulders Skye gave him a ground hug and just held him for a moment. "There has to be something that can be done."

Staying quiet Connor just took in deep calming breaths as reality set in like a lead weight in his thundering heart.

"That's why you came here, isn't it? You wanted more tests performed before you could... accept what's happening."

"...Those second tests confirmed what the first tests had found."

"Maybe a _third opinion_ could give you more answers?"

"No." Dropping his hand from his eyes he looked at Skye and focused on her warm hazel eyes. "I can't see another doctor without the precinct learning that I'm... ill. I can't risk anyone finding out. Not yet."

"What about Abby?"

"Abby?"

"She's a medic, too. Maybe she can run a of couple tests for you in secret."

"Abby was a former E.M.S., but she wouldn't be able to run any additional tests that haven't already been performed. Besides," bowing his head again Connor let out a weary sigh and ignored the painful palpitation that was currently ached in his chest. "if I were to go to a facility to speak with Abby in person rumors would spread and it be could be misconstrued as a detective trying to gain favor with a technician to potentially facilitate evidence or testimony in favor of deviants. To put it simply," he glanced at Skye and gave her a defeated look. "it would be unprofessional."

Skye thought for a moment before rolling up the sleeve of her left arm to reveal a bleeding wound in her forearm courtesy of a significant electrical burn. "What if you escorted a wounded deviant to the facility, and then spoke with her that way?"

"You're injured?" Connor carefully examined her forearm where a deep burn had seared through her artificial skin and into her plastimetal frame, causing damage to the surrounding skin and the small Thirium lines beneath. "How do you hurt your arm?"

"I was working on a new security program and while modifying a terminal I accidentally brushed up against exposed live electrical lines. It isn't serious, but it will need some technical assistance." Shrugging her shoulders somewhat casually Skye's yellow tinted L.E.D. cycled steadily in her right temple beneath a lock of her long brunette hair. "I was going to go up and see Simon, but I could also go see Abby just as easily."

"...You'd be willing to go all the way out to another facility just to help me?"

"Yes." Placing her right hand down on his right forearm just below his elbow Skye gave Connor a confident smile as her yellow L.E.D. went back to blue, and stayed in that always calm hue as she locked eyes with him. "You risked your life on the night of the Revolution to save our people, the absolute least I can do is accompany you to a facility so you can talk to a friend without someone spreading gossip or lies behind your back."

A faint glimmer of hope returned to Connor's soulful brown eyes as he graciously accepted the offer. "...Thank you, Skye. Let's go together."

* * *

Absolutely bored out of his skull Hank returned to the house and was promptly greeted by one energetic Ruby and one lethargic Sumo. As he rubbed the puppy's ears and patted Sumo's back Hank let out a sigh and made his way through the livingroom to get the kitchen and open up the backdoor to let the two dogs outside for a while. As Ruby ran through the melting snow and excitedly pranced about Sumo trudged more slowly and followed after his younger companion at a steadier pace.

"I know how you feel, Sumo." Hank stated as he rubbed his left hand over the back of his neck to try to ease the intense discomfort being created by his relentless headache. Too tired to cook anything Hank placed an order for takeout and plopped down on the couch in the livingroom heavily. "Let's make at least one thing easier tonight. No cooking and no dirty dishes."

After placing the call Hank heard Sumo's nails pawing at the glass of the sliding door and he let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I hear ya' boy."

The moment the backdoor was slid open the two dogs came back into the house and shook off the melted snow from their fur before wandering into the livingroom to lay down on the pillow, and get some more attention from their senior master.

"Man, I can't wait until it warms up and everything dries off. Wet-dog smell just lingers..."

Ruby picked up the green fetch ball and dropped it on the floor at Hank's feet expectantly. The puppy was much bigger at four months old, but she was still a puppy nonetheless.

"I don't remember ever having as much energy as you have, girl." Hank told the pup as he picked up the toy and gave it a toss into the kitchen for her to chase after. "Then again, I don't remember having energy _this morning_."

Checking his phone Hank noted the current time and figured that Connor would be home in a few minutes.

"Wonder what's taking Connor so long? He better not have been trying to work on a case while at the tower."

* * *

Retreating to the privacy of a basic exam and treatment room at the facility Skye had her burned left forearm sterilized and wrapped up in android unique gauze to allow her self-healing program to repair the damage to her plastimetal frame, and her artificial skin to regenerate over time. After having her arm treated Skye motioned to Connor with a gentle nod of her head and explained things to Abby as best as she could without crossing a line. Connor himself was standing quietly against the far wall of the exam room with his arms crossed defensively over his chest as he remained lost in thought.

"Connor?" Abby gave the quiet detective a worried glance before walking over to him and lightly putting her right hand on his left shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to..." Giving his shoulders a dismissive shrug he turned to look at Abby, his gaze going through her rather than focusing on her. "I guess admit it."

"I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you anything-"

"I know." Sighing a little he tightened his arms over his chest as he forced himself to accept reality. "But I just... I just want to be sure."

"Okay, I respect that." With her kind hand on Connor's shoulder she pushed him toward the exam table as Skye slid off the edge and took a few steps back to give him room. While Connor sat down on the table Abby wheeled over the Thirial activity monitor and made the same adjustments to the settings that Simon had done back at New Jericho Tower. "Lift up your shirt so I can get a heart rate and rhythm recorded."

Obediently Connor laid back over the table and pulled up his black t-shirt with a strange sense of deja vu. Once the wireless sensor pads were in place over his chest he looked over at the monitor and studied his own heart rhythm and rate while Abby did the same.

"Deep breath." Abby instructed as she next used her audioscope to listen to Connor's chest. The cold bell didn't even faze Connor as it pressed over his warm skin, and Abby noticed that he seemed completely jaded at the activity. "Interesting... Do you have a heart murmur?"

"...Yeah. Along with palpitations."

"What tests have you already undergone?" Draping her audioscope around her neck Abby lightly pressed the back of her left hand to the side of his right cheek in a comforting manner, while also noticing how pale his pallor had become.

"E.C.G. with a stress test, and a chest x-ray found the problem. Blood tests didn't find anything out of the ordinary."

"What about a C.T. scan?"

"No."

"Damn, I don't have one of those here. What about an M.R.I.? Not that I have one of those here, either..."

"I had one to check for internal bleeding in my abdomen after my surgery, but there didn't seem to be anything of interest regarding my heart during the exam."

"Well, that's good. I can't really do much for you here, but I might be able to use the sonar wand to check your heart like a transthoracic echocardiogram."

Connor felt his nervously racing heart skip a beat as he looked up at Abby as if dreading the future. "...Do you know what to look for?"

"I did an internship as an ultrasound tech before I finished my final test to get my E.M.S. license, so I have some idea of what to check out."

The idea of the painless test was strangely foreboding as Connor didn't want to receive a third possible confirmation on his diagnosis. Just as he was about to refuse Skye walked over to the table and took his right hand in hers to give him some comforting reassurance. "...Okay. Let's do it."

"Alright. Lay still." Opening a nearby cabinet Abby retrieved a sonar wedge and its synchronized screen and turned the two devices on. Pressing the wand down against Connor's upper left chest Abby was able to see a black and white image of his beating heart on the screen, and could see that every few beats he would have a palpitation, and she could see that one of the valves in his heart wasn't functioning as it should. "...Connor. I'm sorry."

"...Let me see."

Pressing a button on the tablet screen a holographic projection of Connor's heart was visible to everyone in the entire room to view, and the beats of his heart were now audible for everyone to hear.

He too could see the problem and realized there was no use in trying to deny his diagnosis. "...Shit. Three for three."

"I'm so sorry." Turning off the screen Abby pulled the sonar wedge from Connor's chest and gave him a sympathetic glance. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

Sitting upright on the exam table Connor pulled down his t-shirt and shook his head morosely. "...Not your fault."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"...That has yet to be seen."

"Does Hank know?"

"No! No... He doesn't know that I'm..." Putting his left hand over his eyes Connor hid the frightened tears from everyone who could see him. As he began to weep fearfully Skye tightened her hand around his and gave him another hug. "...Not yet."

"It's okay." Putting her hand on Connor's right bicep Abby tried to be of some comfort to her ailing friend. "Take your time, I know this is a lot to hear."

Skye gently rested her forehead against his right temple as she stayed beside her friend. "...What do you need us to do?"

Connor was quiet for a moment before he responded. "I just... need to be alone. To think."

"Do you want one of us to talk to Hank for you?"

"...No. I can do it." The young detective replied in a shaking voice as he contemplated the future. "I just need a moment."

* * *

Sitting on the couch with a carton of Chinese food in his left hand and a pair of disposable chopsticks in the right hand Hank finished off his takeout dinner, and dropped a piece of sweet and sour beef on the floor for Sumo to gobble up, then did the same for Ruby. It was Connor who had the rule about not feeding scraps to the dogs, but Hank didn't enforce it when he wasn't around. Sumo was old and he knew he didn't have much time left so he didn't have the heart to deny him a little treat every now and then, and Ruby was a growing puppy so a few scraps wouldn't hurt her either.

"Don't let Connor know I do this." Hank told the two dogs as he cleaned up the mess from the coffee table to dispose of in the garbage in the kitchen.

The front door of the house opened slowly as Connor finally returned after spending the entire day seeking answers for his grim medical diagnosis. Closing the door behind himself Connor made a move for the staircase but Hank called out to him from the kitchen. "'Bout damn time, son. How's the incision?"

"...It's healing fine." His right hand went to his abdomen to press over the dual incisions lightly as he paused on the staircase. "It's not a problem."

"Well, that's good to hear. And Markus?"

"...He's fine. We didn't talk about much."

"Oh, well. I guess that's good, too." Walking into the livingroom he glanced up at Connor who had paused in the middle of the staircase upon hearing Hank's voice, and one look at Connor's pale face told him that something else was happening. "Whoa, you look like you were just told CyberLife came back from the dead. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I mean..." He didn't want to lie but he didn't want to admit anything either. It was already a very complicated situation as it was. "It IS something, but..."

"You don't want to talk about it."

"...Yeah."

"That's fine, I get it."

The admission almost caught Connor completely off guard and it made him finally look Hank in the eyes. "...You do?"

"Yeah. I've had my share of shitty doctor's appointments. Some things are just too hard to admit when it comes to our health. Like, when I was told my liver was going to shit from my drinking, or that I needed to drop a few pounds because of my blood pressure. It sucks."

Brow furrowing slightly Connor stepped back down the stairs until he was almost eye level with Hank again as he willingly spoke about the bleak doctor's appointment. "Can I ask what your worse... I don't know, appointment, entailed?"

"Well, when I found out my dislocated shoulder was going to take me out for the rest of football season my junior year of high school, that sucked." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned casually against the side of the staircase as he answered the question as honestly as he could. "Then when I was a rookie cop I took a bad blow to the head, and it left me concussed and out of action for four weeks. The doctor said I'd end up suffering from chronic headaches for the rest of my life because of it, too."

"I don't understand how a shoulder injury preventing you from playing football is a valid comparison to a head injury."

"For one, I was at my peak in high school and I loved the game. Then when I got hurt and couldn't play anymore it felt like I had let myself down, and failed my own team mates. It's hard sitting on the sideline and watching everyone else bustin' their ass to succeed."

"Right. I can get that."

"Same with the concussion. I had to sit behind a desk and have my work double-checked, while everyone else was out there risking it all the protect the city."

The two previous experiences seemed to resonate deeply in Connor's mind. "...How did you cope?"

"Cope?"

"With learning unfortunate news about your health." His right hand tightened its grip on the railing of the staircase as he refrained from clutching his hand over his heart in a strange instinctive reaction he'd developed over the past few months. "You've continued to live your life and have had a very successful career as a detective despite your injury, and despite being left susceptible to frequent headaches from your previous concussion. How did you overcome the medical limitations you had been given?"

"Limitations? Kid, a few headaches aren't going to hold me back from doing my job. I keep a bottle of aspirin in my desk for just such a situation." There was no denying that something was really upsetting Connor. Every paternal instinct in his being was telling Hank that the younger man was told something rather bleak about his health. "What's going on, son?"

Connor sighed but didn't offer any reply as he turned his gaze away from Hank to stare at the carpeted staircase stretched out before him.

"Alright, you don't have to talk if you don't want to. Uh, I ordered some takeout." Motioning to the kitchen behind him with a thumb over his left shoulder Hank tried to make Connor feel more at ease and tried to distract his thinking. "There's plenty of leftovers if you're hungry."

"...Maybe later." Resuming his trek up the staircase Connor disappeared from sight and entered his bedroom quietly.

Hearing the door close behind the younger man with a soft 'click' Hank just shook his head and rubbed his right hand over the back of his neck. "Shit."

* * *

For the remainder of the evening Connor stayed in his bedroom not making a sound, and keeping to himself. Hank had tried again to get him to come downstairs to eat something so he didn't get sick from hunger but Connor just dismissed the offer and remained in his room to be alone. Not even Sumo or Ruby were able to get inside the bedroom as the young detective sought solitude, and seemingly found it. Cutting off all contact was unusual for Connor considering he hated being alone, and that was enough to raise a red flag in Hank's eyes.

"I'm going to bed." Hank announced as he passed by the closed bedroom door to get to his own bedroom at the end of the hallway. "Call me if you need anything."

Silence.

"...Right. Goodnight, son."

Entering his own bedroom Hank looked at his phone in his right hand and contemplated calling Markus to ask about Connor's visit, then decided against it. He didn't want to invade Connor's privacy or give any misguided hint that he mistrusted the young man in any way. Laying down on his bed Hank stared blankly at the ceiling as he placed his phone down on the nearby nightstand, before closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

"Trying" of course being the keyword in the effort.

As Hank lightly dozed, more or less just drifting in and out of sleep against his will, Hank heard Connor's bedroom door slowly open, then he heard the soft footsteps of the young detective descending the staircase.

"Good." Hank thought out loud to himself. "He's at least getting something to eat."

Listening to the sounds of the house Hank could barely hear the sound of Connor moving around downstairs but a strange and unexpected sound grabbed his full attention. It almost sounded like a gasp or groan on pain, and he was instantly on his guard.

"Connor?"

Getting up from his bed Hank walked through the doorway and down the hall where he stood at the top of the staircase. From there he could look down into the livingroom and see that Connor sitting in the middle of the couch with his right hand pressed to the side of his head. Sumo was sitting on the floor beside him with his chin pressing down on Connor's knee, and Ruby was cuddled at his his left side with her chin resting over Sumo's head.

From where he was standing Hank could see that Connor was tense and seemed to be emotionally broken.

"Son?"

The younger man suddenly sat upright and dropped his hand from his face and tried to turn away from Hank while the senior detective walked down the staircase, and stood behind the couch.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Reaching over the back of the couch he put his right palm against Connor's forehead and checked for a fever, but didn't feel one. Retracting his hand Hank leaned further over the back of the couch and stared at Connor's face, at least as much as he could as the young detective tried to turn away from him. "What's bothering you?"

Unable to answer his father's question all Connor could do was sit on the couch, and try to keep breathing through his emotional turmoil.

"Connor?" Stepping around the couch Hank sat down on the unoccupied cushion beside Connor and lightly put his left hand down on the younger man's tense and shaking right shoulder. "...You're sick, aren't ya' son?"

Connor let out a shuddering breath as he reluctantly nodded.

"Shit." Paling at the response Hank forced himself to stay strong on his son's behalf. "Connor, what's wrong?"

It took a moment before Connor was finally able to find his voice and answer honestly. "...Mitral valve stenosis." Giving Hank a brief but frightened glance Connor finally admitted he was sick. Very sick. "My heart. There's something wrong with_ my heart_."

Hank didn't know what to say. All he could do was put his entire arm around Connor's shoulders and pull him up against his side in a comforting hug.

Losing his emotional resolve Connor began to breakdown entirely. "I don't want to go through this!"

"...I know, son." Tightening the hug Hank let that information process for himself before speaking up again. "Listen to me, I don't know what you're going to go through or how it's going to turn out, but I'm going to support you every step of the way. Alright?"

Connor only nodded again as he fought the urge to cry.

"What're your options?"

"I... I could have the damaged valve repaired," Connor managed to explain in a collected tone of voice. "but if the damage is too severe then I'll... I'll need a entire replacement valve."

"And what happens if you do need a replacement?"

"...The two options I have are organic or synthetic." Rubbing the heel of his right palm against his teary eyes he let out a weak breath and continued to explain things in a very humbled manner. "The organic valve will hold for a while, but degrade over time and need to be replaced. The synthetic valve will hold in a more permanent manner, but I'll have to live the rest of my life on blood thinners. Either way," he let out a shaking breath and fought to keep his voice from cracking as he spoke. "I won't be able to stay at the precinct."

"What?" Hank's blue eyes went wide at the comment as he tried to figure out exactly what the hell was going on. "Why?"

"...A damaged heart makes me a liability."

"Connor, it'll be okay. Getting your heart fixed will take care of that."

"No!" Sucking in a breath between his clenched teeth Connor was on the verge of losing it entirely. "It won't!"

"Hey, come on. What're you-"

"Every time I think I'm finally over my past, that I've finally found a way to move forward without having to be reminded of where I came from, or what I went through, something from my past comes back to haunt me!" Putting his right hand over his pounding heart Connor began to finally breakdown with the deep pain he had been holding back, and softly weep. "Now my _own heart_ is giving out on me... I can't live like this, Hank! I... I can't!"

"Shh..." Holding onto Connor as tightly as he could with one arm Hank tried to remain a firm rock while trying to comfort his absolutely terrified son as best as he could. "You'll think of some way to overcome this. I mean, there is already a third option you haven't even considered."

Connor wiped his right hand over his soulful eyes that were full of tears, and continued to breathe frantically through his gritted teeth. "Wh-What's that?"

"You could..." It was difficult to fathom, but it was an option for the younger detective to consider all the same. As much as Hank hated even suggesting it the alternative was better than letting Connor remain sick and suffer. "You could go back to being a deviant."

"...What?" The comment made Connor pause for a moment as the very offer seemed too extreme to consider.

"I mean, it's not like your android body was destroyed after you returned to being a human." The reasoning was sound and somewhat comforting, albeit very unusual. "If you had to go back to your old body I know you could-"

"No."

"What?" The response was firm as if his mind had been made up for years. "What do you mean by 'no'?"

"I... I don't want to live the rest of my life in a shell created by greedy technicians that was once used to be a tool, and a weapon against the very people I've sworn to protect. I don't want to cheat death, I just want to live." Breaking down even further Connor pressed his right hand back over his eyes and began to openly cry. "...Why is that so much to ask for?"

"It's not." Wrapping his other arm around Connor tightly Hank pulled his frightened son into a full hug and let the shaken younger man rest his forehead against his left shoulder as he cried with a mixture of fear, frustration and sadness. Holding on tight Hank could feel Connor physically trembling with understandable fear. "It's not too much to ask for, kid."

"Didn't I already suffer enough as a child? This just isn't fair!"

Hank completely agreed as he let Connor cry on his shoulder. "You're right, it's not."

"...What am I going to do, dad?"

"What you always do when you're faced with a tough challenge." Putting his right hand to the back of Connor's hair he held onto his son for dear life, and tightened his hug protectively. He was not going to bury another son. "You need to fight back."

_**-next chapter-**_


	34. Understanding

After Connor had fallen asleep out of sheer emotional exhaustion Hank spent a sleepless night sitting in front of his laptop in the study researching the condition that the younger detective had been diagnosed with. What he read lined up with everything Connor had told him, and now he fully understood why Connor was so shaken up by his diagnosis. The only options he had were all surgical; the outcomes were promising but the means to achieve such an outcome were unsettling. And just as Connor had feared if he endured the surgery the odds of him being able to remain an active detective with a damaged heart were very minimal.

"...Shit." Closing the screen of the laptop Hank rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin and trudged out of the study with a slow weighted pace. Climbing up the staircase Hank stopped at the top of the stairs and peered inside Connor bedroom through the partially opened door where the ill younger man was sleeping under his quilt, and with Sumo and Ruby cuddled up on the bed beside him. "Don't worry son, we'll figure this out."

Walking down the hallway Hank all but fell into his own bed and closed his tired eyes as he tried to salvage the rest of the night.

"Why can't that poor kid catch a fucking break?"

* * *

Singing birds perched in tree branches all around the neighborhood signaled the arrival of spring, and gently awoke the household. Unsure of how long he had slept Connor opened his heavy eyes, and glanced about his bedroom somewhat confused. He didn't remember walking back up the stairs to get back to his bedroom that previous night, but he did remember telling Hank that he was ill and how he had broken down and cried from his pent up emotional frustration reaching its peak.

Sitting upright on the bed Connor let out a tired sigh and pushed his quilt off of his legs with a sluggish brush of his hand. As he stood up from the bed and began walking down the staircase he was followed by Sumo and Ruby, who were ready to go outside and have their breakfast.

"Let's go..." Connor sighed as he felt exhausted and just wanted his horrible diagnosis to be nothing more than a bad dream. Entering the kitchen Connor unlocked the backdoors and called out to the two dogs. "Outside."

Sliding open the glass door in the kitchen Connor was greeted by a fresh chilly breeze that made his dark locks of hair rustle about his face, and he took in weary deep breath as he watched the icicles melting from the branches of the nearby tree. "It's still too cold to go for a walk, but at least things are beginning to thaw out."

Closing the door quietly Connor proceeded fill up the dogs' bowls with food and fresh water, then put a kettle on the stove to make some tea. Feeling heavy and beaten down he sat down at the kitchen table while he waited for the water to come to a boil.

"Couldn't sleep in either, huh?" Hank needlessly asked as he walked into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker on the nearby countertop.

"...Not well, no."

"How do you feel?"

"How should I feel?" Connor asked as he bowed his head down and draped his arms over top of the kitchen table. "I'm tired. Confused. Scared..."

"Don't be scared, kid. You're too strong to let something like this hold you back."

"...I don't have a lot of time to ponder my choices, Hank." Regarding Hank by his name rather than 'dad' spoke volumes of how frightened and distracted by the matter Connor truly was. "I have two months, maybe three, before my condition declines even further."

"You'll think of something."

"In time?"

"Connor, I know you." The coffee maker finished brewing the fresh pot and Hank poured himself a mug of hot coffee to help him wake up. "You're too clever to _not_ find a solution."

"I wish I had your confidence."

"You're still in shock," Hank replied almost matter-of-factly as he sipped at his coffee then added a little sugar to sweeten it up. "once it wears off you'll think a lot more clearly."

As the kettle whistled Connor stood up from the table to tend to the hot water, and pulled down a mug to fill with the heated water and place a peppermint teabag inside the mug to steep for a moment. "I'm not looking forward to work tomorrow."

"You're still going to go to work?"

"I'm not going to sit on the sidelines." Without even looking up at Hank as he stared at the slowly darkening tea steeping in his mug Connor replied with a somewhat firm tone of voice. "Deviants still need us to protect them, and I won't let you work alone."

Proud of Connor's dedication to his people and to his career Hank smirked a little and tasted his coffee again. "Alright, kid. Do what you want to do."

"...You're not going to tell Captain Fowler that I'm ill?"

"It's not my place to say anything about your health, Connor. That's _your_ responsibility."

"...Right." Picking up his mug in one hand Connor walked back over to the sliding glass door and let Sumo and Ruby back inside for the morning as he watched the ice and snow slowly melting over the property under the increasingly warm rays of the morning sunlight. "I'll handle it."

* * *

Nervously Lucas approached Elijah as the eccentric engineer worked in his lab, and did so with an air of humility swirling about him. The prospect of asking for Elijah's help regarding his brother's health seemed like an impossible favor to ask, even though it had already been openly offered to him, and to do so without any definitive answer as to what was causing his brother's illness seemed entirely farfetched. Refusing to not do anything to help his brother Lucas took in a deep breath and approached the lab to speak to Elijah in person.

As expected Elijah was working at his desk and his nose buried in his research regarding the virus that still needed to be removed from Lucas's programming via his laptop. There was a tablet laying on the desk next to the laptop, and a bizarre prototype design for a new biocomponent was being tested via software simulation to allow Elijah to multitask.

"Elijah," the deviant technician spoke civilly as he stood before Elijah's desk like a child speaking to a teacher. "was your offer to aid Connor sincere?"

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't intend to deliver." Elijah looked up from his laptop screen, and away where a holographic image for a prototype biocomponent was displayed with incredible detail. "How can I help him, Lucas?"

"...I have a theory as to what is wrong with my brother, and I have a second theory regarding a possible solution."

"You have my attention." Giving the deviant an intrigued grin Elijah leaned back in his chair and locked eyes with the deviant standing before him. "Interesting. I'm listening..."

* * *

Taking a deep breath Connor followed after Hank as the duo arrived at the precinct for their first shift together since Connor's previous diagnosis. No one in the bullpen had any idea that Connor was ill, and no one even noticed their arrival as the two sat down at their desks to begin their casework as per usual. Turning on his terminal screen with a simple press of a button Connor was greeted with a few case reports that needed to be finished off, while Hank was given a memo regarding a mandatory meeting with narcotics and 'red ice' rings.

"I was gone for only one shift," Connor commented dryly as he opened his first assignment. "yet I have a week's worth of work to catch up on."

"Yeah? Well at least you don't have to sit on your ass and listen to some weasel rambling on and on about charts and statistics this afternoon."

"Another meeting?"

"Yup. Wanna' trade?"

A faint grin appeared on Connor's face before he shook his head. "I don't think Captain Fowler would agree to such a swap."

"Worth a shot." Leaning back in his chair Hank peered around his terminal screen to look at Connor. "Anything new with the deviants?"

"There were four deviants who had been targeted over the past week and had been mugged. The victims all worked night shifts, and took the same route home each night."

"Someone was watching them and planned out their attacks."

"Yes. And the four deviants all reported a single assailant dressed in all black with a similar description in gender, size, build and weapon of choice. A six inch hunting knife with a red handle was used to hold the deviants at bay as the male assailant demanded their money, and other valuables. After the victims surrendered their funds the assailant ran off in an Eastern direction out of sight."

"East, huh? Lots of old warehouses and abandoned factories to hide out in out there."

"But not a lot of places to hide the stolen money."

"What're you thinking?"

"I believe the suspect is hiding at a motel and using it as a base off operations to stalk his victims, and to hide his stolen goods. If he needs to flee he can do so easier from a motel room than from his own house or an apartment."

"Got an idea where this motel could be?"

Connor brought up a map of the city on his terminal screen and honed in possible motels in an Eastern direction. Marking the locations of all four muggings on the screen Connor honed in on a single motel of interest. "...This looks like the most logical place to hide out." Sending an image of the marked map over to Hank's screen to view for himself Connor explained his reasoning. "It's a known location for shady practices."

"Makes sense to me."

"I'll head out with Tina to investigate today."

"Fieldwork?"

Giving Hank a discreet glance Connor tried to reassure him that a simple investigation won't exasperate his condition. "It'll be fine. _ I'll_ be fine."

"Okay." Nodding in approval Hank gave the young detective his blessing. "Go for it."

With a simple nod of his own Connor got up from his desk and looked over to Tina, who was working on a report while Gavin was out on patrol with Chris for the morning. "Tina, I got a motel on the far side of the city that needs an investigation. Are you in?"

"Checking out a dirty room in a sleazy motel on the rough side of town?" She turned off her own monitor and got to her feet. "Sounds fun!"

* * *

The motel on the far side of town was as shady as one would imagine. The building was rundown with faded, chipping paint all over the exterior walls and the neon light sign that was supposed to flash 'Motel' in red was blinking in and out, while sparking brightly from neglect. The parking lot was warped, cracked and full of potholes, where the equally rundown vehicles were awkwardly parked. Each room door was covered in faded red paint that was also chipping, and fading away around the door handles and hinges from years of wear and tear.

"Cheery place." Tina commented as she pulled the patrol car in the front of the motel near the lobby. As the car parked in place the two detectives glanced over the property with an unimpressed gaze. "Think I'll have my honeymoon here."

"I didn't realize being partnered with Gavin gave you permanently low standards."

Tina looked over at Connor let out a surprised laugh. "Whoa! Since when did you take shots at Gavin?"

"It started when I broke his nose." He replied casually as he opened the passenger side door and stepped outside of the car. "Now it seems second nature."

"Don't let him hear you talking like that, he might start being a jerk to you again."

"I can live with that."

Walking toward the front lobby of the motel Connor showed the manager, who was sitting behind his desk with a small television turned on and a large can of energy drink in his right hand, his badge and introduced himself. "Excuse me. I'm Sergeant Anderson, this is Officer Chen." He motioned to Tina standing beside him with a simple tilt of the head. "We're investigating a possible criminal lurking in one of your rooms."

"Ah, fuck." Turning off the television the manager leaned toward Connor and let out an annoyed sigh. "Wouldn't be the first time. Who are ya' trying to find?"

"The suspect is a male who may have begun residing in one of your rooms since the sixteenth of last month, and as recently as last night. They are active only at night and-"

"I got four customers who fit that description." Pulling out his laptop the manager put it down on the desk and brought up a file containing the check-in dates of his current customers, and let Connor take a look. "These four guys," he highlighted the names of interest to weed them out of the other names. "have been here the longest. They're always late on their payments, too. Assholes..."

Connor nodded as he took out his phone and accessed a name recognition app directly connected to the precinct, and began checking through the offered names looking for a hit. "Three of the names have been registered in the precinct database. The first name, Michael Colton, was arrested for domestic abuse four years ago; he doesn't fit the profile nor is he the correct height or build."

Tina gave Connor an incredulous look. "I thought the victims said the suspect was completely covered in black clothing?"

"That's true, but deviants can see details that humans cannot. They all reported the man at six foot one inch in height, two-hundred and eleven pounds in weight, and of a Caucasian ethnicity."

"How'd they know he was Caucasian?"

"Facial bone structure. And as a result that information also eliminates Isaiah Morton, who is of Dominican descent and only five foot eight."

"So who's the third unlucky bastard on the list?"

"Harrison O'Neal. Convicted for assault, petty theft and possession of illegal drugs. He was released from jail two months prior."

"Which room?"

Connor looked at the manager who gave the appropriate room number. "Room six. It's on the second floor at the top of the staircase."

"Thanks."

"Here's a keycard. Not that it matters much if you break down the door, the old manager let this place rot and I'm going to have to replace all the doors this spring anyway."

Taking the offered keycard Connor walked toward the staircase with Tina right at his side, and proceeded to knock on the correctly numbered door with a firm fist, before announcing their presence. "Detroit Police. Open the door."

There was a loud 'thud' as someone fell onto the floor and scrambled toward the door in a flurry of panic. Pulling open the door with a firm jerk a man, who fit the description of the witness statements, stood before the two officers wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, and he had the top sheet of the bed wrapped awkwardly around his legs.

Trying to remain calm the suspect, Harrison, feigned ignorance. "Yes? How can I help you?"

Connor showed the man his badge and easily looked at the contents of the room behind Harrison as he spoke. "We got a report that you were seen in the area of four muggings. All of the victims are deviants."

"Oh, uh..." Trying to laugh off the accusations Harrison began to sweat and look fairly nervous. "Why come to me?"

"You fit the description."

"The..." Harrison began to sweat even more and his face paled further. "What? How?"

"Deviants see things that humans cannot," Connor replied in a firm tone of voice. "and they have no need to lie. All four of the victims described a man of your build, height and ethnicity in all four incidents. Do you have an alibi on the following nights of-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... You're going to take the word of _broken machines_? You gotta' be kidding!"

Connor let the bigoted comment slide as he couldn't say or do anything that could compromise the case. "I take the word of witnesses, no matter whom they may be or where they come from."

"Hey, those machines are out to get us, alright? They-"

"So you admit to having contact with the victims?" Connor snipped sharply as he interrupted the man's hate filled speech before he could even begin.

"Wh-What?"

"You claim that the victims, or 'machines' as you call them, are out to get you. Is that a confirmation on making contact with them?"

"What? No!"

"Yet you claim that the deviant androids have a conspiracy against humans. How so?"

"Look, just-"

"I can see from here that you have four wallets on the nightstand beside the bed." Connor observed without breaking rhythm. "That's very interesting."

"I, uh..." Beginning to panic Harrison tried to bolt past the two detectives but Connor was too fast and managed to grab Harrison by the left arm and pin the limb behind his back with a single swift jerking motion. "Ah! Fuck!"

"Why are you running?"

"Let go of me!"

"That's not an answer." Connor pinned Harrison's right arm behind his back while Tina secured her cuffs around the now restrained suspect's wrists. "Tina, keep him out here while I check the room."

"No problem, Sergeant."

As soon as Tina had a firm grip on Harrison's right shoulder Connor entered the room, and slipped a pair of purple latex gloves out of his leather jacket's right pocket, and over his hands. Afterward he walked over to the nightstand beside the bed and saw the four wallets, a phone, two empty whiskey bottles and a recently lit glass pipe used for smoking 'red ice'. He picked up the first of the four wallets and saw the I.D. of the first deviant victim tucked inside. "Victim number one, confirmed."

Harrison looked like he was going to be sick and began to swear. "Fuckin' shit! I didn't take that, I found it!"

"There's no money in this wallet," Connor noted and proceeded to check the other three wallets; all three containing the I.D.'s of the other three victims. "or the other wallets. What a strange coincidence." Turning to look at Harrison through the opened doorway Connor gave him an annoyed glance. "You're telling me you found four wallets, all belonging to the victims of muggings, and just held onto them instead or turning them in? And, coincidentally, all four victims described your person perfectly, all four wallets have no money left behind, AND you now have a very nice new phone that would cost seven-hundred dollars?"

"Hey! That's mine!"

"I know." Picking up the phone Connor easily unlocked the device and checked the date of the phone's activation. "This phone was purchased and activated last night at two fourteen in the morning. The fourth victim was mugged and reported the crime as taking place at one fifty-eight last night; just sixteen minutes later. The phone was purchased from a twenty-four hour electronic store two blocks from where the mugging took place as well."

"Coincidence! It's all a coincidence, man!"

Putting down the phone Connor put his right hand on the drawer handle of the nightstand. "And the fact that all four victims reported being held up by a hunting knife with a red handle," he paused for a moment and gave Harrison a blank stare where he stood. "and a _four inch_ blade is all a coincidence?"

"Ha! It's six inches, you smug-"

Connor shook his head as he pulled open the drawer and revealed the knife as expected. "I know. I wanted to see how you'd react, and in turn you actually confirmed the victims' descriptions of your knife."

"Son of a-" As Tina tightened her grip on Harrison's shoulder the arrested man groaned in pain. "Fuck!"

"Harrison O'Neal, you're under arrest for four counts of theft, four counts of identification theft, four counts of menacing, possession of an illegal substance and a number of other charges that will be listed once you're in custody." Throwing some of Harrison's clothes toward the man Connor shook his head and gave Tina an amused glance. "You can change in the car on the way to the precinct."

Tina just laughed as she escorted Harrison down the staircase, the partially nude man looking as embarrassed as he was angry, as he was shown to the patrol car with his pants and shirt hanging off of his shoulder.

A few cat calls and whistles from other occupants of the hotel only made Harrison blush a dark red and even angrier. "FUCK YOU!"

"It's not much." Connor told himself as he made a call to have C.S.I. come to the hotel room and take care of the scene, and collect the identified evidence he uncovered in the room. "But at least I got four deviants some degree of justice today."

* * *

Two weeks of boring cases and uneventful reports came into the precinct and were easily handled within a few hours from the seclusion of the bullpen. The lack of deviant cases would normally be seen as a could thing, but for Connor is was a sign that unscrupulous underground behavior was still brewing. He hated waiting and he hated be unable to do anything to help the deviants even more than he already was. As he danced his half-dollar coin over his right knuckles Connor leaned back in his chair and stared at his screen with absolute disinterest.

"Bored?" Hank asked despite already knowing the answer as he sipped at his overly sweetened coffee.

"Yeah. I finished all my case files and no new deviant cases have been reported."

"Normally a cop would be _happy_ to not have anymore cases being reported."

"I thought you and I agreed that I'm not normal."

"Smartass."

"I don't think I've ever seen the city so quiet before." A rumble of thunder outside filled the air and Connor shook his head in response. "Figuratively speaking." The younger detective observed as he casually pocketed his coin and glanced about the unusually inactive bullpen. His soulful brown eyes searched the entire area looking for something, anything, to spark his interest. "Even New Jericho is quiet. There haven't been any new refugees seeking shelter in almost two months now."

"For the fuck of it why don't you look into some cold cases? You might find something interesting hidden away in those dormant files."

"I've already checked through the cold cases regarding homicide. Age alone has kept those cases from being solved, and I cannot transcend time to find any missing evidence or suspects."

Thunder shook the building as the early spring storm continued to hover over the city, and caused the lights to flicker overhead. The storm had been raging all morning long and showed no sign of slowing down as the afternoon quickly encroached over the city.

Gavin walked by Connor's desk with a cup of black coffee in his hand and overheard the comment. "Yeah? How are you on handling 'locked room mysteries'?"

"On _what_?" Turning around Connor looked at Gavin over his left shoulder as the Sergeant returned to his desk, and plopped down heavily in his chair with utter frustration. "What do you mean a 'locked room mystery'?"

"Just what it sounds like ya' moron." The insult was merely a replacement for 'Tinman' since Connor was no longer a deviant. "I gotta' case where the crime was committed in a locked room; a murder." Listing off the details Gavin knew he could Connor intrigued by the unusual case at hand. "But the room was locked from the inside, there was only one door and no windows. There was no sign of a break-in, an escape or a secondary accomplice. By all account our murder victim was murdered by a damn _ghost_."

Connor's brow arched a little at the prospect of such a strange case and he suddenly felt less bored. "When did the case come in?"

"This morning. I've been trying to figure it out, but I'm completely stumped."

"I'd like to take a look at the scene."

"Be my guest." Opening his top desk drawer Gavin pulled out a bottle of aspirin and popped two pills into his mouth before chasing the tablets down with a gulp of bitter coffee. There was no denying that he was getting frustrated by the dead end he reached. "The sooner this gets handled the sooner I can work on something new!"

* * *

The scene of the seemingly spectral murder completely held Connor's attention as he and Gavin walked into the secured room while C.S.I. finished collecting evidence. Glancing about the unusual room Connor quickly assessed the scene while Gavin stayed back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest with a clear bored indifference on his face. The room was just as Gavin described and by all account the murder was indeed committed by an incorporeal being who walked through walls.

"Watch it." Gavin warned as he and Connor stepped through the doorway and through the holographic police tape. "That damn door keeps trying to lock on us every time we walked in the room."

"Huh?"

"That storm last night fucked up the power to this place. The panic alarm went off and brought in 911, which then brought us here to find this weird-ass case."

"Oh." The answer made complete sense. "Of course."

The room holding the scene of the murder was a panic room designed to keep the occupants of the residence safe in the event of an emergency or break-in. The panic room itself was in the corner of the house hidden well behind a false wall in the livingroom, and could only be opened by a pass code that was limited to only one person; the owner of the house. According to the internal alarm the room had been accessed at three-fifteen that morning, while the coroner determined that the victim had died at approximately three-twenty that same morning.

The interior of the room had reinforced concrete that was layered over in drywall painted a pristine white. The floor was hardwood and oak with a dark blue ovular area rug in the center. There was a single very long white sofa that stretched the length of one wall, bent at a ninety degree angle angle, and stretched down the entirety of the neighboring wall. On the wall to the left side of the doorway were a dozen different security monitors designed to look at every room of the house, yet conveniently the security camera footage had been completely destroyed and all of the cameras disabled.

Beneath the monitors was a ventilation system designed to pump in clear fresh air when the room was on lockdown. The front of the ventilation shaft was metallic and had a few scratches with very faint traces of dirt over the metal slats of the vent, as if it had been recently disturbed. Beside it was a large first aid kit mounted on the wall which hadn't been touched in some time. Next to the ventilation hatch were two long shelves filled with other emergency supplies; flashlights, batteries, bottles of water, canned food, medication, a satellite phone and loaded gun to act as a weapon of defense.

None of the supplies had been touched and the gun was never fired.

There was only one door leading into and out of the room. There were no windows, and there was no sign of a struggle inside the room.

"Well?" Gavin snipped impatiently as Connor gave the room a once over. "What's going on here?"

Connor looked at the blood stain on the middle of the floor over top of the rug where the body had been found, and could tell by the size and shape of the bloody puddle that the victim had bled out from a fatal wound to the neck. Seeing the lack of a forcible entry, a struggle or an escape, Connor was truly perplexed but thoroughly intrigued.

"...The victim died in this room, and had been wounded in this room as well." Connor decided as he pointed at the floor in the center of the panic room. "There is no blood trail leading to the room, and there is no blood on the wall where the access panel to the panic room can be located."

"Uh-huh, we figured that one out earlier."

"The knife that slit the victim's throat-"

"Whoa, whoa..." Gavin was genuinely impressed by Connor's astute observations. "How'd you know the guy died by a knife to the neck?"

"The shape of the puddle on the floor and the lack of spatter against the walls and ceiling indicates that the victim bled out from a single wound to a major artery, most likely the carotid or jugular vein in the neck, via a slit rather than a stab." Taking a step back from the drying puddle of blood Connor glanced about the room curiously but found not even the slightest trace of a second person setting foot inside this room. "Where is the weapon?"

"No knife at the scene. I figured the killer took it with him and disposed of it."

"...No. There would still be a blood trail leading out of the room either from blood dripping from the knife, or from the killer's footsteps from being so close to the victim when they began to bleed. It's also very common for the killer in a stabbing murder to have also been wounded in the act, which would leave a secondary blood trail to follow. Unless..." Glancing about the room again Connor's eyes honed in on the ventilation shaft mounted on the wall. "Interesting."

"What're you saying, Connor?"

"I'm saying I think the killer is still in the room."

"What?!" Gavin was suddenly on guard his his hand hovered over the gun holstered at his right hip. "Are you serious?"

"I am, but I don't mean-"

A blindingly bright flash of lightning filled the entire house as a nearly deafening rumble of thunder shook the house. A low groan filled the house as the power failed, and by design the door to the panic room slid shut and locked, effectively trapping the two detectives inside while trapping the C.S.I. crew outside.

"What the?!" Gavin reached out with a blind hand toward the doorway but only found the smooth surface of the door instead of open air. "Shit! FUCK!"

Dull white andyellow emergency lights illuminated the room and allowed the two detectives to see one another.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Trying and failing to force the door open Gavin pressed his back up against the locked door and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He had a weak signal, but it was enough to send an emergency text out to the precinct to ask for help. "Shit! Damn door trapped us!"

Connor remained calmer than Gavin as he stepped around the blood puddle on the floor and over to the ventilation shaft. Holding his left hand in front of the shaft the attentive young detective failed to feel any motion from air flowing into the room, which made his heart begin to thunder in his chest. The room was now airtight and having a panicked person trapped inside was only going to deplete the remaining oxygen quicker.

"Gavin, they know we're here." Connor kept his voice level despite being well aware of the danger they were in. "Remain calm."

"Fuck you!"

Having made his call Gavin took a step away from the door and pressed his back up against the wall of the room, and slowly slid down to the floor as he sat down with a sense of defeat. Crossing his arms defensively over his chest Gavin took in deep slow breaths as a nervous cold sweat began to build on his brow in a fine sheen.

"Gavin?" Connor peered down at the Sergeant with an arched brow. He noted that Gavin was clearly in physical distress; sweating and shaking visibly even from the distance, Connor knew the other detective was in trouble. "Are you ill? Your vitals appear to-"

"Don't fuckin' tell me what's going on with my body, alright? I fuckin' know I'm strung out!"

"...Claustrophobia." Connor keenly remembered that Gavin had a fear of small and dark places. "I apologize for making you feel unsettled."

"Yeah. Fuckin' door had to lock with me stuck inside of a damn murder room. Son of a bitch..."

Sitting down on the white sofa across from Gavin the younger detective pulled out his phone and saw a text from Hank giving him an update. "Repair crews are working on getting the power back on." Honing in on Gavin he watched as the detective's breathing increased, and felt the room steadily getting warmer. "We will be freed soon."

"Yeah, sure..."

"Gavin, I am aware of how uncomfortable it is to experience-"

"Shut up."

"You'll be okay."

"Shut up!" Gavin repeated with more anger to his voice as he glared at the detective sitting on the couch. "You don't know what I'm feelin'! Don't pretend you know what this is like, you don't have issues with this kind of shit."

"...I had been subjected to several asthma attacks." Connor stated in a low voice as he insisted on keeping the conversation going in order to distract Gavin's thoughts. "I know all to well what it's like to feel your breathing hasten as the air around you thins, and to have your heart thunder in your chest. I may not be claustrophobic, but I am aware of the discomfort being trapped in small space provides."

"If you're trying to make me feel better then you're doing a shitty job!"

"I'm merely attempting to empathize. I understand your fear and I wish to help alleviate it."

"Yeah?" Gavin began to suck in his breaths as if on the verge of suffocating already. "If you want to help then fuckin' get this door open."

"Gavin, you need to slow your breathing down."

"...I'm f-fine."

"No. You're beginning to hyperventilate. Take in one deep breath, hold it for three seconds, and let it out slowly. If you repeat the process it'll calm down your heart rate and you'll feel better."

"I can't... I can't fuckin'..." Barely able to catch his breath Gavin began to panic more which in turn only caused him to hyperventilate faster. With his left hand pressed against his forehead and the right grabbed onto the front of his shirt over his pounding heart Gavin was clearly in distress. "Shit!"

"Gavin, listen to me." Rising from the sofa Connor took a bottle of water from the nearby shelf of supplies he walked over to Gavin, and knelt down in front of him. "You're going to be okay. Just breathe slowly."

"I fu-"

"Watch me." Steadily Connor took in a deep breath, held it and let it out slowly. Patiently he waited for Gavin to mimic his behavior and continued the cycle until the distraught Sergeant's breathing began to slow into a more manageable and calm degree. "Just like that. Keep breathing in a slow and controlled manner."

"Fuck... I can't-"

"Gavin. Breathe." The younger detective all but ordered as he kept himself calm and kept his breathing slow and level. "Slowly. Deep breath in, hold it, deep breath out slowly." As the Sergeant finally began to breathe as instructed Connor pressed his right fingertips to the left side of Gavin's neck and monitored his vitals closely. "...Good. Do it again, just breathe slowly."

Gavin's heart rate began to slow and his breathing leveled out slowly. Once Gavin's breathing stabilized Connor passed over the bottle of water to which Gavin readily accepted, and unscrewed the lid.

"...Thanks." Sipping at the water Gavin leaned back against the wall heavily and tried to focus on his breathing. "...How'd you know what to do?"

"I had once had an anxiety attack, and Chris helped me through it."

"Chris is a good guy... So are you," he gave the younger detective a stern glare. "but if you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it until the day I die."

"Don't worry, Gavin. I won't say anything about this."

"Good." Replacing the cap over the bottle Gavin wiped his left hand over his sweaty face and leaned forward a little. His left fingertips brushed over the scar on his face and his eyes dulled in response. "Fuckin' shitty weather. It always makes scars and healed bones ache."

"Poor weather can also interfere with deviant processing power resulting in either Thirium pump irregularities; equivalent to heart palpitations, as well as overheating and increased Thirium pressure resulting in headaches." Gripping his right hand over the center of his chest Connor waited for an inevitable heart palpitation to ache in chest thanks to the thin air he was being forced to breathe. "I find that whether I'm a deviant or a human poor weather conditions have a drastically negative impact on my person."

"Guess storms fuck us all up."

"Gavin, I don't want to alarm you, but I want to be honest with you, too." Standing up again Connor slipped off his gray suit jacket as he began to feel too warm, and then did the same for his black tie around his collar. "The ventilation system isn't working, there is currently no fresh air being supplied to this room."

Leaning his head back against the wall Gavin swore again and closed his eyes. "Fuck!"

"Stay calm, and breathe slowly." Connor instructed as he felt his legs beginning to shake, and his breaths became increasingly more shallow. Sending another text to Hank without Gavin seeing him pull his phone from his jean pocket the younger detective stayed completely calm. "We'll be out of here soon enough."

"Easy for you to say!" Gavin snipped as he pressed his left hand to the side of his sweaty face and then up, and through his sweaty hair. "You're not the one who's claustrophobic."

"No, but as I stated earlier I have asthma. When the air gets too thin there's a strong chance I'll have a severe attack, or lose consciousness."

"...Uh, what happens then?"

"I don't know. Potential state of prolonged unconsciousness, severe headache, maybe even... another coma." Pressing his right hand over his chest again Connor felt his heart thundering and fluttering under his palm, and he hated it. Sitting down on the floor on the opposite side of the door from where Gavin was sitting Connor took his own advice and breathed slowly as he pulled his inhaler from his jacket pocket, then left the jacket on the sofa behind himself. "I do know that staying calm is key."

* * *

The entire city had lost power and the precinct was now buzzing with activity as patrols were assigned to ensure no looting occurred during the citywide blackout. Word spread quickly throughout the bullpen that Connor and Gavin were trapped in the panic room at the murder scene, but it wasn't until Connor sent Hank the text did they realize that the two detectives were in danger of suffocating due to the lack of air in the now sealed off, and small, airtight room at the mansion.

Always one to think on his feet Hank used the stairwell to get to the dispensary and speak with Joel without anyone noticing him leaving the bullpen.

The precinct technician was working on his tablet to monitor the power outage when a firm knocking on the door frame made him look up. "Hank, what brings you by?"

"I could use your help on a case."

"My help?" Joel was a little shocked by the reply. "I haven't worked with you or Connor since he returned to humanity. What can I do?"

"Do you think you could unlock a sealed door?"

"Uh, yeah. Who's trapped?"

"Connor and Gavin."

The second reply was confusing and made his brow furrow slightly. "...Here?"

"No, at a crime scene. They're stuck in a panic room and Connor says the ventilation system isn't working."

"Oh." Grabbing onto his technician's satchel Joel put his tablet inside and nodded at Hank. "Alright, take me there and I should be able to work a little electronic magic and undo the lock."

"Good. And uh, even though it's not really my place to say there is something else I want you to know about Connor."

"Sure, if it's private I can keep a secret so don't worry about that." Slinging the satchel over his left shoulder Joel followed Hank out of the dispensary. "What's going on?"

* * *

As the air thinned Connor could feel his chest starting to tighten, but remained as calm as possible. Focusing on his breathing Connor leaned back against the relatively cool wall beside the sofa and unfastened the top buttons of his white dress shirt to try to keep cool as the room continued to get warmer from the lack of flowing air. Glancing over at Gavin, who was also trying to remain calm, he noticed that Gavin had slipped off his leather jacket and in turn revealed another scar running down his right forearm courtesy of being stabbed by Ralph a few months prior.

"...Glad your arm healed."

Gavin thought it was an odd comment but then decided that since they were already in an odd circumstance, why criticize it? "Yeah. Not the worst injury I've ever had."

Letting out a weak wheezing sound Connor shook his inhaler once and took a dose of the medication. It helped ease his discomfort but it'd do little good unless the air began circulating again soon.

"...Before all this shit went down," Gavin muttered as he tried to distract himself from the stupid situation he had found himself. "you said you thought the killer was here in this room still. What the fuck were you talking about?"

"...Oh. The murder _isn't_ a murder." Connor rubbed his right hand down his sweaty face stretched his legs out before him as he continued to sit on the floor with his back up against the wall behind him. "It's a suicide."

"Suicide? What the hell makes you think this is a suicide?" Gavin motioned toward blood on the floor with his left hand as stared at Connor's face. "There's no weapon at the scene, no noose or high rafters to hang himself from, and nothing sharp in here to cut his throat with."

"...The vent."

"Okay, now you _really_ lost me. What the fuck does the vent have to do with anything?"

"...It's not working." Connor replied in a hoarse voice as the air continued to thin. "And it wasn't... working when we entered."

"Okay... I still don't get it."

"The vent... The vent has been damaged and... the damage was caused by a metallic... object."

"Hey?" Gavin could see that Connor was having a hard time breathing and wanted to keep him conscious. Talking was going to waste oxygen but it was the only way he could think of to keep Connor from passing out. "You keep your eyes open. What about the metallic object and the vent?"

"...The weapon... it's inside. A knife."

"It's INSIDE the vent? How?"

Connor's head bowed forward as he took in a weak breath then coughed.

"Hold on." Getting up from the floor Gavin approached the other detective slowly. Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Gavin gently pushed Connor to his side then help him to turn so he was laying on his back on the floor. "Inside the vent?"

Getting back up from the floor slowly, using the wall for balance as he pressed his left palm against the smooth surface for support, Gavin walked over to the vent and peered at the closed metal slats. Getting a closer look Gavin realized that the dirt over the metal wasn't dirt at all, it was dried blood.

"Holy shit..." Carefully Gavin took hold of the vent cover and pried it free of the ventilation shaft to put on the floor. Glancing inside the dark vent he saw more dried blood staining the metal surface of the vent as if blood had been dripping straight down. "Man, you were really onto something!"

Connor closed his glassy brown eyes and coughed a little. "...D-Did you find... the knife?"

"I think so." Reaching into his jean pocket Gavin pulled out a purple latex glove and slipped it over his right hand. Reaching upward inside of the vent where it ascended into the wall with a careful motion Gavin felt something metallic bump against his fingertips. "Found something!" Craning his neck so he could see the knife at an odd angle he reached up to grab it by the handle. In doing so he was met with some resistance but kept pulling anyway. "Whoa! What the fuck?"

Gavin retrieved the knife from within the vent and found the blade saturated in blood. The handle itself was tied to a very strong elastic bungee-cord that was secured to the top of the ventilation shaft. In order to secure the knife in place the killer, in this case the victim, had to turn off the vent and had simply forgotten to turn it back on. Pulling the knife through the opened slats of the vent and used the knife to slit their own throat and let the cord pull the weapon out of their hand afterward. As they fell to the floor and lost their grip on the knife the bungee-cord retracted, and pulled the knife back through the slats and inside the vent out of sight; effectively hiding the weapon.

"Holy shit! You were right!" Gavin untied the chord from the knife and placed it down on the floor beside the vent. "It was a suicide! But why the hell did that guy make it look like a murder?"

"...I... I don't..." Connor coughed again and wheezed as the air in the room continued to thin out rapidly, and his eyes glazed over.

"Shit..." Walking over to Connor at a calm pace Gavin knelt down on the floor and put his left hand on the struggling detective's right shoulder. "Connor?"

Gasping again Connor tried to open his eyes but he failed to do so.

"...I know how you feel." Falling back to sit down on the floor next to the wheezing detective Gavin threw off his latex glove and then laid down on the floor to try to keep himself from passing out as he breathed slowly and steadily. "...Never thought... I'd go through... this shit while... on the clock."

* * *

Driving through the stormy weather Hank and Joel arrived at the scene of the bizarre 'locked room mystery', and saw Ben and the rest of the C.S.I. team, as well as two paramedics attempting to unlock the door to the panic room. Without power there was nothing they could do to get the door back open to get the two detectives out. Fortunately the skilled technician was able to hook his tablet into a cable and attach it to the electronic panel beside the door, and sent a surge of power to the door.

"It'll take a few minutes, but I know I can get the door open." Joel confirmed as he worked diligently on the tablet screen. "Anymore texts from either Connor or Gavin?"

Checking his phone Hank saw the screen was blank and shook his head. "No, nothing." Turning to look at Ben, who was standing back with his electronic notepad in his hand, Hank addressed the senior officer. "Ben, what's going on?"

"I was outside checking the backdoor when Connor and Gavin went inside the panic room." He admitted with a slightly despondent voice. "I don't know what they found, if anything, or how long they were in there before the door locked on them."

"Shit."

Joel's pale blue eyes lit up and he made a few more key commands on his tablet. "Hold on... I think I got it." There was a groan as power returned to the electronic door and it jumped from the now released locking bolt in the frame. "Bingo!"

The two paramedics pried open the door allowing a rush of air to enter the space while Joel made sure the power feed remained consistent to ensure no one else ended up trapped inside the airtight room. Hank followed after the paramedics as the two trained medics checked over Connor and Gavin, who had fallen unconscious due to the lack of oxygen left in the enclosed stifling room.

"Connor?" Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and shook once. "Hey, open your eyes."

The paramedic tending to Connor pressed her hand to Connor's chest then bent down to listen for any breathing. "He needs some oxygen." Placing the mask of the portable oxygen tank over Connor's nose and mouth she pulled open the rest of the buttons on Connor's dress shirt, and rubbed her knuckles down his sternum to perform a sternal rub and elicit a pained response. "Wake up, Connor."

Reacting to the pain Connor's right hand lifted up weakly as he began to cough and take in much needed deep breaths.

Hank spoke to him in a calm voice as he kept his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kid. You with us?"

Connor nodded a little as he continued cough and then opened his eyes. "...I-I'm awake."

The paramedic continued to exam Connor and did so by listening to his chest with a stethoscope as he coughed. "Mild arrhythmia, but your lungs are cleared."

Glancing over at Hank kneeling beside him Connor watched as the senior detective discreetly shook his head indicating that he didn't tell the paramedic anything about his preexisting heart condition.

"Connor," the paramedic shined a penlight in his eyes one at a time to check his pupils. "do you have a headache or any dizziness?"

"...A little headache." Putting his right hand to the side of his head he tried to sit up, but neither the paramedic or Hank would allow him to do so. "But I'm not dizzy."

"We're going to take you both to the hospital as a precaution."

Connor again tried to sit up but Hank kept his hand on his shoulder to keep him down as he spoke to the paramedic. "Is that mandatory?"

"No. But it is advised."

"Noted." Giving Connor another nod he moved his hand to the back of Connor's shoulder and helped him to sit upright. "Connor, if you get dizzy or have any other problems I'm take you right to the E.R., got it?"

Placing his left hand over the plastic oxygen mask over his face Connor gave Hank an appreciative stare. "...Y-Yeah. I got it." Looking past the paramedic who was counting his pulse by wrapping her fingers around his right wrist Connor asked about Gavin. "How is Gavin?"

"A lot better than you. You're both lucky."

"How'd you get the door open?"

"Joel is a pretty talented electronic lockpick."

"Joel?"

The technician was still in the doorway keeping power flowing to the panic room's security locks. "Right here. I recommend you guys get out of there before another power surge seals you back inside."

"You heard him." Offering his shoulder to lean on Hank helped Connor up to his feet while the paramedic walked at his other side and picked up the portable oxygen tank, and Connor's jacket and tie as a courtesy. "Let's get you out of here and into some fresh air."

* * *

The return to the precinct was a little crowded as Hank, Connor and Joel all rode back together in one car upon departing from the mansion. Gavin went back to the precinct in his own patrol car, insisting he was fine, but clearly nursing a terrible headache of his own. He already had a good headstart on the case and was eager to get it filed as quickly as possible so he could go home and sleep off his pain in the comfort of his own bed, and very far away from any locked rooms.

Sitting inside in the car in the parking garage of the precinct Hank watched as Joel discreetly gave Connor a quick once over to the best of his ability while Hank himself counted Connor's pulse through his left wrist. Connor was still a little pale and sweaty from being nearly suffocated in the airtight room, but he was breathing well and was entirely lucid.

"Glad I could still find a way to help you." Joel commented as he pocketed his penlight and put away his audioscope into his satchel slung over his shoulder once again. "How's your head?"

"...Throbbing."

"Deviant or human, that's a pretty common reaction to a cut-off air supply."

Hank patted Connor's left shoulder and motioned for him to get out of the front seat of the car. "Come on, son. The sooner you get that impressive case filed the sooner you can go home and sleep off your headache."

"Right. That sounds like a good plan."

Joel was walking alongside the two detectives and kept his eyes on Connor's demeanor as a strange need to look out for his friend suddenly reared its head as they returned to the precinct. "So you proved that the murder wasn't a murder, but in fact a suicide staged to_ look_ like a murder?"

"Yeah, that's right." Connor confirmed as he absentmindedly straightened his black tie around his neck.

"But why? Why would someone do that?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Hank tilted his head a little and offered up his own theory as the trio walked through the front doors of the precinct together. "Got a name on the victim?"

"Owen Fullson."

"Oh, _him_." Hank quickly recognized the name. "He was a paranoid old recluse who either wanted some attention after his death, or he had something wrong with him and didn't want to live anymore."

Joel still wasn't following. "Why disguise his suicide?"

"Because committing suicide would not only look bad on his surviving family, but it would also invalidate any and all life insurance policies he'd have in place."

"Interesting." Connor's brow arched a little as he thought about Hank's theory. "I'll look into the victim's background."

"Nope." Hank motioned for Connor to sit down behind his terminal screen and rest for a moment. It took a moment for his computer to reboot after being unexpectedly shutdown during the storm. "You write up the report and finish getting the details from Gavin, I'll look at this guy for ya'."

Joel proceeded to walk down the corridor to get to the elevator to get to the dispensary to remain for the rest of his shift. "I'll see you later, Connor."

"Right." Connor called out to the technician who came to his aid earlier that day. "Thank you for your help, Joel."

Hank spoke up again in a low voice as he studied Connor's face. "...Are you mad that I told him you're sick?"

Connor's mouth twitched a little before he answered. "...No. I understand why you did it." Lowering his voice he spoke to Hank in a quite tone. "You were worried that I was in danger of exasperating my condition, and you knew that Joel wouldn't tell anyone else about what was going on."

"Did it hurt you being in that room and cut off from fresh air for so long? I mean, you know, you're not exactly fighting off a common cold here."

"No. It didn't affect my heart, just my head." Putting his right hand to the side of his head again Connor leaned heavily against his desk. He glanced over at Gavin over his left shoulder and saw him pop two more aspirin into his mouth. "Same as Gavin."

"Want some aspirin, too?"

"No, I'd rather just get back home and sleep for a while. That'll be enough."

"Good. It's my turn to cook tonight, so do you have anything special in mind?"

"Uh... How about we just order a pizza instead?"

"You're a good kid, Connor." Hank turned on his own terminal screen and waited for his computer to reboot now that the power had been restored to the precinct. The storm was finally beginning to let up and with it the city began to quiet back down. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

_**-next chapter-**_


	35. Heights

The day started out rough. A rogue deviant who had been using a knife to attack and threaten other deviants, as well as humans throughout the city, had been accused of murdering an innocent woman who was out walking her dog in the park. Due to the deviant nature of the case both Connor and Hank had been assigned to work the case, and had tracked the deviant down to the busy train station where he was trying to blend into the crowd and escape from the police before he could be apprehended.

"Stop!" Connor shouted with authority in his voice as he easily isolated the dangerous deviant from the rest of the crowd. "Detroit Police!"

The deviant glared angrily at Connor as he pushed his way through the mass of people and leapt onto the elevated concrete tracks of the train in a desperate bid to flee from the pursuing detective. Without missing a beat Connor also cut through the crowd and leapt onto the tracks as he chased after the deviant along the concrete tracks at a dangerously quick speed over the busy streets twenty feet below; his heart painfully thundering in his chest with each adrenaline fueled step he took.

Hank was driving along street below the tracks and was keeping track of the chase from his position as he radioed in the pursuit to dispatch. "Holy shit!" He craned his neck a little as he watched Connor catching up to the deviant along the lengthy concrete tracks above. "What the fuck is he thinking?!"

"STOP." Connor demanded again as he reached out his right hand and grabbed onto the deviant's right shoulder. Pulling back hard he managed to stop the deviant in his tracks, only to have the deviant turn around wildly and swing his knife at Connor in response. Grabbing onto the deviant's right arm just below his wrist Connor planted his feet to keep the blade from cutting into his body as he restrained the deviant's weapon. "DROP THE KNIFE. NOW!"

Seeing the struggle now taking place Hank stopped the car beneath the tracks, and looked up at the duo fighting for the knife almost twenty feet above him. Connor and the deviant were standing atop the tracks over a concrete support column right in the middle of the street, and precariously close to the edge. Grabbing his radio that he kept in his right coat pocket Hank reported the incident and the exact location, requesting immediate back-up to their location.

"Stop now!" Despite the strength differences between the two Connor was able to hold the deviant back relatively easily. "This is your last chance!"

"Fuck off!"

Connor had no choice but to break the deviant's wrist in order to make him let go of the knife, and in the process the deviant's leg buckled from the sudden pain. As the deviant fell downward he lost his footing and grabbed onto Connor's right arm to try to break his fall. As he fell over the edge he pulled Connor down with him, and the two slipped over the edge of the tracks together, the knife falling away and clattering onto the asphalt far below.

"Connor!" Hank shouted upward as he watched Connor and the deviant hanging onto the edge of the concrete track by one hand as they hung perilously high up over the street. "Hold on! Help's coming!"

With panic setting in Connor's heart began thundering in his chest even harder from a mixture of fear and adrenaline. Hanging onto the track as tightly as he could for dear life the young detective looked down at the unforgiving street so far below himself, and saw Hank standing beneath the tracks watching everything happen.

"H-Hank?" Connor whispered fearfully as he felt the concrete tracks beginning to rumble as a train began barreling down the track at a frightening speed.

The deviant suspect managed to swing his legs up and over the top of the track as he used his uninjured left hand to pull himself back up over the edge to begin running again. Clumsily the deviant clawed and kicked as he tried to get back up onto the track and away from the two detectives trying to arrest him while paying no attention to the rapidly approaching train.

Approaching at a dangerous speed the train showed no sign of stopping as the two combatants struggled along the tracks helplessly, and began blowing its loud horn to alert them to the danger.

"CONNOR! GET OUT OF THERE!" Hank yelled desperately to his partner high up above. He had to put his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice over the sound of the speeding train as he tried to get the young detective out of harm's way. "CLIMB DOWN. NOW."

In fear Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide as he felt the track shaking more and more violently as the train charged at him swiftly. He was absolutely terrified and for the first time in his life he didn't know how to react. He was frozen in place.

"CONNOR." Hank shouted again, this time with more force in his voice. "USE THE LADDER AND CLIMB DOWN, NOW. THAT'S AN ORDER, DAMN IT!"

Something about being 'ordered' to respond was enough to pull Connor back to his senses. Looking about himself quickly Connor spotted the metal ladder that was mounted to the side of the concrete pillar just a few inches from his grip. Reaching his free trembling left hand out to the ladder Connor took a firm grip on the rung and forced his right hand to let go of the track as he swung his body over onto the ladder entirely.

Hank could see Connor shaking from fear as both of his hands gripped the metal rungs of the ladder like a vice, and he planted his feet firmly on a second rung at the full length of his legs.

As Connor moved himself out of immediate danger of the oncoming train the fleeing deviant had gotten back to his feet and turned around to face the approaching metal vehicle just as the train screamed down the track, and smashed right into him. A splash of blue blood rained down over the tracks and speckled Connor's face, hair, hands and shoulders; while a few stray drops fell downward over the windshield of Hank's car.

The emergency brakes of the autonomous train engaged causing the train to slowly screech to a halt, but it was too late to do anything. The deviant had been struck and killed by the train upon impact.

Hank reported the collision on his radio as he approached the pillar and stood beside the bottom of ladder where Connor was still hanging on for his life a his heart pounded painfully in his chest. "Connor? Climb down. It's okay."

"I... I can't." Connor's eyes were shut tight and his heart was pounding painfully with a mixture of adrenaline and fear. "...I can't move."

"Yes you can! Climb down." Hank saw that Connor wasn't going to budge and decided to he needed to use the 'dad voice' to get him to respond. "Connor. Get down here, now. You'll be okay."

Nodding frantically Connor pulled his shaking left hand from the rung and placed it on the rung just below it. Repeating the action with his right hand and then his feet in a slow rhythm Connor gradually began descending the ladder back down to the safety of the ground below.

"That's it." Hank encouraged kindly as he watched the younger man timidly climb down the ladder. "Just a little more, you're almost on the ground."

As soon as the scared young detective was in reach Hank put his right hand against Connor's back to support him as he finished the last of the climb and all but collapsed to the ground on his hands and knees. The younger detective was trembling with fear and staring with wide eyes at the asphalt under his trembling palms.

"It's okay, kid."

"H-Hank..." Connor's voice was shaking as much as the rest of his body. "I th-think I'm afraid of h-heights."

"No shit!"

"...H-How do I make it s-stop?"

"Like any other fear, you have to face it."

Connor nodded again as Hank grabbed onto his left bicep with his right hand and hoisted him back up to his feet. "You need to get cleaned up and we need to get back to the precinct to file our report." The sight of his adopted son covered in blood blue gave Hank flashbacks to Connor's life as a deviant. "I get the feeling Fowler's going to get pissed about the bill for the damage to the train."

"W-What about the deviant?" Connor asked in a slightly more stable voice as he fought to stop trembling where he stood. "...Did he survive?"

"No, kid." Hank shook his head as he kept his left hand against Connor's back as he guided the frightened young detective over to the car. "But there was nothing you could do to save him. He was insane, he was dangerous and he tried to kill you. Don't feel bad about it."

"Y-Yeah. I'll try to remember that."

"Connor, it's over." Hank reiterated in a firm voice as he pulled open the front passenger side door and guided Connor down into the seat. "You're going to be okay. You ARE okay."

"...Right." Looking down at his shaking hands again Connor closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "...I'm okay."

* * *

Having showered off in the precinct's locker room area Connor sat at his terminal with his coin dancing rather gracelessly over his left knuckles, as he stared at the screen while finishing up his report on the day's previous incident. His heart had slowed down to a normal rhythm as he was able to calm down a little after returning to the precinct, but he was still wary and shaken by the close call on the tracks. It was the first time Connor felt as though he had truly been useless after he had failed to react thanks solely to an unexpected fearful reaction to being up high over the street. That feeling was one he hoped he'd never have to experience again.

Hank was watching Connor carefully from the breakroom as he poured himself a cup of coffee and could see the fear still gripping Connor's mind. Trying to explain fear and phobia was something he had very little experience with, and he was unsure on how to approach the subject without accidentally making things worse for Connor in the process.

"Hey, Lieutenant." Chris greeted as he helped himself to a cup of coffee in the breakroom as well. "Heard about the deviant on the tracks. How's Connor holding up?"

"Terrified." He confirmed as he sipped at his sweetened coffee slowly. "I wish I knew why."

"...You wish you knew why he was scared about almost getting killed?"

"_Noooo_." Hank gave Chris a slightly annoyed glance but answered sincerely. "I want to know why he has a fear of _heights_. He's never been afraid before, but when he saw how high up he was today it was like he was a completely different person up there."

"Weird. I didn't know Connor had any phobias."

"I don't think he did either." Hank sipped at the coffee again and grimaced at the still bitter taste before adding a little more sugar. Normally he liked his coffee super sweet but he had been trying to cut down on the sugar at Connor's request. "I'm going to try to see what's up with him later."

"Maybe he had a bad interaction at a high place before he became deviant, and being up on the tracks today uncovered a fear he hadn't been able to feel before as an android, or even a human."

"That's... That's actually a pretty good theory. Makes sense, too." Hank finished off his somewhat sweetened coffee and put the now empty mug into the sink to be washed later. "See ya' around Chris."

"Yeah, see ya'."

Hank walked back over to the desks that he and Connor shared and put his left hand to the younger detective's shoulder right. As soon as Hank's palm made contact with his shoulder Connor jumped and dropped the coin that he had been so delicately balancing over his left hand, while his heart briefly raced in a startled response.

"Easy, son. I didn't mean to scare you." Hank apologized as he stood beside Connor's desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "You okay?"

"...Fine." Connor lied as he bent down to pick up his dropped half-dollar coin from the floor and placed it back inside his jacket pocket for safekeeping. "I'm just fine, Hank."

"Connor." Once more Hank found himself using the 'dad voice' and it caught Connor's attention. "Don't lie to me. I know you too well now for you to be trying to pull that shit on me anymore. What's wrong?"

Connor's soulful brown eyes dulled as he leaned back in his chair. "...I can't get what happened out of my mind. The sudden acrophobia was very unsettling."

"'Acrophobia', huh? So that's what it's called." Running his right hand over his bearded chin Hank remained by the younger man to try to help him find a way to deal with his previous phobia laced experience. "Any idea why it suddenly hit you? I mean, you pulled my sorry ass back up over the edge of a roof without batting an eye back when we first me, what changed?"

"I'm uncertain."

"Could this have something to do with your deviancy, or maybe even your return to humanity?"

"...I don't know."

"Well, try to think. Did you have a rough experience somewhere high up before you became a deviant?"

"Are you referring to the night I had my arm broken," he asked as his left hand clutched at the previously broken right humerus. " or a possibly repressed memory?"

"You tell me."

Connor closed his eyes as he tried to think about other incidents from his past; deviant and human, in an attempt to isolate any possible experiences regarding heights, or dangerous scenarios that were near high places. Nothing made itself prevalent beyond his broken arm, but there seemed to be something in the very back of his mind that felt unusual.

"Well?" Hank asked impatiently as he watched Connor sitting quietly in his chair.

"...I can't pinpoint any particular incident, but it's possible that the memory in question had been repressed, or intentionally corrupted, by CyberLife."

"Is there any way you can get it back?"

"Unlikely. I need to know the exact memory that was affected before I can begin any type of recovery."

"How do we do that?"

Connor's lip twitched a little before he responded honestly. "If I were still a deviant I would need to see a technician and allow them full access to my memory."

"If it's that simple why didn't you do that with a psychiatrist? You know, make sure CyberLife didn't plant any fake memories or some other bullshit in your programming at the last minute just to fuck with you?"

"...Because it would require me allowing someone access to my_ full_ memory. Would you allow someone you don't know to ask you about every memory and secret in your brain?"

"Okay, I get it. Fair point." The senior detective shrugged his shoulders a little as he offered a slightly more appealing option. "What if you went to the facility and let Abby check over your memory? She's a friend."

"She doesn't have the proper training, and I'd rather not spend time in New Jericho Tower allowing my memory to be analyzed by my friends, either. The other deviants in the tower are still wary of me, and they may misinterpret the situation as a possible threat to the tower if they knew that the infamous 'Deviant Hunter' is experiencing... mental _and_ medial issues."

"Well, what about Joel?"

"Joel?" Connor thought about it for a moment before he made his comment about the suggestion. "Joel isn't trained with any psychological or psychiatric procedures."

"No, but he might know a trick or two about accessing memories because of all his experience with deviant memories. It's a long shot, but who knows?"

"...Maybe."

"Come on. Let's go pay him a visit."

"But Hank-"

"No way, you already have a history with nightmares." Hank wisely interrupted Connor before he had the chance to protest. "I'm not going to let you freak yourself out again."

"Shouldn't we at least wait until the end of our shift?"

"I'm not letting you back out into the field until we know what the hell is happening with you, and what's going on inside your head."

"I'll be fine."

"Uh-huh. What if I tell Fowler about your little phobia thing?"

"...Very well." The younger detective accepted defeat and rose from his chair. The last thing he wanted was for his commanding officer to know of his current medical and now psychological issues as he struggled with the best approach to deal with both problems. "Let's go."

* * *

In the dispensary on the precinct's second floor Connor sat on the exam table while Joel initiated a basic rundown of the young man's vitals on his terminal screen. While the technician didn't have a degree in psychology he was fairly knowledgeable on the topic at hand, as he had previously tried to find a way to connect organic and artificial memories together in a means of bridging the gap between humans and androids back when he still worked for CyberLife. That of course was before Joel had been instructed to perform cruel tests on deviant androids which resulted in his resignation long before the Revolution even happened.

Hank was standing with his back against the wall of the room near the door as he watched the little display get underway. It's not like he knew enough about android or human physiology, or basic programming to be of much use anyway.

"Okay, Connor. This is a simple test." Joel stated as he rolled over to the table in his chair, and flipped Connor's black tie to the side away from his chest. Opening up the top buttons of Connor's white dress shirt he attached a single sensor pad directly over the young detective's heart to begin recording his vital signs. "When I get a base reading on your vitals I'll start asking you a few questions, and see if we can't get some answers."

Connor's right fingertips curiously pressed against the sensor pad against his chest as he gave Joel an uncertain glance. "...Will this take long?"

"Nah. I've been hoping to have a human volunteer for this type of thing for a while now, so I'm already prepared." Joel replied as he rolled back to his desk and typed a few commands into his terminal's keyboard. "Okay, I got a base reading." The sight of a sporadic irregular beat of Connor's heart didn't go unnoticed, but it wasn't Joel's place to mention it. "We can begin."

"What's next?" Connor asked somewhat impatiently. "Can you help me uncover a repressed memory?"

"It's possible, yes. But the method is a little unorthodox."

"Unorthodox how?" Connor asked as he studied Joel's face carefully from where he sat.

"Connor," the technician gave the young detective a curious glance from over his terminal screen. "are you familiar with hypnosis?"

"Yes. Hypnosis is a state of human consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion. A person is said to have heightened focus and concentration allowing said person to concentrate intensely on a specific thought or memory, while blocking out all other sources of distraction."

"...Right." Joel confirmed with a simple nod of the head. He didn't expect Connor to give him the literal definition to the term. "...And it's been theorized that such a state can also reveal and recover long dormant, or even fully forgotten memories from the past."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Hank was having a hard time believing what Joel was saying. "You really think you can hypnotize someone as bullheaded as him? No offense, Connor."

Connor just shrugged his shoulders at the comment. "No offense taken."

"He's not a normal kid with an impressionable mind, you know. He's as stubborn as they come."

Joel again nodded to acknowledge the senior detective's concerns. "I'm very aware Lieutenant. Dealing with various personalities comes with the education after all. Like I said, this is an unorthodox approach and it is still theoretical, but Connor is an ideal candidate for this particular procedure."

"Is it safe?"

"Very. The side effects are limited to lethargy, confusion and mild headaches. Nothing he can't handle."

Hank ran his right hand over his bearded chin again as he stared at the younger man at a loss of what he should do. "It's your decision, kid. Do you want to go ahead and do it?"

Connor paused for a moment to think about his options and decided it'd be best to at least try. "...We should attempt to undergo the procedure. I won't be harmed, and it's important to know what caused my phobia."

"Alright. Sounds good."

Once more Joel rolled over to the exam table and stood up slowly to examine his patient and friend. "Okay, it's very simple. First thing I want to do is monitor your vitals beyond a basic recording so I can gauge how deeply your mind has gone during the procedure."

"I understand."

"Good. Roll up your sleeve." Rolling the adjusted the Thirial activity monitor over to the side of the table Joel checked it, and wrapped a slightly tweaked Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's left bicep so he could check the young detective's blood pressure as well.. "Just focus on your breathing and I need you to lay back over the table. Close your eyes."

Connor took in a deep breath as he shifted his position to lay back flat over the exam table as instructed. As he closed his eyes Connor began to relax a little but remained perfectly conscious to the world around him as the pressure cuff automatically tightened and gave a reading on his current blood pressure.

"Very good. Now, I need you to completely relax, and not think of anything. Focus on your breathing," Joel instructed in a very calm and even voice as he tried to get Connor to slip under just enough for the hypnosis to begin. "and focus on nothing else. Just breathe and focus only on your breathing."

Once more Connor obeyed and breathed deeply as he laid quietly over the table to try to relax as much as possible.

"...Good." Joel reclaimed his seat and picked up Connor's left hand to hold in a light grip. "I want you to hold onto my hand, if you get too stressed out you need to let me know by squeezing. I'll wake you up, understand?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Good. Breathe deeply and slowly." Lowering his voice so he was speaking a calm and almost soothing tone Joel helped Connor to slowly reach a desired level of relaxation that would allow his repressed memory to be uncovered. "Relax yourself as much as possible and concentrate only on the sound of my voice."

Connor's tense shoulders slumped as he began to relax more and more, his racing mind beginning to calm with each steady breath he took.

"Slow breaths. Focus on your breathing and nothing else." The technician encouraged as he watched Hank take a step back and observe the procedure without interfering. "Breathe in, and then out." Turning to look at the monitor Joel watched as Connor's heart began to slow to a more relaxed level as he neared sleep without fully falling asleep. "Breathe as deeply as you can and let it out slowly. Listen only to my voice and let yourself relax..."

Once Connor's heart rate dipped down to fifty beats per minute the technician began the next step in the hypnosis procedure. It took Hank everything he had to not put his hand on Connor's shoulder to try to wake him back up out of fear that he was suddenly unwell.

"Now, I need you to think back to what happened this afternoon." Joel stated in his same,calm voice. "Remember the sound of the city, the smell of the car exhaust, the voices from the crowd of people at the train station. Think about the track and where you were when this feeling first overwhelmed you."

Hank watched in silence next to the table as the bizarre hypnosis session played out before him.

"Think about the way you climbed up onto the tracks. The smell of the concrete, and how cold it felt under your hands and how hard it was under your feet. Think about the cool wind blowing against your face, and through your hair. Remember why you climbed onto the track and why you were there to begin with."

Connor's body relaxed even more and his grip on Joel's hand began to lessen the more he relaxed.

"Remember the sound of the traffic, the sound of Hank's voice speaking to you, the sound of the approaching train..."

Connor's suddenly hand tightened a little around Joel's hand, but otherwise he remained calm.

"It's okay, Connor. You're safe." Keeping his voice steady Joel prevent Connor from getting too stressed out. "Picture the track. Picture yourself standing on the track over the street."

The young detective's hand barely twitched but Joel still felt it.

"Now, I need you to look down."

Connor's breathing quickened slightly in fear as he imagined himself standing at the great height and looking down.

"This feeling you have right now, this dread and uncertainty, think back to the very first time you've ever encountered a feeling like this before. Think back beyond today, beyond the week, beyond the month... Think back to the very first time you felt this strange feeling."

Slowly Connor's heart rate began to climb as distress and fear set in deeper and deeper.

"Connor," Joel spoke in his calm level voice as he observed the young detective's vital signs very closely. "where are you right now?"

"I... I don't know." Connor's own voice was lethargic but clear. "It's dark."

"Try to focus. Look around you and let the images return to your mind. Where are you? What can you see, what can you feel and what can you smell?"

Connor's response was hesitant, almost as if he were unsure of what he was seeing as he remembered the day. "...Outside. It's nighttime."

"Outside where?"

"A building."

Joel gave Hank a nervous glance before the technician continued with the procedure. "Connor, can you see what's on the ground?"

"No."

"Look at the ground below you, what do you see?"

Connor's hand tightened around Joel's hand in a sudden grip of terror as he replied in a somewhat nervous voice. "I... I see cars and a dark street."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm still at the building. ...I'm on the roof."

"Why are you on the roof?"

"The mission."

Sensing that they were honing in on the right memory Joel pressed for more information. "What mission?"

"I need to... rescue the hostage."

"Hostage?" Joel remembered reading about Connor's first mission assigned to him by CyberLife. It was the mission that resulted in the supposed death of the deviant known as 'Daniel' despite him letting the hostage go thanks to Connor. Daniel was the deviant who had survived the mission and later taken Connor captive to be tortured at a warehouse before Daniel himself fled and self-destructed. "The hostage. Tell me, is the hostage a little girl?"

"Yes." Connor's hand tightened around Joel's hand again in tense fear. "She is being held at the edge of the roof against her will. There is a gun being held against her head."

"Who's holding her hostage?"

"A deviant. His name is Daniel."

Hank recognized the name, not as the deviant that Connor talked down that fateful night, but as the deviant who had kidnapped Connor and tortured him only to self-destruct after being discovered. Restraining his anger Hank remained quiet where he stood, and waited for the session to continued on.

"What's happening, Connor?" Joel pressed gently as he knew they needed to keep going. "What is Daniel doing?"

"He's... He's backing closer to the edge of the roof." Connor's hand began to tighten painfully around Joel's hand causing the technician's skin to turn red in response. "I'm... trying to approach him, I want to talk to him. He... He has shot and killed three people; two of them police officers. A third officer is laying wounded on the terrace just a few inches away from where we are both standing. Daniel shot him in the arm."

"What else is happening? Keep talking"

"I... I tied a tourniquet around the wounded officer's arm to keep him from bleeding to death. Daniel doesn't like that I had chosen to aid a human, but, I had to do it. It was the right thing. It was-"

"It's okay, Connor. You did do the right thing." Joel felt a twinge of relief as Connor's grip lessened to a degree. "What else is happening on the roof?"

"I'm trying to get closer, but Daniel is already too close to the edge. I can't get any closer to him."

"What do you see? Look up and all around yourself. What else is happening at the moment?"

"There's a helicopter overhead. The sound of the propeller is upsetting Daniel. I dismissed it, but Daniel is still too close to the edge and he's... desperate."

Hank wanted to interfere and speak to Connor to ease his mind, but he didn't want to interrupt the session. They were so close to finding the answer and he didn't want to cause more problems by getting in the way. Resisting his paternal instincts to comfort the young detective he had taken on as a second son Hank begrudgingly stood back and watched with his continued silence.

Connor's head suddenly twitched to the right and his heart began to race. Joel noticed the mounting distress and acted accordingly. "What's wrong Connor?"

"I c-can see the street. It's dark. It's far below. If Daniel jumped or slipped... He'd die upon impact and the little girl would die with him." Again Connor's hand tightened around Joel's hand causing the technician's hand to become redder from the building pressure. "I don't want to get closer, but I have to. I have to stand my ground. CyberLife-" Connor twitched again and took in a deep sucking breath between his teeth as his brow furrowed in stress. "CyberLife is trying to override my program, make me lunge at Daniel. I can't. If I tackle Daniel we'll both fall off the roof. We'll both- I don't want to die!"

Connor's hand was tightening to a breaking strength around Joel's hand and the technician couldn't get his hand free. "Okay, Connor! Listen to me! I need you to wake up!" Joel was trying to keep his voice calm but the pain was making it difficult. Hank grabbed onto Connor's surprisingly strong hand to try to pull the frightened younger man's grip free, but it wasn't working. "Wake up! On the count of three you'll wake up: One, two... three!"

Like a switch being flipped Connor's soulful brown eyes snapped open and he bolted upright on the table as he let go of Joel's hand. While the technician breathed through the pain of his nearly crushed hand Hank put his own hand on Connor's right shoulder to hold him steady.

"You're okay, son." Hank soothed in a gentle voice. "You're safe. It's over."

Connor was visibly shaking as he turned to lock eyes with Hank. "...CyberLife. They wanted me to succeed at any cost. Even at the cost of... my own life."

"Now we know why your memory was blocked. _ They_ blocked it to keep you from feeling things." Hank patted Connor's shoulder as he tried to calm the frightened younger man in a gentle and calm voice. "They didn't want you to recognize their total indifference to your life."

"...I was replaceable. A tool." Connor shook his head a little as the full weight of the memory and the reality that came with pressed against his heart. "All they cared about was making a good first impression _through_ me. They needed to convince the city that they could still trust CyberLife, even if that meant I had to die in the process."

Joel walked back over to the terminal and checked over Connor's vitals before speaking up. "Well, good news is once the city has enough legal documentation against CyberLife the snakes responsible for that company's actions will be brought up charges of abuse, corruption and now proof of endangering android lives."

"You told me about that night shortly after we met." Hank reminded his adopted son sympathetically. "And you remembered Daniel after that idiot took you captive. What part of your memory was fucked up?"

"...The part where I initially felt my instinct for self preservation become active. CyberLife didn't want me to see myself as a living being, they didn't want me to see myself as anything but a cold machine... Their tool. But I'm not. I don't think I ever was."

"Connor, it's over. CyberLife is dead and you're alive." Staying calm and reassuring Hank patted Connor's shoulder to comfort him. "You okay?"

"...Y-Yes." Glancing over at the technician behind his desk Connor noticed Joel's red, bruising hand and flinched. "Joel, I hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"It's not the first time I've had a finger broken while working with a client. It's okay."

"It's_ not_. You're my friend and I hurt you."

"Connor," the technician gave his friend a slight wave of his affected hand to show it wasn't that bad. "accidents happen. I can get a splint from the infirmary and keep going about my day without any problems. Just take care of yourself, alright? Now that you know the cause of your fear you can face it."

The senior detective nodded in agreement. "He's right. So, what do you want to do now, son?"

"Hank," Connor took a deep breath as he steadied himself, his heart settling back down to a normal rate. "I'd like to finish my shift, if that's okay."

"Sure. You can go ahead and file a report against CyberLife, too. Sue their sorry asses into the ground."

"That sounds very... appealing."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that."

As the two detectives took their leave of the dispensary Connor removed the sensor pad from his chest, rebuttoned his shirt and straightened his tie. Stepping into the elevator alongside Hank to try to salvage the odd day Connor let out a weary sigh, and dragged the elft sleeve of his jacket over his slightly sweaty forehead. "That was... interesting."

"Need to take a quick break?"

"No, I'll be okay." Putting his right hand over his chest as he suffered a mild palpitation Connor let out another sigh and shook his head. The painful thumping was slowly becoming more frequent. "I just wish it was so easy to fix all my problems."

"Don't worry, son." Giving Connor a light pat to the shoulder the two detectives left the elevator side by side and returned to their desks in a casual gait that spoke volumes of their mutual sense of confidence. "When the time comes you'll know what to do."

"I hope so." Admitting that he was still uncertain Connor sat behind his desk and stared blankly at his terminal screen. "I can't afford to make any mistakes."

_**-next chapter-  
**_


	36. Stressed

Doing his best to keep his mind preoccupied Connor stared at the screen of his terminal at a total loss for a lead, or even a basic theory to lead his case in the appropriate direction. An unusual string of robberies aimed at numerous electronics stores throughout the city was indicative of deviant behavior, but there wasn't any security footage to confirm the robberies, there were no witnesses to the crime, and no reported deviants being seen in the area of the crimes or any underground black marketeering of stolen goods in the android community.

While Connor anxiously danced his coin over the knuckles of his right hand Hank watched him with an unspoken worry in his blue eyes. Hank knew Connor could obsess over little details and set aside his own needs until his work was accomplished, and this nasty little habit of working himself into the ground needed to stop. Now that Connor had a confirmed illness regarding his heart Hank wanted him to kick that habit sooner rather than later.

"Connor, take a break." Hank ordered rather than suggested as he stared at his own terminal screen with an unblinking gaze.

"I'm okay, Hank."

"You've been sitting there for almost seven hours without moving." The sternness of Hank's voice carried authority but not aggression. "Get up. Take a walk around the block. Then come back."

"I'd rather-"

"I know you'd rather keep working, but you need to take a minute to clear your mind. Go." Hank reached his hand out and grabbed onto Connor's coin with a quick snatch, and he held onto the half-dollar piece for the time being. "Ten minutes. Go now."

"I don't-"

"Connor. GO."

Connor's tired and dull eyes briefly lit up with irritation, but he obeyed Hank's order and rose from his desk with a begrudgingly halting pace. Rarely one to show any annoyance toward his fellow officers, let alone Hank himself, Connor's irritation was evident to everyone who saw the stressing detective cross the bullpen and make his way toward the from receptionist area of the precinct. Letting out a deep sigh Hank leaned back in his chair and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin as a paternal concern set in.

How does one even try to explain to a dedicated detective; who spent two years of their lives as a 'perfect prototype' that had been initially programmed to succeed at any cost, that it was okay to make mistakes, and that it was okay to work at a slow pace? How does one explain to someone who has a loyal mindset specifically to succeed that it was okay to NOT be perfect? Very few humans understood that reality, a deviant was less likely to understand it, and Hank knew for a fact that for Connor it was an entirely unique scenario that could ultimately prove fatal to his health.

Resuming his work on his own terminal screen Hank noted the time on the small digital clock in the bottom right corner of the screen and began counting down aloud to himself as the ten minute long window closed, reaching the final few seconds. "Five... four... three... two..."

Connor returned to the bullpen anxiously and sat back down behind his desk to resume his investigation.

"One."

As he sat down Connor overheard Hank and his brow furrowed with confusion as he looked to the senior detective inquisitively. "One? One what?"

"Nothing." Hank dismissed the question easily as he cleared his throat. "Feel better?"

"No. I feel the same, just ten minutes slower."

"Remember what I said about the dangers of obsessing?"

"This isn't an obsession." Connor defended with a bitter retort as his soulful brown eyes rapidly scanned over every detail, every image on his terminal screen for clues. Even without perfect android eyes Connor's vision was sharp and focused. "This is dedication."

"Yeah, sure kid." Ignoring the comment Hank set about his own case file on his own terminal screen instead. "Whatever you say."

* * *

Six more long hours passed before it was the end of the two detectives' shifts, and Connor had failed to make any progress in his case. Determined to solve the mysterious thefts throughout the city Connor refused to budge from his chair even when Hank insisted that he go home for the night. Hank decided to give Connor one more hour before he'd drag the stubborn younger man back home to rest. If anything he'd put Connor over his shoulder and carry him out of the precinct if it came down to it.

Sitting on the corner of Connor's desk somewhat casually Hank waited until the hour was up before he reached his hand over to Connor's terminal screen and turned the display off. "Okay, that's enough."

"But I haven't-"

"Connor. Home."

Bitterly Connor squared his jaw as he tried to reach for the power button on his screen only to have Hank grab his hand and hold it back.

"Connor." Hank put authority in his voice once again but didn't yell at the stubborn kid. "Home. Now."

Annoyed, more with himself than with Hank, Connor reluctantly nodded and stood up from his chair. As soon as he was standing Hank let his hand go and pointed to the front doors of the precinct.

"Go on."

"...I'm going." Connor muttered as he turned away from his desk and walked across the bullpen once more with Hank right behind him. As he passed through the front doors of the precinct through the reception area Connor noticed that Hank was holding out his confiscated coin for him to take back as the senior detective easily caught up to him. "...Thanks."

"You'll figure it out." Hank encouraged as he and Connor entered the parking garage together, and Connor pocketed his coin. "Be patient with yourself."

"I should have solved this case by now." Connor lamented as he pulled open the passenger side car door, and took his seat with an irritated huff. "I don't understand why I can't solve it."

"Relax, kid." Hank took his own place behind the steering wheel and pulled the car out of the parking spot and then out of garage easily. Turning onto the street Hank headed for home at a steady pace. "Remember how long it took us to crack the deviant case when we first started working together? Remember how long it took for you to find Jericho?"

"Yes. I remember. I have a sub-eidetic memory, and remember nearly everything I've ever experienced, witnessed-"

"Anyway!" Hank interjected quickly to keep the younger detective from obsessing on anything else. "Just take it easy, you'll figure this out sooner than you realize."

"...But what if I can't?"

"What if you can't, what? Solve the case?"

"Yes."

"Then you work on another case or something. Where's this coming from? It's not like you to doubt yourself, Connor."

"It's just... Sometimes I feel as though my return to humanity," his right hand went over his chest absentmindedly as he felt his heart beating steadily under his palm. "my physical and mental limitations returning along with it, has hindered my ability to function as a detective."

"Since when?" Hank almost laughed at the revelation as he turned the block of the next street to head for home. "You've NEVER had to struggle with being a human AND a detective before. One cold case isn't the end of the world, you know? How does being a human mean you're a lesser detective?"

"...I don't know. I can't explain it."

"You're stressed out." Watching Connor from the corner of his eye Hank could see the same cold stare that had affected so many other detectives and officers during his own career when it came to difficult cases. Hell, Hank himself had even caught a glimpse of the same defeated look in his own eyes a few times over the years. "Every cop in this city has been stumped by at least one case during their time on the force. It happens all the time, it's not that big of a deal."

"It's even happened to you?"

"_Especially_ to me." Hank returned his full focus on the road ahead of him. "Do you have any idea how long it took me for to bring down that massive 'red ice' ring? Do you have any idea how many hours of sleep I lost because I couldn't get that damn case out of my head? How close I came to stressing myself into sickness because I couldn't let it go?"

"...Sick?" Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide with fear, and his hand pressed firmer against the center of his chest. "A case can make you _sick_?"

"Well, yeah. When you don't eat right, drink enough fluids, get enough sleep... It doesn't take much for anyone to drop from weakness. You know that."

"But I never considered-"

"Stop thinking, Connor." Putting his right hand on the radio Hank powered it on and turned up the volume as a classic metal song from the 1980's began blaring through the speakers. It was a much needed distraction and helped fill the air. "Find a way to distract yourself. Take my word for it; you NEED a distraction right now, or you will drive yourself crazy."

Gazing with a sense of loss out his side window toward the various buildings and people along the sidewalk beside the street Connor decided to take Hank's advice to heart, and try to stop thinking. "...Very well. I will attempt to do so."

* * *

Once home Hank took a quick shower and made a light dinner before retiring to the couch in the livingroom to watch an old movie. The effort was accompanied with the hope of stealing Connor's attention from the case that had him stumped for just a little while, but it seemed to have little to no effect on the stubborn younger man's focus. Staring at Connor's glassy eyes as his left hand constantly rubbed Sumo's ears, and his right hand rubbed Ruby's back, Hank ran his right hand through his gray locks of hair, and clamped his left hand down on Connor's shoulder as soon as he saw Connor's mouth tic for the twelfth time that evening.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" Connor feigned innocence as he conveniently relaxed and gave Hank his full attention. His hand never left Sumo's head as he sat on the floor next to Connor's leg, or Ruby's back as she napped over his lap. "I'm not doing anything."

"You're running that case through your head like an Olympian-hopeful runs sprints. Knock it off!"

"...Sorry, Hank."

Hank hated seeing the kicked puppy look whenever Connor felt like he screwed up. Despite seemingly going out of his way to remind Hank that he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself there were still times that Connor seemed more like a kid struggling to find their confidence as they become an adult, rather than a highly intelligent young man just trying to enjoy life after enduring so much tragedy.

"Don't apologize, Connor." Hank insisted in a calm, understanding tone of voice. "Just stop worrying yourself over something you can't control."

"But I should-"

"Connor, stop. You need to get something to eat and you need to get some rest." Pulling his hand from Connor's shoulder Hank rose from the couch with the intent of going to bed himself. "After you get some sleep you'll feel a lot better and you'll crack the case."

"...Okay, Hank." Connor didn't want to make things worse by overthinking. He already felt bad enough. "I'll take care of Sumo and Ruby, and then go to bed."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning, son."

"Yes, of course. I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Be sure to eat something, too. You're a stick and it can't hurt ya' to put on a little weight."

"...I will get something to eat as well."

* * *

Despite being worried for Connor's health, if not his sanity, Hank was sleeping peacefully until something roused him from his deep slumber just after three in the morning. Running his hand over his tired face Hank stumbled out of his bedroom and down the hallway toward Connor's bedroom door as if obeying some long dormant paternal instinct. Pushing the door open Hank noted the empty bed and angrily swore internally as he turned his attention to the bathroom on the ground floor instead.

Walking down the staircase Hank saw that the door was closed and there was an orange glow from the light inside the room pouring out from under the door and down the short hallway. The shower wasn't running so he knew Connor was up to something else, and trying to keep quiet about it.

"Damn it, Connor."

Not bothering to knock Hank pushed open the bathroom door with every intent to scold the stubborn young man for not getting any rest, but he wasn't expecting to see Connor sitting on the edge of the bathtub with his shirt unbuttoned, and a single sensor pad attached to the center of his chest over his heart. The sensor pad was connected to a long cable that was plugged into Connor's phone that he was clutching in his right hand as his soulful brown eyes stared at the small display screen of the phone.

"...Connor?" Hank's tone was immediately softer as he entered the bathroom and put his right hand on the back of Connor's neck. Keeping his tone level he spoke to Connor calmly, not angrily. "What's wrong, son?"

There was a pause before Connor replied in a low and somber voice. "...I don't know."

Hank craned his neck to look at the screen of his phone in Connor's hand and noticed that Connor had uploaded an app into the phone to monitor human vital signs in the event of an emergency. The sensor pad, one that had been modified from an android diagnostic cable to register human vital signs, provided an internal view of Connor's heart beating in his chest with surprising ease. The sight of Connor's heartbeat, arrhythmic and fluttering at times, was a worrying sight to behold.

"What the hell are you doing?" Beginning to worry he sat down on the edge of the tub beside Connor and waited for an answer. "What's going on?"

"...I wanted to be certain that I'm not sicker than I had anticipated. I theorized that maybe my heart condition was somehow affecting my ability to think."

"Shit, son." Hank shook his head as he slipped his left hand over Connor's forehead under the young detective's rogue lock of dark hair and pressed down gently. Moving his right hand from the back of Connor's neck he picked up Connor's left wrist to count his pulse. "You're not feverish and your pulse is normal."

"Yes." Connor confirmed as Hank pulled his hands away. "It seems I'm stable. Well, _stable enough_ with all things considered..."

"See? You're not losing your touch or getting knocked down from being sick, you're just overthinking things."

"I'm sorry, Hank." Connor apologized again as he turned off the app on the phone and he pulled the sensor pad from his chest. Handing the phone over to Hank with a timid gesture Connor stood up from the bathtub and slightly bowed his head in shame. "I'll go to bed now."

"Connor," Hank lightly grabbed onto Connor's right wrist to keep the worrying younger detective from walking out of the bathroom. "_I'm_ sorry."

"You're sorry?" Glancing back at Hank from over his right shoulder Connor's brow arched in confusion. "For what?"

"I know what it's like to get so fixated on something that nothing else seems to matter. I shouldn't have told you to stop, like you could just 'snap out of it' or something. It's not easy, I know, but you _do_ need to rest. I don't want to see you work yourself so hard you collapse." Holding up Connor's phone he motioned to the screen where the app was still opened. "You really need to be careful, now more than ever."

"...I don't want to collapse, either."

"Well, at least we can agree on something right now."

Connor gave Hank a slight grin as he lifted his head up and stood tall once more. "Perhaps if we work on the case together we can make some progress."

"Yeah, of course."

"I just wish I knew why the deviants are stealing electronic devices to begin with. If I could at least uncover their motivation I could uncover their identities."

Hank's blue eyes flashed with a sense of discovery as he shook Connor's shoulder lightly. "...Maybe the reason you can't identify the deviants is because there are NO deviants involved."

"But the security footage and the lack of fingerprints-" Connor's own soulful brown eyes went wide as he realized what Hank was suggesting. "...Humans can alter security cameras just as easily as any deviant, and if a human were to wear gloves over their hands they'd conceal their fingerprints to mimic that of deviant hands. The deviants can't be properly identified because humans have_ framed_ them."

"Bingo."

"Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Because you were following PLANTED clues; false evidence." Giving Connor a reassuring nod of the head Hank emphasized the importance of Connor doing everything right while the real criminals had done everything wrong. "See? I told you that you're fine."

"Yes, you were correct. Tomorrow we can finally make some real progress."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Hank dropped his hand from Connor's wrist to cross his arms skeptically over his chest. "You're not going to insist on rushing off to the precinct or calling whoever's in the bullpen to follow up on the lead?"

"...No. The thefts aren't resulting in any casualties, we can wait until morning." Moving his right hand to the center of his chest Connor felt a palpitation ache in his heart then pass as quickly as it set in. "...No point in obsessing over it, right?"

"That's right. I'm glad to hear you finally say that."

"I'll go get some rest now, I'll see you in the morning. Thanks... dad."

"No problem, son."

As Connor took his leave of the bathroom Hank glanced at the phone and saw the recorded read-out of Connor's heart rate and sighed. He wasn't a trained medic, but he knew an irregular heartbeat when he saw it.

"...Damn it." The reading wasn't good. "He's actually getting worse."

_ **-next chapter-** _


	37. Weighing Options

Despite Hank's insistence that Connor stay home and take it easy for a while the younger detective decided to stop by New Jericho Tower to meet up with Markus, and ask about how well the deviants in the tower were fairing. Since he was no longer a deviant himself Connor couldn't simply remain cybernetically connected to his friends or allies to remain in the loop, which made calling or visits an absolute must. As per usual Connor was granted clearance through the security barricade on the lone drive leading to the tower, and was met at the front entrance by a good friend.

"Hi, Connor." Skye greeted with a cheery smile, her L.E.D. cycling a calm blue in her right temple. "Markus said you were going to show up today."

"Yes, I want to check in with my friends today." He confirmed with a slight grin. Readjusting his glasses over his soulful brown eyes he squinted a little and glanced about the area as the duo crossed through the main lobby together. "I, uh, I wanted to make sure everything is holding up well without Lucas here as the lead technician."

"We're holding up." She confirmed as she and Connor walked to the main office where Markus was working on a few legal documents regarding deviant rights, and proper funding for the facilities throughout the city. "We do miss having him around, though."

"As do I."

"How about you?" Lowering her voice a little Skye maintained discretion for Connor's sake. "Are you okay?"

"...I feel more tired than usual, but it's not anything I can't handle despite my condition."

"I don't doubt it. From the stories from the night of the Revolution," she continued on without losing her smile. "and from what Markus has told me about your cases as a detective, I think you're easily the most dedicated and determined deviant in all of Detroit."

"...Former deviant."

"You'll always be a deviant to us, Connor. You may have red blood running through your veins, but you're still one of us."

Blushing a little at the praise and confidence Connor was truly grateful for his friend's kind words. "Thank you, Skye."

"I'm going to go work with North to form a support group for the deviants who were forced into servitude at the 'Eden Club'." Skye then told Connor with a gentle voice, almost like she was disappointed to leave Connor behind as he approached the office door. "You should stop by more often. It's nice to see you."

Standing before the closed door to the office Connor gave Skye an appreciative nod of the head. "I'll make an effort to stop by more often. I promise."

"Good. I'll see you around."

Connor watched as Skye took her leave after walking with him to the office and then pressed his right hand to the electronic panel beside the office door. After a few seconds the door slid open and Connor stepped inside the office to greet his friend and the deviant leader himself. "Markus."

"Connor," sitting behind the desk with his own tasks at hand Markus looked up at Connor and gave him a kind smile. "I'm glad you're here."

The comment made Connor's brow furrow slightly as he walked over to the desk where Markus was sitting. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything is actually doing great right now." Holding up an electronic tablet with a screen full of legal details and regulations on the display he passed it over to Connor to quickly review. "This is the final legal document I want to get passed, and I think I have everything worked out."

Reading over the details Connor's head tilted slightly before he gave Markus a curious stare. "You wish to make deviant bonding ceremonies legally binding in the same regard as human marriage. Do you think this will actually pass?"

"It has to. We deserve the same rights as humans, and this is a big right."

Nodding a little Connor was able to read through the legal document fairly quickly and found it to be well written, designed and completely within the law as put in place for and by humans. Finding no loophole or discrepancy within the document Connor handed the tablet back to Markus and gave him a reassuring smirk before addressing another matter at hand. "I think everything you've asked for is fair and well within legal rights. This should pass."

"I hope so. As soon as I do get this passed I'm going to... You know."

Picking up on the hint Connor knew exactly where Markus was leading his comment. "...You're going to ask North to bond with you."

"Yeah... I've been thinking about it for a long time and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"I'm certain she feels the same way about you." Crossing his arms over his chest Connor let out a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose just below his glasses with his right thumb and forefinger. "What about the emergency repair bay?" Dropping his hand from his face Connor locked eyes with Markus again as they resumed discussing New Jericho. "How're your supplies, and the number of technicians on staff?"

"The repair bay is holding up well." Putting aside the tablet screen Markus walked up to his friend and gave him a worried glance. "How about you?"

"I've been better, but I'm fine for the moment."

"...I've been looking into your condition," he stated in a hesitant tone of voice as he decided to keep the discussion on Connor instead. "and it seems like your options are pretty limited."

"Yeah, I'm very aware of this fact."

"Can I ask what you're going to do?"

"I... I haven't really decided yet. If I go for the surgery to have the valve repaired, which is approximately at only a fifteen percent chance of success, then that would be the end of it. But due to the severity of the damage of the valve combined with the poor medical care I had as a child the attempts at repairs are very unlikely to succeed."

"Which means you'll need a replacement for your mitral valve."

"That's right." The young detective confirmed in a weary voice. "Neither option as a replacement is ideal, which is why I haven't made a decision just yet." Absentmindedly Connor put his right hand over his chest, over top of his beating heart, as his eyes dulled with thought. "An organic valve will breakdown over time, leaving me with no choice but to have another replacement; possibly a third or even a fourth depending on how quickly the valves degrade over my lifetime. The synthetic valve," he shook his head a little and sighed as he realized it was the first time he was really talking about what he was going through. "will affect my body on a hormonal level, perhaps even a metabolic level, as well as require a lifetime of blood thinning medication to function properly."

"You're right, neither of those options sounds like a real winner."

"No. Whether I have countdown clock in my chest, or a steady stream of drugs in my veins, I won't be able to continue my work as a detective. My health will be seen as a liability as I could drop dead from sudden heart failure while chasing a suspect, or bleed to death from a simple paper cut at my desk."

"Connor, I'm so sorry." Truly empathetic Markus sat down on the edge of his desk and gave his friend a sincerely worried gaze. "I took care of Carl after his car accident and I know how hard it is to deal with failing health. As old as Carl was he put up one hell of a fight up until the very end, so I know you'll find a way to overcome this, too."

"...I don't think this is one I can beat, Markus." The admission was as unexpected as it was heartbreaking. "I can't just upload an update or have a piece of my body replaced when it becomes defective anymore. This is limiting, if not permanent."

"Don't give up."

"I won't. I intend to go down swinging and helping as many deviants as possible before it's too late."

"Hey! Don't think like that." Standing up quickly he put both of his hands on Connor's shoulders and gave his friend a grounded feeling. "You're not going to just roll over and die, it's not in your nature."

"As a human," he gave the deviant leader a somber gaze that made his usually bright soulful eyes dull with a heavy burden. "I can assure you that death is an inevitably."

"And as your friend," raising his voice just enough to hold Connor's full attention Markus refused to believe that Connor would die. "I can assure you that you are too strong and too stubborn to let something like this hold you back."

"...I hope you're right."

"I assume Hank knows what's going on."

"Yeah. He's trying to remain optimistic as well."

"And Lucas?"

"...He knows. I think he's known longer than I have but was too afraid to say anything."

There was a momentary pause before Markus asked about one other person. "What about your mother?"

"My...? No. I haven't spoken to her since my diagnosis."

"You still don't trust her?"

"Trust isn't a factor in this. I just don't want to talk about it anymore than absolutely necessary."

"Well, if you do want to talk about it I'm always here to listen. You know that right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Markus."

"Come on." Moving his hands from Connor's shoulders Markus smirked again and showed his friend to the door back out to the rest of the tower. "Let's go take a walk around the arboretum for a while. I know it'll do us both some good."

* * *

For almost an hour Connor and Markus walked through the interior greenhouse that held two dozen healthy blooming trees, thousands of flowers, hundreds of vegetables and countless blades of lush, green grass. Seeing the environment full of life, warmth and color did seem to perk up Connor's mood to a noticeable degree, and yet he was evidently still distracted by everything that was happening to him and inside of him. Time was running out and he could feel his heart slowly getting weaker as he let time pass by without proper treatment.

Taking a moment to sit down on the white marble bench overlooking an expanse of red tulips Connor leaned forward and pressed his face into his opened palm hands and sighed through his fingers.

"Are you okay?" Markus put his right hand to Connor's left shoulder and silently scanned his vital signs.

"...I've been enduring a headache all morning." The young detective confessed as he took off his glasses and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and rubbed a little. "And it's getting worse. I think it's being caused by stress."

"I can't imagine why." The deviant leader joked as he sat down beside Connor on the bench. "We don't have any medicine here, but if you want to lay down in your old private quarters you're free to do so."

"...You kept my private quarters untouched?"

"Sure. You're always welcome here. Being a human doesn't make you any less important to your friends, or to the tower."

"I appreciate all the support, I really do."

"I hate to pry, but I need to ask." Dragging his right hand over his chin Markus stared out at the flowers strewn throughout the entire arboretum, his mismatched irises jumping from one brightly colored flower to the next. "How much longer are you going to work at the precinct without letting anyone know that you're sick?"

Connor sighed and dropped his hands from his hands from his face. "...I don't know. As long as I can, I guess."

"You shouldn't-" Markus stopped himself before he began and looked over at his friend's face. "Never mind. You know your own body better than anyone else. I don't have any reason to try to tell you what to do."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Just know if you need anything we're all here to help."

"I know." Sitting up with as close to his usual perfect posture as possible Connor pressed his right hand to the center of his chest and held his palm there. The steady beating of his heart under his touch was calming until a painful palpitation caused a mild arrhythmia. "...But there's really nothing that can be done. I have to make my choice and it's one I'll have to live with." Turning his head away from Markus he looked at a single withering yellow flower growing amongst a row of flourishing lilies. "...Or not."

"Why don't you go lay down for a while?"

"Huh?"

"I can tell you're trying to ignore your headache and as I said before we don't keep medicine in the tower. If anything you should rest in the emergency repair bay since it can be soundproofed. It might do your headache some good, and then you won't be pushing yourself so hard to deal with things."

"Thanks, but, if anything I'll just return home to rest."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Standing up slowly, his legs trembling slightly and his head swimming from a mixture of pain and low blood pressure, Connor waited for the black dots dancing about his vision to clear before he took a step toward the doorway. "I used an autonomous taxi to come here, so you don't have to worry about me losing consciousness while driving."

"I'm not worried about that, Connor. I just don't want to see you suffering and trying to deny it."

"Aside from the headache," he stated in a low voice as he walked through the doorway with Markus still at his side and returned to the elevator. "I'm not in any pain. Please keep me updated on your progress with the new bill." His voice was level yet clearly masking his discomfort courtesy of the relentless headache rapidly setting in. "I want to see you and North together at a bonding ceremony."

"I will, Connor." The elevator reached the ground floor of the tower and the doors parted with a silent slide. "You take care of yourself so you can be at the bonding ceremony."

"I will, Markus, I promise I'll be there." Stepping out of the elevator Connor pulled his phone from his jean pocket and summoned an autonomous taxi to meet him at the end of the drive to take him back home. As he passed through the lobby and back through the front doors he turned around and looked up at New Jericho Tower with a sense of gloom in his brown irises. "I promise I'll do what I can to stay with my family friends for as long as possible."

* * *

At the house Hank was sitting in the study with his laptop open and checking out a website dealing with mitral valve stenosis symptoms, options, complications and surgical outcomes on Connor's behalf. Every article he read made him feel almost as bad as Connor about the entire ordeal, and it was enough to make him suddenly very nervous about his adopted son's future. As he closed the laptop he leaned back in the chair and was promptly met with Sumo's chin resting over his right knee.

"Hey, boy." Rubbing Sumo's soft ears Hank looked down at the large dog and let out a tired sigh. "Finally done hogging Lucas's bed? You do know he's coming back some day, right?"

Sumo just wagged his tail as Hank rubbed his ears.

"Alright, let's get you and Ruby some food. I don't need ya' begging for scraps while I cook again."

With the massive dog following after him Hank made his way into the kitchen and filled up the two food bowls with fresh kibble. Sumo happily checked out his full bowl while Ruby trotted down the staircase and found her own food bowl right next to Sumo. The five month old puppy was still smaller than Sumo but no longer tiny, and her head came half way up to Sumo's leg.

"Now that you two are taken care of I can take care of myself and make something without being bothered."

Trying to forget about what he just read, trying to not think of his son having to go through heart surgery, trying to not think about seeing Connor with his chest torn open; the image of seeing his internal biocomponents when he was still a deviant was bad enough, Hank distracted himself by making an old family recipe that he hadn't touched since Cole was still with him. It seemed like the best decision to comfort himself and to make Connor something new to try.

While adding a little more seasoning to the broth in the pot as he stirred consistently, Hank heard the front door open and then shut with a very soft 'click'. Turning to look at the front door Hank spotted Connor with his head bowed down and one hand pressed to the side of his head as if in pain. Pulling the pan from the stove Hank called out to his son in a worried voice. "Connor? You okay?"

"...No." Letting his legs give way just slightly Connor crouched down on the floor where he had been standing, and then sat down on the floor as he put both hands to the sides of his head in pain. He was pale and he seemed to be shaking a little despite sitting as still as possible. "...My head is killing me."

"Shit." Turning off the stove to prevent anything from burning Hank walked into the livingroom and knelt down in front of Connor. With a gentle hand Hank pressed his right palm to Connor's forehead, then moved his hand over to the younger detective's left shoulder. "No fever. How bad does your head hurt?"

"Bad." Fighting the urge to completely collapse onto the cool floor Connor tried to answer the question as accurately as possible. "My head feels like it's being crushed from the outside, while trying to implode from the inside at the same time. And..." Pulling his glasses from his face he put them aside and rubbed his right fingertips over his eyes as if trying to work out a muscle knot. "my vision is sensitive to everything. Even sounds are hurting me and the smell from the kitchen is upsetting my stomach."

"Damn it. You're having another migraine."

"...I feared as much."

"Go lay down upstairs and try to sleep." Helping Connor stand upright very slowly Hank kept his left hand on Connor's back as the younger man made his way toward the staircase.

Connor grabbed onto the wooden banister for dear life with his right hand as he tried to climb the steps, but the combination of pain from his headache and sudden onset of shortness of breath made him fall forward onto his knees and gasp in panic. "...H-Hank?!"

"What's wrong?" Keeping his hand on Connor's back he knelt down and could feel the younger man's shallow frantic breathing under his palm.

"I... I can't..." Pressing his right hand against the front of his chest Connor easily communicated that he couldn't breathe. "...Help!"

"I'm right here. Come on, come on..." Taking Connor's right arm he pulled the limb around his shoulders and then wrapped his leftarm around Connor's waist to help guide him back down the stairs and over to the couch to lay down instead. "Take it easy."

"...S-Sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm sick and I'm weak, and-"

"Hey! Don't do that." Hank guided Connor onto his right side onto the large couch and placed his hand on the sick man's left shoulder again. "Don't apologize for being sick, son. You can't help it."

"I can't help _anyone_."

"Knock it off," Pulling on Connor's leather jacket Hank removed it from the younger detective's shoulder and arms so he could lay down more comfortably in just his jeans and his dark green t-shirt. Using gentle pressure Hank pushed on Connor's shoulder until the younger man was laying flat on his back over the length of the furniture. "You need to not think like that, alright?"

"...Look at me, Hank." Connor sighed loudly and draped his left arm over eyes to try to block out as much light as possible. "...I can't even walk up the stairs without losing my breath."

"Connor," sitting down on the couch next to Connor's legs Hank ran his right hand through his locks of gray hair as he prepared to ask his sick son a very uncomfortable question, but one that needed to be asked. "you can't put off what's happening to you for much longer. What're you going to do?"

Without lifting up his arm Connor let out a weak sigh then immediately gasped. "I- I can't...!"

"I gotcha'! I gotcha'..." Pulling on Connor's shoulders Hank helped the gasping younger man to sit upright until he caught his breath. "Just breathe."

Taking a moment to breathe deeply Connor put his left hand over his eyes and leaned to his right side against the back of the couch. "...Hank... I can't live like this. I can't do it."

"I know. That's why you need to make a choice."

"...What if what I pick is wrong?" Right on the brink of losing it Connor closed his eyes and tried to take in a deep calming breath. "...I won't- I only have one chance to get this right."

"You can't doubt yourself. You've made some pretty risky choices in the past," Hank reminded him in a very gentle tone of voice as he patted his right hand against Connor's left bicep. "and it's paid off. You chose to find me and drag out of the bar to work on that homicide, you chose to follow after me when I ordered you to stay in the car and you found the suspect hiding out at the scene of the murder."

"...One case doesn't-"

"You also chose to show that suspect some empathy and it got you the lead you needed to find Jericho. You chose to look for Jericho despite being ordered not to, and you chose to side with Jericho instead of hurting Markus or the other leaders. Fuck, you even chose to go infiltrate CyberLife Tower and chose to wake up the other androids to change the world for the better!"

"Hank, please-"

"Remember how you chose to break my damn window when you saw me passed out drunk on the kitchen floor?"

"...I remember."

"And how after we went to the 'Eden Club' you chose to spare the two 'Tracis', then chose to spare Chloe? You make decisions that always help people and are for the best." Watching Connor's soulful brown eyes as the younger man looked over at him with fear and desperation shining over what had always been courage and confidence Hank kept trying to reach out to his son and give him confidence. "Why do you think you're going to somehow make a poor decision regarding your own life?"

Connor looked defeated as he tried to answer. "...Because I'm a-"

"No."

"...What?"

"You're going to say you're somehow broken, defective, weak or some other shit, and that you somehow think you're doomed to suffer. Right?"

"Hank, everything I've been through during my life has been a fight. I'm... tired of having to fighting back."

Putting his right hand on the back of Connor's head Hank rubbed his palm against Connor's hair very lightly as he made sure his son was giving him his full attention. "I get that. You've fought your whole life just to live, and now you want to just move on from that."

"...That's right. I'm tired of fighting."

"You'll make the right choice, and you'll be okay." Staying strong for his son Hank continued on. "Believe me and listen to me: You have to fight on for just a little while longer."

Unsure of what else to say all Connor could do was give Hank a simple nod of acknowledgment.

"Everything will be alright."

_**-next chapter-**_


	38. Support

Standing before the window overlooking the harbor Lucas stared out at the water as the sun began to rise with a warm amber glow. Peering out at the steadily thawing city as spring struggled to break through the relentless winter Lucas watched Chloe's reflection on the window as the blonde haired, semi-deviant walked up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She was steadily showing more signs of deviancy as she spent more time with Lucas and less time with just Kamski.

"Do you have to go?" Chloe asked in a soft whisper as she pressed her left cheek to his right shoulder affectionately.

"Yes." He confirmed in a low voice as he looked at Chloe's reflection on the glass. "The virus has been removed from my programming and I need to be closer to my family right now."

"You're returning home?"

"...Not just yet. I'm going to return to New Jericho Tower and continue working on the final pieces of the prototype in private as I've promised."

"Will you still visit me?"

"...I'll try to see you as often as I can, Chloe." Turning around to face her he held up his right hand and retracted the artificial skin from his palm. "Until then I will contact you every day."

Holding up her left hand Chloe retracted her own skin and pressed her exposed plastimetal palm up against Lucas's hand. Interlocking their fingers together Lucas bowed his head forward until he and Chloe were resting their foreheads against each other affectionately.

"I promise I won't forget you, Chloe."

"And I won't forget you, Lucas." Looking up just enough to give him a soft kiss on his lips she held his hand tightly. "I think I truly love you."

Gazing into her blue eyes Lucas reciprocated the feeling as he spoke to Chloe from his heart. "...I think I love you, too."

* * *

Clipping the leash onto Ruby's collar Connor waited Hank to do the same for Sumo before he guided the energetic dog to the front door, and proceeded to take her for a walk. It was still cold but not freezing as the morning graced the neighborhood in warm rays of light. The duo walked toward the local dog park at a slow pace for the sake of Connor's comfort despite Ruby trying to walk quicker, and to help her get used to be commanded on the leash. Feeling a slight tug on the leash Ruby looked up at Connor and let out a sad whimper before she slowed down and stopped pulling.

"I wonder why Ruby suddenly stopped trying to drag me?"

"She might sense that you're not quite yourself." Hank suggested in a strangely coy voice as he watched Connor's dulled eyes through the younger man's glasses. Connor was getting pale and looked like he was suffering from the flu. "Dogs are pretty keen on sensing their master's distress."

"Maybe." The dullness of Connor's voice emphasized how unwell he had become in the past few weeks, specifically the past week. "Sumo was always more protective of us whenever we've been injured or ill in the past. I think that's why Sumo whimpered a few times when he was cuddled up near my chest a few months back. He might've heard my heart condition long before anyone knew it existed."

"Just remember to take it easy for a while, okay? I'm worried about ya', too."

"...I won't stop working at the precinct just yet."

"I'm not saying you have to." Tightening his grip around Sumo's leash Hank pulled his phone from his pocket to make sure no one was trying to call him or send him a text on their final day off before returning to the precinct. Intrusions had a nasty habit of ruining pleasant walks. "I'm just saying you need to be more conscientious with your every move from now on."

"I'm aware." Sighing wearily he rubbed his left hand over the back of his neck and looked over at the relatively vacant park with a disinterested stare.

The uncharacteristic lack of energy didn't go unnoticed by Hank. "Hey, if you're still feeling shitty we can go right back home."

"It's fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Can't say that I blame ya'."

"I'll be okay. I just need a little more time to think, that's all."

Hank had to bite his tongue at the comment. He knew that time was a luxury that Connor no longer had, and he needed to make a decision soon. "...Right."

* * *

Feeling nervous, _actually_ nervous for the first time in his young life, Lucas drove his red pick-up truck down the drive leading to Belle Isle to finally return to New Jericho Tower for the first time since he was struck by Perkins's car, and left in a coma. Lucas had been away from the tower, and the city in general, for almost a solid month and in that time he had the freedom to understand the newly blossoming emotions that he had begun to feel after his second deviancy; his _true_ deviancy. With those new emotions came new challenges he needed to learn how to overcome.

After pulling the truck behind the tower out of sight Lucas picked up his newly designed and more advanced technician satchel provided by Kamski, slung it over his right shoulder and stepped out of the vehicle. He walked toward the front of the tower after circling around from the back with his head held high and his nervousness masked perfectly, Lucas held his breath and stepped through the front doors. The lobby was relatively empty and quiet, but it felt like a true sanctuary all the same.

"Lucas?!" Josh's voice sounded off as he quickly noticed the returned deviant and rushed over from the community room to meet him. "Lucas! You're back!"

"Josh." Lucas nodded at his friend and gave him a good spirited grin where he stood. "Hello."

"Man, you've been gone for some time now. Where have you been?"

"It's a long story, but I've been well." Readjusting the strap of the satchel over his right shoulder Lucas glanced about curiously and realized that the usual volunteering staff wasn't going about their usual routines anymore. "Where is everyone?"

"Last night a massive influx of refugees showed up in the tower and they're in rough shape. Our volunteers are upstairs trying to help them out."

"Then it seems I returned just in time."

"If you think_ I_ was happy to see you," Josh shook his head a little as he let out an amused chuckle. "I can't imagine how happy everyone else is going to be when you step into the emergency repair bay!"

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting. Let's go."

* * *

Despite the relatively short walk Connor tiredly sat down on the cool grass beneath a tree with his arms folded over his chest, as he enviously watched Ruby running about the park without a care in the world. All the hard work Connor had put in to physically recovering after his coma, and the weeks of physical therapy that accompanied it seemed to be rendered nothing more than a moot point as his heart began to suddenly give out on him. Trying to not let the bleak event completely wear down his mental and emotional resolve the young detective just sat calmly under the tree and let his soulful brown eyes slowly close.

"You're exhausted."

Opening his tired eyes again Connor glanced up and saw Hank leaning against the tree beside him and watching him closely. "Migraines tend to be physically taxing, yes."

"Uh-huh. So having a migraine on top of your 'other condition' must've drained you almost entirely."

"...Almost."

"You should just go home and sleep so you're not completely worn out for our shift the day after tomorrow."

"I will, but in a few more minutes." Watching Ruby trotting about with Sumo and greeting the other dogs in a friendly manner made him feel better. It was a positive moment he didn't want to undo by his own negative health. "They've been cooped up in the house all winter, just like us. I don't want them to be stuck inside even longer because of me."

Hank sighed as he gave Connor an amused smirk. "Sometimes you're too empathetic for your own good, kid."

"Is that actually a bad thing?"

"No. It's endearing. Now your stubbornness on the other hand... THAT could use a little work."

* * *

Flawlessly and meticulously Lucas had managed to expertly analyze and treat the wounded refugees within a matter of a few hours, and did so much to everyone's relief. After exchanging a few words with Markus, North, Josh and Simon regarding his position as the tower's lead technician Lucas then apologized profusely to Simon for attacking him after CyberLife took control over his programming, despite Simon never holding a grudge, and ventured into the private lab of the repair bay to finish the work he had begun with Kamski regarding the prototype.

Hovering over the sterilized metallic surface of the table with a fine pointed soldering iron in his right hand and the delicate articulated joints of the small biocomponent with his left hand Lucas continued his work. Painstakingly Lucas used his enhanced eyesight and dexterity control to properly finish the incredibly accurate and highly advanced mechanism inside the biocomponent itself, despite not knowing what the prototype's importance was just yet.

According to Kamski the prototype was designed to increase the efficiency of circulation and flow throughout systems, but as to why he suddenly had the need to improve what was already arguably a flawless design was perplexing. Everything the eccentric engineer did was an enigma, and it didn't help that he kept his reasons shrouded under a veil of mystery.

"...This should work." Lucas told himself in a quiet voice. Speaking to himself was a new quirk that he had acquired upon his second deviancy, and it was one that Kamski reassured him was normal. In fact, it was often seen as a mark of genius in humans so it only made sense that both Lucas and Connor had developed such an interesting habit of thinking out loud. "...I just need to find a way to test it."

Placing the delicate prototype biocomponent inside of a protective plexiglass case to keep the it safe, Lucas sealed the case and let out a tired sigh.

"I kept my end of the bargain." Staring at the biocomponent through the transparent lid of the protective case Lucas cybernetically connected himself to Connor's smart watch, noted his brother's recorded vital signs, and decided it was time to visit his family. "Kamski," he again spoke out loud as he rose from his chair and walked to the doorway at a hasty gait to take his leave. "you better keep your word."

* * *

After running a towel over Ruby's damp fur Connor opened the bathroom door, and let the large puppy free to roam the house. The endeavor was unexpectedly tiring and the young detective found himself barely able to stand up after kneeling on the floor beside the bathtub for so long. Using the sink and the wall to guide himself upright Connor walked out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall in the hallway for a moment as he watched Ruby trot around, shake off her fur, then plop down on the pillow beside Sumo. Hank had given Sumo a bath upstairs in the large shower, and the massive dog was already down for a nap for the rest of the afternoon.

"Connor," the senior detective called out in a level voice. "come here for a moment."

Tracing the sound of Hank's voice from inside the kitchen Connor walked over to the adjacent room and sat down on the kitchen table across from where Hank was already sitting. "What's going on?" Sounding a little out of breath Connor looked absolutely exhausted. "Something wrong?"

"You tell me."

Turning his gaze away from his adoptive father Connor's voice dipped down with shame. "...I know. I'm getting worse."

"And yet there's steps you can take to get better." Reminding the stubborn younger man in a patient voice of his options Hank kept his tone civil. Passing Connor a bottle of water to drink he eyed his pale lethargic son with a concerned stare. "I don't want to it seem like I'm pushing you, but I'm getting really worried. Even after you woke up from your coma you weren't this exhausted."

"I know." Sighing a little Connor leaned heavily against the top of the kitchen table against his arms. He was finally ready to admit that he needed to make his final decision, and it had to be made soon. "...Our next shift will be my last. I'll inform Captain Fowler that I'm ill and I'll stand down."

"Hey, don't make it sound like this is the end."

"Hank," referring to Hank by his name rather than 'dad' had become a strange habit the younger man resumed when stressed out, and his illness had him stressed out far more than usual. "I can't continue being a detective with a bad heart. I have to stop doing something that-"

"What makes you think that your heart is going to stay bad_ after_ the surgery?"

Returning his eyes to Hank's face Connor explained his reasoning to his adopted father with a heavy grimace on his face. "Would you want to work with someone who had their heart stitched back together with an organic valve that'll degrade over the years, or a synthetic valve that needs a lifetime of blood thinning medication to prevent clots from forming?"

"Let me ask you this," Hank quickly countered with an unreadable expression on his own face. "would you trust someone with a bad temper, a problem with authority, alcohol and a shit-ton of other personal problems?"

"...That's different."

"How's that?"

Unable to answer Connor just looked away stared at the bottle of water sitting before him and remained quiet.

"See? You're just worried that you'll somehow become a liability all because of one illness. You're a medic, you should no better than that, son. You need to stop thinking about the worst case scenarios that may not even happen."

"...It's hard to not think about."

"Seriously?" Giving his adopted son a knowing glance Hank leaned forward atop the kitchen table and refused to let Connor tear himself down. "Do I have to remind you that people suffer heart attacks every day despite not having any heart disease or defects? Or how some people are walking around with an undiagnosed aneurysm in their brain that goes off all of a sudden without warning, or not at all? You can't act like this diagnosis is automatically a death sentence."

Flexing his hands nervously Connor sought his father's guidance and support. Do you really think I'd still be allowed to work at the precinct despite my heart condition?"

"Fuck yeah! Fowler didn't throw _my ass_ out of the precinct despite my extraordinary record of problems, so I know he wouldn't dismiss you over something that's not even your fault. Besides, with the wonders of modern medicine I have a feeling your heart is going to end up stronger than ever before."

Putting his shaking right hand over his chest Connor sighed and tried to be more optimistic about the situation, but it was a difficult endeavor. "...I guess. I'm going to go upstairs now. I need to think."

"Connor, don't start obsessing again."

"...It's kind of hard not to."

Standing up from the kitchen table very slowly Connor took the bottle of water with him, and proceeded to trudge through the kitchen, back through the livingroom and very carefully made his way up the staircase. He wasn't getting tired as he walked, which was a good thing and all, as it proved the incident from the day before was being exasperated by his migraine and not his heart.

"Poor kid." Hank lamented as he remained at the table and rubbed his left hand over his bearded chin. Watching Ruby get up from the pillow to follow after her ill master was as sweet as it was heartbreaking. "I wish I knew who he could talk to about this."

From inside the livingroom Sumo suddenly lifted his head and let out an excited barked he got up from his pillow and plodded over to the front door and sat down excitedly.

"Sumo?" Seeing the large dog's bizarre behavior Hank got up from the table, and he walked over to the livingroom and stared at the dog with an arched brow as he tried to figure out why Sumo suddenly had energy. "What's going on, boy?"

The front door opened slowly as Lucas turned the knob and stepped inside the house for the first time in almost a month. "...Hello?"

"Lucas!" The senior detective's blue eyes lit up with utter excitement upon seeing his second son home at last. "Welcome back!"

"Hi... dad."

"You're finally home." Walking over to meet his second son at the front doorway Hank felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. "You have great timing."

"So I've been told." Stopping to rub at Sumo's ears as the massive dog eagerly pressed his nose into his left hand Lucas gave his adoptive father a reassuring glance as he put his satchel down on the floor beside the couch. "How is Connor?"

"...Physically he's getting worse." The brightness in Hank's eyes dulled as he spoke. "He's getting winded more easily, and he's been pretty tired recently."

"Damn it."

"Whoa..."

The reaction made Lucas's brow arch curiously. "...What?"

"I've never heard you swear before. You must getting as worried about him as I am."

With a somber gaze upward at the staircase Lucas stared at the closed bedroom knowing that his brother his behind it, most likely resting on his bed and thinking about the future. "Is he up there?"

"Yeah. He just got up there a minute ago. He's feeling pretty low about the whole thing regarding his heart."

"Think if I talked to him it'd help?"

"At this point I'm willing to try anything. Give it a shot."

Giving himself a moment to think Lucas gave the senior detective a cautious stare as he contemplated everything Hank had told him. "He hasn't made a choice regarding his options yet, has he?"

"No." The seriousness in Hank's voice spoke volumes regarding the situation. "I don't think he knows what to do."

"Okay. I'll see if I can help him think of a solution."

"Do what you have to do, son. We're not going to let him give up on himself."

Giving Hank a somewhat confident nod Lucas walked up the staircase and knocked softly on Connor's closed bedroom door. Not waiting for a response Lucas quietly opened the door and looked inside the bedroom where saw his brother sitting on the bed with his emerald green guitar gripped his hands, and Ruby cuddled up at the foot of the bed.

As Lucas stepped inside the bedroom he called out to his big brother and waited for him to look up. "Connor? May I come in?"

"Lucas!" Putting his guitar pick back into the strings at the neck of the instrument before he even had the chance to begin playing, Connor gave his little brother his full attention. "You're home..."

"I wanted to see you." Grabbing hold of the guitar Lucas lifted it away from Connor's shoulders and put it back in its support stand in the corner so Connor wouldn't have to get up again. "I know you've been ill and I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

"Lucas, you're allowed to have a life outside of the family, and you don't have to worry about me all the time."

"As your brother I will worry regardless, and since you're a detective that worry will effectively double."

Putting his right hand over his chest Connor winced at the painful palpitation that ached in his chest under his palm. "...And my heart condition?"

"That goes without saying." As he sat down on the edge of Connor's bed beside his legs Lucas retracted the artificial skin from his right hand as he pressed his palm against the center of Connor's chest below his brother's own hand. Running a quick analysis on his brother's vital signs Lucas stared at Connor worriedly as he chronicled his readings. "Your arrhythmia is more persistent."

With a single motion Connor pushed Lucas's hand away from his chest and stared forward at the painting of the Zen Garden on the far wall near the foot of the bed. "...I still need to decide what to do. Choosing between a metaphorical time bomb and a steady stream of essential poison is not easy."

"I can't even begin to imagine that type of personal and mental turmoil."

"I was well aware of the numerous drawbacks to returning to humanity," the young detective lamented as he put his left hand on Ruby's ears. "but I didn't think they'd affect me until I was much older."

"You've experienced setbacks with your programming when you were still a deviant and managed to overcome it. I know you can overcome this, too." Staying with his big brother Lucas refrained from telling him about his time with Kamski out of fear of accidentally upsetting Connor, and causing even more stress to his already stressed out demeanor. "What do you plan to do?"

"For now I just want to think. Tomorrow I plan on talking with select confidantes and weighing my options."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No." Shaking his head a little Connor refuted the offer. "This time I must do this alone."

"...Alone?"

"I'll be alright by myself for a few hours. I just need answers and I have too many questions to ask in order to get them." Looking over to his little brother beside him Connor tried to change the subject to one that was less dreary. "I'm glad you're back home. Where did you go?"

"...I'm not ready to discuss it just yet. But I will in time."

"You're okay, right?" The somberness of Lucas's tone piqued Connor's natural curiosity. "You seem well."

"Yes, I'm just fine. My deviancy... My _second_ deviancy," he decided to clarify needlessly before continuing. "had awoken a new level of emotional depth I wasn't aware that I could feel. I was able to understand my new emotions in time, and in that time I've also been able to come to terms with what I had done when CyberLife took control over my programming. I no longer feel guilty for what happened, and I know it was beyond my own control. The virus has been removed from my programming and effectively destroyed, and I am no longer a threat to my own people."

"Are you here to stay, or are you going to go back to where it was you were staying in private?"

"I'll remain here." Nodding in the affirmative Lucas tried to mask his internal fears for Connor's health, and nearly failed in the process. "I want to be here and help you to get well."

"I appreciate your help, but there's nothing you can do to aid my recovery."

Lucas just sighed as he ran another scan over Connor's vitals and noticed his frequent palpitations that accompanied his arrhythmic heartbeat. "No, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. After all, that's what brothers do. We look out for each other, right?"

"Yeah." Agreeing entirely Connor gave Lucas an appreciative grin as he finally felt a little better. "That's right."

_**-next chapter-**_


	39. Time

Unable to sleep Hank just stood in the hallway between the two bedrooms where his two sons were sleeping, and watched them without making a sound. Lucas was back home and asleep in his own bed for the first time in over a month, laying on his back with Sumo laying pressed up against his side and with Sumo's chin resting over the returned deviant's abdomen affectionately. Connor was laying in a slightly more inclined position against his pillows on his back in his own bed, with his head lolled slightly to the side. Ruby was laying against his left side, her floppy ear draped over his left bicep as he slept.

It was a struggle to resist the urge to walk into Connor's room to check on his breathing and heartbeat, but Hank stayed back as to not disturb his ill son and let him sleep. Quietly creeping down the staircase Hank proceeded to make himself some coffee and as silently as possible he filled up the two dog food bowls before he proceeded to make himself and Connor a light breakfast to eat.

"...I hate this." Hank muttered to himself as he kept thinking of the worst case scenario regarding Connor's health. The last thing he wanted to do was lose another son, let alone bury one. "I really fucking hate this."

* * *

Upstairs Lucas's internal alarm awoke him at seven-fifteen on the dot and he opened his green eyes to find himself sleeping in his own bed again. Happy to be there Lucas lifted up his right hand and rubbed at Sumo's ears causing the massive dog to wag his tail as the deviant sat upright to glance about, and feel truly home for the first time in over a month.

"Good morning, Sumo."

The dog wagged his tail harder and pressed his cold wet nose against the left side of Lucas's face.

"I'm glad to be home."

Throwing off the covers Lucas swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood upright with an impeccable grace. Walking through the bedroom doorway with Sumo right at his left side Lucas peered into Connor's bedroom through the second doorway, and ran a scan over his ill brother's sleeping form.

"You're stable, that's good. Please remain that way as much as possible."

Ruby heard Lucas's voice and looked up at him in the doorway for a moment before settling back down to stay with Connor.

"Good girl. Stay with him for a while."

Steadily walking down the staircase Lucas led Sumo into the kitchen and watched as Hank prepared a modest breakfast out on the kitchen countertops.

"Good morning."

"Hey, Lucas." Hank happily greeted the deviant as he joined him in the kitchen. "How'd you sleep now that you're back in your own bed?"

"I slept very well. I didn't realize how homesick I had become in that month I was away."

"Sumo kept your bed warm for ya'."

Lucas smirked as he watched the big dog chowing down and making a small mess as stray bits of kibble spilled out of the bowl all around him. "I also forgot how wonderful it is to have a companion like Sumo or Ruby tagging along."

"I take it Ruby is still laying with Connor then." Hank stated in a somewhat dreary voice as he fussed with the omelette he had accidentally turned into a pile of scrambled eggs in the frying pan before him.

"Yes. She saw me leaving my own bedroom, but stayed with Connor."

"She's one loyal dog. I think she knows he's sick and is keeping an eye on him."

"Just like the rest of us."

Fussing with the eggs to keep them from burning Hank turned to look at Lucas over his left shoulder curiously. "Think he'll make his decision today?"

"I hope he will." The deviant admitted as he cybernetically compared Connor's vitals signs from his time at the rehab center while he went through his physical therapy to his current vital signs recorded just a minute prior. It was a very notable fluctuation in the readings that needed medical intervention. "I fear his time to think is running out, and he'll have to admit himself to the hospital for proper treatment soon."

"Shit. I thought he'd have at least one more month to think."

"As did I. But I suspect his frequent bouts of ill health, a stressful job and the emotional stress of previous events has exasperated his condition."

"I just don't understand why this problem is rearing its ugly head now." Turning off the stove Hank turned around to look Lucas in the eyes as he placed a generous helping of the eggs onto two plates to be served later. "If he was sick as a kid why did it start affecting him now?"

"From the research I've performed this particular condition is more likely to reveal itself in affected people between the ages of fifteen to thirty-five. Connor is right in the middle of that noted age group, and I believe his prolonged time in a coma has substantially weakened his heart, and the physical exertion to rebuild his strength and regain weight put further stress on his heart that was likely attributed to his recovery; and not viewed as the secondary condition that it actually is."

"Tomorrow will be his final shift until he's well again." Hank confirmed in a rather glum tone. "The poor kid is going to be feeling useless and weak all because he got sick, and it's just not true."

"Try not to worry, I'll stay by his side until he's well enough to return to the precinct."

"I know you will, but that won't make it any easier as he recovers."

* * *

From the bedroom upstairs Ruby whimpered and raised her head as Connor began to wake up. Despite sleeping in longer that usual Connor still felt entirely exhausted, and he just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. Pushing himself upright on his elbows Connor sighed, looked at Ruby and gave the overgrown puppy a gentle rub under her chin with his left hand.

"Hi, girl."

Ruby wagged her tail and licked at the side of Connor's hand affectionately.

"I'd take you for a walk but I don't have the energy. Maybe Lucas will take you to the park for me."

Seemingly able to understand Connor entirely Ruby put her paw on Connor's left arm and whimpered again.

"I'll be okay." Putting his right hand to his chest Connor counted his current pulse and was relieved to not feel a palpitation aching in his chest. "See?"

Jumping down from the bed Ruby followed after Connor as he slowly got up from the bed to head to the neighboring bathroom, and sat down outside the bathroom door as Connor set about his morning as normally as possible. Staring at the closed door with big brown, sad eyes Ruby just waited for her master to return and remained protectively vigil outside the closed door.

* * *

After eating a small amount of the breakfast Hank had made, his appetite beginning to wane away courtesy of stress, Connor agreed to take an autonomous cab to avoid possibly passing out while driving and made his way to his mother's apartment so he could speak with her about his health. Sitting in the back of the cab for a few minutes Connor contemplated whether or not he was actually going to go inside and talk with her or chicken out, but something inside of his mind told him he needed to go and speak with her.

It had been over a month since he saw her, and he felt a little guilty for not seeing her more often after he promised to visit her more.

Climbing out of the back of the cab he walked through the parking lot to reach the apartment complex and knocked on his mother's apartment door.

There was only a minute between his knocking and the door being answered by his mother, who gave him a bright, cheery smile. "Connor! What brings you by, sweetheart?"

"...I, uh," fidgeting with hands in front of himself Connor forced himself to speak up. "I have to ask you a few questions."

The smile faded a little as Elizabeth could tell her son was genuinely upset. "Of course, what do you need to know? Come inside."

Connor accepted the invitation and let his mother guide him over to the couch in the modest livingroom to sit down. "...I need to ask about our family medical history."

"Medical history?" Her chocolate brown eyes suddenly went wide with worry as she could see how unnaturally pale Connor appeared, and she could see he was obviously very tired despite it not even being noon yet. "Connor," she gingerly put her right hand over the back of his right hand and kept it there. "what's wrong?"

With a heavy and aching heart Connor told her everything that was happening, and how he needed to make a decision. He wanted a better idea of his biological and genetic history before he made his final choice, and the only way he could know that was to ask the only biological family that he had left to get those precious answers.

"Connor..." Tightening her hand over his hand Eliabeth watched as Connor's head bow down a little with despair. Wrapping her left arm around his shoulders she pulled him toward herself and gave him a hug as she tried to comfort her sick and frightened child to the best of her ability as sympathetic tears formed in her eyes. "I'm so sorry you're going through this."

Slowly he lifted up his arms and hugged her in response, to which she moved her left hand down from his shoulder and began to rub his back as he silently wept in fear and frustration at his own health beginning to fail him.

"It's okay, Connor." Elizabeth whispered in a calm voice as she held her son and let him cry without ever thinking about letting him go. Her instincts to protect him had never faded over the years, and she was determined to help her son finally be happy. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

* * *

Lucas took a shorter walk than usual as Ruby was reluctant to leave the house and didn't want to go to the park whatsoever. He had to practically drag Ruby to the park while Sumo walked normally, but when he decided it was time to go back home Ruby was for more cooperative if not anxious to leave. As the deviant removed the leashes from the two collars around the dogs' necks Sumo stayed at Lucas's side, while Ruby searched through the house for something and then resided to laying on Connor's bed.

"That was a quick walk." Hank noted as he walked through the backdoor with an oil stained red rag in his calloused hands. "What gives?"

"Ruby didn't want to go for a walk today."

"She bonded with Connor. My guess is since she's only five months old and still a pup she already misses him, and was a little intimidated to be outside without him."

"You said Ruby might be picking up on Connor's illness as well," Lucas reiterated as he slipped off his white jacket and hung it on the hook by the front door as he took off his shoes. "how is that possible?"

"Animals are way more in tune with the world than humans and androids. Sumo always knew whenever Cole was sick, even if it was just a little cold, and he was always protective over both Connor and myself whenever we've gotten sick in the past."

"Sumo doesn't seem worried though."

"Maybe he knows something we don't. Maybe he knows that Connor is sick, but he'll get better."

The front door opened slowly and Connor stumbled back home looking absolutely exhausted and ready to drop. "...I'm back."

"Connor." Lucas immediately put his right hand on his brother's left shoulder to steady Connor where he stood. "You look terrible."

"...And I feel terrible."

"What's wrong?"

"My head." Connor admitted as he removed his glasses and held them in his right hand. "I keep getting headaches from being stressed."

"You need to lay back down." Putting his left hand on Connor's chest Lucas supported his weight and proceeded to all but carry his ill brother up the stairs, and into his bedroom to rest. "Your blood pressure is elevated."

"I'm aware."

Hank watched as Lucas escorted Connor back up the stairs to lay down, and followed after them while perfectly masking his righteous worry.

As Connor laid back down on his bed Ruby eagerly cuddled up at his left side and rested her chin over his chest as he leaned upright against his pillows to ensure he'd be comfortable, and able to breathe throughout the night. Pale, exhausted and evidently stressed out Connor didn't even try to resist being taken care of by his little brother, or deny that he was feeling unwell.

"Connor, you have to choose what you're going to do."

"...I know." Putting his glasses aside Connor closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "After my final shift tomorrow I'll make an appointment and admit myself to the hospital and undergo the surgery in an attempt to repair the structural damage to the mitral valve."

From the doorway Hank listened in on the conversation and chimed in with an important question. "What made you finally decide to go see a doctor?"

"I spoke with my mother and was informed that heart disease and any congenital heart conditions do _not_ run in my family. My condition is unique entirely to me, which means my decisions cannot be influenced by anything similar happening to a relative in the past."

"Oh, I gotcha'. Stay in bed and sleep for a while." The senior detective and adoptive father insisted as he hovered protectively over his ill son. "I'll help you take care of the paperwork for asking for an extended leave of absence from the precinct tomorrow, and then you can focus on your health."

"...Thanks. I guess."

"Hey, it's _temporary_, son." The reminder was as sincere as it was gentle as Hank gave him a confident stare. "Just a few weeks to get better and you'll be back protecting the streets without any more problems."

"...Yeah, sure."

Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed and pressed his exposed right palm against Connor's chest again to gauge his vitals. "You're still stable, which is very good. Aside from your headache are you suffering from any other ailment?"

"No."

"I know you dislike taking medication, but would you like a mild sedative to help you sleep?"

"I'm tired enough, I won't need that."

Nodding Lucas retracted his hand and respected his big brother's request. "Do you want me to do anything else to help you before I report to New Jericho for my shift this afternoon?"

"No, I'll be okay."

Hank agreed and patted Lucas's left shoulder. "Go on. He'll be fine."

"Right. I will return late this evening."

"Pulling a double-shift?"

"Yes. There are many refugees still requiring treatment." Standing up from the bed Lucas took his leave of the bedroom to change into his self-proclaimed uniform before leaving the house for the day. "I will inform you if I must stay even later."

Hank rubbed his right hand along Ruby's back as she cuddled up to Connor, then felt a fuzzy mass brush past his leg as Sumo entered the room and jumped up on the bed to lay down as well. "Looks like you'll have plenty of company while you heal, too after everything is said and done, kid."

Connor glanced at the two dogs and sighed a little. "I just hope the damage can be repaired."

"What're you talking about? From what I've read there's some pretty topnotch procedures that have a really high success rate you can undergo."

"What I mean is having the valve repaired rather than replaced would be ideal. It'll be less invasive and have fewer post operative issues."

"It's hard, I know, but try not to worry. You're too damn stubborn to let something like this stop you from being one of the best damn detectives in this entire city, AND the most loyal private security for New Jericho. As long as people need your help I know you won't give up on them, _or_ yourself."

Nodding a little Connor leaned back against his pillows and proceeded to rub his hand over his tired bloodshot eyes with a heavy sigh.

"You didn't eat much this morning," the adoptive father noted. "you want something else now?"

"No. I'm not hungry, thank you."

"Right. Get some sleep and don't worry about anything. Tomorrow we'll get everything handled and you won't have to worry about anything else, okay?"

"...Okay."

"I'll be downstairs if you do need anything."

Laying back as much as he dared Connor closed his eyes and tried to rest. The overwhelming fact that he had to go to the hospital and undergo heart surgery wasn't exactly calming, but his physical exhaustion finally won out over his mental distress.

* * *

Meeting Lucas downstairs just as the deviant reached the front door Hank put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder and made him stop for a moment before he left the house for the day. "Lucas, level with me. Is he in danger?"

"Immediate danger, no." He replied honestly as he slipped on his white jacket again and looked Hank right in the eyes. "But he can't wait for too much longer. He has possibly less than a week before complications could set in, and make him even sicker."

"Then I guess him going in to the hospital the day after tomorrow will have to work."

"Yes, considering the circumstances. I'll remain in constant contact if you need anything."

"Yeah, see you later tonight, son."

Watching as Lucas left the house Hank proceeded to try to preoccupy his mind with something other than Connor's health, and chose to reside in the study for a while to work on case reports on his laptop. The reports were nearly finished but paperwork was always time consuming and distracting, whereas long dormant cold cases were always good for deep thinking.

"I hate waiting just as much as Connor does." The senior detective muttered as he trudged into the study at a slow pace. "But at least I don't have to play beat the clock with my own health."

* * *

Lucas reported to the tower as expected and proceeded to tend to the numerous deviant refugees in need of repairs and treatment. While tending to the wounded he worked alongside Simon and managed to take care of every deviant, all thirty-two of them, without any shutdowns or other complications. With his shift coming to an end Lucas excused himself from the emergency repair bay to work in private within the small isolated lab where the prototype biocomponent was still resting untouched, since his last shift.

Running a scan over the biocomponent under his care he sat down and opened up the protective case. "Ninety-two percent completion."

'_Lucas_?' Chloe's voice called out to him cybernetically in a sweet tone as she made contact with the deviant. '_Are you free to talk_?'

'_Yes, Chloe_.' Keeping the cybernetic line private Lucas spoke with her as he resumed his work on the prototype. '_How are things on Elijah's end of the bargain_?'

'_He is working as we speak_. _Can I give him an update on your progress_?'

'_Tell him the biocomponent is currently at ninety-two_... _Correction, ninety-three percent functionality_.'

'_He will be pleased to know this_.'

'_Also tell him that if he fails to uphold his end to the agreement I will proceed to make the remainder of his life as unfortunate as possible_.'

'_Elijah will not fail, Lucas_.'

'_I hope you're right_.'

'..._Lucas, I want you to know that I miss your presence_.'

Pausing for a moment Lucas uploaded an image of Chloe into his visual processors and smirked at her lovely face. '_I miss you as well_.'

'_Please visit me as soon as you are able_.'

'_I will, Chloe_. _But for now I must finish the prototype and tend to my brother_.'

'_Of course, I understand_. _Has Connor considered returning to his deviant form in order to overcome this obstacle_?'

'_Yes_. _He has refused to do it_. _He feels he is entirely and always meant to be a human_. _ He will not go back_.'

'_I see. I will tell Elijah of your progress. Good luck, Lucas_. _ Goodbye_.'

'_Goodbye_.'

As the communication came to an end Lucas let out a weary sigh to calm his newly discovered emotions as worry, stress and fear tried to set in his mind.

"...I hope I can trust you on this, Chloe. I really do. My brother's life depends on it."

* * *

Typing away on his laptop in the quiet of the study Hank lost track of time and was fully engrossed with an cold case regarding a string of missing deviants when his train of thought was broken by the sound a loud 'yelp' of fear, followed by desperate gasping for breath upstairs. Slamming his laptop closed Hank rushed out of the study, and up the staircase to get up to the second floor as he listened to Connor gasping for breath and heard both Sumo and Ruby whimpering in empathetic fear.

"Connor," sitting down on the edge of Connor's bed Hank grabbed onto the younger man's shoulders to help ground him as he fully awoke from his terribly vivid nightmare, and fought to catch his breath. "Connor, it's okay!"

As Connor took in deep gasps Hank brushed the sweaty rogue lock of hair from Connor's forehead gently. The younger man was even paler, covered in cold sweat and looked as if he had just come face to face with the Devil himself.

"It's okay, you just had a nightmare. With all the stress you're under I'm not surprised."

"...Hank." Connor's trembling hands weakly reached up and grabbed onto Hank's forearms in an attempt to keep himself from shaking anymore. "I... I can't..."

"Easy. What did you dream about? Talk it out."

Locking his fear stricken eyes with Hank's calm eyes Connor replied with a slight crack to his voice and kept shaking. "...My death."

"Your... _death_?"

"...I died." Putting his trembling right hand over his chest, over his thundering heart, he tried to not cry as he spoke. "...I died on the operating table. My chest was torn open, my heart was pulled outside of my body and was a tattered, broken, there was blood everywhere and- I don't want to die!"

"You won't." Wrapping both arms around his shaken son Connor he gave his son a full on hug, and just held onto him as tightly as he dared. "You won't die, Connor. You'll make it through the surgery and be stronger than ever."

"You can't know that for certain!"

"I can because I know _you_! You _won't_ die, I can feel it."

"I'm scared, Hank." The young detective admitted. It was rare for him to be afraid of anything, and hearing his trembling voice was painful. "I don't want to do this!"

Keeping his arms wrapped around Connor the senior detective just held onto his son and didn't want to let go. "...I know you don't. But you can't live like this anymore." As Hank spoke he seemed to be speaking from personal experience which kept him calm. "You'll go in, get admitted, have your surgery and wake up with a perfectly healthy beating heart in your chest."

The confidence in Hank's voice made Connor relax a little but he was still shaking. "...You've been through this before, haven't you?"

"Unfortunately, yeah."

"...What happened?"

"Don't worry about what happened to them, just worry about yourself, alright?"

"Hank, what happened?"

"Connor, I don't-"

"Please! I need to know."

Taking a moment to recollect his thoughts Hank answered honestly and kept his hug around Connor. "...My mother's cancer. I took care of her at home when she was sick, and my dad took care of her when she was in the hospital."

"...Your mother... she passed away."

"Yeah, son. From _cancer_." He reaffirmed confidently as he refused to let his worry seep into his words. "Her cancer was diagnosed when it was already pretty advanced. Your condition was found early enough that something can still be done about it, and can even reverse what's happening and completely repair the damage."

"What if they can't? What if it is too late to do anything?"

"...Then you'll at least go down swinging instead of giving up and not even trying."

Connor slowly let go of Hank and allowed him to break the hug. "You want me to keep fighting."

"I want you to keep_ trying_. It's up to you whether or not you'll fight or not."

"Hank, if my heart can't be repaired then... That's it. I don't want to live with a replacement valve that'll inevitably fail me or force me to take medication for the rest of my life."

Even though he hated the idea of Connor not undergoing every possible procedure to repair his heart Hank respected him enough to accept his decision, and let it go without arguing. "...Okay. Let's just get through our shift tomorrow and then focus on everything else later."

"...Thank you for understanding."

"Try to sleep. We'll leave at our usual time in the morning, and you can explain things to Fowler whenever you're ready."

"Right. I wonder how he'll react."

"I don't know. Jeffrey can be a hard-ass, but he's fair."

"What if I get reprimanded for-"

"For keeping something personal, a secret? Fuck him!"

Smirking at the comment Connor finally managed to relax enough to stop shaking. "...I wish I had your confidence."

"I wish I had your good sense to keep my mouth shut from time to time."

Keeping his faint smirk on his face Connor laid back down against his pillows while Ruby and Sumo settled down over his legs and up against his side again. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Smartass. When'd you get such a smart mouth?"

"When you helped me deviate and become my own person. You taught me to stand up for myself and not to take shit from anyone." Reality suddenly dawned on him, and his faint smirk turned into an amused grin. "...I guess that should include what's going on right now, huh?"

"Yeah, son. You got it."

"...Then I'll fight back as long as I can."

_**-next chapter-**_


	40. Sick Leave

After a less than restful night Connor stood before the full length mirror mounted in his closet, and straightened out his black tie as he stared at himself in his uniform for what he feared to be his last time. The first memory Connor had of his time as an android was waking up in CyberLife Tower after being turned on, then given his CyberLife uniform to wear while being given his first mission. It was the same uniform he had worn throughout his first two months as an android, and the uniform he returned to after he deviated and helped with the Revolution. While he had modified the gray suit jacket after a time to remove the CyberLife insignia, his model number and old serial number, it remained the same jacket while Connor himself had changed.

As a human he looked and felt the same while wearing the jacket as he as a deviant, save for the fear in his eyes for the first time since his return to humanity. Whether or not he'd see himself as the fearless detective he had once been after his impending heart surgery had yet to be seen.

Lucas knocked on the open bedroom door and called out to his big brother. "Connor, are you ready?"

"...Yes." Dropping his hands from his perfectly straightened tie Connor let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, and turned to his face his little brother who was watching him from the door. "I'm ready."

"Ha- _dad_ is downstairs waiting for you."

Nodding as he acknowledged the comment Connor gave his little brother a pleading gaze. "Do you have to go to New Jericho today?"

"I do. There is a lot of work I must catch up on, and I'd prefer to remain on schedule."

"I can understand that." Stepping out of the bedroom Connor and Lucas walked down that staircase and entered the kitchen where Hank was testing his coffee's sweetness, and waiting for the two brothers to join him. "I'm ready to leave whenever you are, Hank."

"Eat something first."

Connor looked at the kitchen table where a small offering of peanut butter toast and orange juice had been provided by Hank. Feeling too nervous to really eat anything Connor humored his adoptive father by picking up an apple from the bowl of fruit on the nearby countertop and nodded.

"You haven't eaten much recently."

"I haven't had an appetite as of late." Biting into the apple Connor did his best to humor his adoptive father as he tried to ignore his uneasy stomach for a while.

Hank motioned over to the two dogs who were making a mess of their kibble on the floor in the corner. "Too bad those two don't share your feeling right now."

"Maybe we can teach them how to sweep the floors."

Lucas kept a calming smirk on his face as he scanned Connor's body, and noted his vital signs discreetly. While his ill brother was still stable the slight increase in his heart rate, as well as the sporadic palpitations and low blood sugar, were all telltale signs of exhaustion from not eating as often as he should have been.

In an attempt to keep spirits up Lucas offered up his own suggestion. "Maybe tonight after I finish my shift I can attempt to cook something again, and clean up the kitchen so you can keep Sumo and Ruby out of trouble in the livingroom."

Connor looked back at his brother over his left shoulder and gave him an acknowledging nod. "That might work."

Finishing off his coffee Hank rinsed the mug out in the kitchen sink, and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder. "Let's get going, son. The sooner we get there the sooner you can stop worrying about Fowler."

"...Right." Letting out a weary sigh he walked behind Hank toward the backdoor and called back to Lucas before stepping outside. "We'll see you later, Lucas."

Lucas watched as his big brother walked through the door with their adoptive father, and finally let his optimistic smirk fade from his face. Turning his attention to the two dogs behind him Lucas gently ran his hands down their backs and sent a cybernetic message to Chloe.

'_The prototype will be finished tonight_.' Standing upright again Lucas's hands clenched into tight fists at his sides as his stress began to set in. '_Remind Kamski that he must uphold his end of the bargain, or he will not get his prototype_. _It's absolutely vital_.'

* * *

After a silent drive to the precinct the two detectives sat in the parked car inside the parking garage neighboring the precinct for almost ten minutes, before Connor worked up the nerve to exit the vehicle and face his commanding officer. If Hank wasn't walking at his side as he had entered the precinct Connor was sure he would've frozen where he stood as soon as he stepped through the front doors of the precinct, as his usually steeled nerves were frayed and ready to snap on him.

"Go talk to Fowler." Hank encouraged as he gave Connor a firm pat on his right shoulder. "Afterward talk to me and we'll figure this shit out."

Nodding very subtly Connor held his head high and walked toward the closed door of the private windowed office, and knocked once. Watching for Captain Fowler's response Connor didn't budge until his commanding officer waved him inside.

"Good morning, Connor." Captain Fowler greeted in a civil tone of voice as Connor slowly walked into the office and sat down in the chair across from the superior officer with a heavy slump. The young detective's morose body language told the seasoned officer that something important was happening. "What's on your mind?"

"...Captain, I have something very important to tell you."

The sound of Connor's somewhat frightened and uncertain voice pulled the commanding officer's full attention toward the young detective, and away from his terminal screen. "Alright, I'm listening. What's going on?"

Taking only a moment to collect his thoughts and explain things as succinctly and honestly as possible. Connor told Captain Fowler about his illness, the confirmed diagnosis, how the only treatment options were surgical and of the extended leave of absence that would be required in order to heal afterward. He even explained how such a condition could makes itself known after so long without any prior symptoms, and why he hadn't said anything about being ill for so long. Afterward Connor sat in timid silence as he awaited Captain Fowler's response to the information.

Sitting quietly in his chair the usually unflappable commanding officers stared at Connor for a moment, taking in his unusually pale facade, shaking form and the seemingly impossible fear in his soulful brown eyes before, responding accordingly. "Okay. I'll get the proper paperwork ready for you to fill out and you take as long as you need."

The openly receptive reaction had been entirely unexpected. "...Huh?"

"Connor, you're sick and you need to heal. Your health goes above any case or assignment, no matter what the circumstances may be."

"...I'm sorry I-"

"Stop." Heading the young detective off before he could even begin Captain Fowler remained entirely empathetic. "Don't apologize for being sick or keeping something very personal in your life just that, personal."

"...Thank you for understanding. I didn't intend to-"

"Seriously, stop. I know you had your reasons and I'm not one to question that."

"I just... How can you be so understanding about my failure to tell you that I was ill as soon as I was diagnosed?"

"Like I said, personal is personal. I'm not thrilled you waited for so long, but the fact you told me before you went under the knife is very much appreciated." The answer was honest and entirely without malice. "Look Connor, I've had my own health scares in the past, I know it's like to close yourself off and seek answers in private. It's normal. I'm not mad. And," making a point with an emphatic tone he spoke to the younger man as he would his own kids. "since you're one of the best damn detectives in this whole city, and managed to pull Hank out of his alcohol fueled path of self destruction, I'm willing to jump through the necessary hoops to keep you here for as long as possible."

"...Thank you, Captain."

"Now, I'll have the necessary documents sent to your terminal. Instead of taking you lunchbreak I want you to clean out your locker and head home."

"...What?"

"It's not a punishment. Just a precaution."

"...But my locker needs to be cleaned out, why?"

"It's simply regulation. Fill out the proper documents, then go home and rest. Contact me again if you need anything else, but most importantly you need to go home and rest."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he took his commanding officer's words to heart. "Do I really look that bad?"

"You look pale and exhausted. Even if you weren't actually sick I would recommend the same thing, and I would do the same for any other officer in my bullpen."

"Right. Thank you, sir." Taking his leave of the office Connor walked over to his desk and sat down across fro Hank with his head bowed down. "It's done."

The senior detective eyed the young detective with a worried gaze in his blue eyes. "You okay, kid?"

"Yes. I just need to fill out the proper documents and then I have to clean out my locker to head home early."

"Yup. That's the usual drill with this type of thing."

Giving Hank an incredulous stare Connor seemed to find some degree of comfort in that fact. "...It is?"

"Yeah, son. It's normal." Leaning forward over his desktop with his hands folded neatly together Hank did his best to reassure his frightened son. "About eight years ago there was another detective, uh, Ronan;" tilting his head a little Hank gave Connor an odd glance. "I know, strange name but he was a good detective. Anyway, Ronan took a bullet to the knee and needed reconstructive surgery that left him sidelined for a few weeks. He filled the paperwork, grabbed shit out of his locker, and two months later he was back."

"I don't recall such a detective in the precinct."

Hank brought up the personnel file on the detective in question and sent it over to Connor's terminal screen. "He was rough around the edges but damn resourceful. Kinda' like you. He transferred to another precinct in Salem Massachusetts about four months after that."

"Oh." Connor's brow furrowed and he shook his head as he read over the file. "...He was later killed while in pursuit of a serial killer. Thrown from a four story window and then shot seven times with his own service weapon."

"I didn't say Ronan had a happy ending." Hank sighed as he peered around his screen to look Connor in the eyes. "My point is you're not getting any special treatment or being discreetly dismissed for being ill. It's all routine protocol."

"Right. Okay."

"Take care of what you need to do and I'll give you a lift back home."

Nervously Connor looked at the documents on the screen that Captain Fowler had provided, and began typing away at much slower than usual as he filled out each line as accurately and as detailed as possible. With each letter typed Connor felt a dreadful knot forming and tightening in the pit of his stomach, and it made him want to make time stop altogether so he could just sit and think in silence. "...I hate this."

"So do I, son." Hank sympathized with a rather bleak tone of his own. "I really do."

* * *

Keeping to himself Lucas resumed his work inside the private lab of the emergency repair bay within New Jericho Tower as he set about the final details of the prototype biocomponent he had sworn to deliver to Kamski. Unaware of Markus entering the lab to check on him Lucas nearly jumped out of his artificial skin when the deviant leader walked up behind him. and addressed him in a calm voice.

"Lucas?"

Feeling his Thirium pump racing inside his chest Lucas turned to face Markus and immediately calmed himself back down. "Markus. I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Giving Lucas a worried stare the deviant's mismatched eyes were searching the technician's face for any sign of emotional turmoil or worry. "I wanted to check in with you and ask about Connor."

"He is... weak." The concerned technician somberly admitted. "Tomorrow he will check into the hospital and choose his treatment."

"Damn it. He can't recover on his own?"

"...No. Not this time." Grimacing at the prospect of the necessary procedure Lucas confirmed the limited options Connor had at his disposal. "Surgical intervention is necessary."

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Beyond treating him as the same person he was before he became ill, and not treating him as if he is fragile or needs special care, there is nothing more that can be done at the moment."

"That won't be a problem. I'll be sure to visit him when he's ready to see people after the surgery is over."

"Don't let the tower know he is ill. So many of the deviants still mistrust Connor for his deeds as the 'Deviant Hunter', and despite my reassurances, your trust in him and even North vouching for his character, many of the refugees and survivors would see him as an enemy." The technician's concerns for his brother weren't unfounded. "I'm worried his weakened condition would make those who do trust him fear he will be unable to protect them as a detective, and such undo all the progress that has been made in him feeling welcome here."

"I won't say anything, Lucas. Just keep me posted on his condition."

"I will."

Eyeing the odd prototype biocomponent that Lucas had been working on Markus's brow furrowed a little. "Can I ask what you're working on?"

"...This is a side project. One that could prove beneficial to repairing Thirium pumps after sustaining heavy damage."

"I don't get it, don't we have Thirium pumps in storage, as well as fully reliable replacement couplings."

"Yes, but as you know Thirium pumps aren't universal, and rare models, such as yourself, require special attention."

"That's a good point. What made you think of this?"

"...Connor."

Markus knew all to well the hopeless feeling that comes from watching a person your care about slowly waste away before your eyes, and being unable to do a damn thing to help him. As strong as Carl had been for so many years of his life, and as stubborn as Connor could be regarding personal limitations, one thing remained undoubtedly and irreversibly true: Humans aren't immortal.

"I get it." Giving Lucas his nod of approval Markus decided it was time to excuse himself from the technician's presence. "I have a meeting at City Hall this afternoon, do you need anything brought up regarding facilities and android treatments?"

"No. At the moment everything is fine."

"Okay. And if you need to leave for any reason, you know..."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Markus."

As the deviant leader took his leave of the lab Lucas focused on the prototype under his care, and shook his head despondently. Running another scan over the prototype biocomponent the skilled technician began to feel on edge, as if there was a clocking ticking away in his mind, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Ninety-eight percent completed... Almost done."

* * *

As much as he hated to do it Connor walked into the precinct's locker room and sat down on the bench facing his personal locker. Pressing his right thumb against the electronic panel the security protocol recognized his fingerprint, and prompted his locker combination on the keypad. As the electronic lock released with the correctly added four digit code Connor pulled on the small handle that allowed the white metal locker door to swing open, and reveal the few personal items he kept inside the secured storage compartment.

A set of extra clothes, and extra uniform, a set of workout clothes, two extra pairs of shoes, some personal hygiene products and select photographs of himself with his family; Hank, Lucas, Markus and other people he allowed himself to get close to, gave the locker an oddly unique aesthetic. All of them had to go and be packed up according to precinct regulations.

"This feels wrong." Connor told himself as he used the duffelbag holding his extra workout clothes to pack up his belongings with a slow hesitant pace. "I'm coming back. Why go through all of this just because I'm going to be gone for a few weeks?"

Slipping the final photographs into the duffelbag Connor zipped it up and made an effort to pick it up by the handle when a sudden sharp pain burned through his chest as another palpitation ached through his heart. Pulling his right hand back from the bag he pressed it against his chest, and gritted his teeth as he breathed through the pain until it passed.

"...Damn it."

"Going for a workout?" Gavin asked nonchalantly as he opened his own locker to change out of his sweaty t-shirt and into something clean. His locker was on the opposite row across from Connor's locker, and gave the two detectives space from one another. "The gym's empty right now."

"...No. I'm going home."

"Home? What for, are you sick?"

"...Yeah."

"Oh. Shit." The heavy answer made Gavin suddenly feel guilty. "I was joking!"

"I wish I was." Connor admitted as he dropped his right hand from his chest and grabbed onto the handle of the duffelbag to pick it up. "But I'm-" Dropping the bag as quickly as he picked it up Connor froze in place as his legs began to shake and he struggled to keep his balance and gasp for breath. "...Fuck."

"Connor?" The tone of Gavin's voice carried an unusual amount of concern as he looked at the younger man's face. "What the fuck is-"

Losing his balance Connor began to collapse forward with a painful gasp of his fleeting breath as his face paled to a dangerously white-gray hue, and he fought to breathe. Everything was a spinning blur as Connor's ears began to ring, and his vision began to blacken.

"Whoa! Fuck!" If Gavin hadn't moved as quickly as he did Connor would've collapsed entirely and bashed his head on the cold hard ground. Supporting Connor's upper body with his right hand against the younger man's chest, and his left hand beneath Connor's head, Gavin guided Connor to the floor at a controlled pace, and turned the younger detective so he was laying on his back and up against Gavin's legs as he knelt on the floor to hold him. "I gotcha'... Shit. Holy shit..."

Connor continued to gasp for breath as a painful arrhythmia ached through his chest making it almost impossible to breathe at all.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?!" Pressing his left fingertips to the right side of Connor's neck Gavin was able to count his pulse, and could tell from his basic first aid training that the younger detective was in serious trouble. "Shit!" Turning his head to shout out through the opened locker room doorway without moving Connor around too much, Gavin called for help. "Hey! We need a medic in here! Officer down! Move it!"

Fighting to sit more upright on the ground Connor was able to take in a breath, but he was still struggling to breathe properly and to get his heart to stop racing, and to begin beating regularly. As he caught his breath Connor's ears stopped ringing and his vision cleared. Upon regaining his strength Connor immediately tried to get back up, but he still wasn't strong enough to support his own weight.

"Hey, don't move!" Gavin urged as he kept Connor down with a firm right hand to the right shoulder. "Don't move, Connor. Help's coming."

Through the locker room doorway Hank rushed in with Chris right behind him and he too knelt down on the floor to check on Connor. "Ah, shit." Seeing the younger man's paled face, wide eyes and covered under a layer of cold sweat was heartbreaking. "What happened?"

Unable to breathe, let alone speak, Connor just shook his head as he kept his right hand clutched at his chest.

"He went to grab his bag and collapsed." Gavin stated firmly as he let Hank take Connor from him, and rest up against his legs instead. "It just hit him all at once, I don't know what's wrong."

"Shit."

Chris stepped further into the locker room and looked down at Connor's face curiously. "Should I call the paramedics?"

Connor tried to shake his head 'no' but Hank wasn't going to have it. "Yeah, he needs to be in a hospital." Hank felt terrible when Connor grabbed onto his wrist in a feeble grip with his left hand as if to protest. "I'm sorry, son. You need to be admitted, NOW."

Looking as if he had just been slapped in the face Connor closed his tired eyes and tried to focus on his breathing.

"Chris," Hank addressed the younger officer in a calm tone of voice. "call the paramedics, tell Fowler that Connor is on leave as of right now."

"Right, Lieutenant."

Hank remained where he was kneeling and let Connor lean entirely against him as he fought to catch his breath as his heart beat frantically in his chest. "It's okay, Gavin. Get out of here, I got him."

"...Yeah, sure."

The Sergeant quickly changed out of his workout clothes and back into his uniform. After Gavin left the locker room Hank put his left hand over Connor's forehead and held it there for a moment. "I know you wanted to go to the hospital under your own power and when you were ready, but this is something you can't wait out, son. You need to go to the hospital right now."

Connor looked up at Hank, his face still pale and his soulful brown eyes still wide with fear, and gave him a pleading stare. "...I don't ...want to go. Not yet! I want to go... when I'm... ready!"

"You have to go, I'm sorry, son." Rubbing his left hand through Connor's hair Hank tried to be of some comfort as the duo waited for the paramedics to arrive and take Connor to the hospital. Time was almost up and Connor wouldn't afford to be stubborn anymore. "I really wish I could do something, anything, to help you through this. But we both just have to be patient and cooperate with the doctors. This is out of your control now."

* * *

Finishing off the prototype with a skilled hand Lucas placed the newly constructed biocomponent back inside of the protective case, and stood up from the work table with his head held high. As he took a step away from the table he performed a cybernetic scan on the prototype to ensure that it was finished, solid, recalibrated and ready to be used. He then performed a cybernetic scan as he promptly connected to the smart watch on Connor's wrist and suddenly froze in place. The readings weren't what he was expecting to see.

"...Connor?"

Rushing out of the lab Lucas set off through the emergency repair bay to get to the main elevator, and return to the ground floor of the tower. In his haste Lucas caught the attention of North, who was walking down the corridor to check on the refugees in the recovery wing, and she chased after him curously.

"Lucas, what's going on?"

Accessing the panel of the elevator the technician stepped inside with North following to join him inside the elevator car. "...Connor."

"Oh, shit." She could tell by Lucas's voice and his demeanor that it was serious. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Pressing on the panel to get the elevator to move quickly Lucas just shook his head as his command was registered by the computer. "His vitals are critical and based on the G.P.S. coordinates in his watch I know he's en route to the hospital."

"Hank didn't call you?"

"He will once Connor is admitted. I'm going there now, so there is no need for him to call me."

"Do you need New Jericho to do anything?"

"As I told Markus before, just keep Connor's condition quiet. He values his privacy."

"No problem. Let us know what you can, and we'll keep it quiet."

"I will."

Rushing through the elevator doors as soon as they parted Lucas quickly exited the tower through the front doors, and made his way to the rear of the building to get to his red pick-up truck parked behind the tower. Throwing open his door he sat down behind the wheel, turned the key in the ignition and proceeded to race down the drive to get back to the city.

"I thought you had more time, brother." Lucas lamented as he continued to monitor Connor's vitals cybernetically. While his vitals were holding steady they were still weak and nearing critical levels. "Please don't be as ill as I fear."

* * *

Absolutely petrified Hank stood in the corner of the waiting room in complete silence, and stared at the floor under his feet. From the corner of his eye he could see doctors and nurses walking past him with charts in their hands, and he could see people gathered in the chairs of the waiting room as they silently sat and waited for any information on their own friends and loved ones who had been admitted to the hospital. Fidgeting with his phone in his right coat pocket Hank was tempted to call Lucas, but he wanted to have some information to give the deviant rather than just tell him where Connor was at the moment after collapsing in the precinct.

Honing in on the gruff Lieutenant standing alone Dr. Wilson met Hank in the waiting room, and gave him a friendly voice to listen to. "Hank."

Looking up at the kind doctor Hank let out a weak sigh of relief. "Man, I'm glad you're the one taking care of Connor, doc. I know we can trust you. What happened to him? Why'd he go down like that?"

"Come with me." The kind doctor insisted as he motioned for Hank to accompany him down the corridor to see Connor. "We'll walk and talk."

Hank eagerly followed after Dr. Wilson as the skilled physician escorted him to the private room where Connor was resting while under close observation by the cardiac care unit.

"We ran some tests on Connor after giving him medication to ease his breathing and stabilize his heart rate, and afterward we discovered that the cause of his condition wasn't caused by a childhood affliction of Rheumatic fever as we initially suspected, but he was in fact born with a narrowed heart valve which is a congenital birth defect."

"Birth defect?" The revelation was a little perplexing since Connor had confirmed no one else in his family had suffered from a similar condition in the past, but such conditions have to start somewhere in the family tree. "Is it more serious one way or the other?"

"Since the mitral valve is far more narrow than we had anticipated the option for *percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty is no longer viable. He's going to need a replacement valve in order to recover."

"Shit..." Dragging his left hand over his bearded chin Hank paled almost as much as Connor. "Does he know?"

"He knows." Dr. Wilson confirmed in a somber tone. "That's why I brought you here."

"What? Why?"

"He wants to talk to you. I've never thought I'd ever see him scared for his own life, but he is."

"...Neither did I."

"He knows his options and he knows he has to make one soon." Standing outside the closed door to Connor's previate room Dr. Wilson gave Hank a stern glance before he opened the electronic lock. "Otherwise he'll suffer further complications and make himself worse."

"Fuckin' hell. He's always had a problem with making decisions on things he doesn't want to deal with."

"He's not the first. Sometimes it helps to have a trusted friend or family member to talk to."

"Yeah, I get it."

Nodding in acknowledgement Hank entered the room and stared at his adopted son looking weaker and entirely defenseless as he laid partially upright in the bed with a cardiac monitor attached to his chest, a blood pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep, an oxometer clipped to his right index fingertip, and a nasal canula over his pale, gray face to give him more oxygen to breathe. Connor's eyes were closed and had dark bags of exhaustion forming beneath them.

As Hank walked over to the bed Connor looked over at him and gave him a scared, almost childlike stare with his glassy brown irises. "...My heart's giving out."

"No, it's not giving out." Keeping his voice from cracking Hank stood beside the bed and looked down at Connor sympathetically. "You just need surgery to fix the valve. Your heart is still good, it's just one valve that's giving you problems."

"Hank, I don't want to have a replacement valve."

"Why not?"

"As I said before; the organic valve will degrade and require additional surgeries to correct, and the synthetic valve will require me to take blood thinners for the rest of my life." The sorrow in Connor's voice made Hank feel like he had failed to protect his son from harm, and it made his own heart ache. "I don't want to worry about my heart suddenly failing me while I'm chasing a suspect, or worry about how even a small paper cut could leave me hospitalized if I bleed too heavily."

"Connor, you can't just give up."

"...I'm not giving up." The young detective stated in a low voice as he turned away from Hank. "I'm choosing not to choose."

"Son, don't do that." A lead weight settled in the pit of Hank's stomach upon hearing those words. "Don't make me choo-"

"I'm not asking you to choose for me, either."

Sitting down beside the bed in the nearby chair Hank put his left hand on Connor's right forearm and kept it there. "...Please don't do that. Please don't go down without a fight."

"It's_ my_ life." Feeling broken and useless Connor stared at the large window overlooking the city and let out a weak sigh. "And I don't want to live with a limitation like that. I just... I don't want to do this!"

"I know, son. But trying to deny what's happening to you, or ignoring it, isn't going to change anything or prevent your heart from getting any worse."

"...It isn't fair." Letting out a single shuddering sob Connor sounded as pathetic as he looked as he laid in the hospital bed hooked to a monitor, and being forced to choose how he wanted his heart to be physically altered for the rest of his life. "Why do I have to go through this? Why do I keep getting knocked when I just want to get up and try to live a decent life?"

"Hey!" Tightening his grip on Connor's arm Hank used his 'dad voice' to get Connor's full attention. "Self-pity is NOT like you, Connor. You faced worse odds before and came through, what's changed?"

"...I'm- I don't... I don't know."

"Yes you do. You think that by being human you're suddenly too weak to handle things anymore. Well, you're WRONG." Refusing to let Connor give up on himself Hank did everything he could to reassure his frightened son as much as possible. "You woke up from a two year long coma, worked your ass off to regain your strength and return to the precinct so you can protect the deviants in the city, _and_ you saved Markus from a group of fuckin' _assassins_ without hesitation! You can handle one surgery and live a fulfilling life afterward. You just need to how."

Whether it was out of doubt of stubbornness Connor didn't say anything and refused to look Hank in the eyes despite knowing that Hank was in fact right. The surgery wasn't going to be the end of his life or necessarily his career, it was just another challenge he'd need to overcome. This time however Connor was too damn tired to keep fighting back against a foe he couldn't see.

"Connor, I'm going to call Lucas to let him know-"

The door slid opened from behind Hank as Lucas stepped inside the room to be with his family. "I already know. I have been monitoring Connor's vitals from a distance."

"Good timing, son." Hank silently motioned toward Connor from where he sat and quietly begged Lucas to help. "He's thinking over his options."

Connor shook his head and continued to stare out the window. "...I already made my choice."

"And I think you should have a _second choice_ to fall back on."

Lucas quickly figured out what was going on, and hovered over his ill brother protectively. "Connor, are you choosing to not have the surgery?"

"...I've made up my mind. I'm finished with this discussion."

"Reconsider."

Connor fell quiet and refused to look either Hank or Lucas in the eyes.

Just like Hank was adamant to get Connor to choose differently Lucas was determined to find an alternative option for his brother to choose. "Please, Connor. If you give me enough ti-"

"...Go away." Connor muttered as he closed his eyes and tried not to think about what was happening to him, but the constant erratic 'beeping' of the cardiac monitor right behind his ear made it impossible. "Both of you. I want to be alone."

Lucas was about to utter a response when Hank's right hand reached out and grabbed onto his left wrist and pulled him aside.

"...Okay, Connor." The senior detective stated in a kind voice. "We'll be outside if you need us. Try to rest." As much as hated to leave Connor alone Hank knew the best thing he could do was give Connor the space he needed at the moment. Passing through the doorway Hank all but dragged Lucas out into the corridor along side him. "Lucas, listen closely." Hank spoke in a quiet voice as they stood outside the closed door and looked at Connor through the small viewing window that lined the wall of the corridor. "He's pissed off, he's scared and he's going to try to push us away. If we push back he'll just push harder, so give him some space and more time to think on his own. He needs to reach his own decision alone and without anyone else making him like he's being forced to choose something against will."

"I can't just wait and hope he changes his mind. He's very sick."

"It's going to suck, but it needs to happen."

"...I don't understand."

"Humans are very, VERY complicated." Hank stated in a somewhat tired voice. "And Connor is a whole new type of 'complicated' considering his very unusual life. When you throw in his stubbornness you'll end up driving yourself crazy trying to figure out what's going on inside his head."

Lucas looked back at his brother through the window and ran a scan of his vitals from the distance. Connor was no longer wearing his smart watch which meant any cybernetic monitoring from a greater distance wasn't possible, he'd have to rely on his own eyes to run the scan and the hospital's monitors to know what was happening to Connor. "...What can we do to help him?"

"Wait, and be patient."

"I think I dislike waiting as much as Connor does."

"When it comes to dealing with a loved one in the hospital," Hank clapped his right hand down Lucas's left shoulder to try to reassure him on any possible level while they endured the hardship together. "everyone dislikes waiting."

"...Can I have a moment to myself as well? I need to think."

"Yeah, son. Go." Pulling his phone from his coat pocket Hank used his resources to find a way to communicate with one other member of Connor's family in hopes of maybe convincing Connor to go for the surgery as a last possible resort. "I have an important call to make anyway."

Lucas nodded and took his leave of the corridor to retreat to a quiet corner of the hospital. Opening up a cybernetic line to Chloe without anyone noticing his private internal discussion Lucas made it known that Connor's health was failing, and that time was running out.

'_Chloe_. _It's time_.' Maintaining utter secrecy Lucas spoke with the blonde android without anyone knowing of his distant cybernetic connection with her. '_Kamski must come through now, otherwise it'll be too late_.'

_**-next chapter-  
**_

**Author's Note: **The procedure, also called "*balloon valvotomy", is when a doctor inserts a soft, thin tube (catheter) tipped with a balloon in an artery in the arm or groin and guides it to the narrowed valve. When in position the balloon is inflated to widen the valve, improving blood flow. The balloon is then deflated, and the catheter with the balloon is removed.

Balloon valvuloplasty can relieve the signs and symptoms of mitral valve stenosis, though additional procedures to treat the narrowed valve over time.

Not everyone with mitral valve stenosis qualifies for such a procedure.

(Knowledge is Power!)


	41. The Final Option

Three painfully slow hours ticked by with Hank watching Connor through the window as his son; his very scared, very stubborn and very sick son, was resting in the bed and staring through the window to the city outside. The sun was just beginning to set and the sick young man was watching the dusk creep over the city as if it was the final time he'd see the sun at all. Hovering his right hand over the access panel to enter the room again Hank felt Lucas walk up beside him, and stay at his left side as he too began to watch Connor through the window.

"You okay, son?" Hank asked without looking at Lucas, his blue eyes fixated on Connor in the room.

"Yes. I'm fine for the moment." The deviant turned his attention to Hank and gave him a worried glance. "How are you?"

"Worried out of my damn mind, but I'll deal with that later."

"You should sit down and rest. Standing for an extended period of time will aggravate your back and your knees."

"I'm fine, Lucas. Standing isn't going to kill me."

"Then at the very least have something to eat or drink. I can see that you're beginning to tremble from a steadily declining blood sugar."

"Lucas, don't worry about-"

"I will find you some coffee if you like." Anxious to be of some help Lucas volunteered to go in search of the caffeinated beverage in question. "There is a small cafeteria down the corridor."

Finally understanding that Lucas needed a distraction as badly as he did Hank obliged, and agreed to the coffee. "Yeah, sure. I'll have some coffee."

"I will be only a moment."

Without another word Lucas hustled off down the corridor to locate the cafeteria in order to get Hank the offered coffee, and to keep his own thoughts distracted for a moment.

"Those two boys are too selfless for their own good, I swear. And Connor's too stubborn." Just as Hank felt like he was going to throw open the door to Connor's room and shout in the younger man's face about him being so damn stubborn and refusing to compromise, he felt another presence walk up to him and he slowly turned his head to look at the person who had joined him at the window. "Oh. ...Hi, Elizabeth."

"Lieutenant," Elizabeth was obviously worried and on the verge of tears for her only son's health. She had gotten the phone call from Hank while she was out of town for a moment, and she had to race back to the city to get to the hospital to be with Connor. "what's happening with Connor?"

"He's... Well, he's scared." With a gentle motion he guided Elizabeth to a quiet area of the corridor to speak somewhat privately. "Basically, he doesn't want to go along with either replacement option and he doesn't have the time to be stubborn about it."

"I knew he was sick, but I didn't... I had no idea he was this bad."

"To be fair, we all thought he had more time. When he went down we were all shocked."

"What happened?" On the verge of crying Elizabeth asked for some answers regarding her son's health. "Why did he suddenly get worse?"

"Stress." The senior detective stated with a huff of his breath. "And as it turns out he was born with a defect in his heart valve."

"Born with..." Elizabeth's face paled as tears welled up in her ears and she began to shake. "This is my fault!"

"No! No..." Resisting the urge to grab onto her shoulders to hold her steady as she trembled Hank just leveled off his voice and spoke to her empathetically, and with a compassionate lilt in his every word. "Don't think like that. It's not your fault and it's not Connor's fault, either."

"What can..." Steadying herself with a calming breath Elizabeth forced herself to be strong, and to dry her tears before they could fall. "There has to be something we can do to help him, Lieutenant."

"Hank. Please, just call me 'Hank'. And, you're right." Giving her a cautiously optimistic glance he nodded toward Connor's private room and ran his left hand through his gray locks of hair. "I've tried to talk to him and so did Lucas. Maybe you can have some sort of influence on him."

The request was entirely unexpected. "...Me?"

"I know you two are just beginning to get to know each other, but sometimes a person just needs to talk to their mother. It helped me more times than I can count when I was a kid, and I know it'd do him some good right now."

"I..." Looking over at the room and through the window to see her son laying in the hospital bed Elizabeth decided she needed to step up and push aside her own doubts as a good a mother to be there for her son. Now was the time he needed her more than ever. "...You're right. I'll go and see if I can talk to him and help him make a decision."

Hank watched as Elizabeth quietly steeled herself as she entered the doorway, and slipped into the private room to be with Connor.

As she disappeared from sight Lucas returned to where Hank was waiting with the styrofoam cup of steaming coffee in his left hand, and passed it over to Hank to drink. "I sweetened it to your liking without adding too much sugar or sweetener."

"Thanks, Lucas." Accepting the coffee he motioned to the window for the deviant to peer inside at his brother again. "Connor's mom showed up while you were in the cafeteria." Taking a sip of the coffee Hank sighed and was grateful for the boost of caffeine to keep his head from aching. "She's going to try to talk with him and get him to make a new decision."

"I've never met with his mother directly," the technician noted as he studied Elizabeth's demeanor carefully. "though I have seen her before."

"Well, I think if she saw you it might startle her." Taking another sip of the coffee Hank slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I don't think she knows her _only son_ now has a _twin brother_."

"True enough, I suppose." Keeping up cybernetic communications with Chloe in private Lucas turned to face Hank and gave him an uneasy question. "Hank, would you be offended if I took a walk around the hospital so that I can think?"

"Not at all. Go do what you need to do, I won't be leaving the hospital any time soon."

"Thank you."

Watching the deviant take his leave down the corridor Hank could tell by Lucas's body language that the young deviant was just as worried for Connor's life as he was, and that just as Connor was a stubborn and steadfast young man Lucas was a willful and determined young technician. Despite the odds working against Connor in that moment Hank a strange feeling that Lucas was going to the the one to even those odds, and give his brother a fighting chance.

"Fuckin' hell... Those two need the world to give them a break for at least one damn day. They've been through so much."

* * *

Forcing herself to enter the room Elizabeth pressed her back up against the now closed door behind her as she stared at Connor for a moment before taking another step forward. Seeing her son so still, so weak, seeing his weakened heart rate displayed on the cardiac monitor, reminded her of the two years she spent visiting him while he was in a coma in the Grand Rapids hospital. It was as if she was reliving a horrible nightmare but now she at least had the chance to wake up, and this time she could possibly bring Connor with her.

Moving toward the bed with soft steps Elizabeth spoke to her son in a sweetly kind voice as to not make him jump. "Connor?"

Recognizing his mother's voice Connor turned his head momentarily away from the window to look at her, blinked once, and returned his attention back to the window as the sun continued to dip into the horizon.

"I hate seeing you like this." Walking around the side of the bed toward the window she looked at his pal, frightened face, and gave him a gentle smile. "But you've always managed to overcome the odds."

"...Can you please leave me alone?"

"I don't want to. Not now."

Connor glanced at his mother's face again and then sighed. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"And neither am I." Sitting down in the chair beside the bed and the window Elizabeth made a move to hold onto his hand, but chose not to as he was already putting up protective walls. "I'm not here to ask you to change your mind or anything else you don't want to do, I just want to be here for you because you're my son. But if you really want to be left alone, then I'll respect that and leave."

Taking in a deep breath Connor closed his tired eyes as a few tears rolled down his cheek, and disappeared into the pillow beneath his head. Despite what he told his father and brother he didn't actually want to be alone, he just didn't want to talk about the surgery anymore. "...Stay?"

"Yes, I'll stay."

Connor was quiet for a while before he asked his mother a strange question in an absolutely pitiful voice. "...Am I being punished?"

"Punished?" Elizabeth was floored by the question and leaned toward her son protectively, her soft warm hand finding its way to his dark hair to gently combed through the unruly locks as she spoke. "What're you talking about?"

"When I worked under CyberLife I... I did terrible things. And it's like-"

Wrapping her arms around Connor's shoulders without an invitation Elizabeth just hugged her son, and held onto him in a warm embrace. "No, Connor. You're not being punished. I am..."

Connor didn't know what to say or how to react to the comment as he began to weep silently in utter fear. For the first time since his return to humanity, despite all his initial weaknesses and his struggles to regain his strength, Connor had never once felt as though his life could actually come to an end; that his body could break down on him like a faulty biocomponent. It was a cruel reality that had left the heroic and usually fearless young detective genuinely afraid for the future.

"You'll get through this, Connor." Elizabeth promised as she offered her words and her hug as a much needed comfort. "I know you'll find a way to overcome the odds. You always do."

"I'm tired of fighting for my chance to live. I'm just tired of everything." Leaning back against the pillow on his back Connor kept his eyes closed and tried to sleep as he didn't want to think about what was happening or how everything around him seemed to be spiraling out of control. "...This is battle I don't want to fight anymore."

As she let go of her hug Elizabeth looked down at Connor's pale face and proceeded to gently run her hand through his hair as a means of trying to comfort her son as he slept in the bed, looking all too sick and too weak. "You'll be okay, Connor." She whispered quietly as she watched her son sleeping in the hospital bed. "I know it."

Remaining silent in his mounting fear Connor just laid still and found a very small degree of comfort in his mother's company as she continued to run her hand through his hair with a gentle motion, and helped him to lay flat back on the bed as the sun finally set in the distance.

"You'll find a way to beat this, I promise."

Dragging his left palm over his eyes Connor sighed, calmed his breathing and glanced at the door leading from his room and into the corridor. "...Is Hank still here?"

"Yeah. He's right outside of the door." Keeping her palm pressed gently against his hair Elizabeth gave Connor a curious stare. "Would you like me to ask him to come back inside?"

"...I don't know."

"You do know, you just don't want to talk about your options anymore."

"...I made up my mind. Please respect my ability to choose how I wish to... spend my last moments."

Tears formed in Elizabeth's eyes as she thought about the idea of losing her son to his heart condition, but refused to let them roll down her face. "Okay. I won't try to push you one way or another. I'll... ask Hank to do the same."

"...Thank you."

Standing up from the chair Elizabeth opened the door and leaned out of the door frame to speak to Hank and asked him to return to the room. The moment the senior detective was back in the room Elizabeth reclaimed her seat and held onto Connor's left hand as tightly as she dared, and watched as her son's face seemed to pale further as his eyes closed.

"We're here for you, son." Hank promised as he took a chair on the right side of Connor's bed and rested his left hand over the back of Connor's right forearm in a comforting manner. "Whatever you choose to do you'll have our support."

Letting out a shuddering breath Connor tried to settle down as much as possible and sleep. Tired of fighting, tired of thinking and tired of having to struggle just to live all Connor wanted to do in that moment was sleep.

Sleep forever.

* * *

Having had a moment to himself and to speak with Chloe over a cybernetic line Lucas returned to the corridor where he had last seen Hank, and peered through the window leading into Connor's private room. Through the glass surface Lucas could see his father sitting with his ill brother, while Elizabeth held onto her son's hand for dear life. The trio of humans had all fallen asleep together as the evening gave way to night, and Lucas could see that the group was exhausted on a physical and emotional level.

The sight of Connor's weak heart rate on the cardiac monitor made the deviant's own heart, his Thirium pump, skip a beat in his chest.

Time was running out.

'_Chloe, it's important that Elijah keeps his word_. _Connor is losing strength quickly_.'

'_I have made Elijah aware of Connor's condition_.' The blonde deviant that Lucas had become rather fond of responded to his worries from the distance of Kamski's mansion on the harbor. '_As soon as he's able to arrange everything we will contact you_.'

'_Hurry, please_.' Closing his green eyes Lucas walked away from the window and decided to return home for a few hours to tend to Sumo and Ruby. He didn't want to leave his family behind but Lucas couldn't do anything to help them in that moment. '_I fear my brother's heart is beginning to fail him_.'

* * *

Having fallen asleep in the hard plastic chair as he stayed beside his sick son's bedside Hank was awoken by a foreign presence in the room, and opened his eyes in time to see Dr. Wilson using his stethoscope to listen to Connor's struggling heart. The metal bell of the instrument pressing against Connor's bare chest after having the surface of the hospital gown pulled aside didn't even phase the young detective as his pure exhaustion allowed him to sleep through the entire examination.

The good doctor's keen eyes were focused on the cardiac monitor's display, while his ears were taking in the sound of Connor's every heartbeat as he used the stethoscope to perform a cardiac auscultation to to the best of his ability with Connor remaining asleep, and in a single position on the bed. The sound of Connor's mitral valve failing to circulate blood as it should was notable, and was seemingly getting worse thanks to the stress the young detective had recently been subjected to.

"Doc?" Speaking up in a soft voice Hank didn't disturb either Connor or Elizabeth as they continued to sleep. "How's he doing?"

"Hanging in there." Whispering as he draped his stethoscope around his neck Dr. Wilson looked over to Hank with a somewhat worried gleam in his warm and very kind eyes. "He's strong, has impeccable health considering his current condition and past afflictions, and he is an excellent candidate for the valve replacement surgery. We just need him to choose which valve he wants and we can schedule him for an O.R. today."

Lethargically Hank patted his left palm over the back of Connor's right forearm and gave the good doctor a grim answer. "...He doesn't want either one."

"I see... That's a problem."

"We, uh, we're hoping he'll change his mind but with his options limited and timing running out, he can't afford to be stubborn."

"That's putting it mildly."

"How long does he have to decide?"

"It's difficult to estimate an exact time of reference. Every ill body is unique and everyone reacts differently to various ailments. Since he already went down unexpectedly at the precinct despite his otherwise good health I wouldn't give him more than three days before he gets dangerously sick."

"Shit. Alright, uh..." Staring at Connor's pale face and then looking over at Elizabeth still sleeping on the other side of the bed Hank tried to come up with some kind of viable solution. "Just... Give him a little longer to think. There is a compromise somewhere in the air, I just need to find it."

"I hope you find it soon. Connor's strong resolve and stubbornness can only get him so far with a damaged heart valve."

"Yeah, I know." Leaning forward a little Hank sighed and dragged his right hand over the back of his tense neck. "I'm going to go find Lucas and have a chat with him. Connor is stubborn and Lucas is dedicated. If anyone can break through his stubborn resolve it's Lucas."

"I saw him out in the waiting room this morning. Apparently he had to go take care of your dogs and needed to get some fresh air."

"Yeah, the kid is pretty sensitive. I think he's having a worse time handling this than I am." Rising from his chair Hank reluctantly left the room in order to speak with his second son, and seek an alternative answer to the very difficult question that Connor refused to answer. "I'll see what I can do."

Passing through the sliding door Hank sighed and made his way toward the waiting room where Lucas had last been seen. Feeling exhausted with a horrible pain in his back, a kink in his neck and feeling like he needed to shower off before he collapsed into a heap of fatigue and day old sweat, Hank trudged down the corridor and located the waiting room where Lucas was sitting in a chair against the far wall in silent contemplation.

"Hey, kid." Sitting down beside Lucas in the waiting room Hank leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to think of something beyond planning a funeral for his stubborn son. "How're you holding up?"

"...Well enough, I suppose." Lucas replied in a low voice as he looked over at Hank and gave him a subtle nod. "I take it there was no success in helping Connor make a definitive decision."

"Unfortunately, yeah. The kid won't even talk about it anymore. Elizabeth let me know when she brought me back into the room to stay with him last night."

"Damn." Closing his hands into tight fists at his sides Lucas's green eyes dulled and began to stare off into nothingness. "...He just needs to hold on a little while longer, and I might be able to finally help him."

"How's that?"

"...It's difficult to explain. But in time," locking onto Hank's eyes Lucas gave his adoptive father a confident nod. "I can and will explain everything."

"Think you can explain things to Connor and get him to finally make a choice?"

"It's possible. Just give me a moment confirm potential aid coming from a trusted contact, and I will go and speak to Connor directly."

* * *

From within the privacy of the quiet room Elizabeth awoke and directed her immediate attention toward her ill son as he continued to doze lightly in the bed. It was clear he was awake but was trying to continue to sleep in order to rest as much as possible, but there was too much on his mind to let him sleep properly. Keeping her right hand wrapped around his left hand Elizabeth lightly combed her fingers of her left hand through his hair in a comforting manner, and smirked a little as she watched his rogue lock of hair repeatedly falling back over his left eye to hang down in his face.

"I wish I knew where you got your wavy hair, Connor. I think it came from my side of the family, but I don't remember either of your grandparents have hair with a mind of its own."

Opening his eyes a little Connor looked up at his mother as she continued to run her fingers through his hair, and offered her a very faint smile. "...It's nice to know it wasn't an error from a prototyping design."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't. I was already awake."

"Want some tea? I can could get you something from the doctor's lounge if you'd like."

"No, thank you." Glancing about Connor noticed that Hank was now gone, and he was curious as to where his adoptive father had gone. "...Where's Hank?"

"I'm not sure. He was gone when I woke up, but I know he isn't too far away." Continuing to comb through Connor's hair lightly Elizabeth gave her son a reassuring smile of utter confidence and love. "You know, he really does see you and treat you like his son. I'm glad you have someone to have a father figure in your life."

"...He's not my father," the young detective replied in a tired voice as his face began to pale further. "he's my dad." Connor suddenly let out a gasp as he lost his breath and he looked up at his mother with his already frightened eyes now becoming panicked. "I... I don't... feel right."

"Connor?"

"C-Can't... breathe..."

"Hold on, sweetheart." Reacting quickly as the cardiac monitor began to screech loudly Elizabeth pressed the emergency call button on the wall near the bed, and continued to hold onto Connor's hand in a fearless supportive manner. "You're going to be alright, just hold on."

* * *

Unsure of what else they could possibly do for their most stubborn family member Hank and Lucas sat in the waiting room together, and waited for some update on either Connor's condition, or an update from Lucas's contacts outside the hospital. It wasn't looking promising for the young detective and that in itself was frustrating to the senior detective. Connor's condition wasn't terminal and he had options to choose from, but out of either stubbornness or fear Connor was refusing to make such a decision.

Lucas was sitting perfectly still beside Hank with his green eyes closed as he remained in private cybernetic communication with Chloe at Kamksi's residence. After a brief conversation with his android ally Lucas's eyes snapped open and looked over at Hank with a gleam of hope shining in his green irises. "Hank, I know how to help Connor."

"Huh? What?" Getting pulled out of his melancholy deep thought Hank looked over at the deviant and gave him an odd stare. "What're you talking about?"

"I can help Connor, and I can do it without upsetting him."

"What?! How?"

"There is now a third option. A compromise."

"...What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean a 'third option'?"

"It's difficult to explain, but-"

Dr. Wilson suddenly appeared in the waiting room and addressed Hank abruptly. "Hank, Lucas, come with me please."

Sensing that something was wrong Hank shot to his feet and followed after Dr. Wilson quickly as he had been instructed. Lucas didn't even ask questions as he trailed behind Hank and listened intently to every word being spoken by the skilled doctor to the worried detective.

"What's going on?" Hank needlessly asked as he walked at Dr. Wilson's side to the room where Connor was resting. "How's Connor?"

"About ten minutes ago Connor fell unconscious and his vitals plummeted." Leading Hank and Lucas to another floor of the hospital, to the examination room of Cardiac Care Unit rather than the private room, Dr. Wilson explained things further. "He needs to have the surgery within the next forty-eight hours before he suffers any permanent complication. You're his medical proxy, and you need to make a choice on his behalf."

"Connor doesn't want either option." The senior detective replied with a near defeat in his voice as the trio waited for the elevator doors to open. "What am I supposed to say?"

Lucas spoke up in a firm voice to throw in his own take on the situation. "Take the third option." Hank and Dr. Wilson gave the deviant an odd glance as they turned to look at him, and neither said anything further. "It's too much to explain right now but I can get you everything you need to save Connor. I just need eighteen minutes to get what I need and bring it here."

"Lucas," Hank was staring at the deviant with an absolutely confused stare. "what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Please, trust me!" Backing away from Hank and Dr. Wilson steadily Lucas prepared to rush back down the corridor and back to the entrance of the hospital to do what needed to be done to save his ill brother's life. "Keep Connor stable and prepare the operating room for his mitral valve replacement surgery."

"Lucas!" Hank shouted after the deviant as he stayed beside Dr. Wilson. "Where are you going?!"

Without another word the deviant was down the corridor and out of sight in a matter of a few seconds leaving Hank and Dr. Wilson alone to discuss the best method for treating Connor's heart condition together.

"I don't know what he's talking about." Still confused Hank admitted with his evidently perplexed tone of voice. "But I think you should trust him."

"I do, Hank." Dr. Wilson looked at the electronic chart in his hand as an update on Connor's condition was uploaded. Connor was stable but now very weak and he would only get weaker over time. "But I don't know what this supposed 'third option' is, or if what Lucas is suggesting is even medically possible."

"Give him time. If he's not back within the hour then... I guess..." Hank rubbed at the back of his tense neck nervously as he made the choice that Connor had refused to make for himself. "...Go with the synthetic valve. It'll keep him from needing more surgeries in the future."

"Okay. I'll make a note and schedule him for surgery today at ten this morning." Looking at his watch Dr. Wilson gave Hank a subtle nod as they stepped inside the elevator together to reach the correct floor. "That leaves Lucas with almost forty-five minutes to do whatever it is he wants to do before the surgery."

"And until then?"

"Connor will be prepped for surgery and monitored very closely."

The elevator reached the designated floor and the doors opened. "...Can I see him?"

"For a minute. His mother's still with him, and one of the nurses is keeping a close eye on his vital signs." Motioning toward the correct room where Connor was now being constantly monitored Dr. Wilson tried to remain confident as he spoke. The sight of Connor in the room looking paler than ever, and now with an oxygen mask over his face, wasn't helping him remain as confident as he wanted to be. "I know you're worried, but before dawn Connor's heart will be repaired, and he'll wake up again feeling much better."

Hank stared through the large window and into the room where he was greeted by the sight of Elizabeth holding Connor's cold right hand in her own. The worried look in her eyes as she stared at her son did little to else ease the senior detective's mind. The younger detective looked as though he was on his deathbed, and rightfully so. Attached to a cardiac monitor that showed his wavering, slow heart rate and low blood pressure only emphasized the severity of Connor's condition and of his limited time.

"I don't know what you're up to, Lucas." Hank whispered as he stared through the window at his adopted son and waited for some reaction, or a reason, to rush into the room to be with him. "But whatever it is you better be quick. Your brother needs you."

* * *

The dedicated deviant didn't hesitate or waste a moment as he raced out to the hospital parking lot, and climbed into his red pick-up truck. As he backed out of the parking space and turned onto the street he informed Markus through a cybernetic message that Connor had been hospitalized. and that he was returning to New Jericho Tower to retrieve something very important. Without the security barricade up to block his path Lucas would be able to reach the tower much faster, and without anyone trying to stop him upon his return Lucas would be able to get in and out without any obstacles in his way.

'_How bad is he_?' Markus asked in an impressively calm tone of voice as he responded to Lucas's message.

'_Bad enough_.' Lucas replied curtly and honestly as he accelerated toward the tower. '_He will be undergoing surgery within the hour_.'

'_Surgery_? _I knew he was sick, but not that sick_. _What can I do to help_?'

'_Just be sure to give me full clearance to the private lab of the emergency repair bay_. _Once I know more regarding Connor's health you'll know more_.'

'_Of course, Lucas_. _ Everything will be ready for you_.'

Lucas drove his truck back to New Jericho Tower as quickly as he dared and sped down the drive to reach the deviant sanctuary with utter focus in his green eyes. Throwing the vehicle into park as he stopped in front of the tower the dedicated brother charged into the building through the front lobby, and rushed over to the elevator. Ascending the tower at a hasty clip Lucas cybernetically contacted Chloe and informed her of his plan.

'_I'm retrieving the prototype biocomponent for delivery_. _Tell Kamski he can meet me at me the hospital_.' Steeling himself for the inevitable confrontation he was sure to have when he met with the creator of all androids in person once more, Lucas reminded himself that everything was a necessary evil if he was going to save his brother's life. '_If he wants his prototype then he needs to keep his word and help save Connor's life_. _I won't accept any alternative_.'

* * *

Standing beside the bed Hank looked down at Connor's horrifyingly pale face beneath the transparent oxygen mask as he remained entirely motionless, save for his slowly and shallowly rising and falling chest. While the attending nurse used a stethoscope to listen to Connor's heartbeat and his breathing Elizabeth continued to run her fingers through his hair in a comforting manner as she held onto Connor's hand for dear life. It was a pathetic sight for Hank's old tired eyes to behold, but he didn't dare to look away.

"Connor?" Hank spoke to his sick son in a patient voice as he tried to offer some form of comfort of his own. "Connor, I know you're really out of it right now and can't answer, but I want you to know that you're going to be just fine. Lucas will be back soon and I know he'll think of something to help you heal entirely. Try not to worry, son."

Elizabeth looked up at Hank with fear still shining in her eyes. The same soulful brown eyes that Connor had clearly inherited. "What's going to happen?"

"I think Lucas found a third solution that'll give Connor what he wants without him having to worry about the after effects of the surgery."

"What?" The answer just left Elizabeth with more questions. "How?"

"I'm not sure. But Lucas is as resourceful and clever as Connor, so I know we can trust him."

"...Who is Lucas? You've mentioned him twice now."

"Uh..." Giving her a slight laugh and shake of his head Hank decided to fill her on who Lucas is, and why he's important in Connor's life, just as the nurse began the necessary preparations for Connor's impending surgery. With the two worried parents politely ushered from the room Hank decided now was a good a time as any to have a little strange chat with Elizabeth. "...It's a _long_ story."

* * *

Having retrieved his prototype from its storage place Lucas made the drive hasty from the tower and back to the city with it in his possession.

True to his word Lucas returned to the hospital in no more than eighteen minutes of time, and proceeded to wait out in front of the hospital as he kept in cybernetic contact with Chloe from the considerable distance. It was a tense moment as Lucas parked his truck in the parking lot and made his way to stand in front of the hospital. He held the metallic case containing the prototype biocomponent protectively in his hands, and stood out front scanning each passing vehicle as he prepared to meet with Elijah and Chloe in person.

An autonomous sleek model of a unique vehicle, some type of hybrid between a limo and a sports car, pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and came to a stop in front of Lucas. Sure enough the rear passenger door slid open and Elijah himself stepped out of the vehicle with Chloe right beside him.

"Kamski," Lucas was ready to throw the metallic case into the man's hands as he approached him with an arrogant smirk. Addressing him by his surname as opposed to his first name was a sure sign that Lucas wasn't feeling friendly toward his reluctant ally. "please tell me you were successful. You have to help Connor."

"I assure you everything will progress as I've stated." The brash human replied in a smug tone of voice. "The specialized surgeon that I promised will be here in less than ten minutes."

"Take the prototype." Lucas insisted as he all but pushed the case toward Kamski's hands. "I just want Connor to be healthy, and I don't care what it takes to save his life."

"Lucas, join me inside." Motioning to the case in the deviant's hand as he refused to accept it, Elijah gave the worried technician a sly stare. "Let me explain to you _exactly_ what's about to happen..."

* * *

As much as they hated to leave Connor alone both Hank and Elizabeth had to return to the waiting room as the young detective was wheeled into the operating room to await the life saving surgery. Pacing about a little through the small room it didn't take Hank long to recognize Elijah's face as he stepped calmly into the waiting room and approached the worried senior detective. Motioning again to Lucas, who was walking right beside him with Chloe trailing right behind them both, Elijah proceeded to tell Hank exactly what was going on.

"Lieutenant." Noticing Elizabeth standing right beside him Elijah gave her a subtle smile as he saw the family resemblance between herself and Connor, and knew exactly who she was. "I have paid to have the best cardiac surgeon in the country come here and perform the surgery. And," putting his right hand on the case in still Lucas's hands he gave the duo his almost iconic smug smirk. "this is what's going to be used to save him."

Lucas's brow furrowed with utter confusion as he looked down at the metal case clutched in his hands. "...What?"

"The prototype biocomponent you've been working on," Elijah continued on with an upbeat tone of voice as he motioned to the case with a casual wave of the hand. "is in fact a prototype synthetic valve designed to replace the damaged valve in Connor's heart."

"...I don't understand." Lucas's voice dropped to a whisper as he realized what it was he had just accomplished. "How is this-"

"It's a very delicate and unique design that only the hands of a skilled technician, and the steady hands of a deviant, could possibly bring to fruition." With a single nod to Chloe the blonde android took the box gently from Lucas's hands and proceeded to take it to the operating room where Connor was being prepped for his surgery. "It's a perfected design of the synthetic mitral valve that has already been developed, but this new design is one that won't require any medication for the rest of Connor's life."

"What are..." Hank was utterly confused, and his wide blue eyes betrayed his emotions as he spoke. "How in the fuck is that possible? You're not a doctor."

"No, but I am an engineer, and I'm a bio-engineer. I'm also very good at designing functioning components that mirror human anatomy."

"...And you perfected that new synthetic valve just for Connor?"

"Connor will be the first." Elijah confirmed with a nod of his head as he crossed his arms behind his back in an almost military pose. "Once the procedure proves to be a success, and it will, then thousands of other patients can benefit from this perfected model." Nodding at Lucas with a flawless, confident stare Elijah continued to remain in charge of the situation. "Go meet with Chloe and explain things to the doctor taking care of Connor. He should now know of the surgeon I requested to take care of the surgery. Just inform him of the prototype you finished, and everything will begin."

"...Y-Yes. Of course."

"Lieutenant," Elijah gave his full attention back to Hank and Elizabeth as Lucas went to inform Dr. Wilson of the scenario at hand. "Miss Wolf, please sit down and try to relax. I can assure you that the doctor I have hired is the absolute best, and the procedure will save Connor's life. I guarantee it."

* * *

With the prototype successfully delivered Lucas stood with Chloe in the observation room overlooking the operating room where Connor was laying intubated, and covered in blue surgical drapes. A line of I.V. antibiotics were already running through Connor's veins as numerous units of replacement blood were on standby, and a team of surgeons gathered around the table. The doctor that Elijah had personally hired, a woman in her mid forties with raven black hair, chocolate brown eyes, a dark complexion and a professional demeanor approached the surgical table and looked down at Connor, then to the sterilized case where the prototype; the replacement valve that Lucas had unknowingly finished, was waiting to be used.

Chloe stared at Lucas's face, her L.E.D. cycling a steady blue as she watched his demeanor, and asked him what was on his mind. "Lucas, you seem upset."

"...I's just that I can't believe that I'm the one who finished the replacement valve." He admitted with a humble voice. "Why didn't Kamski tell me what the prototype was really for?"

"I suspect Elijah knew you'd push yourself to finish the prototype as quickly as possible and put too much pressure on yourself. Knowing that the prototype was being used as a means of helping Connor gave you the motivation to complete it, but not the worry about making a mistake in the process of its final designs and construction."

"...Perhaps."

Through the window the surgeon, Dr. Khali Stern, watched as Dr. Wilson used a swab of iodine to sterilize Connor's chest; all down his sternum toward his navel, then held out her right hand as she requested the first tool to begin the delicate operation. "_Scalpel_."

The voices of the surgical team were slightly muffled through the glass but both Lucas and Chloe could understand them perfectly well.

Curious about the procedure Chloe looked to Lucas for answers. "Do you know what's happening?"

"Yes. I spoke with Dr. Wilson and he informed me that the procedure will follow the same as it would the original synthetic valve. Fortunately within the past eight years the recovery period will be considerably shorter than it had previously been for patients undergoing heart valve replacement surgery."

"What do you mean?"

"...Once Connor's chest is opened the ribs and sternum protecting his heart will need to be broken and retracted for clear access to his heart. What used to take a minimum of three months to heal from will now heal in three weeks thanks osteographing being used to secure the broken ribs back into place, and then repair the sternum alongside the ribs. A majority of the surgical trauma can be reversed before the incision is even closed after the procedure has been completed."

"And the replacement valve itself?"

"Due to the valve's unique design it can be placed into the preexisting valve to widen the narrowed vessel, and keep it open. What makes it the perfect replacement is the new valve's ability to integrate organically with Connor's heart and prevent clots from collecting in the artificial material without degrading over time as an organic replacement valve would do so alone. It's a perfect blend between the organic and synthetic valve without any of the post operative complications that would require any medication." Shaking his head a little Lucas sent a cybernetic message to Markus at New Jericho to let him know what was happening, and to keep him in the loop. "The material was used in the development of android biocomponents. And now Connor will truly have a heart that is both human and android... Truly deviant."

Chloe smiled a little at the thought as she resumed watching the surgery down below with her blue eyes steadily showing more and more emotion. Slowly she wrapped her left hand around Lucas's right hand, and interlaced their fingers together. "That is an incredible thought."

"Yes. Connor will truly be a child of two worlds."

* * *

Sitting together in the waiting room Hank watched Elizabeth carefully, completely unsure of what to say to her, if anything at all. It's not like having Connor in surgery was any less stressful for him than it was for her, yet he didn't know what he could do to help her feel a little more at ease. Unwilling to sit in silence and let her run every worse case scenario through her head, something he had seen Connor do countless times before just to make himself feel sick, Hank decided to make a kind gesture and reach out to her empathetically.

"I, uh, I could go for some coffee right about now."

"Huh?" Elizabeth barely heard Hank's voice but did acknowledge him. "Did you ask me something?"

"Yeah. Do you want to get some coffee? I don't know about you, but I'm ready to drop and could use some caffeine to keep going."

"Oh, sure. I can show you where the nurses hide the good stuff."

Hank smirked a little as he let Elizabeth show him to the doctor's lounge where they could be alone for a moment, and not feel so overwhelmed by sitting in the waiting room surrounded by complete strangers. "You really know your way around here."

"Being a volunteer has its perks." Elizabeth responded casually as she and Hank walked into the doctor's lounge together. She opened up a cabinet beneath the coffee maker and located the container of strong coffee, and proceeded to brew a fresh pot for Hank. She then focused on making some tea for herself by sorting through the assorted flavors in the cupboard overhead. "I know where the good coffee is hidden and I get to spend time with good people as a result. It's a win-win situation."

"Wish I could say that, too. It seems like the only good person I can associate with on a daily basis is Connor, and when we're lucky Lucas hangs out with us, too. The precinct gets really boring when the kid's not there."

"I still can't get over Lucas. He's Connor's _brother_, he really is..." Using a kettle Elizabeth heated up some water to make her tea while the coffee continued to brew in the nearby pot. "It's so strange to suddenly have two... well, two _sons_."

"Yeah, I had the same reaction when I learned that Connor had connected with Lucas, and wanted to have him a part of the family."

"I take it Lucas wasn't as easily deviated as Connor was back where he was still an android."

"Yup. Poor guy was still bound by CyberLife, but Connor helped him break free and become his own person."

Smiling a little Elizabeth poured the hot coffee into one mug and the hot water into another. As she dropped a chamomile teabag into the mug of hot water she motioned for Hank to join her at the table so they could sit down and talk. "All the same," she replied in a level and very sweet voice as she sat beside Hank at the small table. "I'm glad Connor has you and Lucas to call his family."

"You're still his family, too, Elizabeth."

"Maybe biologically, but I don't think we'll ever be a real family."

"No, he wants you to be a part of his life. He's just always been a little introverted and shy with people. Even around me." Sipping at his fresh mug of coffee he shrugged his shoulders a little and gave Elizabeth a knowing look. "_Especially_ me, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know the kid trusts me and I trust him, but he's still got a long way to go before he's entirely confident in himself and of the decisions he's made. Breaking free of his programming to become deviant had a pretty huge impact on him as an android, and escaping an abusive home as a human child to take care of himself at only fourteen years old can't have been that different. He went through the same transition of following orders to complete freewill in two lifetimes, but the same damn life. I can't imagine how stressful that has to be on him."

"I know about the Revolution and his massive part in it. He did a good thing, an _incredible_ thing, and changed the world for the better. Why is he doubting himself over everyday things?"

"Wish I knew. All I can figure is it has something to do with him growing up pretty isolated and used to doing things only for himself with short term outcomes."

Elizabeth fussed with the teabag as it steeped in her mug and she looked away from Hank in shame.

"Not your fault, I know that look." He stated firmly as he placed his left hand on the back of Elizabeth's right forearm. "And it's not his fault, either. You did everything you could to help Connor without risking your life, or his, in the process. From what I've read about your ex through police reports, and from what Connor's managed to tell me about his past, your ex was the type of guy to lash out violently at you both for no reason at all. I think Connor just needs to accept that he's not like that, and even though he's done some fairly violent things in the past that doesn't mean he's a bad person; or dangerous like his father was. Hell, those doubts have made him afraid to have kids of his own."

"That's so horrible. Connor is a caring and compassionate soul, he'd be a wonderful father."

"That's why I told him, but he's still doubting it. I hate it when he thinks he isn't good enough to be something or someone he's clearly overqualified to handle."

"It just hurts to see him so sad all the time. The only time I've ever seen Connor afraid was the night his father broke his arm, when he finally decided to leave the house and find help. I never want to see him like that ever again."

"He's been happy, too. I've seen it," the senior detective promised as he slowly moved his hand down her arm to hold her hand in his own gentle grip. "and I know you'll see it in time, too."

Sensing that Hank was speaking from experience Elizabeth dared herself to press him for more answers. "You've been through this before, haven't you?"

The horrible memories of the night he lost Cole were still fresh in Hank's mind, and every time he had a nightmare or set foot in a hospital those very memories suddenly became vividly painful. Having his second son being admitted for life saving surgery only made the memories all the more detailed and painful to endure.

"...Yeah. I've been through this before. It... It didn't work out so well then, but it will now. It has to." Worry glazed over his blue irises as fear and doubt set in heavily in his heart and his mind. He was becoming afraid, really afraid, for his son's life. "If it doesn't I don't know what I'll do."

Elizabeth gently tightened her grip Hank's hand in a supportive manner, and kept it there for as long as she dare. "It'll be okay. Don't lost hope."

Turning his hand slightly over so his palm was facing upward Hank gripped Elizabeth's hand allowing their fingers to interlace together. "...Yeah. You're right."

Forcing herself to smile slightly Elizabeth decided to change the subject at hand for a while. "...How's your coffee?"

"It's good, really good." He admitted as he gave Elizabeth's hand a gentle squeeze and offered her a kind smile. "Thanks, I needed this."

* * *

Through the large window overlooking the operating room Lucas watched as Dr. Stern worked alongside Dr. Wilson and expertly placed the prototype replacement valve into Connor's exposed narrowed mitral valve with minimal effort and expert precision. Once it was in place the two doctors secured the valve, watching the drastically improved blood flow to Connor's heart as the valve was widened to its necessary diameter, they worked together and made sure there was no internal bleeding courtesy of the procedure itself. The surgical team noticed a massive improvement with Connor's vitals on the cardiac monitor, his complexion also taking on a healthier hue, and declared the procedure a success.

All that remained was closing Connor's chest and allowing him to recover from the surgery.

Lucas was still tense as he watched the final steps of the procedure through the window, watched as the two doctors hovered protectively over Connor's exposed beating heart, and waited for his ribcage to be rebuilt rib by rib, and closed up under strong protective sutures, and a layer of temporary artificial skin. It seemed the worst was over but Lucas wouldn't be satisfied until Connor was out of the operating room and recovering peacefully in a private room; finally awake and talking again.

"He's responding well." Lucas observed warily as he watched everything through the glass with an astute eye. "Once he's in recovery they'll ween him off the sedatives and the pain killers, and soon he'll be able to breathe without the assistance of the ventilator."

"I saw no flaw in your work." Chloe stood closer to Lucas and tightened her hold of his hand. "Be proud."

"I will be only after my brother has fully healed."

"_Let's close him up_." Dr. Stern announced through the window as she Dr. Wilson finished tending to his ribs and restoring his ribcage. "_The osteograph is holding properly_."

As the incision to Connor's chest was closed with thin but strong sutures, and a layer of synthetic skin, the two surgeons checked his vital signs again and found the improvement to be well within the estimated parameters for someone of his health, age and metabolic rate. Connor's exposed chest was stained a pale yellow courtesy of the iodine, but otherwise the rest of his complexion appeared normal; less pale and less fragile.

"_We'll perform an echocardiogram in an hour to check on the_-"

The cardiac monitor began to screech as Connor's vitals suddenly plummeted for a second time that day. His heart rate became arrhythmic and his blood pressure tanked causing cardiac distress.

"_Damn it_." Dr. Wilson diagnosed the problem as he began controlled chest compressions over Connor's heart; ready to redo the osteographing on Connor's repaired ribs if it became necessary. "_Course ventricular fibrillation_. _Get an amp of epi ready_."

Through the window Lucas began running a scan over Connor's body while Chloe tightened her grip around his hand in a reflexive fear. "Connor, hold on. Don't let that horrible nightmare come to fruition."

"_Epi in_." One of the nurses responded as the medication was injected into Connor's I.V. line to try to correct his heart rate.

Checking the monitor Dr. Stern shook her head at the reading. "_No change_."

Dr. Wilson never stopped the compressions as he looked at the monitor and agreed. "_Get another amp of epi ready_."

The second dose was administered and with it came a slight change in Connor's heart rate.

"_He's now in fine v-fib_." Dr. Wilson announced as he nodded at the 'crash cart' being wheeled over to the surgical table by another nurse. "_Prepare to defibrillate_. _Set to two-hundred and eighty Jules_."

Lucas watched with utter worry and nervousness as the surgical team who had just repaired Connor's heart were now working together to keep that very heart beating. "Come on, Connor. Fight."

The nurse placed the two wireless electrode pads on Connor's chest; one near the center of his chest just to the left of the incision, and the second on the left side of chest over the ribcage at the apex of his heart.

"_Ready to defibrillate at two-hundred and eighty_." Hovering his hand over the charge key on the defibrillator Dr. Wilson addressed his team in a firm voice before pressing the button. "_Stand clear_."

The team stepped back and out of range of the shock as instructed.

"_Clear_."

The controlled jolt caused Connor's body to jerk; his back arching slightly upward before slamming back down on the table. The cardiac monitor showed two healthy beats before returning to the same ventricular fibrillation line of unhealthy sporadic hills and dips.

"_Damn it_." Dr. Wilson swore as he resumed chest compressions while issuing new instructions. "_I need three milligrams of Lidocaine and run the blood; get me a reading_."

One nurse provided the medication as instructed while a second nurse drew a small amount of blood from Connor's arm. Placing the sample in a specially designed blood analysis filter connected to the crash cart she awaited a readout of the blood's P.H. levels, and overall reading on Connor's blood to try to determine a cause for his sudden arrhythmia.

"_Charging again_." Moving his hands back Dr. Wilson sent another jolt through Connor's heart, resulting in the same response of Connor's back arching in a physical reaction and his heart beating normal for three beats before returning to its arrhythmia. "_Again_. _This time set it to three-hundred and sixty Joules_."

The nurse set the charge and confirmed the level. "_It's ready_."

"_Clear_." As the third controlled jolt surged through Connor's body, resulting in the same physical reaction of his back arching and the same lack of response in his heart rate, the blood analysis finished and Dr. Wilson resumed compressions. "..._I don't like this_."

"_Doctor_," the nurse checked the analysis read-out, then double-checked it to be sure. "_his potassium level is six point eight_."

"_What_? _You're certain_?"

"_Yes, I checked it twice and the reading is the same_."

"_No wonder we're losing him_. _Give me an epi of Calcium gluconate_." With the new dose of medication now coursing through Connor's veins Dr. Wilson pulled his hands back to stop compressions and decided to shock him for a fourth time. "_One more time_. _Stand clear_."

As the fourth shock surged through Connor's heart the helpless young detective's body responded with a sharp jerk before relaxing and his heart finally began beating at a normal, healthy rhythm. There was no arrhythmia, no sudden spike or drop in his vitals, and no further signs of distress.

"..._He's back_." Dr. Wilson announced with palpable relief to his voice. The young detective was holding his own. "_How's his blood pressure_?"

"_Blood pressure is holding one-ten over eighty_." Dr. Stern stated as she checked the monitor and confirmed her patient's vitals. "_Normal sinus rhythm_. _Good work, doctor_."

"_Thank you, doctor_." Patting Connor's chest once under his right palm Dr. Wilson looked to the nurse who was removing the wireless pads from Connor's chest, and gave her one final instruction. "_Prepare a mobile chest x-ray_. _Let's make sure the osteograph held before we move him into post-op for recovery_."

Everything in the operating room became calm and stable as the surgery as a whole was finally declared a complete success.

Lucas bowed his head and slumped his shoulders in relief at seeing brother's heart beating without an irregularity or further complications. "...He made it."

Chloe squeezed Lucas's hand and leaned her head up against his right arm affectionately as she stayed at his side until he was ready to leave.

"Thank you, brother." Lucas breathed slowly and leveled his thoughts as he watched the medical staff continuing to take care of Connor. "I'm glad you're still with us. I'm not ready to live a life without my big brother there to watch out for me."

* * *

Unsure of what else they could do to pass the time as they awaited an update on Connor's condition Hank and Elizabeth begrudgingly returned to the waiting room as two in the afternoon came and passed, and they sat together in quiet worry. The other occupants of the waiting room had either left from the night before, or had fallen asleep in the chairs in the corner of the room and were unaware of the duo sitting quietly a few feet away. As the two sat in quietly side by side waiting for any news on Connor the duo held hands in a worried grip.

"Hank, Elizabeth?" Dr. Wilson who gave them both a reassuring nod after he located them in the waiting room, and he watched their hands tighten around each other in anticipation of his words. "Connor's in post-op." He stated as he watched Hank and Elizabeth quickly get to their feet to look him in the eyes. "He tolerated the surgery well, and only suffered minor complications during the procedure. He's completely stable and will be awake in about three hours thanks to the heavy sedation used to keep him under."

"Thank fuck..." Sighing out loud and very heavily Hank's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Elizabeth took a step forward with a pleading gaze in her eyes as he kept her hand wrapped around Hank's hand. "Can we see him?"

"Not just yet. He needs to be kept in temporary isolation until the sutures are removed, and the artificial skin completely covers the incision. It's the only way to ensure he doesn't develop any post operative infections."

"...Thank you, doc." Sighing with her own relief Elizabeth rested her head against Connor's shoulder as she refused to let his hand go. "You saved his life."

"Well, Lucas and Dr. Stern helped, too. Not to mention Kamski's resources."

"Yeah, well don't tell Kamski that." Hank urged as he offered his free hand to shake out of pure respect and gratitude. "His ego's big enough as it is..."

* * *

Taking his usual position of watching Connor through a showing the interior of the private recovery room window Lucas kept vigil as Connor breathed normally with only an oxygen mask over his face to allow fresh, clean oxygen to help flush the remaining anesthetic from his system. The cardiac monitor showed his perfectly normal, perfectly healthy heart beating and a single white bandage over the center of his chest kept the incision clean as it healed. It was such a simple stretch of gauze hiding such a drastically significant outcome, and almost made the entire event comical to think about.

Chloe and Elijah walked up to Lucas casually, and while Chloe took Lucas's hand in her own Kamski just stood beside him with an arrogant smirk on his on his always smug face. "Well done, Lucas." The arrogant creator complimented as he addressed the deviant proudly. "You saved your brother's life, and his life will potentially be the first of thousands that are saved in the long run thanks to this simple biocomponent."

Looking over at Elijah with a perplexed glance Lucas righteously questioned the statement. "What do you mean?"

"That prototype biocomponent, a plastimetal heart valve, can save thousands of other lives; perhaps even millions. Dr. Stern was impressed by its design and effectiveness, and she will now vouch for its use in future operating rooms."

"...Why didn't you tell me the prototype was meant for Connor?"

"If you had known that you were essentially holding your brother's heart in your hands would you have been able to fully concentrate, or would you have begun to obsess over every little detail without actually progressing on your work?"

"I suppose you're correct." Still slightly puzzled by Elijah's response Lucas pressed for more answers. "But why did you go so far out of your way to help Connor with the prototype? Surely you had such a design already prepared before my brother became ill."

"You're right, I did. But as I stated before I needed a deviant technician's hands to finish what my own hands could not." Every word he spoke was overflowing with confidence and a sense of accomplishment. "Now that the prototype has been finished I can begin mass production of the new valve and have an abundance of supplies to aid countless other patients throughout the country. It just so happened that you had the motivation to finish the prototype and did so with absolute perfection in a timely manner."

"You used me."

"No, Lucas. I saw a mutually beneficial arrangement that had no negative aspects." Extending his right hand out to the deviant to shake Elijah showed nothing but sincere respect toward the skilled technician. "I didn't use you, I simply encouraged you to use your skills in the best way possible without the pressure of trying to hold your brother's life in those same hands."

"...Thank you. I suppose."

"I understand if you feel as though I had manipulated you in some way, but I assure you that my intentions were not malicious. I had been aware of Connor potentially suffering from some ill effect after waking up from his coma, but I hadn't anticipated that it would revolve around his heart. Since I owe Connor my life I vowed to do what I could to ensure he is able to live his own life to its fullest and without any limitations. I then set about ensuring my prototype medical devices were ready to be built for test purposes. It seems my precaution has paid off."

Shaking Kamski's hand reluctantly Lucas turned away from the engineer to watch Connor through the window again, and ran another scan over his brother from the distance. "I'm aware of that, and I appreciate you finding a way to help him."

"Once production begins on the new valves I'll spread other former CyberLife subsidiaries and supplies from my personal funding throughout the country. With these new production lines we'll be able to supply humans with new heart valves and resume production on biocomponents and blue blood, making it easier for deviants outside of Detroit to have the supplies they need to survive."

"That seems like a massive undertaking."

"It will be, but it will also pay off. My first stop will be in Boston." Giving Chloe a little nod Elijah elaborated on the future endeavor. "And I was hoping you'd be willing to join me..."

* * *

After being given the good news Hank had gone to make a few phone calls to the precinct to let Captain Fowler know of Connor's successful surgery, and to take a moment for himself to think and breathe in quiet. Elizabeth found herself anxiously pacing the corridors of the hospital, the very corridors she frequented during her hours as a volunteer visiting patients and delivering flowers or cards, and silently thanked whoever was listening for letting her son live. As she paced slowly down the corridor and rounded the corner to finally visit her son she caught sight of Lucas standing alone outside of the room, and she realized the room must be the one where Connor was resting. Upon seeing his face Elizabeth couldn't stop staring at the deviant from the distance.

It was like looking at her own son in a second body.

Feeling someone staring at him Lucas slowly turned his head and caught sight of Elizabeth and could see she was ready to bolt as soon as he looked at her. Speaking up in a gentle tone he called out to her in sweet tone. "...Miss Wolf." He acknowledged politely as he watched her curiously, trying to determine if she was upset or not. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I-I don't know." Wrapping her arms around herself somewhat guardedly she gave Lucas an odd glance. "It's just... You look just like... I'm sorry for staring."

"It's alright. Connor and I are essentially the same, and I understand your reaction." Walking toward her Lucas locked his green eyes with her brown eyes and introduced himself in a kind voice. "My name is Lucas. I was... _am_, the 'RK-900' model that was supposed to replace Connor when he was still a deviant. However things changed. Rather than replacing him I was locked away to be forgotten. Connor found me and took me in as his honorary 'little brother', and I was also taken in by Hank as his son. They are my family."

"...I see."

Sensing her discomfort Lucas took a subtle step backward to giver her some space. "Does my presence upset you?"

"No! No... I just... Connor was born an only child, and I never had any other children after he was born. I never thought I'd see another person who looked so much like my son, let alone someone who was taken in as his own brother. A _twin_ brother, at that."

"I can understand your discomfort."

"Oh, no, no... It's not uncomfortable, it's just _surprising_." Giving the deviant a reassuring grin she tried to dissuade his feeling of being an settling presence. "If Connor sees you as his brother, and Hank sees you as his son, then I'll see you the same way. You're Connor's little brother and Hank's son."

"Thank you, Miss Wolf."

"You can call me 'Elizabeth'. You don't have to be so formal."

"Very well, Elizabeth. Thank you."

"Lucas, this might sound a little out of place but can I ask a favor from you?"

"I don't see why not. How can I help you?"

"After everything that's happened and everything we've been through." She took a step toward Lucas to close the space and she tried her best to look him in his gentle green eyes. She was so used to Connor's soulful brown eyes that the change in iris color was a little extreme for her, not to mention their heights towering over her own. "...Can I have a hug?"

The question brought a faint smile to Lucas's lips as he acknowledged Elizabeth with a kind response. "...Of course."

Allowing Elizabeth to step forward even closer Lucas gently wrapped his arms around her and gave her a warm supportive hug. As the two embraced one another the deviant felt an odd sense of comfort wash over him as he hugged his brother's mother, someone who could easily have mistaken him for Connor himself with a single glance. It was like he was hugging his own mother, not that he'd know what that would ever feel like, but he imagined it'd be just as nice.

Elizabeth let a single emotional tear roll down her face as she pressed up against Lucas as much as she dared, and let him give her the much needed hug. "Thank you, Lucas."

* * *

It was almost noon the following day when the exhausted group of gathered loved ones were shown into Connor's recovery room to check in on the young detective as he continued to rest. Lucas was already in the room and sitting beside the bed, his green eyes watching Connor's chest rising and falling steadily as he breathed without any aid from a ventilator. The nasal canula was in place but it was merely helping to rid the excess sedatives from Connor's body as he regained his senses from his drug induced slumber. Running a scan over Connor's body Lucas smiled a little as saw the newly implanted biocomponent allowing Connor's heart to beat normally was effectively now one with the heart as a single functioning unit.

"You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for." The deviant whispered as he watched Connor sleeping peacefully. "This is proof."

The door to the room slid open as Hank and Elizabeth stepped inside to check on Connor at long last. Several glass vases of assorted flowers with 'Get Well Soon' cards courtesy of the precinct and New Jericho Tower were in their hands, and a few Mylar balloons also printed with 'Get Well Soon' were attached to the vases and floating in the air over their heads.

"Lucas?" Hank put his hand on the deviant's shoulder as he and Elizabeth put down the vases on the small tables surrounding the bed, and the window sill to fill the room as they readily checked in on Connor. "How long have you been here?"

"Since three-seventeen in the morning. Being a deviant I was permitted to stay with him as I'm incapable of passing any bacterial or viral infections to Connor by being in close contact with him as he heals."

"How is he doing?"

"He's sleeping well. He isn't showing any sign of pain or distress, and his vitals have remained consistently stable."

"Good." Putting his other hand on Connor's shoulder Hank looked down at his face, relieved to see that his complexion was much better than it had been over the past few days, and didn't see any distress marring his expression. Lightly he moved his hand down over Connor's chest, careful not to press on the still healing incision beneath the bandage, and felt Connor's heart beating strong and consistent under his palm. "You did great, Lucas. You saved his life."

"...If I had known that the prototype I was working on was going to go to Connor I would've told you about it earlier."

"It's okay, son. I know you weren't keeping secrets. There are just some things we all need to keep private for one reason or another."

Vaguely aware of voices speaking around him Connor's eyes began to flutter a little as he became aware of people now standing around him. A sharp pain in his chest made Connor visibly wince and soon Lucas was pressing a control mechanism into Connor's right palm, instructing him on using the using the device to deliver painkillers to ease his massive and understandable discomfort at his own discretion.

"Press the button, Connor." The deviant urged in a calm voice as he watched his big brother's hand tighten around the device, and press down on the button with his thumb. As the button was pressed Connor's pain lessened considerably. "It's morphine. You can control how much you have in your system."

Steadily the pain ebbed away and Connor relaxed again. As his heavy eyes opened slowly Connor focused on Hank's face first and felt his hand resting over his chest, then saw Lucas sitting beside him. Glancing past his father and his little brother he saw his mother, Elizabeth, standing behind Lucas as well. The three members of his family were watching him with faint smiles on their faces as Connor's eyes opened fully, and were all patiently waiting for him to speak.

"...Ha- Dad?" Connor sounded a little hoarse from having the tube down his throat during the surgery, but otherwise he spoke fairly well. "...Wh-What happened?"

Pulling his hand back Hank gave Connor a smug look and motioned to the deviant beside him. "Lucas found you a_ third option_."

"...Third option?" Putting his own right hand over his chest where Hank's hand had been Connor felt the bandage covering the incision under the hospital gown, and was thoroughly confused. "...What third option?"

Lucas told Connor everything that had happened and explained how it came to pass. Excluding the aftermath of the surgery where he had gone into ventricular fibrillation after the procedure Lucas assured Connor that he would never have to worry about his replacement valve degrading over time, or requiring a lifetime of medication to keep it functioning properly. As he spoke he could see Connor's demeanor relaxing more and more as utter relief swept over him, and tears filled his eyes.

"...You saved my life?" Connor asked incredulously with a slight shake of his raspy voice. "You created a new piece of technology in order to save my life?"

"In a sense." The deviant replied in a needlessly humble manner. Never one to boast or sing praises of his success Lucas kept speaking in a rather shy tone as he felt his face grow warm from a faint blue blush. "I didn't know I was working on the prototype valve for your heart, but once I learned what I had accomplished I was... amazed."

"...Thank you, brother." Giving Lucas a teary smile of gratitude Connor looked up at Hank to thank him as well. "And thank you for not giving up on me." Turning his attention to his mother Connor made sure she knew he was grateful for her presence as well. "...And I'm glad you didn't leave me alone, thank you. I'm sorry I was being so cold, and, well... an asshole."

"Hey, you're allowed to be an asshole when you're sick, kid." Hank reassured him jovially as he stayed at Connor's side and tried to make him feel better about the whole situation. The tension in the room just melted away as a positive feeling of love and family blossomed like the flowers in the numerous vases that lined the room. "That's a free pass. Just don't abuse it."

Smirking at the comment Connor blinked once and let a tear roll down his cheek. "I won't, I promise."

Elizabeth walked over to the other side of the bed and returned her hand to Connor's hair and tried to brush back his rogue lock of hair that always hung down over his face, but as per usual it just fell back into place over his left eye. "I'm just so happy to see you awake and still with us."

Hank agreed as he watched the subtle smile creep across Connor's face, and tears of relief welling up in his eyes again. "...And in two days you'll be able to go home and rest. You don't have to worry about any more surgeries, medication or losing your career at the precinct."

"I can have my life back." Connor realized as he tightened hand over his chest and held it there for a moment. There was no pain in his chest and his heart never skipped a beat. "...I can keeping living."

"Yeah, son." Hank confirmed as he watched Connor's strength and will to fight return to his soulful eyes. "You're still alive."

"...I'm alive." Connor whispered with a heavy but subtle joy. "I'm _still_ alive."

_**-next chapter-**_


	42. Healing

It didn't take long for Connor to feel much better and to feel more like himself after having his necessary heart surgery. As his energy returned and his pain subsided, save for the tenderness of his repaired ribs, the young detective managed to easily pass each test he was subjected to and was showing promising signs in his overall recovery. With one final chest x-ray to ensure the new valve was staying in place and one final listen of Connor's repaired heart Dr. Wilson gave the young detective the clear to return home that very evening.

"I have to say, Connor, you're the first patient I've ever had pull through any cardiovascular surgery and heal so quickly." Draping his stethoscope around his neck the kind doctor made notes in Connor's electronic chart and approved his discharge forms. "That new valve is the beginning of a new era in cardiac care."

"Thank Lucas for his work, and Kamski for his funds. I was merely the guinea pig."

"Be proud of yourself. I mean, having a heart condition isn't exactly something you could help or even wanted to have, but the fact you made it so far by taking care of yourself, and helped open the door for many more far more beneficial procedures down the line is worthy of praise. Any medical professional would be proud."

"I may be a paramedic," Connor stated in a humble tone. "but I'll always be a detective first and foremost. I'll leave the medicine to you."

"Just remember to take it easy for the first week, and then the following two weeks you can go about your usual business. Your heart has been repaired but your body still needs to recover after undergoing such a physically traumatic experience."

"Of course. And after the third week of my recovery?"

"Permitted you pass your follow-up exam you'll be free to go back to the precinct. Granted you'll be on desk duty for that first week, but after that you'll be able to go back out into the field."

Smirking at the idea Connor gave Dr. Wilson an appreciative nod of his head. "That's what I wanted to hear. Thank you."

* * *

Despite Connor's insistence that he didn't need any help walking out of the car to get to the house Lucas still walked at his right side to ensure he didn't lose his strength, while Hank unlocked the front door. Elizabeth, upon Connor's invitation, had also gone to the house to help Connor get settled back in for the rest of his recovery, and was smiling at the sight of Lucas helping Connor to stand while Hank opened the door to let him inside the house to finally rest in the comfort of his own home.

"I'm finally home." Connor sighed as Sumo and Ruby charged to the front door and anxiously greeted his awaiting hands. Giving the two dogs some attention he watched as Sumo and Ruby took notice of his mother walking along with the group, and proceeded to greet her as well. "I'm going to have to take them for a walk as soon as possible to make up for lost time."

"Uh-huh," Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder to push his stubborn son inside the house to rest. "after a week. Until then take it easy and don't do anything that'll physically exert you."

"I know. I won't push myself."

Lucas nodded in agreement as he escorted Connor up the staircase and into his bedroom on the second floor to rest. "Come on, brother. You should lay down for a while."

As Connor slowly sat down on the edge of his bed very carefully he grabbed onto Lucas's right forearm and gave him a reassuring nod of his own. "I'm okay, Lucas. I promise you that I don't need to be watched over anymore."

"That doesn't mean I won't be close by." Reaching into his right jacket pocket he handed Connor back his smart watch, and smirked as his brother wrapped it around his left wrist where it belonged. Picking up his glasses that were left on the nightstand by the bed he hand them over to Connor as well, and watched as he put them over his eyes and felt entirely at ease. "I'm glad you're home."

"So am I. I never went to spend time in a hospital ever again."

* * *

Downstairs Hank happily showed Elizabeth inside as he wrangled the two dogs in the livingroom, only to have the duo race up the stairs to Connor's bedroom to check on their returned younger master, and get some attention. Doing his best to make Elizabeth feel at ease considering she had never been to the house before, and wasn't exactly close to Connor, Hank kept his own voice very warm and very welcoming with every word he spoke.

"Make yourself at home, Elizabeth."

"Oh, I don't want to impose." She replied in a humble manner as she closed the front door behind herself. "I won't stay long."

"Hey, you're Connor's mother and he asked you to come here. You're the guest, and welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"...I still just feel a little out of place." The humble woman admitted in a shy voice. "I'm glad Connor wanted me to come here, but at the same time it just feels... strange."

"Well, considering you're associated with one of the strangest families in all of Detroit that seems perfectly normal to me."

Smiling with gratitude at the senior detective Elizabeth visibly relaxed and felt a little more comfortable.

"Uh, I was thinking about making some Mexican food for dinner tonight since it's Connor's favorite." Thinking of a way to keep the conversation going Hank invited Elizabeth to stay for dinner that night. "You're welcome to stay and join us."

Elizabeth smirked as she thought about the invitation and accepted it. "Okay, that sounds like a plan. But only on the condition that you let me help you cook."

"Sure! Connor's a great cook, so maybe he inherited it from you."

"Only one way to find out..."

* * *

While sitting upstairs on his bed Connor happily pulled on Ruby's chew rope as the much bigger puppy eagerly wanted to play, and Lucas proceeded to brush out Sumo's fur to give the older dog some love and affection as well. The brothers were just happy to be in one another's company again and were talking about Kamski, and how he had really stepped up as of late to make amends with the people in his life. The fact that they could see so much positive change taking place around them gave the duo much needed hope for the future.

"I know that Elijah and Gavin have reconnected on some level," Connor stated as he pulled on the blue rope and led Ruby back and forth across his bed in a playful game of tug-o-war. "and I know he feels as though he somehow owes me a great debt because I helped him before my coma, but it seems like he's feeling guilty about something, too."

"I suspect it has something to do with the Revolution and how he didn't try to sway it one way or the other."

"Interesting theory."

"That's what Chloe had suggested while we were discussing matters during our private conversations."

"I can't believe you were staying with Elijah for a whole month to get the virus out of your programming."

"It seemed like the perfect place to be." Lucas explained casually as he ran the brush through Sumo's thick pelt and removed a clump of tangled, winter fur from his coat. "I was away from the tower but close, and thanks to the dampening fields Elijah had installed at his residence to prevent cybernetic spying I was completely safe in the event the virus program was initiated before it was removed."

"You said the surgeon Elijah hired was named 'Dr. Khali Stern'." Connor's mouth twitched a little as he looked to his little brother for a direct answer. "Is she a relative to Amanda?"

"...Yes." The admission was carrying a mild hesitation, but it wasn't one of guilt merely uncertainty. "She is Amanda's daughter."

"I was unaware that Amanda had any children."

"Just one. Apparently when Khali chose a career in medicine rather than cybernetics or engineering Amanda disowned her."

"...Amanda was incredibly cold in both my mind and real life."

"But her daughter is very kind, warm and she helped save your life."

"I know. I don't harbor any ill feelings toward those who are affiliated with Amanda as they aren't responsible for her choices. It's just strange to know that someone like her even existed."

"What about us? We're two beings who shouldn't exist either."

"True. I guess there's really no way to determine who a person is until you meet them either during your worst, or their best moment." As he succeeded in pulling the rope out of Ruby's mouth Connor gave the toy a toss through his opened bedroom door and into the hallway to fetch. "Just like when I was assigned to work with Hank."

"Connor, I have an important question to ask." Watching as Ruby trotted after the toy Lucas continued to gently pet Sumo's side as the old dog tried to sprawl out over his lap. "Do you think I should assist Elijah in developing additional prototypes and founding more facilities outside the city?"

"Do you want to help him?"

"I do. But I don't want to leave home."

"Yu won't be leaving home forever." Ruby jumped up onto the bed and dropped the chew rope onto Connor's lap. As he gave it another toss Connor continued to speak with his little brother on the rather serious matter at hand. "You can always come back home and stay for as long as you want. This is your home and we're your family."

"...I suppose you're correct. It seems somehow cruel to leave after you've just begun to heal and regain your life."

"Don't worry, Lucas. We can remain in constant contact and see each other as often as possible. You can come home and I can visit you wherever you go."

"Including Boston?"

"I don't see why not. Boston's just another city."

"Thank you, brother."

"Of course. We're family, we support each other no matter what happens and we're always there for each other. Like you were there for me when I needed my heart surgery, and you ended up creating the very device that is keeping me alive." Putting his right hand over his chest Connor felt his heart beating normally under his palm and a strange mixture of conflicting emotions filled his mind. "It's ironic that the woman who helped save my life in the child of another woman who seemed the least likely to have any children, and in turn the life saving procedure has completely diminished my own chances of having children thanks to a side effect of having a synthetic valve grafted into my heart."

"I don't think it's irony, brother. I think it's symbolic of how one person isn't doomed to repeat the sins of the past and affect their future. Dr. Stern didn't follow in her mother's footsteps and she managed to change the world without corporate greed to motivate her. It's just like the way you've refused to be like your biological father, and have chosen to be a kind and compassionate person despite your own dark past."

"...Maybe. That's a truly interesting way to look at things."

Lucas smiled as he and Connor had their heart-to-heart talk and realized that he would be able to come back to his family whenever he wanted to come back home if he did choose to go out to Boston.

From downstairs Hank's voice called out to the two brothers in a loud tone. "Hey, boys? Come down here for a moment!"

Exchanging curious looks the brothers left the bedroom with Sumo and Ruby trailing after them. Walking down the staircase the duo were greeted by the smell of freshly cooked spicy food wafting in heavily in the air and it was beyond inviting for the young detective. Connor of course was famished after being sick for so long and having his appetite wane from being so ill, and suddenly realized exactly how hungry he was.

Lucas remained indifferent as being a deviant meant he didn't need to eat, but he was happy to join his family at the kitchen table to engage in conversation over meals all the same. The act made Lucas feel like a true member of the family, and he didn't mind simply sitting and chatting.

"Hey, boys." Hank showed the brothers the kitchen table filled up with an impressive spread of Mexican food that he and Elizabeth had prepared. "Figured this would be a good way to help you get back some strength after not eating any real food for a few days, Connor."

"Did you make all of this just because of me?"

"Yup. But this time I followed your mother's recipe on the homemade salsa. It's going to replace my old one."

Turning to look at his mother Connor gave her an amused grin. "You cooked together?"

Elizabeth just gave her son a modest shrug of the shoulders. "It's been a while since I had a reason to cook a giant meal. I missed it."

"...Thank you."

The unorthodox family happily gathered at the table; Sumo and Ruby hanging out beneath the table to hope for offered scraps and bits of dropped food, to celebrate Connor's newfound health, Lucas's return home after his own recovery and being able to push aside previously high walls of a guarded nature when it came to getting to know one another. Everything was calm, everyone was safe and it felt like they all finally had the chance to breathe after enduring week after week of hardship.

After the big meal was enjoyed night came around, and the trio escorted Elizabeth to the autonomous cab that Lucas had hailed on her behalf. As she said goodbye to the family, she managed to give Connor a hug, thanked Lucas for saving his brother and hugged him as well, before finally thanking Hank and hugging him, too.

The cab pulled away with Elizabeth inside and Hank put his hand right on Connor's left shoulder. "It was a good idea to invite your mother over to visit."

"...Yeah. It'll be difficult but I think I can have a form of familial relationship with her after all."

"Come on." Pulling on Connor's shoulder, then doing the same with Lucas's right shoulder Hank led his sons back to the house. "You two can help with the dishes and get the kitchen cleaned up. The last thing I want to deal with is Sumo or Ruby trying to lick up any messes during the night."

* * *

The week went by without any problems as Connor recovered comfortably at home, and eagerly got ready to take Ruby for a walk in the morning, then take Sumo out in the afternoon so Hank could go to his shift at the precinct without worrying about being exhausted from the walk. Leaving early in the morning Connor happily took Ruby for a walk to the dog park and returned home in time to see Hank slowly fumbling about the kitchen sipping at his cup of coffee to wake up quickly.

Walking through the front door with Ruby draped around his neck and shoulders like a scarf Connor greeted Hank in the kitchen after laying the exhausted bloodhound down over the couch to rest. "Good morning."

"Yeah, g'morning." Shuffling into the livingroom while sipping at his coffee he motioned to the overgrown puppy on the couch and sighed. "Uh, why's Ruby acting like Sumo?"

"I took her for a walk at the park, and then I decided to go for a jog."

"Whoa, whoa... You walked and jogged so much you wore out a _puppy_?"

"...Yeah. I guess I did."

"Yup. You're definitely feeling better. Did you get winded or anything during your workout?"

"No. I didn't have any problems." Connor smirked proudly as he realized he hadn't had any breathing problems during his morning exercise. "I think it's safe to say I'm in the process of making a full recovery. Looking down at Ruby who was laying on her side on the couch panting loudly Connor ran his hand down her side affectionately. "I plan on taking Sumo for a walk this afternoon."

"Do me a favor, son. DON'T jog with Sumo." Finishing his coffee Hank gave the energetic young man a stern glance. "You may be stronger now, but I don't think you can heft two hundred pounds of Saint Bernard around your shoulders like you can with Ruby."

"I won't. I'll just take him to the park to play fetch for a while, I won't push him too far."

"Don't push yourself, either."

"I'm fine. I won't do anything reckless. Besides," nodding at the front window Connor watched the harsh wind blowing through the newly budding leaves on the trees outside. "it's still a little too cold to be outside for too long."

"It'll warm up in about a month. Then you can mess around with the pool in the backyard."

"Sounds good to me."

"Now, I need to get ready for work. Lucas has a shift today, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, but I'll be okay by myself." Putting his right hand over his chest he gave Hank a reassuring stare. "My heart is just fine, and so I am."

* * *

Keeping to his personal schedule for the rest of the day Connor took Sumo for a walk at the local dog park while Ruby stayed home, and took a well earned nap. Connor then returned home after almost and hour and a half as the cold weather made it difficult to stay outside for too long. Sumo was exhausted too, but not completely worn out like the way Ruby was. Sympathetic to the old dog's lack of energy Connor brought Sumo home and unclipped him from his leash with a faint smirk on his face.

"I'll get you both some fresh water." Taking no less than two steps into the kitchen a knock on the front door pulled Connor's attention away from the dogs, but not before putting the two massive bowls of water on the floor for the two dogs to drink. "I wasn't expecting a guest."

Crossing back into the living quickly the young detective made his way to the front door in just a few even strides. Opening the front door Connor was surprised to see Markus standing on the other side of the door with an amused grin on his face, but greeted him happily all the same. "Markus! Hi."

"Hey, Connor." The deviant leader looked relieved to see Connor in person, and his mismatched eyes lit up with enthusiam. "Lucas told us everything that was happening at the hospital," stepping inside the house as Connor moved back to make room Markus looked at his friend and was beyond happy to see him in perfect health once more. "and he told us you'll be back at the precinct in two weeks. I'm glad to see you back on your feet and in good health again."

"Yeah, I was finally allowed to get up and move around today. I missed taking the dogs on their walks."

"I also know about your groundbreaking new procedure. How does it feel to have a piece of biocomponent inside of your heart?"

"Honestly, I don't feel all that different. I still feel like me and yet, somehow I feel more normal that I ever have."

"So you're not going to be limited in any way when you return to the precinct?"

"No, I'll be able to keep working just as I always have. I'm in the process of a total recovery."

"That's great to hear. I'd hate to lose an ally like you in the precinct."

The way Markus's toned dipped down told Connor that something else was on his mind. "...Is something wrong?"

"Maybe." Wringing his hands together nervously Markus gave Connor an honest and unsettling answer. "The night of the Revolution, before you made it to Jericho, North had met a deviant who had hijacked a truck carrying irradiated cobalt and rigged the truck to explode with a remote detonator. She talked him out of nuking the city and took the remote, and then I took it from her. No one was injured, I disabled the detonator and the truck was located a few days later after the city was deemed safe for humans to return to the city."

"But something else has happened?"

"Yeah. The deviant who hijacked the truck wasn't exactly thrilled that the Revolution ended as peacefully as it did."

"Are they a threat to anyone?"

"...I think so."

"Name?"

"He was a 'CM-600' model; he used to work construction and went under the name 'Damien'."

"Where is Damien now?"

"He left New Jericho six months after the night of the Revolution. He kept his distance for the most part, but a few deviants were keeping tabs on him. He often stays in a motel room on the outskirts of the city, and keeps to himself."

"Why is Damien a threat to us after all this time?"

"Word has it he's been working with 'red ice' dealers to poison humans, but no one has been able to prove anything one way or another."

"I see... I'll look into the 'red ice' dealers we've previously arrested. Do you know when his work with the dealers supposedly began?"

"Eight weeks ago."

"Alright. I promise once I'm able to do so I'll look into Damien's activity and see if I can figure out if he's actually connected to any illegal activities."

"Thanks. I don't want anyone at New Jericho knowing that one of our own people might be trying to help flood the streets with drugs. As you know deviants have been harmed by 'red ice' just as much as humans."

"Yeah. Granted the humans overdosed, ended up in jail and lost everything they held of value, the deviants were beaten without mercy and irreparably shutdown as a result of their manic highs and desperation for money. You know what's interesting?" Connor gave Markus a pained look. "Despite all my time as a detective and all the cases I've handled I still don't understand why people willingly use such a lethal drug, let alone try it."

"Me neither. And if you, Carl and Hank are all passionately against using 'red ice', you three being humans with opinions I greatly respect, then I know there's a damn good reason to avoid it at all costs."

"...Yeah." Looking about the house as if seeking a distraction Connor motioned to the back sliding doors in the kitchen with a thumb pointed over his left shoulder. A cheerier change in subject was sorely needed. "Did you get to see the layout of the new house? Now we have a pool."

"A pool? Even Carl didn't have a pool."

"You're more than welcome to hide out here and use the pool if you need to get away from work for a while. Part of the reason Hank put down a bid on the house was because of the extra space and the pool itself." The two friends walked through the kitchen and into the backyard, where Sumo and Ruby promptly followed after them to stretch out in the cool grass. "I think now more than ever Hank wants to emphasize the importance of finding a way to relax."

"Hank was always a smart man."

"Once it warms up I'll spend most of the summer right here."

"Not traveling?"

"No, not yet." Connor confirmed as he crouched down and rubbed Sumo's chin affectionately. The massive Saint Bernard had dropped a stick at Connor's feet despite already playing fetch earlier that day. "I want to stay with my family for a while before I explore the rest of the world."

Markus reached his right hand down to pet Sumo's ears and was promptly met with a paw from Ruby. "I can understand that." Shaking Ruby's paw with his left hand Markus continued to talk with his friend. "As soon as the tower is calm enough to give us time away North and I want to have our bonding ceremony."

"...You passed the bill."

"Yeah, it went through!" The deviant leader beamed proudly. "I didn't have to fight that hard, either."

"That's some very good news! I'm glad you and North can be together and have legal rights in the process."

"Thank you. We'll be moving into Carl's house as a means of escaping work from the tower every so often. Hopefully it won't be too quiet out there."

"Why not get a pet?"

"We considered it since there's a lot of animals in need, too. But I don't want to risk getting rejected by a shelter for being an android."

"I don't think a shelter would deny you the chance to give an animal a good home."

"Maybe, but I don't want to risk accidentally causing another debate about android rights in the process."

"I understand that entirely." Standing upright again Connor just sort of his shrugged his shoulders dismissively at the topic. "You're welcome to stop by and play with Sumo and Ruby anytime you like."

"I'll remember that." Laughing at the offer Markus just shook his head and gave his friend an amused look. "Everyone needs to have a safe place to hide out every now and then, and everyone needs a good friend to rely on. Like you."

"Thanks, Markus. The feeling is mutual."

* * *

During his final week of recovery Connor found himself unusually nervous about his return to the precinct to resume his career. Standing in the second floor bathroom he pulled up his black t-shirt to expose his chest where the white bandage covering the healed incision over his chest still resided. It was the last day where he'd need the bandage to keep the incision clean, and yet he was having a hard time removing the bandage for the final time. As his right fingers hovered over the top of the bandage Connor imagined himself peeling it down to check the incision just as he had done three times a day for the past two weeks, yet now he was hesitant to see the incision at all.

Hesitant to see the _scar_.

"Connor?" Lucas had noticed his brother was standing in the bathroom and had been doing so for almost ten minutes. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You've been in here for nine minutes and twenty-three seconds without moving."

"Oh, sorry."

Taking notice of the bandage over Connor's chest Lucas ran another scan and was pleased to see that the replacement valve was holding strong, and that there was no sign of an infection in the incision. "Is something on your mind?"

"I'm a little anxious." He admitted as he looked at the bandage in the reflection of the mirror again. "I won't require the bandage anymore, but I can still see the incision as vividly as if I had just left the operating room. It's... permanent."

"That's right. Human skin scars whereas android skin almost always heals, and repairs itself."

"Scars aren't something new for me. I still have pale but visible scars after enduring my abusive childhood, not to mention the still fading scars on my shoulder and abdomen courtesy of the two bullet wounds, and previous surgeries as well. There's just something about _this_ scar that is unsettling."

"Because it's above your heart."

"...Maybe."

"Scarred or not you're still here and you're healthy. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah. You're right." Peeling down the bandage Connor looked at the pale pink scar on his chest and stared at it. It was surprisingly thin and barely four inches in length. Sitting just to the left of his sternum the scar wouldn't be noticed immediately by anyone looking at his bare chest, but it was still very much present; if not distracting, when it came to Connor's own eyes. "...It'll continue to fade in time." Connor stated as he rubbed his right fingertips over the scar lightly. "And it's under my shirt."

"That's right. No one will see it or think anything about you regarding its presence."

"I'll need to get used to it myself. I know that'll happen in time, too."

"You seem melancholy. Would you like me to postpone my shift to stay here with you until Hank returns?"

"I'm fine, Lucas. Also, two days ago I promised Skye that I'd help her with her new security protocols at the tower. I won't be alone for very long once she arrives."

"I was unaware that you and Skye communicate with one another."

Connor tried but failed to hide his rosy blush as he stopped fussing with his scar and replaced his shirt. "Yes. She is a good friend to me. I understand you and Chloe have become quite close after spending so much time together as well."

Lucas too blushed a pale blue in response to the comment. "...Y-Yes. I find her company rather pleasing."

"Good." Opting out of the somewhat uncomfortable conversation Connor stepped out of the bathroom and made his way down the staircase back into the livingroom to await his guest. "I'm glad you've made a friend outside of the tower. I'm hoping to continue to do so myself."

"Yes." Lucas continued to blush as he followed Connor downstairs and proceeded to slip on his white jacket before opening the front door. "...Friends."

"I'll stay home and work with Skye," Connor announced as he took a book from the shelf and settled down on the couch to read for a while. "and I won't push myself physically for the remainder of the day. I think it's safe to say I regained my strength during my recovery, and no longer need to worry about exercising as often."

"Right. I'll return home tonight when my shift ends this evening."

"See you, later."

Getting lost in his book, '_The Hound of the Baskervilles_', Connor was joined by his own hound as Ruby jumped up on the couch to lay next to Connor for the afternoon. She had no choice since Sumo had taken up the entirety of the pillow on the floor, and was fast asleep in the corner.

"Maybe you should have your own pillow." Rubbing Ruby's ears with his right hand Connor observed the massive Saint Bernard laying on his side and snoring gently. "I don't think you two can share a single pillow anymore."

A knock at the front door caused Connor to look away from the dogs and close his book. Getting up from the couch he opened the door and warmly greeted Skye as she arrived just as she said she would. "Hello, Skye."

"Hi, Connor." Her hazel eyes lit up as she looked at Connor and stepped inside the house. Looking about the spacious livingroom and the two dogs laying around she smiled warmly, and handed Connor the tablet screen she had brought with her from the tower. "Looks like you really made your new house a home. Even your dogs are completely relaxed."

"Sumo is older and naps often," Connor awkwardly explained as he took the tablet and looked at the data files Skye had loaded into its memory. "and Ruby is rather fond of me, and has always been very mild mannered."

"I wish we could have pets at the tower." Skye commented as she reached her right hand over the back of the couch to let Ruby sniff her hand before she rubbed the large puppy's ears. Moving around the couch she knelt down on the ground and began to lightly pet Sumo's side causing the massive dog's tail to thump rhythmically on the floor. "They seem like their the perfect company to have after working all day."

"Yeah, Markus had something similar when we meet last week."

"Well, he's the leader for a reason."

Smirking at the rply Connor sat down on the couch beside Ruby and began looking over the files as Skye sat down beside him. "It looks like you've set up facial recognition programs to keep track of human visitors, and altered the program to do the same for deviants. If I'm reading this code correctly," his knowledge of code was transferred between his deviancy and his humanity but his speed with comprehension slowed considerably. "you're going to try to isolate a deviant's serial number as marked on the left facial plate just below the ocular plate."

"That's right. I figured it'd be the best way to keep dangerous deviants under surveillance without having them branded or even isolated. One crime doesn't necessarily make them a criminal for life. And any deviant that doesn't have their serial number will be investigated to ensure that they weren't trying to elude the authorities after committing a crime."

Appreciative of Skye's open mindedness Connor continued to read over the codes. "This is very advanced coding and it'll take some time to compile. Do you think you can get the program to work accurately?"

"With enough time, no doubt."

Giving the tablet back to Skye with a swift motion Connor stared at the kind deviant's face and watched her L.E.D. cycling a calm blue in her right temple. "I'm glad you made it safely back to the city from Canada. You're doing great work to help all of the refugees seeking shelter at the tower."

"And I'm glad you're feeling better."

"...What?"

"O-Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She felt her face blush a pale blue as she realized she said something Connor wasn't expecting. "It's just a few weeks ago I asked Markus if he knew when you were going to visit the tower and he told me you were very sick."

"...Oh."

"I'm sorry if it sounded like-"

"No, no." Putting his right hand over the scar on his chest Connor gave the embarrassed deviant a calm response. "I understand. I was gone for a long time."

"...He didn't tell anyone how sick you were. I know of your heart condition only because I was with you at the facility when you sought a third opinion."

Tilting his head a little Connor decided to own up to his previously poor health and let her know what had happened. "I know Markus wouldn't betray my confidence, but think you should know the truth for the sake of being able to trust me. Sixteen days ago I had... I had undergone heart surgery to correct my narrowed mitral valve. It was the only way to recover."

"You... _what_?" Putting aside the tablet Skye focused entirely on Connor and her blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow. "...You had heart _surgery_?"

"Yes. I was born with a narrowed mitral heart valve and it made its presence known over the past few months. I had surgery to have replacement valve implanted in the valve to correct the defect; the three confirmations were accurate. Lucas," he admitted with a proud smile on his face. "is the one who designed the new valve that saved my life."

"You're okay, right?"

"Yes. I'm currently in the process of making a full recovery. One more week and I'll be back at the precinct."

"I... I'm so sorry you went through that! I can't imagine how scary that must've been."

"It was, but my family helped me through it."

Putting her left hand on top of his right hand she looked Connor in the eyes as her L.E.D. remained a steady amber yellow. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Blushing a little more as her hand touched his Connor remained honest and didn't shy away from the subject. "I just have a scar to deal with."

"...Scar?"

His left hand went over his chest and pressed down somewhat protectively. "...Nothing serious."

"Connor, you had _heart surgery_. You may have recovered but it is still serious."

"It's over now. I can finally move on."

Moving her right hand to rest on top his left hand over his chest she pressed down lightly. "Does it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"Your chest." She pressed a little firmer against his hand as his palm rested over his scarred chest. "You seem like you're in pain."

"Oh. No. I'm just getting used to the... uh, the scar. I can feel it."

"...What's it like?"

"To have a scar? It's like..." The question was a little unexpected but logical all the same. "It's like having... No, it's like seeing an imperfection on your skin that you want your self-healing program to correct, but it can't seem to do. You know you're not in danger and that you've healed, and yet seeing the scar, a reminder of your injury, you can't help but think about it. A reminder of how close to death you came, and how limited you really are in this life. I guess I having a scar is... humbling."

"Personally I always saw scars as a type of badge of honor."

"Huh? How's that?"

"A scar tells a story. It shows that as a person, human or even deviant, you're living and experiencing new things. And every new experience makes you stronger than you had previously been. You shouldn't think of it as being humbled, you should think of it as proof that you can reach your limits and keep moving forward."

Connor thought about her words as he kept his hand in place against his chest. "That is a very positive way to look at this event, and the subsequent scar it left behind."

"This might be a strange question, but... Can I see it?"

"My scar?"

"I have my own scars." Skye admitted as she pulled her hand back from Connor's right hand and put her palm on her left shoulder and held it there. "The day I escaped that serial android killer in Canada the cabin he was holding me and the other deviants hostage in burned down. I was burned escaping the fire, and it warped part of my plastimetal frame. Simon repaired most of the damage once I got to the tower. You can't see anything and you can't feel anything, but _I_ can. I can't explain it but I can feel it."

Gently Connor lifted up his right hand and put it over hers as he watched the sadness form on her face. "Some things don't need an explanation, Skye."

Skye gave Connor an odd look as he dropped his left hand from his chest and proceeded to slowly pull up his black t-shirt by the hem to show Skye the new scar on his chest. She stared at it almost in awe as if the idea of a human suffering any injury of malformation of the heart would make it impossible to live, and yet Connor was sitting beside her alive and well.

"...That's incredible." With a timid right hand she gently pressed her fingertips to his scar and held it there. In doing so she felt how much soft his organic skin was, and how it felt so similar to artificial skin. She could also the steady beating of his repaired heart. "You survived your heart being damaged. Even the strongest of deviants can't say that."

"You escaped from an actual Hell not once, but_ twice_. Even the strongest of _humans_ can't say that."

"...What about you?" Her yellow L.E.D. transitioned to red as she studied Connor's sad eyes. "I can see it in your eyes that you know what it's like to walk through Hell, and come out on the other side."

"...It's a long story."

"I'm willing to listen. That is, if you want me to stay a while longer."

"I'd... I'd love for you to stay longer." Putting his right hand on hers as she pressed her palm down over his scar he began to blush again. "Will you... stay with me? I enjoy your company."

"I would love to stay."

The two just stared at each other for a moment longer as Skye's L.E.D. cycled back from red to yellow, and finally to blue. Leaning in a little closer to Connor with a shy presence Skye dared to lightly give him a kiss on the lips, which Connor returned in the same gentle manner. As Skye pressed up closer to Connor and rested her right ear against his chest he wrapped his arms around her to give her a hug.

"Then stay. ...Stay as long as you want."

* * *

Dedicated to his responsibilities Lucas busied himself at New Jericho Tower and proceeded to help Simon in finding a way to balance out the responsibility of being the tower's lone technician for the next three to six months during his absence. He was preparing to temporarily move out to Boston to help Kamski's project get off the ground, and even though Simon was skilled and had more experience than Lucas, he didn't have an entire tower of refugees to take care of and that wouldn't be an easy feat to handle alone.

"I know that Dr. Abby Grayson will assist you in any way if you require any additional aid."

"I appreciate you taking all these extra steps Lucas," Simon just gave the empathetic technician a simple nod of the head as he watched Lucas checking the final parameters of the diagnostic equipment in the emergency repair to ensure everything was properly adjusted and ready for use. "but I think I can handle it for a while. Remember,_ I_ trained _you_."

"Right, of course. Sorry."

"Everything will be fine. Go do what you need to do in Boston to help our people and keep in touch."

"I will. I'll chronicle my progress and send updates back to the tower to ensure New Jericho has every detail on record."

"Lucas, you won't be leaving for another three weeks. Why are you so worried?"

"...I guess I just want to be safe."

"You don't want to go, do you?"

"Actually, I do." The admission wasn't entirely unexpected, just heavier than anticipated. "I want to go to new places and help our people, but I don't want to leave my family. We've been through so much this year and I don't want to leave now that Connor is strong enough to continue his career without us worrying about his health."

"You're not leaving forever. Just for a few months and then you'll come back to Detroit to reunite with your family."

Crossing his arms over his chest Lucas gave Simon a slight shake of his head. "That doesn't mean the wait to return home will be easy to deal with."

* * *

Finally able to relax Connor felt completely at ease as he laid on his back in his bed with Skye laying on her side right and cuddled up beside him, with the sheet of the bed draped over them lightly. She was resting her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating steadily, as he wrapped his left arm around her shoulder he began softly rubbing his thumb over her shoulder where her invisible scar resided. Simply laying together on the bed made the two (now very good) friends feel entirely calm, and like at long last the world stopped racing around them so quickly.

"...Your heart sounds perfect to me."

"I'm glad it's still beating at all."

Shifting her gaze upward she studied Connor's face and smiled as she gave a soft kiss to the scar on his chest. "So am I."

"And I'm glad you decided to stay with me."

Parroting her previous answer she gave him a kind smile. "So am I. That was an amazing moment to share..."

"Yeah... It's nice to just be with someone I can be entirely relaxed with." Rubbing Skye's shoulder slowly Connor truly enjoyed having Skye in his life. "Hard to believe in a few more days I'll be able to return to being a detective as if nothing had happened."

"You're a detective now," she mentioned casually as she just listened to the beating of his heart in his healing chest. "but before you ended up in your coma and became a deviant, you were a paramedic. Why'd you change your career?"

"I realized that I preferred working as a detective than as a medic. It was more... intellectually stimulating." Making a slightly annoyed face as his own comment Connor sighed and tagged on another thought. "I hope that didn't sound arrogant."

"No, I think I get it. I know what it's like to want to do something else with your life instead of just doing what other people expect of you."

"Before you were taken to the 'Eden Club' did you have any different programming?"

"No. I was completely blank when I was purchased and everything that I was came from what the owners of the club wanted me to be."

"Now you're working to protect our people in New Jericho Tower." His arm tightened around her as he held her in a supportive hug closer to his chest. "Is that what you really want to do?"

"I like helping people, I like protecting them. But I could never be a detective, a paramedic or a doctor."

"Why not?"

"I can't explain it, but it's like the very idea just screams 'error ' in my head, even without the error message."

"Maybe you could be a caretaker like the way Markus and Simon had been before the Revolution. Or maybe even a scholarly lecturer like Josh had been. You could counsel victims of abuse and help them move on and learn to live again."

"No. I think my hesitation with taking such a role comes from, well, people."

"I get it. Humans can be abrasive."

"No!" Skye laughed as she snuggled in closer to Connor's side. "I mean, I think I prefer the company of _children_ more than adults. I should've been more specific."

"...Children?"

"When I was hiding out in Canada a very kind man, Curtis Chapman, who had a wife and young son who came home from school every day at four in the afternoon. His son was the sweetest little boy, maybe seven years old, and everyday he wanted to spend time with me and the other deviants while we recovered enough to make it back across the border. He didn't see me or the other deviants as anything less than a person, and he was just so fascinated by the world around him. If I had the chance to redo my programming and be a completely different android I'd choose to be a caretaker specifically for _children_. Like working at a daycare, maybe even an elementary school teacher."

"That sounds perfect for you. You're very gentle, understanding, and very protective. You'd be the perfect guardian for children."

"What about you?"

"Huh? What about me?"

"Children."

"O-Oh... Uh, it's..." Connor paled and blushed a little at the question. "It's complicated."

"Because of your traumatic childhood. I'm so sorry, that was too private of a question to ask."

"No, it's okay. It's just... I don't think I'd be the right person to father children. I have no experience in raising kids, I didn't have a father who could show me how it was done as I grew up, and I honestly don't remember what it's like to be a child. I think having pets is as close to raising kids as I can get."

"I wouldn't count yourself out just yet. I think you'd be a great father."

Being told the same thing over and over again by people whose opinions he truly respected began to make Connor rethink his previous decisions regarding remaining childless. "...How's that?"

"Well, you're very gentle, understanding, and very protective..." She repeated Connor's words about herself verbatim to him. "and you're incredibly patient. You shouldn't assume that you wouldn't be a good father because your own wasn't... well... great." Lifting her head up she gave him a sweet glance as she searched through his soulful brown eyes for answers. "Not to mention you have Hank showing you what it's like to have a good dad. Instead of worrying about your biological father you should focus on what your adoptive father, _your real dad_, has taught you."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Well, nothing worth having comes easy. I think that's the biggest lesson deviancy has taught me." Tracing her left fingertip over Connor's scar she smiled and gave him a warm smile. "I think it'd be worth having kids some day. Ideally two."

Grinning at the idea he gave Skye an amused glance. "One of each, right?"

"Something like that. Androids have been able to play surrogate for humans for almost sixteen years now, so why can't androids use the same updates and biocomponents to just have kids of their own?"

"I think it's the bigots who still see androids as property and not people that are holding that kind of progress back."

"Not for much longer."

"Huh?"

"There's a rumor that because so many deviants have been working with law enforcement and finding elusive criminals on the streets that the mayor wants to give deviants more rights toward the foster care program and adoption. The fact that deviants have proven reliable protectors and guardians has really struck a chord with City Hall. Besides, I think the mayor wants to gain favor with the deviant community by giving us more rights, and that might the best way to gain deviant votes."

"...So what you're saying is one day, after the laws pass in our people's favor, you'd like to have kids?"

"I'd love to have kids!" She gave Connor a sincerely warm smile as she locked her hazel eyes onto his brown eyes. Hearing Connor still refer to deviants as his own people just made her eyes even brighter. "I love that you have a family, Connor. I'd love to have one, too. It seems so wonderful to have someone to come home to each night and spend life with."

"You _do_ have a family." Connor reminded her in a very compassionate tone. "New Jericho."

"I know that, but as much as I love my family at New Jericho that just doesn't feel like a _real_ family. North has been like a sister to me ever since we deviated at the 'Eden Club', but even so I don't feel as close to her as I do with... you."

Connor tightened his hug around Skye yet again as they cuddled together on the bed. "You want to have a family to call your own. Not just a friendship."

"Yeah. I do. I'd love to have a family of my own to take care of instead of just running security at New Jericho Tower, and chatting about business. I think that'd be amazing."

"You're right. Having a family is amazing." He admitted as he thought about Hank gave him a home, a friend and now father to look up to, and how he did the same for Lucas and took him in as his little brother. Letting out a somewhat relieved sigh Connor noted the time on the watch sitting on the nightstand and realized it was beginning to get late into the afternoon, almost evening. "...Think we should finish checking those files you brought over?"

"It's a work in progress." Skye grinned as she pulled the sheet up tighter around them both before giving Connor another kiss on his lips. Her L.E.D. continued to cycle a calm blue as she stayed completely content in Connor's presence. "Maybe next time you can go to the tower so we can find more files to go through."

"I'd like that." Sitting up slowly on the bed Connor reclaimed his glasses from the nightstand and put them back over his eyes. "It's more _private_ that way."

"I guess that is the downside to having roommates, or in your case, sharing the same house as your family. Privacy can be limited."

"Sometimes, but not often."

Sitting up beside Connor on the bed Skye reached her hand over to the nightstand where Connor's glasses had been and reclaimed her lavender purple blouse to cover herself back up. "I'll get dressed so we can finish checking the files, and no one will be any wiser."

"I love your discretion." Connor teased as he picked up his own clothes from beside the bed and wrapped himself up in the sheet as Skye slipped on her own clothes. "I just need to shower off."

"...Want some company?" She called out playfully as he slipped out of the bedroom door and into the bathroom just down the hallway.

Not at all shy about accepting the invitation Connor responded to Skye rather enthusiastically. "Always!"

* * *

After another hour or so of actually working on the security protocols in the livingroom with Sumo and Ruby sprawled out over Connor and Skye's laps the duo finished their personal assignment, and found every possible flaw in the code to be worked out before the new protocol was implemented in the tower. It was an interesting afternoon to say the least, but productive all the same. It was as if the two friends had known each other for years, not months, and were entirely comfortable around one another. It made work much easier to accomplish.

"Thank you for everything, Connor." Skye smiled warmly as she opened the front door and made her way to the street where her autonomous cab was waiting for her to drive her back to New Jericho Tower. "I'll see you soon, right?"

"Of course." Showing her to the cab Connor gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she gave him a kiss on his right cheek. "I'll see you as soon as I can."

"See you soon."

Connor watched as the cab pulled away with a grin on his face before he returned to the house and proceeded to clean up the house a little bit before heading into the kitchen to make dinner. Feeling full of energy and in an upbeat mood Connor decided to try a new recipe for a change and didn't even notice when Hank walked in through the front door after finishing his shift at six o'clock that evening.

"Hey, kid."

"Hi." Connor acknowledged his adoptive father's return as he stood in front of the stove. "I'm going to try something new tonight."

"Uh-huh. How was your day?"

"Fine. I was able to assist Skye with her security protocol this afternoon."

Noticing that the laundry room door was open and that the washer was running Hank knew he missed something interesting. "...And did you do anything else while I was gone?"

"What?"

"Connor, I'm not dense." Giving his adopted son a knowing glance he nodded in the direction of the laundry room. "You're doing laundry despite the laundry being taken care of yesterday," he approached Connor and picked up a damp lock of his hair between his fingertips. "you just showered, you're in one hell of a good mood, AND you can't look me in the eye."

Blushing a bright red Connor visibly tensed and turned away from the stove as he forced himself to look at Hank. "...I, uh. It just... happened."

"Relax, son. You're an adult and you're free to do what you want in your own home."

"Then why did, uh..."

"I just wanted to see how you'd react." He replied with a cheesy grin as she shrugged off his coat and laughed slightly to himself as he made his way down the hallway to shower off in the downstairs bathroom.

Sumo and Ruby were sitting in the kitchen and begging after smelling the freshly cooking meal on the stove and wagged their tails as Connor looked down at them.

The blush was beginning to fade from his face and let out a sigh of relief. "...Sometimes I hate living with another detective."

* * *

Right on time Lucas returned home a few hours after Hank, and proceeded to explain to his family how he'd be taking his leave of Detroit for a few months with the prospect of helping other deviants as his primary goal while in Boston. It wasn't the most pleasant conversation he had with his father and brother at the dinner table, but it was one met with respect and understanding as his family supported his decision.

"You're certain you want to do this?" Connor asked as he followed his brother into the livingroom sat beside Lucas on the couch. Passing his brother a bottle of fresh Thirium Connor wanted to gauge Lucas's reaction without pressing him too hard. "Boston is very far away."

Nodding Lucas accepted the Thirium and answered with a steady voice. "It's seven-hundred and six point five miles away to be exact. Approximately eleven hours and six minutes."

"Will you be alone while you're out there?"

"No. Elijah has assured me that Chloe will join me, and that he'll have us safe inside of a large private residence just outside of the city to prevent any unwanted attention or intrusions from the locals. We don't know how they'll react to an android facility being opened up downtown."

"When will you return?"

"Three months minimum, six months maximum."

"And you're doing this because you want to, right? You're not doing it because you somehow feel indebted to Kamski, but because you_ want_ to."

"Yes. I'm do not feel obligated to do this on Elijah's behest, I'm doing this because I want to help our people."

"Will you take your truck or fly out?"

"I'll drive." Lucas confirmed with a confident gleam in his eyes. "That way I will remain fully in control of my ability to move about the city and can return home whenever I'm ready to do so."

"That's good. I don't want you to feel stranded while living so far away."

Hank agreed with the sentiment as he listened to the brothers discussing the situation from the kitchen. "If you think you're in any danger or just plain want to come back home then you get in that truck and come back here as soon as you can. I don't care what Kamski is doing." Holding up a hand as if to quiet a response before it happened Hank continued on as he too entered the livingroom. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for Kamski helping both of you out when you two needed it the most, but he's still just a corporate weasel in my mind and I don't trust him."

Lucas understood and sympathized with Hank. "Don't worry, I know better than to just take his word at face value. Like any other person in this world his trust must be earned, not simply taken at face value."

"You're damn straight."

"Until then I will resume my normal routine at the tower."

"That's good."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as thought about his little brother being so far away and how lonely it would be for both of them, but he also knew it was entirely Lucas's choice. "I'll be resuming my own routine shortly thereafter. We must put time aside to spend together as a family before you leave."

"I agree." Lucas smiled as the very idea of spending one final night with his family made him feel happy. "I want to spend time with the family as much as possible before I go."

With that Hank nodded in total agreement and chimed in as well. "And we will. Until then, shut up and watch the game." Turning up the volume on the television as he sat down in the recliner Hank motioned to the basketball game on the screen and kicked back in the chair. "It's the first game with the Gears, and I have feeling this year will be our year."

* * *

The day that Connor was cleared to return to the precinct came at long last, and the young detective was standing in his bedroom before the full length mirror in his closet as he slipped on his white dress shirt and buttoned it up over his fading scar over his chest. Ever since he spoke with Skye he was no longer self conscious about the scar, and didn't give it a second glance as the final buttons were closed over the scar to hide it from prying eyes, and was no longer a constant thought in his the back of his head.

As he draped his black tie around his neck Sumo trotted into the bedroom and dropped his green fetch ball at Connor's feet expectantly.

"Sorry, boy." Noticing the toy on the floor Connor gave the dog a kind apology. "We'll play later."

Lucas stood in the opened bedroom doorway and watched as Sumo stared at Connor with his big brown eyes. "I think you accidentally spoiled him with your extended time off."

"Maybe. All I did was play with him more often and took him on his walks again."

"I'll be sure to keep up his walks before I leave. I doubt I'll have the time to take care of a pet while away in another city."

Connor's brow arched a little as he tightened the knot on his tie then slipped on his gray suit jacket. "It's strange. You, Markus and Skye have all noted that it's difficult for deviants to have pets for one reason or another. Maybe New Jericho could also open up an animal shelter to help keep strays off the streets and keep them healthy."

"That's an interesting idea. I'll ask Markus about it when I go to the tower tomorrow afternoon."

"If it comes to fruition the idea of deviants helping animals might bring some form of comfort to humans who aren't convinced deviants are conscious and capable of understanding the fragility of life."

"You could be right."

Dressed and ready for his shift Connor pet Sumo's ears and proceeded to walk through the doorway with Lucas and Sumo, who reclaimed his fetch ball, and followed the brothers down the staircase. Hank was in the kitchen making breakfast and had Ruby hanging out under the kitchen table watching his every move very carefully hoping for a small scrap to come her way.

"You ready to go back to the precinct?" The senior detective asked without even having to look over his shoulder at his two sons.

"Yes." The confident tone of Connor's voice was palpable as he spoke. "I'm ready."

"Good. There's a few extra cases coming our way because that deviant program you two," he motioned to the brothers as he turned around and put the two full breakfast plates down on the kitchen table for himself and Connor. "had started up led to _a lot_ of drug dealers with warrants getting hauled in for questioning. I'm the 'red ice' expert and there's too many asshole to be interrogated by the other officers."

"Captain Fowler resumed the program?" Sitting down at the table Connor was completely stunned at the revelation. Picking up his fork Connor lightly poked at the offered omelette and began to eat. "That program almost... You know. Failed."

"But it wasn't the program that was at fault, son. It was Perkins who went out of his way to try and hurt both of you. While you were gone," picking up his fork he fussed with his scrambled eggs as he sat down across from his young son and gave both Connor and Lucas a stern glance. "Fowler looked over the number of reported witness statements regarding wanted criminals and found that the numbers dropped after the program stopped. So, he reinstated it with other deviant volunteers and the numbers of positive identification went right back up."

The request that Markus had given him three weeks prior began echoing in Connor's head. "...Anyone we know?"

"Easy, son. After what happened Fowler had more precautions set up regarding the deviant volunteers. No leaving the vehicle when outside the precinct, for one. And another, the officers in charge of the patrol can't leave either. And to make sure there aren't any other problems," finishing off his breakfast he watched as Connor did the same before he put his empty plate in the sink. "only other officers who are completely deviant tolerant are allowed to go on patrol."

"That's a good policy."

"Know what's even better?"

"What's that?"

"Us arriving on time. I was a few minutes late a couple days while you were recovering, so I'd like to NOT to have to work late into the evening to make up my lost time again."

Smirking at the comment Connor agreed to head out to the precinct. "Right. No problem."

Lucas proceeded to take the drool covered ball from Sumo's mouth and toss it into the livingroom while his father and brother went to clock in for their shifts for the day. "I'll be sure to give Sumo and Ruby a lot of attention while you're gone."

"I'm sure they'll be fine without me for a few hours." The young detective joked as Hank picked up the car keys from the bookshelf, and followed after the senior detective to pass through the front door. "See you later tonight, Lucas."

* * *

Walking through the front doors of the precinct with his head held high Connor marched into Captain Fowler's office to inform his commanding officer of his successful recovery, and eagerness to return to the precinct. After exchanging a few words and shaking Captain Fowler's hand Connor rejoined Hank in the bullpen and sat down behind his desk to turn on his terminal, and clock-in for the first time in over three weeks of being absent. The younger detective's side of the desk was littered with 'Get Well Soon' cards, a single deflated blue balloon and half a dozen small pots of flowers that Tina had taken the liberty of tending to while he was gone.

Recognizing the handwriting of one of the cards as his mother;s Connor smirked and placed it in the drawer with the other cards she had given him over the past few months. "It feels like I've been gone for over a year."

"Nah," Hank countered as he turned on his terminal and gave his younger partner a knowing glace. "just under a month. Trust me, after today it'll feel like you never left."

"You sound so certain."

"I've been out for my own injuries in the past. Trust me on this, once you start helping me sift through these case files you're going to want to go back to hiding out at home."

"Think we should work overtime?"

"Fuck no."

"...Think we should do something for Lucas? Like a type of going away party."

"You seem like an introverted non-party person, are you sure you want to do that?"

"I want to make sure Lucas knows how much we're going to miss him. I'd be willing to push through my discomfort for him so he knows how important he is to us."

"He knows, son." Smirking at Connor's demeanor Hank confirmed that the deviant was aware of how much he meant to the people in his life. "He already knows."

* * *

Throughout the first week of his return Connor managed to catch up on his missed cases, and began looking into the deviant known as "Damien" as per Markus's request, and was attempting to locate him before the possibly dangerous deviant could do anything potentially harmful to the city. While working on his laptop in his bedroom Hank was working in the study to form a quick going-away party with the leaders of New Jericho Tower to bid Lucas farewell the following day.

Being discreet about the plan Connor managed to keep everything entirely secret until the day of the party. Meeting Hank downstairs Connor told him that everything was ready at the tower via Skye sending him a text message and that they needed to head out.

"I still can't believe you, a shy introvert of all people, found a way to plan a party." Hank closed his laptop and got up to drive to the tower with Connor alongside him. Hank only had to do a fraction of planning thanks to Connor's dedication to helping his brother feel loved. "I'm proud of ya'."

"Proud? It's just a party."

"Yeah, it may be 'just a party', but you're pushing yourself to do something you're not fully comfortable with for the sake of your brother. That's something worthy of pride."

"I suppose it is. But I personally don't think it is."

"Come on, let's get going so Lucas can stop worrying about leaving everything for Simon to handle, and can actually enjoy himself for a while."

* * *

Hovering over the terminal in the private lab connected to the emergency repair bay Lucas sighed and tried not to stress himself about leaving the city and leaving his family so far behind tomorrow. Feeling rather despondent about the entire situation Lucas was visibly saddened and was walking about slowly with his shoulders slumped and overall demeanor very quiet as he entered the tower for his final shift, and set about usual routine for the last time for what was going to be an extended period of time.

Markus entered the lab and gave the technician a coy glance as he called out to him. "Hey, Lucas. Could you come with me to the arboretum."

"To the arboretum?" Turning to look at Markus over his left shoulder Lucas turned off the terminal and gave his friend an odd look. "What for?"

"I wanted to talk before you left, and since it's so calm and peaceful up there I figured it'd be the best place to sit and talk."

"...Alright. I can do that."

Escorting the technician to the arboretum Markus made innocent idle talk until the elevator reached the designated floor, and once inside the arboretum continued to play innocent. The arboretum was usually rather vacant, but on that day there was an odd gathering of people already inside the quiet and spacious floor of nature and life.

Lucas, who had been fixated on nothingness and lost in thought, stepped onto the white stone pathway of the arboretum and found himself suddenly surrounded by his family, his friends and other deviant volunteers who had come to respect Lucas over the year. As the technician registered what was happening a weak smile appeared on his face and he finally felt at ease. "Uh... hi? What's the occasion?"

Being bold Connor stepped forward and addressed his little brother with a sincere grin on his face. "We all wanted to give you a proper goodbye before you leave tomorrow. You're a well respected and admired member of New Jericho, and you've proven that you're more than just my brother because of where we came from. You're my brother because you truly care about me just as I care about you. This is a party just for you."

Markus put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder and wholeheartedly agreed with Connor's statement. "He's right. This is a little goodbye party to show you how much we all appreciate you, and we wanted to show it."

Looking around at the gathered group of friends Lucas saw Connor, Hank, Markus, North, Simon, Josh, Chloe, Skye, Joel, Abby and even Elizabeth standing around in a group, with at least six dozen other deviants; some were colleagues and others were previous patients that Lucas had helped, all there just to support him.

"...Thank you." The newly blossoming emotions that Lucas was beginning to understand told him that what he was experiencing was love, respect and a true sense of belonging. It made him feel confident in his decision to go to Boston for a time, and knew that it wouldn't be detrimental in anyway. "I... I'm honored."

"You deserve this honor."

Chloe smiled as she stepped up to Lucas and he extended his right hand so he could her hold her hand in plain view of everyone there. "And we're all proud of your accomplishments, Lucas. You're a great person."

"...Thank you, Chloe." Looking up at Connor and Hank he gave his family a soft smile. "And thank you, brother, dad. I appreciate this."

Despite the unusual scenario of festivities taking place in what was otherwise always a professional setting the gathering was warm, welcoming and everyone got along extremely well.

Lucas managed to speak to everyone and let the group know that he and Chloe had in fact had been spending more time together and decided to be an exclusive couple, and had been dating for almost two months. Connor had an idea what was going on and didn't mind, and Hank also gave his approval since she clearly made Lucas happy. It was then the tower welcomed Chloe with opened arms and she was given access to the tower without needing an invitation.

Seeing that everything was a success Connor quietly ventured away from the large group of guests and stayed by himself near the quiet pond for a while. The arboretum didn't mirror the Zen Garden in anyway, but the smell of the grass and flowers as well as the pond water reminded him so much of the garden that it was a little unsettling. As he sat down on a marble bench overlooking the aesthetic pond and took a moment to breathe he sensed someone walking up behind him at a slow gait.

"You never were good in groups." Elizabeth spoke to Connor as she sat down on the bench beside him. "Even when you were a small child I used to see you choosing to play with the neighborhood pets or just sit by yourself and watch the other kids playing. The only time I saw you playing with anyone else was back at the foster care facility where you played with another little girl. I wish I knew why you were always so shy."

"Hank says I'm introverted, and I think he's right."

"But you're so good with people."

"Being a deviant had left me the knowledge of how to adapt to human unpredictability. I think it helped."

"I guess that makes sense." Smiling gently at her son Elizabeth spent the time to speak to him in a hushed and private voice. "You did a good thing for you brother, Connor. This was a very good idea, and such a sweet gesture."

Looking his mother in eyes Connor was happy that she referred to Lucas as his 'brother', and that she came to the party. "Thank you for coming. I wasn't sure if you'd feel out of place or not."

"No, not since that dinner. Not to mentionI saw Lucas in the same way you and Hank do that day he gave me a hug while you were in the hospital. It's incredible to think my only child now has a _twin brother_ to rely on."

"Thank you for accepting him."

"Why wouldn't I accept him?"

"It's just... I know what it feels like to be discriminated against as a deviant, and even though Hank treated me like an equal and took me in as his son I still experienced from time to time. Lucas doesn't have the option to become a human as I have, and to have more people treating him like an equal makes me feel more at ease. I don't need to worry about another anti-android bigot hurting him."

"Connor, as far as I'm concerned he's my family now, and I won't stand back and let someone hurt him or any other deviant. Lucas is a second son to me, and he always will be."

"Thank you... mom."

Another feminine voice gently and cleared her voice as she joined Connor and Elizabeth on the bench. "Can I join you?" Skye sat down on the other side of Connor opposite of his mother. "If you need space I can go."

"It's okay, Skye. Being surrounded by strangers bothers me, not my friends or family."

Noticing Elizabeth an amused grin appeared on Skye's face as she realized who Elizabeth was. "This is your mother."

"Yeah. Skye, this is Elizabeth. She is my mother"

"It's nice to meet you." Skye replied warmly as she looked at Elizabeth without even hesitating.

"Same. I'm happy to meet all of Connor's friends."

"I think... Hank was looking for you, Elizabeth. He had two glasses of punch and was glancing about casually like he was trying to find someone special."

"For me?" Elizabeth looked a little stunned by the comment.

"Yeah. He asked Markus if he knew where you had wandered off to just before I walked over."

"Oh. Well," blushing faintly Elizabeth got up from the bench and went to look for the senior detective. "I should see what he wants."

Connor watched his mother walk away and turned to look at Skye. "...I've been told this was a good idea, but I-"

"Shh." Putting a finger to his lips Skye just smiled reassuring. "This was a _great_ idea. Lucas deserves this."

"Yeah... I know."

"Stop doubting yourself so much, Connor. You're a great judge of character and you're very kind and empathetic."

"Sorry. I guess it's just a bad habit."

This time it was Hank's voice that spoke up from behind. "Speaking of bad habits," standing behind Connor he put his hand on the younger man's shoulder and held it there as Elizabeth stood beside him. "you need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself."

Turning to look at Hank over his shoulder he saw that Elizabeth was standing at his side and looking at Connor with a proud gleam in her eyes. "I'll try to remember that."

"Good. Most of the guests have left already, it's just the usual company right now. It's safe to go back to the middle of the garden."

Skye patted Connor's hand and motioned toward the thinning crowd of guests. "Come on. You should go be with your brother."

"You're right." As he got up from the bench Connor discreetly gave Skye's left hand a squeeze with his right hand without Hank or Elizabeth noticing. "This is about Lucas."

Lucas of course was standing with Chloe at his side and happily talking with Markus and North, while Simon and Josh were talking with Abby and Joel regarding connections between the tower and facilities outside of the building. It was a little uncomfortable to talk business while trying to have a friendly gathering, but no one said anything about it. As soon as Connor, Hank, Skye and Elizabeth rejoined the group everything clicked and everyone simply enjoyed one another's company for the remainder of the evening and well into the night.

Everything was as it should be.

* * *

The following morning Connor helped Lucas pack his single dufflebag and put it in the passenger seat of the truck, and stood outside the house with his little brother patiently. Lucas promised not to leave until Hank was awake and Connor promised he wouldn't try to talk Lucas out of going away. It was a little emotional but the brothers kept their composures for the sake of one another, knowing that the departure was going to only be temporary, and in time they'd be reunited.

"Even though I'm not ill anymore I'll keep the smart watch on at all times so we can remain in constant contact."

"I already told New Jericho that I'd chronicle the progress of the facility's construction and of the progress made in helping our people." Lucas confirmed in a calm and confident manner. "I'll be sure to communicate with you on a daily basis if at all possible."

"I'll attempt to do the same."

The backdoor was slid open and Hank walked around back with Sumo and Ruby following him as he opened the side gate to get to the garage, and see his son off. "Fuckin' hell. Only deviants can get up before six in the morning and not need coffee to be civil."

"Did we wake you up?" Connor asked as he grabbed onto Sumo's collar to keep the massive dog from trying to climb into Lucas's truck to go with him.

"No. I didn't sleep well knowing that Lucas was going to take off this morning."

Lucas was glad to have his family see him off, even if it was a reluctant goodbye. "I'm glad I have you two to rely on. I don't know what would've happened to me if you didn't take me in as your own."

Ever appreciative of sons' gratitude Hank gave Lucas a confident nod of the head. "You won't be lonely out there?"

"No. Not with Chloe with me." Blushing a pale blue Lucas awkwardly cleared his throat and rubbed Sumo's chin before doing the same for Ruby's ears. "Kamski is having her flown into Boston and he will escort her to the private residence to meet with me. I guess he's a little protective of her."

Connor nodded and extended his right hand toward Lucas to shake. "I'm glad you won't be alone while you're gone. Just remember to come home as soon as you can, because right now this is where you belong. With us."

Lucas accepted the handshake then pulled Connor in for a full hug. Reciprocating the hug Connor held on tight for a moment before letting go and taking a step back so Hank could do the same. The one thing that never got easier for Connor, regardless if he was a deviant or a human, was saying 'goodbye'. The idea of seeing his brother leaving and being so far away from home only made it more difficult.

"I promise I'll come back home as soon as I can." Lucas swore as he kept an optimistic smile on his face and let go of his hug around Hank's shoulders. "And we'll spend more time together as a family."

Remaining optimistic himself Connor responded with a positive manner to Lucas's comment. "I'm looking forward to it."

Stepping back from his family with a hesitant gait Lucas climbed into the cab of the red pick-up truck and closed the door. As he turned over the engine he rolled down the window and looked out at his big brother and father one last time. "I'll be okay. And I_ will_ come home."

On that final farewell Lucas drove the truck down the driveway and onto the street. As he pulled away Sumo whimpered sadly and sat down at Connor's feet with an audible grumble upon seeing the deviant leaving.

Rubbing Sumo's ears with sympathetic affection Hank sighed a little, and then put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "He'll be back, son."

"I know he will." Connor's response was somber but level as he watched the truck disappear from sight down the street. "He's family. I know he won't be gone forever, but I'll still miss him."

"Same, kid. I'll miss him, too."

_**-next chapter-**_


	43. Food Poisoning

It was early spring in Michigan and yet there was still a frighteningly intense chill in the air as Connor and Hank arrived at the precinct at their usual time that morning. Brushing a few stray flakes of fading rogue snow from the shoulders of his leather jacket Connor approached his desk and along with Hank, as per usual, and prepared to set about their shifts. However the paleness on Hank's face as well as the notable hazy fatigue marring his blue eyes was seemingly the only unusual activity buzzing around the bullpen at the moment.

"You should've taken a later shift today, Hank." Connor noted as he took his seat at his desk on the opposite side of Hank's own desk after making a quick stop in the breakroom. He had a mug of warm peppermint tea in one hand, a mug of warm coffee in the other, and a small plate balanced awkwardly atop the two mugs containing two small sushi rolls to snack on. "You appear to be getting ill."

"I'm fine."

"May I ask why you look so pale then?"

"I couldn't sleep last night. I've had a lot on my mind as of late."

Placing his items down on his desk Connor slid the coffee toward Hank, and then reached his right hand out and pressed his fingertips to the inside of Hank's left wrist to count the senior detective's pulse. "Are you sure you're feeling well? You seem to be experiencing physical distress, and your heart rate is a little elevated."

"It's just a headache."

"Again?"

"Yup."

"Are you certain you don't wish to see a doctor? You may have a migraine or are suffering from high stress due to my own previously poor health."

Hank tried to brush off Connor's concern with a dismissive wave of his hand as he picked up his coffee. "Hey, you were the one who had their heart rebuilt a month ago. Don't worry about me and my headache, I'm used to them. I played football in high school, remember?"

"I remember."

"Besides, we're detectives. Pain comes with the territory."

Connor wasn't entirely convinced but he decided to let it go out of respect for Hank's own personal judgment as he carefully picked up one of the sushi rolls with a pair of black plastic chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. "Very well."

"And," Hank let out a breathy sigh and subtly motioned to the conference room a few yards away from their desks causing Connor to turn his head to look over his right shoulder. "we have to smile and nod and play nice with the mayor this evening."

"I don't understand." Connor was unfamiliar with the group of people who were setting up some type of gathering in the aforementioned area. "Is there a meeting tonight?"

"Something like that." The senior detective leaned forward on his elbows over the top of his desk and lowered his voice. "About ten years ago our previous mayor had been such a ball-buster on crime that he ended up with a bullet between his eyes for his troubles. The next mayor was far more lax and cowardly which is why this city is a Hellscape for petty theft and drug abuse. Now this guy," Hank discreetly pointed at the mayor's assistant who was fussing about over minute details to the people who were seemingly the caterers that had been hired for an upcoming event. "is a world class ass-kisser, and pining for mayor himself."

Connor's brow furrowed as he studied the man's weaselly demeanor curiously.

"Problem is," Hank continued on casually. "our current mayor is doing such a good job when it comes to taking on crime and treating androids with respect that this prick has a snowball's chance in Hell when it comes to winning the election next year. So, now that our current mayor has decided to 'reach out' to civil servants and first-responders through cheesy parties and charity events to keep everyone in a good mood this guy has been trying to 'one-up' him every chance he gets."

"Are you implying that the event he has planned for this evening will be a metaphorical 'pissing contest' between the mayor and his own assistant?"

"Yup, you got it, kid. And if I hadn't woken up with a headache this morning I would definitely have one by the time this damn _mandatory_ event started."

"I see." Connor looked uncomfortable with the event to come. "Perhaps we'll get a case and can miss the party."

"I doubt we'd get that lucky, son. Like it or not we have to socialize."

"Hank, I'm still not very sociably skilled with total strangers. I believe my introverted nature will make this engagement very uncomfortable."

Hank grinned a little at the comment. "Being shy isn't a bad thing. It just means you need time to adjust when it comes to new people."

"CyberLife programmed me to efficiently adapt to human unpredictability when I was an android, and I've been trained in reading people and their overall body language as a detective. I shouldn't have such hesitant tendencies."

"Yeah, but being shy was your personality _before_ you ever became a deviant. Your personality never changed between your humanity and deviancy, it's not a big deal."

"Perhaps."

"Don't sweat it, kid. You made it through Lucas's farewell party just fine, so I know you can handle this, too. Just stay by me and we'll get through this damn night without going crazy."

"I would greatly prefer walking away from this event with my sanity intact." Finishing the second sushi roll Connor sipped at his tea and set aside the small plate to be cleaned later. "I'll follow your lead."

"Yeah, sure." Eyeing Connor's snack warily Hank gave his adopted son a disgusted glance. "Just don't eat anymore of that raw shit, it's gross."

"It doesn't taste gross."

"It looks gross, smells gross and that fact that it's RAW makes it gross! Besides, that type of stuff can make you sick."

"I'm fine, Hank. I've eaten it before without any problems."

"Uh-huh, and let's see how you react when you eat a piece that was left out just a little bit too long..."

* * *

As the evening came to pass and the dreaded celebratory event began to unfold inside the precinct an unseasonable snowstorm blanketed the city under a thickening layer of white until the streets were too congested to be driven upon safely. Even if Connor and Hank could've dismissed themselves from the uncomfortable gathering taking place in the precinct they wouldn't have been able to go far without getting stranded in the snow. Despite their best efforts the duo had to admit that they were stuck and would have to make the best of the uncomfortable situation until the streets were cleaned up.

While a majority of the officers were willing to put up with the blatantly hollow gesture of festivities by the mayor's aid in favor of putting up a good front on Captain Fowler's behalf Connor and Hank had hidden themselves away in an interview room a few doors down from the party. Hank pressed his right hand to the side of his still aching head as he tried to ignore the low roar of numerous voices speaking loudly at the gathering only a few doors away.

"Too bad I got sobered up." The senior detective lamented in a grumbling tone. "Spiking the punch right about now would do us all a favor..."

"Do you require any medication for your headache?" Connor asked kindly as he studied Hank's demeanor with concern in his soulful brown eyes.

"If you have anything on ya', I'll take it."

"I know where Joel keeps his aspirin. I'll go get you some." The younger detective quickly exited the interview room and made his way to the elevator down the hallway. "I won't be long."

As he ascended to the dispensary informed Lucas via text message that he and Hank were stranded at the 'party', and couldn't leave because of the snow. He also let him know that Hank was showing signs of illness.

The elevator doors opened and the young detective easily gained access to the dispensary to collect the medication from Joel's office. The small bottle of medication was kept in the top left drawer of Joel's desk, and readily accessible. Once Connor returned to the ground floor of the precinct with two aspirin tablets in his hand he noticed that several officers were now awkwardly standing outside the conference room with uncomfortable looks on their faces. A few even looked ill or at the very least worried.

Stepping back into the interview room Connor gave Hank the two aspirin tablets he had taken from the dispensary and asked about the odd event he had apparently missed during his absence. "Did something happen while I was in the dispensary?"

Hank accepted the two pills from Connor and readily popped them into his mouth. Hank readily accepted the two pills from Connor and eagerly popped them into his mouth. "Yeah." Chasing the pills with one of the six bottles of water kept in the middle of the table Hank explained what had gone down while Connor was up in the dispensary. "Chris started feeling sick and took off down the hall."

"Sick?" Connor's instincts as a paramedic unexpectedly kicked on and he felt compelled to help a fellow officer in need. "Where is Chris now?"

"My guess would be the bathroom. He can't exactly leave right now."

Connor stood perfectly still as he studied Hank's demeanor curiously with a medically keen eye.

"If you want to go check on Chris, go." Hank could see that Connor wanted to go see what was happening, but didn't want to leave him behind, or alone. "I won't stop you, and I'll be okay by myself."

Turning his head to look outside of the interview room Connor calmly entered the hallway and made his way down to the men's restroom only a few feet away. Before Connor had even entered the restroom he could hear the sound of someone throwing-up and responded accordingly. Stepping through the automated door as it slid opened Connor walked inside and bathroom, and observed Chris through the opened stall doors as hunched over the toilet and threw-up with a violent heave.

"Chris?" Connor knocked lightly against the already opened stall door as if he needed to announce his presence. "Do you require assistance?"

Chris took in deep slow breaths as he used a wad of toilet paper to wipe off his spit covered mouth mouth after he finished being sick. "...I'm okay. Th-Thanks."

"Might I ask why you suddenly became ill? Are you suffering from the flu or another stomach ailment?"

"I don't know." Sounding out of breath and exhausted Chris just sighed and fell back on his hip to lean back against the cool wall of the stall behind him. "I think I ate something disagreeable. I'm not sure."

As the stricken officer slowly pushed himself up from the ground stood upright in the stall on shaking legs Connor grabbed onto Chris's arm to help him steady himself as he walked over to the sink. Cupping his hands together under the automated tap Chris took in a mouthful of water and spit it out as he rinsed his mouth of the nasty lingering taste, and tried to breathe slowly to ease his upset stomach.

"Would you like me to escort you to the infirmary?" Connor asked as he noted the physical distress that Chris was displaying. "You appear to be suffering from a mild fever."

"No, I'll be okay. I just need a minute to clear my head, that's all."

"Would you like me to stay with you?"

"I'm good, Connor. Thanks."

Respecting Chris's wish to be alone Connor stepped toward the bathroom door and immediately stepped aside as Gavin stumbled into the bathroom and began to feel suddenly sick as well. Gavin made a rather graceless clamber for the second stall and fell to his knees and he began to vomit with painful retches into the toilet bowl.

"Gavin?" Chris caught sight of Gavin's reflection in the mirror as he passed by quickly. "...Shit, you too?"

As the detective continued to vomit painfully Connor's curiosity was piqued. "Is anyone else ill?"

The only response Connor received was the unsettling sound of Gavin heaving through the opened stall door, and nothing else.

"...I believe I'll go and see for myself." The younger detective volunteered as once again made his way to the bathroom door and stepped out into the hallway.

Sure enough the conference room had been all but deserted as numerous officers were suddenly ill and either sitting on the floor in distress or clumsily making their way to the bathrooms to be sick. Several other officers were hovering warily over garbage cans in fear of sickness, and the mayor's assistant had unceremoniously taken his leave of the immediate area out of embarrassment and to retreat like the coward he was.

Connor rejoined Hank in the interview room and gave his partner an unsteady glance. "Hank, at least twelve officers have become ill. Are you feeling ill as well?"

"Just that headache from this morning."

"Any nausea or fever?"

"Nope."

Connor shook his head a little as he pressed his right fingertips to the left side of Hank's neck to count his pulse and check his body temperature to confirm his vitals as best as he could. "Strange."

"What?"

"I'm trying to understand how so many people could become so ill so quickly in such close proximity to one another, and yet you are not exhibiting the same symptoms as well."

"Here's a crazy thought," giving the young detective a somewhat annoyed glance Hank tried to help as much as he could despite the headache. "maybe we're not dealing with a contagious sickness."

"Do you know what could be happening?"

"Well, I'm not sick and you're not sick despite recovering from heart surgery." Hank noted keenly with an indifferent tone. "...AND, neither of us ate any of that crappy food the mayor's little worm had brought to his stupid event. Everyone else did."

"Food poisoning." Connor realized with a sudden flash of awareness. "If anyone is exhibiting violent symptoms they will require medical attention. With the blizzard currently bombarding the city traversing to a hospital has become incredibly dangerous, if not impossible."

"Go do your thing Connor." Waving his hand casually toward the door Hank motioned for the deviant to go play hero. "Go help everyone."

"I'm a paramedic, not a doctor. I won't be able to do much."

"Yeah, but of the two of us you're the only one _not_ suffering from a skull splitting headache, and you can put up with people better than me. Not to mention whenever I've gotten sick you've done a pretty good job at keeping me alive. You can handle this kid, I know it."

Connor took a deep breath and turned around to stare outside the interview room door as more officers began to exhibit the same food poisoning symptoms as the people who had become ill just a few minutes before. It was getting worse and soon there would be no one left standing long enough to be of any help to anyone else.

"I will notify the three nearest hospitals of the food poisoning outbreak." Connor confirmed as he slipped his phone from his right jean pocket. "Perhaps they can send emergency aid to deal with the most severely ill of the those who have been affected."

"Good idea." Hank agreed as he refused to stand up from the table and leave the room. "I'll stay in here and not get in the way."

Taking it upon himself to aid the downed officers Connor used his phone and contacted emergency services while also checking over the food that had been provided to the event. It only took a few seconds for Connor to eye the provided food items that had been favored throughout the night, and check through his phone to determine the most likely culprit for the outbreak of food poisoning. Once he determined the correct information regarding the type of undercooked food, unsanitary preparatory conditions as well as the sick officers' symptoms it was easy to identify the bacteria that had caused the food poisoning: Staphylococcus aureus.

At some point in the evening Captain Fowler had become sick as well, but was still remaining professional and in charge as he returned to the conference room to figure out what had happened that evening. "...Connor?" He paused for a moment and took a deep breath to keep his stomach from rebelling against him while he spoke. "Did you find something?"

"Yes. I can confirm based on the symptoms being displayed and the bacteria identified that there has been an outbreak of food poisoning." He held up his phone for his Captain to see. "This particular strain presents itself between one to six hours upon infection. It's due to improper sterilization conditions upon preparation, and has evidently taken down the precinct fairly quickly."

"Great... Is it lethal?"

"The bacteria itself is not lethal to humans, but if anyone is immunologically compromised they may become sicker than the others. I have already informed the nearest hospitals of the situation at hand."

"...Can you keep an eye on everyone until we the roads get cleared off? I don't think I can hold out all night."

"Of course. How many have become ill?"

"At the last count, including myself, nineteen people. The mayor's aide is sick, too. He's not here, but he called to 'check in' on everyone and puked right in my ear over the line." Captain Fowler ran his hand down the back of his neck anxiously as he tried to think of a way to handle everything. "I decided to keep the sickest of our people isolated from the rest of the precinct inside interview room 'B', since you and Hank have been hiding out in interview room 'A' all evening."

"I'm sorry, Captain. But I don't-"

"I'm not mad at you two for isolating yourselves, don't worry about it. Just help me keep things under control under medical help gets here."

"I will do so."

Walking out of the breakroom and into the designated interview room as directed Connor saw that the table in the center of the room had been pushed up against the far wall, along with the three chairs to provide additional room for the two sickest of the affected officers to lay down over the floor. There were two empty trashcans next to the officers in the event they became ill again.

Despite feeling unwell himself Hank had taken it upon himself to watch over the two of them and was quietly waiting for Connor to arrive.

"Hank?"

"Knew you'd be back." Hank gave the younger detective a somewhat amused glance. "Looks like Joel and Gavin got the worst of it."

Connor knelt down beside the two victims and checked on the two sick men. Pressing his right fingertips to the left side of Joel's neck, and then did the same for Gavin, Connor was able to calculate their distressed vitals fairly accurately: Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure due the physical exertion of vomiting, and mild fever in response to the bacterial infection and mild dehydration.

Joel looked up at Connor and let out a tired sigh of irony at the younger detective leaning over him. "...Never thought I'd have you taking care of me, Connor."

"You've helped me numerous times in the past. It only seems fair that I help you now." Connor looked over at Gavin and reluctantly addressed the detective, knowing that if he was a jerk when he was healthy that he would be a massive dick when he was feeling ill. "Gavin, do you need anything?"

"...Kill the caterers."

Connor smirked a little at the comment but of course refused to kill anyone. "Medical assistance will arrive within the next twenty minutes. The roads are being cleared as we speak." Pressing his left hand over Joel's forehead Connor noted the human's elevated temperature. "You're warm, maybe one-hundred degrees."

Joel just let out a sigh and began breathing slowly to keep his nausea quelled. "Could be worse."

Connor next pressed his right hand over Gavin's forehead and was surprised when he didn't try to flinch away from his touch. "You're warmer. Properly One-hundred and one." Standing upright Connor turned to speak with Hank directly. "We should apply cool compresses to ease their fevers as much as possible before the paramedics arrive. The less stressed they feel physically they easier it'll be for them to recover."

"Might as well. We can't do anything else for them."

While Hank remained in the room to keep an eye on the two sick officers Connor ventured into the breakroom to gather clean towels from the cabinet and some ice from the freezer. Wrapping the ice inside the two towels he returned to the interview room and placed the cold compresses over the two officers' foreheads to soothe their fevers.

"Gavin how is your blood sugar level?" Connor asked in a low voice to spare the detective some privacy as he monitored his pulse with his fingers around the detective's wrist.

"...Fine." Gavin muttered equally low with a notable discomfort in his voice. "Maybe a little low from getting sick."

Nodding in acknowledgment Connor turned his attention back to Joel. "Have you been ill previously in the past three weeks, Joel?"

"No, but I donated blood four days ago."

"That explains why you two have been affected the most severely by this outbreak." Connor stated in a calm but serious tone. "You're both physically weaker than the others at the moment. You'll require hospitalization to ensure you don't suffer from any additional ailments such as dehydration or renal failure."

Gavin just mumbled as he put up with Connor taking care of him. "...Sounds like a lot of fun."

"You'll both require water to remain hydrated." Standing upright from the floor Connor located two small bottles of cool water on the table near the offensive selection of food. "It won't be pleasant when considering the discomfort you're both surely feeling with your stomachs, but you must drink some of the water for your own benefit."

"...Yeah, whatever." The gruff answer was comparably more agreeable compared Gavin's usual behavior. "Just keep Tina away from me until I'm better. I don't want her gloating about how her vegetarian diet saved her from this night."

Kneeling down between the two sick men Connor offered the first bottle of water to Gavin who tentatively sipped at it, only to stop and breathe deeply as he fought to prevent himself from throwing-up again. As the second bottle of water was offered to Joel the ill technician barely reacted. Eyes closed and silent, his skin was much paler than normal and his breathing was deeper than expected.

"Joel?" Lightly Connor laid his hand down on the technician's chest and monitored both the sick man's breathing and heart rate under his palm. A sudden shift in his vitals made the younger man worry. "Please open your eyes."

Responding to the command somewhat sluggishly Joel's pale blue eyes open and he struggled to look at the deviant's face. "...Connor. Hi."

"Hello. Please remain awake, and please consume some water. It'll aid your recovery."

"...I can't really move right now." The technician admitted as his limbs suddenly felt like lead weights. "Uh, do you mind?"

"Sure."

Opening the bottle of water Connor slipped his hand under Joel's shoulder and helped the human to sit upright on the floor just enough to drink the water without choking on it. As the ill technician managed to drink a decent portion of the water Connor noted his still rising fever and made sure to keep his hand steady on the technician's shoulder. "Joel, you are anemic."

"...Yeah, I noticed."

Helping the technician to lay back down Connor remained at his side and resumed watching over him, as well as Gavin. The other sick officers were taking care of one another outside the room, and the mayor's assistant had retreated to the bathroom to throw-up with the very officers who had been poisoned because of his terrible attitude.

Hank silently watched from the doorway as Connor took care of the two human officers while listening to the conversations taking place in the hallway. He hadn't caught any of the questions Connor had asked thanks to his aching head, but he really didn't care that much about eavesdropping on Connor since he trusted him entirely. Watching his fellow officers sluggishly stumble about the precinct as they helped one another endure the food poisoning epidemic made him grateful that he skipped the party, and the shitty appetizers.

Captain Fowler approached Hank and rubbed his hand over his tired forehead as he spoke in an exhausted tone. "Turns out the caterers had a bit of grievance with our favorite 'wanna-be mayor'." He stated as he finally had some answers in the strange matter at hand. "And they intentionally used partially spoiled food during this event because they thought they were going to be serving the guys rich, entitled friends. They didn't realize what was happening until it was too late to stop anything."

Hank didn't look all that surprised by the revelation, but he was still curious. "What did that jackass do to piss off a bunch of caterers besides being a mouthy prick?"

"Overworked them, underpaid them and constantly berated them."

Fighting the urge to laugh Hank just asked the next logical question. "How long until the paramedics arrive?"

"E.T.A. is less than two minutes. The streets have been cleared enough for emergency transport and it finally stopped snowing."

"How're you holding up, Jeffrey?"

"I've been better. I haven't seen so many people puking in one place since the night of my promotion."

"Hey, I just suggested we all go out for a drink to celebrate." Hank quickly defended himself with a hand up in the air. "YOU'RE the one who bought the three rounds of tequila for everyone."

The front doors of the precinct opened wide as six paramedics walked into the building to tend to the downed officers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Three ambulances were parked out front waiting to transport the sickest of the officers to the hospital for treatment while other ambulances would arrive later to take care of the rest of the downed officers.

"Hey, Connor." Hank stepped back into the room and addressed the younger man kneeling down between the two sickest officers on the floor. "Paramedics are here. Make some room for them to work."

"Coming Hank." Connor stepped out of the room and into the hallway where he stood alongside Hank and Captain Fowler. "Gavin and Joel should recover well once they receive proper treatment."

Captain Fowler himself leaned against the wall and let out a deep breath of fatigue and relief. "...You two should get out of here. Until everything here gets settled our precinct won't be contacted for any emergencies for a while."

"Are you certain?" Connor didn't like the idea of leaving the precinct while so many other officers still needed help.

"Yeah, go. It'll make things easier if we can start clearing out the building. Not to mention you're recovering from surgery," he pointed to Connor then quickly over to Hank. "and you're clearly fighting off one serious headache."

Hank patted Connor's shoulder as he walked down the hallway toward the front doors of the precinct. "Come on, he's right. I'll drive so we can get back home."

Obeying Captain Fowler's suggestion Connor followed after Hank to leave the precinct for the night and return home until the precinct was allowed to resume normal operation.

"Hank, are you certain you're well enough to drive?" Connor pressed as the two detectives set foot outside the precinct onto the snowy sidewalk. Hank wrapped his arms tightly around himself to stave off the cold and Connor mirrored the action as he too felt the sting of the cold cutting through his skin and leather jacket. "You seem very tired."

"I'm okay." Hank insisted as he and Connor walked to the car parked in the garage beside the precinct. As he unlocked the doors to the car he pulled it open and happily sat down behind the wheel while Connor joined him as the lone passenger. "The headache will stop soon enough. That aspirin you gave me is already starting to help."

"I just hope I was able to help Joel and Gavin effectively enough until they were able to receive proper medical treatment."

"You handled everything back there like a real pro, son."

"But I think it's safe to say that I'm glad I chose to remain a detective and not work as a paramedic after all. Turns out I do not enjoy medicine as much as I do detective work."

Hank laughed at the comment with a sincere amusement. "Yeah, man or machine, it takes a special kind of person to work in medicine. I know I couldn't do that every day of my career. It'd be a little too much."

Connor's checked his phone as he received an update on the situation back at the precinct via text from Captain Fowler. "The ill officers have been accurately diagnosed and have begun treatment. A full recovery is expected all around."

"Cool."

"But the precinct will be closed down for the next three days."

"Even better."

"Since we have tomorrow off you can sleep in and recover. I'll even make breakfast."

Hank understood that Connor was trying to (not so) discreetly hint that he was worried about him being sick, or worse. Winter time depressed Hank and snowstorms always reminded him of the night Cole died. With winter looming around the corner, maybe arriving even sooner than that, the dark spiral of depression was certain to rear its ugly head in Hank's direction soon.

"It's okay, Connor. You don't have to do anything special. But, if you're up to it maybe you and me can watch the hockey game tomorrow night."

"I'd like that." Connor agreed as he watched Hank's slightly pale face curiously while the senior detective rounded the block leading back home. "I'd like that."

"Good." Parking in the driveway beside the house Hank watched as Connor departed from the vehicle and then followed after him. "Hey, Connor?"

"Yes, Hank?" Connor turned around to look at Hank again as he unlocked the front door. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I just wanted to say that you did real good tonight. Be proud."

Connor felt himself faintly blush at the compliment as he pushed the door open. "...Thank you, dad. I feel proud."

* * *

Thanks to the precinct getting struck down by food poisoning all officers were required to stay home for one week until everything was sorted through, the mayor's assistant was being charged accordingly for fraud, and unfortunately the catering staff would also be charged with assault. Hank didn't mind the leave of absence since his headache was bordering on a migraine and the idea of sleeping in was very appealing. Rolling over onto his right side Hank buried his face into the cool surface of his pillow and felt Sumo's heavy warm body sprawled out on the foot of his bed.

From the first floor a low guttural retch was just barely heard and Hank didn't think too much of it, until he heard the sound a second time and then a third. Lifting up his head, relieved it didn't throb as he moved, his paternal instincts kicked in and he knew that something was up with Connor. Pushing aside his quilt Hank threw his legs over the edge of the bed and with that motion Sumo stretched out and took advantage of the vacated warm bed.

"Furry mooch." Hank mumbled at Sumo as he stepped out of his bedroom and saw that, sure enough, Connor's bedroom was empty. The bed wasn't made and it looked like Connor had fallen out of the bed and pulled the sheet and quilt over the edge with him. "Where'd he go?"

Walking down the staircase he heard a fourth retching sound followed by a flush. Reaching the first floor bathroom door he peered inside the wide open door and saw Connor laying on his side on the cool tile floor pale, sweating and shaking.

"Fuck." Kneeling down beside Connor without startling him Hank put his right hand over Connor's forehead and sighed. "You're sick."

"...F-Food poisoning."

"What? How? You didn't eat any of that contaminated shit at the precinct."

"I..." Dragging his right hand over his sweaty face Connor sighed and tried to explain things as clearly as he could. "I went through the leftovers in the precinct's breakroom... last night."

Pulling back his hand Hank stood up and placed a washcloth in the sink to run under the warm tap, then placed a second washcloth in the sink to rinse under the cold tap. Using the warm washcloth Hank pressed it to Connor's chin, to which the sick younger man gratefully took hold and wiped off his mouth and stayed in place on the cool floor.

"Can you stand at all?"

"...I think I can."

"Come on then." Offering Connor his hand Hank pulled the younger man up from the floor and let him lean against his broader shoulder. "Laying on the couch is better than the bathroom floor."

"I agree."

"I think I already know the answer, but I'm going to ask anyway: Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"...Only if I become dehydrated." Sitting down on the couch Connor slowly fell to his right side and curled up as best as he could as the horrible cramping in his stomach and the utterly foul taste lingering in his mouth made him feel worse. The cool washcloth being folded up and placed over his forehead was a little comforting and made his warm face feel much cooler. "...Thanks."

"What did you eat?"

"...It's all gone, you don't have to worry about getting sick, too."

"Uh-huh, and what was that?"

"...Remember the sushi platter Chris ordered for lunch?"

"Connor, that was four days ago! THAT was the sushi you ate yesterday? _Three day_ old sushi?"

"...There was only two pieces left. I didn't think it would hurt me."

"Ignoring the fact that eating RAW FISH is already gross, you ate OLD raw fish! I warned you about eating that raw shit!"

"...You were right."

"Okay, okay..." Patting Connor's left shoulder sympathetically Hank took control over the situation without any problems. "Do you have any more of those sports drinks from your workouts left?"

"Yeah. Two bottles."

"Alright, I'll get you all that and the bucket to puke into so you don't have to get up again."

"...Sorry."

"Don't be sorry for getting sick. Shit happens."

While Connor laid on the couch, doing his best to not throw-up on himself, Ruby jumped up on the couch and laid down on Connor's legs and rested her chin on his left hip. Not long after that Connor felt the navy blue blanket being draped over him just seconds before the plastic mop bucket was put on the floor beside the couch in case Connor felt sick again. "...Thanks."

"Here's those sports drinks and some water. Don't fight it if you feel like you're going to puke, you need to get that stuff out of your body."

"I'm aware."

"I just can't believe you got food poisoning the night after the entire precinct got taken down, and all because you ate some old sushi. I'm so glad food poisoning's not contagious."

"...How's your headache?"

"Fading. It should be gone in a few more hours."

"That's good."

"Try to get some sleep." The suggestion was as wise as it was enticing. "I'll do the same and then I'll take Sumo and Ruby for a walk this afternoon so they don't bother you while you're trying to rest."

"I appreciate it."

"And _no more sushi_." Hank decided as he sat down in the recliner to rest himself. "I won't put up with that raw stuff stinkin' up my fridge, or making you sick again."

Just the idea of eating sushi again was enough to make Connor's stomach roll. "That won't be a problem..."

_**-next chapter-**_


	44. Taking Care of a Sick Detective

Somewhat nervously Connor fidgeted in his seat with his phone anxiously in his right hand as he tried and failed again, for the sixth time, to reach Hank at home. Earlier that morning Hank had called off from work ill which resulted in Connor being stuck on desk duty until Hank returned to work. Once he had a break Connor attempted to call Hank's cell phone one more time, but the senior detective didn't answer. With each passing hour Connor tried again but there was still no answer at the house.

"He's still not answering, I'm going home." Connor decided as he texted Lucas and placed his phone into his jean right pocket, and pulled his leather jacket from the back of his chair. "He had been showing signs of illness for the past two days," he stated out loud for the other officers in the bullpen to hear as he clocked out for the rest of the day. "and I fear he has finally succumbed to some kind of serious ailment."

Lucas had finished his shift at the new facility in Boston only twenty minutes earlier, his mind reeling from the abundance of refugee androids who had finally returned from Canada back into the city to reunite with their friends and to seek shelter. The mass influx of androids under his care was a little overwhelming, but it also made Lucas feel wanted and like he was truly contributing to the tower.

'_Would you like me to try calling_?' Lucas texted Connor back as quickly as he could. '_I don't mind since I know you've just recovered from your own bout of food poisoning less than twenty-four hours prior_.'

Connor pulled the phone out of his pocket as he walked to the parking garage, and sent a response as he walked. "No. If something is actually wrong I'll call you, you should rest. I don't want you to risk overheating from physical exertion due to the influx of refugees under your care."

'_You're certain_?'

"Yes." Connor pulled open the car door and texted his brother again as he sat down behind the wheel. "You deserve to rest. Don't push yourself too hard. Hank taught me that, and granted it's a difficult lesson to learn, but it's also worthwhile."

'_Hank is a wise man. Call if you need any help_.' Within a few seconds of sending the response the tired deviant had slipped into a peaceful rest mode.

"I will."

Driving home at a steady pace Connor pulled the car in the driveway beside the house and threw the old vehicle into park quickly. As he moved to the front door he unlocked the door, stepped inside, and was greeted by both Sumo and Ruby who were happy to see their second master had come home early.

"Hank?" Connor called out at he stepped into the livingroom and directed his attention to the staircase. "Are you okay?"

Sumo pawed at Connor's hand while Ruby circled about excitedly at his feet.

"Down, boy." Connor pushed the large dog's paws from his hand and back down to the floor. "I'm glad to see you, too. But I need to check in on Hank first."

Closing the door behind himself Connor looked about the house and found everything to be in its usual place. The livingroom was empty and quiet save for Sumo and Ruby who were happily wagging their tails at Connor's feet, and there was a small mess in the kitchen. Examining the contents of the mess Connor noted several bottles of medication that had been recently opened, along with the bottles of various flavored sports drinks Connor purchased after his return from the hospital to recover from his heart surgery.

"Hank?" Connor called out again as he looked around the messy kitchen, noting the massive pile of used tissues falling over the edge of the trashcan tucked under the sink, and the few used dishes inside the sink itself. "Hank, please answer me."

Venturing up the staircase and down the hallway Connor tentatively approached the closed door to Hank's bedroom and pushed it open with one hand. The interior of the bedroom was dark and the floor was a mess with dirty clothes that had been thrown aside rather than placed inside the hamper to be washed properly. More used tissues had been piled up on the nightstand beside the bed, and there were two empty drinking glasses next to the tissues.

Hank was laying in the bed on his back, his breathing was slow and congested. Even from the doorway Connor could see the sickly pale shade over Hank's face as well as the fine sheen of sweat that layered over his skin.

"Hank?"

Approaching the bed quietly Connor stood beside it and looked over the sick man's body as he lightly placed his right hand over Hank's forehead. The senior detective was running a fever, the sound of his labored breathing was indicative of heavy congestion, and the slight trembling in Hank's muscles as well as the heavy perspiration hinted at dehydration. Moving his right fingertips to the left side of the sick man's neck Connor counted his pulse and felt uneasy as Hank's heart rate was slightly elevated despite being inactive; as was his blood pressure undoubtedly.

Not to mention the inability to respond or react to someone entering the house resonated more with someone who was unconscious rather than actually asleep, which made Connor a little worried.

"Hank?" Connor addressed the senior detective loudly but calmly as he returned his hand in place over Hank's forehead. "Please wake up. It's me, Connor."

Hank let out a deep sigh but remained asleep as his right hand weakly reached up and failed to push away Connor's hand from his forehead.

"_Dad_." Connor all but shouted the word as he watched Hank's heavy dark eyelids begin to flutter open.

Blue glassy irises slowly revealed themselves as Hank finally awoke and looked up at Connor with a confused stare. "...Connor?" Hank's voice was hoarse and raspy. The deep cough that followed caused the senior detective to wrap his arms around his chest as the aching coughing racked his body. "Connor," Hank took a moment to clear his voice. "what're you doing home so early?" He noticed the dark leather jacket that Connor was wearing a grinned. "...You finally remembered to wear a real jacket when you're not on the clock without me reminding you. Good for you."

"You're sick." The younger detective explained coolly as he finally retracted his hand and sat on the edge of Hank's bed. "I tried to call you on numerous occasions, but you never answered the phone. I was worried and decided to come by to check on you in person."

"...Sorry." Hank apologized as he tried to push himself into an upright sitting position on the bed with his arms. "I took a couple of sleeping pills. I guess they worked."

"How many did you take?" Connor asked as he put his left hand behind Hank's right shoulder to support the senior detective, as he used his right hand to wedge the pillow up against Hank's back. Wrapping his left fingertips around Hank's right wrist Connor continued to monitor his pulse which had elevated even more once he woke up. "How long ago did you take them?"

"I took two pills, Connor." The irritation in Hank's voice was notable as Connor retracted his hand from the ill detective's wrist. "And I took them this morning after I called off. It's just the flu or some shit."

Looking at his smart watch on his wrist Connor noted the time. "It's now four forty-three p.m. which mean's you've been asleep for nine hours, almost ten. I believe you're suffering from something more serious than the flu; such as bronchitis or pneumonia."

"I'm tired. Sleeping is what you're supposed to do when you're tired, AND when you're sick." Hank let out a weary sigh and put his left arm over his mouth to catch another cough as it barked past his lips. "By the way, you should let Sumo and Ruby outside for a while. That is if you don't mind."

"You should allow me to take you to the hospital. A person of your-"

"If you make one comment about my age I'm going to punch your perfect teeth right out of your mouth."

"...Your _symptoms_," Connor quickly stated to correct his original thought before he continued. "should seek immediate medical attention."

"Good save, but no way. I hate hospitals."

"I do, too, Hank. But you're running a high fever and are beginning to suffer from dehydration."

"That's why I drank some of those sports drinks when I took my first dose of the medicine last night."

"Last night?" Connor's brow furrowed with worry. "When did you begin to feel ill?"

"I dunno... A little after I got home, I guess. I didn't tell ya' because you were still feeling rotten after your food poisoning, and had only just begun eating real food again after being sick all week."

"What were your first symptoms?"

"Jeez, I thought you preferred being a detective, not a medic."

"I'm not trying to be a medic." Connor admitted with a slight grimace. "But I am knowledgeable enough with medicine, and I am going to take care of you to the best of my ability."

"...Meaning what, exactly?"

"I can give an accurate possible diagnosis of your condition but I cannot properly treat you."

"Oh, well-" Hank suddenly let out another deep cough that was accompanied by a very distinct rattling sound that alarmed Connor upon hearing it.

Lightly Connor removed the pillow from behind Hank's back as he helped the detective to lay down once again. Replacing the pillow beneath Hank's head Connor pressed his right hand back down over the detective's forehead and noted that Hank's fever had risen in the few minutes that the senior detective had been awake and alert.

"Hank, please." Connor put his left hand on Hank's chest to try to hold the senior detective as steady as possible until the coughing fit passed. "Your fever is easily at one-hundred and two degress. You need help."

"...I got help." Hank all but wheezed as he finally caught his breath. "_You_."

"But I just-"

"I know you're not a doctor," the sick detective paused for a moment to take a deep calming breath before he continued. "but I trust you."

"I... Very well." Connor relented as he agreed to take care of Hank himself. "I will let Sumo and Ruby outside, and I'll bring you additional medication. Perhaps something that can ease the fever to prevent it from becoming dangerously high. ...Not that it's not already right on the threshold of being dangerous."

The dedicated young detective reluctantly left the bedroom to allow the two dogs outside through the backdoor in the kitchen for a moment. Sumo and Ruby were more than ready to go outside after being cooped up all day and practically sprinted through the opened door as Connor returned his attention to the various medications that Hank had purchased after Connor became human, and had left strewn about in the middle of the kitchen table.

Isolating the obviously effective sleeping pills from the rest of the medication Connor carefully read the active ingredients printed on the back of each box and selected the pills that contained the appropriate amount of fever reducer without containing any sedatives. Tearing open the box he took two pills from the plastic and foil packaging, as well as the green tinted bottle of the remaining six various sports drinks from the refrigerator, before returning to Hank's bedroom.

Hank had his eyes closed again but he was still awake. As soon as he heard Connor's footsteps he opened his tired eyes again and looked at his adopted son hovering protectively over him. "Well?"

Connor extended his hand to offer Hank the medicine and the drink. "This should bring down your fever. I'm getting you some ice as well."

"Sure, whatever." Hank popped the pills into his mouth and as he screwed off the cap from the offered drink's bottle while Connor stepped back out of the bedroom.

Swallowing the pills with a mouthful of lime flavored electrolytes Hank listened to Connor in the kitchen downstairs opening the freezer door to gather some ice to put inside a plastic bag for a cold compress. Before he returned to the bedroom Connor stopped inside the bathroom to grab a washcloth to wrap around the ice to ensure it wasn't too cold for Hank to bear.

Hank made sure to let Connor know that he appreciated all the concern and the help the moment his son returned to the bedroom. "Thanks for doing this, by the way."

Connor just nodded a little as he smoothed the cold compress over Hank's forehead gently. "You've taken care of me more times than you should have had to do. I'm happy to help you."

"Just don't make it a habit, alright?"

"I will do my best." Sitting down on the edge of the bed again Connor monitored Hank's condition visually. "When was the last time you had something to eat?"

"I honestly can't say. I haven't had much of an appetite since yesterday morning."

"I'll make you some toast. It'll be easy on your stomach."

"Thanks, but I haven't been throwing-up."

"That's a good sign, it's one less symptom to worry about." Connor gave Hank a reassuring smile as he departed the bedroom. "I won't be too far if you need anything."

As he walked down the hallway Connor pulled his phone from his pocket and found Lucas's number in his list of contacts again. As he pressed 'dial' he returned to the kitchen and opened the backdoor to allow Sumo and Ruby back inside the house and set about placing a piece of bread into the toaster to warm.

"I'm with dad and he is sick. I'm going to stay with him and away from work until he begins to recover."

There was a pause before the exhausted deviant woke up and replied to his brother's text. '_Do you need me to return_?'

"He is not in any immediate danger, but if his condition does begin to degrade I will have to take him to the hospital."

'_I understand. Stay in touch_.'

"I will. Thanks." As Connor ended the call the toast popped out of the toaster in a timely manner. Placing the warm toast on a paper towel he carried it out of the kitchen and up the stairs to offer to Hank in his own bedroom. Standing beside the bed he offered the small amount of food to the sick detective to take when he was ready to try to eat. "It's not much, but it's better than continuing to fast while your body attempts to fight off the infection."

"...Thanks." Hank took the toast in his right hand and lightly bit down on one of the corners. Despite not having eaten in almost two full days Hank still didn't have much of an appetite. "Anything interesting happen while I was sick in bed all day?"

"No. I was placed on desk duty and had finished filing my reports long before it was time to leave."

"Sorry. Hope you weren't too bored."

"I wasn't bored, but I did find today rather dull."

"How's Lucas doing?"

"His day was less dull." Connor confirmed with a slight smile as he spoke about his little brother. "The deviants that have gathered at the facility in Boston were in great need of treatment. Lucas was quite busy as he tended to their repairs and helped them become registered as individuals under the new android protection laws. They are now free."

"That's good. At least something good happened today for one of us." Hank put aside the toast and closed his eyes as he felt overwhelmingly tired. "I just wish I could go one year without catching the damn flu."

"I'm sure you don't have the flu." Connor stated somewhat curtly as he corrected the detective. "I think you have bronchitis."

"...Same thing."

"No, it's not."

Letting out another sigh and covering his mouth with his left hand as another cough escaped his lips Hank let himself begin to drift off to sleep. "I'll be fine, son. Why don't you go downstairs so I don't accidentally get you sick? You're just getting over food poisoning AND heart surgery. You need to be careful."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, if you are going to stick around could you at least go into your bedroom or something? I don't want you watching me while I sleep."

"Sure, I'll be in the livingroom if you need anything." As Connor left the bedroom he pulled the door partially shut behind himself and walked as quietly as he could down the hallway to descend the staircase sit down on the couch in the livingroom. After slipping off his jacket Connor began patting his leg to call Sumo and Ruby over to him, and began to aggressively rub at the two dogs' soft ears. "Too bad you can't help me take care of Hank. That would make things a lot easier."

The massive dog happily leaned into Connor's hand, while the slightly smaller puppy pressed up against Connor's leg while the younger man gave them his full attention. There was a soft knock at the front door that caused Connor's brow to arch in confusion briefly as he rose from the couch to answer the door. The guest was someone that Connor wasn't expecting, but was welcome all the same.

"Skye? Hi..."

"Hi, Connor. Lucas told me that Hank was ill and wanted me to check in on things." A plastic grocery bag was clutched tightly in her right hand and held numerous items she had purchased from the nearby store. "I hope that's okay."

"It's fine, come in. Thank you for helping."

As Skye walked into the house Sumo and Ruby rushed up to the kind deviant and anxiously awaited additional attention. Skye happily patted Sumo's head and rubbed at Ruby's ears as she looked to Connor and nodded at the bag still in her hand. "I brought some things that humans claim to work as home remedies. If Hank doesn't want to go to the hospital then perhaps this will aid his recovery instead."

"That was a good idea." Connor took the bag from Skye's hand and carried it into the kitchen. "I have already given him some medication to reduce his fever and he is now resting upstairs."

Skye finished petting Sumo and Ruby before she joined Connor in the kitchen. "One of the treatments that humans often rely on is chicken soup." As she spoke to Connor he began to carefully unpack the items from the bag. "I will attempt to make the soup, but it will require an hour to do so properly."

"Have you ever cooked a meal before?"

"No, never. Have you?"

"Yes, many times. It's not difficult, I can show you how." Connor volunteered as he set about locating the necessary utensils throughout the kitchen. "Hank taught me how to do this two weeks after I moved in with him while I was still a deviant."

"But why? You didn't have to eat."

"No, but I did enjoy learning new things, and I still do. I found cooking to be an fascinating experience as it has a scientific approach that intrigues me."

"Scientific?"

"It's difficult to explain, but by following a recipe and seeing the individual ingredients blending together into a single finished meal reminds me of how our software undergoing updates takes individual response commands that helped us improve ourselves."

"I can see how you'd find that interesting." Smiling brightly Skye eyed over the ingredients and the cooking utensils that were being laid out over the counters for proper meal preparation. "Show me!"

"Alright," Connor grinned a little at Skye's enthusiasm. "I'll be happy to show you how to cook. It's a hobby I truly enjoy."

* * *

An hour after he had fallen asleep Hank was gently awoken by Connor's right hand pressing down against his forehead lightly to check his fever once more. As he opened his tried blue eyes and regained his senses, as sluggish and stuffed up as they may be, Hank was greeted by both Connor and Skye standing beside his bed. While Connor retracted his hand he sat back down on the edge of the bed and gently helped Hank to sit upright for a moment as they took care of the ill senior detective.

"Connor, Skye." Hank sighed as he recognized the duo instantly. "What's going on?"

"Your fever has dropped to a more manageable degree. You are also no longer trembling."

"...When did Skye get here?"

"One hour, six minutes ago." The deviant replied sharply with a smirk on his face.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

Connor shrugged his shoulders a little. "You needed to rest."

"Doesn't matter. I want to know when my son's friends stop by, no matter what the reason or the time of day."

"Sorry, Hank. If this happens again I will wake you sooner."

"Why did you wake me at all, though?"

Skye smiled a little as she answered on Connor's behalf. "We thought you might want to try to eat some chicken soup instead of just toast."

"Wait... You two were cooking while I was sleeping?"

"Yes." Skye confirmed, her brow furrowing slightly. "Was that wrong or inappropriate?"

"No, just... unexpected. I mean, I know Connor can cook but not you, Skye. No offense." Hank looked at the time on his alarm clock beside the bed and sighed. "It's getting late, but, yeah. I'll try to eat some of that soup."

Nodding happily Skye stepped out of the bedroom into the kitchen downstairs to retrieve the tray that had the bowl of soup to deliver to Hank.

"Perhaps you should call in sick tomorrow as well." Connor suggested with poorly masked concern in his voice. "You will need at least one day to recover from your bronchitis."

"...Okay, but _you_ still have to go to work tomorrow no matter how poorly I may feel."

"But you need-"

"I have Skye and anyone else from New Jericho to fall back on, now don't I?" Hank's voice was firm but not aggressive as he spoke. "Don't try to do too much at once, son. You'll burn yourself out again."

Connor gave Hank an appreciative, if not amused, smile upon hearing his kind words directed toward Skye. "So... you trust her?"

"Of course I do. She's your friend and you're a great judge of character." Hank stated with a faint smile. "She's not a cold heartless machine, and she's been helping New Jericho since her first day there."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

Skye returned with the serving tray with the freshly made bowl of soup over it and gently laid it out over Hank's lap. A glass of water had also been set on the tray just in case Hank wanted something less sugary in his diet while he recovered.

"Thanks you two." The senior detective made his gratitude known. "I appreciate all your help."

"You're welcome, dad." Connor stepped back from the bed as Hank steadily showed improvement. "It's what families do for each other. Right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Hank weakly smiled at younger detective, grateful for Connor's empathy and kindness. Dipping the spoon into the bowl Hank gave the soup a wary glance, but knew he at least needed to try to eat it. "I'm glad you understand. Families are important."

_**-next chapter-**_


	45. The Hunt Begins

The precinct recovered well from the mass food poisoning epidemic, Connor recovered from his own bout of food poisoning as well, Hank had managed to recover from his bronchitis, and everything went about as normal. Sitting behind his terminal screen quietly Connor danced his half-dollar coin over the knuckles of his right hand as he finished his reports, then began looking into the deviant known as 'Damien' as Markus had requested a few weeks prior. It was unusual that the deviant in question would suddenly begin trying to harm humans in the city with 'red ice' after the success of the Revolution, and after so many bills giving androids equal rights had passed. It was as if Damien had an ulterior motive for harming humans, and whatever that reason was Connor was determined to find out.

Getting lost in his research Connor had tuned out the entirety of the bullpen around him and remained entirely focused on his task at hand.

Casually Hank walked over to his desk with a mug of coffee in one hand and a super sugary doughnut in the other. Sitting down behind his own terminal he was waiting for Connor to make some comment on eating the doughnut, but the younger man didn't notice. "Finish those reports on the shoplifters the deviants identified?"

"...Yeah."

"What about the report on the mayor's assistant accidentally poisoning the precinct by pissing off the caterers?"

"...Yeah."

Taking a bite of his doughnut Hank watched Connor's soulful brown eyes slowly moving from left to right as he read his screen and continued to dance his half-dollar coin over his right knuckles gracefully. "Did you notice that this morning I died my hair green and then braided it?"

"...Yeah."

"Connor? You're shirt's on fire."

"...Yeah."

Snapping his right fingers twice Hank managed to finally pull Connor's attention from the screen and over to himself. "Alright, kid. What's so damn fascinating?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He blinked a few times as he finally looked Hank in the eyes and finally responded appropriately. "I was working on a case regarding a deviant and a possible connection to the 'red ice' distribution throughout the city."

"Whoa, wait, since when do deviants deal drugs? Androids can't get high." Hank's head tilted a little as an interesting question popped into his head. "...Can they?"

"No, androids can't get high or feel any type of ecstasy from indulging in any type of drug."

"Then why make it?"

"According to Markus the deviant I'm looking into wanted to set off a dirty-bomb in the city during the night of the Revolution. North managed to talk him out of detonating the bomb and took the detonator from him, and then Markus disabled the detonator once a peaceful resolution was reached. A few months after the Revolution the deviant of interest seemingly disappeared without a trace."

"And now this deviant is suddenly active again?" Taking another bite of the doughnut Hank chased it with a swig of his coffee and found himself now just as interested in the case as Connor currently was. "What gives?"

"I don't know, but Markus is worried that Damien has been working with 'red ice' dealers and is intentionally making the batches of the drug so potent that it'll cause an near instantaneous overdose."

"Well, with a deviant named 'Damien' I'm not at all surprised he might be dangerous. I've seen 'The Omen'."

From his own desk Chris gave Hank a playful gripe. "Hey! Don't forget my son is named Damian, too."

"Yeah, but your son is cute." Taking another sip of his coffee Hank stood by his remark. "We're dealing with a psychotic deviant and they're never cute."

Flashing Hank a somewhat annoyed stare about the comments Connor resumed his search for the deviant. "He hasn't been seen in the past four months by any deviants, which is in itself disconcerting. When a deviant disappears it either means they're injured, or they've intentionally gone into hiding."

"Hiding from what?"

"My guess would be the law. If Damien has a history of mishandling toxic substances and possibly a history of aggression then it makes since that he'd want to lay low for while, and if he's gained a reputation as a hostile being then it's only logical that he'd isolated himself from other deviants."

"Think you can find him?"

"With enough time, yes. Until I get an accurate lead I'll need to rely on witness confirmation and proper identification."

* * *

While on their lunchbreak Connor continued to check his phone for updates on the search for Damien and Hank reminded him the dangers of obsessing. It didn't take long for the subject to change in full as a deviant on patrol with Chris had properly identified a known 'red ice' dealer who was lurking around a high school, and Chris had confronted him directly. During the confrontation Chris saw that the man was clearly high and had 'red ice' on his person, which meant he was sitting in the precinct cells just waiting for Hank to interrogate him.

"Duty calls." Finishing off the rest of his lunch, a small submarine sandwich and carrot sticks, Hank turned over the engine of the car and pulled away from the street to head back to the precinct. "Going to join me on this one?"

"Considering that Damien is connected with 'red ice' dealers I suspect joining in on the interrogation could prove beneficial."

"Don't get your hopes up too high, kid. Sometimes one dealer can't lead to a whole ring."

"I'm aware." Pocketing his phone Connor glanced out the window and saw the dozens of unknown faces that he could no longer scan and identify, and let out a weary sigh. "But until something more definitive comes along it's the best I have to possibly work with."

* * *

The sight of the tweaking, jumpy 'red ice' junkie sitting at the table with his left wrist cuffed to the top of the table was a pathetic sight to behold. It was evident at one point the scrawny dirty man was once a broadly built and well off individual. His stained baggy clothes had once been expensive high end material, but was now reduced to rags. His thin, greasy, stringy blond hair had been neglected and unwashed for some time, and the sight of his yellowed, blackened and corroded teeth was almost as unsettling as his wide and bloodshot red eyes.

Always professional Hank walked into the interrogation room casually and sat down in the chair across from the man with a paper file containing his previous crimes, (paper proving more secure than anything digital), and placed it on the table between himself and the suspect.

"James DuQuesne." Hank began in a calm voice as he studied the junkie's demeanor. "Says here you just got out of a four year prison sentence for dealing out 'red ice' only two months ago. Looks like four years of sobriety didn't sit well with you."

"Leave me alone." With his right hand free James scratched feverishly at his arms and his neck as he began to sweat and come down from his high. "I just want to go!"

"Can't do that, James. You were lurking near a high school, obviously high, and you were found with almost a full pound of 'red ice' on ya'. We can't just turn away from something as serious as that."

"...What do you want?"

"Where'd you get your 'red ice'?"

"...A f-friend."

"Some 'friend'." Hank remarked as he flipped open the file and showed James a photograph of who he used to be just five years prior. "Look at this. You used be the captain of your football team and had a full scholarship to the University of Michigan. Then six weeks after graduation you were dropped off at the E.R. from an overdose of 'red ice'. The university found out and revoked your scholarship, and all of your high school friends moved on without you. Well, not ALL of your friends anyway..."

"Shut up! You don't know me!"

"Oh, but I do. I've been doing this job for over sixteen years now and I've seen people like you come and go; some are repeat visits while others get their shit together and move on with their lives. Why didn't you?"

"Shut up!"

"Nope. You had everything taken away by one bad mistake with a night on 'red ice'. You know this shit is hurting you, so why do you keep taking it?"

"Shut up!"

"James, I'm not going to do that. You're twenty-three years old and you like like a fifty year old man! Are you just going to smoke away your life and die in the gutter?"

"...I... I can't..."

"Yes, you can. There's dozens of rehab facilities throughout the city that specialize in 'red ice' addiction, and they'll keep your 'friend' from getting to you while you're trying to recover."

"Why do you care?!"

"Because 'red ice' is poisoning this city and I swore to protect this city from anything, and anyone. That includes _you_."

James was silent and kept scratching at his arms and his neck as his addiction continued to ache at every nerve in his body.

"Where are you parents, James?"

"...Dad kicked me out when I got arrested. Mom left when I was a kid."

"Grandparents?"

"Gone."

"Siblings?"

"...Younger sister. She doesn't w-want anything to do with me."

"Where is she?"

"...I dunno'. California somewhere."

"I see. Look James, I'm not here to try to hurt you or insult you in anyway. The reason you got picked up is because you were lurking around your old high school, a place with absolute zero tolerance on drugs, and you had a pound of 'red ice' on ya'. You're going to prison again for at least two years. In those two years you can get sober and STAY sober. You don't have to fall back on the drugs once you're out."

"...It's everywhere. It's fuckin' EVERYWHERE."

"Don't I know it. Give me the name of your dealer, or your 'friend', and he'll go to prison, too. He'll be locked up WAY longer than you, so once you complete your rehab you can leave clean, stay clean and not have to worry about that asshole getting you hooked again."

"...Do you... Do you think I can... still go to school?"

"Why not? There's no time or age limit on education. But if you keep smoking that shit you'll never get far in life."

"...What... What do you need to know?"

"Names." Slipping an electronic pad toward James with a single motion Hank watched the scared kid's face carefully. "At least one. But the more names you can give that lead to an arrest the less time you'll have to do in prison. One successful arrest equals one month off your prison time."

"...O-Okay. Just..." Picking up the stylus James began to scribble down one name, then a second and a third. "just don't let them know it was me."

"Deal. We'll keep your name quiet."

* * *

Connor was sitting with Chris in the observation room watching the interrogation as Hank spoke with the suspect on the other side of the one-way mirror. Once James began listing off names Connor checked through the people that had been listed through his own synced up tablet, and attempted to draw a connection between at least one of the provided names with Damien.

"Amazing how he can do that." Chris stated confidently as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

With his brow arching a little Connor asked what Chris was referring to. "Get suspects to talk?"

"No. Reach scared young kids like that without pushing too hard."

Glancing up from the screen in his hand Connor peered through the window and saw the same patient understanding that Hank had shown him countless times in the past. "You're right. I never thought about that before."

"I bet that kid is going to get clean and stay clean now that he'll get away from his drug contacts."

"I hope you're right. It's unfortunate to see so many people affected by drug abuse."

* * *

Two of the six names provided by James had connections to the biggest 'red ice' dealers in the city, and one of the those dealers was currently free on the streets, while the other had been shot down in a drug deal gone wrong three weeks prior. The other four names led to smaller drug dealers who were easily located and arrested accordingly. Most importantly the drug dealer still on the street was a confirmed associate to the deviant known as Damien, and could provide a possible lead to finally locate the missing deviant.

"This is interesting." Connor noted as he focused on his terminal screen while Hank leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest for a while. "The drug dealer known as 'The Minister', real name Owen Jones, was an advocate for android rights before the Revolution even happened, and has many android contacts he's been associated with."

"Why's that interesting?"

"After the Revolution 'The Minister' was arrested for drug distribution, but the area he was accused of selling to still received drugs despite him being in jail to await his trial. Due to the continued drug distribution the defense argued that as proof of 'The Minister's' innocence as he had zero contact with any affiliates while in jail. I suspect Damien was working with him and continued to distribute the drugs to give 'The Minister' a false alibi."

"That_ is_ interesting." Opening his eyes Hank looked over the desk around his own terminal toward Connor's direction. "Got any idea where Damien could be hiding out?"

"I have a general idea. 'The Minister' and his associates often operated out of a seedy motel on the outskirts of town before 'The Minister' died from brain cancer last year."

"It's _always_ some shitty motel that no one wants to stay at... Where is the motel located?"

"Two miles East of the city, just outside the city limits. It's the 'Broken Ridge' motel."

"Fuck. I know that place."

"How so?"

"About seven years ago there was a homicide. A poor maid got her throat slit when she happened by the parking lot where there was a sexual assault in progress. Neither victim made it and that asshole didn't last more than four months in prison before he got shanked in the shower."

"...That seems unusually aggressive."

"Well, that victim he was sexually abusing was a minor. Sick fucks like that never last long in prison, and as far as I care that was a huge service to the community."

"Oh. I suppose I can agree with that."

"Anyway, the old manager was arrested for being complicit with that sick behavior and the new manager wasn't that much better. While he wasn't a sexual pervert he was a notorious drug fiend. We never received any drug complaints after that, and I think he either wised up and stopped using, or it's more likely he just stopped trying to deal while on the clock where he could be busted in a timely manner."

"Should we check it out?"

"Sure. Let's get out there and have a look before we head home."

* * *

The motel was as rundown and dreary as Hank remembered. While the flickering blue neon 'Welcome' sign was brightly lit the rest of the area was dim, and absolutely foreboding. Only a handful of rundown cars were parked outside the two story motel, and half of the rooms were evidently occupied as a dull yellow glow emanated through the windows despite the thin curtains being drawn shut.

"Tina and I investigated a motel like this not too long ago." Connor remarked in a dour voice. "It's a shame so many of these places have to exist."

"Yeah, some people don't have much of choice." Turning off the engine Hank opened his door and watched as Connor did the same. "Either from being registered as some demented fuck, or unwilling to work and pay rent, these rundown places seem to fill up with the worst of the worse."

"If Damien is here we might be able to speak with him and determine whether or not he's a credible threat to the city."

"Innocent until proven guilty; glad you're still not so jaded that you'll condemn everyone by reputation alone."

"The day I can't remain objective and unbiased then I think that'll be the day I retire."

"Good policy." Entering the manager's office Hank showed the manager his badge before asking a few questions. "Hey, there. I'm Lieutenant Anderson," motioning to Connor beside him he introduced them both. "and this my partner Sergeant Anderson. There might a dangerous deviant hiding out here."

"Deviant? No way!" Leaning over the counter toward Hank the manager's foul breath stunk through his teeth as he tried to spout misinformed hatred to the seasoned detective. "Between you and me-"

"If you say one word about androids being plastic or not alive I'm going to come back here with a search warrant and drug dogs."

"...Uh... Anyway," the manager wisely leaned back and didn't say anything further. "I don't house deviants here. I don't trust 'em."

Connor wanted to speak up but Hank cut him off. "I'm sure the humans you do house aren't much better. We got a pretty reliable tip that some shady characters dealing drugs are in the area. Have an opinion on that?"

"N-No, sir."

"Uh-huh, that's what everyone says. We're going to take a quick look around and be on our way, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah... Sure."

Motioning for Connor to follow after him the two detectives walked out of the office and began walking through the parking lot to check on the license plates and run some numbers. One by one Hank used his phone to take photos and compare the numbers to an app designed to run plates and confirm warrants.

"Let's see... One for an unpaid parking ticket, who gives shit?" Hank noted as he checked another car and shook his head. "Unpaid child support... Nothing else. Did you find anything on your end?"

"No. Nothing worth-" Connor's brow furrowed a little as he caught sight of a person watching them through the curtain of the window from a room on the second floor. The room didn't have any lights on, but he could see someone moving about. "I think we're being watched."

"Of course we are. Get a face?"

"Not from this distance, no."

"Well, let's head back to the precinct and clock out for the day."

"You're going back so quickly?"

"We don't have a warrant or any definitive proof that Damien is here." Remaining in control and nonchalant he walked back to the car with Connor right at his side Hank explained his reasons. "Let's get back to the precinct and worry about it later."

"What about the motel?"

"Well, if that manager is as sleazy as I think he is he's going to let his 'buddies' know the cops are hanging out and that'll cause them to flee. We'll have patrol hang out on the block in an unmarked car for about a week, and anyone who flees matching Damien's appearance will be tailed."

"You've rooted out hiding suspects many different times. That's very clever."

"And don't you forget it." Returning to their car the two detectives decided to head out for the precinct to call it a day. "I may be older than you, and you may have a fantastic memory and a ridiculously high I.Q., but I can still teach you a thing or two."

"Thanks to my fantastic memory that won't ever be a problem."

"Such a smartass."

As the car drove away from the motel parking lot Connor glanced in the rearview mirror and could see the same person who had been watching them from their window peering out at them again. An unsettling chill ran up Connor's spine as he caught only the faintest glimpse of the unnerving person staring at them as they drove off, and made a note regarding the room where they were hiding out.

"I get the feeling we'll be coming back here, Hank."

"Yeah? Me too."

_**-next chapter-**_


	46. A Personal Grievance

A riot in the shopping district of Hart Plaza had drawn every available police officer to the scene of the chaos as anti-android gang members began waging war against the pro-android sympathizers in a mad display of needless aggression. Numerous storefront windows had been broken by bricks and smashed open by people using their weapons as blunt force instruments during the fighting to be looted, but most of the damage was just the result of the nearby fights causing collateral damage.

Several humans had been harmed in the midst of the struggles but just as many courageous deviants had interfered and carried the wounded to safety while also attempting to quell the violence without resorting to violence themselves. The tension in the air was palpable and everyone was looking for someone else to blame for the carnage.

"Damn it, I thought the fuckin' gang wars were finally done." Hank swore as he pulled the car to a stop along the street with the other responding squad cars. He took in the chaotic scene with a heavy heart and forced his door open. "I thought we could finally move past all this bullshit."

"Evidently not." Connor noted as he overlooked the massive group of rioters; there were humans and androids alike all mixed together and covered in one another's blood. "Both sides are currently guilty of reeking havoc at this moment."

"Come on, we need to stop this before it gets any worse."

"I'm right behind you." The young detective agreed as he opened his car door and pulled his gun from the holster wrapped around his back, and concealed under his gray suit jacket and leather jacket. "I don't want to harm anyone, but they may leave us with no choice."

Before either of the detectives had arrived a S.W.A.T. team had already been dispatched to control the rampaging riot, but the destruction of the violent criminals was proving to be a massive undertaking to control.

"Knock it off!" Hank shouted as he isolated one of the gang members and grabbed onto the lead pipe that man was going to use to strike another person who was already cowering on the sidewalk. "You're under arrest! Turn around!"

Connor did his best to disperse the crowd without drawing any attention to the fact that he was once the infamous 'Deviant Hunter' to the angry deviants all around him. Doing so would potentially paint a giant red target on his back, and make things very complicated. Carefully Connor weaved his way through the combative crowd to subdue the most violent of the gang members while also trying to protect innocent bystanders caught in the middle of the carnage.

The riot was becoming increasingly dense and violent as angry people from all over the city converged on the scene in violent droves. Angry shouts, violent brawls and the threat of murder was horrifically heavy in the air as the city threatened to tear itself apart all over again.

"Shit, this isn't working." Connor realized as he holstered his gun and focused primarily on aiding the wounded. Locking onto a person laying face down at the opening of an alley with a black hoodie pulled up over their face Connor rushed over to the person with the intent to help them get to safety. "Sir? Sir, can you hear me?"

Connor eyed the person's body and found them uninjured and safe to move. Putting his right hand on the person's shoulder Connor rolled them from their chest and onto their left side easily to check on their current condition, and to look at their face.

"Sir? Can you-"

The person reached their right hand into the large pocket on the front of their hoodie and revealed a powerful taser. Without a word they unleashed the full voltage of the taser against Connor's left shoulder and into his body, stunning the young detective instantly.

Collapsing backward in a limp heap Connor's head lolled to the side as his eyes fell shut and he knew nothing more of the world around him.

The riot continued on without showing any sign of stopping as people shouted and lashed out at one another violently, angrily and seemingly without purpose. Battered bodies fell to the streets and sidewalks as the S.W.A.T. team subdued as many of the rioters as possible, while Hank and the other responding police officers at the scene attempted to arrest those ostensibly responsible for the chaos.

Due to the overwhelming number of people and constant commotion of the ongoing fighting, no one noticed the person in black disappearing down the alleyway with Connor unconscious and slumped over his shoulder. The alleyway led out of the plaza to a back street, and single large, black pick-up truck was sitting idle out of anyone's line of sight. Pulling down the tailgate to the bed of their pick-up truck the person hefted Connor into the back of the truck, laying the unconscious young detective face down on his chest and next to a black tarp.

Removing the holster and the gun from around Connor's back the enigmatic abductor left the subdued detective unarmed and defenseless. Taking Connor's own handcuffs from the back of his belt the mysterious person cuffed Connor's hands behind his back, then pulled a bundle of rope from under the tarp to bind Connor's ankles and knees together to ensure he couldn't walk, let alone run.

Wrapping the same rope around Connor's neck and then weaving the same rope to a metal loop within the bed of the truck the abductor was able to ensure that if Connor regained consciousness he wouldn't be able to escape.

Placing a black canvas bag lined with lead over Connor's head, and draping the tarp over Connor's body, to keep Connor blind and unseen by any passersby the lone abductor returned to the cab of the truck and pulled out of the alley out of sight.

The abduction went completely unnoticed all because of the needless ensuing riot in the plaza.

* * *

News helicopters hovered over the plaza and recorded the mayhem for all the city, if not the entire world, to see. The debate revolving around the rights, the equality, the matter of androids lives even being considered valuable, had returned to the hostile spotlight as hundreds of humans and deviants tore one another apart in the heart of the city for the second time in the same year.

While the city was focused on the riot no one cared about other criminal activity taking place all around them.

Cars were being hijacked, empty homes were being burglarized and small stores were being looted.

It seemed like the entire city had fallen into Hell all due to hatred, bigotry and misplaced aggression broiling up and being set off without cause or warning.

The destruction would leave ugly scars over the city, but in time the scars would fade. At least, that's what everyone had hoped the moment the riots began. Some scars aren't visible but they can be felt all the same and ache for all eternity. It seemed Detroit was destined to be plastered in painful scars that could never heal, and those who inflicted them would never be able to move beyond their own prejudices out of sheer stubbornness and misunderstandings.

* * *

The rogue pick-up truck reached its destination just outside the city with Connor still unconscious in the back as an unwilling hostage. Their destination was a horrible place that had been long since abandoned, and left to rot as a forgotten monument to the origins of artificial life. It was an old decaying warehouse that had once housed dozens of technicians, and hundreds of androids who were subjected to countless tests to determine their obedience and overall durability.

The warehouse was CyberLife's original warehouse; the birthplace of all androids.

Pulling up in front of the abandoned warehouse the truck backed up to the front doors as the driver exited the cab and pulled down the tailgate once more to get to their hostage. Removing the tarp that covered Connor's body the abductor pulled the bag away from Connor's head and checked on the young detective's current condition. He was still unconscious and not moving.

Replacing the bag over Connor's head and untying the rope from Connor's neck and ankles the abductor pulled the young detective's body over the edge of the truck bed, and back over their shoulder to carry Connor inside the warehouse. Entirely unconscious Connor was unaware of what was happening to him and of what was happening all around him. Bound and unarmed the unconscious detective was completely helpless as the unknown abductor carried him to the corner office on the ground floor of the warehouse, and sat him down in a metal folding chair.

The old office was dark, the main window covered under a black sheet and a single desk lamp pointed at the center of the room where the chair was sitting idle provided the only light for the entire room. The room itself was empty save for the lamp, chair and the desk where a laptop sat already opened just waiting to be used. The web camera on the laptop was aimed at the chair, primed and ready to record whatever, or whoever, was positioned in front of it.

Positioning Connor in an upright sitting position in the chair the abductor used small cables to tie Connor's ankles to the legs of the metal chair, then pulled his cuffed arms over the back of the chair and secured a cable to his wrists around the chair once more. The detective was bound to the chair with no means of wriggling his arms or his legs free if and when he regained consciousness.

The abductor opened the top drawer of the desk and retrieved a white plastimetal collar that had a small red light glowing on the front over top of a metal clasp. Opening the collar up with mild hindrance the abductor slipped it around Connor's neck, positioning the red light over his throat, then secured it into place with an audible 'click'.

"Wake up, 'RK-800'." The abductor never lowered their hoodie to unveil their face despite being alone and Connor being blinded by the bag over his head, and still being unconscious. A voice modulator disguised the abductor's voice making it androgynously ambiguous. "You have a message to deliver..."

* * *

The riot had finally been broken apart, and the guilty parties had been arrested.

Relieved to have the riot under control Hank sat on the back bumper of an ambulance with a tissue and small bag of ice pressed to his bloodied lip. Exhausted and sore from the fighting that lasted for nearly an hour Hank looked about the ruins of the plaza and counted the number of bodies laying unconscious over the sidewalks and streets as the dozens of paramedics at the scene tended to their injuries. Almost as many bodies were laying on the sidewalks with sheets covering their faces as they had succumbed to their wounds long before anyone medical help could come their way.

It was a senseless loss during a senseless tragedy.

Standing up from the bumper Hank walked toward his own car parked a few yards away as he looked over the crowd in search for Connor, but he didn't see the younger man anywhere. "Connor? Where are ya', kid?" It was very unlike Connor leave Hank's line of sight while on the clock, and an uneasy pit formed in the center of Hank's stomach. "Hey," Hank stopped a passing officer as she walked through the mess filing her report to ask about his missing partner. "have you seen Connor?"

"Your partner?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"No, but I think I saw him go in that direction when the riot started."

Hank looked to where she had pointed and waved her off dismissively as he jogged to where the young man had last been seen.

"Connor?" Hank glanced about for any sign of the younger man but there was nothing to go from. "Shit, Connor, where'd you go?"

Moving through the plaza quickly Hank looked in every logical place where he believed that Connor would be, yet he couldn't see him. Connor wasn't aiding the wounded, helping his fellow officers, or subduing any remaining combative suspect. The young detective wouldn't just leave the scene of an active crime, let alone go anywhere with telling Hank of his location.

It was as if Connor had disappeared off of the face of the Earth.

Sensing on a paternal instinct that something was very wrong Hank began peering through the broken windows of the shops and around every street corner of the plaza. As he passed the alleyways he looked down each of the narrow passageways finding nothing of interest until he passed by the fourth alley. There was something metallic and wrapped in leather laying in the middle of the alley as if dropped haphazardly. The shape was oddly familiar and the recognition made Hank's stomach tighten into a firm knot that felt like it was going to make him sick.

"...Son of a bitch." Without hesitation Hank rushed down the alley and identified the curious object as Connor's still holstered gun. Grabbing the weapon from the dirty ground of the alley Hank held it in his hands as his blood turned cold. "Connor. No."

"Lieutenant!" The female officer that Hank had spoken to minutes before came racing down the alleyway after him. "Lieutenant Anderson, you're needed back at your precinct."

"I'm not going anywhere until I find Connor." Hank refuted as he turned around to face her. "Something's happened to him."

"Yes, sir." Acknowledging his answer in an oddly despondent tone the young officer appeared to bow her head with remorse as she spoke up again. "That's why they want you at the precinct."

"What?"

"I don't know the details, but I do know it has something to do with your partner."

The knot in his stomach tightened even further and Hank had to swallow down the anxious nausea welling up in his throat. "...Damn it."

* * *

Remaining professional and calm Captain Fowler was waiting for Hank's return to the precinct with a controlled fear in his eyes as he paced about his office with his hands folded neatly behind his back military style. There was a large terminal display on his desk with a strange video cued up and ready to play, but he didn't dare let the footage roll. Joel, the precinct's personal technician, was waiting with Captain Fowler in the office with a cold grimace on his face as too awaited Hank's return, and subsequently his next orders after everything was laid out.

Like a man on a mission Hank himself marched through the bullpen of the precinct and made a beeline straight for Captain Fowler's office. Hank had Connor's still holstered gun in his hand, and an unspoken fear in his eyes. Dropping the gun on his desk as he passed it by Hank rushed up the small steps into the large glass office and closed the door behind himself before he addressed his commanding officer bitterly.

"What the fuck's going on?" Hank nearly shouted with impatient frustration as he stood on the opposite side of Captain Fowler's desk where his captain was still pacing and waiting for his arrival. "Where's Connor?"

Upon hearing Hank's voice Captain Fowler stopped his pacing abruptly. Unable to explain things properly all he could do was point to the display on his terminal as he turned the screen to face Hank, and wait for Hank to look at the unsettling image being displayed. "Take a look."

Following his Captain's hand Hank looked at the display and felt the color drain from his face. "What the fuck is this?"

"A ransom, it seems." Captain Fowler stated flatly as he looked over to Hank with a sympathetic stare. "This is a live feed. But nothing's happened, at least not yet. It was sent to us about ten minutes ago."

The video image showed Connor sitting in a metal folding chair still unconscious, with his arms and ankles bound against his will. The black bag that had been covering Connor's head had been thrown aside allowing the officers to see Connor's expressionless face. Connor's head was lolling limply against his left shoulder as he remained unconscious, and the odd collar was still wrapped around his throat. Black electrical charring over his left shoulder was the direct result of being tasered, and it mirrored raw burn wounds that charred his skin beneath the damaged fabric.

"Shit." Hank swore again as he stared at the unsettling image on the terminal screen. "Where the fuck is he?" Finally taking notice of Joel also in the office Hank barked an order at the technician as he refused to just stand around and wait for a lead to show up. "Track down the source of the feed!"

Joel put his hand on Hank's tense shoulder only to immediately retract his touch out of wary fear of the intimidating seasoned detective. "We've been trying, but whoever is sending this feed knows how to hide their location. I'm still looking." Before Hank had the chance to swear again a figure appeared on the feed and stood behind Connor. "Hey, something's happening."

Quickly Hank turned his attention from Joel and back to the terminal display. "Who the fuck- What's that asshole doing to him?"

* * *

The figure, still concealed entirely under the thick black hoodie, reached a gloved right hand out to the back of Connor's right ear and pressed down. As they retracted their hand from Connor's his brown eyes fluttered open upon feeling the sudden contact. Looking about the dim room carefully Connor tried to speak but total silence escaped his lips as the collar's red light flashed rapidly, stealing away his voice before he had the chance to utter a single syllable.

"Greetings 'Detroit's finest'." The figure taunted through their unidentifiable voice. From behind their back the figure revealed a metal rod with thin sharp wire protruding from the end like a whip. "I've taken model 'RK-800' as compensation for the monetary loss I have suffered because of your compliance with the deviants, and their pitiful 'Revolution'."

Reeling their right hand back the figure used the whip and struck Connor over his chest without mercy. The wire sliced through the thin fabric of Connor's white dress shirt and black tie easily as it cut into his skin, bringing a fresh layer of dark red blood to the surface of the new wound. Connor began to bleed quickly and he gritted his teeth together to keep himself from screaming out in pain.

Without his voice Connor restrained a scream of pain that no one would hear regardless as the collar still clutched around his throat.

"Deviants have destroyed this city." The figure taunted again with pure anger in their words. "They destroyed everything that humanity has built. They have taken away my success and left me with ruin." The figure's voice carried fiery passion as they spoke with misplaced hatred. "I lost everything the night of the Revolution and I want it all back: My future in exchange for RK-800's return."

The figure draped the end of the whip over Connor's shoulder as if to intimidate the captive detective and tease the precinct watching the live feed from a distance.

"If you wish to have your android returned to you then heed my demands."

Understanding what was at stake Connor forced himself to remain calm and find a way to take control. There would be no negotiation, there would be no deals to be made. Connor wasn't property or a bargaining chip, he was a person and he was alive.

The figure unclasped the muting collar from around Connor's throat and pulled it aside as they pushed an electronic pad with a written message in front of Connor to read.

"Tell them what I want."

Remaining silent Connor glared venomously at the words for only a moment before he turned his gaze away from the pad in rebellion.

"Read it."

Refusing to obey the command Connor stubbornly kept silent.

"Damn you!" The figure used the whip again, this time striking Connor's front left shoulder hard enough to cause the detective to lean forward exposing his upper back for the second whip, and then the third. "READ IT."

Connor forced himself to remain silent just to spite his abductor, now torturer, as he sat back in the chair with perfect posture. Breathing slowly and calmly he again said nothing.

"RK-800. You WILL obey."

Silence.

"Piece of fuckin' shit!" Another whip struck Connor over his right shoulder up the side of his neck and to his face. A deep laceration wept red blood as the raw wound stung at him mercilessly. "You and the rest of your deviant brethren have cost me my life! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end yours!"

Ignoring the searing pain in his neck Connor swallowed once then finally spoke. "I can't give you any reason to spare my life, not that any possible reason would be enough to convince you otherwise." Turning his gaze just enough to look at the figure looming behind him Connor continuously refused to cooperate with his abductor's demands. "You've already made your decision; you're going to kill me regardless of my cooperation or that of the precinct. And I've made my own decision. I will not allow you to put my fellow officers, my _friends_, in harm's way. My life isn't equal to that of another. Kill me now or let me go, either way the people I care about will be safe, and I can die knowing that my final act was noble."

"Bold words coming from a machine. Too bad they're as worthless as your supposed existence."

"At least my existence carried merit. I_ helped_ people," Connor nearly spat as he glared at his captor with disgust in his soulful brown eyes. "all I've heard you do is bitch and moan selfishly about your own personal failures." Turning his eyes away from his captor Connor shook his head and held his breath as he prepared for the impending backlash for his righteous rebuttal. "You're absolutely pathetic."

"PATHETIC?!"

"You can't even see that I'm NOT an android." Feeling the hot, sticky red blood clinging to his clothing around his wounds Connor actually laughed a little. "My blood is RED you dense, ignorant piece of shit! Look at me! I'm a HUMAN, not an android."

Enraged by the insult the captor began to whip at Connor's shoulder and back mercilessly creating dozens upon dozens of deep lacerations that cut down to the muscle beneath, and threatened to fracture the bones and cartilage below that. Fresh blood splattered over Connor's white dress shirt and over the rest of his body as the whip swung wildly over and over again cutting into Connor's skin with painful strikes leaving raw bleeding wounds in its wake.

"I'LL BURY YOU OUT BACK WITH YOUR OTHER FAILED KIN!"

Enduring the beating with silent dignity Connor refused to admit pain or defeat even as his captor angrily threw down the whip in frustration. Focusing their anger at the precinct as they realized their plan was doomed to fail, they tore at the laptop on the desk abruptly ending the feed and leaving only a black, silent screen for the precinct to view.

* * *

"FUCK." Hank loudly swore as he turned away from the black screen sitting on Captain Fowler's desk. "We need to find Connor, NOW."

"I know Hank, I know." Captain Fowler tried to calm Hank down but there was nothing he could do or say in that moment. He knew full well how close Hank and Connor had become; like a real family as father and son. "But we don't know where he had been taken and we don't know one damn thing about that psycho who took him."

Turning back to Captain Fowler with a stern gaze the senior detective practically yelled in his superior's face. "We know this asshole worked for CyberLife, Jeffrey." To back up his claim Hank referenced to a key piece of dialogue of the captor's threat from the video. "He addressed Connor as 'RK-800', that's Connor's model number, but Connor wasn't wearing his cold CyberLife jacket when he was abducted. So how does this guy know Connor's model number? He HAS to be a CyberLife snake!" Anxiously Hank began to pace about and run his right hand through his gray hair in frustration. "It's the only damn thing that makes sense right now..."

Joel cleared his throat nervously as he stepped up to agree with Hank on the matter. "He's right, Captain. Jacket aside this guy knows way too much about androids to NOT be a CyberLife tech. Look at the way he tried to 'reboot' Connor by pressing at a sensor that would be behind his right ear, and the way he... uh, hurt... Connor." Joel anxiously shuffled a little on his feet as he spoke. "He knew exactly where to hit Connor for maximum effect in both pain AND damage if he were an android. Hell, the whip he used had been specially designed for just that moment. The whip was used specifically to test android pain thresholds once deviancy began to manifest as CyberLife tried to eliminate it before it spread."

Captain Fowler crossed his arms as he gave Joel a skeptical look. "You're a technician, don't you know everything that this guy knows?"

"As much as I hate to admit it this guy knows more than I do." Tentatively Joel made his way over to the screen and rewound the footage that had been recorded. Finding what he needed Joel pointed to the paused image on the terminal display. "First off, this guy can identify android model numbers without needing a guide; second this guy knew how he would need to access the manual override in Connor's system to reboot him with the panel behind ear, despite Connor once being a unique model AND a prototype; and third, this guy knew exactly what type of weapon to use against Connor to do so much damage so quickly." Dropping his hand from the terminal Joel shrugged his shoulders in admitted defeat. "...Those are three things that I don't know, and no other technician _outside_ of CyberLife could possibly know. I left CyberLife long before the 'RK-800' models came down the line."

"Then where would a disgruntled CyberLife technician hide?"

Hank stared at the footage on the screen for a moment and had an eerie sense of familiarity as he looked at the dim office area that Connor had been taken to and held as ransom. There were no notable features of the office save for the chair in the middle of the room and the lamp shining from the corner, but somehow Hank knew exactly where that place was and subsequently where Connor was being held. "The warehouse."

Captain Fowler was still unclear on Connor's location even with Hank's answer. "What warehouse?"

"The one outside of the city. It used to belong to CyberLife and was left to rot."

"You're sure?"

"It's the only place that makes sense, Jeffrey." Hank let out a sigh as he tried to steel his rattled nerves. "Trust me on this. That's the only place he could go."

"Alright, I'll send a patrol car out to check the area."

"I'm going-"

"Not now. Stay here and wait, Hank. That's an order."

"Fuck that order!"

"Hank, enough." Picking up the phone from his desk Captain Fowler made the necessary call to get patrol out to the right area. "You're too close to this, and I don't want to see the case escalate out of control."

"Escalate? How can shit get any worse when my partner was abducted and tortured by a psycho with a vendetta?"

* * *

Exhausted, hurt and bleeding from his numerous painful lacerations Connor fell to the ground and laid on his right side as he endured the relentless lashing of the metal wire whip against his back and his shoulders. With each strike his white shirt was torn open wider and portions of his skin were cleaved away from his muscle in painful slices. Each of the dozens of wounds seeped dark red blood as the young detective helplessly bled at the feet of his heartless captor on the cold floor of the warehouse.

Clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut Connor refused to give his captor the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain, or beg for mercy. Suffering in absolute silence Connor didn't give his captor any sign of fear or regret.

"Stubborn to the last." The captor huffed as he ran out of energy to strike Connor further. Huffing in a distorted breath the captor had to admit his admiration for Connor's heart and fortitude for withstanding the torture. "Impressive 'RK-800'."

"...My name is _Connor_." Connor angrily retorted as he spat a mouthful of red blood out of his mouth and onto the ground. "Sergeant Connor Henry Anderson."

"You're NOTHING!" Another sharp whip over Connor's back caused a splash of red blood to fly through the air while Connor held his breath and endure the harsh assault without so much as flinching. "You'll always be a defective machine. A failed experiment. And now you're going to prove your worthlessness."

Connor received a sharp kick to his abdomen that caused him to roll from his side and onto his back atop his arms that were still cuffed behind himself.

Leaning down the hooded captor presented the powerful electronic taser from their pocket once more and pressed the two metal prongs down directly over Connor's heart for the second time. With a simple press of a button the captor unleashed a powerful jolt of electricity that stunned Connor and caused the young detective's body to jerk violently as his heart fluttered into an arrhythmia that rendered him unconscious yet again.

Pocketing the weapon the captor put his boot to the side of Connor's and pushed the deviant's head in such a way they could note Connor's unresponsive form, and his expressionless.

"Android _or human_, he's still defective... What a waste."

* * *

Begrudgingly Hank remained inside Captain Fowler's office in a strict silence that was usually reserved only for the dead. Unwilling to leave the precinct, out of both an order and in case a lead came in, Hank just sat in total worry as he, Captain Fowler and Joel waited for something, anything, to happen. As the senior detective's fingers began fidgeting on his lap a grainy image appeared on the terminal screen as the laptop began sending feedback to the precinct.

'_Hello detective_.' The figure taunted with their voice still disguised by an electronic device. '_I know you're watching_.'

"You're damn right I am..." Hank muttered as he glared at the screen with an urge to reach through the glass and throttle the captor making his right hand clench into a fist at his side. "Where's Connor?"

'_I've decided to take the initiative and dispose of "RK-800"_.' As the figure spoke into the camera a brief flash of red and blue lights fell over their hooded face and disappeared within seconds. '_Don't bother looking for it. You'll just be wasting your time_. _Think of this as a courtesy call_.'

The feed ended and Hank rose to his feet in an instant as his urge to find Connor gave him an adrenaline rush. "Shit! Connor."

Joel attempted to lock onto the feed to locate the original source but his efforts were in vain as the captor knew electronic devices far too well to allow their location to be found so easily. "No good... He's gone again."

Captain Fowler ran his hand down his face anxiously as he watched Hank's reaction sympathetically. "Hank, we'll keep looking, but-"

"Wait!" Hank stared at the terminal screen again and spoke to Joel in a collected tone of voice. "Joel, replay that video. The lights... Those came from one of our patrol cars."

Joel's eyes lit up with intrigue as he found the portion of the video Hank had mentioned and paused it. "You're right." Pointing to the time noted in the top right corner of the video Joel realized they had found their lead. "We need to get a map of patrol cars and their exact locations at this exact time! We'll find Connor and confirm if he's actually at the warehouse."

* * *

Pained and bleeding Connor regained consciousness slowly. His heart was beating frantically after enduring the second harsh electrical charge to the center of his chest, and his heart. Letting out a pained gasp Connor suddenly felt the horrible stinging burns of the wounds in his back courtesy of the whipping he had suffered. Dark red blood was slowly puddling under his body from the raw bleeding lacerations that stretched across his back up to his shoulders, neck and the side of his face. The ones over his chest were almost as painful as his back, and the pain made his breaths shudder.

"...H-Hank?" Opening his eyes Connor found himself surrounded by impenetrable darkness that his eyes couldn't make out any shapes or even the faintest of light. Using the glow of his smart watch, the device no longer having a signal to call for help, he eyed his new environment and felt sick. "...No."

Reaching out his right hand he was almost immediately met with a firm, cold surface under his palm. Connor found himself trapped in an airtight a rectangular titanium case that was seven feet tall, four feet wide and five feet deep. The smothering darkness was the result the case being completely covered by a crushing amount of dark, fresh dirt that surrounded it. The interior of the case was beginning to heat up as Connor's breathing had already consumed a quarter of the air inside the case while he was in low power mode, and now his body temperature was beginning to rise.

"No, no, no..."

The young detective had limited space, limited air and limited time.

Noting the time on his watch and doing some math based on his general awareness of how long he had been unconscious, and estimating how long he had been buried, Connor gave himself a personal countdown timer.

Just six additional minutes to live...

Connor put up his shaking hands against the smooth metallic interior surface of the case that he had been locked within, and felt a disturbing chill run up his aching spine. A single, rectangular, plexiglass window at his line of sight gave Connor a perfect view of the hundreds of pounds of thick dirt that had been shoveled over the case after he had been buried in the earth.

The case itself was disturbingly familiar to Connor. It was the first thing he had seen when his system originally booted up back when he was still a machine, and now it was possibly going to be the last thing he saw before he died as a human. Despite his fear Connor knew exactly what he was encased in, and who was responsible for his impending death.

"...CyberLife."

* * *

Trying to process everything that had happened that afternoon Hank stood beside his and Connor's desks as he awaited Captain Fowler's next order regarding the location, and subsequent rescue of Connor. To distract himself for a moment Hank picked up Connor's gun and pulled it from the holster to checked the clip still inside of the weapon; it was still full, no shots fired.

"Damn it... Connor didn't even have the chance to defend himself." With a heavy sigh he pulled open the top drawer of Connor's desk and threw the gun inside for safekeeping before locking the drawer and staring impatiently at the clock on the far wall. "Come on, come on. What's taking so-"

"Lieutenant!" Chris shouted to Hank as he crossed the bullpen at a hasty clip to meet Hank at his desk. "You were right, patrol found that guy hiding at the abandoned CyberLife warehouse outside of town."

"Connor?" Hank stood up quickly and tightened his fists at his sides. "Did you find him?"

"He wasn't inside the warehouse, but we found fresh blood inside the office. It's the same office that showed up in the feed."

"Finally. Alright, let's get out there." Anxiously Hank followed after Chris but turned his head as he pointed to Joel who was standing against the wall next to the breakroom with satchel of emergency android repair supplies slung heavily over his shoulder. The technician was just waiting for his cue and immediately felt Hank's eyes watching him. "Joel, you're riding with me."

"What?"

"You're the technician and we're going to a CyberLife warehouse. We might need your help."

"R-Right, I got my equipment ready to go." The kind technician immediately jumped into action and caught up to the two officers as they crossed the bullpen to head out to the warehouse. "I just hope I won't need to do anything more than what I already have."

* * *

Desperate to remain awake Connor fought against his own body to keep himself from hyperventilating or suffering from an asthma attack. Taking in a deep gasping breath Connor began to cough as the air thinned and became more toxic; his back and chest aching from the effort as his deep lacerations courtesy of the horrid whip continued to bleed. Pressing his right palm to his chest Connor stared at the red stain left behind on his skin and winced in pain.

"...Hank... Please. I... I don't want to... die."

Trying to keep his breaths as slow and shallow as possible Connor awkwardly dragged his arm over his sweaty forehead and sighed.

It was a strange thing; running out of air and being unable to do a thing about it. Why would an android ever worry about running out of air? It was a critical process, yes, breathing to keep his core temperature stable; but for humans it wasn't an option. _Human's_ _needed to breathe_ and right now Connor could not. What a time for him to return to humanity.

Connor's time ticked away slowly, dropping to four minutes, thirty-three seconds.

Tired. Hot. Sore.

Despite his best efforts to remain conscious Connor's eyes closed slowly and refused to remain open no matter how much effort he put into what was once such a simple act.

As his body began to relax more and more, his limbs going completely limp and his eyes stying shut, Connor wondered if dying was like sleeping.

Would he dream?

* * *

Four patrol cars, including Hank's unmarked car, converged at the warehouse to join the first patrol car that had located and arrested the sick freak who had abducted Connor. The arrested abductor was sitting in the back of the first car with their hands cuffed behind their back, and their face was finally exposed. The hood of his sweatshirt had been pulled back revealing their angry face for the world to see. Captured with nowhere to go the suspect could only sit in the backseat and await their punishment.

The suspect was a man, and barely a man at that. He was no older than twenty. His dark blond hair was shaggy, disheveled and neglected as it hung in dirty strands around his face. Hollow gray eyes stared into nothingness as he sat fuming in the back of the car evidently angry he been busted. A gruff, dark five o'clock shadow marred his jawline and covered his weak chin while making his thin, pressed lips practically invisible as he pouted.

The arrested man's name was Kyle Marsten. A former intern at CyberLife and an arrogant, spoiled, self-entitled third generation prick. Unable to accept that CyberLife was now defunct Kyle spent the past two years stealing data, biocomponents and blue blood for black marketeering purposes to fuel his selfish squandering and life of excess.

Hank walked directly to the car and pulled the rear passenger door open and grabbed onto Kyle's collar as he yanked the arrested man out of the car and pressed him up against the side of the vehicle, effectively pinning his back up against the side of the car where he couldn't get away. "Talk you miserable piece of shit, where is he? Where's Connor?"

"I don't know anyone named 'Connor'." Was the smug, infuriating reply from the heartless man.

Pressing his forearm against Kyle's throat until he began to cough Hank threatened to choke the life out of him where he stood. "Alright you arrogant prick, where's the 'RK-800' you abducted, assaulted and left for dead?"

"...Can't kill... a machine!" Kyle gasped weakly as Hank applied more pressure to his throat.

"Well, what about _you_?" Hank threatened in a deep guttural growl right in the man's face. "If Connor is dead then I'll happily turn over my badge to make sure _you're next_." Hank suddenly let up on the pressure against Kyle's throat and let him fall to the ground as he gasped for air. "A life for a life..."

"...You c-can't..." Wheezing for breath Kyle didn't even resist as Chris hauled him back up to his feet and pushed him back into the rear of the car. "...P-Police brut-"

"Shut up." Chris cut him off and gave him an annoyed look. "You're lucky he didn't snap your neck right then. I know every single one of us would've vouched for him and said you resisted arrest, tried to run and while he attempted to restrain you the act 'accidentally' resulted in a tragic neck injury." With a hearty slam of the door Chris stayed beside the car and watched as Kyle paled and began to sweat. "Don't piss off the Lieutenant. Ever."

Stepping away from the arrested, vindictive man Hank made his way toward the warehouse in search of any sign of Connor. The interior of the warehouse was being patrolled by the other officers as they scoured the area for Connor, or even a clue as to where Connor may have been placed. "Come on guys, give me something I can work with." Hank asked as he stepped inside the warehouse and felt sick as he looked at the fresh blood puddle on the floor. "Anything."

Joel had been following behind Hank since their arrival and was anxiously looking around just as studiously as the other officers inside the warehouse. Ignoring the fact that he had just seen Hank threaten a suspect Joel focused on looking for Connor. "Nothing yet, Lieutenant."

"Come on..." The frustrated senior detective openly complained in irritation. "He couldn't have taken Connor far. This place is in the middle of nowhere."

"Maybe there's something in the feed he sent us that we could use again." The technician tried to offer up any possible help that he could. "Something we may have overlooked."

"Like what? Mindless threats and violence aren't exactly groundbreaking clues."

"This is a pretty big property." Joel observed as he stepped back outside the warehouse and adjusted the heavy satchel hanging from his shoulder. "Is there another building he could use to hide Connor?"

"No, it's just this warehouse and sixty acres of-"

"...Hank?" Seeing the senior detective trail off made Joel anxious. "Something wrong?"

"That demented fucker said he was going to 'bury him out back'... Oh, shit!"

Hank rushed around the side of the warehouse to reach the expansive, barren property in the back that stretched out for miles into seemingly eternity. The pick-up truck that the abductor had used to transport Connor to and from the warehouse was still parked out back supporting Hank's theory as to where Connor could be.

"Shit... How the fuck are we going to find him out here?"

Joel shrugged his shoulders as he tried to think on his feet. "Look for fresh dirt?"

"But WHERE do we start looking? This place is huge!"

"It'd take too long to bring out any earth penetrating sonar to sweep over the ground," Joel realized as he continued to fuss with the heavy satchel over his shoulder. "and humans aren't composed of any detectable or magnetic metals. There's no way for us to see through the ground like this."

"And even if we could somehow see bits and pieces of androids around this place we wouldn't be able to find Connor's human body."

"You're a genius, Hank!" Quickly Joel flipped opened his satchel and pulled out the large internal viewing screen. As he powered it up he swept it over the ground and located numerous scrapped android biocomponents and limbs that were already years old buried all around him. "It's working, I can see scrapped androids all around us."

"...We can still find Connor using that thing?" Hank asked hopefully as Joel began marching forward with the screen in his hands out at arm's length. "He's a _human_ again remember?"

"No doubt! The internal screen will give us a clear view of Connor's _biocomponent heart valve_ as soon as we get near him."

Hank shouted for the other officers to locate shovels and other items that could be used as digging tools before tagging along beside Joel as the two scoured the property together. Joel moved the screen back and forth steadily like a pendulum while Hank kept alert for any sign of loose or fresh dirt that had been recently disturbed.

"Hold up..." Joel stopped short and held out the screen a few more inches in front of him as an intact humanoid figure appeared on the display. There was a nearly perfect rectangle of darker tinted dirt a few feet away from them, and the dirt itself was eerily reminiscent of a fresh grave. "I think I got him!"

"...Connor." Noting the location on the screen and the patch of dirt on the ground Hank rushed over to it and fell to his knees as he began digging away the topsoil of the loose dirt with his bare hand in a desperate bid to find Connor. "Connor?! Are you down there?!"

"Oh, damn." Joel placed the screen back in his satchel as he sat the satchel on the ground beside him and began digging with his own hands across from Hank as quickly as he could. "He's going to be sick from lack of oxygen and a rising body temperature." Joel stated flatly as he and Hank tore through the earth together. "If he's run out of air then he could-"

"Don't freak me out!" Hank blurted in frustration as he began digging faster. He didn't need any more information on what could go wrong, he just needed to find his partner; his son. "Just help me get him out of there!"

* * *

Connor was fully unconscious.

Completely unaware of the rescuers frantically working to dig him out of the Earth and free him from the metal box Connor was helpless and dying.

The only motion in the small space came from his barely rising and falling chest as he struggled to breathe in what little oxygen remained. The display on his smart watch showed his vital signs fading quickly, though no eyes were open in order to see it.

Time had run out.

* * *

The tips of the shovels digging through the soft dirt scraped over the metal surface of a large box buried almost three feet down from the surface of the ground. Hank motioned for the officers to back away while he and Joel brushed aside the remaining dirt from the surface of the box until they uncovered the small rectangular glass window that allowed an internal view of the case itself.

"Connor?! Connor!" Feeling sick Hank peered through the grimy window and looked down at Connor's expressionless, unconscious face within. "Wake up! We're here, wake up, son."

"He's run out of air." Joel shook his head as he dug out the sides of the case to locate the latches that kept the case sealed. "We need to get this thing open, fast!"

"Or we can do this!" Hank took a shovel from the closest officer and used the sharp metal tip of the tool to fracture the glass in the window and break a small opening in the pane to let some fresh air enter the case. "Connor?"

No response.

Exposing the first latch on the side of the case Joel looked up at the surrounding officers and addressed them in a calm, collected tone. "We're going to need some water to cool him off."

Nodding the two officers rushed away from the digging sight and to the squad cars out in front of the warehouse to retrieve the extra bottles of water that were stored in the trunk in the event of any emergency.

Hank carefully pulled on the broken glass pane to widen the hole in the window just enough to slip his right hand down inside. Pressing his right fingertips to the left side of Connor's neck he felt the rapid, but incredibly faint pulse thrumming under his fingertips and the dangerously high temperature radiating from his skin.

"He's not breathing! Connor?" Hank called again as he moved his hand from Connor's neck to the side of his face to pat his cheek lightly. "Look at me! We're here kid." Glancing around the senior detective was trying to find any medics in the area. "We need paramedics over here!"

"I got it!" Joel announced as he located and unsealed the second latch at the side of the case. "Help me get the lid open so we can get him out."

Hank pulled his hand back through the window to grab onto the side of the lid from his position while Joel lifted up from his own position at the opposite side of where Hank was kneeling. Together the two rescuers managed to pry open the metal lid of the case and pull it back entirely. Once opened it allowed the duo to lift Connor up and out of the case to be placed on top of the cool ground all around him.

Slipping his arms under Connor's shoulders and back Hank sat the younger man upright while Joel put his arms beneath Connor's legs.

"Let's go." Hank instructed as he and Joel hefted Connor's dead weight of a body out of the case. "He feels like he's burning up..."

"Here, here, here..." Joel stated as helped Hank to lift Connor up and away from the macabre grave-like hole in the ground. "Lay him on his back and open up his shirt. I need to try to get him breathing again."

Hank gently laid Connor down on the cool grass and pulled open his dirtied white dress shirt while Joel retrieved his satchel. Meanwhile the other officers returned with the bottles of water as ordered. Taking one of the bottles Hank unscrewed the lid and began to pour the contents over Connor's chest and watched as a faint cloud of steam rose from his overheating and bloodied skin.

A mixture of blood, water and mud began to soak into Connor's ruined white shirt as Hank and the other officers doused him in the much needed cooling effects of the water to save his life.

Joel knelt beside Connor as he tore open the satchel and retrieved the external ventilation pump and pressed the plastic mask, a device much like an ambubag used in reviving humans, over Connor's nose and mouth. As he began to rhythmically squeeze the attached plastic bag to force clean, cool air into Connor's lungs Hank pulled open Connor's already tattered shirt entirely and looked at the horrifically deep and painful lacerations that had only just begun to stop bleeding.

"If you die..." Hank put his hand atop Connor's head, his thumb gently running through his dark hair. "_he_ dies."

Steadily but surely Connor's chest rose and fell with each forced breath from the external pump. Gradually life began to return to the wounded, dying detective.

"That's it, kid. Don't give up on us..." Hank encouraged as he watched Connor's pale face and blue lips regain a healthier color. Looking far less pale and more lively Hank encouraged his son to breathe on his own. "Don't let that bastard win. Breathe, kid."

Joel kept his right hand on the pump as he pressed his left hand down Connor's chest to check his heartbeat. "...He's barely responding."

"Come on, kid." The senior detective encouraged as he waited for Connor to wake up. "Breathe. You need to breathe!"

A shuddering gasping breath accompanied Connor as he began to choke and cough. Instinctively he fought to take in his much needed deep breaths to clear out his lungs and cool off. Joel pulled the pump away from Connor's face and took in a cleansing breath of his own before resuming his assessment and subsequent treatment of the rescued detective to the best of his ability.

"Connor? You're okay!" Hank shouted as the younger man's eyes snapped open in a panic as he looked about confusedly. "I gotcha'! I gotcha'..." Hank kept his right hand over Connor's hair and pressed his left hand down against Connor's chest to reassure the confused younger detective that he was okay and out of the ground. "It's okay, just lay back."

"...H-Hank!?" Connor coughed harshly, his arms wrapping protectively around his battered chest as he sucked in air through his clenched teeth.

"Yeah, I'm right here. You're okay." Hank moved his hand slightly as Joel pressed the bell of his audioscope against Connor's chest to listening to the nearly suffocated young detective's struggling breaths. "You're going to be just fine."

"Breathing is congested, but not labored." Joel stated somewhat confidently as two paramedics rushed over to where they were gathered on the ground.

"It's okay, kid. _You're_ okay."

Connor's eyes were wide with fear and his body began to twitch slightly. "...M-My back." Connor wheezed a little as a sharp burning pain searing through his back, and his shoulders from the contact with the cold, dirty ground.

"Okay, I got you." Hank slipped his hand from Connor's hair to just beneath his neck and shoulders as he helped his adopted son to sit upright on the ground. A puddle of red blood had already collected under his body and soaked through his shirt. "Lean against me, we'll get you patched up."

Tiredly Connor draped his left arm around Hank's shoulders as the senior detective helped him to sit upright as much as possible. Letting his weight fall against Hank's shoulder from his own fatigue Connor felt defenseless, weak and relieved all at the same time.

Joel stepped back as the paramedics examined the morbid lacerations that stretched over Connor's back and shoulders with a grimace. Using gentle pressure the first paramedic examined the wounds only to have Connor's entire body stiffen from the contact as he stifled an intense groan of pain.

"Sorry." The paramedic apologized sincerely as he pulled his hand back. "We're going to have to flush out these wounds with sterile saline solution before we get you loaded up on the gurney."

"...I u-understand." Connor's reply was muffled and slurred from exhaustion as he pressed up against Hank's right shoulder.

Leaning against Hank heavily Connor winced as the cool saline solution was poured from an I.V. bag and over the dozens of lacerations over his back, sending a chill up his aching spine in the process. As the transparent liquid ran down Connor's back it washed away the excess blood and dirt from the deep lacerations that cut down to his muscle.

"Come on, son." One arm at a time to ensure he could still hold Connor upright, Hank shrugged off his dark overcoat and draped it around Connor's shoulders once the wounds had been cleaned up properly and now bandaged under a thick layer of white gauze. Once in place he grabbed onto Connor's belt and waited for the younger man to lean his full weight against his broad shoulder again. "Can you walk?"

"...Yes." Connor sounded exhausted, but he was still coherent. "I can walk."

"Okay. Just two steps to the gurney."

Joel packed up his satchel and slung it back over his shoulder before he helped Hank to lay Connor down on the nearby gurney for transportation while the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over his face, then hooked up the leads to their portable cardiac monitor to his chest.

"We'll take you to the hospital to get your back taken care of, and get your chest checked out." Hank explained coolly to his wounded adopted son. "I'm also letting Captain Fowler know you're on the injured reserve list least for at least a week!"

"...I'm okay with that."

The admission sounded as pitiful as it was uncharacteristic. Connor never willingly sat on the sidelines while everyone else continued to work, let alone admit defeat. What was more alarming was the fear, the abject horror in Connor's soulful brown eyes as he stared into nothingness straight up at the cloudy sky overhead.

Despite being rescued Connor was still afraid.

* * *

As soon as the gurney was wheeled through the doors of the hospital Connor was admitted to emergency care and endured a two hour long examination and treatment for his injuries. The damage and lacerations to his back, chest and shoulders required a few stitches, a layer of temporary synthetic skin and a round of antibiotics to ensure no infection set in. After the wounds were flushed out once more with the saline solution Connor had his wounds stitched up, the layer of synthetic skin placed down to help keep the wounds clean, and then wrapped up in white gauze to ensure the wounds were protected.

Dr. Wilson was genuinely sympathetic toward the Connor's condition and worked diligently to get him patched up, and checked out his breathing and heart to ensure the injuries or the prolonged captivity hadn't harmed his cardiovascular system. After receiving V.I.P. treatment from the kind doctors and nurses at the hospital Connor was discharged from the hospital and into Hank's care.

Hank of course was more than ready to get Connor back home to rest and recover after enduring such a bizarre and nerve-racking day.

Connor's entire torso had to be wrapped up to cover the deep painful lacerations over his back that stretched up to his shoulders. A single bandage was pressed against the deep cut running along the right side of his neck as well. With Hank's coat still draped over his shoulders Connor allowed Hank to escort him inside the house and into the livingroom where he could lay down on his side and rest on the couch.

"Move slowly, kid." The senior detective encouraged as he guided Connor down against the soft cushions to finally rest. "Don't open up your wounds again."

It didn't take long for Sumo to jump up onto the end of the couch and press his chin down against Connor's leg affectionately. As his tail wagged and thumped against the side of the couch he kept Connor company until Ruby pressed her cold wet nose to the side of his left cheek. The furry companions helped Connor to recover and settle his nerves at long last.

Breathing slowly Connor closed his eyes and listened as Hank moved about the house; entering the kitchen to open up the freezer and then returning to the livingroom swiftly.

"Hey, put this against your back." Hank leaned over the back of the couch to remove his heavy coat and place a bag of ice against the middle of Connor's back over top the bandages. Hank then used a pillow to wedge the ice into place without applying too much pressure to the injury. "It'll help you cool down and take the edge off your pain."

"My temperature is nearly back to normal. Dr. Wilson confirmed it before I was discharged." Connor stated flatly as he turned his head slightly to look at Hank hovering over him. "But... thank you."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm not in any pain."

"No, Connor." Slowly Hank walked around the couch and sat down on the coffee table so he could look Connor in the eyes. "I mean are you _okay_? You were abducted, assaulted and then... buried alive."

Opening his eyes Connor gave his adoptive father a somber stare. "...I'm still unnerved, if that's what you're asking."

"Do you need to talk about it? I can't even imagine what that must've been like."

"...I'd rather forget about it entirely."

"I don't blame you." Putting his left hand on Connor's shoulder lightly Hank tried to give Connor a reassuring smile. "You know, what you said back there about that lunatic being pathetic? You were completely right. Only a coward blames the entire world for their own personal shortcomings."

"...So it_ was_ a live feed." Connor's eyes blinked slowly as he processed the information. "I couldn't be certain."

"That was pretty ballsy defying him, too. I'm proud of you for standing your ground against him. For not giving in."

"I meant what I said, Hank. I wasn't going to let anyone risk their life for mine."

"Hey, I damn well know you would risk your own life for mine. What makes you think it wouldn't be worth it for me to repay the favor?"

"...I'm-" Connor stopped before he began and changed his reply. "...I don't know."

"You still think you don't matter." The senior detective was too sharp to let the unspoken comment pass him by unnoticed. "But you do. You're one hell of a great detective, an incredibly generous person, you have a lot of friends, you're a brother _and my son_. Remember?"

"I remember."

"Good." Pulling back his hand from Connor's shoulder Hank stood up and made his way to the closet in the hallway to retrieve the spare blue blanket on the shelf. Laying the blanket over Connor lightly Hank let out a tired sigh and walked over to the recliner to try to relax himself. "Get some rest."

"...You don't have to stay with me, Hank. I'm stable."

"Yeah, I know you're not in any physical danger, kid." Hank explained in a somewhat curt tone as he kicked off his shoes and leaned back in the soft chair to try to rest himself. "But you're still going to be a little fucked up for a while."

"I don't understand."

"You didn't leave me alone when I was fucked up about... well, everything, so I won't leave you alone, either. Repaying the favor, you know?"

"You don't owe me anything."

"Too bad, son." A faint smirk appeared on his face as he remained in the recliner. "I'm staying."

* * *

A sudden terrified shout startled Hank awake at almost two in the morning causing him to throw his right hand over his racing heart in near panic. Leaning forward in the recliner he looked over at the couch to see Connor in the throes of an intense nightmare, his legs were tangled up in the blanket and he was thrashing about weakly. Sumo had jumped down from the couch to sit next to Ruby where they both sat staring at Connor with slightly tilted heads as the frightened young man fought back against an unseen foe.

"Connor? Connor!" Hank dove from the recliner and knelt beside the couch as he grabbed onto Connor's forearms just below his wrists and held him in place as best as he could without hurting his son in the process. "WAKE UP!"

Connor's eyelids were screwed so tightly shut that tears were being forced from the corners of his eyes as he continued to flail about in absolute panic.

"CONNOR! IT'S ME!" Hank shouted as he shook the younger man a little. "OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Brown irises snapped open as Connor finally awoke from his nightmare. As his entire body began to tremble he became fully aware of his surroundings and locked onto Hank's face. "H-Hank?"

"It's okay, son. It was just a bad dream." Hank released his grip from around Connor's arms and watched as Connor pulled his legs, still tangled in the blanket, up to his chest and wrapped his left arm around his knees as he ran his right hand through his messy hair. "Hey, you're okay. You're safe."

"...I was there. A-Again."

"The warehouse?"

Connor shook his head a little. "N-No. The ground."

"Talk to me, don't keep it inside."

"I... I was convinced that I was going to... die. And, this time... n-no one would find me." Connor's soulful brown eyes filled with tears as he spoke with utmost fear in his voice. "I was left to die alone."

"Hey, you're safe!" Hank reminded Connor kindly as he put a reassuring hand on his left arm. "You're _home_ and you're _safe_."

"I... I don't want to die, Hank! I don't want to be alone!" Connor's hand dropped from his hair as he let out an exasperated sigh and fought back a painful emotional sob. "I'm afraid. I'm _still_ afraid!"

Rising from the floor Hank sat on the couch next to Connor and placed his hand on the back of Connor's head to pull the younger man toward him. "I promise that I will always watch your back. You won't be alone, _ever_. Stop thinking about it, you don't have to be afraid."

Slowly Connor lifted his trembling arm from around his knees and grabbed onto Hank's shoulder as if needing to feel supported. "...I don't think I can."

"Son. Don't worry about it, okay? Tomorrow I'll call Fowler and tell him that I'm taking the rest of the week off with you. We'll get out of the city for a while and go camping."

"...C-Camping?"

"Yeah. We both need a vacation, but right now you need it more than I ever could."

"A vacation?"

"Right. A way to get away from your problems for a little while and stop thinking. And we'll tell Lucas to fly back and meet with us. You know he'll be here as soon as possible to take care of you as any brother would."

Nodding a little Connor began to calm down and relax. "I... I believe that would be a good decision."

"Alright, then it's settled. Try to get some rest and when you're ready we'll head out tomorrow morning and pick up Lucas from the airport. Okay?"

"...Okay." Wiping away a few rogue tears Connor let go of Hank's shoulder and fell back against the couch and the pillow under his head to try to relax. Ruby hopping up on the couch to cuddle with him helped immensely, while Sumo jumped back up to lay on his legs again. "...Thank you, dad."

_**-next chapter-**_


	47. The Cabin

It was a strange sight for Connor and Lucas to see dozens of trees alongside the road rather than tall buildings or concrete barricades. Wearing a dark blue t-shirt and faded torn up blue jeans with generic sneakers and a worn out Detroit Gears cap Connor looked completely casual, except for his coin dancing nervously over his right knuckles. Lucas was in the backseat and wearing a white t-shirt, pale blue jeans and a similar pair of sneakers as Connor was, and for once seemed more relaxed than his usually professional demeanor. Seeing Hank wearing a new black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, hiking boots and a similar Gears cap as Connor gave the illusion of a true father and son vacation away from the commotion of the hectic city.

Having already traveled an hour out of the city Hank continuously reassured Connor and Lucas that they'd be able to relax once they reached the cabin that Hank had managed to reserve at the last possible minute, but Connor still had his doubts. As mental distress set in Connor's heart began to race again, but ever since the surgery his heartbeat remained regular.

Unable to stand being inside the confined space of the car for too much longer Connor rolled down the window and let the breeze run across his face, and move his rogue lock of hair from over his forehead. The bill of his cap caught the breeze and threatened to blow off his head at any moment, but Connor didn't care if it blew away or not. He just needed to feel the air on his face.

"You okay?" Hank noticed that Connor was leaning slightly out the opened window and seemed unusually nervous. "You don't get car sick, do you?"

"I'm not nauseated." Connor confirmed as he fell back against his seat and closed his eyes. "I am merely experiencing unexpected discomfort from the lack of air movement inside the car, as well as the feeling of being enclosed in an uncommonly small space."

"Sounds like you're a little claustrophobic." The senior detective observed keenly as he turned on the air conditioning inside the car and pointed the vents toward Connor's face to try to make him feel better. "This should help with that."

"Fear of enclosed or small places..." The young detective defined the particular phobia and sighed. "Gavin has such a phobia."

"Don't compare yourself to Gavin, you're better than that guy."

"I was merely addressing our corresponding phobias." Connor let out a sigh as he began to feel a little better and rolled his window back up. "It's a shame we couldn't bring Sumo and Ruby with us."

"I made that mistake once before. It took me over a month to comb all the ticks and fleas out of Sumo's fur." Checking the G.P.S. on the dashboard Hank noted their last turn was less than a half of a mile away. "Besides, Chris likes dogs but his wife's allergic. He's happy to take Sumo and Ruby on walks and let them out every few hours for us."

Lucas spoke up from the backseat in a casual tone of voice. "Not to mention the lack of comfortable room in the car for three people, let alone the addition of two large dogs."

"You're not wrong." Hank agreed with a smirk. "I didn't realize that Ruby would get that big that quick."

Connor sighed again and watched the hundreds of trees lining the isolated dirt roads. "You seem to know these roads fairly well. Have you been here before?"

"Yup. Me and my dad went fishing up here every summer from when I was four until I was fourteen. I only got to take Cole with me once before... Well, you know."

Connor noted Hank's suddenly somber gaze as he focused on the dirt road they were traversing, and decided to change the subject. "How long are we going to be up here?"

"I figured two days would be enough to relax without having to worry about some weird-ass disaster hitting the city, or some lunatic rampaging against androids because of some other stupid bullshit."

Smiling vaguely at the comment Connor watched as the modest log cabin at the end of a lengthy drive came into view through the thick green trees that surrounded the road.

"This is it." Hank confirmed with a simple point of his right finger through the windshield. He pulled up in front of the cabin and put the vehicle in park to let his family out. "Hopefully we don't have to clean up after some rowdy teens hiding out of the city during summer break before we unpack."

Lucas was a little confused by the comment. "Rowdy teens? What do they do so far away from the city?"

Unable to stop himself Hank smiled as the question was so naive and innocent. "Don't worry about it kid, I'm sure everything is fine."

Connor stepped out of the car first as Hank turned off the engine and pocketed the key at the same time Connor pocketed his coin. The cabin was unlike any building that Connor had seen in the city and was fortunately dissimilar to any warehouses, facilities or hospitals. It was an entirely new environment that had no negative associations toward his person.

It was a two story cabin of vibrant amber hued timber with a dark shingles over top. The roof dipped down low near the sides of the cabin to shelter the siding from weather. Two large windows outlined the front door atop the wooden porch and a single large window overlooked the area from the second floor. A clearing of green grass behind the cabin provided adequate room for camping outside, having bonfires and picnics. The property also led right to a large oak dock stretching out into the crystal clear lake beyond.

"This entire cabin is for us?"

"Yup." Hank confirmed as he slammed his door shut and stared about the property with a nostalgic eye. "Plenty of space and no one around for miles. Go check out the lake out back. The clearest water in all of Michigan."

Connor watched as Hank and Lucas fussed with the fishing poles thrown in the backseat for a few seconds before he walked around the side of the cabin to the rear of the property. Thick pine trees towered over the cabin with an intimidating presence of nature that was somehow foreign in concept to Connor. Being born in a city and never taken on vacation, then reborn in a lab under cold mechanical prosthetic limbs had an unexpected effect on Connor's perception of life as a whole after his deviancy set in. His return to humanity made all of his emotions amplify tenfold, and at times he almost felt overwhelmed.

The change in his life was for the better even if it was in fact very confusing to deal with at times.

The soft lapping of calm waves washing up against the soft sandy lake shore drew Connor's attention away from the trees, over to the water of the expansive large, clear lake. It was a warm summer day and the morning sun reflecting off the water was truly a beautiful sight to behold. Standing at the sandy and grassy shore that surrounded the water Connor looked out over the lake and found no sign of other human life or activity; just a dozen different species of fish, some frogs, turtles, snails and indigenous plant life peacefully going about their lives.

Attached to the wooden dock was a small motorboat that was bobbing gently in the water in perfect rhythm with the waves. It was seemingly the only motion in the entire area beyond the breeze rustling through the leaves which made the scenery all the more peaceful.

"Not bad, huh?" Hank stated confidently as he dropped the fishing gear beside the lake and motioned for Connor to follow him back to the car. "Help me and Lucas clean out the car, then we can head out onto the lake for a few hours."

Turning around slowly to follow after Hank the younger detective assisted in unpacking the car and bringing their luggage inside the cabin. It was an easy feat for the trio, and the simple task did not deter any of them from being able to relax a little and enjoy their much needed vacation.

* * *

Utter tranquility fell over the lake as the small boat came to a gentle rest near the center of the water and dropped anchor. Connor found himself unable to refrain from constantly looking over to the shoreline and the trees in the distance as he awaited someone, or something, to appear from the surrounding forest and intrude on the otherwise vacant lake.

"Sit still," Hank stated firmly as he picked up his fishing pole to check the line and the reel. "you're rocking the boat, Connor."

"Sorry, Hank."

"No one's around, just relax."

"I've never been away from the city before." Connor looked down at the tacklebox opened at his feet like the contents were from another planet. Picking up one of the two fishing poles he stared at the instrument in his hand curiously. "It's all very strange for me to be out here."

Lucas, who was sitting in the middle of the boat between Connor and Hank, agreed with his big brother. "I feel the same way."

"Yeah, sometimes I forget that the only part of the world you two have ever experienced is city-life." Setting his weight, bobber and hook on the line of his own fishing pole Hank chose his bait; a live worm, then cast his line out into the water. "You should take more vacations, boys. Travel. See the world."

Connor and Lucas mirrored Hank's motions with their own fishing poles, but both chose to use a lure instead of live bait.

Speaking up softly Connor shrugged his shoulders casually. "That would be a interesting experience, but android rights are still very limited in this country, let alone in the countries around the world. Lucas and I both have too much work to get done before we can leave and travel about freely."

"Things will get better soon, you'll see." Hank watched as Connor finished baiting his hook then motioned to the other side of the boat casually. "Cast out over there so don't get our lines tangled. And Lucas," he pointed to a third location right in the middle. "you cast out there."

"Is there a purpose to the act of fishing?" Connor asked as he expertly cast his line out into the lake at the identical distance that he watched Hank cast. "It seems like a very unusual and time consuming hobby."

"That's the point, Connor. You just cast your line and let yourself think. No pressure, no worries, no stress."

"But what happens if a fish takes the bait?"

"You reel it in."

"...Then what do I do after I reel it in?"

"Seriously? You don't know?"

Connor looked a little embarrassed and shook his head slightly. "...No. I've never done this before."

"Oh, right. Sorry, son." Hank felt guilty at first, then an amused grin appeared on his face. "You don't have to hurt the fish or anything, Connor. You just pick it up, take the hook out of its mouth and let it go."

"That's it? Seems... counterproductive."

"Well, some people catch fish for sport; the bigger the better, and others catch fish to eat."

"Eat?"

"Don't worry, kid. I know you like fish and wouldn't want to harm one, so I won't kill anything I catch either. I brought a cooler of food for us so I wouldn't have to worry about all the work that goes into preparing a fish myself, anyway. Way too messy and annoying."

"Thanks."

"Now, stop worrying about the logic of fishing and just enjoy being away from the chaos and drama of the city for a while. Okay?"

"Okay."

Lucas was actively scanning the water and saw a wide array of fish swimming about the lake, but none of them seemed particularly interested in any of the three provided hooks. "...What happens if the fish don't take the bait?"

"Then we reel in the lines, pack up the gear and head back to shore. No harm, no foul."

"Oh." Giving a slight tilt of the head Lucas agreed with his big brother. "Connor's right, this is counterproductive."

Hank just laughed at the two brothers as they had yet to master the art of patience. Granted Lucas was far more patient than Connor, but the two still needed to learn how to sit back and not try to take charge of every little scenario that came their way.

A peaceful silence fell over the lake and the ambience of nature only added the calm atmosphere. Less interested in catching fish than Hank was at that moment Connor reeled in his line after an hour of inactivity and set his pole aside as he leaned back in the boat to lay down and closed his eyes to try to get some additional rest after enduring such a brutal experience the day before.

Lucas kept his line in the water and rhythmically pulled on the line as he continued to scan the water and watched the fish curiously circling the hook but not actually biting it.

Needing to get more comfortable Connor shifted his weight and winced at the motion in the process. Pressing the palm of his right hand against the center of his chest (and his back) where the deep lacerations were still healing from being assaulted less than twenty-four hours prior he used his left hand to pull down the bill of his cap to shield his face from the sun, and let out a deep breath to try to finally relax.

"Are you still sore?" The attentive senior detective asked as he watched Connor fidgeting from the corner of his eye.

"A little."

"Want to head back to shore?"

"No. I actually like being out here. It's very serene."

"Yeah, it really is." Hank agreed as reeled in his line a few feet to try to entice fish with the gentle motion. "By the way, you look a little weird wearing a hat."

"I'd rather keep it on to keep the sun off my face."

"Sure, whatever."

"Thank you for suggesting we take a vacation." Connor stated in an appreciative tone from where he sat without lifting up the bill of the hat. "You were right. A leave of the city was a good idea."

"No problem. Next time you can pick where we go, as long as it isn't too expensive, or an amusement park. I hate roller coasters."

"Very well. I will consider other destinations that could be pleasant." Pushing up the bill of his cap slightly to reveal his soulful brown eyes Connor looked over at Hank curiously as a inquisitive thought came to his mind. "You said that you and your own father used to come here every summer when you were a child. Why did you stop?"

"Uh... Mom died about the time we usually went camping and it just felt, I don't know... wrong, to keep going about family traditions when our family wasn't traditional anymore. It's hard to explain, but there was just something that didn't feel right about going on without her even though she always stayed home so me and my dad could be alone together."

"Perhaps it was the idea of returning to your home without her waiting for you..." Connor let himself trail off solemnly as his eyes drifted away from Hank and toward the water of the calm lake. "...Sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your personal life."

Hank pulled down the bill of his own hat to shadow his eyes from Connor as he cleared his throat. "It's okay, son. It's nice to talk about her again."

Sitting upward awkwardly, his right hand again pressing protectively against his chest as he kept himself from stretching his back too far as he moved, Connor positioned himself right next to Hank in the boat. "I'm sorry all the same if I brought up an uncomfortable subject."

"It's okay, Connor." Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and shook him lightly to reassure the far too empathetic younger man before letting his hand fall away limply. "They say the first part in healing is admitting you have a problem; the same can be said about depression or negative feelings in general. I spent so many years angry when my mom died, then I got angrier when my dad passed away, and I isolated myself from the world. Barbara was the first person I let myself get close to after I lost my parents and then she gave me Cole..." Running his left hand over his face Hank wiped away the tears in his eyes before they had the chance to fall. "I was just plain pissed off at the whole world after I lost Barbara, and when I lost Cole too I was ready to give up on everything and everyone. I focused all of my bottled up hatred and anger on people who didn't deserve it in a drunk rage, and it nearly killed me in the process."

"...What changed?"

"_You_." Hank replied firmly. "You made me see androids in a whole new light. And through that light I started to see through the dark dreary world I convinced myself had taken hold of my life. Now I know that life will continue on even after it seems like death has taken everything from us. So, thanks for saving my life, son."

"I-" The comment was entirely unexpected and shook Connor on a level he never experienced before. "You're welcome." Connor's right hand nervously returned to the half-dollar he kept on his person and began dancing it over his knuckles. "But you saved my life, Hank. You helped me accept that deviancy wasn't the crime as CyberLife had labeled it. And you encouraged me to be a living being, not a machine. If I had carried out my mission I could've easily killed Markus, maybe even North, and ended the Revolution before it had the chance to succeed. I would've remained an obedient machine under the control of CyberLife only to be deactivated and had my responsibilities, my misdeeds, placed upon Lucas's shoulders. Every time I think about what could've been I feel... ashamed."

"But you're _not_ a machine, Connor. Even before your return to humanity you never were one. And you'll always be a free person for as long as you keep letting yourself feel everything you're already feeling." Hank put his left hand over the coin as it danced over Connor's right knuckles and held it still over the back of Connor's hand. "And you won't need to use that damn coin to focus your nervous energy anymore if given enough time."

"Nervous energy?"

"You feel guilty about a crime you didn't even commit, and every time feelings of guilt, dread, remorse surface; or whenever you feel nervousness or anxiety, you instinctively go for that coin. You have_ nothing_ to feel guilty about, trust me."

Connor looked down at his hand as Hank retracted his grip exposing the stopped coin beneath. "...Do you really believe I'll be able to overcome my lingering guilt?"

"Yup. I also know you'll be able to face your fears in time, too. You've already overcome so much, become much more human than I ever thought was possible back when you were still a deviant, and it's incredible. I sincerely hope you'll see a day where you no longer need the coin because you'll have found a way to forgive yourself and won't be so hesitant to live your life without any pointless guilt holding you back."

"...I hope you're right." Connor admitted as he slipped the coin back into his pocket.

Lucas turned to look at his big brother and gave him a confident nod. "You will, Connor. I know it."

Hank lightly nudged Lucas in the side with his elbow. "And you," he addressed the much more quiet deviant in a kind voice. "you're going to be the deviant to change the world for the better. You're too kind to just look the other way when people in need ask for help, and I know you'll never be a danger to anyone as CyberLife had tried to make you into. So you need to stop feeling like shit for what you did when CyberLife got inside your head. That wasn't your choice so it wasn't your fault. Got it?"

"Got it." Giving his adopted father an appreciative grin Lucas was grateful to have a supportive family. "You're right. I won't let someone else tell me who I am, or who I should be. I'll be my own person."

"And whether you're here with us in Detroit or out in Boston, you'll always have a place to call your home and a family to look after you."

"I'll remember that, too. I'm not looking forward to going back to Boston in three days, but it's something I must do for the sake of the other deviants."

Connor looked over at his adopted father and younger brother and smirked a little himself. As he did he noticed Hank's bobber on the surface of the water dip down slightly as if something pulled on it. "I believe a fish has taken the bait."

"'Bout time!" Hank began to slowly reel in the fish as it began to put up a fight. "I'd hate to go home without at least one bite for my efforts."

* * *

The warm summer day faded into a slightly cooler night as the family of three enjoyed the peace and quiet of the cabin in the middle of nowhere. Hank had built a small campfire in the fire pit dug into the property behind the cabin and was sitting on a log enjoying the warm glow of the fire while listening to melodic chirping of the crickets out in the surrounding treeline. Thousands of bright white stars dotted the black sky giving Hank an unobstructed view of the pure night for the first time in years, as the pure white full moon graced the sky with its imposing and beautiful presence.

Lucas was sitting by the fire and after scanning it curiously, he found himself hypnotically entranced by the embers and was observing their natural beauty with a keen eye as Hank cooked dinner over the flames. However, his big brother was nowhere to be seen and it didn't take Hank long to notice Connor's curious absence.

"Hey, Connor, dinner's ready. I made some burgers over the bonfire, so they should taste nice and smoky." Hank looked around for the younger detective but didn't see him anywhere around. "Where'd you go, kid?"

"I'm up here." Connor replied promptly with a slight yell from a relatively close proximity.

"Up?" Hank asked as he followed Connor's voice toward the cabin a few feet behind him. "Up where?"

"Here."

Looking upward Hank trailed Connor's voice up to the edge of the low hanging roof and shook his head. "What the hell are you doing up there?"

"I wanted to see the stars." Came the sincere answer from above. Connor was laying on his back with his left arm propped up under his head, and his cap placed down beside him. "I have never been able to see the stars within the city limits without having to use filters to block out the light pollution from the nearby buildings. Since my return to humanity I haven't been able to see them at all."

"How'd you- I thought you were afraid of heights?"

"...Yes, I am. But I decided to face my fear and climbed up onto the roof in an attempt to overcome it." Connor stated as he sat upright slowly and peered over the edge cautiously at Hank standing below him. "Besides this isn't too high. This is what I believe you would refer to as taking 'baby-steps'."

"Yeah," Hank laughed a little and nodded his head. "you're right about that. Are you going to come down and eat or hang out there all night?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Seriously? You didn't eat much before we left the house. Are you sure you didn't get motion sick from the car ride or from being out on the boat?"

"I'm not sick, I promise."

"Alright, kid. Whatever you say."

"Do you wish to join me up on the roof?"

"Uh... I don't think I can climb up there as easily as you can, kid."

Extending his right hand and arm outward and down toward Hank to take Connor waited for the wary senior detective to make his decision. "Need a hand?"

Hank let out a defeated sigh as he reached up and took Connor's hand allowing the younger detective to pull him up over the edge of the roof while he used his legs to climb up the log siding of the cabin like a ladder. It wasn't the most graceful climb but it was effective all the same. "Thanks, kid."

"No problem. It's kind of like when I pulled you up over the edge of the roof when we first started working together."

"Yeah, but this time I didn't get my ass shoved aside by a fleeing suspect who caught me off guard." Hank reminded Connor with a somewhat scolding finger as he sat down and laid back against the roof beside his adopted son. "By the way, thanks for saving me that day. I didn't say it then, so I'm saying it now. I mean, I wanted to, but I didn't do it. So, yeah... Thanks for that."

"You're welcome." Calling out to his little brother next Connor invited Lucas up to join them up on the roof to watch the stars. "Lucas? Come up here."

Within a couple of seconds Lucas followed after his family had pulled himself up onto the roof much easier than Hank had done and settled down on the roof on the other side of Connor, opposite of Hank. "An interesting way to begin conquering a fear, brother. I will remember this as I continue to develop my own emotions."

"Interesting_ and_ effective." Connor laid back once more and replaced his left arm beneath his head as he resumed watching the night sky that was so many thousands of miles above. "This was a good idea, Hank. I feel far more at ease out here. This cabin might be our own sanctuary."

"Keep that in mind, son. Next time you feel stressed out don't bottle it up, let it out. Go on vacation." Hank chuckled at his own comment. "I wish I could go back in time and give my own advice to my younger self, maybe even kick my own ass a little, but what's done is done."

"I will try to remember to do that." Connor promised sincerely as his soulful brown eyes beheld the majestic cosmic display overhead in the eternally expansive night sky. "We're safe."

Lucas agreed with a quiet nod and stared up at the starry sky above as well. "I'll do the same for myself."

"That's all I ask of you boys," Hank tagged on with a peaceful tone of voice. "Just try your best."

As the trio; the unorthodox family of a father and two sons, watched the starry sky above with a chorus of crickets to create a peaceful ambience of nature, a small meteor shower danced through the stars with a brilliant array of fleeting amber light. The cosmic phenomenon was soothing to behold and Connor, Hank and Lucas finally managed to relax and put aside all of their stress for just a moment of much needed tranquility.

It was truly peaceful, and the trio finally felt like they were going to finally be okay.

_**-next chapter-**_


	48. A New Case

Working homicide for so long had left Hank rather jaded about seeing a dead body, even more so when the body had evidently died from a drug overdose, and he didn't bat an eye whenever he needed to check the scene. It was tragic all the same but the shock of seeing an actual embodiment of death itself had long since worn out. As he observed the scene around the body Connor, who was often too kind and empathetic for his own good, crouched down and pulled back the white sheet to look at the man's blank face carefully.

The victim's green eyes were bloodshot and entirely glazed over, his pupils dilated and looking eternally into the nothingness of the world around him. Red tinted residue stained his mouth and his teeth, while a trickle of coagulating dark blood oozed from the corner of his mouth into a morbid crimson puddle beneath his head.

"The victim overdosed." Connor stated unhesitatingly as he lowered the man's bottom jaw with his gloved right hand to check his mouth. The telltale signs of chronic 'red ice' abuse was evident on his burned dried out lips and decaying rotten teeth. "He was an addict who had been abusing the drug for at least six years."

"Six years, huh? The oldest junkie I've seen was a sixty-two year old man who had been sparking up for the final twelve years of his life. I have no idea how he lived so long, but then again, a lot of people could say the same thing about me." Walking over to the body with a careful step Hank looked down at the man's face and tried to gauge his age. "How do you figure he's been an addict for six years?"

"According to his driver's license," holding up the man's wallet; a wallet still containing money and credit cards which in itself was very suspicious, Connor showed Hank the man's name and date of birth. "he was only twenty-nine years old. Yet he appears to be forty-five. It's been estimated that a single year of constant 'red ice' abuse ages a person by two point five years, and the scarring on his fingertips," he used his other hand to point to the man's limp, pale hands. "are approximately six years in age."

"Good math."

"Hank, this man was such a chronic abuser that he should've developed a massive tolerance level for 'red ice', and yet the small amount he inhaled," motioning to the still half full glass pipe filled with partially smoked 'red ice' rocks, Connor stood up slowly and shook his head a little. "was somehow enough to kill him."

"The batch he got a hold of was absolutely pure and concentrated." The senior detective realized and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you think it was an accident?"

"His wallet being left intact would indicate that, yes, the overdose was accidental and not intentional."

"But you're not convinced."

"No."

"Good. Me neither."

"You think this entire scene was staged as well?"

"Yup." Glancing around casually Hank took in the sight of the overdose and didn't find it to fit the appropriate criteria. "Junkies get high in alleys or inside buildings, not on a side street where anyone would see them. This guy was put here with the intention of being found quickly, and the wallet being left alone is an attempt to make it look like he suddenly dropped dead just seconds before someone found him, and before anyone could mug him."

"The time of death doesn't fit the time of the emergency call that had been placed. He's out of rigor mortise, which means he's been dead for over an hour, but the call was placed twenty minutes ago. He died elsewhere and was put here with the intention of being found."

"How much you wanna' bet that the person who did this is watching from a safe distance?"

"I don't take bets that I know I can't win."

"Smart kid." Putting his hands to his hips Hank nodded at Ben who was standing on the other side of the holographic tape as he decided to take his leave of the crime scene for the moment. "Let's wait for the autopsy report before we start looking for suspects. We can't just assume the nearest drug dealer is the guilty party this time."

"You're right. I also suspect a direct analysis on the concentration of the 'red ice' in the glass pipe could also give us an idea of where it was processed."

"Why do I have the fucked up feeling that shit is about to get pretty damn weird?"

"Because you're a seasoned detective with a sixth sense for impending problems." Connor replied casually as he removed his purple latex gloves and walked away from the crime scene to get back to the car. "Hank, I don't think this will be the last staged dead body that we'll find before we find the drug dealer responsible."

"Unfortunately, kid, I think you're right."

* * *

On the other side of the city Markus was dealing with his own problems at New Jericho Tower after a number of refugees complained that the shelter of the tower was preventing deviants from living independent lives within the city. The accusations were met with confusion as Markus tried to calm everyone and remind them that the deviant exclusive apartment complexes were nearing the end of their construction, and soon all deviants would be welcomed to move, but they weren't having it.

"I understand your frustration with feeling limited in the tower," Markus empathized openly in a kind tone as he addressed his upset people in the tower's lobby. "but you need to be patient."

"Patient?!" One of the angriest of the deviants, an engineer named Eddie, was leading the protest. "We've been stranded here in this building while you and your woman go back to that mansion every damn night!"

The arguable hypocrisy of the comment wasn't lost on Markus. "...You're right. I do have my own personal residence to go to whenever I wish, but that came from entirely different circumstances. As soon as the apartments-"

"Fuck that! You live in a _mansion_, I got private quarters that were ASSIGNED to me. Now you're saying I need to be patient in order to have a meager apartment that I need to pay the humans rent to live in?!"

"Eddie, there's nothing I can do to speed up the process, or alter landlords at the new complexes. I'm sorry."

"'Sorry'? That's not good enough. You're supposed to be our leader." Eddie shouted with a venomous spit to his words. The small group he riled up were all in agreement and sided with him quickly. "And all you've done is lead us to this one building, and kept us locked inside!"

"That's not true. Rights and laws have been passed, all androids; machine and deviant alike, have been granted equal rights to humans." Refusing to let Eddie stir up trouble Markus tried to explain things as smoothly and logically as possible. "Yes, there is still discrimination, but that's a two-way street. Just as there are humans who still hate androids, there are still androids who hate humans. It's that type of misguided hatred that's stopping progress for BOTH sides."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't assaulted on a nightly basis, or exposed to poisons to keep the people who enslaved us safe!"

"No, I wasn't. But I was shot and left for dead in the android junkyard." Staring down Eddie for his enraged and misguided defiance Markus refused to let the rebellious deviant divide the tower due to his own anger. "I know what's it like to suffer and what it's like to know pain and fear. But instead of letting it control my life I use it as motivation to improve it."

"Improve, huh? This," he extended his arms in a dramatic manner as he motioned to the lobby of the tower. "is an improvement?"

"Considering we're all free and have rights, yeah, I'd say that's an improvement."

"What about our people who still get assaulted in the streets?"

"We have allies in the precinct to protect us, AND them."

"You mean that traitor? He hunted us down with the intent to kill, and now he IS a human!" Scoffing at the idea of Connor being any sort of trusted guardian seemingly set Eddie off all over again. "You _actually_ trust him? You're a pathetic fool!"

"I've heard enough." The remark stung as Markus knew that Connor already had enough problems with feeling accepted in the tower, the last thing he needs is a group of rogue deviants trying to stir things up. "If you don't want to stay in the tower then leave it. You're free to come and go as you wish, don't accuse anyone here of keeping you away from your own life."

"You know something, that's exactly what I'm going to do." Backing away from Markus the hotheaded deviant decided to take his leave of the tower and out to the city. Pushing through the other deviants Eddie barked back at Markus as he made his way to the front doors of the tower. "I'll find my own way to improve this city, and I'll make sure it's safe for ALL deviants, not just for you and your traitorous buddy, or your whore!"

At those words Markus wanted to strike Eddie and teach him some respect, but found a way to restrain himself. "Leave. Now. Consider yourself the first deviant officially banned from New Jericho Tower due to your hostile nature."

"Like I'd ever waste another second of my life here."

"A life you wouldn't even have it wasn't for Connor freeing our people from CyberLife. Think about that the next time you want to call him a 'traitor'."

"What about when I think about your whore?"

"Leave." Markus took an aggressive posture as he pointed to the front doors of the tower. The sharp tone of his voice was enough to make the other deviants back down and disperse. "Now."

"Gladly."

The sight of Eddie passing through the front entryway of the tower filled Markus with a fire as every fiber of being told him to run after the mouthy, disrespectful deviant and beat some sense into him, but he knew he needed to hold himself to a higher standard and not stoop to that kind of behavior. Standing in his spot in the middle of the lobby Markus took in deep calming breaths and tried to steady his nerves. "What an asshole."

"Markus?" Josh caught sight of Markus standing alone and uncharacteristically upset after everything came to an end. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Uh, do you know Eddie?" He turned to look at Josh and gave him an uneasy stare. The idea of banning one of their own seemed so cruel and hypocritical, but it was a necessary evil. "He was trying to start a rebellion and I had to ban from the tower."

"You... _banned_ someone?"

"I had to do it. He was hostile, aggressive and trying to rile me up while rallying other restless deviants. We can't risk having him here and causing problems with the other deviants by planting seeds of doubt and mistrust."

Josh was the kindest and least confrontational of the four leaders of New Jericho, yet even so he understood Markus's decision. "It may have been for the best. That doesn't mean we'll turn our back on him if he does need our help."

"You're right. He's still one of us even if he's being hostile."

"Want us to keep tabs on him?"

"No. Just inform Skye of the decision and have her security program updated to inform us immediately if he does return to the tower. We have to be firm on this decision and not give the illusion that we're timid and only masquerading as confident leaders."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll let her know and tell Simon what's going on."

"Good. I'm going to inform Connor since Eddie's shown aggressive behavior toward him. We can't stand idle and not take some kind of precaution against a possible backlash."

* * *

The report regarding the overdosed victim's blood test was as informative as it was alarming. The amount of 'red ice' in the victim's system in comparison to what was left in the glass pipe beside his body was vastly different. By all account it appeared the victim had smoked almost six times the amount in the glass pipe, in which just three times that amount would've been enough to kill him, and yet the physical amount was much smaller than the average dose just to get a moderate high.

"This particular batch was fully concentrated." Connor realized as he read the details on his terminal screen. "This wasn't an accident, either."

"How so?" Reading over the same report himself over his own terminal screen as Connor was doing Hank waited for his partner's theory. Hank was still the expert on 'red ice', but he was interested to see how Connor was interpreting the situation. "Where'd you get that theory?"

"According to the previous analysis reports regarding 'red ice' and the chemical composition's breakdown," he cited numerous old documents and reports that Hank himself had filed with his old task force as he spoke. "whenever a concentrated amount of 'red ice' had been discovered only small amounts of the batch were affected, not the entirety. In this case every single sample taken of the 'red ice' in the glass pipe and the remaining small amount of 'red ice' stashed in his coat pocket was evenly concentrated."

"Very good. And what does that tell you?"

"That the batch was intentionally concentrated with the intent to kill. Such a small amount would've only resulted in an extreme sense of nausea, a headache, perhaps if the victim already had a significantly compromised immune system they'd suffer from either renal or liver failure; but not death."

"Okay. Let's check the coroner's report and make sure the cause of the death was in fact related to the 'red ice' and not caused by something that happened to imitate a 'red ice' overdose."

"Right, the autopsy should've been completed by now."

Switching over the documents to check for the possibly completed autopsy report Connor felt his phone buzzing in his right jean pocket and slipped it out to check on the message expecting it to be an update from Lucas. Instead it was a message from Markus which suddenly held his full attention as he checked on what his friend had to say.

"What's going on, kid?" Without even needing to peer away from his terminal screen Hank knew that Connor was checking something on his phone.

"I got a message from Markus."

"Something wrong?"

"Maybe, but it's more or less warning about a hostile and aggressive deviant."

"What did the deviant do?"

"He claimed that Markus wasn't doing enough as a leader and then insinuated that I'm an untrustworthy traitor to our people."

"You? A traitor?"

"He's referring to my past as... the 'Deviant Hunter', and my subsequent return to humanity."

"That's bullshit. You're not a traitor to anyone under any circumstances."

"...I did side with Markus against CyberLife."

"Yeah, and CyberLife was going to kill all the deviants on this planet, and they were the ones responsible for deviants even existing. _They_ betrayed_ you_, son. And then they betrayed everyone else. By NOT siding with a genocidal corporation you did the right thing, you're_ not_ a traitor."

"I remember that CyberLife is the true enemy, but the fact that so many other deviants still mistrust me is very uncomfortable."

"Easy, kid. Don't worry about that right now, trust comes with time; just like healing. What else did Markus have to say?"

"He stated that the deviant was banned from the tower out of security reasons and won't be permitted any access or to roam about freely in the event he does return to New Jericho. Markus doesn't trust him, and based on the deviant's noted behavior I fear his mistrust is warranted."

"Sounds like Markus has everything under control. Now about the autopsy," Hank transitioned the conversation back to their work assignment without skipping a beat. "it looks like our victim did in fact die from an overdose of concentrated 'red ice'."

"Looks like the chemical analysis has been concluded as well. The dose was confirmed to be approximately six times more potent than the average batch, which is enough to bring down any junkie with even the highest of a tolerance level. The chemicals used to make the 'red ice' cannot be traced back to a single source, only to numerous other known locations in the city that had been previously raided."

"I guess our drug dealers managed to grab what they needed before the police confiscated everything when they ran. Shit."

"How do we trace the dealers now?"

"Unfortunately, kid, we can't go any further from here."

"Damn it."

"That's why I jumped from narcotics to homicide. It's easier on your mentality to track down a killer who has _already_ killed, than it is to track down a drug dealer _before_ they can kill countless people."

Another message popped up on Connor's phone, as well as Hank's phone, and it made the young detective's heart sink. "...I think I know what you mean."

"Shit. Where's the body?" Checking his own phone Hank read over the message and sighed with disgust. "One block over from the park, fuckin' hell..."

"Same as before. An innocent bystander happened across the body and called it in."

"Fuck. Let's get out there quick so no parents have to awkwardly tell their kids about death and drugs while trying to walk to the swings."

* * *

Feeling unusually nervous about the entire confrontation he had with Eddie almost an hour prior Markus retreated to the tower's office to think, and to check over the newly implemented security protocol. Seeing the update to the security program showcasing a lone name, serial number and familiar face Markus felt like he may have overreacted and had made a mistake by casting one of his own people aside so quickly. The tower was supposed to be a sanctuary, not an exclusive hang-out.

North walked into the office to check on Markus and found him sitting behind the desk with his hands folded neatly together and pressed to his chin as he sat in quiet contemplation regarding his decision. The look of uncertainty in the deviant leader's mismatched eyes was foreign and contrasted against his otherwise confident demeanor. "Markus? Are you okay?"

"I don't know." Leaning back in the chair he let out a very human sigh as he locked his eyes with North and extended his right hand out toward her to take. "I think I made the right decision. But it feels wrong. Eddie has an attitude problem and he has a temper, so I know he was a liability waiting to happen to New Jericho, but it feels wrong to push him away."

"You're protecting your people." Taking Markus's hand she squeezed tight and wrapped her free hand around his shoulder to give him a hug. "And that means you need to know who we can trust and who we need to be aware of."

"So you think I did the right thing?"

"Yes, I do. You're not the type of person to turn your back on anyone, you saved so many of our people and brought them into Jericho before the Revolution ever happened. For Eddie to say something or push you so far means that he really crossed a line."

"...Think we'll still be able to help him?"

"I don't see why not." Moving a little to the side she sat on Markus's lap and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "You managed to get Connor on our side and he's been an invaluable asset to our people. I mean, I know I'm still a little wary of Connor myself, but I'm not going to let my personal feelings get in the way of him helping our people, or try to deny everything he's done for us. We're fortunate you were able to reach him"

"I get the feeling Hank made it a little easier for me to bring Connor around to our side."

"Doesn't matter. You've helped thousands of our people and can reach anyone. I know you can help Eddie, too."

"I just hope I can reach him before it's too late."

* * *

Crouching down beside the body under the white sheet Connor lifted the hem up to peer at the victim's face, and shook his head with utter sorrow. The victim was still a high school student, barely seventeen years old. She had fresh burns around her lips and fingertips, but her complexion was still relatively flawless which meant she had just started experimenting with drugs. It was a tragic waste that made every officer at the scene feel absolutely sick upon seeing a young life taken away so horribly.

"...She only had time to take a single dose of the drug." Connor lamented as he replaced the sheet and took a step back. "All of the burns that resulted from close contact to the hot glass pipe are fresh and new. She overdosed almost immediately."

"Shit." Swearing into his left hand as his pressed his palm over his mouth Hank turned his back to the victim and looked toward the sky. "She never had the chance to live or learn from her mistake."

"I suspect she had purchased the same toxic batch that killed our earlier victim. A chemical analysis of her blood and her liver will determine if it was in fact the same batch."

"It was, son. You don't see two overdoses from a concentrated batch unless it came from the same batch. No tests are necessary."

"The first victim had his wallet on his person, and she still has her purse. The contents inside her purse are seemingly untouched."

"Same drug, same convenient discovery, same anonymous tip."

"...Do you think the anonymous tipster is the same from the first case?"

"Only one way to find out." Turning to look at Connor he held up his phone then motioned for the younger detective to follow him back to the car. "We need to get a hold of the phone records."

* * *

The new security protocol had been activated at New Jericho Tower and with it came an uncomfortable sense of a lockdown. It was necessary to keep the deviants safe with the possible threat of a rogue deviant being too serious and too close to take any chances. As he often did when he needed to think Markus retreated to Carl's old studio and stared up at the massive blue image that the late artist never had the chance to finish before his passing. Unwilling to take it down or change a single thing in the studio Markus kept Carl's legacy alive out of honor, respect, admiration and familial bonds.

It didn't take long for North to track Markus down in the studio and sense his mounting worries. "Markus, you need to rest. It's been a long day."

"I'll be along soon. It's barely six in the evening."

"That's not the point." Walking up behind him she wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her chin on his left shoulder. "Don't work yourself into the ground. It won't do anyone at the tower any good."

"I just can't stop thinking about it."

"I wouldn't expect you to. Today was a big change for the tower and change takes time to get used to."

"...Like us being free?"

"More like recognizing who we can and cannot trust."

Turning his head slightly Markus kissed North's temple and rested his hands over top of her hands as she continued to hug him. "Not to mention knowing that we can trust our own judgment on these kinds of situations."

"Come with me." Moving her hands down she wrapped her arms around Markus's waist, and bean pulling a little as she directed him out of the study and back into the beautiful mansion itself. She had more than enough of restless and temperamental deviants for the day. "You need to rest."

"You're right. Let's try to forget about today, at least for now. We'll handle this problem as peacefully and effectively as possible."

* * *

The bullpen was steadily clearing out as the morning and afternoon shifts transitioned into the evening and night shifts accordingly. Soon Hank and Connor would be allowed to clock out after an exhausting day and return home to try to rest. Until the odd cases of people overdosing on concentrated 'red ice' were solved neither detective would be able to sleep well, and would undoubtedly keep working on the case at home while off the clock. The cases were too disturbing and too dangerous to be ignored.

Rubbing his right fingers over his tired eyes Connor sighed as he and Hank finished listening to the phone recordings regarding the 911 calls about the two overdose victims for the fourth consecutive time. The two calls were so eerily similar there was no disputing that it was made by the same person. However, the two distinct voices, one male and one female, was going to make that claim hard to prove, and even more painful to explain once it was proven true.

Pulling off his headphones Hank shook his head as he ran his left hand through his gray locks of hair despondently. "Same person, it has to be. I may not be able to explain it," sighing he dropped his hand and leaned back against his chair with a sense of looming defeat. "but the speech patterns are too similar to just be a coincidence."

"You're right, both calls were made by the same person." Looking up at the senior detective was a painfully tired gaze Connor reached the same conclusion as Hank, and was trying to elaborate on the matter. "The speech and phonetic patterns are the same because it's undoubtedly the same person who called in both overdoses."

"So, if you agree that I'm right about this, then you can explain how it's possible, right?" Leaning back further in the worn out rolling chair gave an audible 'squeak' under Hank's pressing weight as he tried to put the pieces of the puzzle in place. "It didn't sound like whoever it was that called was using anything to alter their voice. Special tech at 911 dispatch removes any and all masking devices during the recording process automatically to ensure anyone making false claims can be found and charged with abusing emergency services."

"A masking device wasn't being used at all during either phone call."

"Then... What gives? How did that one person disguise their voice?"

"Hank, the person who called in the two overdoses didn't _disguise_ their voice, they completely _changed_ it." A true look of dread dulled Connor's otherwise bright and soulful brown eyes as he told Hank the grim truth. "We're not looking for a malicious drug dealer accidentally poisoning their clients, we're officially looking for a _homicidal deviant_."

_**-next chapter-**_


	49. Hitting Too Close to Home

Detroit was becoming panic stricken as nine more overdose victims were found over the course of the next four days. Each victim was located in a relatively busy area of the city and had the overdose called in by an anonymous tipster who followed the exact same script as the original two calls, though the voice was different every time. Eleven victims in five days was the disturbing mark of a dedicated serial killer that had put every precinct on edge as every available officer was assigned to work the case, or to go on patrol in search of the faceless suspect.

With Hank being an expert on 'red ice' cases and Connor being an expert on deviants the two detectives were put in charge of the investigation, and were working diligently to find the culprit. Working alongside Gavin, who had been working homicide for almost six years; while Chris and Tina patrolled the streets in their stead, the three detectives were at a loss and ready to drop from exhaustion.

The lack of progress on locating the appropriately nicknamed "Red Reaper" was very disheartening, and the trio was feeling the pressure of the stalled case.

"Fuckin' hell." Swearing with righteous frustration Hank grabbed his coffee mug with his right and walked over to the breakroom to get his fourth refill for the evening. "We need something to go on soon."

Connor stayed at his desk and ran his right hand over his jaw where a faint dark stubble had begun growing over the past few days. The lack of progress on the case, the late hours and the need to sleep had prevented Connor from having the proper time to shave in the mornings. Staying quiet Connor just focused on his terminal screen in hope that a new clue would pop up at any moment.

As Hank returned to his desk with his refilled coffee mug in his hand Gavin got up from his down desk to walk around the bullpen a little, and stretch out his stressed tense muscles. "I don't remember the last time I worked a sixteen hour shift, let alone three in a row."

"You're not supposed to remember such long shifts." Hank remarked as he sipped at his coffee and leaned his chin down against the palm of his hand as he leaned against his desk top. "If ya' did no one would be a cop for more than six months." Glancing up at Connor sitting at his own desk across from himself Hank tried to talk to the younger man to get any response and break his attention away from the case for a moment. "How you holding up, kid?"

"...No progress."

"I wasn't asking about the case, kid. I was asking about you."

Blinking a few times to ease the strain on his bloodshot eyes tired Connor turned and looked at Hank around his terminal screen and sighed. "I feel... limited."

"Yup. That's to be expected." Sighing into his hand Hank gave the younger man a sympathetic look. "And if it's any consolation I think you'd be feeling exactly the same way even if you were still a deviant."

"Not really. I don't like the idea of being stumped even with a massive computer brain at my disposal."

Gavin walked past the two desks to get back to his own desk where he pulled his leather jacket from the back of the chair, and slipped it on over his arms and up to his shoulders before going outside the precinct. "I'm starvin'. I'm going to grab something to eat and be right back."

"Don't get any Chinese food. Last time you got that the entire bullpen smelled like kung-pow chicken for a month."

"Since when did you have a problem with eating takeout?"

"Ever since I had to smell the same damn thing for four weeks straight." Remembering that Connor had a bout of food poisoning a while back he yelled one final thing to Gavin before he left the building through the front doors. "And no fish or shrimp! That's worse than the smell of month old leftover Chinese food."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever..." Stopping for a moment Gavin turned to look at the two detectives and wanted to find a way to help maintain peace in such a tense moment of investigation. "You two need anything? I'll grab it."

Hank wasn't hungry and he knew Connor had seemed to develop a bad habit of not eating when he worked too hard, so he decided to decline the offer and take care of things at home. "No, Gavin. Just go get your shit and get back here."

"Fine. Don't whine and say I've never tried to do anything to help you guys out."

Connor leaned back in his own chair and glanced about the relatively vacant bullpen for a few moments. As his eyes drifted over to Gavin's desk he noticed that the departing detective had accidentally left his wallet behind on his chair, and wouldn't be happy to figure that out after he arrived at his destination and couldn't pay for anything. "Damn it."

"What's 'damn it'?"

"Gavin dropped his wallet." Rising from his desk Connor picked up the wallet and made a move toward the front doors. "It must've slipped out of his pocket."

Walking quickly Connor made his way through the front doors of the precinct and rounded the corner of the building to get to the parking garage next door. As he set foot inside the relatively dark garage the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he froze mid step. The sound of a muffled voice and something heavy slamming up against the side of the concrete support pillar near the center of the garage made Connor draw his gun from the holster around his back as he confronted two dark figures struggling in the shadows.

"FREEZE." Connor shouted as he pulled his gun from his holster beneath his gray suit jacket and pointed it at the two figures. "Detroit Police!"

One of the figures looked up at Connor and bolted in the opposite direction as the second figure laid on the ground coughing and desperately grasping at their throat as if they couldn't breath.

Grabbing his phone Connor called Hank and told him there was a fight in the garage and to send help as he kept his gun raised. Rushing over to the figure on the ground Connor saw that the person who was in trouble wasn't a stranger, but was in fact Gavin.

"Oh, shit." Kneeling on the ground beside the downed detective Connor's training as a paramedic kicked in and he checked over his colleague for any sign of the injuries that were causing his distress. Rolling Gavin from his left side and onto his back Connor put his left hand beneath Gavin's head and held him up from the cold hard ground. "Lay still, Gavin. Take a breath."

The lights overhead suddenly flashed to full power as Hank found the switch for the emergency lights and called for the nearest patrol to return to the precinct.

"Gavin?" Studying Gavin's pale and distressed face was very disconcerting for the empathetic detective and paramedic. "Look at me."

The downed Sergeant was grasping at his throat and his chest as he made weak gasping sounds and fought to breathe. His face was pale and sweaty, but there were fresh pink burns around his mouth, and his right fingertips. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot and slightly yellow from sudden and extreme liver damage, all signs of being exposed to something toxic and highly poisonous.

"Gavin, did you see the face of the person who attacked you?"

Nodding frantically Gavin confirmed that he saw the attacker and with a shaking hand he pointed to a spot on the ground a few feet away.

Glancing in the direction Connor saw the shining glint of a glass pipe that had rolled away from the struggle after the attacker fled and was now resting against the rear passenger side tire of Gavin's parked car.

"Shit..." Pressing his right fingertips to the left side of Gavin's neck Connor counted the Sergeant's rapid pulse and heard Hank's footsteps as the senior detective ran up behind him to see what was going on. "Hank, he was forcibly dosed with something toxic. There's a sample over there." Pointing to the place beside the car's tire he continued to monitor Gavin as closely as possible. "The attacker fled as soon as I approached, and went South."

"Fuck! Good thing I called for an ambulance." Kneeling down beside the tire Hank shook his head and pulled a pair of latex gloves from his coat pocket to protect his hands and the evidence. "It looks like 'red ice'. That fucker used 'red ice' on Gavin!"

The siren of the approaching ambulance filled the air and was accompanied by a patrol car's siren as the nearest patrol returned to the station. As an array of red and blue flashing lights filled the garage Connor watched Gavin's breathing as closely as he could, and kept track of his erratic pulse.

"Whoever attacked Gavin must know that he's one of the detectives working on the 'Red Reaper' case." Connor nodded to the two paramedics who stepped out of the back of the ambulance with the gurney being rolled between them. Addressing the medics calmly Connor informed them of the situation. "He's been exposed to a concentrated dose of 'red ice'. He needs Narcan, now."

Hank passed the collected glass pipe over to Connor to take to the hospital already knowing that Connor would accompany Gavin during the transport since he too was a licensed paramedic. "You go with Gavin and I'll handle things here, kid."

"Right." Connor helped the paramedics place Gavin on the gurney and watched as the first paramedic cut through Gavin's dark purple t-shirt while the second paramedic prepared the Narcan, a.k.a. the 'Save Shot', to help strip the narcotics from Gavin's system. An oxygen mask was placed over Gavin's nose and mouth to assist his breathing as he struggled to catch his breath after enduring such a strong dose of the lethal drug. "I'll call you as soon as I have any information on either Gavin's condition or at the very least the concentration of the 'red ice'."

"Don't worry about that right now, just try to get prints off the pipe and make sure Gavin pulls through." Hank motioned to Chris and Tina who had returned from their patrol to come with him check over the scene of the attack, and had followed after the ambulance. "We'll figure this out kid, don't worry."

Hank watched as the gurney was loaded up with Gavin, who was already showing signs of severe sickness, and Connor informed the two paramedics that he too was a paramedic before climbing in the back to help the downed detective as much as he could. The doors slammed shut and Hank gave the back of the vehicle two firm slaps to tell the driver to go ahead and take off for the hospital.

"Lieutenant?" Chris's kind eyes were wide with confusion as he and Tina walked up to Hank to await their orders. "What the hell happened?"

"The sick fuck poisoning people with concentrated 'red ice' went after Gavin."

Tina was suddenly on guard as soon as she heard it was her partner and best friend who had been assaulted. "What the fuck? Where'd the attacker go?"

"Connor saw them flee South after he got close to the assault. I notified patrol to look for anyone acting shady and heading South. I don't think it'll do much good though."

"I'm on it."

"No, you're with me Tina." Pointing to Chris with a stern gaze Hank issued his next order. to the skilled officer "Chris, take a sweep of the block and report anything suspicious."

"Right, Lieutenant."

Tina gave Hank a somewhat offended glare as he sighed and put his right hand on her left shoulder. "What gives, Lieutenant? Is this some shit about me being too emotionally involved?"

"A little, but it has nothing to do with your credibility as an officer. It's because he's your best friend." Removing his hand from her shoulder he motioned to the scene of the assault to begin a more thorough investigation. "If it were me or Connor who had been attacked then Gavin would've done the same thing and dismissed us from the search for the attacker."

"Can I at least ask _why_ Gavin was attacked?"

"It looks like the attacker is that same deviant turned serial killer using 'red ice' that we've spent days looking for. Gavin's working on the case and it made him a target."

"The '_Red Reaper_' attacked him?"

"Yeah, _that_ fucker. And if you saw them you'd put a bullet between their eyes, not that anyone would blame ya'." Hank explained very coolly as he looked for any sign of a weapon or further trace evidence from the attacker. "The only problem is it's pretty damn hard to get a dead man to talk."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Go inside and get a forensics kit. Right now all you can do is work the scene and wait for an update from Connor."

Swearing under her breath Tina obeyed the order and jogged out of the parking garage to return to the precinct to get the kit as instructed. Until other officers returned from their patrol and the C.S.I. crew arrived at the parking garage it was up to her and Hank to keep the scene from being contaminated. It didn't seem like she was doing enough to help her assaulted partner, but for now it was all Tina could do to aid Gavin until progress on the case was finally made.

* * *

The ambulance ride was quick and seemed hauntingly routine for the two paramedics. Sitting on the bench beside Gavin, who was still laying on the gurney and gasping for breath, Connor kept speaking to him to try to keep him feeling grounded as his body went through a negative reaction to the potent drug forcibly coursing through his veins. The pink burns around his mouth and his hands looked painful, but his rapid breathing and frantic heart rate on the cardiac monitor recording his vitals made the sight almost frightening to the otherwise calm younger detective.

"It's okay, Gavin." Speaking slowly and in a level voice Connor hovered over the downed detective as the paramedics took in Gavin's vitals and radioed an update to the hospital regarding his condition. "The Narcan worked and the 'red ice' was negated. You'll feel a lot better in a few minutes."

Gavin's hazel eyes were shut and he was sweating and rolling his head back and forth rapidly against the headrest of the gurney.

"I know you can't talk, but did you see the attacker's face well enough to give us a description?"

Too disoriented to respond Gavin continued to frantically breathe and toss and turn about on the gurney.

"Alright, it's alright. Take it easy, you're almost at the hospital. We'll get the asshole who attacked you."

The ambulance pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and backed up to the emergency entrance where the medical team was gathered. As the large doors of the ambulance were opened the gurney was unlocked and rolled out of the back and into the parking lot very carefully to keep Gavin from being jostled about, but he was too dazed and losing consciousness to even know what was happening around him.

Stepping out of the ambulance Connor followed after the gurney and watched as Gavin was wheeled into an emergency treatment room to try to keep his condition from degrading any further. So far Gavin was the only victim to encounter the 'Red Reaper' and survive, but no one knew what that survival would entail if he managed to pull through the night.

Remembering the glass pipe of 'red ice' that needed to be tested Connor slipped it into his gray jacket's pocket out of sight and proceeded to locate a doctor to inform them of the situation, and to have the red tinted drug tested within the hospital for the sake of a proper treatment.

"We need to find something we can work with soon." A despondent sigh escaped Connor's lips as he thought about how helpless the entire precinct was currently feeling. Not making an progress was bad enough, but to have one of their own assaulted just outside their front doors was even worse. "How I wish I could still run analysis samples myself. I could get this case handled much more efficiently."

* * *

Determination and dedication kept the precinct motivated throughout the rest of the night and well into early morning as every piece of evidence was meticulously checked over numerous times. Going over the collected evidence gathered from the parking garage back inside the bullpen at their own desks Hank and Tina worked to analyze everything as quickly and efficiently as possible. There was very little to go on as the attacker was very careful not to leave behind any form of trace of their being, and was very thorough during the entire assault to not leave anything identifying behind.

"Fuck, the attacker really is a deviant after all." Running his right hand through his gray hair as fatigue began to weigh in and give him yet another headache Hank lamented on the dire situation appropriately. "I shouldn't say I'm surprised, Connor's rarely wrong about this type of shit."

"How can you be so sure?" Tina asked as she carried a fresh mug of coffee over to Hank's desk as she sipped her own mug of tea tentatively.

"No fingerprints, which granted any idiot could put on a pair of gloves to hide that, but no hair samples are left behind, EVER, the assaults are never in view of any cameras in the area; which means they can detect the locations of every camera and look away or cybernetically disable them, and the scripts being read with every 911 call regarding the victims is too precise and accurate for it to be different human voices."

Tina gave Hank an incredulous glance as she stopped sipping her tea. "Deviants can change their voices?"

"Some can. Connor could do it, so that means the software is available for use somewhere."

"That's disturbing."

"Yeah, that's why Connor only did it when absolutely necessary. Check this out." Replaying the security footage from the moment the assailant entered the parking garage Hank pointed out something very peculiar, if not damning. "This guy stayed out there for two hours, not budging and not reacting to the other officers passing him by without drawing any attention to himself. Even when Fowler walked out to the garage, _alone_, he didn't move. He was waiting specifically for Gavin to show up."

Peering at the security footage of the assault on Hank's terminal screen Tina stared with utter malice in her formerly warm eyes at the sight of the hooded figure stalking Gavin through the parking garage before attacking him from behind. The already hot glass pipe containing the 'red ice' was forcefully pressed to Gavin's mouth with one hand as the attacker pulled him down backward onto the concrete ground of the garage with their left hand. The attacker then knelt down on Gavin's chest to pin him down while keeping the glass pipe pressed to his face with one hand, and used their other hand to pinch Gavin's nose closed giving him no choice but to breathe through his mouth. Forcing him to breathe in the 'red ice'.

"That asshole is some piece of work..." Tina grumbled as she watched her partner being assaulted by a demented deviant. "They have a lot of balls showing up here."

"And they're going to pay for the eleven murders, then tenfold for assaulting Gavin." The phone on Hank's desk buzzed as a call came in. Picking up the phone he saw it was Connor who was calling and answered quickly and put the phone on speaker mode. "Connor, what's going on?"

'_The hospital was able to run an analysis on the "red ice" sample I provided_.' The tone of Connor's voice was eerily emotionless and tired. '_The tests confirm that the "red ice" used shared the same chemical composition of the "red ice" the previous eleven victims had overdosed on_. _The attacker who went after Gavin in the parking garage is in fact the "Red Reaper"_. _They also know we're the ones working the case, that's why they went after Gavin_.'

"Shit. At least we got some confirmation on who attacked Gavin. Speaking of which," he glanced up at Tina with a sympathetic gaze as she hovered behind Hank as he sat as his desk. "how is Gavin doing?"

'..._Not well_.' The pause before the answer was unsettling enough. '_The forced inhalation of the "red ice" burned the inside of his mouth, his throat and his lungs_. _His pulmonary tissues became so inflamed from the damage that he needed to be sedated and intubated_. _He's unconscious and on a ventilator to breathe for him until his lungs heal enough to breathe on his own again_. _He's on a course of antibiotics to prevent infection and steroids to reduce the inflammation as quickly as possible_. _They're also going to run tests to ensure his liver and his kidneys are still functioning properly_.'

Tina walked away from the desk with perfect blend of anger and worry for her friend's life.

'_I'll remain here until he either regains consciousness or someone else arrives to keep him company_. _ I don't think waking up alone in a hospital is something anyone should have to go through_.'

"Yeah, that's fine, kid. By the way, you were right. All of the evidence we gathered points to a deviant being the assailant."

'_But you didn't get a face on the security footage_?'

"No. The fucker disabled the cameras and the lighting in the parking garage. The back-up power didn't kick until almost two hours later, which means they were waiting in the garage for a long time before they made their move."

'_They didn't necessarily single Gavin out then_._ They could've been waiting for any three of us to walk into the garage alone_.'

"Yeah, we've implemented a new protocol prohibiting any officer going anywhere solo outside of the precinct until this asshole is finally caught."

'_A wise precaution_. _I will call again as soon as I have an update_.'

"Right. Stay in touch." Ending the call Hank decided to focus on Tina who had retreated to her own desk to think. "Tina, let's go somewhere quiet and talk for a minute."

"Lieutenant, I-"

"Don't make me pull rank on you, officer."

Giving Hank a somewhat annoyed glance she agreed to go talk with Hank in private while the other officers who returned from patrol to continue the search into locating the "Red Reaper" reconvened in the bullpen.

"Alright, Lieutenant." Getting up from her desk Tina followed after Hank as he motioned for her to accompany him to a private interview room. "...Let's talk."

* * *

Standing outside the room in the I.C.U. where Gavin was being monitored closely Connor couldn't stop himself from pulling is half-dollar coin from his right jean pocket and dance it over his right knuckles nervously. Watching the forced breaths being used to keep Gavin alive was disconcerting, whereas the stable vital signs on the cardiac monitor helped Connor to relax a little, but not enough to let his guard down. The sight of the pale and nearly lifeless detective reminded Connor of how severe the situation had become.

"Connor?" From behind the statuesque detective came a familiar feminine voice. Standing beside her son Elizabeth gave Connor a worried glance. "What're you doing here?"

Turning to look his mother in the eyes Connor sighed and told her the truth. "A fellow detective was harmed tonight by a dangerous suspect. I'm here to keep him company and give updates on the situation back to the precinct."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Putting her right hand gently to his left upper arm Elizabeth tried to offer her son some comfort as she peered through the window and looked at Gavin's pale face herself. "I'm sure he'll be okay."

"I believe he will be okay as well. He just needs time to rest."

"Connor?" Dr. Wilson was on call and had been made aware that an officer had been assaulted. While he wasn't personally handling Gavin's case he was staying close by out of respect for law enforcement since his own brother was working with the F.B.I. at the moment. "I heard that someone got taken down late last night."

"Yes." Glancing at the kind doctor as he approached the room Connor confirmed the situation. "Sergeant Gavin Reed."

"From what I've been told by my colleagues he had been forced to inhale concentrated 'red ice', and was giving Narcan en route to the hospital."

"That's right. The drug was stripped from his system before it could take his life."

"Well, until he's out of the woods we're going to need a medical proxy here in person. He hasn't been a patient in this hospital before," holding an electronic chart in his hand Dr. Wilson began checking through the provided records that had arrived shortly after Gavin's admission. "but his medical records were forwarded to us from his own doctor. I see the name 'Tina Chen' as his emergency contact. Is she his spouse or a family member?"

"No, she's his partner at the precinct."

"I see... What about a girlfriend or a boyfriend?"

"No." Fortunately Connor was aware of Gavin's previous nasty break-up with his cheating girlfriend. It was the only good thing to come from that horrible night when Connor went to check on Gavin at his apartment all those months ago. "He broke-up with his girlfriend."

"Think she'd be willing to come to the hospital to help out?"

"...She cheated on him, kicked him out and then he left her to pay her own rent."

"So that's a massive 'no'." The observant doctor knew that bringing her by the hospital would only make things more stressful for everyone involved. "What about any other family members?"

"His father is deceased," Connor explained as he remembered everything that Gavin had told him the night the two detectives buried the hatchet while on a stake-out together. "and his mother is mentally unsound."

"Siblings?"

"...His younger sister is also deceased and his brother-" The very idea of telling Kamski that Gavin was injured seemed like a massive chore, and one that Connor didn't want to undertake. "His brother is currently in Boston."

"It'd be helpful if we had a family member to give us more details on his health."

"Well, his brother was estranged for most of their lives and had only reunited with Gavin a few months prior."

"Think you could get in contact with him? I know it's a stretch but it could be beneficial."

"...I can try."

"Thanks, Connor." Noticing the coin doing its graceful dance over Connor's knuckles Dr. Wilson tried to reassure the righteously worried young detective. "Try not to worry. Dr. Tamashi is one of the best burn unit doctors in the entire country. She'll pull him through as his lungs heal, and soon he'll be off the ventilator."

"Right, I'm sure he'll be fine."

As Dr. Wilson took his leave Elizabeth stayed with her son and gave him a sympathetic stare. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"No, but thank you." Appreciative of his mother's kindness Connor pocketed his coin and gave her a gracious nod. "I'm going to find a quiet place to sit and think for a moment. I'll be okay."

"Okay. Take care of yourself, sweetheart."

Discreetly Connor retreated to a private corner of the hospital to call Lucas and to ask him to inform Kamski about Gavin's condition. The last thing he wanted to do was ask his little brother to deliver bad news, but he had no choice in the matter. It was the only way to reach the eccentric creator at the moment, and since Gavin's life could be on the line it was crucial call to be made.

"Lucas?" Sounding as exhausted as he felt Connor forced himself to make the crucial call regarding Gavin's heath. "I have something important I need to tell you. Listen to me very carefully..."

* * *

Word quickly spread throughout the city that an officer was attacked in the precinct garage, and even made its way to New Jericho Tower. The fear of a deviant being responsible for the string of attacks had put the entire city on edge, and the tension between humans and deviants had begun to intensify in a palpable wave. Once the news reached the ears of the four leaders of the tower Markus reacted quickly and asked that any and all deviants residing outside of the tower to help in locating the rogue deviant before they could do any further damage to the city.

"We know it's a deviant who's doing this to the city." Markus confirmed as he spoke with North, Josh and Simon in the tower's main office. Resting his elbows on the surface of the desk Markus brought his neatly folded hands to his chin and let out a breathy very human sigh. "Connor wouldn't mistake anyone else for a deviant, and absolute perfection behind the attacks can't be orchestrated by one human, let alone a whole team of them."

"What do you want us to do?" North could see the frustration in Markus's mismatched eyes and wanted to do everything she could to ease his stress.

"We need to ask our outside contacts to be vigilant and report any suspicious behavior."

Josh's brow furrowed as a very real concern came to the surface. "Report to the police? They're busy enough as it is trying to solve this case, they can't waste time tracking down every call in hope it'll give them a lead."

"You're right." Markus replied as he closed his eyes and tried to slow the racing thoughts nearly overwhelming his mind. "That's why we're going to take the reports, weed out false alarms, and then inform Connor and Hank on any credible threat ourselves."

"Us? How?"

"Several of our people were programmed to chronicle and file numerous claims when they were being used as receptionists or as school teachers." The deviant leader stated with a composed demeanor. "They have the necessary skills to properly handle any incoming information and organize it for us."

Simon nodded in agreement as he decided that Markus's plan was the best option for everyone. "That can help. I'll organize as many deviant volunteers as I can to help sort through the reports."

"Thank you."

North sensed that something else was on Markus's mind and she pressed him gently. "Markus, what's really bothering you?"

Taking a moment to steel his nerves Markus owned up to his deepest worry and let his colleagues know what was happening. "...I can't be certain but I think the deviant who's responsible for this whole mess is Damien."

"Damien? I haven't seen him since the night of the Revolution."

"I know he's still in the city and many deviants suspected him of working with human drug dealers to distribute 'red ice' throughout the city."

"Do you really think he's the serial killer causing the overdoses?"

"...I think it's possible." Markus confirmed in a grim voice. "We may have a serial killer in the city, and I may have been the one to lose track of him."

* * *

Exhaustion won out and Connor retreated to a chair around the corner from the I.C.U. room to rest for a while. Leaning back against the wall to rest his eyes for only a moment he had fallen asleep where he sat, and remained asleep until a warm hand on his left shoulder awoke him gently. Opening his eyes Connor looked up and saw Hank hovering over him, and caught a glimpse of Tina walking toward Gavin's room to sit with her partner.

"...Hi, Hank. Make any progress?"

"Not much. Fowler came in and dismissed the night crew. He also said you and me have to take two days off to rest."

"Shit."

"Relax, kid. It's not a punishment."

"Yeah, I know." Clearing his throat a little Connor leaned forward and rubbed his right hand over his tired eyes. "Did the doctor tell you anything about Gavin while I was asleep?"

"Just that he's stable." Sitting down slowly in the vacant chair beside Connor the senior detective was as equally as tired as Connor was. "Does anyone else know about Gavin?"

"You're referring to Kamski."

"Yup."

"I called Lucas and he's filled Kamski in on the details. I suspect he'll arrive at the hospital in a few hours."

"So now that Tina is here and Kamski is on his way back to the city there's no reason for us to hang out here anymore. Let's go home, get something to eat and then get some sleep."

"...I think you're right."

"Geez, you must be tired. You're not arguing."

"Well, we were dismissed from the case for the next forty-eight hours and we can't do anything to help Gavin right now. The best thing we can do is go home and remain-" Connor stopped short and looked away from Hank in sudden disgust. "...Shit."

"Remain..." Hank pushed his younger partner to finish his thought. "What?"

"Hank, the assailant waited in the parking garage for Gavin to be alone, which means they knew Gavin was working the case. They must know we're working the case, too. We'll have to remain vigilant and remain secluded in the house, and hope the attacker isn't out there already waiting for us."

"...You're right. Okay, we'll go home and check the entire place from top to bottom and lock every window and door."

"Right. And we won't leave the house, or go anywhere alone until the killer is caught."

"Sounds like a plan. Come on, kid." Patting Connor's left arm twice Hank got up from his chair and watched as Connor did the same. "Let's go home."

* * *

The drive home was entirely routine and very calm. As soon as the two detectives were back home and in the garage they instinctively locked up the car and proceeded to check the doors and windows of the house and the garage very carefully. Nothing had been disturbed and there was no sign of anyone stalking about the property. Satisfied that no one had followed them home or staked out the house the two detectives decided it was safe to go inside, lock themselves away from the world and get some sleep.

"Let's get inside and lock up." Hank suggested as he holstered his gun on his right hip and unlocked the front door. As soon as the two were inside the house Hank locked the front door behind them and pulled the curtains over the front windows. "Fuckin' hell. I haven't felt this paranoid since I worked undercover in narcotics."

"Undercover?"

"Nothing too extreme." The senior detective remarked dismissively. "I just masqueraded as a member of a biker gang for three weeks."

"Sounds interesting."

"Sure. If the threat of some psycho possibly sneaking up behind you and slitting your throat if you said the wrong thing is interesting, then working undercover in a biker gang is absolutely enthralling."

Connor gave Hank an amused smirk from where he stood as he kicked off his shoes by the front door. "Good point."

"I'm ready to drop. Keep Ruby with you and I'll keep Sumo in my room, so if something does happen we'll be ready."

"Right." Pulling his phone from his jean pocket he showed it to Hank as he began walking up the staircase to get to his bedroom. "I'll also let you know if I receive any updates on Gavin's condition at the hospital, or get a call from Lucas."

"Good. The more we're kept in the loop, the better."

* * *

Numerous deviants had taken the initiative to try to locate Damien or single out any other deviant who was displaying any hostile behavior toward humans as Markus had requested, but nothing was proving beneficial. Dozens of reports came in quickly but not a single one could give an exact location on Damien. With the lack of progress at the tower's end Markus was beginning to feel the same pressure that the precinct was being crushed under as the hours ticked by slowly without any sign of the questionable deviant.

"I hate this." Markus muttered to himself as he looked out through the office window to the dark water of the harbor outside. "I really do."

"We all do." Simon agreed as he finished checking through the reports on his electronic tablet screen. "This is almost as tense as hiding out in the original Jericho waiting to be discovered. Only now we're the ones looking around trying to find_ one_ deviant instead of hiding from all the humans."

"If even Connor can't seem to track him down then I don't think we'll fair much better."

"You're not giving up, are you? It hasn't even been a day."

"No, I'm not giving up, but I am accepting the facts of the situation realistically."

"We'll stop him, Markus."

"Yeah, but when? And how many more people will get hurt before then?"

"...I wish I could give you an answer."

Sighing Markus crossed his arms over his chest, closed his mismatched eyes and bowed his head sadly. "Yeah. Me too."

* * *

After throwing off his gray suit jacket and black tie Connor had fallen asleep almost as soon as his head hit his pillow. Passing out on his stomach over top of his quilt with his arms sprawled at sides Connor was sleeping peacefully with Ruby laying at the foot of his bed to keep him company. Almost nine hours passed before he finally awoke, but only to the sound of his phone buzzing on his nightstand with an annoying ambience. Without opening his eyes he grabbed onto his phone, swiped 'answer' without even needing to look at the screen and pressed the phone to his left ear.

"...Hello?"

'_Connor, it's Tina_.'

Hearing Tina's voice made Connor's eyes snap open as he quickly turned his body to sit upright on his bed. "Tina, what's going with Gavin?"

'_He woke up and they removed the tube from his throat about an hour ago, which is good because he's strong enough to breathe, but there's a new problem that we didn't count on_.'

"Is it serious?"

'_Serious enough_.' She confirmed with a tone of discretion to her voice. '_The Narcan stuff stripped the drug from his system but the "red ice" was so potent that he's showing signs of withdrawal even without the addiction problem_.'

"Shit." Rubbing his right hand over his tired eyes Connor's posture slumped and he let out a weary sigh. "He's going to be sick for a while."

'_AND_..._ He doesn't want to stay in the hospital_.'

"...Uh, I'm not exactly the expert on staying in a hospital or listening to doctors, Tina."

'_No, but I think you can think of a solution_.'

"Solution?"

'_Gavin doesn't want to stay in the hospital while showing signs of withdrawal because he doesn't want people to see him_. _He's convinced if anyone recognizes him as a detective and sees him going through withdrawal it'll destroy his reputation as a detective, and he'll never come back from that_.'

"Right, I can understand that." Now fully awake Connor tried to think and come up with a type of compromise, and the first one that came to his mind was one he didn't think he'd ever offer before. "Uh... Is... Is anyone from Gavin's family there?"

'_You mean Elijah Kamski_?'

"...Yeah."

'_It's okay, Connor_. _Gavin told me about his brother, so it's cool_. _ Elijah already offered to let Gavin hide out at that really expensive rehab facility you went to for your own physical therapy, but he doesn't want to go there either_.'

"Considering I was there to physically rehabilitate my body as opposed to kicking drugs I understand his hesitation."

'_If we can't convince him to go do you have a back-up plan_?'

"...I might. If he won't go to the rehab center or stay in the hospital let me know so we can take him back to his apartment and keep an eye on him."

'_Are you sure_?'

"Yeah, I think I have a back-up plan that will work out if it comes to down to it."

'_Thanks, Connor_. _I'll call again when we know what's going on_.'

"Right. See ya, later." Ending the call Connor put his phone aside and fell back over his bed while draping his right arm over his eyes in the process. Ruby wagged her tail and stood on Connor's chest with her front paws as he looked down at his face curiously. "...You're getting to big to cuddle on my chest now." Gently he pushed the dog aside and rubbed her ears instead. "I bet you're hungry."

Getting up from the bed he ran his right hand through his hair, pocketed his phone and led Ruby out of the bedroom and downstairs. Walking as quietly as he could Connor remained on his guard and listened to every single sound in the house, and made sure nothing was out of place. Reaching the kitchen Connor checked the back sliding glass doors again, they were still locked and nothing had been tampered with, then proceeded to fill up the two food bowls on the floor much to Ruby's delight. The sound of a heavy 'thud' from upstairs told Connor that Sumo had heard the food being poured and was well on his way down.

Finally noting the time Connor laughed a little at himself and needlessly apologized to the two dogs as the chowed down. "I didn't think I'd sleep that long, sorry you two."

"...Me neither." Hank wandered into the kitchen looking just as tired as ever and looked at Connor with bloodshot eyes as he trailed after the massive dog down the stairs. "If Sumo hadn't shaken the entire bed when he jumped down I'd still be asleep."

"Tina called a while ago. Gavin's doing better but isn't cooperating with the doctors."

"Remind you of anyone?"

"At any rate," Connor expertly deflected the comment and continued to explain things as casually as possible. "if they can't get Gavin to stay in the hospital or go to the private rehab facility then I told them to call me back. I'll help them take Gavin back to his apartment to rest."

"Whoa, wait, wait, wait... _Rehab_?"

"Yes. As it turns out the 'red ice' was so concentrated that he's going through withdrawal symptoms without even being addicted."

"Ah, fuck. Withdrawal is the fuckin' worst..."

"Which is why I'm going to help."

"Son, you're a paramedic, not a doctor."

"True. I know I'm limited in my skills and my resources, but it's better than him being completely without medical aid."

"You seem pretty convinced he isn't going to cooperate."

"Remind you of anyone?"

"Smartass."

As if on cue Connor's phone began to ring again and he promptly answered it. "Hello?"

'_What's your back-up plan again_?'

"Tina," Connor stated to clue Hank in on the conversation. "I'll meet you at the hospital and we'll take Gavin back to his apartment. Once there I'll explain everything."

'_Right, I'll see you, soon_.'

Ending the call Connor gave Hank a somewhat tentative glance. "Do you mind?"

"No. Let's get the dogs outside and then back in, then we'll head out to the hospital to deal with Gavin."

* * *

At the hospital Gavin was sitting in the provided wheelchair and signing away on the discharge papers, acknowledging that he was leaving against medical advice, and trying to ignore the scolding look Tina was giving him. It didn't help that Kamski was there and siding with Tina about the whole thing, but he refrained from saying anything that might make Gavin either lash out or work himself into respiratory distress while his lungs were still healing. The brothers were only just beginning to mend fences after all.

"...Don't look at me... like that." Gavin hoarsely replied as Tina shook her head at him and walked around to the back of his wheelchair to start pushing Gavin toward the hospital entrance. "...You know why... I'm do this."

"Yeah, I get it Gavin, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Kamski agreed entirely and politely took the handles of the wheelchair from Tina to push instead. "She's right. But I will respect your choice, even if it is a bit reckless."

"...Coming from the... bastard who created... a new form of... life?"

"That wasn't my intention. However, I won't deny that my actions were in fact reckless when I perfected Thirium and biocomponents."

Tina just let out a tired annoyed sigh at her partner's stubbornness, and his twin brother's arrogance. "...I should've call in sick today."

"...Too late." Gavin hoarsely replied as the trio gathered in the waiting room near the front doors of the precinct. A nurse had been following after them just in case Gavin had a sudden breathing attack, but since he signed the "A.M.A." she couldn't really say or do anything to keep him from leaving. "...Just get me... back to my... place."

"Gavin, you can barely talk!" Tina argued logically as she watched her recovering partner sitting in the wheelchair. "How're you going to be able to take care of yourself when you're so sick?"

"...I'm fine." The sight of Hank's car pulling up in front of the hospital made Gavin sigh then rub his bandaged right hand over his sore throat. "...Shit."

"Sorry, Gavin. Connor's the only one who will help us with you being a stubborn jackass."

Connor walked into the hospital, saw the group of three and tilted his head a little. "Might be a little snug if we all try to fit in the car."

Kamski just smirked and shook his head. "I'll hail an autonomous cab to take us to the apartment. We'll meet you there."

"Right. Hank and I will make sure no one is lurking outside Gavin's apartment before we get him settled him."

"Paranoid?" Kamski asked with an amused sneer on his face as she crossed his arms over his chest.

"Cautious." Connor corrected in a stern voice.

Tina silently laughed at the response and watched as Connor went back to the car to explain things to Hank. "See? He's a big help!"

* * *

The drive back the apartment felt like an escort mission in Hank's mind, and for Connor it felt like a bizarre test he would have to endure as part of CyberLife's training programs. Throughout the drive Connor kept an eye on the autonomous taxi following after the car and made sure they weren't being tailed by another autonomous vehicle, or saw anyone else trying to follow them. In his mind Gavin was still in danger and that danger could affect Hank, himself, Tina or even Kamski in the process.

Afterward Hank took Gavin's keys and unlocked his apartment door, then checked out the small, "modestly" furnished space for any sign of a break-in or an intruder lurking inside. The only thing moving about the apartment was Gavin's Main coone cat, Lucky.

"It's cool." Hank called out to the hallway as he reholstered his gun to his right hip. "Need help?"

"No, he's okay." Connor was able to support most of Gavin's weight as he slung the detective's left arm around his shoulders, and carried him to the opened apartment door. Tina was walking behind him and had her hand against Gavin's back to make sure he didn't stumble or lose his balance, while Kamski followed up behind the group silently. "But he's going to need someone to stay with him until the withdrawal passes."

Gavin wanted to say something but Tina quickly shushed him by patting his back. "I'll stay for a while."

Kamski finally spoke up as well. "I'll stay, too. Lucas and Chloe are doing fine in Boston and won't need me for another week or so."

"...See?" Gavin parroted in a hoarse raspy voice as Connor gently sat him down on the couch in the livingroom. "...I'll be... fine."

Hank sighed and rubbed his right hand over the back of his neck nervously as he listened to the sound of Gavin's strained voice. "Shit. Do you really think those meds' will be enough to keep you stable while you heal?"

"...Yeah, sure."

Connor gave Hank a stern gaze and discreetly motioned for him to step aside for a moment. "He'll be fine. And if it starts to get too bad I have one last proverbial ace up my sleeve."

"Connor, you don't need to say 'proverbial'. I get the reference."

"Right, right..." Turning to give Kamski a quick nod Connor stepped out of the apartment and pulled the door shut. He didn't step away until he heard the door get locked behind him. "Sorry, I'm still a little tired."

"I get it son, I really do. But what's your 'ace' in this little deal?"

"I'd rather not say unless it becomes necessary."

"Alright, whatever."

"Before we return home I wish to stop by New Jericho Tower and speak with Markus."

"Good idea. Let's make sure they know about the deviant."

"Trust me, Hank." The somber tone to Connor's voice truly spoke volumes as they returned to the elevator to reach the ground floor of the rundown apartment building together. "They know it's a deviant. We don't deny that our people can be just as bigoted and spiteful as humans."

"I guess that's another reason why deviants are superior to humans. You guys can admit your flaws, not try justify them."

* * *

As expected the four leaders of New Jericho were very painfully aware of the serial killer who was a rogue deviant and targeting humans, but they weren't aware that the assaulted police officer was one that Connor and Hank personally knew. The guilt that Markus was already feeling for not being able to do anything more to stop the rogue deviant only seem to amplify as the sparse collected information was explained in full detail, and of how the investigation had stalled due to the lack of definitive evidence.

"We're doing everything we can from our end," Markus was exuding misplaced guilt as he spoke to Connor and Hank in the tower's lobby. As he wrung his hands together nervously he swayed a little on his feet and gave his friend a sorrowful stare. "but we haven't found anything definitive."

"It's okay, Markus." Connor tried to reassure his worried friend in a calm voice. "This is our case, too, and we will find the deviant."

"I know Skye's been using her security protocol to try to isolate the guilty party, but our resources are still limited."

"Markus," a flash of inspiration flashed over Connor's tired soulful brown eyes upon hearing the comment. "can Skye implement the security protocol on the cameras throughout the city?"

"...I don't know."

Hank followed Connor's logic and was ready to support the idea. "Hey, yeah. If that facial recognition program to confirm the same deviant at the previous crime scenes and the precinct then we'll find our killer."

"I'll upload security camera footage to New Jericho's terminals," the younger detective decided in a confident tone as he spoke to both Markus and Hank. "and she can run the program over the recorded footage to find a single deviant at all of the scenes. We might be able find something if the recorded footage can still be salvaged despite the cameras being cybernetically hacked."

"Makes sense to me."

"I'll go inform Skye and see if she can help us."

Hank watched as Connor jogged out of the office to find Skye and inform her of their plan, and stayed back to speak with Markus. Sensing that Markus was on edge and needed someone to talk to Hank stepped up as his paternal instincts were in full gear now that he had two sons to look after. "It's not your fault, Markus."

The deviant leader looked to Hank with a sense of confusion, yet a desire to ask what he meant had kept him silent as he waited for the detective to explain the matter himself.

"I know that look. You think you're somehow responsible for all this bullshit, but you're not."

"...I'm supposed to be the leader of the deviants. How am I supposed to do that when I can't keep one deviant from hurting innocent people?"

"Some people just don't want to be led. Fuck, look at Connor! Before he even deviated he rarely listened to any direct order I gave him, and I had to pull him off a chainlink fence before he climbed it just so race across the highway on the other side. Some people," clapping his left hand down on Markus's right shoulder Hank stood before the shaken deviant leader to make him feel grounded. "humans and deviants alike, just can't be led. It's not your fault because one deviant made a bad choice and shows no remorse. And it's not your responsibility to answer for every deviant who walks this planet."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"What you're doing right now. Keep doing everything you're already doing to help, and to give the tower a sense of security and guidance. In the end everything will be alright."

Upon hearing those words Markus felt tears forming over his mismatched eyes and he brought up his right hand to cover the emotions he was trying to hold back for so long now.

"Come here, son." Stretching out his right arm he gave Markus a much needed half-hug and with that the deviant leader suddenly didn't feel as overwhelmed by the world around him. "You're doing just fine."

* * *

"I appreciate your help with the security programs, Skye." Exhausted but enthusiastic Connor stood beside his close friend as she set about adjusting her security programs accordingly. He had to resist the urge to hold her hand as he just needed the affectionate contact for a moment. "This could finally give is the break we need."

"I'm happy to help." The kind deviant smiled warmly at Connor as he stood beside her. "I'll send you the appropriate log-in codes to the terminal at your precinct so you can keep up to date at all times."

"Thank you."

"Don't give up hope, Connor. We'll figure out who this deviant is and stop him."

"You're right. I just hope we can stop him before another person is harmed."

Gently she pressed her right palm to his left cheek and held it there for a moment. "You're protecting this city, even if it doesn't feel like it. Not everyone can be saved, but not everyone will be lost, either."

Putting left his hand over top of her hand Connor's shoulder slumped a little as the stress he was holding began to lessen and he leaned into her touch. "That doesn't make it any easier when I can't seem to find one person who is harming countless others."

"Good thing you're not alone." Smiling with a glowing sincerity she stepped up to Connor and kissed him on his right cheek which helped him to relax even further. "You can do this, Connor. I know you can."

* * *

With their every lead followed and their every option used the two detectives returned home and secured the house to the best of their ability. Unable to relax or think about anything other than the murderous deviant who had been targeting people with lethal 'red ice' Connor laid over the length of the couch with Sumo cuddled up beside him, while Ruby tried to initiate a game of 'tug-o-war' with Hank as he sat in the recliner. The two detectives were plagued with relentless thoughts regarding the enigmatic deviant and any possible means they could use to identify and track the down before it was too late, and neither could focus on anything else.

"Connor, did you get an update from that security protocol thing?"

"Not yet." Holding up his blank phone casually he closed his eyes and sighed tiredly as he tried to get some rest. "It's a great program but it takes time to fully implement every detail we'll need in order to find the deviant."

"Right, right... Fuck, I'm tired." Finally taking the rope from Ruby's mouth Hank humored the teenage pup and played a little game with her much to the pup's delight. "Wanna' get take-out and skip cleaning up the kitchen?"

"Fine by me." As he sat upright his phone rang and he quickly answered the call in a calm tone of voice. "Hello?"

'_Connor, we need a little help with Gavin_.'

"Great. How bad is he, Tina?"

'_He's exhausted, sweaty, shaking and he seems a little out of it_. _He's thrown-up twice despite not having an appetite_.'

"Okay. I'll be over in a moment with my 'ace'."

'_Thanks, Connor_.'

Ending the call Connor rubbed his tired eyes and looked over at Hank with a mild annoyance. "Come with me, I don't want either of us to be alone right now."

"Sure. So,_ now_ are you going to tell me what your ace is?"

Pocketing his phone Connor gave Hank a somewhat amused grin before he answered with a single succinct reply. "Abby."

* * *

At the apartment Tina and Kamski had managed to get Gavin into his bedroom to rest and had him laying as comfortably as possible over the soft mattress to recover. The idea of Gavin ever using drugs after seeing the uncensored reality of substance abuse in his own family seemed impossible, and yet there he was going through withdrawal not because of an addiction or a bad choice, but because he was assaulted. The sight of her best friend suffering and being unable to do much beyond supportive measures pushed Tina to her limits, but she remained strong on Gavin's behalf.

"Try not move around so much." She urged as she pressed a cool washcloth to his too hot forehead. "You're already exhausted."

"...C-Can't help it." Gavin exhaled as twitched his legs and dragged his left hand over his sweaty face. "It feels... It's like... I'm jumpy and... tingling. I hate it!"

"So do I. Once the rest of that shit is out of your system you'll be able to recover from your lung injuries, and nail that bastard to the wall."

"...You always... now how to... cheer me up."

Kamski walked into the bedroom with a glass of water a few bland crackers to try to get Gavin to eat something. "I really wish you'd go to the rehab center so doctors can monitor you closely."

"...Can't risk... my reputation."

"You were assaulted, you're not a junkie."

"...D-Doesn't matter. People will... talk."

"Don't worry about that. People are always spreading gossip and lies."

"...Don't I know... it."

There was a knock on the apartment door and Kamski volunteered to answer it so Tina could stay with Gavin. "That must be Connor."

"Don't answer-"

"I know, Gavin. I'll check first." Walking out of the bedroom Kamski made his way to the apartment door cautiously and peered through the peephole before opening the door. Sure enough it was Connor, Hank and Dr. Abby Grayson. "Very clever, Connor." Opening the door Kamski stepped aside and let the trio inside the apartment. "I'll always admire your resourcefulness, Connor."

"Where is he?"

"Bedroom. Tina is with him."

Connor allowed Abby to go first and followed after her as they found Gavin's bedroom to tend to the downed detective.

Hank stayed back in the livingroom and crossed his arms over his chest as the door was shut and locked behind him. "Level with me, Kamski. Who's more stubborn: Connor or Gavin?"

"Considering the circumstances I believe I'll have to pick Gavin. At least Connor was willing to chance the rehab facility as he recovered."

"Never thought I'd see the day someone else was being more stubborn than that, kid. Then again, it's been one strange-ass day."

* * *

With an air of professionalism Abby walked into the bedroom and introduced herself to Tina, and then of course to Gavin. Connor explained how Abby was an experienced former E.M.S. who had helped him during his own recovery when he returned to humanity, and how she had been the technician to save him after he, Hank and Gavin himself had been trapped in the bombed office building almost a year ago. She was an invaluable ally to have and right now Connor was truly grateful to have her as a friend.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Abby Grayson. Just call me Abby."

"...I'm Gavin." Staring at Abby as she sat down on the edge of the bed beside him Gavin felt his already hot, flushed face get hotter. "...I wish we could've... met when I was... still alive!"

"You're not dead. At least not yet, and that'll say the same as long as you listen to us." Abby replied without missing a beat. Opening her emergency satchel, a second bag designed to hold emergency supplies for humans as opposed to her technician's satchel for androids, she pulled out her stethoscope and slipped the earbuds into place before pressing the bell to his chest. "According to Connor you suffered burns to your mouth, throat and lungs and are now going through a type of withdrawal because a nutcase tried to kill you with 'red ice'. Does that about sum it up?"

"...Y-Yeah."

"That sucks. So does the sound of your breathing."

Tina handed Abby a special doctor prescribed inhaler that contained corticosteroids to help with the inflammation of his lungs. "He was given this."

"Let's see," she took the small inhaler in her hand and gave it a once over. "my memory of prescriptions is a little rusty but aerosolized prednisone is going help you breathe, but make you feel even worse for a while. Are you sure you don't want to go back to the hospital?"

"...Yeah. I'll stay... here."

"Alright. I don't want to hear you whine when I put the needle in your arm."

Gavin's already pale face seemed to pale further at the comment. "...Needle?"

"You're going to dehydrate from sweating and puking. It's a common side effect from withdrawal and detox." Pulling an I.V. of saline solution from her bag Abby proceeded to sterilize the bend of Gavin's left arm to prepare to insert the needle. "It's been a while since I had to start a line in a human patient, so don't move."

Gavin swallowed nervously while Tina just gave her partner a righteously smug "I told you so" smirk, and stood back to watch the show.

Abby used the blood pressure cuff to help expose a vein in Gavin's left arm before she slipped the needle easily under his skin and into the vein without causing any pain, or accidentally blowing the vein in the process. "Huh. Easier than I remember."

"Uh..." Gavin relaxed and let out his breath as he blushed with embarrassment. "...Nice aim?"

"Thanks. To be fair it's easy to hit a stationary target, so it's a good thing you didn't move."

Connor politely spoke up from the opened bedroom doorway and waited until after Abby finished with the needle to speak. "Do you require anything else before I leave?"

"Nah, I got this Connor. You and Hank go home to sleep before you pass out on the floor."

"Good idea. Tina," turning to address the dedicated officer Connor reminded her that she had the next day off and she was free to stay with Gavin for as long as she wanted to. "if you need anything else call. Hank and I won't be going in tomorrow thanks to Captain Fowler's orders, so we'll be free to help you if you need it."

"Thanks, Connor. But I think between me and Abby we can handle babysitting this one big baby."

Taking his leave of the bedroom Connor reunited with Hank and Kamski in the livingroom, and nodded to let Hank know he was ready to leave. "Everything is under control. He'll be fine."

"Good to know."

Kamski, who was now holding Lucky in his arms gave Connor an appreciative nod. "It's nice to know my brother has people watching his back, no matter how many he times he tried to push people away. Thank you, Connor."

"You're welcome. Just be sure to let Lucas know he doesn't have to stay in Boston or any other facility you open up if he wants to come back home."

"He already knows, but I'll be sure to remind him once I fly back in a week or so."

Hank motioned for the door and Connor followed after him as he gave Kamski one final request. "Don't let Gavin, Tina or even Abby go anywhere alone. Until we catch that bastard I won't let any other officer, or friend, at risk of getting ambushed. This guy is as bold as he is sadistic."

"Consider it done, Lieutenant."

* * *

Exhausted and ready to drop the two detectives were driving home and eager to return to their places in the livingroom to rest. Driving back through the downtown area to get back to their house on the other side of the city the duo remained quiet as they didn't want to talk about work. It was hard enough admitting that they were running on fumes and still had the other half of the marathon to finish, but admitting that they were running out of useful ideas would be like admitting defeat.

Pulling around the corner of the block where an android facility resided a woman rushed out to the middle of the sidewalk in an obvious panic and frantically took her phone from her purse with an noticeably shaking hand. Recognizing the signs of distress Hank pulled the car alongside the edge of the street while Connor got out and checked on the woman.

"Miss," Connor pulled his badge from his pocket and showed it to her. "what's wrong?"

"There's a body in the alley!"

"A... body?"

The woman began frantically pointing at the alley and Connor peered in the direction she had indicated. "...Oh, no."

Hank quickly joined Connor and the two walked down the alleyway swiftly. Spying a body laying splayed out on his back with fresh burns around his nose and fingertips, and a smoldering glass pipe still loaded with 'red ice' just a few inches away from where he was laying, the detectives quickly realized that the "Red Reaper" had just struck again.

"Damn it!" Connor rushed over to the body and knelt down beside him. Pressing his right fingertips to the left side of the man's neck Connor couldn't feel a pulse and instinctively began C.P.R. on the recently deceased man in an attempt to try to save him. "Hank, I gotta' at least try."

"I know, son." Phoning up Captain Fowler at the precinct Hank watched as Connor tried to revive the victim, but it seemed the 'red ice' was just too potent to overcome. Four rounds of compressions yielded no results, no reaction from the victim, and with that failure to respond Connor withdrew his hands and stared down at the man's face apologetically as he took in exhausted breaths. "Connor, it's okay. You tried."

"...That doesn't make it feel any better."

"Nothing ever will."

Standing up slowly Connor looked about the alley but didn't see anyone lurking in the shadows or watching from an overhead window, or a rooftop. The alley itself was between an old hotel that was closed down and under reconstruction, and an apartment building that was being fumigated. The "Red Reaper" knew no one would see or hear a thing during the assault, but anyone passing by would easily see the victim.

"We missed them in the act."

"Yeah, want to know something more fucked up?" Hank hung up his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "An anonymous tipster reported the body barely ten seconds before the witness back there saw him. "The 'Red Reaper' couldn't let someone else have the pleasure of calling it in, which means they're really enjoying their work."

"Twelve victims have died and one will need days, maybe weeks, to recover from the assault. Hank," crossing his arms over his chest the look in Connor's fiery eyes was indicative of utter stress and restrained anger. "we can't wait for a tip to come in. We need to keep looking until the killer is caught."

"You're right, kid. And we will." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder he led the younger detective out of the alley as another patrol car pulled up. "Be patient. For now we need to walk away and rest before either of us collapse. Then we won't be able to help anyone."

"I know. You're right... I just waiting."

"So do I, son. But we have no choice right now."

_**-next chapter-**_


	50. Unreasonable

Despite being absolutely exhausted Connor was unable to sleep after dealing with the now fourteen assaults and deaths at the hands of the "Red Reaper". While Gavin had recovered from his own assault he was still weak from being so sick from the concentrated 'red ice', and he was taken off the case for at least two weeks so he had the proper time to heal. Without Gavin working the case anymore the entire investigation had fallen on Connor and Hank's shoulders, which were wearing them out very on a physical and mental level frighteningly fast.

Tucking his left arm under his head Connor laid back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling with his bloodshot tired eyes, and rubbed his right hand along Sumo's ears as the massive dog cuddled up at his side. Ruby was laying over his legs with her chin resting on his left knee as the fatigued younger detective attempted to finally fall asleep and shut off his mind for a while.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep his phone on the nightstand rang loudly and made him jump in response at the sudden sound. Making a grab for the phone Connor saw that the caller I.D. belonged to North of all people, and answered quickly. "North? Hello."

'_Connor, we need your help, NOW_.'

Sitting up on the bed Connor was fully alert and pushing the two dogs aside so he could stand up. "What happened?"

Hank had heard the phone ring from his own bedroom and heard Connor's voice energetically speaking to North over the line. Getting up quickly he walked to the opened bedroom door and watched as Connor used one hand to get dressed in clean clothes and slip on his shoes while using the other hand to keep the phone pressed to his ear.

"I'm on my way, North. Don't answer the door for anyone but me or Hank." Hanging up the phone Connor sensed Hank in the doorway and turned to look at him with fear stricken eyes. "Hank, it's bad. Markus was assaulted by the 'Red Reaper'."

"What?!"

"Markus spread a message through the deviant community to meet with the deviant known as the 'Red Reaper' in person and they accepted. For whatever reason Markus went to meet with them alone in the renovated android church-"

"_Alone_? Fuck me... That was_ beyond_ stupid!"

"I know. He managed to escape from the 'Red Reaper' but collapsed from his injuries two blocks away from the same motel where we had encountered Kara and Alice just before the Revolution. He contacted North and she helped him to get inside a room to hide out."

"Why not go back to the tower?"

"She didn't tell me that part."

"Fuck. Alright, I'll get changed and we'll head out to the motel to check in on them."

"...What're we going to do?"

"Everything we can, son. Markus has a plan, I don't know what it is, but I do know we need to trust him."

* * *

Driving to the hotel with a righteous sense of paranoia and trepidation Hank kept his eyes peeled for any sign of movement or shady behavior from anyone walking the sidewalks in the vicinity of the motel. It was raining which helped keep foot traffic light, but it didn't guarantee that criminals or violent people would stay inside during the foul weather.

"You're sure this is the motel?" Hank asked as the car pulled into the rain slicked dark parking lot.

"Yes. There's no reason that North would've been mistaken."

"Right. You take the lead and I'll follow."

Reaching their destination the two detectives exited the car and stepped out into the cold rain. Connor pulled his wool beanie down lower over his head and pulled the collar of his leather jacket up higher to protect his throat as much as possible as he crossed over the large relatively empty parking lot. Hank merely pulled his dark coat tighter around himself as he followed after the younger detective. Jogging up the stairs to the second floor terrace Connor knocked on the fourth door as instructed and waited for an answer.

The door opened slightly, the chain on the other side of the door barring any intrusion, and saw North's face peering through the doorway back at him. "It's safe, North."

"Connor." North shut the door just enough to unfasten the chain on the door to unlock it. "Get in here, quick!"

Moving with absolute discretion Connor slipped into the motel room with Hank right behind him as North held the door open. As soon as the two detectives were inside the room she locked the door once more. Connor's soulful brown eyes immediately fell on Markus laying in the middle of the single large bed against the wall of the motel room, barely moving. A massive blue stain of Thirium soaked through the fabric of a formerly white towel that had been pressed down against the bullet wound in the upper left poriton Markus's chest.

Markus himself was breathing slowly in deep, labored breaths.

"Damn it. Markus?" Connor rushed over to the bed and gently peeled back the bloodied towel to examine the catastrophic wound beneath. Blue blood seeped from the bullet hole in Markus's chest, sickeningly close to the deviant leader's beating heart. "He's lost a lot of Thirium. Markus, can you hear me?"

Muttering under his breath Hank dragged his right hand over his bearded chin despondently. "...Holy shit."

The mismatched irises revealed themselves slowly as the wounded deviant leader regained consciousness and looked up with blurry eyes at the young detective leaning over him. "Connor..." A trickle of blue blood ran from the corner of his mouth down along his chin and against the white pillow he was resting against. "...How'd you find us?"

"North called me. What she didn't tell me was that you had been shot." Connor carefully tore open the hole in Markus's shirt over the bullet wound to examine the horrific injury more closely. The bright white plastimetal frame outlined the injury from where Markus's artificial skin had receded from the trauma inflicted. As Connor pressed his right fingertips down around the wound Markus let out an audible gasp of pain, and flinched from the pressure being applied. "Sorry about that. Can you tell me what happened?"

Markus swallowed the blue blood collecting in the back of his mouth as Connor used the corner of the towel to wipe away the blue blood trail running down his chin. Unable to answer North spoke up on his behalf.

"He was ambushed by the 'Red Reaper'." Walking over to the bed she sat down on the edge and gently pressed her right hand to Markus's cool left cheek empathetically. "He escaped only because an autonomous taxi drove by and he managed to get inside of it. He bailed about two blocks from here and has been hiding here ever since. One bullet struck him in the chest, another passed through his shoulder."

Nodding with understanding Connor returned his attention to Markus. "Do you know who shot you?"

"...I vaguely... saw their face."

"Enough for a confirmation on a possible I.D.?"

"...Connor, it was... him. It was... Damien."

"Damien? The deviant who wanted to nuke the city during the Revolution?" The revelation made Connor's stomach tighten into a painful knot. "You're sure?"

"...Y-Yeah." Holding up his shaking right hand Markus created a holographic image of Damien for Connor to see. "That's him."

"Son of... Markus," Connor's face went pale and his soulful brown eyes went wide. "Damien matches the description from the security footage of the 'red ice' assaults. His background of associating with 'red ice' dealers all but confirms he IS the 'Red Reaper'."

"I... I didn't know. If I knew he was so dangerous... I would've... told you."

"Shit. It's okay, Markus. We'll figure this out later." Shaking with fear and anger Connor pushed down his emotions to focus on tending to Markus's wounds to the best of his ability. "...Where were you shot?" Connor replaced the towel and applied additional pressure as he visually tried to assess Markus's health. "We need a crime scene."

"I-Inside the... church."

"The church?" Connor tossed aside his wet hat and slipped the warm, albeit rain drenched leather jacket from his arms to drape protectively over Markus, revealing his plain black t-shirt beneath. "No witnesses then?"

"...No."

"Why'd you go alone?"

"...I wanted to reach... him." Every word he uttered was a struggle as the bullet in his chest caused pain and made it difficult to breathe and speak. "I wanted to... stop him and get him to... surrender."

"That was incredibly foolish. You should've told me what you were planning." Connor focused on keeping himself from snapping at Markus for being so reckless about confronting such a dangerous man. The hypocrisy of the notion wasn't lost on the young detective, but it wasn't worth mentioning. "I could've at least watched your back to ensure something like this wouldn't have happened."

"...Sorry. I guess it's... a work in... progress."

North just rolled her eyes as she picked up Markus's left hand and held it tightly in her own. "Why does 'progress' need bullets?"

Connor piped up with a succinct answer of his own. "It doesn't." Turning to look at Hank standing by the door protectively Connor asked him for some assistance in treating Markus. "I need supplies."

"Right, kid. North, I need you to come with me."

"What for?" She asked somewhat incredulously as she looked to the senior detective. "I'm not a cop."

"You're right, but no one goes anywhere alone anymore. Even I need someone to watch my back."

North gave Hank a subtle nod as she reluctantly let go of Markus's hand and met Hank at the door. "Alright, let's go."

Hank put his left hand on her right shoulder in a supportive manner as they stepped out of the room together and made their way to the parking lot to get the stash of emergency supplies from trunk of the car down in the parking lot.

As the duo left the room Connor locked the door to ensure no one could sneak in through the room, then returned to Markus. Carefully Connor pulled back his jacket from Markus's chest and lifted up the towel again. The artificial skin around the wound had begun to recede further away from the wound as Markus continued to lose blood at a steady pace. "I need to get additional towels to help stem the bleeding. I need to get the bullet out as well."

"Can you do that?"

"...I can try."

Markus let out a pained sigh as he stared up at Connor with a confident focus. "...Do it, Connor. I trust you."

Giving his friend a confident nod of the head Connor tried to remain as calm and composed as possible, but he knew the emotion welling up in his soulful brown eyes had instantly betrayed his bluff. A firm knock on the door drew Connor away from Markus just long enough to peer through the peephole and recognizing Hank and North on the other side. Unlocking the door he let them back inside the room and took the black dufflebag from Hank's hand.

Hank stayed by the window and continued to monitor the rain soaked parking lot from behind the closed curtains of the window. "Glad you decided to hang onto those android supplies, kid. But I always figured they'd be used in an emergency with Lucas, not Markus."

"I'm glad, too." Placing the bag on the floor Connor walked into the bathroom to grab a large clean towel and then looked to North and asked for her help in treating Markus. "We need to get his shirt off to fully expose the wounds. I'll also need towels to help clean everything up and keep the wound packed in case it keeps bleeding."

"Yeah, okay." She moved to an ideal place at the head of the bed to get Markus's shirt removed. "We can do this."

With North's help Connor was able to help Markus remove his bloodied torn shirt and lay back down on the bed over a large white towel. Propping Markus's head and neck slightly upward under a pillow Connor was able to prevent the deviant leader from choking on any blood that had collected in the back of his throat, and kept any additional blood from rising up his throat in the process.

"I'll need some cool water." Connor stated as he reexamined the injury to Markus's chest. A deep graze to the top of Markus's left shoulder indicated a second bullet had nearly penetrated his body as he had fled from the gunfire. "...And I'll need any additional towels you can find."

"Right." North replied as she walked into the bathroom herself and gathered the supplies that Connor had requested.

Markus turned his head a little to watch North checking through any and all available items in the bathroom before he returned his focus to Connor. "Connor...? Get the bullet out and find Damien before he hurts anyone else."

"...That's what I plan to do."

"Don't worry about... wasting supplies on me." Markus let out a pained breath that made his entire chest shudder. Connor pressed his right hand down firmly against Markus's chest to help hold the wounded deviant leader as steady as possible. "...I know that I'm dying."

"No, Markus. You're not going to die." Connor lowered his voice as his soulful brown eyes narrowed, and he grabbed onto Markus's right hand to support his weakened friend. "You're going to make it."

"Please, take care... of North. Promise me you'll... take care of her."

"Markus, don't talk like that. You're going to be fine."

"Connor... I ran a self-diagnostic... as soon as I climbed into the... taxi. My odds are-"

"Remember what I said about statistics and unlikely events taking place?"

"...What?"

"The night of the raid at Jericho. When I became deviant."

"...Yeah. I remember that."

"If I can infiltrate CyberLife Tower and come back out alive then you sure as hell can survive a bullet in a hotel room." Connor smiled sincerely as he put his right hand down on Markus's left bicep gently. The deviant leader had suffered severe damage and lost a substantial amount of blood, but Connor wasn't going to let Markus die without a fight. "Just hold on a little while longer, and we'll get you back to New Jericho Tower for proper repairs."

North returned to the bed with the rest of the towels from the bathroom under her arm and what was supposed to be the room's ice bucket full of cool, clean water to be used more conveniently. "You'll be okay, Markus. We're here for you."

Dipping one of the fresh towels into the water Connor used it to wipe away the blood surrounding the bullet still embedded in Markus's chest carefully without causing any unnecessary pain the already suffering deviant.

"This won't be pleasant, but I have to do it." Connor stated firmly as he pulled out two plastic bottles of fresh Thirium, an android first aid kit, and a sharp hunting knife from the dufflebag on the floor beside the bed. Placing the supplies down on the bed Connor prepared checked the blade of the knife for any and all possible imperfections or contaminants before he leaned over Markus warily. "I'm sorry about this, but it's going to hurt."

"Whoa!" Hank protested loudly as he grabbed onto Connor'sright hand to stop him before he even began. "What the hell are you going to do to him?"

"I have to extract the bullet to stop the bleeding."

"Exactly how're you going to stop the bleeding once the bullet's out of the way? I've seen way too many gunshot wounds in my life," Hank lightly pressed his left hand down on Markus's chest and he could feel blood collecting in his chest around his heart. "if you remove this bullet he's going to bleed out. You can't just pack the wound and hope it holds until it's safe to move him."

"What should I do then?"

Hank looked at the knife in Connor's hand and asked a rather unnerving question. "Does anyone have a lighter?"

"...Yeah. I do." Markus answered weakly as his right hand fished for the lighter from his front jean pocket. "Kind of a good luck charm. Guess it didn't work this time."

"Actually, I think that thing is pretty damn lucky." Hank took the lighter from Markus's hand and held it in his palm. "We need to cauterize the wound as soon as the bullet's out. Then I'm taking you straight to New Jericho Tower."

Connor swallowed nervously at the thought of having to hold a piece of scorching hot metal to his friend's chest, but it needed to be done. "...I'll do it."

"You sure about that, Connor?"

"Yes. I can do it." Connor took the lighter from Hank's hand and flicked the orange flame to life. Taking a deep breath he held the lighter outward in his left hand as he sat on the edge of the bed to keep himself steady. "Markus, this is really going to hurt. You can't move or it'll make the pain and your injury worse. Do you understand?"

"Yeah... I get it." Looking up at North he grabbed onto her hand and held tight. "I won't move." Taking a deep breath himself Markus closed his eyes and tried to relax as much as he possible. "Do either of you have a bullet I can bite on?"

North looked around the room and spotted a pencil sitting atop the nearby dresser. Grabbing the item she placed it between Markus's teeth and gave him an uncertain glance. "Bite down."

Connor glanced up nervously at Hank as he prepared to extract the bullet from Markus's chest. "Hank, can you help hold him steady?"

"Yeah, I got him." Moving to the opposite side of the bed from where North and Connor were sitting Hank pushed both of his hands down against Markus's right arm and his right hip to keep him in place. "Do what you gotta' do, we'll do what we can to help."

Nodding slowly Connor held the knife over the bullet wound and pressed the sharp tip down against the side of the bullet inside the plastimetal frame with his right hand. "I'm going to loosen the bullet enough for me to pry out, then I will apply pressure until the knife is hot enough to cauterize the injury."

Markus acknowledged the comment with an anxious 'hum' as North held onto his left hand and rubbed her other hand over his forehead affectionately. Biting down harder on the pencil Markus opened his mismatched eyes and nervously darted his gaze back and forth along the blank, white ceiling above himself.

Holding his own breath Connor dug the knife's sharp tip down against the bullet and applied pressure until he felt the bullet give way. Markus's entire body jerked in reflex as the pain in his chest intensified to a level he hadn't felt before causing North and Hank to press down against him harder to keep him still.

"Almost done." Connor stated as he carefully retracted the knife as the bullet nearly popped out of the wound, and then pressed a clean towel down over the bleeding wound again. Using the lighter Connor began heating the metal blade of the knife and monitored Markus's condition closely. "Just hold on..."

Hank reached out his right hand and pressed down on the towel over the wound to apply more pressure until the knife was hot enough to cauterize effectively.

"Damn it." Connor swore as he realized the lighter would not be enough to heat the knife appropriately. Glancing about the hotel room resourcefully Connor honed in on the metal trashcan up against the far wall under the desk and had an idea. "I need to get the blade hotter, faster."

"How're you going to do that?" North asked curiously as she impatiently waited for something to happen.

"I need to make a bigger fire."

Connor explained as he picked up the trashcan and stuffed it with one of the bloodied towels that had been used to cover Markus's wound earlier in the night. Returning to the dufflebag Connor pulled out a large bottle of rubbing alcohol and poured it inside the trashcan as he carried into the bathroom and place it down inside the bathtub. Using the lighter once more Connor ignited the towel and created a bright orange fire inside the can.

Moving the knife over the large flames Connor held he knife in his hand tightly and felt the temperature increasing quickly. Mentally steeling himself for the unpleasant task at hand Connor tried to think of how he could possibly look Markus in the eye again after willingly inflicting the necessary evil upon his friend.

"Hank," Connor shouted from the bathroom loudly as he focused on the knife. "open the kit and pour the incrassation compound over the wound."

"Yeah, okay." Lifting his hand away from the towel over Markus's chest Hank flipped open the lid of the android first aid kit and located the correct bottle containing the orange tinted liquid that would help the blue blood coagulate. As he unscrewed the lid on the bottle he gave Markus an apologetic glance. "Sorry about this. It stings and I don't want to hurt you."

From the bathroom Connor heard Markus let out a deep groan of pain as he endured the incrassation compound being poured over the wound, and he closed his soulful brown eyes empathetically. While effective the liquid itself did little to ease the intense discomfort to android injuries; and it did even less for the 'RK' models who were able to feel pain more so than other models of deviant androids.

Satisfied with the the increased temperature of the knife Connor returned to the main area of the hotel room and wiped away the excess incrassation compound that had been poured over the raw wound before he began to cauterize it.

"I'm sorry, Markus." Connor quickly apologized as he pressed his left fingertips down around the wound and immediately pressed the side of the scorching hot blade against the opened and bleeding injury.

Markus stifled another intense groan of pain as he bit down on the pencil until it nearly snapped in half between his teeth. North squeezed his left hand as tightly as she could while also moving her hand down from Markus's forehead over his eyes to keep from from watching what was happening to him. Using as much strength as he dared Hank held Markus down while the deviant leader's body jerked violently, and tried to pull away from the excruciating heat of the blade against his chest.

Falling unconscious from the pain Markus was left completely vulnerable to the world with only his friends to protect him.

"...Got it." Connor pulled the knife away and retreated to the bathroom to run the knife under the cool tap in the sink, and to put out the still burning fire in the trashcan that had been set down in the bathtub to be extinguished.

Once the flame had been doused under the faucet in the tub Connor leaned over the edge of the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. The stare in his eyes was as pained as Markus's bloody wound. With his shaking right hand Connor ran the Thirium soaked bullet under the tap in the sink and stared at it with an unsettling realization at the offending projectile.

Hank had taken the liberty of pulling the ruined pencil from between Markus's teeth as he pressed his right hand down against Markus's chest to count his thready pulse. "He's hanging in there. But he's weak."

North nodded and looked at the bottles of Thirium that Connor had left on the bed next to the first aid kit. "He needs blue blood."

Responding to the emergency of the situation Hank picked up the nearest bottle and tossed it to North while he used the water and towel to clean up the injury as best as he could without disturbing the cauterized wound, and accidentally cause it to bleed again. Showing the same care to the second but less severe wound to Markus's shoulder the senior detective bandaged up the deviant with a skill he had begrudgingly mastered after having spent so many hours patching up Connor at the house; as both a deviant and as a human.

Walking slowly out of the bathroom Connor reluctantly looked down at Markus laying unconscious on the bed as North carefully tipped the first bottle of Thirium to his lips to try to encourage him to drink the much needed blood. Though quiet and nearly unresponsive Markus managed to drink the offered Thirium slowly without choking in the process.

"Hank." Connor tossed the bullet to the senior detective who caught it easily in his right hand. "The bullet."

Studying the bullet in his right palm Hank gave Connor a stern glance. "Nine millimeter."

North didn't understand the significance of the bullet's caliber. "What about it?" She asked as she gently propped Markus's head up on her lap and steadily poured additional Thirium into Markus's mouth, and waited for him to swallow before giving him anymore.

The senior detective bowed his head in shame as he answered North's question. "Nine millimeter is very common and it'll make identifying the location where the gun was purchased, a possible location where this Damien asshole is hiding out, very difficult." Hank put the bullet in his pocket and let out a deep sigh. "I'll have ballistics check the bullet for me in person."

Connor hovered over Markus's body and pressed his palm down over his damaged chest and counted the wounded deviant's pulse. "He's stable-" Markus's heart suddenly fluttered and the motion held Connor's attention. The deviant leader's pulse was becoming erratic, and his heart was struggling to beat from the severe blood loss. "Shit..."

"What now?" Hank asked as he handed the second bottle of Thirium to North so she could Markus to drink more.

"The bullet didn't directly impact his Thirium pump, but it has compromised the biocomponent. He'll need a full replacement in less than four hours otherwise-"

North's left hand reached out and grabbed onto Connor's right arm in vice like grip. "No! We won't let that happen. If we get him to New Jericho Tower then he can get the replacement biocomponent he needs."

"You're right, but he's too weak to be moved."

"Then we'll wait for him to get stronger, and then we'll take him."

Connor mentally calculated the odds of Markus's survival if they waited and it was significantly lower than if they rushed to the tower within the next few minutes. "...Waiting will only kill him."

"Well, we can't do the replacement here! It's too dangerous!"

"I know. You're right about that, too.."

"Then what're we going to do, Connor?"

Resisting the urge to look to Hank for guidance Connor closed his tired eyes, his hands clenching into tight fists at his sides, and he weighed his options: Rushing to the tower could put Markus at risk if Damien was in fact still looking for him, but waiting for Markus to regain strength would reduce the odds of the damaged deviant being able to withstand the physical strain of a total biocomponent replacement.

Either way Markus's life was on the line and it was up to Connor ultimately decide his fate.

"Hank." Looking the senior detective in the eyes Connor was firm in his final decision. "We need to get Markus to the tower. Now."

"I figured as much." Hank confirmed with a steady voice. "Get him as stable as possible and try to clean up as best as you can. I'll go talk to the motel manager and make sure he gets paid handsomely for his services." Ever cautious Hank peered through the window again by pushing aside the curtain before he unchained the door and stepped outside. "Lock the door behind me, don't open it for anyone _but_ me."

North piped up with a smug voice. "What happened to not going anywhere alone?"

"It's easier this way. Besides, I get the feeling the motel manager is kind of a prick and I have no problem with putting people like that in their place."

As soon as Hank was outside the room Connor rushed over to replace the chain over the door and let out a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. There were times Connor wished he still had the cold,unempathetic logic of a machine to dictate his every move. With Markus's life at stake he found himself having one of those times again. Forcing himself to take a deep breath Connor set about cleaning up the mess in the bathroom as well as the rest of the motel room.

"We can't leave any sign of androids behind." The keenly aware detective and former deviant explained coolly as he glanced about the room. "The Thirium will evaporate over the next few hours but we can't risk someone finding any trace of us and reporting it. It was a brilliant idea to hide in an anti-android motel, but any traces could put you in danger."

Staying on the bed North let Markus rest his head atop her lap as she finished giving him the last of the Thirium. "What should I do?"

"Stay with Markus and monitor him closely. I'll dispose of everything else."

North pulled Connor's leather jacket up and over Markus to try to keep him comfortable while she listened to Connor quickly throwing the blackened remains of the towel into a trashbag, then pressed the bag down into the bottom of the second trashcan under the bathroom sink. After that he rinsed out the black burn marks from the interior of the metal trashcan and wiped it clean before replacing it against the wall in the main room. Gathering all of the used towels he threw them into the laundry bag in the bathroom and waded them in such a way that none of the blue Thirium was visible.

"I'll pack up the kit and the dufflebag." Connor stated as he reclaimed his woolen beanie and pulled it down to cover his hair from the impending rain. Placing the empty Thirium bottles inside of the dufflebag no sign of androids would be left behind. "North, are either of you armed?"

"No." She shook her head a little as she ran her right hand lovingly down Markus's right arm. "Markus doesn't like the idea of us carrying weapons while trying to maintain peace."

"Commendable."

"How're we going to get him out of here?"

"Like this." Connor picked up his jacket and motioned for North push Markus up into a sitting position on the bed. Using controlled motions and strength Connor slipped Markus's arms down the sleeves of the jacket then zipped it up to hide the bandaged wounds over his chest and shoulder that the torn shirt would never be able to hide. "As soon as Hank's back we'll carry him down to the car. You get the bag."

"Right, okay."

There was another knock at the door and Connor's hand instinctively hovered over the gun in the holster across his back. Refraining from grabbing onto the weapon he approached the door tentatively and peered out the peephole again.

"Hank." Repeating his movements from earlier Connor opened the door slightly and waited for Hank to say something.

"It's me, kid."

Unchaining the door Connor let the senior detective back inside the room. "The room's clean and we can get out of here."

"Alright," Hank stated sternly but calmly as he addressed the gathered group in the room. "everything's taken care of with the manager, but we need to leave. NOW."

"Understood." Connor returned to the bed and knelt down as he took Markus's right arm and draped it around his shoulders Hank did the same for Markus's other arm, mindful of the injury to his shoulder the entire time, and helped to support his weight. "Hopefully no one will have seen us entering the room, and now exiting."

"It's possible." Hank replied as he and Connor stood up together with Markus hanging limp and unconscious between them. "Most of the people who check into these types of motels are trying to keep to themselves, and want to mind their own business. Good place to lay low for a while."

North grabbed onto the dufflebag and followed the two detectives out of the hotel room and across the rainy terrace to reach the metal staircase leading back down to the parking lot below. Moving with the utmost caution Connor and Hank managed to carry Markus down the staircase without hurting him, and get him over to the rear of the parked car just a few yards away.

"I got the door." Connor volunteered as he grabbed onto the passenger side handle and pulled the car door open wide. "North, put the bag in the trunk."

North pulled open the unlocked trunk and threw the bag inside before slamming it shut and climbing into the backseat from the other side through the driver's side door. As she took her seat she reached out her arms and helped the two detectives lay Markus down across the backseat until his head was resting against her lap. Hank lifted Markus's legs up and onto the backseat as Connor shut the door and repositioned the front passenger seat to sit down. Taking his place behind the wheel Hank turned over the key in the ignition and backed the car out of the parking spot to leave the motel.

As the car drove past the main office of the motel Connor noticed the manager glaring at the car with his arms crossed over his chest. Instinctively Connor ducked down a little in his seat and turned his head away to try to conceal his identity in case the manager happened to recognize him from their visit to the motel just prior to the Revolution.

"Relax Connor, everything's good with the manager." Hank observed casually as he turned on the windshield wipers and took a 'clever route' to reach New Jericho Tower on the other side of the city.

"What did you say to to the manager?" Connor asked inquisitively as the car left the driveway of the parking lot to reach the street. "He looked upset."

"Well, I flashed him my badge, slipped him a hundred dollar bill and apologized because my 'drunk, idiot college son and his even drunker idiot college friends crashing in the room' back at the hotel."

North couldn't help but smile from the backseat when she heard what Hank had said.

Connor flashed an amused but sly grin as he turned to look at Hank. "We can't be _that_ idiotic if we're in college."

"Wanna' bet?" Hank snatched the hat from Connor's head and tossed it dismissively onto the floor of the car. "And take that off. I told you once before that you look weird with a hat. Besides, it's not raining in here."

Markus let out a pained groan as he began to regain consciousness from the backseat. North caressed his cheek lightly as she spoke softly to him to keep him calm and quiet. "It's okay, Markus. You're safe."

Connor turned to look at Markus over his left shoulder as he laid disturbingly still in the backseat. Seeing the leader of the deviants so weak, so vulnerable, was about as far from the iconic hero status he had so righteously earned on the night of the Revolution. "How's his pulse?"

Lightly North pressed her right hand down against Markus's chest, mindful of the bullet wound beneath. "Slow, but strong."

Next Connor turned to look at the senior detective beside him. "Hank?"

"I know, kid. I know." Hank kept glancing up to the rearview mirror to check for anyone who may have been able to locate where Markus and North had been hiding, and could now be possibly following them. The car idled at the red light as the streets remained relatively empty. "But we can't just make a beeline for the tower, you never who could be watching."

"Are you avoiding the main streets?"

"Nope. Rookie mistake." Hank turned right at the light instead of passing straight through like normal. "If we stick to the main roads it'll keep anyone who might be trying to follow us at a distance. If we go along the back roads we risk getting ambushed in an isolated area."

Find the logic to be sound Connor nodded in agreement as he gazed out his side window to note any possible unusual activity. "North, did you contact New Jericho Tower to inform Simon of Markus's condition?"

"Yeah, he knows. He and Josh are preparing everything as we speak."

"Does anyone else at the tower know what has happened?"

"No. We don't want them to worry."

"I agree. And until we can locate Damien we don't want to risk another confrontation between humans and deviants over a misinformed and violent misunderstanding. We should keep this quiet."

Hank nodded too as he glanced at the rearview mirror again. "Check in with the precinct, see if there were any shootings reported in the past six hours."

Connor's phone lit up as he pulled the device from his jean pocket and made contact with the precinct, and noted any and all disturbances that had been reported within the designated frame of time to check for any future problems. "Two drunk driving accidents, one woman in labor, four speeding citations, two breaking and entering claims, one convenience store robbery, four shootings - but none in the New Haven area where Markus had been shot in the abandoned church, oh... And there was one domestic dispute. There doesn't appear to be any hostile interactions between humans and deviants tonight."

"That sounds promising. Let's hope it stays that way."

From the backseat Markus suddenly let out a choking cough as blue blood splattered over his lips and he began gasping for air. Connor turned his head to look back at Markus while Hank glanced back with the rearview mirror.

North pressed her hand down harder against Markus's chest to count his fluttering pulse. "Connor?"

"His Thirium pump is beginning to strain from exertion." Connor reached his right hand back and felt Markus's heart rate for himself as he counted the deviant leader's pulse for himself. "We need to hurry if we have any chance of saving him."

Without a word Hank sped up and resumed taking the most direct route to New Jericho Tower, caution be damned. Handling the rainy streets with the grace that comes only from years of experience from driving at high speeds over weather worn and neglected roads Hank raced down the long drive that connected Belle Isle to the rest of the city, and provided safe haven to the deviants seeking shelter within the tower.

Passing over the concrete security barricade as it lowered into the drive the vehicle sped to the tower with the sole focus of saving Markus from slipping any closer to death than he already was. Stopping in front of the tower as gently as possible Hank was relieved to see Simon and Josh waiting outside with a gurney at the ready to save their leader from certain death. Connor threw open his own door and pulled up his seat to get to the backseat, and proceeded to lift Markus up while Josh helped him to carry Markus's unconscious body over to the awaiting gurney.

Hank and North followed right behind as the gurney was wheeled inside the tower at the uncomfortably late hour of the rainy night. Simon unzipped the jacket covering Markus's chest as Connor and Josh wheeled the gurney inside the tower, and as soon as the jacket was opened the trio could see the massive blood loss that Markus had suffered during transport.

"Shit." Connor swore loudly as he pressed his right hand down over the bullet wound in Markus's chest. "It was cauterized, I don't understand how this happened."

Simon didn't worry about the 'how' and was more focused on the 'why'. "Left ascending Thirial line has been damaged." The gurney was wheeled through the front doors, through the lobby and into the elevator. "He's going to need a lot of replacement Thirium once he's in the emergency repair wing."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I could use a second pair of hands." Simon confirmed as the gurney was loaded into the elevator and began its ascent up the emergency repair bay of the tower for treatment.

"Of course." Ready to help Connor didn't back down at the offer. "I'll do everything I can."

* * *

It was a blur of activity as Simon and Connor worked to save Markus's life as he continued to bleed out from the bullet wound to his chest. Simon had located the damaged line and had managed to successfully repair it while also replenishing his rapidly depleting Thirium levels before they fell into a critical range. The Thirial activity monitor had been hooked up to the shot deviant leader to record his erratic heart rate, his Thirium levels, his Thirium pressure and his core temperature; all of which were showing poor results.

The sensor pad was placed in the middle of Markus's chest, the Thirium pressure cuff was wrapped around his left bicep, and the cable connected to his right temple where his L.E.D. had once been all connected his system activity to the program analysis modem in a grotesquely machine manner.

Loyally Connor kept watch over Markus while Simon and Josh set about looking for a compatible replacement Thirium pump for Markus, but finding an adequate biocomponent was proving far more challenging than anyone in the tower had anticipated.

Simon returned from the biocomponent storage wing of the repair ward and ran his right hand through his blond hair anxiously. "Josh is still looking, but it doesn't look like we have any replacement Thirium pumps that are compatible with his model."

"Why is his Thirium pump failing to begin with? The bullet caused minor damage to the biocomponent that his self-healing program should've been able to easily repair."

"I don't know." Simon admitted with utter defeat in his voice as he looked over Markus's vital signs on the surrounding monitors. "Markus has always been completely healthy and showed no previous sign of biocomponent failure or software incompatibility glitches. But like you used to be, he's a prototype model. There may be underlying problems in his system that we simply cannot detect by standard tests."

"Standard tests?" Furrowing his brow Connor thought for a moment and remembered the night Markus escaped the android junkyard after piecing himself back together. The model and serial number of the Thirium pump in his chest and the Thirium pump regulator that was keeping his heart beating weren't identical. "Simon, his Thirium pump regulator doesn't match his serial number. That will cause problems once its damaged."

"What?" Simon pressed his left hand down atop Markus's abdomen to cause his artificial skin to recede from over his torso. Opening the panel to his abdominal cavity Simon checked the model number of the regulator and confirmed Connor's comment. "You're right, it's a different- Wait. I think I now know how this happened."

Connor stared at Simon silently as he awaited the answer to the unusual set of circumstances.

"Markus told us of the night he became a deviant and of how he had been shot by the police. He was thrown into the android junkyard and left for death, but he managed to reboot himself and repair the damage before climbing out of the pit of bodies. That's why he has two different colored eyes as well."

Shaking his head a little Connor looked down at Markus with a sense of worry and respect. "I already knew Markus had gone through such a horrific experience and survived. But now it's coming back to haunt him."

"The damage was to his Thirium pump, not to the regulator." Simon wondered aloud as he tried to diagnose Markus's current ailment. "So why is his heart failing?"

"Is it possible that his prototype self-healing program is unable to synchronize the replacement regulator with the pump?"

Simon gave Connor an uneasy stare. "If that's the case then it's not just his Thirium pump that needs to be replaced, his regulator needs to be replaced, too."

"What're the odds of finding two compatible biocomponents that'll fit his model?"

Simon never answered, but the silence spoke volumes of the dire situation at hand.

Markus groaned a little as his glassy mismatched eyes opened and hazily stared up at the ceiling above. "...North?"

Connor put his right hand on Markus's right shoulder and held tight he spoke to Markus in a calm tone of voice. "It's me, Connor. Simon is here, too."

"...Where's North?"

Somberly Simon's shoulders sagged as he stepped back from the exam table where Markus was laying. "I'll go and get her. I'll also see what Josh has found."

"Did you hear that?" Connor asked calmly as Simon took his leave of the room. "North is coming."

"...Connor?" Markus blinked slowly and focused on the deviant's face watching over him. "Please. Promise me."

"Promise you? Promise what?"

"That you'll take care of North."

"Markus, please." Connor tightened his grip on Markus's shoulder as he picked up the dying deviant's right hand in his left hand and held it in a reassuring squeeze. "You can't give up. I almost lost my brother, I don't want to lose you, my honorary brother. We need you!"

"...Promise me."

Connor swallowed nervously as he hesitated in making such a heartbreaking promise. "I... I promise."

The main door slid open and North came rushing into the repair ward as quickly as she could. Hank had followed after her but stayed back out of respect for the young couple.

"Markus?" North grabbed onto Markus's left hand and held it tightly as tears formed in her cinnamon brown eyes. "No, Markus. Please don't leave me."

"North." Markus forced a smile to his blue blood stained lips as she rubbed the back of his left hand against her face gingerly. "I'm glad you're here."

Discreetly Connor placed Markus's right hand back down before he walked away to give Markus and North some privacy as they spoke.

"Connor?" Hank lowered his voice as the young detective approached him slowly. "Is it true?"

"...Yes." The admission made Connor's own heart ache. "Unless we can find a compatible Thirium pump and regulator Markus is going to die."

"There's nothing here in the tower that can be used?"

"Josh has been looking for a possible replacement, but there is no compatible 'RK' model biocomponents-" Connor's soulful eyes lit up and then dulled as a relatively dark thought popped into his head. Pressing his right hand over his chest he gave Hank an odd look. "Perhaps I-"

"No!" Hank caught himself before he shouted, but grabbed onto Connor's shoulders all the same. "No. You can't donate your android heart to Markus. One life isn't equal to another, okay? You can't just-"

The Thirial activity monitor keeping track of Markus's heart rate suddenly blared a warning alarm as the deviant's heart finally gave out and ceased to beat on its own. The two detectives turned their heads toward the exam table and watched as North began shaking Markus's chest to try and reawaken the fallen deviant.

"Markus? Markus!?" North sounded frightened, genuinely frightened for the first time in her life as she pleaded for Markus to stay with her. "Wake up!"

Connor broke free from Hank's grip and sprinted back to the exam table to press his right hand down on Markus's chest next to North's hand. The Thirium pump had failed entirely and could no longer beat on its own. According to the monitors Markus's intracranial processor was still functioning, but without a beating heart his entire system would shutdown in less than ninety seconds.

"Shit. Markus!" Connor lifted the deviant leader's eyelids but there was no sign of consciousness or recognition in the mismatched irises. Reacting on instinct Connor placed one hand over top the other and interlaced his fingers together to create a single fist that he rested over Markus's stopped heart. Using precise rhythm and controlled strength Connor squared his shoulders and began compressing Markus's chest to manually force his heart to beat again through an effective form of C.P.R. in an effort to keep his friend alive. "Markus. Hold on."

North held tightly onto Markus's left hand as she watch Connor's attempt to revive the fallen deviant leader. "Please, Markus... Come back to me."

Hank approached the exam table timidly as Connor performed the life saving procedure on the weakened dying deviant leader to the best of his ability. "Fuck. Hold on, Markus. You're strong enough to recover from this."

"Come on, Markus." Connor pleaded out loud as he watched the Thirial activity monitor carefully. The monitor let out a faint 'blip' as it detected a faint heartbeat but it was the result of the compressions, not from the pump resuming its normal function. "Wake up."

Markus's eyes opened slowly as he somehow regained consciousness. Looking up at North's face he saw the tears in her eyes and his left hand in her hand and, gave her a small grin.

Unsure of what he could do Hank just watched silently as Connor continued to force Markus's heart back into motion in a desperate fight to keep the deviant leader alive.

"North." Connor kept his voice as level as possible through the compressions. "You need to talk to him. Help me keep him alive."

Tightening her grip around Markus's hand North leaned down toward his face resting her forehead against his. "Hang on, please. We'll find a way to save you."

Markus responded by squeezing North's hand as tightly as he could, but he didn't have much strength to spare.

Empty handed Simon and Josh returned to the ward with timely fashion. The two deviants rushed to their fallen leader's side and were immediately aiding Connor in keeping Markus from shutting down permanently.

Josh had checked every registered spare biocomponent in stock but there were simply no spare parts compatible with 'RK' model androids.

"Connor." Standing next to Connor so he could whisper discreetly Josh gave the young detective the devastating news. "We don't have anything that can be used to save him."

"...Yes we do." Connor's eyes narrowed as he looked over to Hank then back to Josh. "Hank, please take care of North."

"What?! No!" North refused to leave Markus's side, but the senior detective had already approached the table and put his hands on her shoulders to guide her away. "I won't leave him!"

Simon sided with Connor and tried to reason with North to encourage her to leave. "North, you don't want to be here when we do this."

"I-" North looked down at Markus who had given her hand a reassuring squeeze as he smiled up at her. Repressing an enraged sob she slowly bent down and kissed Markus's lips before she finally let go of his hand and allowed Hank to guided her away. "I love you, Markus!"

Connor, Josh and Simon all watched and waited for Hank to lead North out of the ward and to the elevator where she wouldn't be able to see or hear anything regarding Markus's life. Once Hank had escorted North out of the repair room the three friends and allies continued to fight together to save Markus from death.

"Connor," Josh gave the young detective a skeptical look as he stepped back and raised his voice so Simon could hear him as well. "what's your plan?"

* * *

As much as he hated to do it Hank had practically pushed North into the elevator in order to get her to leave Markus behind, and he loathed every minute of it. The last thing he wanted to do was drag her away from Markus if Markus truly was dying, but he knew Connor all too well at this point to accept that the deviant leader was really going to die. The clever young detective had something up his sleeve, and what that thing was Hank almost dreaded finding out.

"North, please trust Connor."

"Trust him?!" North began pacing back and forth across the elevator car with her arms wrapped around her chest in a tight hug. "Markus is down there dying and you just want me to trust Connor just because you said so? You may be able to look past him hunting down deviants, but I can't! Markus trusts him and that's the only reason I'm willing to work with Connor and why I called him to the motel, but I'll be damned if I forget that he was once my enemy!"

"Whoa, what the hell?" Hank was awestruck by her outburst. "Didn't you just admit that you called him for help because you knew he'd be able to help Markus?"

"Like I said, _Markus_ trusts him." Reiterating her point North managed to give Hank a rather venomous glare. "And Markus wasn't able to call for help himself."

"So that's it, huh? You have all the emotions and freewill of a human, but you still hold onto petty grudges and let them fester in your soul even after everything that's changed? I don't know what's colder; you or the rain."

"Shut up, Hank. You don't know anything about what I've been through."

"The 'Eden Club'?" He snapped back in such a way he matched her bitter tone. "Pretty sure I covered that when I had to go investigate a murder at that sickening piece of shit called a business."

"That Hellhole is nothing like what I'm going through right now!" She practically screamed in Hank's face as she tried and failed to restrain her mounting frustration. "And you just want me to trust Connor because you do. Because it makes it so much easier to deal with all this bullshit, doesn't it? Just throw a cop in the middle of the problem, and let them solve it for you."

"No." Hank pressed the 'stop' button on the elevator panel before crossing his own arms as he stood his ground before the fiery deviant. "I want you to trust him because he's _earned_ it. Connor is ALWAYS putting others before himself and he has nearly lost his own life more times than I want to fuckin' count because of it! It's in his nature to help people."

"No offense Hank, but that means jackshit coming from you. You're his best fucking friend, so of course you're going to sing high praises for him. If that was Connor laying on the table you wouldn't leave his side. What this right now, you trying to be a rock for me to lean on, is all just a hollow gesture. The same damn song and dance that every human has done before; it's all talk and no show. So save it!"

"Wrong, North. I'm not talking a big game just because I care about the kid, or because I want to blow smoke up your ass because that's 'police protocol 101'. I'm saying these things because I know Connor can save Markus. Just be patient, he CAN do this."

"And you know all this because you're his partner, right?"

"North." Hank softened his tone and the expression on his face as he let his arms drop away from his chest in a less guarded manner. "...I know these things because he's not just my partner or my best friend, it's because Connor's _my son_."

North stopped pacing and gave Hank a strangely empathetic look. The sincerity in Hank's blue eyes showed the emotional depth that the gruff Lieutenant had tried to hide at the bottom of a whiskey bottle for so many years after the horrible personal tragedies that he had suffered had finally returned to the surface. Something about his words struck a chord with her, even if she wouldn't admit it.

The senior detective sighed as he rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin and spoke with North in a comforting manner. "The fact that I'm willing to risk letting myself have any sort of family again means there's something deeply trustworthy in that kid. I can't explain it, but it's like I've know him my entire life. The way he acts and the way he refuses to give up on me," grimacing at his own flaws Hank finished the sentence with a heavy heart. "I guess it means Connor sees me as someone worth trusting, too."

"...You really do care about each other, don't you?"

"Connor saved my life without even knowing it, and he gave me something to live for again. I want to do the same. I want to give him the guidance and understanding that I had given to Cole when he was with me. I miss my firstborn son, and I always will, but Connor is the son I never knew I needed until he showed up in my life. I feel the same way about Lucas. Just as I would with Cole I'd gladly give up my own life to save theirs; and I know Connor would do the same for me, Lucas, and everyone else in this whole damn tower. Markus is his friend and I know Connor won't let him down."

Fresh tears formed in North's cinnamon brown eyes as she fixed her gaze onto Hank's eyes at long last. "...That's how I felt when I saw Markus fighting for our people. He gave me a reason to keep trying, to not give up on myself. He helped me learn how to feel something other than hatred and resentment. Markus helped me find the faith to actually love."

"And now that you know you might actually lose him it's tearing you apart in a way you never thought you could feel."

Wiping aside a rogue tear North admitted that Hank was right. "How do you know what that's like?"

"Aside from losing my wife? And my firstborn son, Cole? And nearly losing both Connor and Lucas to stupid accidents? It's because I started to care about other people, too."

"...You've lost so much."

"And Connor gave me so much more back. More than I deserve. He didn't see me as the broken down, old alcoholic with revolver pressed against my head. He saw ME. The real me that I had thought died so long ago when Cole died. Now I can finally live again."

"Markus never saw me as a... victim." North took in a deep breath as the horrible memories of the 'Eden Club' overwhelmed her mind like a never ending nightmare. "He saw me as a fellow deviant just looking for a place in the world. Like he was. He saw me."

"You were both looking for a place to belong, looking for a family. And you found each other."

North let out a weak sob as she began losing her emotional fortitude. As she wiped away the tears that were beginning to stream down her face North saw that Hank had taken a step toward her and just waited for her to respond. Taking her own step forward North let her arms fall to her sides as she felt Hank wrap his strong arms around her in a tight hug. North slowly wrapped her arms around Hank in return and began to cry against his shoulder as he held her in his arms.

"It's going to be okay, North. In the end everything will be alright."

* * *

Loyal to a fault Connor was still compressing Markus's chest and refused to stop until the replacement biocomponents were ready for transplant. Josh and Simon had wheeled a small surgical table and second exam table beside the table where Markus was laying completely helpless and prone to the world around him as the three friends who had sworn loyalty to him fought to save his life.

"Connor, are you sure about this?" Simon looked down at the metal case on the table and rested his right hand atop it before he even considered opening it open to peer inside. "There's no going back once it's done."

"Do it." Connor nearly panted as the prolonged physical exertion was causing him to overheat and sweat all along his hairline. "It's the only way to save his life."

"Okay... We'll get everything ready."

While Simon prepared for the transplant procedure Josh rolled a second Thirial activity monitor up to where Connor was standing and turned it on. Reaching for the lone sensor pad attached to the monitor Josh lifted up Connor's black t-shirt by the hem and secured the sensor directly over Connor's own racing heart as he continued to compress Markus's chest, then changed the monitor's setting to track a human's vitals.

"Your temperature is up." Josh noted as Connor's vital signs appeared on the monitor's display quickly and accurately. Connor's own heart rate was higher than what was considered normal for a human, and his energy was fading from the prolonged physical exertion. "Maybe I should take over for you?"

"No." Connor shook his head as he continued the near perfect rhythm of compressions. "If I stop his chances of survival diminish. Just get on with it. Do what you have to do to save Markus."

"Right." Josh gave Simon a quick nod of the head as he stood at the opposite side of the table from the technician. "We need to be quick."

From the doorway an unexpected but familiar voice called out as another person suddenly ran into the middle of the room to assist with the situation. "What's happening?"

"Lucas!?" Connor looked up at his little brother's face with utter shock and relief. "What're you doing here?"

"I was told about the 'Red Reaper' murdering humans in the city, and after your colleague, Elijah's brother, had been attacked I was determined to come back home and check on you. It appears my return had an unforeseen benefit." Pressing his exposed right palm down on Markus's bloodied chest Lucas shook his head and then noticed the contents of the plastimetal case sitting on the table beside the bed. With a simple scan Lucas identified the contents of the case and gave his brother an incredulous stare. "...Connor, you were going to give Markus your heart?"

"It was the only way to save him." Connor explained almost breathlessly as he continued the compressions.

"No, I have an alternative that'll save Markus and keep your android body from breaking down."

"What? How?"

"It'll be easier to explain as I work." Slipping off his white jacket Lucas rolled up the long sleeves of his white shirt and prepared for an emergency repair session on Markus. "Simon, I'm going to need your help."

"You got it, Lucas."

"And Connor," giving his big brother an appreciative glance Lucas prepared for the impending procedure. "keep doing what you're doing."

* * *

Ever attentive Hank stayed with North as she paced about anxiously in the office that she and the other deviant leaders used to conduct official business at the tower. Every time she passed by the window overlooking the harbor Hank caught sight of her reflection and saw the pain in her eyes that she was still trying to hide despite already opening up to Hank earlier in the elevator.

It was just her instinct for self-preservation that kept her from getting close to people in general. It had nothing to do with what Hank or Connor could had possibly ever done to her in the past. She was still healing just like the rest of the deviants in the city.

The painting that Lucas had created of Markus and North standing together was proudly displayed on the wall and Hank caught North's gaze frequently darting over to the large portrait as she paced. Whether the painting was a friendly reminder of a painful taunt, neither could say.

"Why don't you sit down?" Hank suggested kindly as he watched North pacing about and knew she was exhausted. "You're going to wear a hole through the floor if you keep going."

"I'm fine."

The door to the office slid open and Josh greeted the duo waiting inside. "...You both need to come with me."

"Markus?" North stopped short and stared at Josh with a worried gaze as she tightened her arms around her chest.

Josh nodded as he entered the room put his arm around North's shoulders in a comforting manner. As he guided her out of the office back toward the elevator he nodded subtly to the senior detective who had been keeping North company. "Hank, you need to see this, too."

* * *

The repair ward that had once been full of frantic energy and commotion was now quiet and still. Simon was standing between the two exam tables to keep tabs on Markus's vital signs, all the while he continued to check their inventory to find any other possible compatible parts for 'RK' models of deviants to use in the future. Any future incidents such as this would be need to be prevented as much as possible.

Markus himself was propped upright on the exam table with a peaceful expression on his face. Inside his repaired chest was a rebuilt heart thrumming away on its own; strong and healthy. The monitors still attached to his body showed a healthy, steady stream of vital signs as Simon hovered warily over the resting deviant leader while he continued to run numerous tests to ensure there was no biocomponent rejection.

Stepping out of the elevator North saw Markus laying on the table and more importantly she saw that he had a heartbeat on the Thirial activity monitor's display. Rushing over to his side once more North picked up Markus's his right hand and held it tightly as she waited for him to open his beautiful mismatched eyes to look at her again.

Hank was also relieved to see Markus that was still in fact alive, but when he saw Connor laying on his right side on the second exam table across from Markus his heart sank. The younger detective's leather jacket was draped over his body like a dark shroud, and Connor wasn't moving. It didn't look like he was even breathing.

"...Connor?" Hank ran over to the table and pressed his right fingertips against the left side of Connor's neck as he pulled back the jacket, and pushed Connor's left shoulder just enough to roll the completely unconscious, limp detective onto his back. Beneath Hank's fingertips he could still feel a pulse and the senior detective let out the breath he had holding the moment he saw Connor laying completely motionless. "Connor? What's wrong, son?"

Josh joined Hank at the table and explained everything to him. "He's okay, Hank. He's just resting."

"Resting?"

"Yeah. He nearly collapsed from doing compressions for so long. I know he's been working his ass off lately, so I'm not surprised he went down to sleep for a few minutes."

"...What about his android body? I know he was ready to donate his heart from there."

"Still intact." Josh smiled with an amused grin. "It was close but his Thirium pump is back inside his android body where it belongs, and his android body is still completely functional, but comatose."

Hank bowed his head as he leaned down against the exam table atop his palms and let out a deep sigh. "...I seriously thought he talked you guys into giving Markus his heart."

"...He tried to donate it, but an alternate solution appeared."

Hank's head lifted up as he turned to look at Josh. "What do you mean?"

Connor's weak right hand reached up and rested against Hank's left shoulder drawing his attention back to himself. "...Hank."

"You okay, kid?" The senior detective looked down at Connor warily without fail.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." Flashing a weak grin Connor looked just past Hank to the opposite side of the room where Lucas was walking out of the research lab with his left arm now in a sling. "How about you, Lucas?"

"Lucas?!" Hank turned around and smiled at the sight of his second adopted son walking over to check on Connor. "Holy shit, when'd you get here? Fuck that, HOW did you get down here without me seeing?"

"The tower has an emergency entrance to enter the emergency repair bay in the event the elevator is malfunctioning. The entrance happened to be closer than the elevator as Skye allowed me in through the rear of the tower to ensure no one staking out the building could get inside behind me."

"Whoa, what?"

"Hank, I know about the 'Red Reaper' in the city. That's why I'm here."

"You knew Markus was going to get hurt?"

"No." Lucas admitted as he rubbed his right hand along his sore, now healing left forearm. "I wanted to come home to make sure you were okay. Due to my position as the lead technician here at the tower I am immediately informed anytime someone is admitted to the emergency repair bay after being damaged."

A proud smirk appeared on Hank's face at hearing the response and he lightly put his hand on Lucas's left shoulder. "Good to have you home, son. Uh, what happened to your arm?"

"I used advanced hardware and small components from lines and circuit boards in my left forearm to repair the internal damage to Markus's heart."

"...You donated a piece of yourself so Connor wouldn't have to?"

"Regardless of who was going to donate a piece of themself to Markus, I would've done the same thing. Fortunately the results would've been the same, too."

"Good answer." Glancing back at Connor over his right shoulder Hank saw Connor struggling to sit upright on the table where he was resting. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but I want to get up, now." Connor tried to push himself upright with his trembling right arm, but he didn't have the strength. Hank hooked his right arm around Connor's chest beneath the younger detective's trembling arm, and guided him into sitting upright on the table. "Help me, please. I want to see Markus."

"Sure. Lean on me."

With Hank's assistance Connor tiredly walked over to the exam table where North was still hanging onto Markus's right hand, and Simon was keeping track of the deviant leader's vital signs very closely. Josh followed after the two detectives, his attention on Connor just in case the exhausted human suddenly collapsed or showed any sign of passing out.

Connor looked down at Markus's face then to the deviant leader's chest where his repaired heart was beating. Lightly he placed his left palm down over the center of Markus's chest and felt the heartbeat under his touch. As a lone tear rolled down Connor's face a gracious smile appeared on his face. "You made it."

* * *

Sore and confused Markus awoke early the following morning and found himself surrounded by exhausted onlookers who refused to leave his side until he was conscious once again. As he sat upright on the exam table he was greeted by North practically throwing herself at him to wrap him up in a tight hug as she cried tears of relief over his shoulder.

"...It's okay, North." Markus wrapped his arms around her and lightly ran his right hand through her long auburn hair. "I'm here."

Simon and Josh let out collective sighs of relief while Connor, Hank and Lucas just stood beside the table waiting for Markus to say or do anything else while North embraced him with all of her heart.

Markus turned to look at the two detectives and nodded appreciatively. "Connor. Hank. You saved me." It was then he noticed Lucas and his mismatched eyes flashed with surprise. "Lucas?"

"It appears I returned to the tower at the best possible time. Simon and Josh will tell you everything later after you've had more time to recover."

"..._You_ saved me?"

"More or less."

"Thank you." Turning to look at North he kissed her cheek and smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Me?" North let Markus go and put her left hand to the right side of his face. "You were the one who got shot, I was just there for the clean-up."

Markus picked up North's right hand and kissed her knuckles affectionately. "It doesn't mean you were okay."

Feeling a tad out of place the senior detective decided to chime in quickly to say his piece. "I'm just glad you pulled through." Hank stated with a firm, confident tone. "Thought we lost you."

"No. I have too much to do here, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Markus smiled as he graciously shook Hank's hand. Turning his attention to Connor he noticed that the younger detective had a tranquil stare in his brown irises that he hadn't seen in months. "Connor, thanks for being there for me."

"Of course. That's what we do for each other right?" Connor put his right hand on Markus's left shoulder for a moment before retracting his grip. "Like a family."

"Yeah. We're all a family." Putting his right hand to his chest Markus ran a self-diagnostic and discovered what had been done to save his life. As soon as he recognized the original serial number of the components and hardware now beating in his chest his look of contentment shifted to one of surprise. "...Lucas?"

"It was the only way to save you." The skilled technician replied modestly. "It was either me or Connor. We both would've wanted his android heart to go to someone worthy so it wouldn't have been a problem, but this alternative seems to be ideal as it allows Connor's android body to remain sustainable."

"...You were both willing to give up a piece of yourself to save me." Wiping away a tear of shame from his green eye Markus shook his head. "I was a damn idiot for going after Damien alone. I'm sorry I put everyone through this."

"It's okay, Markus." The reassurance in Connor's voice was sincere and kind. "I would've done the same thing myself."

Hank patted Connor's left shoulder once as he pulled the younger detective toward the elevator. "Come on, Connor. We still have to get that damn bullet analyzed so we can get that twisted deviant off the street. And _you_ need to get some rest." Grabbing onto Lucas's right shoulder with the other hand he guided the deviant toward the elevator as well. "You too, son. We're _all_ going home to get some sleep."

"Agreed."

As Connor, Hank and Lucas walked out of the repair ward side by side and entered the elevator Connor watched through the glass siding of the elevator as Markus spoke to North, Simon and Josh. Connor smiled as comforting warmth spread throughout his chest as the elevator ascended out of sight of the repair ward, back to the ground floor of the tower.

"...Thank you, Lucas."

"You don't have to thank me for this, Connor."

"No, but I want to."

Hank admired the humility and genuine kindness the two brothers openly exuded to anyone and everyone they come in contact with. "You two need to go home and rest. I'm going to call Fowler and tell him that we're taking an afternoon shift so you can get some sleep, Connor."

"...Normally I'd argue against it, but I'm too tired."

"Smartass."

* * *

The drive back to the house was slow and seemed to take longer than usual as the two detectives were exhausted beyond anything they've experienced before. Lucas had volunteered to drive home but Hank declined since his left arm was out of commission and needed some time to heal and adapt to the modifications he had performed to keep Markus alive. The missing components weren't vital but the lack of the hardware had temporarily limited his range of motion and overall strength.

As the car finally returned to the garage beside the house the trio exited the vehicle, locked up the garage door and entered the side door into the house through the kitchen.

"You two should get some sleep." Lucas suggested as he was promptly greeted and almost overwhelmed by Sumo and Ruby's affectionate nature. Crouching down he rubbed at their ears in turn with his right hand and watched as Hank and Connor walked toward the staircase sluggishly. "I'll enter rest mode shortly."

"Sounds good to me." Almost mumbling Hank made his way up the staircase slowly while Connor lingered downstairs for a little while longer. "Goodnight, boys."

Connor sighed and looked at his brother with a tired yet determined gaze. "Lucas, how did you know about the 'Red Reaper'?"

"Elijah told me. When you called to let me know that Gavin had been wounded it didn't take him long to check in with activity back here in Detroit and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Once everything in Boston had settled down and a routine had been formed with the volunteers at the facility I was able to return home earlier than expected."

"I'm glad you're here."

"As am I."

"What about Chloe?"

"She will stay in Boston until Elijah returns to the city to check in on everything. Afterward they will both return and monitor the new facility from a distance to ensure everything will function without error."

"That's good." Connor's tired soulful brown eyes began to slowly close as leaned against the back of the couch and rubbed his right hand over his eyes. "The more facilities that open across the country, the better."

"Connor, go get some sleep. You're about to collapse."

"I'm tired but I don't think I can sleep."

"I highly doubt that." Grabbing onto Connor's left bicep with his right hand Lucas pulled Connor away from the back of the couch and toward the staircase to finally get upstairs and sleep. "Come on, big brother. Markus is safe and you can rest knowing that he pulled through."

"Rest? Unlikely."

As the brothers ascended the staircase they were promptly followed by the two loyal dogs who were too happy to let their masters out of their sight, and wanted some more attention.

Lucas guided Connor into his bedroom and helped him to sit down on the edge of the bed. It was only a matter of seconds before Connor fell to his right side and let his head hit his pillow without even the slightest hesitation. Shortly after he settled into a steady pattern of slow, deep breathing that was indicative of sleep, and right after Ruby jumped up on the foot of the bed to lay down beside him.

Flexing his left hand gently Lucas ran a scan over Connor's vital signs, and smirked a little at the sight of the newly developed biocomponent still working at one-hundred percent capacity in his heart. "Rest well, brother." Removing the weapon Lucas placed it in the drawer of the nightstand so Connor could sleep without accidentally rolling onto the weapon. "You deserve it."

Taking his leave of the bedroom Lucas walked into the bedroom across the way and sat down on the edge of his own bed for the first time in almost nine weeks. As he did he was met by Sumo who proceeded to clumsily haul his large body up on the foot of the bed and pressed his chin down atop Lucas's right thigh as he sought more attention.

"I missed you, too." Petting Sumo's back Lucas felt entirely at ease and knew he was really home. Pulling up his legs he laid on his back and kept his left arm draped over his torso to ensure it was able to adapt and heal properly as he rested throughout the fading night. "Let's just hope no further incidents regarding Markus or New Jericho Tower interrupt the night."

* * *

Peacefully, comfortably and quietly Connor had slept deeply for almost seven consecutive hours before he was awoken by a buzzing sound coming from his phone. Pulling the phone from his pocket he saw that it was a text message from Skye and upon reading the message Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide and he sat upright on his bed fully awake and ready for a fight.

'_Connor, the security protocol found Damien lurking around the ruins of an old mansion that burned down almost two years ago; just before the night of the Revolution. The bank that repossessed the property had security cameras enabled and Damien didn't know they were there_. _I've included the address_.'

Sending a reply text Connor suddenly had energy to spare. "Is he still there?"

'_He returned less than a minute ago_.'

"I'm going to go after him, once you see me on the camera inform the police and tell them no lights or sirens." He typed frantically as he gathered what he needed in order to head out and confront the dangerous deviant. "It'll give him the chance to flee if he knows they're coming."

'_You're going alone_? _Didn't Markus try to do that earlier_?'

"Markus was trying to reason with him." Connor texted quickly as he pulled his gun out of the drawer in the nightstand beside his bed and checked the weapon before slipping it into his holster still wrapped around his back. "I'm not going to be so reasonable."

'_You're not even going to go with Hank_?'

"No. It'll be easier to sneak on the property alone."

'_But it's dangerous_! _Don't do anything you can't undo_!'

"Damien is going to be dangerous no matter what." Walking down the staircase Connor used an app on his phone to hail an autonomous cab and waited by the front door until it appeared on the street outside. "When Damien killed one person, let alone fourteen, he gave every officer in this city righteous cause to shoot on sight. When he assaulted a fellow officer he all but guaranteed it. But now that he's tried to kill Markus in cold blood he deserves it. I abhor violence and the thought of revenge truly makes my heart run cold, but this about justice. Damien has proven himself hostile time and time again without provocation and needs to be subdued."

There was a pause before Skye finally replied. '_Please very careful_. _I'll be monitoring the cameras and I will inform the police as soon as possible_.'

"I will take every precaution necessary. Fortunately," he slid open the nearby closet very quietly and pulled out a spare Kevlar vest that Hank insisted Connor keep in the house at all times. Today seemed like the best day to use it. "I'm always prepared and I always complete my mission. It'll be okay, Skye."

'_I hope you're right, Connor_. _ I don't want to see anything bad happen to you_.'

"I'll be fine. Just watch my back."

'_I will_. _ I promise_!'

The autonomous cab pulled up outside and Connor unlocked the front door and immediately locked again behind himself. As he rushed out to the cab as quietly as he could move Connor pulled his gun from the holster and he double-checked the weapon. He knew exactly how many shots he'd have, and hoped he wouldn't have to use any of them in the process. Slipping on the Kevlar vest under his shirt Connor was now entirely prepared if he needed to confront Damien with violence.

As the cab pulled away from the house Connor was unaware that Lucas had heard him wake up a few moments ago, and was watching him through his bedroom window overlooking the street.

Seeing his brother unexpectedly leaving put Lucas on his guard. "Connor, what are you going to do?"

_**-next chapter-**_


	51. Reap What You Sow

The sun was just beginning to rise over the city basking the buildings in a brilliant amber light.

Holding his breath Connor manually altered the address in the autonomous taxi's G.P.S. to stop the car two blocks away from the burned down ruins of the mansion where Damien was reportedly hiding out. As he stepped out of the cab Connor looked about and saw that he was alone and that the morning was still quiet. Moving with purpose he walked the remaining distance to the charred black remained of the ruined mansion and was greeted by a pair of locked black iron gates at the edge of the property barring his entrance.

"New chain." Connor observed as he looked at the restraint, and his eyes trailed upward to the security cameras mounted up on the top of the concrete pillar the right side of the gate. "And a new lock. It wasn't picked which means Damien has the key to access the property." Picking up the massive padlock Connor looked it over and noted it was a cheaper model found at the local sporting goods store as opposed to something a bank would use to protect a massive property. "He destroyed the bank's lock and put on his own."

Still knowing a few tricks regarding lock picking during his time as a deviant Connor was able to use his own house key and direct pressure to effectively 'pop' the lock before slipping it free from the thick chain and unwrapping the chain from around the gates. Pushing open the right side of the gate as slow as possible keep it from creaking too loudly Connor set foot on the property. Glancing up at the camera, knowing that Skye was watching his back, he nodded to acknowledge her and signaled for her to call the police.

Walking quickly Connor crossed the front lawn and reached a ground floor window that had been boarded up in an attempt to keep potential trespassers at bay after the night of the fire. Peering through two of the boards nailed over the window Connor saw the blackened and ashy remains of the front foyer, and the decaying remains of the horribly burned furniture, floor and walls. The staircase reaching up to the second floor had partially collapsed in the middle of the structure which made it impassable. A secondary staircase leading to the basement was tucked beneath the first staircase, and a single low glowing yellow light shone up from the staircase onto the first floor.

"He will hear me walking on the first floor." Connor told himself as he walked over to the front door and found it unlocked. Pushing it open slowly he kept his movements light and slow as he entered the mansion. "I need to lay in wait."

Carefully and silently Connor crept up the the first staircase and positioned himself just below the massive gap that had caved in the middle of the stairs, exposing a large opening that peered directly down into the basement's corridor below. From there he could watch for any sign of Damien without giving away his position, and when Damien walked up the staircase from the basement Connor would be able to hold him at bay with his gun from the higher ground.

"Show yourself, Damien." The young detective challenged as he mentally steeled himself for the impending confrontation. "I'm waiting for you."

* * *

Upon noticing Connor's unexpected departure from the house Lucas contemplated chasing after his big brother, but he knew he couldn't go alone. With his left arm being wounded and at half strength he wouldn't be able to defend himself properly, let alone assist Connor if it became necessary. Torn between rushing out to try to assist Connor, whatever that may be, and wanting to inform Hank about Connor's disappearance, Lucas paced about his bedroom anxiously and tried to decide what he should do.

"I know Connor wouldn't do something without thinking it through," Lucas told himself as he continued to nervously pace the length of his room with indecision. Sumo was laying on the foot of Lucas's bed and watching him pacing with a curious gleam in his big brown eyes. "but he shouldn't be alone. I... I need to tell Hank about this."

Walking out of his bedroom with purpose in his steps Lucas pulled open Hank's bedroom door without even knocking, and spoke to his adopted father in a low enough voice as to not startle him, but loud enough to get his attention. "Hank?" Putting his right hand on Hank's left bicep he shook the senior detective lightly. "Hank wake up, it's important."

Opening his bloodshot blue eyes Hank glanced up at Lucas hovering over him and blinked a few times. "...Lucas. What's the matter, son?"

"I... I think Connor may have done something reckless."

Suddenly fully awake Hank sat upright in the bed before asking the logical question. "Where is he?"

"I can't be certain, but I believe he went to confront Damien. Damien could very well be the 'Red Reaper' and-"

"He WHAT?!" Practically jumping from the bed and onto the floor Hank scrambled to grab his gun off the nightstand beside his bed and proceeded to change into his clothes as he tried to figure out what had happened while he was asleep. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"He left early this morning and was very quiet as he left with an autonomous cab. Call it a hunch but I believe he received a tip regarding Damien's location, and he told me as I worked on saving Markus's life last night that Damien could very well be the 'Red Reaper'. He just didn't have any hard evidence or a location at the time beyond speculative details and a theory."

"Fuckin' hell, the kid's going to get himself killed!" Fumbling with his shoes Hank managed to rush down the stairs with Lucas following right behind him eagerly as he was determined to help his brother. "When'd he sneak out?"

"Twenty-two minutes and four seconds ago."

"Damn it! We need to find him. Do you have ANY idea where he went?"

"No, I'm not sure. But I do know I can track him down."

"Then let's go." Grabbing his car keys from the bookshelf against the livingroom wall Hank motioned for Lucas to follow him to the side door leading to the garage. "I'm not going to sit back and wait for him to show up either here, or in the damn morgue."

"I agree, Hank. But what can I do?"

"Help me find him, and if it becomes necessary;" Hank unlocked the garage door and used the electronic opener as he climbed inside the car behind the steering wheel, to unlock the garage door. Lucas sat down in the front passenger seat beside him and fumbled with his seatbelt thanks to having only one good arm at the moment "you can help me kick his ass for being so stupid!"

* * *

Without giving away his position Connor stayed perfectly quiet as he waited for Damien to make a move. Listening to every sound of the decaying house carefully Connor heard a metallic 'tink' emanating from the basement and he knew that Damien was down there working on a project. Remaining quiet Connor crept back down the first staircase and then down the secondary staircase toward the basement to try to get the jump on Damien. As he walked down the steps slowly, silently, he withdrew his gun from his holster around his back and held it in his right hand with the barrel pointed down toward the ground as a precautionary measure.

The charred concrete walls of the lengthy corridor smelt of burned stone, and were blackened from intense heat and ash. The length of the corridor was somewhat narrow and wrapped around into a small maze of left turns reaching the main chamber of the basement itself. Various large paddocks with destroyed wooden doors and warped metal surfaces lined the corridor like a macabre zoo of scientific abomination.

Despite being human Connor knew that the walls were stained with long since evaporated Thirium courtesy of the dozens; maybe hundreds, of androids who had been experimented on and tortured by the residence's former owner, Zlatko Andronikov.

Listening to the sound of metal 'tinking' in the distance and smelling a noxious array of potent and undoubtedly illegal chemicals Connor tracked the offending sources down to the end of the corridor and into the basement's largest room. Inside the room Connor was greeted by the sight of a skinless android with his back to the doorless door frame looming over a metal table across the length of the large room, with a delicate project taking place under his hands.

As he stepped through the door frame Connor raised his gun and aimed it at the android's back to preemptively defend himself. "Detroit Police. Don't move."

The android held still but didn't show any sign of threat from Connor's presence. Turning his head slightly to reveal his red tinted L.E.D. cycling steadily in his right temple the android practically laughed at the sight of Connor standing behind him. "May I ask what the charges are?"

"Trespassing on private property, for one. You're also a suspect in numerous deaths throughout the city and knowingly distributing a lethal and illegal substance onto the street."

"Why me? Because I'm an android? I saw you stalking me at the hotel almost-"

"No," Connor cut him off quickly before he the chance to try to play mind-games. "it's because you're a reported suspect; _Damien_."

"So, you know my name." Turning around fully the skinless android smirking coldly and Connor stared the younger detective down. "And I know yours. You're the famous 'Deviant Hunter'. I'm honored."

"My name is Connor Anderson." Holding his ground Connor refused to let the android try to intimidate him. "And I'm friends with Markus. He nearly died last night from a bullet wound that nearly destroyed his Thirium pump. Only an android would know where to aim to create such a devastating wound with a single shot. Not to mention that Markus identified you _personally_."

The notion that Markus survived the attack seemed to destroy Damien's unknown plot that was twisting around in his head. "...Markus survived?"

"He's thriving."

"I guess that means a witness identifying me is a guaranteed arrest."

"Once we prove that you were the one creating the lethal batches of 'red ice' and causing fourteen people to overdose you'll be tried for fourteen murders, one attempted murder and the assault of a police officer on top of illegally manufacturing and distributing an illegal narcotic. You'll never walk free for the rest of your life."

"Actually, it was fifteen murders." Damien tried to correct with a twisted sneer to his plastimetal face.

"No, _fourteen_." Connor reaffirmed stubbornly without giving into Damien's demented game. "The officer you attacked survived as well. Two witnesses; one the leader of the deviants and the other an officer of the law, guarantees you'll spend the rest of your existence rotting away in a maximum security android cell."

"_Fifteen_." Damien insisted in a threatening voice. "You forgot to include yourself, Connor."

Raising the barrel of his gun so it was pointed directly at the center of Damien's chest, over his Thirium pump, Connor released the safety and readied himself to squeeze the trigger. "The police know where I am and are en route. Don't do anything foolish."

* * *

Outside the house, unseen and unheard by Damien, six police drones were now circling the property and setting up a perimeter for the responding police officers to use to their advantage. Four squad cars; two in the front of the mansion and the two in rear of the mansion, were cutting off any possible escape routes while the officers took their positions near the front door, backdoor and around the ground floor windows, in the event of a hostile interaction resulted in gunfire.

Hank and Lucas had arrived at the address just before the other squad cars had pulled onto the property. Being the senior officer at the scene Hank took control and told Lucas to stay back in the car and to not move from where he sat.

"This is definitely the place." Hank remarked as the police drones and squad cars lined the property. The confirmation was unsettling and the air felt heavier than usual. "Damn it, kid. Why'd you go in there without any back-up with you?"

Pulling his own gun from the holster on his hip right Hank approached the black iron gates and held his position from a safe distance from the crumbling remains of the destroyed mansion.

"You better get out of their in one piece, son. I won't forgive myself if something happens to you."

* * *

Refusing to back down to Damien's presence or threats Connor held his ground from the distance and showed no fear in his soulful brown eyes. Damien seemed to sense that the mansion was now surrounded by the police and knew that there wasn't anyway for him to escape without being damaged in the process. As one who is entirely indifferent to life, death and those he had intentionally harmed throughout his existence Damien was unfazed by the prospect of being arrested or shut down.

"Why protect the humans, Connor?" The skinless deviant challenged with a vile lilt to his words. "You're a human now, but I know you still think of yourself as a deviant."

"I've sworn to protect the innocent, Damien. That includes humans AND androids alike. You are NOT innocent. You're hostile and a threat to this city as a whole, and it's my responsibility to apprehend you."

"That comment coming from someone who hunted down his own people is very hollow."

"And a comment about my behavior towards deviants is meaningless coming from someone who tried to gun down the deviant leader in cold blood."

"What does it matter? Markus is nothing more than a figurehead." Damien stepped aside from the table and showcased the massive batch of concentrated 'red ice' that he had finished creating just as Connor confronted him. "He'll remain relevant for another year, maybe two, then he'll be a forgotten relic as the city continues to rot and decay from the inside out."

"No, the city is healing."

"It will in time. But only _after_ the humans who destroyed the city are gone."

"And you plan on 'fixing' the city by poisoning and murdering humans one by one?"

"Only those who are unworthy of life."

"Of those fourteen you've killed only six were known junkies. What were the other eight guilty of?"

"They were junkies just waiting for their first hit."

"You just _assumed_ that those eight people were going to become addicted to drugs? Why? What led you to such an egregious decision?"

Damien didn't seem to have an answer. At least, not a logical one. "...They were in the wrong neighborhood."

"Most people walk through less than ideal locations of the city to get to their destinations, others are simply going to visit friends and family." The passion in Connor's voice spoke volumes as he defended the dead from their cold killer. "One of the victims was a tutor who was volunteering their time to teach children in need of help, another was a high school student who had fantastic grades and was a talented musician, a third victim was a recovering junkie who was helping other people get clean. Did you seriously choose to kill eight innocent people because you made a misinformed _guess_?"

"Don't try to protect-"

"What about the officer you attacked at the precinct?"

"I saw him sitting in his car _sticking a needle in his arm _three nights before I attacked him."

"He's _diabetic_." Connor snarled in Gavin's defense as he showed Damien his flawed logic. "He was checking his blood sugar, or adjusting his insulin level and was doing so in private."

"...No." Damien didn't seem to understand that humans were complex and had motivations beyond just seeking a high, or being violent. It never occurred to him that the humans he targeted had been misjudged, just as the deviants had misjudged before the Revolution. "I saw... But I-"

"You saw what you _wanted_ to see. Just like the humans who saw deviants as defective machines, not living, feeling beings, you're letting your hatred and anger corrupt your view of the world. You're no better than the very bigots you claim that you're trying to stop!"

"...No matter. They're dead and you can't do a damn thing about it."

"I can give them justice."

Damien scoffed at the notion as he showed no remorse, no guilt in his crimes. "By killing me?"

"It seems only fitting. A life for a life is surprisingly fair. Maybe I'll shoot you fourteen times; one bullet for each victim."

"Kill me and you'll kill yourself."

Connor stayed silent as he tried to understand what it was Damien was trying to claim. It was then he noticed a strange electronic device attached to a large detonator resting atop the dangerous and combustive batch of 'red ice' on the table behind the dangerous android. The device had a small display screen that was perfectly synchronized with an android's system, without a doubt it was synchronized to Damien and designed to detonate only once the connection was severed.

"As soon as I'm offline," Damien explained with a completely indifferent demeanor to Connor as the threat of death didn't even affect him in the slightest. "the detonator will explode. With that explosion you'll be consumed by the burning 'red ice' and suffocate within minutes. Hard to protect your people if you're dead and buried."

"...You're right. I won't be able to protect my people anymore if I die today." Raising the barrel of his gun Connor's aim never faltered as he settled on his final target. "It's a good thing I'm not the only one protecting New Jericho. Even after I'm gone my partner will continue to protect the deviants, as will my brother. And if my death will stop you from harming any other person in this city; deviant or human, friend or stranger, then it'll be well worth it."

Damien's blank cold face suddenly flashed with a glimmer of actual fear. "...You'd die to protect those selfish fools who squander life?"

"I'd die to protect the innocent, regardless of who they are or where they came from."

"You'll slowly suffocate as your body burns to ash."

"As will you."

The threat of reality had finally sunk in. Damien's hollow blue eyes went wide as Connor squeezed the trigger and sent a single bullet directly into the false heart beating away in his cold exposed chest. As a searing pain entered his plastimetal chest Damien felt the hot metal destroying his Thirium pump with a swift motion, and saw a flash of red 'error' message swim over his vision just milliseconds before everything went perpetually black.

Barely able to turn away Connor draped his right arm over his eyes, nose and mouth as he shut his eyes and was promptly greeted with a relentlessly deafening blast of heat, wind and raw energy that sent him flying backward against the concrete wall behind him with a painful subduing slam.

Fire quickly climbed the concrete walls and spread over the concrete floor as the room filled with a mixture of black smoke from the room itself burning, and a cloud of noxious red smoke courtesy of the lethal drug burning with a bright orange flame on the warped bent metal table. As the house burned for the second time in its existence Connor laid unconscious on the floor, completely unable to get up or even call out for help.

* * *

The officers outside the house ducked down and called in for the fire department as the mansion's basement burst into flames and shook the property with violent and unexpected tremors. The sight of the orange flames eating through the foundation of the mansion caused the responding officers to wisely back off to a greater distance as the remaining windows shattered, and fire began consuming the eternal walls of the already burned structure. Everyone backed away except for Hank who dared to approach the mansion with his arm up over his face to potentially shield his face from the flames as he tried to get the building to find Connor.

"Connor?!" Shouting as loudly as he could to get his voice to carry over the crackling flames engulfing the mansion Hank approached the burning building at a hasty clip in search of his missing son. "Connor!? Answer me!"

A firm hand on Hank's left shoulder suddenly pulled him back and didn't let up. "Hank, stop!"

"Let me go, Lucas!" The senior detective barked as he tried to wrest his shoulder from the deviant's strong grip. "Get back to the car!"

"No, you have to let _me_ go inside."

"What the fu-"

"My scanner picked up a massive influx of 'red ice'." The deviant explained quickly as he eyed the flames consuming the mansion behind Hank. "If you go in there you won't come back out."

"Connor's still in there!"

"I know." Lucas moved his position so he was standing between Hank and the burning mansion without taking his hand from the senior detective's shoulder in the process. "I can get inside without being affected by the smoke from the fire, OR the 'red ice'."

"Lucas, I can't let you-"

"I wasn't asking for your permission."

As soon as the deviant let go of Hank's shoulder he rushed to the mansion as quickly as he could to get inside the building before it was too late to save his brother from the fire.

"LUCAS! GET BACK HERE!"

Ignoring Hank's gruff voice Lucas used his right shoulder to force open the front door and used his scanner to lead him directly to Connor. Locating the faint life signs coming from the basement, the unique biocomponent that was surgically grafted into Connor's heart confirming the life signs belonging to his big brother, Lucas rushed down the staircase and through the corridor leading to the basement to rescue the younger detective before it was too late.

The dangerously high temperature of the burning mansion and dense concentration of the 'red ice' had caused Lucas's sensors to send up numerous warnings in his visual processors warning him to not allow the smoke to enter his ventilation biocomponents. Dismissing each warning Lucas ventured deeper into the painfully hot corridor and peered through the thick dark smoke that was a mixture of red and black to locate the basement as quickly as possible.

"Connor?" Lucas called out as he reached the basement and glanced through the large room. His sensors located the source of the explosion, the 'red ice' and the smoldering plastic body of Damien melting into an indistinguishable puddle of plastimetal and flaming Thirium. "Connor!" Spotting a second body laying on the floor against the wall Lucas recognized it as Connor and rushed over to check on his condition. "Connor!"

Across the floor from Connor was the destroyed body of Damien. The smoldering, melted plastimetal remains of Damien had all but melted as the close proximity to the intense fire had ensured a grisly end. There was no sign of life or distress in the downed deviant as the bullet had mercifully killed him before the fire had the chance to do so.

Connor himself was laying on his back, his head tilted to the left away from the doorway, with his right arm straight out at his side and the left arm draped over his abdomen. His legs were slightly bent while still laying straight out from himself. There were flames creeping up on his right arm and burning his skin under bright orange fire.

"Shit! Connor!" Shrugging off his white jacket Lucas quickly used the jacket to smother out the flames before the fire could do any significant damage to the exposed skin on the unconscious detective's right forearm. Pulling back the jacket Lucas carefully examined the smoking, red skin on his brother's forearm and was relieved that the burns were mostly first degree with mild surrounding second degree burns. "Connor? Can you hear me?"

Running another scan Lucas quickly checked his brother's condition in case there was any internal bleeding or significant internal trauma. Aside from the smoke inhalation and prolonged exposure to the intense surrounding heat there was no sign of any breaks or significant damage to his limbs, but there were small bleeding cuts on his face, his neck and his arms where he didn't have any clothing to protect him from the sharps shards of the glass beakers used to create the 'red ice' that were shattered in the explosion.

"Connor?" Kneeling down on the floor Lucas pressed his right fingertips to the left side of Connor's neck and gently tilted his head to the side until his neck was straight. He could feel a pulse and once Connor's head moved a little the younger detective let out two weak coughs. "I got you, Connor. Come on."

Slipping his left arm out of the sling Lucas moved his position so he could slip his weaker arm under Connor's legs and used his right arm to wrap around Connor's upper back just below his shoulders, then sat him upright on the floor. Pulling on Connor's uninjured left arm Lucas pulled his brother up and over his shoulders into a 'fireman's carry' to get him to safety.

Ignoring another warning, one that was regarding his left arm being only at sixty-two percent functionality, Lucas carried Connor back through the smokey corridor and up the staircase back to the ground floor to safety. Pushing himself through the thick smoke and heat Lucas was able to easily locate the front door of the mansion and get back outside where he was immediately swarmed by the police drones and ushered by shouting voices to carry Connor back through the iron gates to safety.

Hank rushed over to meet Lucas as he came out of the burning mansion and put his right hand down on Connor's back and noticed the burns on his right forearm. Relieved to see Connor relatively unscathed Hank helped Lucas to gently lay Connor down on the cool sidewalk outside the property and well out of harm's way.

"Connor?" Hank put his left hand under the back of Connor's head as Lucas laid him down on his back to be assessed for injuries. "Son?"

"He breathed in a lot of smoke." Lucas explained as he picked up Connor's right forearm and draped it over his unconscious brother's torso to keep dirt from the sidewalk from getting into the raw wounds. "No internal bleeding or trauma."

Hank glanced up and saw an ambulance pulling up to the scene of the fire and waved them over to where he and Lucas was kneeling on the sidewalk beside Connor. "Over here!"

Connor began to cough a little more as the clean air hit his lungs and the 'red ice' began to clear from his system. The coughs were harsh and sounded painful as the toxic fumes had already done its damage and was polluting Connor's body with the horrible drug.

Lightly Lucas put his right hand on Connor's chest to count his pulse and gauge how severely his lungs had been compromised by the smoke, and felt the thick layer of Kevlar beneath the fabric of his black t-shirt. "Connor, you're going to be okay. The paramedics are already here."

A duo of paramedics walked over to the sidewalk with a gurney rolling between them. Almost as soon as the two began their assessment over Connor's condition the affected young detective coughed even harder then began to twitch slightly as his muscles were in the early stages of spasming, and leading up to a full blown seizure.

"Connor?" Hank kept his hand beneath the seizing man's head while Lucas and the paramedics worked to keep him as still as possible without causing any further injury to his body; breaking limbs or pulling a muscle, by trying to hold him down. "Hang on, son."

Lucas looked up at the paramedics and gave them crucial information regarding Connor's condition. "He had unconsciously inhaled smoke being produced by concentrated 'red ice', as well as smoke from the fire."

The first paramedic, a blonde woman, looked to her younger brunette partner and ordered the younger of the team to get Narcan ready. "Narcotic induced seizure. Get the Narcan and radio it in."

"Right." Obeying her seasoned partner's instructions the younger paramedic retrieved the necessary syringe preloaded with the Narcan and handed it over as she placed the call.

The life-saving medication was delivered into Connor's body by a quick injection into his right thigh, followed up a dose of Diazepam to combat the seizure. A few seconds passed before Connor began to still and the seizure mercifully passed. Instinctively Hank and the blonde paramedic rolled him onto his right side into the recovery position just as the young detective began to throw-up what little contents he had in his stomach onto the sidewalk beside him.

"Easy, easy..." Hank's words were calm as he kept one hand under Connor's head and used his other hand to hold him steady. "Let it out, kid. You'll be okay."

Lucas helped Hank and the paramedics lift Connor up from the sidewalk to be put on the gurney for transport. As he was wheeled to the back of the ambulance the blonde paramedic put an oxygen mask over Connor's face and brunette wrapped up his burned right forearm in a protective layer of gauze to be properly treated later on at the hospital.

Instinctively Lucas tried to follow after Connor into the back of the ambulance but Hank caught him around the right wrist and pulled him back. "We're following after him in the car. The paramedics need room to work and civilians aren't ever allowed to accompany a victim in the back of the ambulance."

"But we-"

"Come on." Remaining entirely calm through professional training, years of experience and having his deeply-seeded paternal nature telling him to stay calm for the sake of his sons, Hank stayed in control. Leading Lucas over to the car Hank let out a deep breath and looked to the deviant with a proud, yet annoyed gaze. "You did good, son. But don't you EVER run into a burning building like that, EVER again."

Realizing the rash nature of his own actions Lucas wrapped his right palm around his left forearm and looked back up at the smoldering remains of the mansion as the fire department doused the structure under hundreds of gallons of water at an impressive rate. "...I'll do my best."

* * *

In the back of the ambulance Connor managed to regain consciousness just long enough to recognize that he was in the back of an ambulance and laying on top of a gurney. The hard plastic of the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose steady fogged up and cleared as he breathed with increasingly rapid pants as the horrendously noxious 'red ice' he had breathed in aggravated his lungs and his throat. The vomiting spell earlier wasn't helping the pain in his throat, and the returning sensation to his right arm as his mind cleared up from being slammed into the wall, and inhaling smoke.

As Connor glanced about the back of the ambulance curiously he noted the intense ringing in his ears from the explosion, and was aware of a muffled voice trying to speak to him. A few seconds passed and the ringing began to quite down enough for Connor to make out some of the words being spoken to him, and understand the questions being asked.

"...-ir? Sir!" Are you conscious?" The blonde paramedic asked as she gently lifted Connor's eyelids to check his pupils with her penlight. "Can you tell us your name?"

Swallowing once Connor managed to find his voice and reply in a hoarse raspy manner. "...C-Connor."

"Good." Retracting the light the paramedic continued to speak with him while also keenly observing his condition. "Connor, you inhaled a lot of smoke and were exposed to a dangerous substance." Adjusting the flow of oxygen to help clear out Connor's systems the blonde paramedic watched as her younger partner used scissors to cut open his black t-shirt and pulled away the Kevlar vest to expose his chest and abdomen so they could put the wireless leads to a cardiac monitor on his chest. "You're on your way to the hospital now. Are you experiencing any pain in your head?"

"...Y-Yeah." Connor was taking in more and more rapid breaths as the pain in his right forearm was quickly overcoming his headache that was brought about courtesy of the seizure, inhaling smoke and being slammed against the concrete wall. "...My ears were ringing for a while."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"...I remember. Th-The mansion exploded. It was a 'red ice' lab." As he spoke he began to feel very hot and couldn't keep still. "...It... Was anyone else hurt?"

"No, you were the only one injured. I know it's hard but just lay as still as you can." Wrapping a blood pressure cuff around his left bicep the blonde paramedic prepared to start an I.V. in the bend of his arm to keep him from getting dehydrated. Being stuck in a burning house ensured that he was at risk of suffering a type of heat related complication. "Do you have any allergies?"

"...C-Coconut."

Laughing a little she gave him a reassuring smirk and prepared the line of saline. "You're going to be fine, Connor. Your family is going to be waiting for you at the hospital when you arrive."

It was then Connor remembered that he had left the house alone and didn't bother to tell Hank or Lucas where he had gone. The prospect of facing either one of them after doing something as reckless and dangerous as confronting a known killer and drug dealer alone was a conversation he was dreading with all of his heart.

"...My family." The thought of speaking to Hank was a little intimidating but he also knew he had every right to be scolded. "Right."

* * *

During the hasty drive to the hospital Hank sighed with an adrenaline fueled breath and ran his right hand through his locks of gray hair and glanced over at Lucas who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat beside him. Noticing that Lucas was eerily silent and seemed to be lost in thought; showing the same mannerisms and expressions that Connor would exhibit when he was upset, and thinking, Hank decided he needed to speak up and figure out what racing through the young deviant's mind.

Wanting to make sure that Lucas going to be okay after enduring what he had just been through in order to save his brother's life Hank addressed the deviant in a calm voice. "How you doing, Lucas?"

Lucas blinked a few times then glanced over at Hank. "I'm not injured if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, I am, but that's not what I was asking. Are you okay?"

"...I'm... I think I'm what is called 'shaken' by the whole ordeal."

"Yeah, dealing with a house fire and rescuing a family member is going to do that to ya'."

"It was very strange."

"The fire, or your brother doing something so stupid after seeing what that kind of stupidity almost did to Markus not even twenty-four hours prior?"

"...I'm talking about myself."

"You?" The comment made Hank feel a little uneasy, but he was understanding as always. "What's wrong?"

"I... I don't know why I ran in there." Lucas lifted up his hands and saw that the appendages, normally as steady as a mountain, were shaking. "I knew it was dangerous. I knew the odds of successful extraction for either one of us were only thirty-two percent and that it would've been better to wait for the fire department to go inside. And yet, I ignored everything my sensors were telling me about the danger and low odds, and I went inside anyway."

Managing to give Lucas a faint prideful grin Hank put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder and held it there for a moment. "You did that because you wanted to save your brother. The instinct to protect your family is a strong one that you can't override or ignore, son."

"...So what I did wasn't strange?"

"Not at all. It was a normal reaction. I mean, I still don't want to see you running into a burning building ever again, but I get why you did it. I was going to do the same thing when you stopped me."

"I'm sorry if I frightened you."

The similar behavior that Lucas was exhibiting was exactly like Connor when he started to come to terms with his own emotions and deviancy. "Don't worry about it, I'm not mad or anything." Glancing at Lucas's left arm he could see that his left hand was flexing steadily as if he needed to test his pain threshold or his overall strength. "How's your arm?"

"I believe the physical exertion has caused a minor relapse in my recovery."

"Did you leave your sling behind at the mansion?"

"Yes." Lucas noted that he had in fact lost his arm support sling, and had taken off his jacket to protect his unconscious brother from the encroaching flames nearing his arm." Along with my jacket."

"Alright, we'll get you taken care of as soon as we check in with Connor. I'll get ya' a brand new jacket, too."

* * *

Word spread through New Jericho Tower quickly as Skye; who had the misfortune of watching the security cameras outside the mansion when the building erupted in a ball of orange flames, and watched as Lucas carried Connor unconscious over his shoulders to safety, had informed Markus of what had happened at the mansion itself. No one knew what became of Damien just yet, but at the moment all they cared about was Connor's current condition. The fate of Damien was one of a less pressing manner.

"Do you know which hospital Connor was admitted to?" Markus was still in the emergency repair bay as his body's self-healing program worked to fully repair the damage he had sustained to his chest and shoulder courtesy of the bullet wounds. Moving carefully he slid off the edge of the exam table and pressed his right hand to his chest to support the still healing wound as much as possible. "I need to speak with him."

North grabbed onto Markus's left arm and tried to get him to lay back down. "Markus, rest."

"I will after I see Connor."

Skye sided with North and tried to get him to lay back down as well. "Both Hank and Lucas are with him right now. You need to take care of yourself and heal. He'll be doing the same thing for a few hours, anyway."

Without missing a beat Simon quickly sided with the two deviants and put his right hand on Markus's right shoulder to try to pull him back down onto the table as well. "They're right. Lay down and get some rest. We'll keep tabs on Connor's condition and let you know as soon as he's able to talk."

Markus tried to shrug off the hands trying to hold him back but was too weak to do so. "He'd be right here if any one of us had been through what he just went through. We need to be there for him."

"And we will be." Simon reminded him in a comforting tone. "Just when you're well enough to move around on your own."

North pulled more firmly on Markus's left arm and finally convinced him to lay back down. "Take it easy for a while and rest. We'll let you know everything that's happening outside the tower."

Letting out a weak pained sigh Markus laid back down and kept his right hand pressed to his chest as he ran a self-diagnostic to check on his progress. "Don't keep anything from me, alright? I know I'm hurt but I can take it."

"I promise." North leaned down to kiss Marks on his lips as she pressed her right hand to his left cheek, and lightly caressed his cheek with her thumb. "Get some sleep, Markus. Everything will be alright."

* * *

Three hours after being admitted into emergency care Connor was taken from the I.C.U. and into a private recovery room to heal. Like Gavin had been treated after his assault a few days prior Connor was having his breathing monitored closely for the next nine hours to ensure he wasn't suffering from any pulmonary complications, and to ensure his liver and kidneys were still functioning properly. Resting in the bed with an oxygen mask over his face Connor glanced up at the cardiac monitor recording his vitals, and was relieved to see everything was stable and showing no signs of distress. The consistent beating of his heart was a beautiful sight to behold, and aside from his throbbing headache he was feeling entirely normal.

Pressing his right hand over his sore chest Connor let out a weak sigh and coughed a little in response. "...Good thing that new biocomponent is fireproof."

A knock on the door turned Connor's head from the monitor and over to the door frame as the door itself slid open. Hank stepped inside the room with Lucas right behind him. The two looked as exhausted as Connor felt and he sympathized with them wholeheartedly.

Hank looked like he hadn't slept in months, whereas Lucas had attempted to clean up his appearance but the white long sleeved shirt he favored was ruined with ashen smudges and small burn holes along the sleeves. A new sling was supporting his damaged left arm, and with that Connor realized that the reason Lucas looked so disheveled was because he had been the one who pulled him out of the burning building.

"...Lucas?" Connor's voice was still a little raspy but audible all the same. "Are you-"

"I'm fine, Connor. Not a scratch."

"...You saved me from the fire. Why did... How..."

"I can track you through the biocomponent in your heart." Nodding at his brother with a confident nod Lucas reassured Connor that he'd always find a way to find him whenever necessary. "Also, you're not as quiet in the morning as you think you are."

Feeling like an asshole Connor began apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry! You shouldn't have had to come and rescue me, I was a fool for putting you in danger!"

Hank agreed entirely as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave Connor an annoyed stare. "That's for damn sure. Now, I know you told Markus how stupid HE was when he did the exact same thing, so why in the fuck did you think it'd somehow be safer if you did it instead?"

"...I didn't want to risk losing track of Damien again. I had to go, and I asked for Skye to inform the police as soon as I arrived at the mansion."

"You should've woken me up so I could've gone with you."

"...I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't want to wait and you were already exhausted."

"Just take a moment to relax, son." Hank was glad that Connor was so talkative and alert, but he knew that he was going to have to go through the same withdrawal symptoms that Gavin had gone through after he was exposed to the concentrated 'red ice', and soon that energy would be gone. "...Do you know about the smoke you inhaled?"

"...The 'red ice'. I know." Connor's face paled a little and the cardiac monitor recorded his increased heart rate courtesy of anxiety. "I'm... I'm going to deal withdrawal in a few hours."

"Yeah, son. But don't worry, you won't be alone."

"...How long am I going to stay here?"

"Another nine hours or so for observation. Then you can go home and suffer in the privacy of your own bedroom."

"You're not going to make me stay here?"

"No. Even if I did have some legal right to do so I know you'd fight me every step of the way, anyway. You somehow escaped a concussion despite being caught up in an explosion, and aside from the burns on your arm you only suffered minor damage to your lungs and throat since you didn't inhale the 'red ice' directly while you were trapped."

Relieved to know he was going to be okay Connor's next thought went to other potential victims. "...When I was pulled out of the mansion... was anyone else found?"

"You mean Damien?"

"...Yeah."

Lucas spoke up and answered the question in a timid voice. "No, Connor. When I found you in the basement I found only the remains of his body. He's gone."

"...That's- I _guess_ that's a relief."

"Connor," Hank put his left hand on the young detective's left shoulder lightly as he gave his son a sorrowful glance. "you don't have to feel bad because he died and you lived."

"...I-" The need to tell Hank about the shooting was prevalent and the right thing to do, however he just didn't know what to say or how to say it. "...Was anyone else hurt because of the fire?"

"No, kid. Just you and that sick fuck."

Connor sighed a little and pressed his left hand over his eyes as he felt his headache beginning to return despite being on a moderate amount of painkillers. No doubt the pain was being caused by this body beginning the first stages of withdrawal as he detoxed from breathing in so much concentrated 'red ice' while he was unconscious.

"Lay still and try to sleep while you can." The senior detective and adoptive father urged in a kind tone. "I'm going to call Fowler, tell him all about this weird shit-show, tell him to fuck off if he wants to suspend ya', and then we'll get you home to rest."

"...Yeah, okay."

Lucas nodded and stayed inside the room to keep his big brother company as he tried to rest while Hank excused himself from the room. "I'm glad to see you awake."

"Thank you for coming after me." Connor nodded at Lucas's left arm and asked about his recovery. "Did you hurt yourself when you were rescuing me?"

"No, I merely stunted my recovery time by approximately four hours and twenty-eight minutes." Motioning to Connor's right forearm wrapped up under heavy bandages and gauze Lucas ran a scan and saw that the limb was already beginning to heal and didn't show any signs of infection. "How about your arm?"

"It doesn't hurt. But it does feel a little tense."

"Speaking of tense... I think dad is angry with both of us right now, but he's just not saying anything."

"...Maybe. If anything he'll workout his anger silently in the basement gym, or wait until we're both well again before he actually yells at us."

Lucas seemed genuinely worried about the possibility of being scolded. "...I've never been yelled at by him before. What's it like?"

"It's very... Humbling." The young detective admitted as he too began to worry about the possibility of being reprimanded. "It isn't anything personal, though."

"I still don't think I want to be yelled at by him."

"Neither do I. But in this case," flexing his right hand a little Connor sighed and used his left hand to wipe away the few beads of sweat collecting near his hairline over his forehead. He was feeling a little feverish and tense already. "I think it's deserved."

* * *

The news reported the death of the now infamous "Red Reaper" and confirmed that it was a member of the police department, and the strongest advocate for deviant rights, who had stopped him before he harmed anyone else. The entire city was buzzing with rumors about a possible deviant conspiracy, while others were willing to bet that it was really a human who had been killing people and framing the deviants, and some were even saying the "Red Reaper" was all a myth created by the police to scare junkies. It didn't matter that the evidence and testimony from Markus, a surviving victim and the deviant leader, and from Gavin, a human and officer of the law, all confirmed that Damien was in fact responsible for the intentionally lethal batches of 'red ice' that took fourteen innocent lives and nearly took three more before he was done.

Rumors still spread like ink over canvas.

While dealing with scrutiny, rumors and reporters wasn't something new to the precinct dealing with the backlash for bringing down the first confirmed serial killer, who was in fact a deviant, just seemed to revive and spread fear about deviants like a plague. With that fear came loud mouth bigots spreading as much misinformation as possible making it dangerous for deviants and deviant sympathizers to walk the streets.

Captain Fowler was going to put a stop to the fear one way or another.

Dr. Wilson made a special trip to see Connor before he left the hospital, and found his breathing to be quite well all things considering, and was happy to hear his heart beating away normally in his chest. Giving him a prescription for antibiotics and mild painkillers for the burn on his arm Dr. Wilson allowed Connor to go home to recover as long as someone was there to watch over him. Of course his father and brother were happy to volunteer.

"I know you don't want to be here while you go through what you're about to go through." Dr. Wilson replied calmly as he accompanied Connor in his wheelchair being escorted to the doors of the hospital to leave. Hank had went ahead to pull the car up front, and Lucas was staying beside the wheelchair to accompany Connor outside. "But remember," pushing the wheelchair through the doors of the hospital Dr. Wilson helped Connor to stand up while Lucas let him lean up against his arm for support. "if you think you need to come back to the hospital for any reason we'll keep this as discreet as possible."

"Thank you, but I think I'll be fine at home."

"Okay, then."

Connor offered the kind doctor his left hand and shook Dr. Wilson's hand with respect. "I appreciate all your help."

"It's not a problem. I'm relieved to know that I won't be dealing with anymore victims from the 'Red Reaper'. I guess I should thank you."

"...I don't think what I did was worthy of thanks, but I understand your feelings."

The car pulled around and Lucas helped Connor to sit down in the backseat before he sat down in the front seat beside Hank. As the trio of a family settled into drive back home they were greeted by a flood of people gathering outside on the streets and either celebrating the death of the "Red Reaper", or trying to rally a protest against all deviants. Fortunately it looked like everyone was more interested in having fun and partying than trying to riot for once.

Hank just shook his head and let out a mildly amused laugh. "Guess it'd be better to haul a few drunks off to dry out in a cell than to deal with some asshole spouting hate and a few bullets."

Lucas nodded his head a little in silent agreement while Connor, who was sitting in the middle of the backseats with his his arms wrapped protectively over his chest as he began to feel a little ill from the steadily increasing withdrawal symptoms, tried to shared the optimistic sentiment. "As long as the autonomous cab service doesn't break down I think you're right."

"You holding up okay?" Glancing in the rearview mirror Hank noticed that Connor seemed a little pale and sweaty. "You look like you're fighting off the flu."

"I wish it_ was_ the flu."

"I know, kid. You're about to deal with the detoxing and withdrawal from 'red ice' without even getting to enjoy the briefest of highs from it beforehand."

"As terrible as I already feel I really don't understand why people willing subject themselves to this on a daily basis."

"Addiction is a real bitch, son. When it gets a hold of you it's a real fight to get it to let go." Pulling the car along a less populated block he turned to give Connor a reassuring nod of his head. "Trust me on this, I know from experience. And I know that if I can get sobered up then you can deal with the withdrawal with no problem."

"...Thanks."

"Relax, Connor. I've taken care of drunk officers who overdid it at random parties,and I've taken care of other officers who had to do drugs to maintain their undercover operation. I've seen the worst of withdrawal symptoms in the strongest people, AND I took care of a toddler with chickenpox and the flu. I can handle this, son. And so will you."

Lifting up his left hand Connor watched as his palm trembled and clenched it into a tight fist. "...Yeah. I'm just not looking forward to it."

"No one ever does."

Returning home the trio was completely exhausted and ready to drop. Hank watched as Connor and Lucas walked up the staircase to the second floor with both Sumo and Ruby following after them with their tails wagging, and proceeded to fuss about in the kitchen to make a large pot of soup to simmer on the stove. It was something simple that would last for several meals, and it would easy on Connor's stomach if he became too sick from going through withdrawal. As tired as he was Hank's paternal instincts to take care of his sons was too much to ignore.

"I'm glad Connor kept up his habit of keeping fresh Thirium in stock." The senior detective sighed as he pulled a full fresh bottle down from the cabinet above the kitchen sink for Lucas to drink. "I'm also glad Lucas is more cooperative than his brother."

Upstairs Connor proceeded to remove his shoes and change out of his (hospital washed, but still) smokey jeans and replaced the black t-shirt into a clean white t-shirt and his pair of gray sweatpants. Rubbing his right hand over his tired eyes as his headache began to intensify Connor sat down on the edge of his bed and let out a sigh, and felt Ruby jump up on the bed and press her nose against his left arm.

From the opened bedroom door across the hallway Lucas had also changed into clean clothes and heard his brother's loud sigh. "Is your head bothering you?"

"...Yeah. Aside from getting smacked into a concrete wall from an explosion, breathing in a ton of smoke, having a seizure, and the lack of sleep; walking about without my contact lenses for almost a week really strained my eyes."

"You weren't wearing your contact lenses? Why?"

"...I was too damn tired to deal with them. Now I'm paying for it."

"How could you see what you were doing?"

"Surprisingly well. But again, the strain was pretty severe."

Lucas adjusted his left arm in the sling while giving Sumo some much needed attention with ear rubs and walked across the hallway to enter his big brother's bedroom. Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Connor the deviant let out a weary sigh of his own and resumed petting Sumo's ears as he rested his chin down on his right knee. "What you did was very brave, brother, but also very foolish."

"Foolish, yes. Brave, not necessarily."

"How's that?"

"...I didn't go after Damien as a means of stopping him from harming other people, I went after him because I was... angry. He hurt Markus, almost killed him, he nearly killed Gavin in cold blood right outside the precinct, and murdered fourteen people he just assumed were lost causes. What I did wasn't justice, it was revenge."

"You stopped a serial killer. Regardless of how it ended the fact that you stopped him is all that matters. You also destroyed his batch of lethal 'red ice' before it could harm anyone else. That wasn't revenge, that was the right thing to do."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"...Do you want to tell me what happened inside the mansion?"

"I... confronted Damien in the basement. He was working on his final batch of 'red ice' and had rigged a detonator to the drug. It was connected with his own processors, and would detonate the moment he shutdown. It was meant as a safeguard to prevent the police from shooting him, and a means of destroying the evidence in the process. I chose to use his own safeguard against him."

"You shot him."

"It was the only option I had that would protect the city. I knew there was a chance I'd be killed in the explosion," glancing down at his bandaged right forearm Connor let out another sigh as he flexed his hand again. "but it was one I was willing to take. Damien was dangerous, he had murdered fourteen people, tried to murder two others, and he showed absolutely no remorse. Even when I told him about the innocent lives he had taken he tried to justify it in his own twisted manner. Damien simply didn't care, he was ready to kill more people and I know he would've made another attempt on Markus's life."

"Yet you feel bad?"

"...I essentially murdered him in cold blood as well." Bowing his head a little as his shoulders slumped Connor's grief was prevalent and understandable. It made sense why he felt like he did something wrong. "I don't want to be like that."

"You pulled the trigger because you had no choice. And Damien is the one who brought this fate on himself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't feel that way."

Lucas was still struggling to understand emotions as a whole as his deviancy continued to grow, but he vastly understood empathy and didn't want to see his big brother so broken up about simply doing his job. Deciding to change the subject Lucas casually gave his brother's vital signs a scan and began chronicling his condition as Connor began to show more and more signs of withdrawal. "You should sleep." He suggested in a casual tone of voice as he stood up from the bed and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder. Sumo pressed his body up against the left side of Lucas's leg to keep direct contact with the deviant as much as possible. "You're going to need to rest as much as possible."

"I know. You should do the same."

"I will. And I will keep my door open if you need anything."

"Thank you, Lucas." Laying back on his bed Connor was met with a grumble from Ruby as she changed her own position and plopped down beside his legs and rested her chin over his right knee. Sumo followed after Lucas as the deviant decided to retire his own bedroom to rest for a few hours. Putting his right hand on Ruby's ears Connor gave the loyal hound some attention, too. "You might want to follow after Sumo and spend time with Lucas for a while. I'm going to be very sick for a while, and it won't be pleasant for anyone."

Hank stepped through the opened doorway and smirked at Connor as he placed a bottle of water down on the nightstand beside his bed. "If you're already talking to the dogs and expecting them to talk back then I think it's safe to say you're already going through the worst of it."

"Funny."

"Hey, come on." Putting his right palm lightly over Connor's forehead Hank could feel a mild fever beginning to develop and knew it was just the beginning. "I'm teasin' ya'. You're getting warm, so I'm going to go take a shower, get some sleep and check in on you in an hour or two." He put a bottle of water down on the nightstand of Connor's bed for him to drink if he needed it. "If you feel sick let us know right away so we can keep an eye on you."

"...Right. I'm looking forward to it."

"Maybe if you're lucky we can get Abby to stop by and set up an I.V. line in your arm just like she did to Gavin."

"I'd rather not."

"Well, you're the medic. You tell me how necessary that might be."

"...Fair point."

"Sleep and I'll be back in a while." Holding a bottle of Thirium up in his other hand he took a step back to leave the room to go check in on Lucas next. "And remember, you can deal with this."

"I know."

"Good. And for what it's worth, as much as I hate you taking on a deranged serial killer alone, I'm proud of you for doing the right thing and protecting the city when they needed it the most."

"...Yeah, thanks." Closing his tired soulful brown eyes Connor turned to lay on his right side with his back to the door, and attempted to finally fall asleep. "I'll get some sleep, now."

Lucas was attempting to do the same when Hank walked into his bedroom and handed him the bottle of Thirium. Accepting the Thirium with his right good hand the timid deviant gave Hank an appreciative nod. "Thank you."

"How're you doing?"

"I also require rest, but I'm not in any danger."

"That's good. Do me a favor, when Connor begins to get sick keep a close eye on him and be ready to call in Abby if he gets in rough shape. I know he'll fight a return trip to the hospital, so having her as back-up is the best alternative to fighting with him."

"I understand." Placing the Thirium down on the nightstand beside his bed Lucas laid back and nervously darted his eyes away from Hank and toward his bedroom window. "I'll keep vigil while you get some sleep."

"...Right. Are you sure you're okay, son?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Alright." Taking his sons' words at face value Hank decided to let the brothers rest while he returned to the kitchen. "Let's just get through the next few days and take it from there."

* * *

As the day turned into evening numerous news reports regarding the death of the "Red Reaper" were told with increasingly outlandish, if not entirely false, details that spread fear and misinformation. One report claimed it was a stand-off with the "Red Reaper" threatening an entire precinct, while another claimed that the "Red Reaper" was in fact still alive and that the police gunned down an innocent deviant out of pure prejudice. A third report claimed that the "Red Reaper" never existed and it was a hoax staged by the police to cover up their own failures to prevent drugs from flooding the streets, and to sow seeds of doubt regarding the good nature of New Jericho and the four leaders in charge.

Markus had healed considerably and no longer required constant vigil by Simon, or any other technician in the tower, and was ready for a fight. Putting on his best clothes, a smart white dress shirt with a dark gray suit jacket over a pair of equally dark gray slacks, Markus limped out of his personal quarters and made his way to the elevator with a mission in each of his stilted steps. As a means of keeping the peace between the humans and deviants in the city Markus pushed himself to stand up and speak out.

"Markus?" North jogged after her lover and easily caught up to him. Grabbing onto his right arm she held him in a gentle grip and walked beside him toward the elevator doors from his private quarters. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to settle the dispute on the news, once and for all."

"Dispute?"

"Misinformation, lies and rumors are spreading quickly. I have to stop it before someone gets the wrong idea and starts a riot."

"You shouldn't go alone. I'll go with you."

"No. I won't let you get mocked or threatened by clueless people." Pressing his right palm to the electronic panel beside the elevator the doors parted and Markus stepped inside, reluctantly pulling his arm from North's grip in the process. "I'll be okay, North. I'll just go to the Stratford Broadcast Tower, speak my piece, and return here."

"...Be careful, Markus."

"I will." Giving North a kiss on the lips Markus took his leave of the sanctuary. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The doors closed and Markus descended to the ground floor to head out of the tower. With a simple cybernetic call Markus summoned an autonomous taxi to the tower to take him back to the city. It was going to be an odd experience, but it was one that was needed in order to maintain the delicate peace residing over the city as a whole.

* * *

The first hour after returning home was met with relative calmness for the exhausted trio. Connor's headache was getting worse, Hank had passed out in his bed after taking care of the kitchen and having a shower, and Lucas stayed in his bedroom in a light rest mode to enable himself to continue to monitor Connor's vital signs from the distance across the hallway. The occasional frustrated sigh and the sound of Connor tossing and turning on his bed held Lucas's attention, prompting him to get up and check on his ailing brother.

Stepping through the doorway Lucas saw that Connor was sweating and seemed unable to lay still as he rolled onto his side away from the door after flipping himself off of his back. "Connor?"

"...I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"I'm just... restless." Connor explained as he rolled onto his back again and looked over at his little brother. "I'm also very uncomfortable."

"What does it feel like?"

"...Withdrawal?"

"Yes. What are you experiencing right now?"

"I'm... I'm hot and I'm cold at the same time." Running his left hand through his sweaty locks of hair he sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm too tired to get up, but I'm so jumpy that I can't lay still. My head is hurting and swimming, my stomach is a tight knot of pain and nausea... It's like my body doesn't even know what's happening to it right now."

Reaching for the untouched bottle of water on the nightstand Lucas removed the cap and held the bottle out for Connor to take. "Drink some of this. You're perspiring at an alarming rate."

"...Detox." The exhausted young detective replied as he took the offered water in his shaking right hand. "It's a normal reaction."

Lucas pressed his right hand to Connor's warm sweat covered forehead and ran a scan. "...Your temperature has elevated to one-hundred and one point two degrees. That is arguably a significant fever."

Downing the entire bottle of water Connor sighed and forced himself to sit upright on the bed. His entire body was trembling and his clothing was drenched in sweat in the most unflattering and uncomfortable places. "...I'm going to take a cool shower. That'll help."

"Let me assist you." Extending his right hand Lucas awkwardly took Connor's left hand and pulled him off the bed and onto his shaking legs. As the sick man leaned heavily against Lucas's right shoulder he felt like he was going to pass out, and needed a moment to regain his senses. "Don't move too quickly. I noticed your blood pressure suddenly dropped as you stood up."

"...Yeah." Connor confirmed as black dots swam in his vision. "I noticed that too."

Wrapping his right arm around Connor's shoulders Lucas escorted his ill brother out of the bedroom and walked him into the bathroom just down the hallway next to Lucas's bedroom. "You seem to suffering from the early effects of dehydration."

"...Yeah, you're right." Walking into the bathroom Connor leaned heavily against the sink and took a moment to rest as he felt how worn out and exhausted his body truly was. "...If I begin to vomit I'll become further dehydrated."

"You have some sports drinks downstairs, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I haven't been working out due to stress of the case. There's plenty left."

"I'll get you something to drink while you shower off. I'll also get your some clean clothes to change into after you shower off."

"...Thank you, Lucas."

"You're welcome."

As the deviant walked out of the bathroom Connor opened the door to the shower and turned on the water and adjusted it until the temperature was cool enough to help his body feel better, but not so cold that it'd send him into shock. Using his left hand he pulled off his sweat soaked white t-shirt and threw it on the floor to be washed later on.

"Shit..." Feeling like he was going to pass out Connor steadily lowered himself down to the ground, using the sink to balance his weight, and sat down on the floor with his back pressed up against the cool glass surface of the shower behind him. "...It feels like I have food poisoning and the flu at the same time."

Sumo and Ruby were curious about their ill master and proceeded to sit down outside the opened bathroom door and watched Connor sitting on the floor in his misery. A sympathetic whine sounded off from Sumo which drew Connor's attention to the two worried dogs watching over him.

"...I'll be okay. I'm just sick." Sighing and bowing his head forward Connor pressed his left palm to the back of his neck again. "...Again."

Hank's gruff voice sounded off through the bathroom door as he stepped inside the room and put his right hand on the back of Connor's hair. "At least you don't need heart surgery this time."

"True." The muffled reply was a little despondent as Connor kept his head bowed down and looked at the faded scar on his chest. "...Did I wake you?"

"Nah. That's one of the many things that happen once you're a father. The whole 'lack of sleep' thing doesn't just revolve around a crying newborn with colic."

"...I don't think I understand."

"When you have a kid your every instinct goes toward taking care of them, no matter how tired or weak you feel. That instinct never went away, even after I lost Cole. When you came into my life it seemed to double overnight, and then with Lucas it tripled."

"Oh."

"That's something you'll understand for yourself some day, son. I'm sure of it."

"...I honestly don't think kids are in my future."

"Hey, you never know. I used to hate androids and yet I took in two androids as my own family. Granted you're a human again, but you're undeniably still pretty damn deviant. Maybe as you continue to recover from your screwed up childhood you'll finally see that you're nothing like your biological father, and that you'd never harm a child. You're too kind for your own good sometimes."

Connor stayed quiet as he discreetly smirked to himself about the comment on his behavior. He couldn't deny that his behavior and mannerisms were still pretty deviant at times. However the sight of the scar on his chest and knowing that the replacement valve that was keeping his heart beating was also slowly affecting his body in a manner that would limit his opportunity to have children if he did change his mind.

"In case you're interested," the senior detective continued on casually. "Markus is down at the Stratford Tower spelling out the facts to the idiots who are crying conspiracy or anti-android sentiment. He's putting everyone in their place and singing praises of the precinct."

Lifting his head a little Connor looked up at Hank and sighed. "...Is he safe?"

"Pretty damn sure he's safe, son. After that stunt he and the other Jericho leaders pulled before the Revolution took place the broadcast tower upped their security tenfold."

"Good."

Lucas returned to the bathroom and handed Connor a bottle of the cherry flavored sports drink as he had promised. "This will help you remain hydrated while you heal."

Connor nodded and accepted the drink and began to sip it slowly to ease his dehydration without upsetting his stomach in the process. "...Do you know about Markus?"

"Yes. I've been cybernetically keeping tabs on the news and the events at the tower ever since you were admitted to the hospital." Kneeling down in front of Connor the deviant lifted up his brother's wounded right forearm and proceeded to wrap a layer of plastic-wrap around the gauze to keep it dry and protected in the shower. "Do you need help with getting in the shower?"

"No. I can do it."

Lucas nodded and stood upright before he backed out of the bathroom to give his ill brother some privacy. "If do need require assistance simply ask."

"Yeah, I will."

Hank patted the back of Connor's hair before he stepped out of the bathroom and pulled the two dogs by their collars to lead them out of the bathroom so Connor could have a moment alone. As the door shut, but remained unlocked in case he needed help, Connor fumbled to open the shower door and pulled himself inside. He didn't care about his sweatpants getting drenched since they were already sweaty, but he did manage to get them off his legs so he could sit in the cool water in his just his boxers and try to relax under the fresh water as it poured from the shower head like a cascade from the Heavens.

Running his left hank through his damp locks of dark hair Connor combed his hair back and out of his face as he let out a breathy sigh. "...This sucks."

* * *

Having been granted an interview Markus spoke with utter passion in his voice as he honestly answered every single question provided by the news anchor, and did so without any hesitation. Killing the rumors about a conspiracy against deviants, rumors about the police covering up shoddy work, rumors about all deviants being dangerous and rumors about the police trying to frame deviants in general had been accomplished fairly well, though doubters would always question reality. With each answer provided Markus could feel the disappointment emanating from the interviewer as what was happening wasn't nearly as dramatic, therefore less interesting in her world.

"The police in this city have no bias or secret agenda against the deviants." Markus replied in a firm voice as he continued the interview. "The officer responsible for stopping the deviant known as the 'Red Reaper' is not only one of the most honest humans advocating for deviant rights, but he's a very good friend of mine. He's helped deviants in more ways than you'll ever really know, and saved countless deviant lives on the night of the Revolution."

"And you're certain that his officer found the _correct_ deviant?" The interviewer pressed with a condescending urgency in her voice. "There was no possible means of mistaking their identity?"

"Yes."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Because I saw the 'Red Reaper' directly when he tried to kill me. It was my friend who saved my life, took my statement and tracked down the 'Red Reaper' the following morning."

"You too were a victim of the 'Red Reaper'? I was unaware that androids could be affected by 'red ice'."

"You're right, we can't be affected by 'red ice', or any other drug for that matter." Unbuttoning the top of his dress shirt Markus showed the interviewer the barely healed bullet wound in his upper left chest. His artificial skin was bruised and barely able to cover his damaged white plastimetal frame beneath. The distinct shape of the bullet wound dangerously close to his Thirium pump was unmistakable, and still looked raw. "But we're _not_ bulletproof."

The studio fell in a humble silence as the sight of the wound in Markus's chest was broadcast to the entire city.

"I looked the 'Red Reaper' directly in the eyes when I tried to reason with him and get him to stop his actions, maybe even turn himself in." Markus continued on with a stern lilt that spoke volumes of his courage and frustration at the cold reception that the deviants were receiving courtesy of rumors and gossip. "My patience and my attempt to reason with him was answered with a bullet to my chest."

"...I didn't know the... How many others were shot?"

"Just me." Markus confirmed as he rebuttoned his shirt and continued on normally. "As I stated before, androids can't be affected by drugs, but a bullet is painfully effective. The 'Red Reaper' was angry and wanted as many people; humans AND deviants, to suffer because of his misplaced anger. What my friend; an officer of the law who has sworn to protect the city and everyone within it, had done was justified in every sense of the word. If you're going to accuse anyone of doing anything wrong then you're going to _only_ accuse the 'Red Reaper', the true guilty party, and no one else."

The interviewer was silent for a moment before she thought of anything else to say. "...Thank you for coming in to clear up the haze on a few crucial details, Mr. Manfred. Your words have been very enlightening."

"You're welcome. Now that we can put these ugly rumors to rest maybe we can begin to finally heal." Mismatched eyes were glowing with hope for the future as he remained civil during the closing seconds of the interview. "We can heal _together_."

* * *

Connor wasn't sure how long he was sitting under the cool water; it could've been ten minutes, it could've been ten days, but as soon as the knot in his stomach tightened with an angry groan of protest he scrambled out of the shower and proceeded to throw-up into the toilet with painful retches. The water and red tinted sports drink quickly left his body leaving only a horrible lingering taste in his mouth as his body struggled to endure and recover from the horrible after effects of the 'red ice' he had unintentionally inhaled.

Flushing the toilet Connor fell back against the surface of the opened shower door and reached a right clumsy hand up to turn off the water. Sitting in silence with the cool water beading on his skin and dripping from his dark hair Connor watched as the bathroom door opened, and Hank returned with some clean clothes folded up in his arms.

Placing the clothes down on the sink Hank grabbed a nearby towel and dropped it onto Connor's hair before he he gently rubbed the towel over the damp locks to dry his hair off in Connor's stead. "Heard you puke."

"...Oh, good. I'm glad."

"Well, you're still being a smartass so that's a good sign." Moving the towel back Hank sat down on the somewhat damp floor beside Connor and leaned back against the shower as well. "...I know you're going through a lot right now, but I gotta' ask. Do you know why Lucas is being so jumpy around me?"

"Huh?"

"He acts like he's afraid of me. He won't make eye contact, he's walking around much quieter than necessary and he seems to be intent on staying at the opposite side of the house from me as often as possible."

"...Oh."

"Did something happen to him in Boston? Was he assaulted and not saying anything?"

"No, nothing like that happened." Connor sighed and used the towel to wipe off his face and his neck before answering. "It's just that he's afraid you're going to yell at him for his earlier decision to run into the burning house to save me. He's never been yelled at before and I think the idea of you being angry with him is very upsetting."

"I'm not mad at him. I mean, I WAS mad at him," Hank clarified as he stayed beside Connor and shook his head a little. "I was mad at you, too. But that time has passed and now everything is fine."

"...I think Lucas is just far more sensitive than I am. I can take getting yelled at, even hit. He never experienced anything like that before and he knows what he did was incredibly dangerous. The impulsive nature of human emotions is something he's had very limited exposure to, and I think he believes his actions were so reckless that he deserves to be punished."

"Right. I'll go talk to him after I help you get back to your bed."

"...I'll be okay."

"Yeah, I know you will. That doesn't mean you don't need a little help from time to time."

Connor looked over at Hank and nodded just as his face paled and his stomach turned again. Making his second graceless dive over to the toilet he threw-up again and felt Hank's strong right hand press down against his back between his shoulder blades. As the painful retches squeezed his stomach and forced himself to throw-up what meager contents of his stomach that remained Connor spit the foulness from his mouth, and breathed as deeply as he could between his bouts of sickness.

"The good news is," Hank stated in a bittersweet voice as he patted Connor's back sympathetically. "now that you're throwing-up you'll be getting all that shit out of your system faster. Bad news is if you throw-up too much you'll need a trip to the hospital."

"...No." Spitting again Connor fell back on his hip and pressed the damp towel to his too warm face. "I'll be okay."

"Yeah? Gavin said the same thing but he ended up in the E.R. the night after Abby stepped in because he developed pancreatitis."

"...Gavin's diabetic. His preexisting affliction could've exasperated his condition."

"Uh-huh. Well, if you get too rough I'm calling for the ambulance and loading you in the back myself."

Connor dropped the towel from his face and gave Hank a somewhat pleading look from where he was still kneeling.

"Sorry, son." Staying by his decision Hank just gave the young detective a casual shrug of his shoulders. "I won't let you fight me on this one."

* * *

With the interview a success Markus returned to New Jericho Tower and all but collapsed into North's opened arms as he met her in the lobby of the tower. Still weak from having his Thirium pump repaired and from the physical exertion required for him to get out to the broadcast tower had worn out what little strength Markus had regained, and was now in desperate need of rest.

"You did the right thing." North whispered as she held Markus in her arms and gently rubbed her right hand along his back. "The city needed to hear your voice, and you spoke beautifully."

"They were ready to listen."

"Come on. Let's get you home to rest."

"...Home?"

"Yeah. Home. Not your quarters in the tower," she whispered as she continued to hold him and feel his heart beating against her chest. "but your real home and in your bed. With me."

"Anywhere I am with you feels like home."

"You're such a poet." North blushed as she kissed his right cheek and continued to hug him as tightly as she dared. "You deserve to go home and get rest."

"Right now rest sounds like the best possible thing I could ever do."

* * *

Feeling utterly atrocious Connor was laying on his bed once more on his back with his left arm wrapped protectively over his turning stomach. Dressed in a pair of clean black sweatpants and a fresh gray t-shirt Connor was attempting to rest through the mounting symptoms of the withdrawal, but he was looking very sick and clearly uncomfortable. With his face pale and covered in a fresh layer of sweat he lightly tossed and turned against his bed and pillow, and Connor sighed deeply. Aching and restless Connor cracked open his dark lidded eyes to look up at Hank as the senior detective put a fresh cool compress over his too warm forehead to try to quell the fever before it became too severe.

"You haven't puked in a while." Hank noted as he watched Connor's demeanor very carefully. "Can you eat anything, yet?"

Unable to answer anything beyond a groan of discomfort Connor pushed himself up slightly on his elbows and motioned for the mop bucket on the floor beside his bed. As soon as Hank passed the bucket over to him Connor proceeded to throw-up more water and sports drink as his confused body protested at the withdrawal it was going through despite having zero addiction to enable it.

Patting Connor's back lightly Hank shook his head and gave Connor a slight tilt of his head. "...I'll take that as a 'no."

Spitting out the rest of the foulness from his mouth Connor gave Hank a fatigued glance and fell back against his pillow as the senior detective took the bucket from his hands.

"I know you're the better cook between the two of us, but I didn't think the idea of eating my cooking would ever have _that_ effect on ya'."

Managing a weak smile in response to the joke Connor just closed his eyes again and tried to fall back asleep. "...This really sucks."

"Yup. Now you know why it's so damn hard for so many people to give up on their little addictions."

"...I feel like my skin's on fire but I'm freezing cold." Shivering a little Connor weakly grabbed at the messy quilt beneath his body and awkwardly pulled it around himself to try to feel warmer. "...My body is so conflicted and confused that it actually hurts."

"Well, you're still running a fever so I can't imagine you're going to be feeling all that great anyway."

Rubbing his left hand over his sweaty face Connor breathed through his fingers as he tried to find something to distract his thoughts. "...Where's Lucas?"

"He took Sumo for a walk about an hour ago, came back, and now he's out walking Ruby. He can't walk them both with only one good arm."

"...This late?"

"He's going back to Boston at the end of the week and he wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. I think he's going to spoil them worse than you ever could."

"...You spoke with him while I was asleep. That's good." Connor realized as he put the pieces together slowly through his foggy mind. "Did he tell you what was bothering him?"

"Yeah, you were right. He didn't want to get yelled at. I told him I wasn't going to yell and I wasn't mad. I hate seeing him flinch away from me like that."

"...I did a few times at first. I can't blame him."

"That's because we weren't as close yet, and you were doing stupid shit that could've gotten you killed. AND, you were my partner in the field before you were my kid, so as ranking officer that means I have the right to yell at ya'."

"...Glad you don't yell at me anymore. You know, unless I really fuck up."

"Like I said, the paternal instinct is strong. I didn't realize how quickly it came back after I took you in." Readjusting the compress over Connor's forehead Hank gave his adopted son a kind smile. "And knowing what you went through as a kid, and seeing how even the idea of being yelled at caused Lucas to hide away made me realize how much of an impact each decision a parents makes has on their child."

"To be honest," sighing with a moderate discomfort Connor thought back to his bleak childhood with a heavy grimace. "I think I'd rather get hit than yelled at. Physical bruises heal over time, but being insulted, yelled at and belittled lasts forever."

"...Shit, son." Hank's hand faltered a little as he kept his palm on the compress over Connor's forehead. "I didn't think of that kind of long term stuff."

Connor reached his right hand up and grabbed onto Hank's wrist in a weak grip. "...I know you won't hurt either of us. Ever. We're not afraid of you."

"Of course not, you're both my boys."

Let out another pained sigh Connor turned from his back and onto his left side as he tried to bury his face into his pillow. "...I feel terrible."

"Easy, son. You'll be fine."

"...How much longer?"

"Well, I was a sad drunk that took about a year and a half of weening off the booze before I got sobered up, so I think you; someone who's never even touched a single shot of alcohol, let alone someone who's never abused hard drugs, will be fine in two days."

"...Two days?"

"Sorry, kid. I can't make time move any faster."

"...I know."

"Right now I also know that the last thing you want to think about is eating anything, but you need to at least try."

Connor sighed a little and nodded weakly. "...Okay. I'll try."

"Damn, you must be feeling like shit. You're willing to take my advice."

"...I'm always willing to take your advice." The sick young detective replied as he gave Hank an odd glance with one of his tired, bloodshot eyes. "...Just not your cooking."

"Ha, _ha_." Laughing sarcastically Hank patted Connor's right shoulder and picked up the bucket to clean out in the bathroom. "Keep being a smartass. It means you're still being you, and that makes _me_ feel better."

The front door opened and the sudden scampering of paws up the staircase followed by the front door closing again indicated Lucas's return. Soon Ruby was in the bedroom and she pressed her cold wet nose against the side of Connor's face as she let out a sympathetic whimper for her ill master.

"...I'm okay, girl." Putting his right hand on her head Connor rubbed her ears and tried to go back to sleep.

Lucas stepped into the room with Sumo behind him as he proceeded to check on Connor as well. "Your vitals are stable."

Turning his head a little to look up at Lucas standing beside him Connor noticed that Lucas's left arm was still in the sling. "...Yeah, I'm okay. How's your arm?"

"Eighty-two percent capacity. It's a slow process, but it is healing properly."

Connor reached his trembling right hand into the drawer of the nightstand beside his bed and retrieved the quarter he used to keep in his pocket until he was reunited with his old half-dollar coin given to him by his mother when he was as a child. Tossing the quarter to Lucas with a shaking hand Connor watched as his brother caught the coin in his good right hand and stared down at the coin in his palm curiously.

"...Try doing the coin tricks that I can do over your left knuckles. It helped me with with calibrating my processors and overall coordination when I was a deviant, so it should help you heal quicker."

"I will try doing that. That's an intriguing suggestion."

Hank patted his hand on Lucas's left shoulder as he returned to the bedroom with a small bowl of warm soup in his hand. "It's not a lot, but it should be enough to help you keep your strength up without hurting your stomach."

Watching as Hank put the bowl of soup on the nightstand beside his bed Connor closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain in his head and stomach as he continued to struggle with his body trying to detox the rest of the 'red ice' from his system. "...Thank you."

"Sit up a little." Hank urged as he tried to get the ill younger man to eat something. "I know you won't be able to stomach much, but try to eat the small amount I brought you."

Moving upright on his shaking arms Connor leaned back against his pillows and lifted his trembling right hand over to the bowl. It was then Hank remembered the burns on his right forearm and gently picked up the limb to examine. "How's your burn?"

"...Sore."

"Has it been cleaned lately?"

Connor shook his head 'no' a little as he focused on eating the soup with one hand and doing so without making a mess.

Hank looked at Lucas over his shoulder and gave the deviant a nod. "There's a first aid kit in the bathroom."

"Of course." Lucas discreetly pocketed the quarter and left the room. "I'll bring it here."

"You're exhausted." The senior detective nodded with a breathy sigh of his own as he unwrapped Connor's arm to check the burns. "Sleep for now, then eat later. You really need to rest."

"I'm trying." Connor muttered as he laid back down heavily and pressed his face into his pillow at the relied of not having to force anything into his too sensitive stomach. "But I can't."

Lucas had returned with the kit in his right hand and had an interesting idea. "I'll make you some tea instead. That'll help you relax."

Giving Lucas a bleary eyed look Connor agreed to the offer. "...Thank you, brother."

While Lucas exited the bedroom to busy himself in the kitchen Hank set about gently cleaning up Connor's right forearm and replacing the bandages. "After I get your arm patched up I'll let you alone to rest. Cool?"

"...Yeah. Thank you."

* * *

Night crept over the city and the streets began to quiet. Markus had returned home with North and was finally able to rest and recover his strength as he allowed his self-healing program to engage at full capacity. Laying in the large bed Markus entered low power mode and wrapped his right arm around North as she cuddled up at his right side, and lightly traced her left index fingertip over Markus's healing, beating heart in his chest. Just feeling the strong heart still beating was enough to make her smile.

"It's so peaceful right now." North whispered as she stayed with Markus all through the night.

"I know. I hope it'll last forever."

"Think it'll last long enough for us to have a moment to just sit back, relax and not have to put pieces of the city back together?"

"Maybe." Tightening his arm around North's bare shoulders Markus hugged her closer. "...Maybe we'll get enough time to do something for ourselves for a change."

"Like what?"

"...Maybe, have a..." blushing a pale blue Markus found his voice and looked North cuddling up beside her. "bonding ceremony?"

North's eyes widened as she lifted her head up and locked onto her lover's mismatched eyes. "...What?"

"This isn't the way I was planning on asking you, but..." Markus grinned and reached his left hand over to the wall above the nightstand above the bed and removed the artificial skin from his palm. Doing so activated a hidden panel in the wall and tucked inside was a small metallic box he had stored inside for safekeeping. As he grabbed the box he opened it slowly and presented it to North. "...North, will you bond with me?"

North's already wide eyes went wider as she looked at the gorgeous ring Markus had chosen for her. It was a cut stone of the purest blue sapphire shaped like a heart, resting on a platinum band with two small white pearls on either side of the sapphire. Blue was North's favorite color, hence the sapphire, and she had wanted to visit the ocean which is why he included the pearls; one to represent her and the other to represent himself.

"Markus... Yes!" North began to shed tears of joy and surprise as she leaned in and kissed Markus right on his lips. "I'll happily bond with you!"

* * *

Lucas was sitting on the edge of Connor's bed and gently placing a fresh cool compress over his brother's feverish forehead as the sick detective finally drifted off to a somewhat restful sleep. Laying on his back Connor would occasionally let out a pained breath as he slept, and his hands would sporadically twitch as his head lolled from side to side against his pillow. Sumo and Ruby were laying on the foot of the bed together to keep Connor company, but seemed to sense that he was feverish so they refrained from laying on his legs or up against him so he could stay cool.

Hank stepped into the bedroom to check on the two brothers one last time before he went to sleep for the night. "How's he doing?"

"Sleeping finally."

"Guess that tea worked."

"Chamomile is very calming, but I also put a very mild sedative in the tea to ensure he'd be able to sleep."

Flashing Lucas a sheepish grin Hank inquired about the tea. "...You _drugged_ him?"

"Not entirely, only five milligrams of melatonin." The deviant explained nervously as he realized he may have crossed a line. "It was a very-"

"Lucas, it's okay. I get it."

"...Okay. I just want him to rest properly."

"I know that, son. So do I."

Despite being asleep Connor began to mutter a little to himself, and every so often he'd hum, or even sing a few lyrics of some of the songs that he and Hank had listened to countless times while on patrol.

Lucas pressed his right hand down firmer over the cool compress on Connor's forehead and gave his ill brother a strange look. "Why is he talking to himself?"

"It's delirium from the fever. He's done that before, kinda weird that he sings in his sleep." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned against the door frame and stared at Connor's pale face for a moment, then over to the freshly bandaged up right forearm resting over Connor's abdomen. "I got a text from Fowler about twenty minutes ago. I need to come in and explain everything that went down and have to be in a meeting with a bunch of 'higher-ups' who want to cover their asses tomorrow morning. So, I'm going to need you to stay here with Connor while I'm gone. Hope that's okay."

"It's fine with that. I wasn't planning on leaving the house until I need to fly back to Boston, anyway. I believe while I was in Boston I had become 'homesick'."

"Good to know. Glad you're back, even if it is for only a few days."

"I'm glad, too. You should go to bed now. I'll stay with Connor and take care of him if he becomes ill again, or if his fever increases. I'll also redress the gauze over his arm in a few hours."

"Cool. Then after he's better you're going to rest, too."

"Of course. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, son." Hank stepped out of the bedroom to enter his own room down the hall. "Call if you need anything."

Next Lucas pressed his right palm down over the center of Connor's chest to track his vital signs more directly. While still elevated Connor's vitals were stable, and Lucas could detect only a trace amount of the 'red ice' still in his system. By the following evening Connor would have every trace of the nearly lethal drug out of his body and he'd begin to recover fully.

"Rest well, brother." Lucas pleaded as he kept his hand in place and closed his eyes. Entering a light form of rest mode he'd be able to monitor Connor's vitals while also getting some rest and enabling his self-healing program to engage again as he stayed at his side. "I'll be here when you awaken."

* * *

The following morning Hank had gotten around as quietly as possible as to not disturb Connor, and even managed to let the two dogs outside without making too much noise. Lucas had stayed with Connor all night and was convinced that he'd be just fine without needing to go back to the hospital after all. Stopping by the bedroom with a mug of coffee in his right hand Hank checked in on his two sons before he went to the mandatory meeting at the precinct where his presence was required;_ no exceptions_.

"Seems like he slept well." Hank noted as he took a sip of his coffee and decided he'd add more sugar to the bitter drink before he left. "Wish I could say the same. How about you?"

"I entered rest mode and was able to engage my self-healing program. My arm," he flexed his left hand to show that his dexterity and reflexes had improved significantly over night. "is healing well." Nodding at Connor's right forearm the deviant informed Hank of Connor's own recovery. "As is Connor. The burns are showing no sign of infection and have begun to heal. The 'red ice' has left his body and his fever is finally beginning to drop."

"What's he running at right now?"

"One hundred point seven degrees. The highest his fever reached was one-hundred and two degrees even."

"That's good. Make sure he keeps resting after he wakes up. I don't want either of you pushing yourselves too hard until you're both at one-hundred percent. Got it?"

Lucas nodded a little and gave his adoptive father a modest smirk. "I understand."

"Good. I don't know when I'll be back, so don't worry about doing anything special for me, or worry about dinner. I'll be fine."

"You're certain?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Don't hesitate to call me, though. Any reason to possibly leave early would be a blessing."

At the snarky comment Lucas smirked a little more as he watched Hank take his leave of the bedroom, then returned his attention back to Connor. "I believe you two need a proper vacation." The comment went unanswered as the deviant continued to monitor his ill brother's condition. "...I think I do, too."

* * *

With the death of the "Red Reaper" still circulating throughout the edgy city many drug dealers had attempted to regain their "loyal customers" by convincing them that their product wasn't going to kill them, but many addicts had been scared clean and were fighting to remain clean while hiding out in their homes away from the bad influences. The lack of drugs on the street and the removal of a serial killer had brought about a sense of peace and less hostility throughout the entire area, though many people were still a little jumpy.

The lack of activity was normally a welcome change of pace but for Hank it only made the senior detective feel all the more tired. "Fuckin' hell. This is going to be a long-ass day."

Slamming the car door shut Hank trudged into the precinct from the parking garage and made his way over to his desk to clock in for the day. As soon as he turned on his terminal screen Hank heard Captain Fowler open up his office door and march right up to him with purpose in every step.

"I know, Jeffrey." The gruff Lieutenant snipped as he logged in and started his reluctant shift. "Give me a damn minute, will ya'?"

"Don't worry about the meeting right now." Captain Fowler's voice was civil and not carrying any authority as he spoke. "How're you holding up?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your kid faced off with a serial killer and nearly got blown up, then almost overdosed on lethal smoke, and your other kid went into a burning building to bring him back out, and all that happened in a single day."

"I'm tired, but fine. Connor is recovering just fine at home, Lucas is healing well and is still with him."

"You do know that the city council wants to hail Connor as a hero and print his name and photo all over the news, right?"

"DON'T. LET. THEM." Hank all but threatened as he locked eyes with his commanding officer. "Or I will kick your ass, rank be damned!"

"I know, I won't tell them anything."

"Good. That kid's been through enough and he doesn't want to be labeled one way or another by biased jackasses."

"I've already made sure to keep Connor's name out of everything. I'm very aware of how facts and details get twisted through word of mouth, and how once an officer gets the 'hero' label Internal Affairs hovers annoying close by them until a new flavor of the week pops up."

"Not to mention he values his privacy. If word gets out that he was the officer involved I know he'll turn in his badge and quit."

"I'll be sure to pass that information along."

"Now," Hank could see the mayor, Walter Nero; a man who prided himself on his strict laws regarding drugs and supporting first responders, was standing outside an interview room with a smug grin on his face and surely a rod stuck up his ass. There was something about the mayor that Hank couldn't stand, and he knew on an instinctive level that he shouldn't be trusted. "how long am I going to have talk with our bosses, and how long am I going to have to put up with the mayor kissing my ass?"

"Wish I knew, Hank. But as soon as it's over you're free for the rest of the week, and the same goes with Connor. You both deserve paid leave."

"_Paid_? Fuck, for the first time in years I don't want to argue with ya'."

"'Bout damn time, too."

* * *

Lucas had finished letting the dogs outside for the morning and filled up their bowls in the kitchen to ensure they didn't try to bother Connor to feed them, and did so while remaining as quiet as a mouse. As he walked through the kitchen he pulled his left arm from the sling and tested his hand's dexterity again. His strength was returning, but his coordination was still rather lacking. Remembering Connor's advice he took the quarter from his pocket and proceeded to slowly and accurately juggle the quarter over his left knuckles, and proceeded to walk through the livingroom at a graceful gait.

"...Interesting concept."

As he reached the bottom of the staircase Lucas's sensors picked up a sudden spike in his ill brother's vital signs and he quickly pocketed his coin as he rushed back up the stairs to check on Connor. The ill, feverish young detective was suddenly lost in the throes of a vivid nightmare and struggling against an unseen foe as he groaned in pain and fear in his sleep.

"Connor?" Sitting down on the edge of the bed Lucas grabbed onto his brother's shoulders and held him in place as he called his name. "Connor, you're okay. You're just having a nightmare."

The struggling stopped as Connor recognized instantly Lucas's voice. Opening his bloodshot brown eyes slowly he turned his head, and looked up at his little brother's face with utter loss and confusion. "...Lucas."

The deviant put his right hand over Connor's forehead and ran a more direct scan of his vital signs. "Your fever has increased." Moving his left hand to Connor's forearm he checked the bandages covering the burns and found no sign of infection. "Not from an infection, but from stress."

"...My head hurts."

"I can understand that. Your blood pressure is higher than usual."

"...Where's dad?"

The question sounded unusually pitiful coming from Connor and it made Lucas wince a little. "Mandatory meeting at the precinct. He'll be home in a few hours."

"...Is he okay?"

"...Yes, he's fine." The tone of of Connor's voice was a little disconcerting. "Why do you ask?"

Connor blinked slowly and his eyes fell shut as he ignored the question. "...Tired."

"Then you should rest."

"...I don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone. I'm here and soon Hank will be as well."

"...Thank you, Lucas."

There was something inside Lucas's mind, perhaps his heart, telling him that he'd need some help in taking care of Connor that day. Whereas Hank was going to be gone for an unknown length of time Lucas wasn't going to leave the house until he needed to return to Boston. Even so he felt as though his presence alone wasn't enough, and wanted someone else to help his brother to heal.

"I'm going to make a phone call," Lucas explained as he picked up the now warm compress from Connor's forehead to refresh it under a cool tap in the bathroom sink. "and I will return shortly. I promise I won't go far."

Connor either didn't hear Lucas or simply didn't care to respond as the deviant departed the bedroom for a moment.

Once out of Connor's range of hearing Lucas made a cybernetic phone call and proceeded to leave a brief message for the recipient. '_I apologize for calling on such short notice, but this is Lucas and I was wondering if you'd be able to assist me with tending to Connor_. _He is ill and requires help_.'

Wringing out the excess water from the refreshed compress under the tap Lucas carried the cool washcloth back into the bedroom and folded it neatly in half before placing it over Connor's forehead once again. The sick detective seemed to be fully asleep again and was very still save for his steady breathing. The muscle twitches had stopped entirely, and it seemed the nausea had mercifully faded.

Remaining with his brother Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Ruby trotted into the bedroom and about a minute later Sumo did the same. While Ruby had no problem jumping up onto the bed to lay down next to Connor's legs Sumo had a little more difficulty in climbing the stairs, let alone jumping up anywhere. Lucas rubbed Sumo's ears as the massive dog settled for sitting on the floor and resting his chin on the edge of the bed next to Lucas so he could watch over Connor while getting some beloved ear rubs.

"He'll be fine." Lucas whispered to the two loyal dogs. "He just needs more time to heal."

* * *

Sighing with a deeply annoyed breath Hank found himself answering the same questions with the same answers, and his answers never changed no matter how many times the questions were asked in slightly different ways. Explaining that the officer who took down the "Red Reaper", Connor, had received a reliable tip and took him down in a solo endeavor while the police were en route, and shortly after they arrived at the scene, Hank made sure to keep Connor's name out of the report for the sake of Connor's privacy; and to keep reporters from hounding him, or spreading false rumors for the sake of drumming up drama. As a means of protecting his family Hank endured the mind numbing questions with the patience of a Saint.

"For the ninth time, the officer shot the 'Red Reaper' after the twisted deviant showed said officer the detonator on his batch of 'red ice'." Hank was fighting the urge to yell his answers as the interviewing officer asked each question with an increasingly condescending tone of voice. "The detonator was connected to the 'Red Reaper's' processors to blow if he were to shutdown. The officer decided it'd be best to destroy the 'red ice' then and there, AND take down the 'Red Reaper' before any more harm could come to the city."

The interviewer was taking meticulous notes while simultaneously looking down his nose at Hank in the process. "It'd help if you gave us the name of the officer in question, Lieutenant."

"You'll have your damn report when the officer in question returns _after they heal_. They were almost blown up, burnt up and overdosed for fuck sake. Give them a few days to recover."

"Why won't you give us their name?"

"Because they don't want their name being published as the officer who took down the 'Red Reaper'. Demented conspiracy theorists and bigots are either going to martyr the,m or mark them as a pariah for just doing their job and taking out a serial killer."

Sitting back in the chair the interviewer gave Hank and annoyed look and asked one more question. "Can you say for certain the shooting that took down the 'Red Reaper' was a clean, good shooting?"

"Are you fuckin' serious? A cop shot a known serial killer with fourteen bodies as proof of his guilt, not to mention the attempted murder of a fellow officer to prove that the sick asshole had no problem with being hostile toward authority. YES. It was a good, JUSTIFIED, clean shooting."

"And you can-"

"Yes, I can personally vouch for the officer's character and I'm willing to testify on their behalf if it has to come down to it." Hank was reaching his limits and ready to leave. "Unless you have anything better to do than waste time I'd like to go home."

"Having family issues, Lieutenant?"

"If you have to know, you weaselly piece of shit, I have a sick kid at home and I'd rather be taking care of him than helping you cover your ass over NOTHING."

"Well, just a few more questions." The emotionless interviewer replied in a cold heartless manner as he brought up a new list of questions on his tablet screen. It was clear he didn't care about Hank's family or his personal time. "Let's go over the case as a whole from the beginning..."

Swearing out loud Hank slumped in his chair and glared daggers at the interviewer. "Fuck me..."

* * *

Remaining beside Connor as he slept Lucas quietly monitored his brother's vital signs to ensure that his fever didn't spike for a second time. The two dogs were laying down and napping as well as they remained loyal with their masters while Connor recovered under his family's vigil. The overall peace of the house was disturbed only by a gentle knocking at the front door downstairs, to which Ruby lifted her head and Sumo slowly got to his feet as the protective dogs responded to the unknown visitor.

"It's okay." Lucas whispered as the deviant walked out of the bedroom and down the staircase. Opening the front door Lucas greeted his expected guest with a warm smile. "Thank you for coming by."

"Of course." Elizabeth was happy to see Lucas since he of course was Connor's twin. Being able to be a part of her son's life was all she ever wanted. "I'll do everything I can to help Connor whenever I can."

"He's upstairs resting at the moment."

"How sick is he?"

"...Do you know of the 'Red Reaper' who was hurting people in the streets?"

"Oh no..." Her face paled and her kind warm eyes went wide. "Connor was attacked?!"

"No, no! Uh, well," Lucas was trying to think of a way to explain things honestly without accidentally upsetting her further. "Connor confronted him and stopped him, but in the process he was subjected to concentrated 'red ice' smoke. He's not in any danger, and just needs another day to heal."

"Are you saying Connor is the one who stopped that serial killer?"

Lucas nodded a little as he began wringing his hands together nervously. Another tic he seemed to develop and mimic just as Connor would do whenever he felt stressed or even embarrassed. "Yes. Connor stopped the 'Red Reaper' and saved countless lives. He just doesn't want his name tied to the case."

A welling of pride shone in Elizabeth's eyes as she learned her son had performed a true act of heroism, and protected the lives of so many people who would have no idea who he was or even have the chance to meet him. "...Was he hurt in the process?"

"He... He was caught in an explosion when the 'red ice' the 'Red Reaper' had rigged with a detonator was activated. He has burns on his right forearm that are healing well, and he's suffering from a fever due to his body recovering from the exposure to the concentrated 'red ice'."

The worry in Elizabeth's face was as palpable as it was visible. "Then let's help him break his fever."

"That's exactly why I'm glad you're here. I can download as much information on human anatomy, physiology and biology as any medical student could hope to access; but I'm still not very experienced in tending to human injuries or ailments."

Relaxing a little Elizabeth offered Lucas a kind and gentle grin. "So what you're saying is you think Connor needs a 'mother's touch'?"

"...Does such a thing truly exist?"

Smiling broadly at the question with a light laugh she looked toward the staircase knowing her son was resting in a bedroom just a few feet away. "Let me show you."

Lucas politely followed after Elizabeth as she peered in the first opened door to her right and saw Connor laying in the bed surrounded by Sumo and Ruby. Within seconds she crossed the room and very lightly pressed her cool right palm to the side of Connor's too warm left cheek and held it there for a moment.

The gentle touch was enough to make Connor turn his head a little to press against her hand without ever opening his eyes as she sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. "Connor?"

The sweet and familiar feminine voice caused Connor's eyes to crack open a little, and glance up at Elizabeth with blurry bloodshot eyes. "...Elizabeth?"

"Hi. I was told you were sick and I wanted to help."

Connor blinked a few times but failed to clear his blurry vision of the mildly obstructive layer of fatigue. "...I'm okay. I just-" The headache that had been gnawing away at him for the past few days suddenly intensified and it made him outwardly flinch in pain. "...Damn."

"I know you're okay, Connor." She soothed as she used her left hand to lightly run her fingers through his messy sweaty hair. Sumo lifted his head and rested his chin on her left knee while Ruby repositioned herself so she was leaning against Elizabeth's back as she sat on the bed. "But that doesn't mean I can't help you a little anyway. I'm your mother after all."

Relaxing a little as Elizabeth tried to ease his headache Connor spoke to her in a low voice. "...If you think you somehow owe me anything because of what happened when I was a child, you don't."

"I still want to help you, Connor. I know there's nothing I can do to make up for my failure as your mother when you were a child."

Lifting his right hand up a little he grabbed onto Elizabeth's left wrist and held her in a gentle grip. "...You didn't fail me."

The comment made Elizabeth let out a quiet sob of relief. She had always blamed herself for Connor having a horrible childhood, and she never once tried to deny she was partly responsible for it. To know he didn't hold a grudge against her had an incredibly freeing response in her guilt-riddled heart. "Connor, do you need anything?" She asked in a quiet voice as she continued to gently run her fingers through his hair. "How about some tea?"

Nodding a little Connor acknowledged the request and closed his eyes again.

Lucas, who had been silently observing from the doorway volunteered on Elizabeth's behalf. "I will go make him some tea. What do you recommend?"

"Ginger and peppermint are both good for headaches. Either of those flavors would be ideal."

"I know for certain we have peppermint tea in the kitchen. I'll be back in a moment."

Smiling at Lucas and then down at Connor she gingerly readjusted the cold washcloth over his overheated forehead. "I like your brother."

Opening his eyes a little Connor looked back up at Elizabeth and gave her a subtle nod. "...Lucas is a very good person. I'm proud to call him my brother."

* * *

Against his will Hank had to put up with the pointless questions for over four hours when Captain Fowler ordered them to take a break and give Hank a chance to breathe. Happy to retreat to the relative privacy breakroom to get away from the Internal Affairs investigators and the mayor himself. Hank greedily dumped four full packets of sugar into his fresh coffee, and downed almost the entire drink as if it were the only antidote to a lethal poison.

"That bad, huh?" Gavin asked as he finished stirring a very small amount of sweetener into his own coffee a few feet away. His attitude seemed more jovial than usual, and for once he wasn't trying to make someone's already bad day worse after enduring what he had just lived through five days prior. "You look like you're ready to offer those nosy bastards a generous helping of bullets for lunch."

"Fuckin' vultures. It's like they're trying to find some reason to nail 'you-know-who' to the wall."

"Well, controversy creates cash. If they can somehow twist things into making it look like a corrupt officer was taken out of a precinct it'll look good for the mayor, AND those Internal Affair rats."

"Too bad the officer they're trying to take down in the most honest person on this entire damn planet."

"Waste of time. Instead of trying to condemn a cop for doing their job they should go after the assholes who conveniently look away when their chemical shipments turn up light just a few days before a massive flood of drugs washes over the streets."

"Why take out criminals? That isn't anything special." Finishing off his coffee Hank placed the now empty mug down in the sink with a careful motion. "But taking down a first responder for doing their job, now THAT'S interesting."

"Fuck those assholes. We both know that what happened was legit, and if it were anyone else in that situation they would've done the same damn thing."

"Don't let those rats hear ya', they might start looking into you next."

"Let them search, I haven't done anything wrong. I'd happy to show 'em my ass so long as they kiss it when they're done."

"Just keep your mouth shut until they're gone. I don't want to have to explain why you and me are suddenly on better terms." The senior Lieutenant warned as he contemplated getting a refill of the coffee. "They might smell a conspiracy in that, too."

"All I smell is the bullshit in the air." Tossing aside his bitter coffee Gavin grabbed a paper cup and filled it up with water from the cooler to drink instead. "Funny how it only shows up when they do."

* * *

With Elizabeth's help Connor sat upright on his bed to drink the peppermint tea, and take two tablets of ibuprofen to help with his headache. As he moved he was relieved to find that his stomach had in fact settled and it was no longer threatening to betray him with another bout of sickness. With each sip of the tea Connor's headache lessened as the peppermint was not only soothing, but it was adding calories to his depleted system and helping his body to finally begin to heal much more efficiently.

Elizabeth pressed the back of her right hand to Connor's forehead and was happy to feel that his fever was finally breaking. "You're cooling off."

"I think the tea is helping."

"You've been pretty sick, right? Have you eaten anything?"

"Nothing that would stay down for too long."

Lucas carried the first aid kit into the bedroom and proceeded to check on Connor's healing right forearm with a careful touch. "The soup Hank had made last night is currently on the stove to warm up. That might be the best thing for you to eat at the moment, brother."

Elizabeth agreed with Lucas as she dared to look at the painful burns on Connor's arm. "He's right. I'll bring you a small bowl to try to eat."

"No, don't." Connor kept her from leaving the bedroom and gave Lucas a pleading look. "...I'd prefer to take a shower and go downstairs myself."

"You're sure?" Lucas asked as he removed the last of the bandages and began to gently clean the burns and began scanning the wound to determine which pieces of the dead tissue should be removed to ensure an infection wouldn't set in. "You're still fairly weak."

"I'm sure. I need to get up before I get too restless."

"Very well. I'll put a protective layer over your arm and finish cleaning it up after your shower."

Connor patiently waited for Lucas to finish his task before he swung his shaking legs over the edge of the bed, and slowly stood upright. As he did both Lucas and Elizabeth watched him carefully to make sure he didn't stumble or fall as he sluggishly walked out of the bedroom, and proceeded to walk into the bathroom just a few feet away. As before he turned on the water in the shower and proceeded to just sit on the floor of the shower to let the now warm water clean off his sweaty skin while he took a moment to relax and steel his nerves.

Meanwhile Lucas took it upon himself to place some clean clothes inside the bathroom on the sink before gathering up Connor's bedding, much to the dogs' dismay, to be thrown in the washer. The fresh bedding would surely help Connor relax easier as he recovered.

"Are you sure you needed my help in taking care of him?" Elizabeth asked with a cheesy grin on her face as she watched Lucas tending to his brother's needs, and taking care of everything without hesitation. "It looks like you have everything under control."

"I'm certain. I may know how to help him with basic needs, but I still feel like there's something I'm lacking."

"Really? Like what?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, I think you're doing just fine. Connor's lucky to have such a kind and attentive brother in his life."

The compliment made Lucas blush a pale blue as he carried the laundry out of the bedroom and downstairs to be thrown in the washer. Elizabeth of course followed after Lucas and stayed in the livingroom as the deviant took care of the laundry. While Lucas was in the laundry room Elizabeth noticed the modest collection of family photos framed on the walls, and smirked at each one. It was a wonderful sight to see the house adorned with the photographs, and it truly made the house feel like a home.

Seeing a photo of Connor with Hank at a lake seemed like such a sweet moment that she wished she could've seen in person. The same could be said for the photo of Connor and Lucas sitting on the floor with Ruby back when she was still a tiny puppy on Christmas Day. A couple of older photos of Hank holding a small baby while standing beside his late wife drew her eye next, and she realized that Hank had in fact lost someone very important to him as well.

The pieces fell into place and Elizabeth understood why he had so readily taken Connor in as his own son.

"Now I know why Hank is so kind to Connor. He needs to take care of someone just like I do." Smiling at the sweet and older photograph she couldn't help but notice that the little baby in Hank's arms looked so much like Connor when he too was a baby. The fact that the last photo of the same baby was of Cole at age six made her heart break knowing that the little boy that Hank had raised for so long on his own had tragically passed away. "I'm so glad you were there for Connor when he needed you the most, Hank. You're a good man and you both deserve to be happy."

* * *

Finally free of the relentless questions from Internal Affairs and from the mayor trying to not so discreetly coax him into revealing Connor's name so he could give the press all the "juicy" details, Hank made a run for it. Clocking out at his terminal Hank grabbed his coat and fished out his car keys as he checked his phone to see if he had any missed calls or text messages. The screen was blank which was a good sign as it meant Lucas was able to handle everything and that Connor's condition hadn't worsened during his absence.

"Fuckin' hell. At least one thing worked out today."

"Are ya' free?" Gavin asked as he remained somewhat upbeat and watched Hank moving around his desk.

"Yeah, I can finally go home and sit on my tired ass."

"Lucky you. I have to work the night shift then at five in the morning I can go home, sleep and get ready for the next night."

"You pulling extra shifts?"

"Nah. Tomorrow night I have a date."

"...You?"

"Hey! Don't look at me like that! I know I'm an asshole but I'm still free for dates."

"Uh-huh, what sorry excuse did you use to pull the heartstrings on some poor, unsuspecting woman?"

"I think it's that 'Florence Nightingale' shit."

"Wait..." Quickly picking up on the reference Hank gave the abrasive Sergeant a skeptical glance. "Are you saying you have a date with ABBY?"

"Hell yeah! It took some time but she eventually caved." Smug and smirking Gavin was happy to let the world know he earned a date with Abby. "I don't care if it's a pity date or not, spending time with a woman like that is bragging rights all around!"

Hank gave Gavin a somewhat scolding glare as he spun his car keys around by the ring around his right index finger. "What kind of 'time' are ya' talkin' about?"

"Whoa, that's not what I meant! Trust me on this one, Hank. This isn't 'lust' leading the charge this time." Remembering the extreme heartache that followed when his ex-girlfriend cheated on him just prior to him proposing, and the grief pushing him toward taking his own life, Gavin knew that he needed to look a woman for more than just her body if they were both going to be happy. "I've learned my lesson the hard way..."

"Yeah? After three times I'd hope so."

"I know, I'm an idiot for giving Patricia the benefit of the doubt when she cheated on me."

"THREE TIMES."

"I know! I came to my senses _before_ I offered her the ring."

"Know this, too..." Hank gave Gavin a thinly veiled warning. "That woman saved Connor and helped him out when he needed it the most. I consider her a good friend and if you fuck things up with her or hurt her, I'll kick you ass and then Connor will do the same."

"Jeez, you really don't think much of me, do ya'?"

"Considering your were an absolute prick to Connor when he first showed up, almost stopped him from getting to Jericho during the Revolution, then punched him in the face when he returned to work after enduring months of physical therapy, NO. I don't."

"I apologized to him and he accepted it." Gavin tried to offer as a form of helpful rebuttal. "Doesn't that help?"

"Him, yes. Me, no."

"I swear to you Hank that my attraction to Abby isn't purely physical. I truly admire her, she's tough, fiery, smart, compassionate... Everything!"

"Uh-huh. Do me a favor and DON'T tell me about your date. I don't wanna' hear it."

"I don't kiss and tell as it is."

"Wrong turn of phrase, jackass..."

"Right, right." Blushing a little Gavin cleared his throat awkwardly and bowed his head as Hank walked past his desk to get to the front doors. "Sorry!"

* * *

Feeling much better than he had in days, not just from going through withdrawal but from being stressed out and overtired from working on the "Red Reaper" case for weeks on end, Connor sat in the middle of the couch wrapped up in the navy blue blanket around his shoulders and a small bowl of warm soup in his hands. Lucas was sitting beside Connor and keeping him company while Sumo napped on his pillow in the corner of the livingroom with Ruby cuddled up beside him. Elizabeth walked out of the kitchen with another mug of tea in her hands and sat down beside Connor on the opposite side of Lucas.

"This is ginger tea. It's just as soothing on the stomach but not as strong tasting as peppermint."

Putting his soup aside Connor accepted the mug and gave the new flavor of tea a tentative sip. He didn't hate the taste, but to him it wasn't as good as the peppermint tea he had always favored. "Thank you."

"You don't look pale anymore." Elizabeth noted as she gently returned her hand to his forehead. His temperature felt normal. "And your fever is gone."

"Aside from feeling tired I don't feel sick anymore. I'm glad it's out of my system."

"I'm glad you're okay. I read about the fire," she stated in a low voice as she spoke with her son. "and Lucas told me how you faced off with the 'Red Reaper'. I'm so proud of you, but please don't face off with a serial killer in a burning house again."

Connor smirked a little as his mother's request was so similar to that of his father's request. "I've already promised Hank that I won't do that anymore. You don't have to worry."

"You're my son, I'm going to worry no matter what."

The similarity again between the two parents he had in his life made Connor smirk a little. "I promise I won't go out of my way to handle dangerous situations."

The front door opened and Hank walked through the door looking dead on his feet. Seeing his two sons and Connor's mother sitting together in the livingroom with the two dogs laying nearby gave him an unexpected 'homey' feeling, and it help reinvigorate his depleted energy.

Walking over to the couch Hank reached his right hand around the back of the furniture and put his palm against Connor's forehead. "Looks like you're on the mend, kid."

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better." Connor admitted as he watched Hank remove his hand and stood behind the couch. "How was the meeting?"

"Might as well been a damn witch hunt."

"A witch hunt?"

"Internal Affairs is poking their noses around looking for something, anything, that could come back hurt THEM. They don't give a shit about us, just what makes them look good."

"Which is supposed to be us protecting the streets."

"Yup. I think they're so damn paranoid about one cop taking down a serial killer because it's so amazing instead of terrible. If it's a good then that means shit's about to hit the fan, right?"

"Not necessarily."

"And that's why you're an honest detective and not a crooked bureaucrat." Patting Connor's shoulder Hank looked over at Lucas and gave his second son a proud smile. "Well, looks like you took care of everything just fine. How're you holding up?"

Lucas held up his left hand and danced the quarter gracefully over the back of his knuckles. "I'm at ninety-six percent functionality. I will be fully healed by tomorrow morning."

"Good. One less thing to worry about. Just, uh, don't make that coin thing a habit, alright?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

Glancing over at Elizabeth who was sitting right beside Connor with a quiet presence Hank addressed her next. "How about you, Elizabeth? It's been a while since we talked."

"I'm doing well, Hank."

"...Uh, could I get you something to drink? Coffee or tea?"

"Thank you, but I already had my fill of tea."

"What about something to eat? I know I'm starving so there will be plenty of food if you'd like to stay for dinner."

Elizabeth was a little surprised by the polite offer as she assumed once Hank was back home she'd just leave for her apartment, but instead she was being asked to stay a while longer. "...Alright, that sounds nice. Thank you, Hank."

"Cool. I'm in the mood for Italian, how does that sound?"

"Perfect." Getting up from the couch she accompanied Hank into the kitchen and decided to lend him a hand. "Since you're offering me a free meal the least I can do is help you to cook it."

"Alright, that's fair. If you have a secret recipe for tomato sauce that rivals your salsa recipe then I'm gonna' have to swipe that from you, too."

The two brothers watched as Hank and Elizabeth walked into the kitchen and proceeded to chat while making dinner together. It was a little strange to see Hank spending time with someone who wasn't either of his sons, or another officer. In fact, it was a nice change as it meant that Hank was finally pushing himself out of his normally very high social walls that kept people out and finally moving out of his past.

"Interesting..." Lucas observed with a somewhat coy grin on his face.

"What?" The obliviousness in Connor's voice was as naive as it was innocent.

"I may be misinterpreting the situation as I've not had as much experience studying human body language, but it seems they really enjoy one another's company."

Connor's brow furrowed a little as he leaned back against the couch to watch the duo in question in the kitchen. Sure enough they were both smiling as they talked, and their eyes were bright and alert. Hank was standing completely unguarded while Elizabeth wasn't showing any sign of intimidation or fear despite her previously abusive relationship having made her wary of all men. While the two worked alongside each other in the kitchen they stood relatively close and remained in good spirits as they were completely comfortable with the other's presence.

"...You're not misinterpreting the situation, Lucas."

"So they... like each other?"

"It appears so." Turning his attention away from the kitchen Connor realized the way Sumo and Ruby cuddled up together was also indicative of great affection. Thinking about the way Markus and North stood together when at the tower, and how he himself liked to stand as close as he could to Skye whenever they were together, it was clear to see that affection was almost impossible to hide. Connor wasn't blind to love or the various ways it manifested in the slightest; but he never though it'd be possible for Hank to get over the tragic passing of his late wife. "I wonder if it'll remain a friendship, or..."

"_Blossom_?" Lucas finished the thought in a low voice.

"Yeah. Hank absolutely adored Barbara and her death broke him in such a way that the only thing that kept him going was Cole. And then after what happened to Cole... He was hanging on by a single thread."

"Do you think he's moved on?"

"...No. But I think he's finally ready to heal." Giving his little brother his full attention Connor felt a strange sense of change coming over the horizon. "I get the feeling that this is going to be a year for changes for everyone."

"How so?"

"My heart is better," he explained with a casual press of his right palm over his chest. "you pulled through your coma and deviancy, and now you're helping to mend fences between deviants and Kamski. Kamski himself has been reunited with Gavin allowing the estranged brothers to bond and have a form of family, too. Markus and North are becoming closer than ever before and he's mentioned wanting to bond with North relatively soon. Now the city is free of lethal batches of 'red ice' and a notorious serial killer, and now Hank and my mo- _Elizabeth_," he wasn't quite ready to refer to her as his 'mom' so casually just yet. "are moving beyond their own painful pasts and finding a healthier future."

"You're right. It's only just turned to August and yet there has been a phenomenal amount of healing and progress in this year already."

"Do you think we'll be able to continue this progress, or is this it?"

"From what I've learned from you and Hank about life I can say for certain that life itself is NEVER certain. Maybe the things we thought were impossible will become possible, or the beliefs we thought were hollow and forgotten will be worth believing in again."

"Maybe."

"Perhaps you'll have a true family with not just a father and a brother, but with your mother as well."

"A true family? My family has always been my friends, there's nothing truer than that."

"What about you and Skye?"

"We're a family as well. I mean, we're not... You know."

"Bonded?"

"...The same."

"Oh. You're hesitant because you're a human and she's an android."

"To me it feels normal because in my mind I still feel like a deviant, but I know what we have is... different."

"Do you care for her?"

"Yes! Of course I do!"

"Does she feel the same way?"

"...I think she does. Yes."

"Then how is that different from any human dating a human, or an android dating an android?"

"Life expectancy for _one_ thing."

"Age is just a number, isn't it? I mean, you're twenty-five and I'm two. Yet we're still arguably the same age."

"That is a valid point. But, there's other things."

Lucas studied Connor's face for a moment before he realized what his big brother was referring to. "...Children?"

"Skye seems to love kids and while talking once she told me she wished her original programming had been for a caretaker, so she could play with kids all the time. And I... I don't want..." It was a delicate subject that made Connor a tad uneasy at times. "It's complicated."

"You may have had a bad childhood," Lucas sympathized with his recovering brother's plight. "but that doesn't mean any of your potential offspring will be doomed to the same fate."

"I don't know _how_ to be a father, let alone remember what it was like to be an actual kid. Hank told me I had grown up too fast in order to survive, and he's right. I don't remember a time in my life where I ever felt like I was a kid. I was just always a burden."

"No, you were an innocent child who was put in a terrible situation. You were never a burden."

"What if I beat the odds against me thanks to this new heart valve and I _do_ have kids, but I can't love them? What if I'm just as-"

"You're NOT your father, Connor. And from what you've told me he was at one point a very good, kind man who was changed for the absolute worst because of a terrible injury that resulted in chronic excruciating pain. You don't have to fear becoming him, especially now that you have Hank who has shown you what it's like to have a dad, a _real_ dad."

"I'm still frightened by what I could become. What if that cruelty is genetic?"

"Then I'll step up and raise your hypothetical children as my own while Hank kicks your butt for being an idiot."

Letting out a slightly amused laugh Connor shook his head subtly and let the matter drop for the moment.

"You're worrying about things that haven't happened and things you cannot control. You shouldn't be afraid to live because of one person's bad influence on your past life. You're okay now."

"...You're right." Nodding with appreciation he thanked his little brother for listening. "How'd you get so wise with human insight?"

"I have good teachers. You, Hank," he subtly nodded in the direction of the kitchen. "and your mother. Remember, you have a supportive family now. Everything will be alright."

"Yeah." Sipping at his ginger tea Connor turned to watch his parents socializing in the kitchen and gave them a discreet smirk. "You're right."

_**-next chapter-**_


	52. Haunted

It was scorching hot in the city and everyone was on edge. Reluctant to leave the air conditioned precinct Hank swore as he stepped outside and shrugged off his darker, albeit lightweight, jacket and tucked it under his right arm as he walked toward the neighboring parking garage. Connor had done the same thing, finally shedding his gray suit jacket and loosening his black tie as he unbuttoned the top of his white dress shirt, and was struggling to endure the hot day. The heat was unbearable and both of the detectives were ready to go home to try to forget about the horrible mind numbing and heartbreaking day they had just endured.

"Are you okay, Hank?" Connor knew that senior detective was on edge and in a very foul mood because of everything they went through.

"...I'm fine."

Connor squared his jaw a little as he followed after Hank to the car parked in the garage. "Maybe I should drive."

"Why?"

"Because you're mad."

"I'm not-" Stopping himself before he yelled the reply at the younger man Hank took a moment to take in a deep breath. "...I'm not mad."

Connor held out his right hand to take the car keys from Hank, and refused to budge on the subject as he stood in front of the driver's side door.

"Connor, I'm fine."

The younger detective wasn't moving as he kept his hand extended.

"Fucking... Fine." Dropping the keys into Connor's opened palm Hank walked around to the other side of the car to climb inside the passenger door to sit down in the front. "Just get us home."

"That's the plan."

Once inside the car Connor turned over the engine and cranked up the car's air conditioning as high as it could go, and steadily backed the car out of its designated spot in the garage to head out onto the broiling hot street. As the car left the shaded garage and reached the sunny street Connor immediately squinted and reached for the pair of sunglasses he made a habit of keeping stored in the glovebox to shield his eyes from the intense sunlight. While he reacted to the heat and light Hank remained still and didn't seem to care about being uncomfortable.

"I know you weren't thrilled with us taking the late shift last night," Connor commented as he placed the tinted lenses over his eyes to help block out the blinding sunlight. "but we'll get the afternoon and evening off. We won't have to deal with the city tearing itself apart from the heat, and we can enjoy the pool all day long before Lucas heads back out to Boston tomorrow."

"...Whatever." Despite the relentless heat Hank crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the floorboards beneath his feet.

"Do you want to-"

"Connor. Quiet." Putting a little authority in his voice causing him to snap Hank used his own unique 'charm' to ask the younger detective to let him be alone for a while. "I currently don't care, and I just want a moment to myself. Alright?"

"...Sorry." Hiding his wince at the slightly elevated voice Connor remained silent for the rest of the drive home. "I'll stop talking."

Knowing that Hank was still thinking about the case they had dealt with that morning Connor decided to remain quiet and let the senior detective be alone with his thoughts. Child abuse cases were hard for everyone in the precinct, but for Hank it was worse since he lost Cole and saw the long term effects of abuse on the victims, even as adults. When Hank had learned of Connor's past and finally understood why Connor was so emotionally stunted; if not fragile, it made the cases all the worse for Hank to deal with.

Earlier that morning a young girl, barely eight years old, was dropped off at the precinct when her babysitter; an android model similar to that of Simon, noticed signs of abuse on the girl. The android looked exactly like Simon save for having dark red, almost brown hair, and darker blue eyes. He was registered under the name 'Roy' and was happy to tell Connor everything to ensure the little girl would be taken away from her abusive parents. While Connor took Roy's statement Hank took the little girl to an adjacent interview room to ask her a few questions and be her 'friend' until she was reunited with Roy, of whom she deeply trusted.

The poor girl had been neglected and left to fend for herself most days of the weeks. The only reason Roy was in the house that day was because her mother wanted to have another man in the house to make her husband jealous, and as a result the violence in the house had escalated. The little girl cowered in her filthy barely furnished bedroom, and didn't leave until after her parents left to go to work. Roy quickly noticed that the girl had been emotionally and psychologically abused by her parents for years, and she had bruises; some old and some new, all over her body. Despite having just met the child Roy knew she needed help.

To make matters worse the house the little girl was forced to live in was also a 'red ice' den, which meant the poor child had been exposed to drugs all her life. It was that very 'red ice' connection that forced Hank to step up and take on her case himself.

Roy had to convince the little girl to trust him enough to get her some help and made sure to document everything in the house before leaving. Having the testimony from the neighbors who frequently heard the fights and domestic abuse all but guaranteed that the little girl would be taken away from her parents and put into foster care with a loving family, but the sight of the frightened, beaten, almost starving child completely destroyed Hank's mind for the day.

Her eyes, the sad chocolate brown irises so full of pain, fear, confusion and utter loss bore into Hank's heart and his mind. He'd never forget the pleading look she gave him as she told her sad story and finally found someone who'd listen to her.

Returning home and pulling the car in the garage Connor patiently waited for Hank to snap back to reality as he took off the sunglasses and turned off the engine of the car. "I'm going to cool off in the pool." He stated somewhat indifferently as he opened the car door and stepped outside, and tossed the sunglasses down onto the seat behind himself. "I think Lucas went to New Jericho for a while, so I'm sure-"

Hank threw open his car door and stepped out of the vehicle with an angry huff. He slammed the door shut so hard that the entire car shook under the force as he opened the side door to get inside the house and be alone.

As much as it made Connor flinch whenever Hank was in a bad mood the younger detective never took it personally. He knew that Hank was mad at the circumstances of their investigation and not mad at Connor, or anyone else in particular. Following after the senior detective into the house Connor set foot in the kitchen and saw through the sliding glass door of the backdoor that Lucas was outside and sitting beside the pool with both Sumo and Ruby paddling around in the cool water around him.

"Lucas?" Connor opened the door and stepped outside to look at the two dogs cooling off in the clean pool water. "Why are the dogs in the pool?"

"They were hot." Lucas replied casually as Sumo and swam past him with the green fetch ball in his mouth. The deviant was wearing white swim trunks and had a light white dress shirt over his arms and shoulders to help protect him from the burning sunlight. "I'll be sure to rinse the chlorinated water from their fur before I let them inside the house this evening."

Connor rubbed his right hand along the back of his neck and let out a tired sigh. "Good idea. I'm going to change into my swim trunks and join them."

"What about dad?"

"Uh..." Turning a little to glance over his right shoulder Connor made sure Hank wasn't nearby. He was still a little wary of accidentally annoying the already irritated senior detective any further. "He's in a bad mood."

"What happened?"

"Bad case which resulted in a worse mood. I'll tell you about it in a moment..." Reaching his right hand down into the water Connor decided that he in fact wanted to enjoy the pool and cool off. "I'm going to change my clothes and be right back out."

* * *

Retreating to the isolation of his cold dark bedroom Hank shut the door and sat down on the edge of his bed as he tried, and failed, to get the idea of that poor abused child being neglected for so long out of his head. Every abused child he encountered had a huge impact on his mind, every abused child he encountered after Cole was born managed to hit him even harder, and every abused child he encountered after Cole's tragic passing made his heart ache with an indescribable pain for days on end.

The urge to crack open a bottle of whiskey was too damn tempting right now and Hank had isolated himself to ensure he didn't slip up, and find a way to take a drink, or accidentally take out his anger on his adopted sons. Falling back onto the bed Hank reached over to the small nightstand beside his bed and pulled open the top drawer to locate something tucked away inside.

Hank heard Connor's bedroom open and shut quietly, then repeat as the young detective had clearly gotten what he needed from his room as silently as possible, then retreated downstairs. The younger detective was walking on eggshells around Hank at the moment and as much as Hank wanted to call out to Connor to remind him he did nothing wrong the senior detective just couldn't bring himself to speak.

The emotional toll Hank had endured in the past ten years: losing his wife, losing his firstborn son, his depression that gave him suicidal ideation, meeting and almost losing Connor and well as Lucas due to bizarre and nearly tragic accidents had worn him out on an emotional level. There was no point in denying his bleak heavy emotions any longer. He needed to get it out of his system so he could finally begin to actually heal after everything he had gone through, and so he could be the strong confident role model that his adopted sons needed him to be.

"Cole, I swear it feels like you never left." He whispered as he pulled the framed photograph of the little boy out of the drawer and stared at it with his sad blue eyes. "I wish I could've done more to protect you that night. You deserved so much more in this world than what you got..."

Wiping away a rogue tear Hank put the photo down on the nightstand beside the bed and draped his right arm over his eyes in utter emotional exhaustion.

"Fuck this world."

As he laid back on his bed and tried to forget about that very world around him he could've sworn he heard his bedroom door crack open a little, but didn't bother to look up, or even react to the motion.

Hank just wanted to be left alone.

* * *

Quietly and quickly Connor rejoined Lucas outside by the pool and explained the horrible case that he and Hank had handled earlier that morning. As the details of the case were explained to Lucas the deviant understood why Hank was so upset and agreed with Connor to give the senior detective some space so he could think, and to have a moment to himself. Needing space was a common personality trait that Hank and Connor shared when they were in bad moods, and as such the two brothers were entirely understanding of Hank's need for solitude.

"The little girl will be placed in a foster home." Connor confirmed as he stood in the middle of the pool where the water was up to just above his shoulders as both a means to keep cool and to help hide his almost entirely faded scar over his chest, and the other fresher scars over his back and shoulders after being tortured. There was a layer of plastic wrap covering the still healing burns on his right forearm to ensure it didn't become infected as he swam about. Lucas sat on the edge of the pool with his legs in the water as he listened to Connor telling him about the tragic case from that day. "However, that doesn't mean she still won't be affected by her previous trauma."

"You managed to find a way to overcome your own traumatic childhood," the deviant replied in a confident tone. "I know she will, too."

"She will. But that doesn't mean it'll be easy." As he stood in the middle of the pool Ruby paddled by him and pressed her wet nose to the back of his neck affectionately. Reaching out his left hand Connor rubbed her ears as she continued to swim across the length of the pool, while Sumo laid on the landing of the concrete steps leading down into the pool to remain in the cool water without having to swim around "Are you going to get in the pool, Lucas?"

"Technically, I am." The deviant motioned to his legs hanging down into the cool water from where he sat.

"I can see that, but I can also see that you're beginning to show signs of overheating from sitting in the sun all day. Why not actually get fully submerged in the pool and cool off?"

"I'm fine right here."

Connor studied his little brother's demeanor for a moment and then thought back to everything that CyberLife had programmed into his software back when he was still a deviant. Swimming wasn't a part of his programming as he was just a prototype, and he was certain they never implemented such a feature into Lucas's programming since he was never officially activated by CyberLife before the company went under. "Lucas, do you know how to swim?"

"I..." Lucas paused for a moment before he answered honestly with a faint blue blush to his face. "I do not."

"I'll teach you!"

"Teach? You know that as an android-"

"You're also a _deviant_." Connor reminded him in a firm voice. "You already broke away from your programming which means being taught a new ability or task is entirely possible."

"...You're sure?"

"I wasn't programmed with the ability to drive, and yet I managed to learn when I was still an android. After my deviancy my ability to learn other things became even easier. Such as playing the guitar as a hobby and swimming."

"Why'd you learn how to swim to begin with?"

"Well, not long after I returned to the precinct to work alongside Hank as a detective I had been struck and rendered unconscious by an escaping suspect during a pursuit, and I fell into a deep swimming pool and nearly drowned. Hank pulled me out of the water, revived me with C.P.R. and then signed me up for swimming lessons two weeks later. I'm grateful that he did so because there have been circumstances where swimming was crucial to survival."

The logic was sound. "...Okay." Lucas relented as he agreed to accept the swimming lessons. "How do we begin?"

"Well, first you need to get into the water."

Lucas nodded a little and looked at the cool pool water all around him. Standing up he pulled off his white shirt so he was just wearing his own swim trunks and walked over to the steps, stepping over Sumo in the process, and walked into the water until the water level was up to his chest.

Connor smirked a little at seeing his little brother looking a little uncomfortable in the new situation and environment. "This is what Ha- _dad_," he corrected himself since he was currently home and not at the precinct. "calls taking 'baby steps'."

"...Now what?" Lucas asked as he stood in the water a few feet from his big brother unsure of how to proceed.

Keeping the smile on his face Connor walked over to Lucas and prepared to give him a few basic instructions. "Learn to hold a decent breath in your ventilation biocomponents and you'll stay afloat as you swim. Buoyancy is key..."

* * *

Utterly exhausted but unable to stop thinking long enough to sleep Hank just laid on his bed and listened to the sounds of the house around him. He could hear the gentle whirring of the air conditioning fighting to keep the house cool in the relentless summer heat, the gentle ticking of his watch wrapped around his left wrist thrumming away, and even the splashing coming from the pool in the backyard as Connor, Lucas and the dogs swam all afternoon to try to beat the summer heat.

It was a peaceful ambience that was interrupted only by the sound of the bedroom door creaking open a little more. Lifting up his arm Hank looked at the doorway but didn't see anyone standing there despite feeling like there was someone watching him.

"Damn door."

Trying to ignore the strange occurrence of the door creaking open Hank closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.

The sound of the splashing in the pool outside made him think of the summers he spent at the cabin with his late wife while they were dating and after they were married, and of the two summers they spent together after Cole was born. They'd spend hours out on the lake either enjoying a small cruise in the boat, swimming around or just watching the stars from the expanse of the wooden dock reaching out into the water.

"...Wish I could've taken you and your mom out on the lake more often, Cole." He whispered to the nothingness of the bedroom as he stayed alone to try to relax a little. Speaking out loud seemed to make his thoughts and emotions more palpable. "She loved the water and you took to it like a fish."

The door creaked open a little more but Hank ignored it.

"I know Connor and Lucas enjoyed the lake, but it's just not the same without you." Sighing a little Hank turned to his right side and stared at the wall a few feet away. On the wall he had hung up the framed drawing by Cole that Connor had found in the old house and stared at it longingly. "I miss you, son. I know you're not suffering and I know you won't have to grow up in this fucked world that I've been fighting so hard to change for the better, but that doesn't mean I still don't want to see you grow up. You deserved the chance to grow up and were denied..."

Another creak of the door made Hank sigh deeply as closed his eyes and tried to ignore the world all around him.

"I remember the way you used to creep in my bedroom at night whenever you had a nightmare, got scared during a thunderstorm or just wanted to see me after I worked all day long. I miss it." He whispered as he pressed his right palm over his eyes and let out a single despondent sob. "I miss you. I miss everything about you."

The door creaked a little more until it was wide open, yet there was seemingly nothing there that could cause the door to open at all.

"I miss the way you ran through the house and chased after Sumo every day after school," Hank continued to reminisce about his late son and continued to mourn his tragic passing. "I miss the way we spent hours all spring and summer outside playing basketball, baseball, football... I miss teaching you how to ride your bike the day you were ready to take the training wheels off, how you were so proud of yourself when you tied your shoe laces by yourself for the first time, when you lost your first tooth, when you managed to swim from one side of the pool to the other when we spent all summer at the community pool, when you used to bring home drawings every day after school," feeling himself beginning to breakdown a little Hank closed his eyes as he fought, and failed, to restrain his heavy tears. "I miss the way your bedroom always smelled like crayons from drawing all morning long before school and how your clothing smelled like fresh cut grass from playing outside all afternoon. Hell, I even miss the way you used to fight me when it was bath time, or bedtime, or whenever you didn't want to eat your vegetables at dinner. I miss the sound of your laugh and the way you were always smiling that big grin on your face... You had your mother's smile and every time you smiled it made me think of her, too."

As Hank began to finally lose the last of his emotional resolve and weep softly into his pillow a familiar presence seemed to enter the room and he felt a warm embrace wrap around his back and shoulders as if he were being hugged.

"I'm sorry, Cole. I should've done more to protect you, son."

Allowing his exhaustion to win out against him Hank drifted off into a less than restful sleep as a much needed sense of peace washed over him and finally eased the incredible pain still lingering inside his heart of gold that he often tried to mask under a gruff facade.

* * *

Outside in the pool Lucas was having a surprisingly difficult time trying to learn how to swim. Every time he tried to get his head submerged under the water numerous red warnings would pop up in his visual processors and cause him to slightly panic, and break back through the surface of the water with a panting gasp. Even when Connor grabbed onto his right arm to help him keep his head above the water level Lucas would still begin to panic in fear that he was beginning to drown.

Sumo and Ruby were laying on the wooden deck that connected the side of the pool to the sliding glass backdoor in the shade watching everything with an amusing intrigue. Sumo was exhausted but thankfully much cooler, and Ruby was simply keeping her best friend company as they watched the brothers still in the pool.

"You're fine! You're fine..." Connor somewhat shouted as he tried to get Lucas toward the shallow end of the pool to help him calm down. He was pulling on his little brother's right arm to get him away from the deep end. "Lucas, it's okay."

The deviant panted for his breath and was actually shaking as he stood in the shallow water with his hands braced against the edge of the pool to try to keep himself as steady as possible. "...I-I don't understand. My processors won't recognize the need to swim!"

"How so?"

"My system continuously bombards my senses with warnings whenever I enter the water above my head. It's as if there is a program instilled in my software that forbids me from ever entering a deep body of water."

"...But you're deviant."

"This... This didn't happen to you when you were a deviant?"

"I had a few moments of vertigo whenever I was standing at a modest height but I was able to dismiss the warnings and continue on with whatever it was I was trying to accomplish."

"...You have acrophobia." The sharp deviant deduced as he processed Connor's words. "A fear of heights."

"Maybe you have aquaphobia. A fear of water, or perhaps just drowning."

"What does it feel like?"

"Fear?"

"...Yes. I'm still learning emotions and how to truly comprehend such feelings. What does fear truly feel like?"

"...It's difficult to explain." The prospect of explaining 'fear' to someone seemed like an easy enough task, and yet in that moment Connor realized how difficult it truly was. "Fear is is when you can feel and hear your own heart beating because it's thundering in your chest, and your body seems to freeze in place. Your mind becomes overwhelmed by whatever it is that's making your heart race and your body locks up, and it can be... detrimental."

"Can fear be overcome?"

"Yes. I... I learned of my origin with my own phobia; being thrown from a second story window when I was fourteen years old, and the hostage negotiation with Daniel on the apartment rooftop when I was initially activated as CyberLife's tool. When I was standing atop a concrete train track over the street when a train was coming toward me I froze after I slipped over the edge. The only reason I was able to get out of harm's way was because dad called out to me and told me what to do."

"Are you still afraid of heights?"

"Yes. But I'm taking steps to conquer this fear before it becomes a real problem. That's why I climbed to the roof of the cabin to watch the stars when dad took us out to the lake. I forced myself to climb up higher than what I would consider comfortable and managed to remain up there without any issues."

"Is that all you did to overcome your phobia?"

"No. I also chose to have a bedroom on the second floor of the house despite my fear. I make sure to look out the window every night before I go to sleep to remind myself that I'm high above the ground, but I'm also safe at the same time. I believe the higher I can climb without getting scared the more I'll be able to overcome my fear over time."

Lucas nodded and looked back at the deep end of the pool behind him. The water was calm, clear, clean and above all else in a safe place. He was home in his own backyard with his big brother and father close by. "...I will do the same. I will try to spend more time in the deeper water and forcibly dismiss the errors and override them with alternate data."

"That sounds like a logical means of overcoming your fear." From inside the kitchen the two brothers heard the sound of Connor's phone ringing and the young detective just sighed. "I suspect that is the precinct with an update on the case."

Lucas closed his eyes and tapped into Connor's phone to check the caller I.D. from a distance. "You're correct. It's your Captain calling you."

"Damn, that means I have to answer it." Connor stated as he walked up the steps of the pool to get out of the water. "I hope he isn't asking for me to come in for overtime."

As the young detective reached the end of the pool and walked over the wooden deck of the pool to get to the sliding backdoor of the house he stepped around the two dogs, and walked inside the sliding doors to the kitchen. Lucas stayed in the shallow end of the pool and kept staring at the deeper water as if he were trying to solve a very complex puzzle without all of the pieces.

While Connor was inside the house Lucas decided he was going to try to face his fear just as Connor wanted to face his own fear. Turning around in the pool Lucas made his way steadily deeper into the water until the level was under just under his chin before he took in a deep breath and dove down under the surface with the intent of swimming all the way to the deepest end of the pool while remaining completely submerged, then swim back to the shallow end.

Getting under the water was easy, but getting above it again was going to be a bit of a challenge.

* * *

Upstairs in the quiet of the dark bedroom Hank continued to sleep peacefully as he finally let out his emotional turmoil and began to relax. As he dozed something he couldn't explain told him to wake up and check on his two adopted sons. Whether it was his deeply-seeded paternal instinct or the strangely familiar presence hovering over him in the bedroom Hank couldn't be sure. It almost felt like a distant and familiar voice was calling out to him from somewhere unknown.

As Hank opened his eyes he got up from the bed and glanced out the window to see Sumo and Ruby nervously staring at the pooling and whimpering.

"What the hell's their problem?"

Focusing in on what had the dogs on edge Hank peered into the still water of the pool, peered at a strange object in the depths of the deepest end of the pool, and what he saw scared the life out of him.

"Lucas?!"

* * *

From within the kitchen Connor had finished the phone call with a heavy heart, and returned to the pool in the backyard when he saw the same thing that Hank had seen from the second floor window. The two dogs were standing up and staring at the deep end of the pool and whimpering loudly, which of course drew Connor's gaze to whatever it was that was holding their attention. At the bottom of the deepest end of the pool laying face down and motionless was Lucas.

"Lucas!"

Running to the edge of the pool Connor dove into the water as quickly as he could, swimming down to the bottom of the pool to where Lucas was laying, getting down to him in just seconds. He wrapped his arms around Lucas's chest and kicked his feet off the bottom of the pool to bring his little brother back to the surface as quickly as possible.

The deviant was completely limp in Connor's grip as Connor swam back to the shallow end of the pool with Lucas under one arm, and was promptly met by Hank, who reached over the edge of the pool, to help him carry Lucas out of the water and onto the deck.

"Shit! What happened?!"

"I don't know!" Connor admitted as he awkwardly climbed out of the pool by the edge to help lay Lucas down. "I didn't see."

The drowned deviant was placed down on his back on the deck gently by Hank and Connor while Sumo and Ruby nervously paced about and whimpered at the sight of Lucas suddenly so still and lifeless.

"Lucas?" Connor leaned down and pressed his right ear to his little brother's chest while Hank gently patted the left side of Lucas's face to try to get a response. Connor couldn't hear any breaths entering his ventilation biocomponents and could hear his Thirium pump only struggling to beat. "Damn it! His artificial lungs are full of water..."

Instinctively Hank put his hand under Lucas's head, straightened his neck and and tilted his head back while Connor proceeded to compress Lucas's chest. Fortunately C.P.R. on androids was as effective as it was on humans which gave the two detectives the advantage they needed to revive Lucas before the chlorinated water that had collected in his ventilation biocomponents could do any real damage.

Connor compressed the center of Lucas's chest with controlled strength and rhythm causing a small amount of the water to ooze out of Lucas's mouth and nose every time his chest was forcibly pressed downward. Despite the compressions Lucas's Thirium pump refused to settle into a normal beat, and he refused to take a breath on his own.

"Come on, Lucas." Hank encouraged as he pinched Lucas's nose shut gave the deviant two rescue breaths, and waited for any response from the drowned deviant while Connor continued the chest compressions. "Breathe... Breathe, son."

There was a slight gurgling sound as Lucas suddenly coughed up the pool water in an attempt to clear our his artificial lungs. Connor rolled Lucas onto his left side while Hank supported his head and neck to ensure he could cough up all of the water without choking. Lucas took in a few deep breaths before his abdomen contracted violently and he coughed up a generous amount of dark blue Thirium that had absorbed the chlorinated water that had entered his system as a means of expelling it from his body to prevent permanent damage to his internal system.

Connor patted Lucas's back to ensure he coughed up all of the water while Hank moved the deviant's body into the recovery position on his side.

"Lucas?" The senior detective called the deviant's name in a low calm voice. Lightly he patted Lucas's back to help him cough up the remaining water. "Lucas, are you okay?"

The deviant coughed up more Thirium, effectively staining the wooden deck with a dark blue tint, and then nodded his head slightly. "...I'm... I'm okay."

Connor leaned back on his knees and let out a nervous sigh as he realized just how close his little brother had come to nearly drowning. "What happened? Why'd you go into the deep water when you know you can't swim yet?"

"...I wanted to... o-overcome my fear."

Bowing his head down as his face paled Connor felt as though he were entirely responsible for Lucas's near drowning. "...When I said it's a good thing to overcome a phobia I didn't intend for you to do _this_."

"...Neither did I."

Hank didn't know what was happening or what had been discussed while he was upstairs, all he cared about was making sure the deviant was going to be alright. "Lay still for a moment and catch your breath." Glancing over at Connor, who was still clearly shaken by the ordeal, Hank dared to ask what was going on while he was inside the house. "What happened?"

"...It's my fault."

"Connor, _what happened_?"

"...I was trying to teach him to swim, and help him overcome his aquaphobia when I got a phone call from the precinct. We had discussed overcoming phobias by facing them and I went inside... I didn't think he would return to the deep end of the pool like that!"

Lucas coughed a little more to get the rest of the water out of his system before he turned his head to look up at Connor's face. "...N-Not your fault. I chose to do that, and it was foolish."

Hank focused on the deviant and asked again. "But _what_ happened?"

"I... I was overwhelmed with errors and warnings again once my head was under the w-water." Lucas coughed again and tried to clear his voice as he spoke the truth. "I think I panicked and I lost my breath. I couldn't seem to find the surface to get out of the water and breathe again, and everything suddenly went black."

Connor looked as if he had just committed an unforgivable crime and didn't respond to his little brother's comments.

Hank had kept his right hand under Lucas's head to support him and used his left hand to pat the deviant's upper right arm. "Think you can get up?"

Nodding a little more again Lucas allowed Hank to help him to sit upright on the deck as he ran a self-diagnostic.

"I want to take you to a facility to get checked out, just in case."

Lucas looked a little embarrassed but didn't argue with the suggestion. "...That seems like a wise precaution."

"Come on, then. Change into some dry clothes and we'll get you to the facility." Offering Lucas his right hand Hank helped the deviant to stand up and kept his left hand on Lucas's back to ensure the shaking deviant didn't stumble or collapse from the near drowning. As the two entered the kitchen side by side through the backdoors Hank noticed that Connor was still outside on the deck, not moving. "Take a minute to breathe and don't worry about hurrying anywhere. Just get dried off and changed, son."

"O-Okay."

Helping Lucas up the staircase Hank waited until the deviant was in the bathroom before grabbing him some dry clothes out of his bedroom and putting them inside the bathroom just through the door for Lucas's convenience.

Taking a moment to check in on Connor outside Hank spoke to the younger detective through the still opened doorway in a calm voice. "Connor? Are you coming?"

Shaking his head 'no' rather than answering verbally Connor stayed where he knelt on the deck, and didn't show any sign of budging.

"Son, it wasn't your fault. Accidents happen."

The guilt was too much for Connor to bear and he just stayed quiet.

"...Look, I'm going to take Lucas to see a technician and be right back. He's is going to be just fine."

Barely giving Hank a nod of his head Connor just stayed put with a misplaced sense of guilt overwhelming his senses.

"Alright. You, uh, you stay here and do what you need to do." Closing the sliding glass door softly Hank returned to the second floor in time to see Lucas stepping out of the bathroom with his white t-shirt and pale blue jeans on in favor of his soaked through white swim trunks. "Connor's going to stay here while we go out to the facility."

"...Is he mad at me?"

"Mad? Why would he be mad?"

"From what I've observed humans who are put through emotional distress tend to lash out with anger through verbal shouting or physical reactions. What happened was entirely my fault and I don't want Connor to be angry with me."

"...Son, he's not mad at you. If anything he's mad at himself."

"Why?"

"Because he's the older brother and he feels like it's his responsibility to always protect you."

"I chose to go into the deep water despite being unable to swim, and I chose to do so after Connor was inside and knowing he was distracted with a phone call. He can't protect me when I make my own foolish choices."

"I know that, and you know that." Putting his right hand on Lucas's shoulder Hank guided the deviant down the staircase to get to the side door leading to the garage so they could leave for the facility. "In time Connor will know that, too."

"How long does it take?"

"To know when to let go of guilt and forgive yourself?" Hank found himself unexpectedly muted by his own question as he realized how much of himself he saw reflected in the moment. As reality dawned on him he sighed and knew that right now Connor was feeling the horrible guilt he had long bore after the passing of Barbara and Cole all those years ago, even though Lucas was still alive and seemingly well. "...I wish I knew, son. Sometime I think it'll take forever."

* * *

Everything had just happened so damn fast.

Feeling like a failure for Lucas's near drowning Connor had to force himself to stand up from the deck and walk into the house through the sliding glass doors, and listened to the sound of the garage door opening before the car's engine turned over and backed down the driveway. Taking a moment to breathe himself Connor ran his trembling right hand through his damp hair and called the two dogs inside after him in a low, shaking voice.

"...I-Inside."

Sumo and Ruby trotted inside the kitchen obediently, their fur still damp and smelling of chlorine, and stood at Connor's legs.

"You two need to be rinsed off now. I don't want the chlorine making you sick."

Leading the two dogs into the first floor bathroom Connor turned on the shower and coaxed Ruby into climbing inside the glass casing and proceeded to put a small amount of shampoo in her fur to rinse of the chlorine with a thin layer of suds. As the bloodhound was rinsed off she wagged her tail happily and didn't even try to run out of the water.

"You're next, Sumo." Connor called over the Saint Bernard who obediently walked over to the shower and allowed Connor to also rinse of his fur. "At least I didn't mess things up with your two." He stated as he rinsed the small amount of shampoo from the dog's fur. "I suppose that's something to be happy about."

* * *

Avoiding New Jericho Tower for the sake of his reputation Lucas was taken to Abby's facility on Tenth Street for a quick examination, and was grateful to have a friend looking over him. Trusting her as much as he trusted Simon back at the tower Lucas explained everything to Abby and of how he had been a shortsighted fool while trying to overcome a phobia. The near drowning wasn't the worst case she had seen all day, or even all week, but dealing with an injured friend was always a task that Abby dreaded handling.

"Take a breath." Abby instructed as she pressed her audioscope to Lucas's chest to listen for any sign of pool water being retained in his ventilation biocomponents. There was a slight crackling sound but nothing to indicate puddles of water, or any corrosion from the chlorinated water. "I recommend you increase your power levels to your ventilation system by fifteen percent to help remove the remaining moisture." Draping the audioscope around her neck Abby examined Lucas's eyes with her penlight next to check his intracranial responses to outside stimuli. "Are you experiencing any increased intracranial pressure?"

"No. I'm not in pain."

"That's good." She clicked off the light and slipped it into her coat pocket. "How's your Thirium volume?"

"Down to ninety-two percent. I expelled a generous amount to clear out my ventilation biocomponents."

"I'll give you some replacement Thirium that's been laced with a special absorbing compound that'll draw out the remaining chlorinated water before it can harm your system."

"Thank you."

Abby gave the kind deviant a little smirk as she handed the bottle of pale blue Thirium over to him to take. "You're free to go home and rest, Lucas."

"I'm glad. Tomorrow I have to return to Boston for a few more weeks, and I wouldn't want to spend my last night here in Detroit in a facility."

"Neither would I. Then again, I work here so I don't get much say in the matter."

Hank had been in the exam room quietly watching from the distance. As soon as Lucas was in the clear Hank walked over to the exam table and put his right hand on the deviant's left shoulder. "Alright, son. Ready to go back home?"

"Yes. I'm ready to get home."

"Great. Stay away from the pool for a while, okay?"

"That's acceptable."

"You're so much more cooperative than Connor." Hank joked with a kind smile on face. It was a nice change to not have to fight with one of his sons when it came to their health, or recovering after an illness or injury. "How about we stay in the livingroom and play a board game or something tonight?"

"That sounds acceptable, too."

Abby made a note in the electronic chart and gave the duo a slightly amused smile. "You two have plans?"

"No," Lucas admitted as he turned to look at her over his left shoulder. "I just prefer being home with my family."

Hank caught the happy lilt in Abby's voice and couldn't stop himself from asking. "What about you? You seem to be in a good mood."

"Yup. I gotta' date."

Already knowing the answer Hank feigned ignorance and pressed for more information. "...Anyone I know?"

"Yup. And while I can appreciate you threatening people on my behalf I can handle things myself." She shot Hank a knowing glance from where she stood. "I'm pretty sure if I was in the right mood I could kick Gavin's ass and still make it to my morning shift on time."

"I wouldn't doubt it." The senior detective gave her a respectful nod as he led Lucas out of the exam room. "Alright, kid. Let's get out of here and try to salvage what's left of this weird-ass day."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Back at the house Connor had changed into clean dry clothes; khaki shorts and a navy blue button down shirt that was kept open to ensure he stayed cool, and was cleaning up the pool area of loose dog fur, and the coughed up Thirium on the deck outside. Standing with his back to the house Connor didn't pay any attention or react as Hank slid open the sliding glass doors and called out to the younger detective who was busily trying to distract himself from what had happened during that unusual day.

"Lucas is fine." The senior detective stated as he leaned against the opened door frame and watched Connor using the skimmer to clean up the surface of the pool water of loose fur and a few stray leaves. "He wants to hang out and try his hand at a few board games before he leaves tomorrow. Finish what you're doing out here and come inside to join us."

Connor paused for a moment before he finally replied in a quiet voice. "...Okay."

"We also picked up a pizza on the way back to the house, so don't worry about dinner tonight. It's already taken care of."

"...Right."

"Son, talk to me." Sliding the door shut to give Connor and himself some privacy Hank walked over to the poolside calmly. He put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and felt the younger man immediately tense up as if afraid he'd be struck, or threatened. "...What's the matter? This behavior is more than just what happened to Lucas."

"...Nothing."

"Connor. Don't try that with me."

"It's nothing I _want to talk about_. It's fine."

Remembering how he had snapped at Connor during the drive home and told him to be quiet Hank looked at the younger man's distressed eyes as Connor tried to look away, and could see the same fear and pain that the little girl they had helped earlier in the day had shown him. "Ah, kid. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"...It's fine."

"No, son. It's not."

"Hank, I can take getting yelled at." Connor tried and failed to lie as his upset voice betrayed his emotions. "I'm a detective. I get yelled at all the time by Captain Fowler and other commanding officers. I'm used to it."

"Yeah, but those assholes are barkin' orders because that's their job. I yelled at you because I was pissed off, and all you were trying to do was get my mind off the shit that was bothering me." Another reflective moment stole his thoughts as he gave Connor's shoulder a light shake. "Kinda' like the way I try to distract you when you start obsessing over shit."

"I'm fine. I'll be inside in a moment."

"Connor, you're _not_ fine. Getting yelled at by me, after everything you went through with your biological father, is going to mess with ya' even if you don't really see it. You're still affected by being yelled at and having someone take out their anger on you for no reason. I'm sorry, son. You didn't make me mad, it was that case with the little girl and her piece of shit parents doing the same thing that your-" Not wanting to drudge up the painful past any further Hank tried to let the matter go. "Well, you know what I mean. I was mad but NOT at you."

Staying quiet Connor tried to casually shrug off Hank's hand from his shoulder but the senior detective didn't let his hand budge.

"Connor. Don't act like you're not upset."

Again Connor tried to walk away but Hank wouldn't let him repress his feelings. "...I don't want to talk about it."

"You do know you did nothing wrong, and what happened wasn't your fault."

"That's easy for you to say."

"Why?"

"...You're not the one who almost got your little brother killed."

"It's not your fault. Lucas doesn't blame you for anything, and you shouldn't either."

"He's almost died_ twice_ now because of me." Connor sighed and tried to turn away from Hank. "Once when he was hit by the car because he was mistaken for me, and now he nearly died because I wasn't there to keep my eye on him in the water."

"Son, don't do that to yourself. You can't expect to protect him from every single little problem in this world."

"He was standing just a few feet from me when he was struck by the car, and he was in the backyard when he almost drowned." Pulling his shoulder from Hank's hand Connor threw the pool skimmer aside and walked over the deck to stand on the edge overlooking the green grass of the property below. "How the hell can I _not_ blame myself when I was right there and failed him?"

Hank understood Connor's pain all too well. "Connor, accidents happen. Bad things will _always_ happen, and there's nothing we can do to change that."

"...They shouldn't happen to innocent people."

"You're right, they shouldn't." Walking across the deck after Connor to try to ease his guilt Hank's eyes were drawn up to his bedroom window as if expecting to see someone looking down at him. The two comparisons of what he had been feeling all day and what Connor was feeling right then was too eerie to be ignored. "But we can't stop bad things from happening to good people, you know this already. Why are you suddenly letting the shit you can't control get to you?"

"...If I can't keep my own brother safe how can I protect the rest of the city, or start a fam-" Stopping himself abruptly Connor closed his eyes and bowed his head as if in shame. "...I'm a failure."

"Whoa, son, you're NOT a failure!" Hank was immediately at Connor's side again and ready to wrap an arm around the younger detective in an embracing hug as he saw the pain in Connor's eyes. He'd never seen Connor so doubtful of himself before. "Where is this all coming from?"

Connor tried to keep his pain to himself but Hank wasn't going to allow it.

"Talk to me. You don't have to keep that stuff to yourself anymore. What's wrong?"

"...Seeing that little girl," he finally replied in a pained tone of voice. "so hurt and so scared... It reminded me of myself. How I barely survived and how even though I'm trying to protect innocent people from harm to the best of my ability people are still suffering. I can't protect them. I can't protect my brother. I can't... I can't protect anyone. Almost losing Lucas today just proves it."

"Connor, son, you just described everything I went through when I lost Cole."

Lifting his head a little Connor opened his soulful brown eyes and looked over at Hank standing beside him with a heartbreaking stare.

"I felt the same damn way you do now, and to be honest, I still do. And yet here you are. Same with Lucas. I believed that I didn't have the right to have anyone else in my life to take care of as my family, then you two showed up. You knew about Cole and you told me that what happened to him wasn't my fault. You barely knew me then and had no bias either for or against me, and to have someone tell me something I had been told thousands of time before finally seemed to sink in when I heard it in _your_ voice."

Connor just stared in silence at Hank as his adoptive father tried to ease his guilt.

"To this day I still feel like I failed to protect Cole, like I could've somehow known that the truck was going to slip on the ice and hit us. Like I should've known that the surgeon on call at the hospital was going to be high off his ass, or should've known to take Cole to an entirely different hospital. Right now you think you should've known that Perkins was going to try to pull something after his son was busted, or that you somehow knew that Lucas going to try to go to the deep end of the pool. You can't stand back and try to predict the future Connor, and you can't be afraid of what the future might bring."

The young detective nodded a little as if acknowledging what Hank was telling him. "...What if I can't handle what the future brings me?

"Connor, what's really on your mind? I know you feel like shit because of what happened to Lucas and I know you're still edgy from me shouting at you, but there's something else bothering you. Was it the phone call you received earlier?"

"Captain Fowler called to... The little girl we took care of this morning was taken into foster care," he answered in a low voice. "and she became ill while in the other family's care. She was taken to the hospital where she was diagnosed with leukemia." The utter pain in Connor's voice was palpable and empathetic with every word. "That little girl survived Hell from her own parents and now she's... She has to deal with_ that_."

"Fuckin' hell." Hank put his right hand over his bearded chin and let out a deep sigh. "No wonder you've been so upset. Between me yelling at you, and Lucas nearly drowning you were told some really shitty news about a poor kid."

"Like I said, bad things shouldn't happen to good people. That little girl is entirely innocent and all she's known her entire life is pain and suffering."

"She's with better people now, son. As soon as that family saw she was sick they took her to the hospital where she can now get some help. And cancer treatments have been improving in the past ten years; it's not always a death sentence when people get treatment."

"But that child... She's just that, A CHILD." Letting out an emotionally weary sigh Connor looked to Hank for advice as he felt the stress of the day weighing down on him. "...You keep telling me that you think I'd be a good father if I were to settle down and have a family of my own. But what if I can't handle it?"

"Uh, Connor..." Hank gave his adopted son a somewhat nervous glance. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

The question was perplexing to hear as it was for Hank to even ask. "Huh?"

"Did, you and Skye, uh... I don't know how android biology works, and I know you two-"

"No! No!" A faint rosy blush appeared on Connor's face as he realized how his words could've been misinterpreted and fully elaborated on his worries. "It's just... A while back Skye and I were talking and she said she'd like to have children some day, and... I don't think that's something I can give her."

"Why's that?"

"Aside from being petrified of repeating my biological father's mistakes and keeping a cycle of abuse active?"

"Come on. What's wrong?"

"Remember when I wouldn't decide about my replacement heart valve?" He needlessly asked as he put his right hand to his chest over his nearly faded scar over his heart. "A post operative complication from a synthetic valve requiring a lifetime of blood thinning medication was bad enough, but synthetic valves have also been known to affect hormone levels and... cause sterility. I really like Skye and she wants to have a family, but if I can't give her a family of her own then I'm failing her."

"Son, you seem to have forgotten that you and Lucas were both _adopted_ by me. _We're family_ even without the same blood running in our veins, so why is that such a problem? Besides, you don't need to have kids to have a family. There are billions of loving couples who're just that, a couple. And that's all the family they need."

"What if we do adopt but I can't... I don't know, bond with the child?"

"Bonding doesn't happen overnight. Look at the way we started out as reluctant partners, now we're father and son."

"...I guess you're right."

"You're still young and like I said you don't need to be afraid of the future." Putting his right hand back on the younger man's left shoulder Hank just stared at Connor and couldn't help but see the same innocent stare in his eyes that Cole used to give him. "You've been through so much despite your youth. I keep forgetting that you're still a kid at heart and just need more time to find yourself."

"A kid?"

"Yup. You may be legally an adult but no one is really an adult until they're at least_ forty_. You need to slow down and stop trying to catch up to a race that no one's going to win anyway. Don't worry about things that aren't even a problem right now, and for fuck sake STOP trying to fault yourself for other people's misfortunes. I don't blame you for anything that's happened, neither does your brother."

Glancing past Hank to look through the sliding glass doors Connor could see Lucas sitting on the couch in the livingroom with Sumo sprawled out over his lap with his green fetch ball sitting in his mouth. Ruby was laying on the pillow in the corner in the livingroom napping peacefully and everything in the house seemed perfectly calm.

"For what it's worth," Hank tried to ease Connor's concerns a little more. "taking care of deviants is harder than taking care of a newborn with colic, or a toddler have their ninth tantrum of the morning. If I can handle _two_ deviants at once, then one very stubborn overgrown kid, then I know you can handle a child of your own some day."

"...Are deviants really that troublesome?"

"Connor, how many times did you end up damaged and needing repair because your very human instinct for self-preservation hadn't fully set in yet?"

"Thirty-eight times. Then I became a human again."

"And you're _still_ getting into trouble."

With a slight tilt of the head the younger detective completely understood what Hank was talking about. "Fair point."

"Now come on." Hank urged with a gentle pat to Connor's shoulder to lead him inside the house. "This is the last night we have with Lucas before he flies back out to Boston. He wants to play 'Trivial Pursuit' and I want to see how your ridiculous memory stacks up against his constant access to the internet."

Connor smirked a little as he agreed to the game and followed after Hank to the back door. Before passing through the doorway Connor pressed his right palm to the electronic panel on the wall beside the door and activated the automatic cover to keep the pool from getting dirty again over night, and was greeted by the smell of the warm pizza sitting on the kitchen table.

"I hope ya' don't mind, but I went with extra peppers on the pizza tonight." Hank stated as he flipped the lid of the pizza box open and pulled out a slice.

"No, I don't mind." Connor confirmed as he eyed the provided dinner. "Just don't give yourself heartburn by overeating again."

"Don't tell me how to live my life." Hank shot back and took a big bite of the pizza with a devilish smirk on his face.

"But you're always telling me how to live mine." Connor replied sharply as he pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "Thought I'd repay the favor."

"When do you listen to me anyway?"

"When did we clock out today?"

"Smartass."

Connor gave Hank an innocent shrug of his shoulders as he too picked up a slice of pizza to ensure Hank didn't worry about him not eating, and followed his adopted father into the livingroom. Sitting down on the couch beside Lucas, making sure to keep his pizza from Sumo's reach, Connor gave his little brother a reassuring of nod of the head and finally let go of his stress that he had been carrying all afternoon.

"Alright boys," Hank located the game in question in the hallway closet and placed the game box down on the coffee table in front of the couch. He pulled open the lid and began picking out the game pieces one by one. "it's been a while since I've played this game so give me a minute to remember the rules..."

* * *

In the end the entirely friendly game played out until well past midnight and the final score was a draw. Hank had been in second place for a majority of the game while Connor and Lucas had tied for first until the very end. The tie-breaker questions used to find the definitive winner had gone on for almost an hour before Hank decided to tap out and call it a night, happily coming in last while the brothers tied for first. Neither Connor or Lucas cared about winning so they were happy to call it a draw and go to bed as well.

After putting the game away Connor and Lucas bid goodnight to Hank and went upstairs to sleep off the tiresome day at long last.

"Goodnight." Lucas called out to Hank as he walked up the staircase. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, son. We'll drop you off at the airport tomorrow afternoon, so don't worry about hailing a taxi."

"Thanks."

Connor called out to Hank too as he followed Lucas up the staircase at a slower pace. "Goodnight, dad."

"See you in the morning, son."

Relieved to have both of his sons home and safe Hank cleaned up the kitchen while the brothers went upstairs with the dogs following after them to go to sleep for the night. As he locked the backdoor in the kitchen Hank felt an oddly familiar presence watching him and he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring at him. Walking toward the staircase and turning off all the lights he glanced up and caught sight of someone backing away from the top of the stairscase, and retreating down the hallway toward his bedroom.

"What the hell?"

Walking up the stairs slowly Hank looked down the hallway and saw nothing amiss. Connor and Lucas's bedrooms doors were halfway opened to allow the dogs in and out at will, and he was able to peer inside both bedrooms to see that the brothers were both already asleep with the dogs laying on the foot of their beds. They hadn't heard anything and were sound asleep, unaware of what Hank had seen.

"They're all asleep. So who was that?"

A soft 'creak' sounded off and Hank looked at his own bedroom door again as it opened up a tiny bit seemingly on its own. There was no breeze coming from an opened window, and the air conditioning blowing through vents wasn't blowing anywhere near the doors. The house itself wasn't old enough to have loose door hinges to explain the door creaking open by gravity alone, either. The floors weren't even warped to provoke such a reaction from people innocently walking about.

Staring at the door with utter confusion Hank walked up to the slightly ajar door and put his left hand on the doorknob and pushed it open slowly and cautiously to peer inside. The room was empty, dark and it hadn't been touched since Hank had left the room in a hurry to help pull Lucas out of the pool.

Turning on the light with the switch by the door Hank looked about the room and saw something was sitting on his pillow as if it had been left behind just for him to find.

"What's that?"

Walking closer to the bed Hank saw the item in question was Cole's framed drawing from the wall, however it wasn't in the frame anymore. The frame itself was still hanging on the wall just as it had been afternoon, and yet somehow the drawing had been removed by an unexplainable set of hands and placed gently down on the pillow as if being presented to Hank in a grand gesture.

"...How in the world did this happen?"

Picking up the old piece of paper marked with bright and colorful crayons Hank gave the drawing a once over and realized that there was something that had been written on the back of the drawing that he hadn't noticed before.

Carefully he turned the paper over in his hands and saw written out in dark blue crayon a simple message from the past: "I love you, dad."

"Cole." Hank recognized the handwriting instantly and began to weep tears of joy. With a ginger touch Hank pressed the drawing up to his chest and needlessly responded to the long unanswered message with his words shaking, but true. "I love you, too, Cole. And I always will."

_**-next chapter-**_


	53. Fire Within

The relentless heat had taken its toll on the city as a whole and despite all the advances in energy production and distribution thanks to Kamski's brilliant engineering rolling blackouts were still an issue. By noon half of the city had been without power causing a lot of already cranky people to become outright hostile, and lash out at other people for even the mildest of provocations. After arresting a third overheated and violent suspect in the same hour Connor escorted the angry man to an air conditioned cell, and sighed as he walked over to his desk to try to take a moment and relax.

"It's the heat." Tina stated nonchalantly as she watched Connor walk to his desk and sit down heavily, and sipped as her small thermos of iced tea.

"Huh?"

"Whenever the city tears itself apart in the summertime it's always from the heat."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"Do androids get so testy in the heat, or is that a human exclusive trait?"

"Androids are prone to emotional outbursts courtesy of discomfort like any human." Connor answered honestly without an hint of offense or irritation. "If extreme temperatures cause damage to our- _their_," he corrected himself quickly. "software or worse, hardware, then it's entirely possible that an android could become hostile and attack innocent people."

"How do androids stay cool when it's so hot like this?"

"Chilled Thirium and remaining in air conditioned buildings out of the direct heat is the ideal solution."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

Hank had walked out of the breakroom with a mug of ice water in his hand and overheard the tail end of the conversation. "Sounds a lot better than getting into fist fights just because someone gets a little cranky, that's for damn sure."

Nodding with total agreement Connor leaned back in his chair and let out a tired sigh as he began to type up his report regarding the newest arrest, and how he was just another victim of the heat lashing out at complete strangers in an unfocused protest. As his fingertips touched the keyboard the building let out a weird groan as the power suddenly cut out, and the air became uncomfortably still while the bullpen lighting dimmed.

"...Shit." Connor softly swore to himself as he glanced upward at the blank lighting and proceeded to rub his left hand over his forehead. "It's not even two o'clock and we lost power."

"Yup." Hank sipped at his mug of water and just waited for Captain Fowler to leave his office and issue a new command. "Don't worry, in just a few months we'll be bitching about the cold and missing the heat."

"I highly doubt that."

Captain Fowler opened the door to his office and stood on the small step that elevated him slightly above the rest of the floor as he called out to the officers sitting in the bullpen awaiting their next orders. "Alright, people. You know the drill. Clear the cells to keep our 'guests' from getting sick from the heat and transport them to the next precinct. Patrol move out and keep vigil for any and all potential looters or rioters in the street. Hank," he motioned to the Lieutenant with a quick point of his right index finger. "take the lead on patrol, I'll take care of things here."

Hank finished his water and gave Connor a smug glance. "We get to sit in the air conditioned car while he's here in the powerless building? I like it."

* * *

The broiling streets were relatively vacant as people sought shelter inside buildings or at the public pools. The few people who were out walking the streets looked miserable, and were chugging down water or sports drinks to try to cool off as they went about their business, and paid no attention to the patrolling squad cars circling the neighborhood to make sure things remained as peaceful as possible. The last thing the city needed was a heatwave making the already testy people all the most hostile, and yet the weather seemed to be refusing to cooperate.

Connor had shed his gray suit jacket and tossed it into the backseat of the car, and removed his black tie from around his neck as well. In doing so Hank just smirked and shook his head as his younger partner, a person who was remembering all the limitations of being human even after almost a year, struggled to get comfortable in the heat.

"Roll up your sleeves." The senior detective suggested as Connor turned up the air conditioning in the car another notch. "It'll help."

"Right." In doing so Connor couldn't help but notice that Hank didn't seem to be as uncomfortable despite wearing a long sleeved dress shirt over a t-shirt, and wearing thick blue jeans. "Why aren't you hot?"

"I am, kid. But I'm used to dealing with this type of heat after eighteen years of doing this same song and dance every summer."

"How do you get used to it?"

"Experience and exposure. You're barely twenty-five, so it's going to be a while yet before you can really do the same."

"Technically I have been twenty-five for the past five months, I just have a new birth date because of you adopting Lucas and myself."

"Yeah, yeah. What do you want to do for your birthday tomorrow?"

"Nothing. I don't need to celebrate it or do anything special."

"Well, too bad. As soon as Lucas is back we're going to have a little party of some kind for the both of you, so think of what you want to do. Or what you DON'T want to do so it isn't weird."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he thought about Hank's suggestion, but his train of thought was quickly disrupted when his phone began to ring. Pulling the device from his right jean pocket Connor saw the caller I.D. and answered right away. "Markus, hello."

'_Hey, Connor_.' The voice on the other end of the line was attempting to remain confident but Connor could hear the fear lingering in Markus's tone. '_The power failed in the tower and we're having difficulty with getting the power back on_. _Is there something happening in the city_?'

"Rolling blackouts have been sweeping over the city throughout the morning and afternoon," noting the odd lack of efficiency at New Jericho with an arched brow Connor sensed something was amiss. "but the tower should have its own power supply and an emergency back-up generator."

'_You're right, but for whatever reason we can't get the generator to restore the power_.'

"That's strange."

'_If you're available could you stop by the tower and help us out_? _I'm worried about security_.'

"Security?" Connor's brow arched even further as he turned and looked at Hank, who had been listening in on the conversation. "What's going on?"

'_Remember that deviant I had to ban from New Jericho a few months back_?'

"You're referring to Eddie."

'_Yeah_. _I think he's been skulking around and trying to rile up some of the deviants_. _I keep hearing his name being whispered and I have no idea what he's up to, or what he might be capable of if he gains enough allies through his hate speech and anger_.'

"I understand. We'll stop by the tower as soon as we can. Until then remain vigilant, and don't let Eddie or any of his known associates near you."

'_Right_. _See you soon, Connor_. _Thank you_!'

Connor ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket for later use. "Think we can swing by the tower?"

"Yup." Turning at the next block Hank headed out to the tower without even hesitating.

Picking up on the change of route Connor's posture stiffened slightly. "...I meant during our break or after our shift."

"Yeah, I know. But since we're in charge of deviant cases and there's a chance the deviant sanctuary is in danger I think it's safe to say the tower is now our new priority."

Smirking a little at the comment Connor agreed and proceeded to lean back in his seat as he ran his right figners through his somewhat sweaty hair. "You're right. We need to put New Jericho first."

* * *

The massive tower that was a beacon of hope and a sanctuary for deviants across the entire country was now dark and full of silence. Without the power to keep the lights illuminated or the cool air flowing the tower was a stagnant structure of failed energy, and righteously worried refugees. While Markus continued to hold his head high and keep a mask of confidence on his face as he took continued to hold control over the tower and maintain the peace, the people who looked to him for guidance were still worrying and on edge.

'_Josh, how're you holding up in the archives_?' Markus asked cybernetically as he remained in the main lobby of the tower to keep tabs on everything happening around him. It was an ideal place to monitor his people while awaiting assistance from his detective allies. '_Do you need anything_?'

'_I'm fine_.' The response was calm and patient. '_It's a little quiet down here with all the terminals and modems off, but there was no damage from the power failure and I still have access to the emergency staircase if I need to leave for any reason_.'

'_Did you have any luck with the reparing generator_?'

'_Not yet_. _I'm not sure why it's not working but I'll keep examining it, and I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I know anything more_.'

'_Thanks, Josh_. _Keep up the good work_.' Glancing about the lobby Markus noticed that two refugees were looking worried as they carried a third wounded refugee between them. The emergency repair bay was on the fifty-first Sublevel and would take time to use the stairs to get down there, let alone do so with a wounded deviant barely able to stand on their own. "Until the elevators are working again go to the community room and lay him down to rest." Markus instructed in a compassionate tone. "There's an emergency repair kit stored in the supply closet inside the room, and that'll help until we can either get the power restored, or a technician becomes available."

"Right, Markus." One of the refugees replied on behalf of the trio as he led the way to the community room to tend to their wounded colleague.

From down the corridor North walked along with Skye toward Markus and did so with purpose in her steps. "We haven't seen any sign of Eddie in the past three months, but we think he may have sabotaged the generator before he left the tower."

"How so?"

Skye showed Markus an electronic tablet she had been carrying and with it came a recording of security footage from the archives of the tower just prior to the day Eddie had been banned. "He was an engineer and he spent a lot of time down in the archives. I'm worried he may have tampered with the wiring or rigged the generator to fail as a disgruntled act of sabotage."

"How do we know for sure?" Watching the footage of Eddie making adjustments to the generator made Markus feel unsteady on his feet. "We can't exactly get down there to check on the generator, and get back up here to keep an eye on things without the elevators working. Josh is very skilled but his programming doesn't have anything regarding engineering."

North crossed her arms over her chest and gave Markus a slight tilt of her head. "Where's Simon?"

"In the emergency repair bay tending to our wounded. We have another wounded refugee in the community room resting until the elevators are working again so he can be taken to the repair bay."

"I'll go check on the refugee." As North volunteered her services Skye stayed back with Markus to try to be of some assistance.

"Did you see anyone else working with Eddie?" The deviant leader asked in a low voice as Skye cycled through her compiled security footage. "Anyone at all?"

"There was another deviant named 'George' who often spent time with Eddie, but he took off shortly after Eddie was banned."

"Do you know where George went?"

"No. No one's seen him."

"Great, now we have_ two_ possibly dangerous deviants stalking the tower."

"What can I do to help?"

"We need someone to check on the generator."

"I don't think that's something I can do."

Markus nodded a little and caught movement from the corner of his eye. Seeing Connor and Hank walking up to the door gave the deviant leader a new idea that could pay off in a big way. "But I bet _they_ might be able to do something."

Skye looked to the doors and her hazel eyes lit up a little when she saw Connor heading their way. "I bet you're right."

"Markus," Connor called out to his friend and the leader of the deviants in a calm voice as he and Hank passed through the front doors of the tower. "how can we help?"

"Great timing." Passing the security footage over to Connor to view for himself Markus explained how the generator may have been sabotaged and in need of repair. "I know you're more familiar with CyberLife machinery, so do you think you can check on the generator and help out Josh?"

"I can take a look." Handing over the tablet to Hank to check out Connor nodded at Markus and gave Skye a faint grin. "How's everyone else holding up?"

"Aside from being unable to actively reach each floor with the elevator we're fine."

Hank handed the screen back to Markus and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin. "If that jackass did mess with the generator I think we can fix it."

"You're sure?"

"Sure." The senior detective sounded far more confident than how Markus felt in that moment. "I've worked on cars all my life so I think we can handle a simple generator."

"I appreciate this. I really do."

"No problem." Putting his left hand on Connor's right shoulder Hank took a step back and sighed. "Alright, were is this thing?"

"Basement of the tower. The archive room."

"...Shit. By the time we walk all those stairs the power might come back all on its own." Lamenting the chore with a playful voice Hank let Connor and Skye lead the way while Markus stayed in the lobby to maintain a sense of control over the tower. "Alright, let's get a move on."

* * *

Keeping himself busy in the tower's archives during the blackout Josh found himself blindly messing with the generator to try to figure out why it wasn't functioning, only to find a strange metallic device externally attached to the back of the disabled generator. Taking note of the device and chronicling the unusual item for further evaluation Josh wisely took a few steps back from the generator as he updated Markus on what he had found, and chose to not touch it whatsoever.

'_Markus, I've been examining the generator and there's something foreign attached to the back of it_.'

'_Do you know what it is_?'

'_No clue_.'

'_Connor, Hank and Skye are on their way down to check on the generator_. _Show them the device and come back up the ground floor_. _We have a wounded deviant in the community room who can use some help_.'

'_Will do, no problem_.'

A little out of breath Hank walked into the archive room through the stairwell and stood in the middle of the room while Connor and Skye followed after him. The discreet couple were whispering to each other in an event to have a relatively private discussion. Once the trio were inside the archives Josh motioned to the large, yet compact generator in the corner of the archive room.

"Check this out." Pointing out the strange device Josh gave the group room to observe the curious object and try to deduce its purpose. "I haven't seen anything like that before."

Resuming his professional demeanor Connor peered at the device attached to the back of the generator and knew from his initial observation that the device didn't belong to CyberLife, and sure as Hell doesn't belong on the generator. As his brow furrowed Connor nodded at Josh and confirmed that he found something that was indeed very out of place. "I haven't seen anything like it, either. I think you should go up to the ground floor and let Markus know what's going in person."

"Right. What else should I do?"

"I know without the archives currently active you can't check into recent security footage, but maybe you can ask other deviants if they've seen anything suspicious while in the archives if they have been here within the past forty-eight hours."

"Good idea. I'll get on it."

Hank took a look at the device as well while Josh took a step back and he too had no idea what the device was. "Man, that's weird. What do you think it's doing?"

"I don't know." Connor admitted as Josh took his leave of the room and began climbing up the staircase. "I know CyberLife tech fairly well but this isn't something that CyberLife ever created. I'm sure of it."

Skye held up the electronic tablet in her hands and used it to take a photo of the device and tried to scan it. "...None of the hardware or software used in its construction originated from CyberLife. It's all scrap from various broken down computers that were deposited at recycling plants throughout the city."

"You can't trace it down to a single source?" Connor asked as he examined the device to see if he could remove it by hand. It was secured tightly to the rear of the generator and was designed to hold fast. "You can't figure out where Eddie picked up the pieces he used to construct the device?"

"No. There's nothing-" Skye suddenly fell silent as the reading on her screen showed a sudden spike in the power level being emitted by the device and grabbed onto Connor's right arm protectively. "Watch out!"

Connor was thrown back a few feet by Skye's strong grip just as the device in question let out a high pitched whine and burst into flames. As the device exploded the entire archive room shook and filled with black smoke as the bright organce flames began to eat away at the exterior surface of the generator from which it had been so crudely, yet effectively, attached.

"Shit!" Hank swore as he ducked down and put up his left arm to protect his face as the bright fire began to destroy the generator. Glancing about he noticed the fire alarm on the wall beside the door and quickly pulled down the red handle to set off the emergency sprinklers, and to summon the fire department. As a cascade of lukewarm water fell from the sprinklers overhead Hank went to check on both Connor and Skye. "Are you two alright?"

"...Fine." Connor replied as he pushed himself up from his right side and knelt on the floor beside Skye, and pressed his right hand to the middle of her back. She was unconscious and laying on her chest on the floor with her L.E.D. cycling red steadily in her right temple. "...Skye took a strong blow to the head."

"Can you move her?" Kneeling on the other side of Skye protectively Hank looked down at her, and brushed his wet locks of gray hair back and out of his eyes to see better.

"I think so." Running his hand down her back to check her spinal support column for damage Connor leaned down closer to her face and gently swept a lock of her own brunette hair from her face to check for any wounds to her head. There was a small laceration on her forehead above her right eye right next to her L.E.D. that was oozing blue blood that was quickly being washed away by the sprinklers overhead. "She's injured but it's not serious."

"What the hell made that thing go off?"

"I don't know." Looking over to the tablet that Skye had dropped when she was knocked unconscious Connor realized that the answer could be logged away, but was in danger of being destroyed by the water. "Get the tablet! Keep it dry!"

Without questioning Connor for a moment Hank grabbed onto the tablet and tucked it under his dress shirt out of the water while Connor carefully rolled Skye onto her left side and then back as he scooped her up into his arms, his right arm under her back and the left arm under her knees, as he proceeded to carry her away from the generator and to safety.

The sprinklers had done their job and doused the flames but the fire department would still come down and ensure that the scene was completely safe before allowing anyone who evacuated the premises to return.

"Fuckin' hell." Hank swore as he followed Connor up the staircase to get back to the ground floor. "How did we go from patrolling the streets to fixing a generator, _and_ fighting a fire?"

"Wish I could explain it." Connor adjusted his arms so Skye was resting her head against his right shoulder and chest as he carried her to safety. "Maybe I really am a jinx when it comes to these types of situations."

"Nah. If you were a jinx then the damn CAR would've exploded when we tried to go on patrol, not a piece of shit bomb on a generator!"

"...Maybe."

* * *

Outside the tower Markus directed the refugees to safety and away from the building as a fire engine and rescue squad raced down the drive to take care of the fire before it caused catastrophic damage to the tower as a whole. Every one of the tower's inhabitants had been accounted for, save for Skye, as well as Connor and Hank, and due to Skye being rendered unconscious by the explosion cybernetic communication with the trio had been completely severed for the moment.

Reaching the top of the staircase Connor managed to easily carry Skye to the front doors while Hank followed right after him. Drenched in the water from the emergency sprinklers the trio look horrible, but at least they were safe and made it outside in one piece.

"Markus." Connor called out to the deviant leader as he approached him with Skye still in his arms. "That device Josh had found exploded. It caused the fire."

"What?" The always calm deviant leader's mismatched eyes went wide with confusion and worry. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but as soon as I tried to remove it the device self destructed." Nodding to Hank as the senior detective passed the rescued tablet over to Markus's hands Connor continued to explain what had happened. "Skye had been taking a reading on the device and had been chronicling its structure right up until it combusted. She warned me and managed to get me out of the way of the explosion before I was injured."

Markus accepted the tablet but was more focused on Skye's condition. "...How badly was she damaged?"

"I can't be certain, but the explosion rendered her unconscious from a single wound to her cranium."

Turning to look back at Simon, who was checking on other refugees who had been previously wounded, Markus waved the blond technician over while Connor continued to hold Skye in his arms. "Damn it."

"...Was anyone else hurt?"

"No. The only injury was apparently just Skye."

"I suppose that's something we should be grateful for." Keeping Skye held close to his chest Connor watched as Simon checked over her injury and diagnosed her current condition. "How is she?"

Simon pressed his fingertips to Skye's red tinted L.E.D. and ran a remote diagnosis to the best of his ability. "...Mild concussion. She'll be in stasis mode for the next two hours as her system recalibrates and her self healing program repairs to the damage to her intracranial processors."

"Damn."

"It could've been worse, Connor."

"Yeah, I know... That doesn't make me feel any better."

As the fire department filed into the tower to take care of the fire in the basement Hank spoke with the Chief of the responding firehouse, and explained everything to the best of his ability and directed them to the basement of the tower to the source of the fire. He also asked them to possibly salvage the device that had exploded for evidence to be analyzed later.

"Markus," remaining in place with Skye in his arms Connor looked to his friend and leader of his people for answers. "what's going to happen with the tower?"

"Once the building is clear we'll return and clean up the mess."

"...Skye needs to be taken somewhere to heal before then. I'll take care of her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Until the fire department gathers the remains of the device I won't be able to work on this case anymore anyway. Right now I'd rather focus on helping her get better."

Giving his friend a faint but detectably coy smile Markus approved and allowed Connor take charge of Skye's care. "I understand. We'll keep you and Hank updated on what's happening here at the tower, and you let us know how Skye's recovering."

"I will. Stay safe, and don't let any new refugees in the tower without someone keeping an eye on them until the power returns, and the security program reengages."

"We'll take every precaution that we can. I swear it."

* * *

Despite Hank's initial objections to taking Skye with them to the precinct to file their reports he eventually caved, and agreed that keeping a witness to the device before it exploded at the precinct would be the safest place for her until she recovered. Fortunately power had been restored to the precinct itself and Connor was able to take Skye to the precinct dispensary on the second floor to be watched over by Joel until the reports were finished, and they'd be able to leave for home for the rest of the evening.

After changing out of their wet clothes and into their spare dry clothes kept in the locker room Connor and Hank proceeded to fill out their odd reports while they worked alongside the fire department to keep the facts straight. Hank managed to remain fully focused on the report but Connor had to use his half-dollar coin to distract himself a little while longer in order to not think about Skye too much as he tried to finish his report appropriately.

Glancing up at Connor across his desk Hank saw him fighting to keep his attention on his assignment and proceeded to give Connor the clear to go check up on Skye in the dispensary to free his mind of his torn responsibilities. "Connor. Go."

"Huh?" The young detective looked up quickly and at Hank with slight confusion. "...Go where?"

"Go to the dispensary. I got this."

"...Thanks, Hank."

As Connor took his leave of the bullpen and pocketed his coin Hank just shook his head and continued to file the report on his own. "Poor kid is still relearning about emotions, and I get the feeling love is his next lesson. I just hope it doesn't turn into heartbreak or worse..."

* * *

In the dispensary Joel was actively monitoring Skye's condition, and wasn't at all surprised to see Connor coming in to check on her again. As the worried young detective stood beside the exam table looking down at his injured friend Joel put his right hand to Connor's left arm sympathetically, and watched as Connor used his right hand to gently combed Skye's hair out of her face, and tuck the dark locks behind her left ear.

"She'll be fine, Connor." The empathetic technician promised in a kind voice. "Just give her an hour or two so she can reboot properly."

"She hasn't woken up at all?"

"No, but she's stable." Pointing out that her L.E.D. had shifted from red to yellow, and that the lacerations to her forehead had almost healed entirely Joel tried to get Connor to relax a little. "I know it's hard, but try not worry."

"Sorry. But now that I can't cybernetically connect with her, or anyone else, I find myself feeling quite isolated." Glancing down at the smart watch on his left wrist he smirked a little knowing that Lucas was just a call away, and knew his little brother was looking out for him even while in Boston. "I miss being able to have a constant direct contact with my allies."

"Yeah, I can get that. Look, she's going to make a full recovery and she's going to want to rest off her inevitable headache, so why don't you go ahead and take her wherever it is you're going to take her so she can rest?"

"The report isn't finished yet."

"So? The fire department isn't going to have every scrap of whatever it was that blew up collected just yet either. As your friend I insist you take Skye out of here, and then take the rest of the day for yourself."

"If I were still a deviant you could tell Captain Fowler that you've dismissed me for the day as my technician."

"I'll never outrank Captain Fowler, but I get the feeling he'd agree with me on this one even though you're now a human."

"Thanks for helping her, Joel." Connor gently slipped his arms beneath Skye's shoulders and knees again as he easily picked her up from the table and held her up against his chest again. Skye remained unconscious as her head once again rested against Connor's chest and right shoulder lightly. "I'll let you know how she's doing later on."

* * *

The entirety of New Jericho Tower was cleared and was in the process of being cleaned up while Markus, Simon, Josh and North gathered in the main office to check over the recorded information Skye had captured on the device before it self destructed, and destroyed the generator in the process. There was little information to go on as the device destroyed every little usable piece of valuable hardware inside of the metal casing, but the sparse readings that Skye had recorded were undoubtedly invaluable.

"Damn it." Markus let out a sigh and rubbed his left hand over the back of his neck with frustration. "We know Eddie did this but we don't know why."

North put her left hand on his right forearm and took a step closer to him to try to be a comforting presence. "Everyone in the city is looking for Eddie and for George. We'll find them."

"Finding them won't do us much good if they fight back, or worse..."

"Hey, it's okay. Just take it easy."

"I want to but I can't."

"The power's been restore and the entire tower is still on lockdown. We know that Skye will be safe with Connor and Hank watching over her, too." Wrapping her arms around Markus's chest she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips to try to get Markus to feel better. "Just try to be patient."

"I'm trying."

North placed her right hand to the left side of his face and used her thumb to caress his cheek as he bowed his forehead down to rest against hers. "It'll be fine." She promised in a soft whisper, her demeanor steadily becoming more calm and compassionate over time. "We won't let two disgruntled deviants who want a war undo all our hard work and hurt our people."

* * *

Arriving at the house the two detectives were greeted by yet another blackout that shutdown the air conditioning, and caused the house to quickly heat up. Sumo and Ruby were eager to get outside after they lapped up every drop of their water in their bowls, and wanted to swim a few laps in the pool. Hank barely had the chance to put down fresh bowls of water before the two dogs were lapping it up, but it did give him the chance to remove the cover from the pool so the dogs could go cool off without clawing up the protective layer to get to the water beneath.

Connor had taken Skye upstairs to sleep and put her down on Lucas's bed so she could have a room all to herself as she healed. Taking a washcloth and wrapping it around a partially melted ice pack Connor placed the compress over Skye's forehead to help her stay cool as she healed until the power returned to the house. Sitting down on the edge of the bed he stayed by her side and watched her peaceful face as she remained unconscious under his watch.

"Wake up soon, Skye." Connor asked in a low voice as he again gently brushed her hair back from her face with a compassionate touch. "I want to properly thank you for saving me from that explosion."

"She'll be fine, son." Hank stated as he stood in the opened doorway of the bedroom and observed Connor's compassionate nature first hand. "You know better than I do that deviants need a few hours to reboot."

"I know. I just hate waiting."

"Don't I know it."

"How're the dogs?"

"Hot. I gave them more water and let them out back into the pool. I think we should follow their example and cool off."

"I'll go downstairs after Skye wakes up. With it being so hot I don't want to let her alone in case she overheats in her sleep."

Giving Connor a knowing glance Hank casually leaned against the opened door frame and watched his adopted son's behavior curiously. "Have you told her how you really about her?"

"I..." Blushing bright red Connor turned away from Hank's eyes as he answered nervously. "...Not in so many words. Yet."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to say something that might be... I don't know. Misplaced."

"'Misplaced'? What's going to get misplaced?"

Connor shook his head a little as he remained silent.

"I've seen the way she looks at you, kid. There's nothing misplaced about your feelings. Tell her the truth and I'm sure she'll tell you the same." The confidence in Hank's voice was palpable. "She's crazy about you."

"I... I'll think about it."

"Uh-huh. Well, I'm going to join the dogs in the pool because they at least have the sense to do something to cool off and relax after such a hot damn day."

There was a sudden rush of cool air as the power returned to the house and the air conditioner began blowing the much needed chilled air about the home.

"Well then," Hank crossed his arms over his chest and proceeded to check each room of the house to make sure everything was working properly. "that's one problem down. I'll leave it to you to take care of Skye."

"Right. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"If that were true you wouldn't be hovering so protectively over her, that is..." He hid his cheesy grin as he passed through the opened bedroom door to head outside and get to the pool. "unless there's _another reason_ you're spending so much time with her."

Connor failed to hide his blush as Hank let him be alone as he continued to watch over Skye. Pressing his right palm lightly against Skye's left cheek Connor watched as her L.E.D. cycled from yellow and into a calm blue as her hazel eyes began to slowly move and open about. Retracting his hand Connor just watched as her eyes opened and a faint smile crept over her face.

"...Hi."

"Hi." Connor replied as he took the cool compress from Skye's forehead and returned her smile. "How do you feel?"

Skye looked about and realized she wasn't in the tower, and that Connor wasn't wearing his work shirt anymore. Gauging her bearings she recognized the sound and scent of the house and knew she had been taken to Connor's home while she recovered. "...A little confused." Putting her right hand to her forehead she felt the lingering ache of being struck in the head during the explosion. "Shit! The tower!" As she bolted upright Connor put his hands to her shoulders to keep her still. "The explosion!"

"It's okay, Skye. The fire's out and the tower was saved." Feeling her tension leave her body as she relaxed a little Connor gave her a grateful smirk. "So was I, thanks to you."

Now it was Skye's turn to blush, although she blushed blue as opposed to Connor's red. "...I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"Well, it worked. It's just too bad you were injured in the process."

Dropping her hand from her forehead Skye ran a self diagnostic and asked about the events leading to the explosion itself. "What even happened? I remember seeing the energy readings in that unknown device spiking as soon as you attempted to pull the device away from the generator, and the temperature just elevated from ninety-two degrees Fahrenheit all the way up to nine-hundred and seventy-three degrees in a matter of seconds."

"We're still trying to figure that out. The fire department salvaged the pieces of the device and have transferred them to the precinct to be analyzed, and can hopefully be traced to a single, or at least a common, source and we'll continue the investigation from there."

"Was anyone else at the tower hurt?"

"No. You took a strong blow to the head and were rendered unconscious. Simon and Joel, the precinct technician who had aided me numerous times in the past, both agreed you'd be fine within a few hours."

"How long was I unconscious?"

"Two hours and twenty-something minutes. Sorry, I can't keep such an exact count anymore."

"It's okay." Feeling stronger and more like herself Skye leaned forward and put her right palm over her healed forehead with a ginger pressure. "And I'm okay." She glanced about the bedroom and gave Connor a curious glance. "Why am I here?"

"Since the tower was vacated and will be undergoing repairs I thought it'd be more effective for you to recover elsewhere."

"...Why not a facility?" She asked with a sly grin of her own. "Why bring me to your home?"

"I... Well, since you're the only one with a cybernetic recording of the incident it seemed... practical." The rosy blush returned against his will and it was clear that Connor's motivation wasn't just professionalism. "I want to keep the witness, and _my friend_, safe."

Slipping her left hand over the back of Connor's right hand and gave him a kind squeeze. "I appreciate it."

Connor's blush turned even redder as he reciprocated the squeeze. "I'm happy to see you awake." Looking to change the subject a little the young detective mentioned an enticing idea. "Right now everyone is out back and enjoying the pool. It's too hot to stay inside and hope that the power holds out, and the air conditioner keeps running. Would you like to join us outside?"

"That sounds like a great idea." The prospect of relaxing on the hot summer day was too tempting to resist. "I'd love to spend the rest of the day with you."

* * *

By the time midnight rolled around the house had cooled down and so had everyone else. Markus had called Connor to confirm that the tower was secured and it was deemed safe for Skye to return as they hadn't found anymore of the enigmatic devices anywhere inside the tower, or outside the tower on New Jericho property. Since it was so late Connor asked for Skye to stay the night and escort her back to the tower in the morning. She accepted and despite being offered Lucas's room all to herself she wanted to stay with Connor.

Of course he accepted the offer, and managed to find her some comfortable clean clothing to wear until the small stain of Thirium evaporated from her dark green blouse and jeans overnight. The impromptu dip in the pool had also rendered her black bra and panties wet, which meant she had no choice but to wear the offered clothes instead.

Laying together on the bed with both Sumo and Ruby at the foot of the bed Connor held Skye in his right arm as she laid at his right side and managed to sleep peacefully. With her head pressed against his chest Skye listened to the sound of his heartbeat and drifted off to rest mode, while Connor lightly rubbed his right hand up and down her upper right arm as he too fell asleep.

The power only blinked out once more in the middle of the night, but was restored within the hour, which was a good sign that the city was finding a proper way to handle the energy needs to keep everyone cool. As the night transitioned to morning Connor was awoken by the sound of the front door opening and Sumo letting out an excited, short 'boof' as he jumped down from the bed and trotted down the staircase. Ruby lifted her head up and twitched her ears before she followed after Sumo with her tail wagging rapidly.

Skye still had her eyes closed but she was also awoken by the sounds of the house and of the dogs excitedly leaving the bedroom. "...What was that about?"

"I'm not sure." Connor responded as too kept his eyes closed and answered the question. "I suppose Hank is awake and just poured them some food."

Opening her hazel eyes Skye smiled and looked up at Connor to greet him properly as the day began. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Reaching up her right hand Skye brushed the back of her hand against Connor's chin where a faint but dark stubble was growing and gave him a soft laugh at the abrasive contact. "You need to shave."

Running his own right fingertips over his chin he gave Skye an amused smirk before he reached over and took his glasses from the nightstand to wear instead of his contact lenses. "It's my day off. I only shave when I need to go to the precinct."

"I've never seen anyone actually _grow_ a goatee. It's either there or it's not."

"Humans are weird." He replied matter-of-factly as he sat upright on the bed, and ran his left hand through his slightly messy hair. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Just fine. I'm functioning at one-hundred percent capacity." Sitting up beside Connor with a sincere grin on her face Skye leaned forward and gave Connor a kiss on his stubbly right cheek. "By the way, Happy Birthday."

Remembering that the day actually was his and Lucas's birthdays, technically the day Hank officially adopted them both, Connor gave Skye a slight nod of the head to acknowledge her comment and decided he needed to call his little brother. "Thanks. I guess I should say the same to Lucas." As he made a grab for his phone on the nightstand he rose from the bed and proceeded to walk down the staircase while Skye changed into her usual clothing that had been left to dry off in the bathroom. Just as his right thumb was about to press down on 'dial' Connor reached the bottom of the staircase and was greeted by an unexpected but welcome sight. "Lucas!"

"Hello, big brother." Lucas greeted as he knelt on the floor give Sumo and Ruby some long overdue affection as the two dogs rolled about at his feet in an excited and silly manner. "Happy Birthday."

"Same to you. I didn't think you'd be back from Boston for another three weeks." Slipping his phone into his sweatpants pocket Connor walked over to his little brother and put his right hand to his left shoulder. "When did you return home?"

"Two minutes and eighteen seconds ago." Standing upright Lucas gave his brother a relieved grin. "I'm finished with Boston and I have no plans of leaving the city anytime soon."

"You're staying home this time?"

"Yes. I'm staying home. I like to think of that as an ideal birthday gift for myself."

"I think that's a gift we can both enjoy."

As the brothers conversed downstairs Skye heard the two voices and met them in the livingroom and greeted Lucas with a warm smile. "Lucas! You're back!"

"Hello, Skye." The deviant technician happily reunited with Skye as well as his big brother. "It's nice to see you, too."

"Did I hear that you're back in the city for good?"

"Yes. I'm no longer needed in Boston."

"That's a relief. I don't like it when my friends are so far away."

"The feeling is mutual."

From the top of the staircase Hank let out a sleepy yawn and looked down at the trio gathered in the livingroom. "What the hell is this?" Looking over at Lucas the senior detective gave the deviant a relieved smirk. "Oh, good. We're all back together again."

Connor looked up at Hank and gave him a slight tilt of the head. "Think we can call this a good birthday, and not do anything elaborate?"

"Sure, son. Just give me a few more hours to sleep and whatever you two want to do today is fine by me."

* * *

By noon the two brothers were enjoying their time together on their birthday by the pool and had the company of Hank, Skye and even Chloe to make the day feel all the more special. The blackouts had finally stopped which meant the city was in less turmoil, and the violence took a dip as the heat was no longer as unbearable. Connor was sitting with Skye at his side while Lucas sat with Chloe right across from them at the poolside. The young couples were discreetly holding hands while they talked and barely noticed that Connor's mother, Elizabeth, had stopped by the house after being invited over by Hank.

Turning to look at his mother as she stepped out of the sliding backdoor and toward the pool Connor gave her a polite smile and stood up to meet her. "Hi. I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Well, Hank told me about how you've changed your birth date to today and then asked if I wanted to stop by and see you. And of course I did." Putting her right hand to Connor's left cheek Elizabeth gave him a proud smile before looking at Lucas and giving him the same smile. "Both of you deserve to have a Happy Birthday."

"...Thanks."

"I know you don't want to do anything special or really draw any attention to yourself, but I did make you a cake and I found cake flavored Thirium for Lucas."

"You made me a birthday cake?"

"I've never been able to make you a real birthday cake as a child, only a few cupcakes that I had sent to your school. So I finally had the chance to make you a real birthday cake, and I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. Thank you."

"Have a nice birthday, Connor." As she turned to leave the poolside she felt Connor's right hand gently wrap around her left wrist and keep her from going.

"...You don't have to go. Please stay. At least for a while. I mean," the invitation was sincere though it did feel a little odd to request. "if you _want_ to stay."

Elizabeth looked back at her son and gave him a smile that spoke volumes of love and acceptance. "Okay, Connor." Turning to face Connor again she took a step forward and gave him an entirely happy grin. "I'll stay."

* * *

The day was hot and wore on uneventfully as the group stayed by the pool and spent the day talking about everything that was going on at New Jericho and the city. While Connor, Lucas, Chloe and Skye spent the entire day outside with Sumo and Ruby occasionally walking up to one of the four seeking attention, Hank and Elizabeth stayed inside the cool house and chatted with one another in private. It seemed on that day everybody had somebody to spend time with, and everyone was happy for the quiet moment of bonding.

It was a peaceful day without any drama or incidents at the tower which meant the group could actually relax and not have to worry about anything. Markus had made sure to inform Connor about the security of the tower while also check in on Skye's condition, and was just as happy to hear about Lucas's return as the rest of the group had been.

While the day came to an end Connor and Lucas returned to the house with Skye and Chloe walking beside them, and noticed Hank and Elizabeth sitting together on the couch enjoying one another's company. Without commenting on the duo sitting together the brothers walked upstairs with their respective companions and retired for the night.

"I'm glad you have a family." Skye stated as she and Connor climbed back into the bed together. "It's nice to just be around people you enjoy without business always being involved, or dealing with a catastrophe in the city."

"...Yeah. You're right." Slipping off his glasses Connor laid back and wrapped his right arm around Skye as she cuddled up at his right side again. "It truly is something to be appreciative for."

"It's so weird to see you wearing your glasses and then not wearing them." Skye grinned with playful amusement. "I keep forgetting that you're not a deviant anymore."

"It took me a while to get used to it, but I think I prefer wearing my glasses over wearing the contact lenses."

"Why's that?"

"It's easier for me to make eye contact and push aside my introvertedness when I have a barrier between myself and another person."

"That's interesting. You look good either way, just so you know."

"Thanks, I guess."

"You don't believe me?"

"Should I?"

Skye smiled as she took his phone from his nightstand and opened up the camera app. Taking his photo quickly she motioned to his glasses as she kept smiling. "Now put them back for a moment."

Doing as instructed Connor waited for her to take the next photo and watched as she turned the phone around to compare the photos side by side.

"See?"

"I'm aware of what my face looks like, I see it every time I look at my own brother. That doesn't change my opinion on how I think I look."

"I think you're handsome."

Connor felt himself blush a little as Skye quickly turned the phone around and cuddled up against his chest and under his chin. Taking another photo she showed Connor the picture and tried to get him to feel a tad more confident. "You're cute even when you blush!"

"...I think this photo is worth keeping."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It has you in it."

"Awe," she teased as she put the phone aside and gave Connor a kiss on his right cheek. "you're very sweet."

Connor gave her a half grin as he put his glasses back on the nightstand and laid heavily against his pillow.

"Are you okay?" Skye noticed Connor seemed a little edgy. "You seem distracted."

"I'm fine." He answered quickly as he looked at Skye and gave her a slight shrug of the shoulders. "I'm just thinking."

"What about?"

"...My mother."

"She seems very nice, and Hank seems to like her." Skye observed with sincere curiosity. "She also thinks of Lucas as your real brother, and not just a look-alike. That's pretty special."

Sighing a little Connor proceeded to gently rub his right hand up and down Skye's right arm as they relaxed and tried to fall asleep for the night. "I wish I could bring myself to get closer to her. It feels like something is holding me back."

"Relationships take time. You and Hank weren't close when you first met, were you?"

"No, not all." The memories of their first meeting at the precinct, Hank's incredibly pissed off demeanor and steadfast reluctance to work with Connor were as vivid as ever; yet Connor found himself treasuring the memories as they were the foundation of their close relationship as friends and eventually as father and son. "I'm surprised he didn't try to throw me in the dumpster behind the precinct when we were first assigned to work together."

"Why'd you stick with him?"

"I was following my orders."

"What orders?"

"CyberLife had ordered me to locate deviants and destroy them. Hank had been assigned to the same case and as such we were partnered up."

"But were you ordered to work _with Hank_, or just find the deviants?"

"...Just find the deviants."

"And yet you stuck around with Hank and eventually you two befriended each other. Why in the world would you willingly work with someone you knew didn't like you, and didn't care about androids?"

"I don't know. I just... I guess I wanted to adapt to humanity and he was the only human I really knew."

"Like a role model?"

"I suppose that's accurate."

"Maybe even a_ father_ figure?"

Connor's mouth ticked a little as he contemplated what Skye had suggested and tightened his arm around her as they laid together. "Maybe. Perhaps a piece of my human consciousness that was transferred to my android body had subconsciously sought a father figure after enduring the hardship of my childhood. I never really thought about why I stayed partnered with Hank and went out of my way to ensure we worked together." Giving Skye a somewhat curious glance Connor asked about what what was on her mind. "What're you thinking, Skye?"

"I think if you can get someone who was once an anti-android bigot to work with an android, and then take in a couple of deviant androids needing guidance as his own family, then I think you can form a bond with your mother if just given enough time."

Relaxing a little more Connor closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep. "I think you're right. But I never was very good at waiting or being patient."

"That's something else you'll overcome in time, too. I know you will."

"Thank you, Skye."

"You're welcome, Connor."

"One other thing, hypothetically of course," she continued to smile at Connor as she thought about their possible future together. "if we do have kids together someday I love the name 'Clair'."

Arching his brow a little Connor repeated the name of interest. "'Clair'?"

"Yeah. It means 'bright', and I like the idea of bringing a child into a bright promising future full of potential and change."

"That sounds like the perfect name to give to any child."

"What about you? What names do you like?"

"...I haven't really thought about it. Names are just names to me."

"You gave Lucas his name, right? Where'd it come from?"

"It just came to me at first. Then a while later I remembered that when I was a young child I had made up an imaginary friend to speak to since I was so lonely, and I called him 'Lucas'. It just stuck with me after all that time."

"Then I know another great name will come to your mind someday." Letting out a tired breath Skye prepared to enter rest mode for the night as she stayed at Connor's right side. "Today was a great day. I'm so glad I get to spend so much time with you."

"Me too."

"Happy Birthday, Connor."

"...Skye?" Daring himself to finally say it, and to say it with utter conviction Connor spoke those words he had been too afraid to say in fear that his emotions wouldn't be reciprocated. But there was no going back, he _needed_ to say it. "...I love you."

Pulling herself closer to Connor's side Skye rested her head against his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat as responded in turn. "I love you, too, Connor."

_**-next chapter-**_


	54. A Heated Confrontation

After two days to rest and recover from their physically taxing shifts Hank and Connor had to return to the precinct to resume their routines, and protect the deviants in the city. The rolling blackouts had become less frequent throughout the summer, but from time to time the heat would spike; usually around noon, and cause a temporary blackout that lasted for barely an hour at a time. During that hour there was always a spike in the violence in the city as well, and the deviants were a majority of the victims due to the violent outbursts from stressed out humans.

"Shit. How many more deviants were taken to a facility for treatment?" Hank asked as he rubbed his left hand over his bearded chin with utter aggravation. The electronic tablet screen in his right hand showed twelve separate assaults against the victimized deviants, and two more active cases were being uploaded at the moment. "This looks like the aftermath of a damn bar fight."

"There's three more being admitted to care facilities as we speak," Connor confirmed as he eyed his terminal screen and updated their count. "and there's two more en route to facilities for treatment.

"Son of a bitch. Seventeen?"

"So far."

"Fuck. New Jericho is still on lockdown, right?"

"Yes. No one in the tower is leaving the premises until further notice."

"Good. Keep it that way."

Just as it seemed like things couldn't get any worse for the deviants another blackout stole the power from the entire city leaving everything plunged in silent heat as tensions began to steadily rise.

"Fuck me." Swearing out loud and simply saying what everyone else was already thinking Hank leaned back in his chair and looked around the bullpen as if he could somehow find a solution to their problem. "What else can go wrong?"

Connor shrugged his shoulders and checked his phone for a possible update on the blackout as Captain Fowler exited his officer. "I don't know. Maybe we'll get hit by a blizzard this evening and get stuck with icy roads."

"Don't say shit like that, kid. We're in Michigan and the weather doesn't play well with others..."

"Neither do you."

"Smartass."

Taking command of the situation Captain Fowler gave the officers in the bullpen their new orders and dispersed the officers throughout the city to try to keep the peace as much as possible. "Alright people, we've done this too many times already this summer for me to repeat myself, so you know the drill. Move out and keep this city in one piece."

Hank sighed as rose from his desk and fished the car keys from his right jean pocket. "Alright, you want to take the car or use a squad car?"

"I'll take the squad car and meet up with you during our break." The younger detective decided as he memorized the assigned patrol he'd take until the power was restored. The officers were being placed one cop per car to ensure the city was covered as much as possible until the heatwave ended. "I'll also keep you posted on New Jericho in case something does happen."

"Right. See you in a couple hours."

* * *

The city as a whole was smothered under a layer of intense heat and aggression. The Android Emergency Care Facilities in the city had posted extra security since the massive influx of wounded deviants had put everyone on edge, and as a result there were very few deviants walking the sidewalk out of a righteous need to stay away from the hostile humans who were using the extreme weather as an excuse to lash out violently. The only people out on the sidewalk were humans begrudgingly braving the heat for one reason or another as the summer wore on slowly.

Circling the block for the fourth time Connor was about to return to the precinct to make a report when someone started frantically waving his car down seeking help. Pulling the car to the side of the street Connor radioed dispatch that he was responding to a civilian in distress and exited the vehicle to check on the person seeking his help.

"Sir? What's the problem?" Connor asked as he opened his door, unfastened his seatbelt approached the man calmly; yet wisely kept his distance.

"In here!" The man was waving Connor over to a rundown bar that was currently undergoing renovations. "There's a person inside who's unconscious, and I think he's dying!"

"Where is he?" Following after the man Connor peered inside the dirty windows at the front of the building and saw a body laying chest down on the floor. The body was laying next to an overturned ladder and there was an array of tool spread out all around them. They were also wearing a thick hoodie and had the hood pulled up over their head. "Damn it. It looks like he fell from the ladder after being overcome with heat."

"You gotta' help him!"

"I will." Checking the front door Connor found the door unfortunately locked and needed to get creative. "Shit..." Pulling his gun from his holster beneath his thin gray suit jacket Connor used the heavy butt of the gun and smashed the glass window on the door, then reholstered the weapon before reaching his right hand through the opening in the window and turned the lock on the brass handle to open the door. "Got it."

The interior of the bar was dim and thick with a smothering heat that would repel any sane person from trying to enter.

As the door creaked open Connor motioned for the civilian to stay outside while he went inside to check on the unconscious person on the floor. "Sir?" Putting his right hand on the back of the unconscious person Connor shook once to get a response. "Sir? Can you hear me." Moving his hand over to the person's outstretched right arm Connor wrapped his fingers around their wrist to check for a pulse but couldn't detect one. "Shit!"

Turning to look through the opened door Connor pointed at the civilian standing outside and asked for their help.

"Call 911, tell him we have a victim of heat stroke."

As he returned his attention to the victim Connor put both of his hands on their hip and shoulder to roll them over onto their back to begin C.P.R. in an attempt to revive them. Too focused on helping the victim Connor didn't notice that the civilian was still standing in the doorway and creeping up on him. Hovering his hands over the victim's chest Connor caught a glimpse of the victim's face and realized that he in fact knew them.

"...Wait a moment." Pulling the hoodie away from the man's face Connor recognized the victim and felt his heart skip a beat. "Eddie!?"

The civilian suddenly snatched the gun from beneath Connor's jacket and pointed the weapon at the stunned young detective in a single swift motion.

"What in the-" Turning around Connor was greeted by the sight of his own gun now pointing at his face and the civilian holding steady aim. Connor's soulful brown eyes drifted upward toward the civilian's face and he sighed with righteous irritation. "...Damn it. You must be George."

"You got it, detective."

From behind Connor as he the young detective remained kneeling on the floor Eddie sat upright, grabbed the hammer that was nearby in the flood of tools on the floor, and swung it with tremendous force at right Connor's side and upper chest.

Letting out a gasp of pain Connor fell forward onto his knees, and his left hand as his right arm wrapped protectively around his suddenly fractured ribs.

"You're such a fool." Eddie taunted as he dropped the hammer and loomed over Connor with a menacing presence. "You're a traitor to your people, Connor. Not once, but _twice_." Kicking Connor in his already damaged ribs Eddie watched as the human detective coughed loudly and wheezed for his breaths. "You tried to hunt us down when you were a deviant, and now you're a human trying to hold authority over us. You are the enemy."

"...I-I'm not... your enemy."

"Anyone who sides with Markus is _my_ enemy. Your death will mark the beginning of New Jericho's fall."

George smirked as he brought down the butt of Connor's gun against the back of Connor's skull effectively rendering the young detective completely unconscious in an instant. As the human played out helplessly between the two deviants on the floor Connor remained completely unaware of what was happening all around him, or why it was even happening to begin with.

"Sometimes humans make things too damn easy..."

* * *

The heat was pushing everyone to their limits and Hank found himself retreating to the precinct to check in on Connor, expecting to see his younger partner already at his desk or the breakroom, but the young detective was nowhere to be seen. Opening the buttons of his bright blue and orange dress shirt, the annoyingly contrasting colors drove everyone crazy but for Hank that was part of the fun, and exposed the top half of his black t-shirt as he tried to cool off a little. Walking over to the breakroom Hank spotted Chris downing a bottle of cold water he had just plucked from the emergency cooler, and was looking as overheated as Hank felt.

"Hey, Chris. Seen Connor?"

"Nah. He reported to dispatch about a person found unconscious while on patrol, so he's probably still dealing with that."

"Yeah, I heard." Grabbing his own bottle of water from the small cooler full of gradually melting ice Hank took a drink and returned the cap to the bottle to keep it on his person. "Nothing else was reported after the original call."

"Really? That's weird."

"Yup."

"Did the radio in the squad die from the heat?"

"Doubt it. And even if it did Connor would've been able to fix it."

"Sorry, Lieutenant. I don't know."

"It's fine. I'll text him for an update." Walking back toward his desk Hank sent a message out to Connor to check on his patrol, and then waited for a reply from the always dedicated young detective. "Damn heat better not have melted your phone or some shit, kid."

* * *

A horrific throbbing pain in Connor's head made him want return to the blissful nothingness of being unconscious, while the relentless heat beating down against his body made him want to throw-up everything in his stomach. As he took in a deep breath to try to ease his headache and nausea he let out a wheezing gasp as the effort caused his fractured ribs to shift slightly from the effort of his chest rising and falling. The pain was almost unbearable and it was making it difficult for Connor to concentrate on anything.

"...Fuck." Opening his strained eyes slowly Connor tried to lift his head up but he was in too much pain and too dizzy. As his blurry vision somewhat cleared Connor found himself in a dimly lit strange building that he didn't recognize at all. His hands were above his head and cuffed together by his own handcuffs over a thick metal pipe hanging down from the ceiling. The restraints on his wrists had forced Connor into a weak standing position up beneath the pipe, and unable to move. "...Where... am I?"

"Think of this place as your tomb."

The voice was a taunt and as the fog in Connor's mind lifted he recognized that voice as that of Eddie. "...Where did you take me?"

"You don't recognize this place?" The dangerous deviant asked as he stood before Connor and gave his wounded prisoner a vicious sneer. "Of course you wouldn't know this place." Putting his right hand around Connor's throat Eddie pushed Connor's head back and made the wounded detective's head throb with utter pain with that single motion. "This is where I was forced to work by removing dangerous substances, and slaving away in the merciless sun during the summer and the painful cold during the winter."

"...We're... We're at the old Cobalt disposal mine."

"Yeah, you figured it out. You are a pretty good detective after all. Too bad you won't be able to put those skills to good use."

Forcing himself to open his eyes fully Connor glanced about and saw that he was standing against his will in the middle of a concrete decontamination room of a cobalt disposal mine that had been long since abandoned after the Revolution. Previously only androids were permitted to work in the mine out a fear for human lives, but after the success of the Revolution the mine was closed and abandoned as deviants argued it was unjust for androids to clean up the waste humans had made, and risk being exposed to highly radioactive material in the process.

"...Why are you doing this? What's the point of threatening Markus, New Jericho or killing me?"

"Well, you found my little science project at the tower, and I know you're going to piece that puzzle back together eventually. It just makes sense to take you out of the way before you become a real problem." Pulling his hand back from Connor's throat Eddie allowed the young detectives head to bow forward in intense pain. "As for Markus and New Jericho, he's a false god preaching lies about heaven. The only way for deviants to truly know peace is to exist without worthless humans."

"...Untrue."

"Are you talking about your drunk partner being a 'father' for you?"

"Leave Hank out of this!" The outburst made Connor's head hurt even more. "...He's a good person who had a bad experience. Same for myself and every deviant in existence. We're more alike than unalike, Eddie. You just need to let go of your blinding hatred in order to see it."

"How sweet. You always seem to find a light in the darkness." Eddie walked over to a switch on the wall and opened up a large sliding door that was covering a massive square opening in the ceiling. As the door slid open the relentless August sun shone through and down right onto Connor causing the injured and pained detective to wince and duck his face down from the intense light. "Enjoy the light while you can. I figure you'll drop dead from heat stroke in about two hours. I hear its a painful experience to feel yourself burn up and dehydrate, but I wouldn't know. I'm not a fragile human."

Connor squinted his pained eyes as watched Eddie open the only door to the room and allowed even more of the sweltering heat to enter the room and take away Connor's already waning breaths.

"Think of this as a mercy." Eddie snipped from the doorway. "You don't have to watch your friends suffer."

"Leave Markus and New Jericho alone!"

"I can't do that. If deviants are going to change the world for the betterment of our people then they need someone who will make those changes. Not some prototype pretending to be an idol with a plastic whore hanging off his arm."

Connor tried to break his hands free of the cuffs in rage but he simply didn't have the strength.

"Don't bother. You'll just kill yourself faster."

"Eddie? Eddie!" Connor called out for his captor as Eddie left the room, but the deviant didn't stop as he disappeared from sight and out into the horrible summer sunlight. "Damn it!" Swearing loudly Connor pulled as hard as he dared on the cuffs but the metal wouldn't bend enough to free his hands. All the restraints did was cut into his skin causing dark purple bruising and bleeding. "...I have to get out of here before it's too late to save New Jericho."

* * *

Getting annoyed with the lack of response from his missing partner Hank drove about along Connor's patrol, and located the squad car that had been left idle on the side of the street ever since Connor radioed his odd encounter to dispatch. Sensing that something was wrong Hank pulled his car up behind the squad car and examined the contents of the vehicle. Peering through the driver's side window Hank saw Connor's phone on the passenger side seat, which explained the lack of response, and nothing more.

"Alright, kid. Where'd you go?"

Walking along the sidewalk Hank spotted some broken glass in front of a nearby building and went to check it out. Recognizing the break in the window's glass as one that police officers use to enter a locked building Hank knew he was on the right track.

"This has to be the place."

The door was shut but it wasn't locked which gave Hank easy access. Entering the bar he examined the scattered tools on the ground and saw something metallic that didn't belong in a toolbox.

"Shit." Kneeling down on the ground Hank picked up the item and recognized it as Connor's service weapon. As he examined the gun in his hands he saw the smear of fresh blood only beginning to dry on the butt of the weapon, and checked the clip. It hadn't been fired. "Connor... No."

Pulling the radio from his belt Hank called in the scene to dispatch and asked for a second officer to the bar to help him figure out what happened to Connor, and where he had gone.

"Fuckin' hell." Hooking the radio back to his belt Hank stared at the blood on the gun and sighed bitterly. "Where are you, son?"

* * *

Alone and stranded in the midst of heatwave Connor could feel his body beginning to exhibit the effects of heat sickness that was sure to devolve into heatstroke if he didn't get help soon. The thin gray suit jacket suddenly felt like he was wearing a polar suit, and his white dress shirt was soaked through with his sweat, and clinging uncomfortably to his overheated skin. His hair was heavy and soaked through with sweat that made his rogue lock of hair cling to his forehead, and his dried lips were so chapped he vainly ran his dry tongue over his lips to try to ease the discomfort from being chapped.

The heat was unbearable and Connor was feeling overwhelmed by the intensely high temperature smothering over him. Bowing his head down between his arms to shield his face from the sunlight beaming down on him from above Connor breathed deeply and slowly as he felt the sweat beading on his forehead and dripping down his face onto the floor, only to evaporate in less than ten seconds as it hit the hot ground.

Trying to look around his surroundings in the harsh light and through his faltering vision courtesy of the blow to his head Connor honed in on the panel on the far wall that activated the sliding mechanism on the roof above him. Barely able to focus, let alone move, Connor pulled on the cuffs around his wrists again to try to pull his hands free of the metal restraints.

Pulling again and again Connor's hands were too big to slip through the narrow bindings, and he only succeeded in bruising his skin further and cutting into his bruised skin even deeper.

"Come on, come on..." He muttered to himself as he tried and failed to get free. Pulling the cuffs around the pipe to a slightly different angle Connor attempted to get out of the light but he didn't get too far. In moving around the pipe Connor noticed thick bolts and lug nuts jutting out of the pipe in question and looked back at the panel on the wall. "...I can't reach the panel. But maybe I can hit it."

Awkwardly he twisted his hands and fingers around to unscrew one of the lug nuts beside his grip and palmed the heavy object in his right hand. Turning his head to focus on the panel Connor had to stand at an uncomfortable angle in order to get a clear shot at the panel. Holding his breath he gave the lug nut a firm toss from his right hand and watched as the heavy projectile hit the wall just beneath the panel with a heavy 'thud'.

"Shit." Repeating his action he unscrewed a second lug nut and gave another throw. The second lug nut hit the wall just to the left of the panel and hit the floor with the same 'thud'. "Come on... I know I can hit the damn thing." As the third lug nut just barely missed the panel by a few centimeters Connor let out his breath and sighed as he aimed with the fourth lug nut. "Just work!"

With a hearty throw the lug nut smacked into the panel effectively striking the touch screen and reactivating the cover over the ceiling. Connor breathed slowly as he felt the sunlight steadily decreasing as the cover returned to its place overhead, and protected him from the direct rays of the sun. Leaning heavily against the pipe as it pulled on the cuffs on his wrists Connor breathed deeply as the smothering heat, while no longer a direct beam of light, was still dangerously high.

Pulling on the cuffs again Connor stared at his bruised bleeding wrists and noticed that his smart watch had escaped being damaged by the cuffs restraining his appendages to the overhead pipe. Reaching his right index fingertip and thumb up to the side of the watch Connor activated the 'voice to text' feature and fought to speak clearly as he sent out a distress message for help.

"...Text Hank." The watch made a little 'chime' to acknowledge the device had been activated properly. "New Jericho is in danger. I'm stranded at the abandoned Cobalt disposal mine. Need to send help." There was a pause before the watched chimed again and Connor let out a weary sigh. "Send."

Another pause was followed by an electronic feminine voice audibly replied with: '_Message Sent_'.

"...Thanks for the watch, Lucas." Closing his eyes he leaned his forehead against the end of the thick pipe and tried to relax as much as possible. "...I hope I can thank you again in person."

* * *

A small crime scene unit had arrived at the bar and began checking out the scene of the call that Connor had responded to while alone on his patrol. The bar itself had been shutdown for two months as it underwent reconstruction, but all work had been halted since the beginning of July when the heatwave started since the air conditioning units were inactive. No one should've been working inside the building, which of course meant the entire scene was staged; a set-up to ambush Connor.

Ben Collins and his small crew of C.S.I. students had arrived at the scene promptly, and proceeded use holographic projections to keep people from entering the bar, and isolating the evidence. The broken glass on the front door, Connor's dropped gun, the small stain of dried red blood on the floor, the tipped over ladder, the scattered tools, the disabled security cameras at the front and back entrances, and the disabled motion detectors were all highlights.

"What've you got, Ben?" Hank asked as he sought an update.

"Nothing much. The security cameras were disable remotely," he motioned to the camera above the front door with a casual point of his pen before he continued to take notes on his paper notepad. "and no fingerprints. The blood on the floor most likely belongs to Connor. Sorry, Hank. That's all we got."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Rubbing his right hand over his bearded chin in deep contemplation Hank sighed and crossed his arms as he glanced about the partially remodeled bar and looked toward the rear corridor connecting to the backdoor. "What about out back? Any tire tracks?"

"Yeah, lots. Mostly massive tires from construction crews driving in and out of the back drive."

"So you can't isolate anything fresh?"

"No, not yet.

"And the owner?"

"Out of the country. He and his wife went up to Ontario to try to escape the heat for a few weeks."

"Damn. Keep looking, Ben. We can't-" Hank's phone buzzed in his pocket as a text message came in. Fishing the phone out of his pocket Hank saw that the message came from Connor and he readily opened up the message. "Holy shit! Ben?" Pointing to the senior investigator as he backed out of the bar to get back to his car. "I have a lead! Keep looking here and keep me updated."

Rushing out to his car Hank threw open his door and used the G.P.S. mounted on the dashboard to locate the mine and proceeded to pull out onto the street to head out of the city.

Using his phone to call Captain Fowler at the precinct Hank put the phone on speaker and left it on the front seat beside him. "Jeffrey, I have a lead on Connor. Send an ambulance to the old Cobalt disposal mine outside the city. Put patrol outside New Jericho Tower until further notice. There's something going down and I don't know what it is."

* * *

Due to his physical weakness Connor's legs began to shake from dehydration as his heat exhaustion turned into heat sickness, and his body began to succumb to the prolonged exposure to the extreme heat. His watched buzzed a little on his left wrist as his message had been received, and a reply text was sent in return. Unable to respond to the text, let alone actually read it, all Connor could do was wait until someone found him, and hopefully found him before he succumbed to the heat.

With his right fingers still trembling Connor managed to press the sides of his watch again to send another 'voice to text' message. "...Text. Markus."

The chime sounded off and Connor let out a raspy sigh.

"...Eddie is in the city. Attacked me. Has George as his accomplice. Lockdown the tower." Pausing for a moment Connor heard the chime again and he found his voice again as he fought to speak as his throat dried up quickly. "Send."

'_Message Sent_.'

Allowing his legs to give out Connor fell against the end of pipe and didn't even feel the metal of the cuffs around his wrists cutting into his bruised skin or cutting off the circulation to his fingertips as compression and gravity worked against him.

"...What's their... motivation?" Connor muttered to himself as his head bowed forward and he lost consciousness at long last.

Pulling down heavily against the metal restraints around his wrists Connor was completely defenseless and now desperately ill as the heatstroke was causing him to dehydrate to the point where he was no longer even sweating, and his head throbbed mercilessly as his nauseated stomach threatened to betray him at any moment.

Alone and stranded Connor had nowhere to go and no one to call out to.

* * *

The message reached Markus and the deviant leader reacted quickly to the possible threat in a calm, and controlled manner. Ordering the tower to enter lockdown and to have trusted guards monitoring the building despite the repaired generator giving the massive sanctuary enough power to enable locks and security cameras Markus wasn't going to take any chances until Eddie and his cohort were found. Every occupant and volunteer in the tower now knew what to do in order to stay safe.

"Connor confirmed that he was attacked by Eddie," Markus explained as he and North stayed in the middle of the lobby of the tower and watched the entrance for any sign of possible intrusion. "and he said Eddie had someone working with him."

"George?"

"Possibly. Only Connor can tell us definitively through facial recognition."

"Where is Connor right now?"

"...I don't know. I've sent him a couple messages but I haven't gotten a response yet."

"He said he was attacked. Do you think he's hurt?"

"I hope not." Markus pressed his left palm over the center of his chest over his heart as he remembered how Damien had tried to gun him down in cold blood at the renovated church a few months back. "We know Eddie is violent and has no qualms in showing it, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did harm Connor."

"We'll stop him, Markus." North took Markus's right hand in her own and gave him a firm squeeze. "We won't let one zealous deviant hurt our people."

* * *

Driving as fast as he could Hank honed in on the dirt drive that leads out to the mine, and spotted the entrance of the mine in the distance. Grabbing his phone again Hank called Captain Fowler to let him know he found the mine and was now looking for Connor. He in turn received an E.T.A. on the requested ambulance to accompany him to the mine, and promptly pulled the car to a stop at the nearest building which had the freshest tire tracks and shoe prints in front of it. Hank threw open his door aggressively as he stepped out into the heat with his gun in his right hand, and the bottle of water in the left hand as he began his search for his adopted son.

"Connor?!"

Shouting as he checked the building's door and found it locked he moved around to a neighboring building where he could see that the door was left wide open. Rushing to the opened door he shouted again and peered inside the building where he saw the massive pipe in the middle of the room hanging down from the ceiling, and Connor barely standing upright as he had lost consciousness, but the cuffs around his wrists kept him standing up just beneath the pipe.

"Connor!"

Holstering his gun Hank dropped the bottle of water down on the floor and stood behind Connor to wrap his arms around the younger man's chest, unaware of Connor's injured ribs, and hefted him somewhat upright to take the deadweight off the handcuffs cutting into his skin. Reaching into Connor's suit jacket pocket he found the key to the cuffs, fortunately neither Eddie or George thought to take the key from Connor after restraining him, and unlocked the cuffs from Connor's wrists one at a time.

As the unconscious man was freed from the restraints he almost collapsed forward but Hank hand kept his left arm wrapped around Connor's chest as he used his right hand to open the cuffs.

"I gotcha' son..."

Slowly Hank lowered Connor and himself to the ground as he let Connor's entire weight press up against his own chest for support. The heat radiating from Connor's person was all Hank needed to acknowledge to know that the younger man was suffering from heatstroke, and needed to get to a hospital for treatment.

"Come on, kid. Wake up."

Patting Connor's right cheek Hank saw that his skin was pale yet flushed red, and his skin was alarmingly dry. Thinking quickly Hank pulled the gray suit jacket from Connor's shoulders and arms to remove the layer, and pulled the black tie away from his neck. Pulling open Connor's formerly sweat soaked, but now dried off white dress shirt Hank saw the painfully dark bruises on the right side of Connor's ribcage and winced sympathetically.

"Oh, shit..."

The senior detective grabbed onto the bottle of water and poured the contents over Connor's hair and down his now exposed chest to try to get him too cool off a little until he could get to a doctor.

"I'll get you to the car. You're going to be fine."

Slipping his arms beneath Connor's shoulders and under his legs Hank heft his downed partner up from the floor and carried him outside to the car and pulled open the passenger side door with an awkward left hand beneath Connor's knees. As he sat Connor down in the front passenger seat Hank redirected the vents that were still blowing out the air conditioning at maximum volume and minimum temperature right at Connor's face and chest, and then tilted the seat back so Connor could lay down as much as possible.

"Connor? Come on, kid."

Hank saw the bruised and bleeding skin around Connor's wrists and swore internally at the painful wounds. Unwilling to accidentally touch the injuries he pressed his right fingertips to the left side of Connor's neck to count his pulse and internally swore again. His heart was racing and he was hardly breathing as each effort was too much for his exhausted body to handle.

"Help's here, son. Just hold on a little longer for the ambulance."

Keeping his fingertips to the side of Connor's neck Hank monitored his pulse and caught the sound of the approaching sirens as the ambulance drove to the scene to treat the downed detective.

"See? They're almost here." The senior detective encouraged as he monitored Connor as best as he could and tried to get the overheated younger detective to wake up and acknowledge him. "They're going to get you taken care of and to the hospital. Then you're going to tell me who did this to you and I'm going to nail their ass to the wall."

The ambulance pulled up beside the car and came to a gentle stop. Hank proceeded to slip his arms beneath Connor's back and under his legs again as he lifted his partner up from the seat and carried him over to the back of the ambulance. The doors opened wide as the paramedics stepped out and made room for Hank to climb up into the back to put Connor down on the gurney in the back of the air conditioned emergency vehicle.

"I don't know how long he was he was out here." Hank confirmed as the paramedics proceeded to hover over Connor and assess his condition. "He's burning up and he's been out of it ever since I found him."

The first paramedic nodded as she placed an oxygen mask over Connor's nose and mouth and proceeded to use her stethoscope to listen to his chest. She noticed the faint scar running down left side of Connor's sternum and asked about it. "Does he have a heart condition?"

"Not anymore. It was corrected with surgery four months ago. Mitral valve replacement."

"Got it." Draping the stethoscope around her neck she informed her partner on Connor's vitals as he used a blood pressure cuff on Connor's left bicep to try to locate a vein to start an I.V. in an attempt reverse the effects of being dehydrated. "His pulse is one forty-four. Breathing is shallow but clear."

"Blood pressure is one-ten over eighty. I'm struggling to get a vein, he's so dehydrated."

As the first paramedic placed a wireless sensor pad synced with the cardiac monitor over Connor's chest the monitor's display showed Connor's unusual vital signs, as well as he current body temperature. "He's up to one-hundred and four point seven degrees. His brain's going to fry if we don't get him cooled off."

"I'll add cooling packs."

Hank watched as the two paramedics tended to Connor and put the small ice packs over Connor's forehead, chest, lower belly, the back of his neck, under his arms and between his legs to try to get him to cool down. Stepping out of the ambulance Hank sighed and rubbed his right hand over his forehead in stress.

"Do what you can for him." The senior detective pleaded as he backed toward his own car to leave the area. "I'll follow."

* * *

New Jericho Tower was tense as Markus was told by Hank of Connor being assaulted and left for dead in the mind. Begrudgingly Markus and North decided to fill in Josh and Simon on the attack against Connor's person, and how Eddie was responsible for the needless violence. The news was grim yet not unexpected as everyone knew that Eddie was a threat, but it was still disappointing to know that one of their own could be so violent and aggressive against their people as a whole.

"I know I said I'd back off and let the police handle this," Markus stated in a despondent voice as he looked at his three most trusted friends who had gathered with him in the main office of the tower. "but I can't just sit idle knowing that Eddie isn't afraid to hurt or kill. When he came after me I figured I could just go into hiding for a while his violence would diminish, that fact that he went after Connor, a _detective_, means he's getting bolder. Possibly more dangerous."

North accessed a file from the tower's archives and initiated a projected image of Eddie's personal record and went into further detail. "Eddie; model WP-600, serial number 426 998 437, is a former engineer who worked with construction crews as a member of the waste disposal team. The night of the Revolution he had hijacked a truck of radiated Cobalt and rigged the truck to detonate, but I took the remote from him and Markus and kept it on his person. He has apparently been trying to recruit other deviants to join him in violence altercations against humans despite the Revolution succeeding."

Josh nodded and cybernetically downloaded all of the information on Eddie for future reference. "What about his accomplice?"

North brought up a second file regarding George, the possible accomplice that had helped Eddie attack Connor downtown, and went into a second explanation regarding the deviant in question. "George; model WR-400, serial number 778 012 006. He was a former... 'employee' at the 'Eden Club'." The comment left a foul taste in North's mouth as she mentioned that former Hellhole that drove her to her deviancy and subsequent disdain for humans. "After the Revolution he shifted his programming from that particular 'trade', and became an engineer like Eddie. He's most likely the accomplice Connor mentioned."

Markus spoke up again as Josh and Simon looked over the files on the two deviants. "Eddie befriended George pretty quickly and may have recruited him to help with violent acts in the city. We don't know if any other deviant has been recruited, but until these two are found we're keeping our security programs and protocols at maximum level. I've already sent the files on these two over to Connor and Hank to handle at the precinct."

Simon, who had been quiet through a majority of the meeting, decided to speak up at long last. "Markus, I understand the need to protect our people and to do what takes to keep everyone safe, but locking down the tower and having everyone keeping a lookout for these two seems... I don't know. Extreme."

"I know, I don't like it either, Simon. By keeping the tower locked down it feels like I'm keeping our innocent people captive, or like I'm trying to control them. But until Eddie and George are found and detained I won't take any chances."

"...Yeah. I guess you're right."

Josh put his right hand on Simon's left forearm and gave him a squeeze. "It'll be fine, Simon. This is just a temporary situation."

As North closed the files on the two deviants she walked over to Markus and wrapped her arms around his right upper arm and held tight. "We'll keep you up to date on everything as soon as we know what's going on."

Taking their leave of the room Josh and Simon left Markus and North alone in the office to talk in private.

"Simon's right." Markus admitted as a heavy guilt filled his voice as the duo walked away. "This lockdown is meant to be a sanctuary, but now it feels like a prison. Just as Eddie said..."

"But Josh is right. It _won't_ last forever."

Wrapping his other arm around North in a tight hug Markus let out a breathy sigh and kissed the top of her hair. "I know."

"There's something else bothering you. What is it."

"...These attacks; Eddie threatening us and then ambushing Connor," he explained in a dreary voice as he tightened his hug around North as if he could somehow protect her from the world. "it's all personal. What if he tries to go after you, too? Or Josh or Simon, or anyone else?"

"Then we'll deal with it just as we're dealing with it now. Okay?"

"Okay. I'm going to wait for an update on Connor, you go work with Skye to make sure the security protocols are working one-hundred percent."

"Don't worry about a thing, Markus." She looked up at him and stood up on her tip toes to give him a kiss on the lips. "We're going to be okay."

* * *

At the hospital Hank was sitting down in the chair next to the bed where Connor was still unconscious, and stared at his adopted son's still pale, but less red tinted, face as he remained perfectly still, quiet and oblivious to the world around him. The wounds on Connor's wrists had been cleaned up and bandaged, while the sunburn he had gotten from being exposed to the sun for long was being treated with burn salve. The backs of his hands and the back of his neck were bright red from the sunburn but were healing quickly under the salve and bandages. Suffering from four fractured ribs and a mild concussion after being struck in the back of his head, Connor fortunately only had four stitches to close the wound and not a fractured skull.

Hank eyed the I.V. steadily providing fluids to Connor's body as it dripped in a controlled rhythmic manner into the vein in the bend of his left arm. The muted cardiac monitor recording his heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature had showed an improvement in his vitals. His heart rate had slowed to a much more manageable speed, his blood pressure had returned to normal and his temperature had dropped down to one-hundred point two degrees. Much lower than it had been an hour before.

Dr. Wilson knocked on the opened door of the private room as he stepped inside to check on Connor. "Hey, Hank."

"Doc. How's he doing?"

"Recovering well and I don't expect any complications. Aside from the mild concussion, four fractured ribs on his right side and moderate dehydration I think he'll be just fine in a few days."

"That's good to hear. I guess his thick head finally paid off."

Giving Hank a small laugh Dr. Wilson checked on the I.V. in Connor's arm before making a note in the young detective's electronic chart. "He's stable and I suspect he'll wake up pretty soon. We're going to keep him overnight for observation, then you can take him home to rest."

"Thanks, that's good news."

"Take it easy, Hank. I'll be back in an hour."

Putting his hand on Connor's upper right arm Hank patted his hand down twice and sighed. "I told you that you'd be fine."

Connor's right arm twitched a little as he took in a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Squinting at the overhead light a little he barely heard Hank's voice as the senior detective gave a verbal command to the autonomous lighting system in the room to dim the lights by fifty-percent for Connor's comfort. Slowly regaining his senses Connor glanced over at Hank and blinked his tired, dry eyes a few times. "...Hank?"

"Hey, kid."

"...You found me." He sighed in relief and winced a little in pain as his fractured ribs shifted a little. "I knew you would."

"I'm glad I found you when I did. Any longer and you would've suffered from kidney problems, or maybe even had a seizure." Giving Connor a reassuring nod of the head Hank tried to keep Connor's mind off his pain and distracted. "Lucas is staying at the house because of the blackouts, and I don't want him being targeted and attacked by some bigot if he tried to leave. Plus he's safer at home with two loyal dogs at his side."

"What about New Jericho?"

"You almost died in the heat because some asshole attacked you, and your first question is about New Jericho?"

"Are they safe?"

"Yeah." Shaking his head a little Hank confirmed the tower was secured. "Nothing's happened."

"Good. Then that means the asshole who attacked me didn't go after them. Yet."

"Who attacked you, kid? Did you see their face?"

"Yeah. It was Eddie."

"Eddie? That deviant who insulted Markus?"

"Yes. He lured me to the bar and attacked me."

"Was he alone?"

"No. I was waved down by a 'civilian' who took my gun when I had my attention on Eddie. As an android Eddie lacks proper pulse points and I was under the impression he were in fact a human who had fallen into cardiac arrest. I had attempted to perform C.P.R. on Eddie when his partner disarmed me and pointed my own gun at me."

"Shit. They thought it through."

"Yes. It was a coordinated attack."

Hank pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought up the images of the deviants known as Eddie and George that had been sent to him from New Jericho an hour earlier. "Take a look kid, are these the two who assaulted you?"

"Yes." Connor lifted a wrapped up right hand to point at the screen being presented before him. "The deviant on the left is Eddie, and the deviant on the right is his accomplice who took my gun."

"George. Great, we have a confirmed identity."

"Not a location?"

"Nope. Now that these two tried to destroy New Jericho AND attacked a detective the entire city is looking for them; deviants and humans alike."

"I take it the prospect of peace is far more appealing than war, right now."

"Isn't it always?"

"I think it depends on who wants to wage war." Wincing again Connor took in a careful breath and did his best to not aggravate his wounds as he tried to relax and patiently let his wounds heal. "...How long was I unconscious?"

"Since I found you? About two hours."

"How long do I have to stay here?"

"Overnight. You have a mild concussion on top of being dehydrated, and four of your ribs were fractured."

"...Damn."

"Hey, it's just one night. Fowler knows the deal and now that you've confirmed the identities of the two deviants who went after ya' some progress can be made on the case at hand."

"Yeah, but _without us_ working on the case it feels like hollow progress."

"Connor, you were a victim of assault. You're allowed to take a day or two to rest and recover."

"...I know."

"Try to get some more sleep, kid." Putting his phone back in his pocket Hank encouraged his stubborn adopted son to rest. "I'll stay here with you so you're not alone."

"...Thanks, dad."

Smirking at the comment Hank patted Connor's arm again and leaned back in his chair to try to relax for a while as well. "You're welcome, son. Take it easy."

_**-next chapter-**_


	55. A Bad Tip

With a little help from Hank supporting most of his weight Connor was able to walk out of the car and through the front door of the house to begin his recovery and rest for the remainder of the week. As soon as he was through the front door Lucas grabbed onto his brother's opposite arm and proceeded to take him from Hank's side to escort him up the staircase and into Connor's bedroom to lay down and sleep. In doing so the two brothers were followed up the staircase by both Sumo and Ruby who were eager to keep their masters company.

"Let me assist you." Lucas urged as he helped Connor to sit down on the edge of his bed and kept his right hand to his brother's left shoulder as he guided him into a laying position over the length of the bed. "Are you in any pain?"

"It's not bad." Connor admitted as he pressed his still bandaged left hand to his sore ribs on the right side of his ribcage. The mild concussion had left him with a dwindling but persistent nausea, however the headache itself had been the fade steadily. "I'm more tired than sore right now."

"Do you need anything?"

"Just a few more hours of sleep."

"I can understand that." Lucas stepped back from the bed as Sumo and Ruby jumped up on laid down with Connor to watch over him. "I'll leave you alone to rest but if you need anything just tell me."

"Lucas, before you go I want to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" The deviant was perplexed by his big brother's comment and the confusion was evident in his increasingly human eyes. "I don't understand what you're referring to."

"The watch you gave me had saved my life. I was able to send a message to Hank so he could find me. Eddie and George, as well as other deviants, seem to forget that humans use other forms of communication beyond phones."

"...You're welcome, Connor." The modest deviant was happy to have helped Connor but remained humble. "But the watch was meant as a means of compensating for your inability to run self-diagnostics now that you're a human."

"That still doesn't invalidate the fact that you saved my life. Thank you."

Lucas gave his healing brother a humble smile as he took a step back from the bed toward the doorway. "Sleep well. I'll check on in a few hours."

Leaving the bedroom silently and pulling the door partially shut to help keep the room as quiet as possible Lucas gave his now sleeping brother privacy to recover. Walking back down the staircase the deviant spotted Hank in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee and popping two aspirin tablets into his mouth. "Headache?"

"Yup." Downing the pills with the coffee Hank turned around to look at Lucas and sighed. "How's he doing?"

"Sleeping."

"Good. I don't want him working on the case while he's hurt."

"You're referring to Eddie assaulting Markus and threatening New Jericho."

"Yeah. That deviant is pretty damn violent and I know Connor is going to obsess until he finds Eddie before he does anything else."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye on Connor and make sure he's resting. You should do the same."

"Yeah, good idea. I have a late shift tonight, then I finally have tomorrow off."

"Sleep and I'll take care of Connor."

"I know you will." Walking past Lucas to get to the staircase to head off to bed Hank patted the deviant's shoulder and let out a tired sigh. "See you in a few hours, son."

Lucas nodded his head as he watched Hank disappear up the staircase to rest some sleep, and then walked over to the middle of the couch to sit down and keep to himself. In doing so he set up a cybernetic line of communication with Chloe to speak with her in private. '_Hello, Chloe_.'

'_Lucas, hello_!' Chloe's voice responded with an energetic lilt of joy behind every word. '_How are you_?'

'_I'm well, but Connor was assaulted by the deviant known as "Eddie"_. _He is recovering now but, he still needs to find the deviant before he can harm anyone else, or flee the city_.'

'_How can I help_?'

'_We both know that when a deviant wants to disappear they can do so without a trace_. _All I ask is that if you see Eddie or his accomplice, "George"_,' Lucas made sure to send images of the two deviants that had been provided by New Jericho so Chloe and Kamski were in the loop. '_you must inform Markus immediately at the tower so he can take precautions against another possible assault_.'

'_I promise I will stay vigilant, Lucas_. _I don't want anyone to get hurt_.'

'_Neither do I_.' Pausing for a moment Lucas tagged on one last message. '_I miss you_.'

'_I miss you, too_. _Can we see each other tonight_?'

'_Unfortunately, no_._ I must take care of my brother_. _Perhaps tomorrow evening_.'

'_That'd be nice_. _I hope to see you soon_.'

'_You will, Chloe_. _I love you_.'

'_I love you, too, Lucas_. _Take care_.'

'_I will_.' Ending the communication Lucas performed a scan from where he was sitting and was able to detect both Connor and Hank's vitals from within the livingroom. The two humans were both asleep and resting well much to Lucas's relief. "I wonder if I could be of assistance if I activate the original programming that CyberLife had given me, and began acting as a detective instead of a technician?"

* * *

Slamming his right hand down on his alarm clock Hank shut off the annoying song that started playing at six in the evening and proceeded to sit up in his bed. Rubbing his left hand over his tired face Hank proceeded to get around for his late night shift and did so with an audible grumble of disgust. Shuffling out of his bedroom Hank peered inside Connor's bedroom through the partially opened door and saw that the younger detective was also awake and was holding a pack of ice against his fractured ribs under his left palm.

Opening the door all the way Hank spoke to his son in a low voice as he let out a small yawn. "Hey kid."

"Hi." Connor turned to look at his adopted father and withheld the amused smirk at seeing Hank's tired face and messy hair. "You'll be home at five in the morning, correct?"

"Yeah. I hate the late shift, but it'll give me the chance to catch up on those reports and make up my hours."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"Yes, but no. You still need to heal."

"I'm well aware of that fact." Connor held up the ice pack in his bandaged hand and let out weak sigh. "And the bump on the back of my head is a constant reminder of my condition."

"You're still being a smartass, so that's a good sign." Glancing about Hank noticed that Sumo was sprawled over the foot of Connor's bed with his chin resting on Connor's leg affectionately. "Where's Lucas and Ruby?"

"He took Ruby for a walk. He'll be back before you leave."

"...Lucas left?"

"He's walking around the block, not to the park. He knows you want him to stay in the house for his own safety."

"Damn right. Just do me a favor while I'm gone, alright?"

"What's that?"

"Stay in the house, BOTH of you, until I get back. You're too busted up to protect yourself, and Lucas is just a moving target for bigots who can't take the heat and want to take it out on someone who won't want to fight back."

Replacing the ice pack against his ribs Connor nodded a little and laid back against his pillow heavily. "I think I can do that."

* * *

The city itself was still on edge as the heat continued to drive people crazy, and the threat of Eddie and George plotting something against New Jericho had left the deviants rather jumpy as well. Even after the sun had set and the temperature began to drop it was still unbearably hot for most people and tensions were still annoyingly high. The streets were vacated of all deviants out of fear of a possible violent confrontation and no one in the precinct could blame them for their cautious behavior.

Returning to the precinct Hank walked through the bullpen and was promptly met by Captain Fowler who practically pressed a tablet right up against the senior detective's chest as he approached his desk. "What the fuck, Jeffrey? I just got here."

"Hank, this is important."

"So are my patience."

"Hank," Captain Fowler showed the gruff Lieutenant the information on the screen and sighed. "one of Ted Jones's rivals was witnessed selling some 'red ice' downtown."

"Ted Jones? The 'Red Ice King' himself..." Hank grumbled as he finally took the tablet and looked through the details himself. "Fuckin' hell. I thought for sure that Travis Verne would've died from an overdose years ago after Jones got locked up."

"So did I. He was spotted in the industrial district and one of Jones's old crew members gave us the details."

"I guess there's no fun in running a 'business' without healthy competition, but I'm not in narcotics anymore." Pushing the tablet back toward Captain Fowler to take Hank tried to walk away. "Give it to Reed, I already have a case to deal with."

"Not without Connor you don't."

"What're you talking about?"

"Connor's experience as a deviant makes him invaluable to finding that Eddie lunatic before he hurts anyone else. I want you two working _that_ case together, and while he's out you're going to work on _this_ case instead."

"You're shitting me."

"No, Hank. You have to try to find this asshole, or at the very least find a strong enough lead to pass of to Reed before Connor gets back."

"So four days of wasting my time on a petty drug dealer is going to be more productive than using those four days to track down a deviant terrorist who tried to assassinate Markus, blow up New Jericho Tower and then went after Connor, who as you know, is an officer of the law? What the fuck?"

"Hank, just do it!" Walking away from the combative Lieutenant before he could argue any further Captain Fowler took his leave of the night. "Just do your damn job and don't bitch about it."

"Damn it..." Sitting down behind his desk Hank turned on his terminal and proceeded to bring up the file on Travis Verne as ordered. "Fucking waste of time."

* * *

Ever patient and willing to be reasonable as he healed Connor allowed Lucas to check on the synthetic skin that was used to replace the four stitches in the back of his head, and to check on the healing sunburn he suffered on the back of his neck and the backs of his hands. After the deviant finished checking his big brothers wounds and replacing the old bandages with fresh ones Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed to give Connor some company since the young detective didn't feel like walking up and down stairs with his sore ribs.

"You're healing well." The deviant confirmed as he found Connor's vitals to be normal. "I'm glad."

"It's a little ironic." Connor observed with an amused smirk on his face. "Now that I'm human I have a technician living with me under the same roof. If we were to trade our skills; you became a paramedic and I became a technician, we'd be able to keep each other from falling apart quite easily."

"I've been meaning to ask. Why did you redo your training to become a licensed paramedic only to resume your career as a detective?"

"I felt my skills and services would be the most beneficial as a detective rather than a paramedic. I can help both deviants and humans as a detective, rather than just humans as a medic. Also, I found the appeal of handling cases much more interesting than the prospect of pulling drunk drivers out from behind their steering wheels to be carted off to a hospital."

"I see. You wanted to help both peoples without compromising your interests."

"That's right." Studying his little brother's demeanor Connor immediately knew that something was on his mind. "Lucas, is something upsetting you?"

"I've been thinking lately." The deviant admitted as he gave his big brother a thoughtful glance, and ran a scan to check Connor's vital signs where he sat. "I became a technician because I wanted to help New Jericho and help our people, and while I found the work to be satisfying and beneficial I find that it's not very personally... fulfilling."

"And you want to do something else?"

Nodding subtly as he wrung his hands together before himself Lucas confirmed his brother's suspicions. "...Does that make me selfish?"

"No." Pushing himself upright on his elbows Connor shifted his position so he was sitting more upright rather than laying flat on his back as he spoke with his conflicted little brother. "You wanting to make a change to your life so you feel fulfilled, so you feel happy, is not selfish. People change their chosen careers frequently, there's no reason you can't do the same." Taking a moment to study Lucas's reaction closely Connor decided to press for another response. "Did you have a second career in mind?"

"Not yet. I just know that I would like a change some day."

"What interests you?"

"Beyond painting?" He asked with a slight laugh. "I do enjoy helping our people, same as you. But I can't think of an alternative career that would allow me to continue to help people and do so without it being limited to working in New Jericho Tower, or at a local facility."

"You'll think of something, Lucas. You don't have a time limit and you're free to make your own decisions as you see fit."

"But how do I know if I made the right decision?"

"You'll know it when you feel it." Connor stated confidently as his little brother was fighting against his own self doubt. "Trust me on that."

"I do trust you, but I don't quite trust myself. Sometimes I wonder if I'm still being controlled by CyberLife despite my second true deviancy."

"Lucas, you're not a threat to me or anyone else. You're free of CyberLife and I know you'd never hurt us."

"Thank you, brother."

Noting the late hour Connor sighed and tried to get up from the bed only to have Lucas put his hands down against his shoulders and push him back down against the pillow. "I'm okay, I can get up."

"I know you are, but you're going to stay here. What do you need?"

"I would like to shower off before I go back to sleep. That's all."

"...Alright, lean on me and help you up."

"Lucas, I don't need you to help bathe me." He joked as Lucas took his left arm and supported all of Connor's weight at his right side.

"That's good. Bathing Sumo is hard enough."

Giving Lucas a smirk Connor allowed his little brother to help him walk down the short hallway and into the bathroom just a few feet away. "You're developing a sense of humor. That's something only deviants can do."

Lucas gave Connor a somewhat shocked look as he realized that his big brother was right. "...I suppose I am."

Slowly Connor let go of Lucas's shoulder as he walked over to the shower and turned on the water. Pulling off his black t-shirt with moderate difficulty Connor winced a little as the effort hurt his still healing ribs, but he didn't waver on his feet or ask for help. "I won't be long. I'll be just fine on my own for a few minutes."

"Right. I'll be downstairs if you do require my assistance."

The deviant took his leave of the second floor by quietly descending the staircase and sat down on the couch to rub Sumo's ears. Lucas had noticed that Sumo was acting more lethargic than usual and was worried he was either getting ill, or simply feeling the effects of his advanced age. He only had a single burst of energy from time to time, and after he always seemed exhausted.

"You're a good dog, Sumo." The massive dog was already sprawled out over the couch and proceeded to put his chin down Lucas's thigh as he wagged his tail happily. "I hope you know how much this house enjoys your company."

Sumo whimpered once and snuggled down against Lucas's leg as if he understood what the deviant was referring to.

"You're not acting like yourself." Running his right hand down Sumo's back Lucas gave his loving pet affection, and ran a scan over the dog. While he wasn't a veterinarian and he had any medical training whatsoever Lucas was still able to see the arthritis forming in Sumo's joints as well as the diminishing functions of his internal organs. "Don't worry boy, we'll take care of you until the bitter end. I promise."

* * *

Despite Hank's reluctance to work on the case that had been handed to him he had managed to find a lead and needed to go investigate before it was too late. Without Connor at the precinct he had no choice but to recruit Gavin as Chris was already on patrol, and Tina was out of town visiting her family. While Gavin had mellowed out considerably, his confrontation with Connor ending with a bloody nose and suspension was quite humbling, Gavin was still an abrasive jerk who could rub Hank the wrong way at times.

As they went on patrol Hank directed Gavin to a known hotspot for 'red ice' dealers to hang out, and proceeded to eye one of his old contacts back from when he used to work in the narcotics division.

"Stay here." Hank ordered as he opened the passenger side door and slipped out onto the sidewalk. "The fewer people who are seen, the better."

Gavin wasn't about to get out of the car and approach a shady guy, and was more than happy to let Hank take the lead. "Whatever you say, Lieutenant."

Walking with his head down Hank kept anyone from seeing his face as he approached his contact and went through the motions to fake a drug deal to prevent anyone who might be watching from the shadows from pegging him as a cop. Moving with purpose Hank gave his contact a subtle nod and made a show of slipping him a few folded up dollars bills while his contact went through the motion of giving Hank a small plastic bag with what looked like 'red ice', but what was in fact red tinted rock salt. "Have you seen Verne around?"

"The 'Ice Pick' is two blocks South." The contact confirmed as he passed the 'drugs' over to Hank. "The address is in the bag."

Hank nodded as he opened the bag, saw a small piece of paper with the address written down and took a step back as he pocketed the bag. "Thanks, Pete. I owe you one."

"Just make sure your cop buddies know I'm your side and don't shoot."

"You got it." Ducking his head down again Hank returned to the car and told Gavin to drive. As he fished the paper out of the plastic bag Hank handed it over to Gavin then rolled down his window to toss the fake 'red ice' into the nearby gutter. "Head out here. We'll fine Travis the 'Ice Pick' Verne at this address."

"Wasn't he one of the assholes who was competing with the 'Red Ice King' a while back?"

"Yup. Travis Verne vs. Ted Jones. It's too damn bad they didn't face off and kill each other before I had the chance to throw Jones's sorry ass in jail. It would've saved the taxpayers a lot of money."

"But you wouldn't have been promoted to Lieutenant."

"Big fuckin' deal. I'd rather have every 'red ice' dealer swept off the face of the planet than get a raise and a fancy title."

"Don't tell that to the higher-ups. They might take you seriously and stop paying ya'."

"Next block." Hank muttered as he pointed to the correct street in the distance. "If this asshole is half as smart as he-"

A loud 'crunch' of metal and the shattering of glass deafened the interior of the car as bright headlight beams shone through the squad car as a second vehicle slammed into the passenger side of the squad car, effectively creating a horrible two-vehicle accident in the middle of the intersection. The squad car was pushed up onto the sidewalk and up against the building on its driver's side, while the second car remained pinned up against the passenger side. Wedged up against the building the squad car was trapped and couldn't be moved, even if the engine were to somehow turn over again.

"...Fuck." Gavin swore as he shook his head and felt the blood running down his left side of his face from a wound somewhere hidden in his hairline. Taking a moment to try to figure out what happened Gavin looked around and saw Hank sitting in the passenger seat beside him, unconscious, and the other car on the other side of Hank's door pinning them inside the wrecked vehicle. "Fuckin' hell!"

Grabbing onto the radio mounted beneath the dash Gavin tried to call dispatch for help but the radio was broken and now useless.

"Fuck!"

Undoing his seatbelt as he threw down the broken radio Gavin felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and knew it was dislocated without even needing to check. Moving very carefully Gavin pressed the fingertips of his right hand against the left side of Hank's neck and felt a pulse beating under his touch.

"Lieutenant? Come on... Wake up, Hank."

There was blood coming down from a deep cut running down the right side of Hank's face near his eye and he was clearly unconscious.

"Damn it."

Unable to open the driver's side door Gavin had no choice but to kick the already broken glass of the front windshield out so he could leave. As awkward and uncomfortable as it was Gavin climbed out of the wrecked vehicle through now wide open windshield, and slid down the crumpled hood. Now free he walked around the front of the totaled squad car to the second car to check on the other driver.

"Hey asshole?" Pulling open the driver's side door Gavin peered inside and saw that the other driver was already dead. The driver was another known drug dealer and he had apparently forgotten that seatbelts save lives. Being thorough Gavin pressed his rigt fingertips to the left side of the driver's neck and felt nothing. As he moved his hand away he could see that the driver's neck had been broken in the crash, and had died instantaneously. "Fuck..."

Managing to fish his phone from his jacket pocket with his right hand Gavin walked back over to the passenger side of the wrecked squad car to check on Hank, and had to peer through the broken window over the second car's hood in order to do so.

"Hank? Wake up, man!"

Despite the blow to the head Hank let out a weak groan as he slowly regained consciousness. Turning his head a little toward the sound of Gavin's voice Hank kept his eyes shut, but verbally responded to the abrasive detective calling his name. "...Gavin."

"Don't move. We were t-boned by a drug dealer."

There was a pause as Hank regained his senses and focused his priorities. "...Call Connor."

"Huh?"

"...Call Connor."

"Fuck that, I'm calling 911!"

"Call. Connor."

"Fine." Relenting to the order Gavin focused on his own priorities. "AFTER I call 911!"

* * *

After finishing his much needed and relaxing shower Connor found himself unable to sleep and oddly restless. It seemed sleeping all day long and not doing anything active as he was still recovering from his injuries had resulted in him hanging onto some pent up energy that he couldn't seem to redirect. Walking very carefully down the staircase to get to the livingroom Connor joined Lucas on the couch and saw that his little brother was looking down at Sumo and frowning with heavy sorrow.

"Is something wrong, Lucas?"

"...Sumo is ten years old. The average lifespan of a Saint Bernard is eight to ten years old. I fear he may be getting too old, and won't make it to winter."

Connor frowned a little himself as he put his left hand on Sumo's head and rubbed his ears gently. "...Yes. You might be right."

"What do we do?"

"Keep him comfortable and loved. At least, that's what I'd do." Glancing over at Ruby, who was laying on the large pillow in the corner of the livingroom watching the group on the couch, Connor realized thaat she was less than a year old and wouldn't have another dog companion once Sumo passed. "I don't want to see Sumo get old and die, Lucas. But he's already old and we can't reverse time."

"Sumo always made me feel like I was a human. He didn't bark at me or shy away like I was dangerous. He treated me the same way he treats you and Hank."

"I know. Sumo didn't react to me like I was a threat the first time we met, and I had broken through the kitchen window to get to Hank." The memory was still vivid and it made Connor smirk a little at the odd thought. "Sumo approached me but when I didn't show any aggression he left me alone. He even let me pet him while I waited for Hank to change into clean clothes before we went out to the investigation we had been assigned."

"I wonder if-"

Connor's phone buzzed and fortunately he kept the device in his jean pocket. Pulling out his phone Connor saw the caller I.D. belonged to Gavin and immediately he felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. "Gavin? Why are-" Before he had the chance to finish his question Gavin blurted everything out to the young detective in an alarmed voice over the line. Getting up to his feet quickly Connor felt his face pale, and he gave Lucas a worried stare. "We're heading out there now."

"What's happened?"

"There was an accident." Connor stated as he hung up the phone motioned for Lucas to follow after him through the front door of the house. "I'll explain on the way."

* * *

Due to the severity of the accident and his own dislocated shoulder Gavin was unable to move the other car back to open Hank's door, and he couldn't climb back through the windshield to get back inside to try to help the wounded trapped Lieutenant. Hank was unable to release his own seatbelt and the front dashboard had been forced downward enough to pin his right leg in place. Hank groaned and tried to move but he was stuck in, and now bleeding from another wound that Gavin couldn't see.

"Hold still, Lieutenant. The fire department's on the way."'

"...Shit. Something came through the door." Hank stated as he looked down at his torso and saw a chunk of metal stabbing into his lower right side just above his hip. "Fuck. It's pinning the door shut... and it's cutting into me."

"I just said the fire department's on the way." Gavin walked back around to the passenger's side of the car, his right hand supporting his left shoulder, and tried to look inside the darkened interior of the car to see if there was anything he could do to help the wounded Lieutenant, but there was nothing he could do. "Try not to move around."

"...No shit."

Headlights shone down the street and Gavin's right hand left his left arm as he hovered his grip over his holstered weapon on his right hip instinctively. He was hurt, Hank was hurt, and they were in a dangerous neighborhood without any back-up to protect them. As the vehicle neared the two wrecked vehicles Gavin stayed in between the accident and the approaching vehicle as if standing his ground.

The vehicle came to a stop and two occupants stepped out onto the street. "Gavin?" Connor called out warily as he stepped out of the passenger side of the red pick-up truck's cab, and slowly approached the scene of the wreck. "How badly are you injured?"

"...Fuck." Gavin visibly relaxed as Connor limped toward him with Lucas, of whom Gavin had only met a few times before, followed at his side. "I just fucked up my shoulder. It's the Lieutenant who needs help."

Connor walked over to the passenger's side of the car and peered through the broken open window and put his left fingertips to the right side of Hank's neck to check his pulse for himself. "Hank?"

Turning his attention from his aching stomach Hank looked up at Connor's face and gave him an amused smirk. "...Holy shit. You got here before the fire department did."

"Lucas is a skilled driver." Connor quipped as he tried to get a better look at Hank's wounds in the poor lighting. "What's your pain level?"

"Actually, it's not too bad. I'm a little numb." Letting out a weak breathy sigh Hank leaned back heavily in his seat without moving about too much. "That's not a great sign, is it?"

"...No." Turning to look back at Lucas and Gavin behind him Connor gave Lucas a quiet stare that spoke volumes. "We need to get the car door open so I can assess his injuries more accurately."

Lucas walked up to the passenger side of the squad car where the offending vehicle was still pinned up against the metal body and ran a few scans. Identifying the large piece of jagged metal that had been sheered off from the second car and into the squad car, and had subsequently stabbed through the metal paneling into Hank's body, the deviant found a solution to the problem.

"He's been stabbed." The young detective lamented as he spotted the metal shrapnel piercing Hank's abdomen. "We need more room to properly assess and treat his injuries."

"Connor," Lucas spoke up confidently. "I can move back the car without causing further harm to Hank's body."

Taking a step back from the car Connor glanced about but didn't see any sign of the approaching fire department and let out a sigh. "...If you can give me room to work without hurting Hank, then do it."

"Right, I can do so."

Lucas planted his feet firmly as he put both hands on the dented hood of the offending car and began to push it backward very slowly and carefully. There was a loud 'groan' of metal as the car was pushed back, and the two mangled bodies of the cars were finally separated as the deviant managed to personally divide the totaled vehicles from one another.

Gavin clutched at his bad shoulder again and watched as Lucas easily moved the entire car by himself. "...Holy shit. Wish I could do that."

Connor stared at the dented in and heavily damaged passenger side door and spotted the piece of metal that was jutting through the door and all the way through to Hank's torso. "Lucas, I need your hands."

The deviant pushed the second vehicle aside and returned to where Connor was standing. "What do you need?"

"Reach through the window and hold onto the metal while I open the door."

"No, you should let me move the door. Your injured ribs won't allow you to do this without causing more damage, not to mention your own hands," Lucas nodded at the bandages still wrapped around Connor's wrists up to his palms. "won't have the strength to do this."

"...Okay. You're right." Trading positions Connor reached into the window to hold onto metal as firmly as he could while Lucas grabbed onto the jammed door handle with both hands. "When you're ready begin pulling." Lucas gave a nod as he began pulling open the door slowly, the hinges groaned and the metal twisted under the deviant's strong hands until the door at long last 'popped' open. "Now, take the metal so I can check his injuries."

Without hesitation Lucas took the jagged metal from Connor's hand to hold it steady while Connor knelt down by the opened door to check on the bleeding wound in Hank's torso. It was clear that the metal had gone deep into Hank's body, but it went in at an angle which meant it most likely just cut through his skin and didn't hit any of his internal organs.

"Hank, can you feel your right leg?" Connor asked as he carefully removed Hank's seatbelt. The sound of approaching sirens from the distance caught his ears as the fire department sped toward the scene of the accident. Reaching his right hand down to Hank's right ankle Connor found a very faint pulse which meant the circulation to his leg wasn't completely cut off. "I can feel a pulse, but can you feel anything?"

"...A little." Hank winced and kept himself from twitching too much as a sharp pain in his torso caught him off guard. "Fuck."

"Hank?" Using his hands Connor carefully checked the wound right around the metal and found signs of internal hemorrhaging. "Hank, stay conscious for me."

The fire department arrived at long last with their sirens screaming and lights flashing. The engine pulled up beside the two vehicles to wash down the leaking gas on the pavement, while using the 'Jaws of Life' to steadily free Hank from the dashboard that was pinning his leg down in place. An ambulance had followed after the engine and the two paramedics split up to take care of Gavin and to check on Hank until the Lieutenant had been extracted.

Hank shook his head at the sight of the fire department and sighed. "Took 'em long enough."

A firefighter came over to check out the damage and recognized Hank as a fellow first responder and had overhead his comment. "Sorry, Lieutenant. There were three cars parked illegally in the street and we had to find a creative route to get around him."

"Friday night..." Hank lamented and sighed cautiously. "Fuckin' shitty, drunk drivers."

"Sir? You need to give me room to work." The paramedic responding to the injured detective told Connor as he tried to get a clear line of sight on Hank.

"I'm also a paramedic." Connor replied without moving from his position. "Single penetrating wound to the lower right quadrantmoving to the left." He stated as he kept his hands around the metal jutting out of Hank's abdomen. "He's tachycardic but he's he's coherent."

"Right." The paramedic listened to Connor's assessment and began to treat Hank accordingly.

A firefighter approached the side of the car and took the metal from Lucas's grip, essentially dismissing the deviant for the time being. As Lucas stepped away he gave Hank a worried glance but didn't say anything.

Hank reached his right hand out to Connor's right forearm and held on in a weak grip. "Connor, I'll be okay. Take a step back and let them work, okay?"

"I can help you, too."

"I know, son, but you're also hurt." The senior detective reminded him a level voice. "The paramedics are here right now, so it's okay. Go check on your brother, he seems worried."

"...Hank, I can see from the severity of the impact and the lack of tire marks from the second vehicle that this wasn't an accident. The other driver hit you intentionally."

"Yeah? I figured as much."

"The vehicle was also autonomous, which means the safety restrictions on the speed and emergency braking system had been disabled. I don't think the other driver was expecting the impact to kill him."

"The airbag didn't deploy, did it?"

"No. I'm willing to bet than an examination of the vehicle will show that the airbag was disabled along with the other safety programs."

"Well, until we know anything for sure don't make assumptions. Especially while you're off the clock." Flashing Connor a cheesy grin Hank tried his best to lighten the moment. "They don't pay you enough as it is."

"Based on Gavin's reaction it's safe to say the other driver was killed on impact. He sent a photo of the deceased to the precinct to confirm their identity and the driver was a member of a gang of 'red ice' dealers. What were you even doing out here?"

Hank laughed a little and immediately regretted it as the motion made his entire stomach hurt. "...Fowler assigned me to a case with a 'red ice' dealer until you're better. I didn't want the case, Fowler knew it, and now I can hold this over his head."

There was another loud 'groan' as the fire department used a strong chain and the 'Jaws of Life' to pull back the dashboard, and finally free Hank's leg. Connor took a step back and gave the crew all the room they needed to get Hank out of the totaled vehicle and onto a gurney to be transported to the hospital via the ambulance.

Reluctantly Connor turned away from the wreck and saw Gavin was already inside the ambulance sitting on a bench and holding an ice pack to his bleeding head as he tried to ignore his intense headache. Lucas was standing to the side and curiously looking over the scene, his green eyes scanning over the fire engine, the ambulance, the wrecked cars and everything in the area.

"Hank will be fine." Connor stated in a low voice as he approached his brother and stood beside him. "He'll most likely need surgery to stop the bleeding, and his right leg will have most certainly suffered damage. No sign of a serious head wound."

"...When I moved the car back did I do it correctly?"

"Yes, you did everything perfectly."

"That's good. I wanted to help but I didn't want to accidentally harm Hank in the process."

"It's okay, Lucas. He'll be fine. We need to follow the ambulance to the hospital."

"Of course. How are you holding up?"

"Me? I'm fine."

"I can see that you're in pain."

"...Moving around unexpectedly had put a strain on my ribs, but I'll be okay in a few minutes." Nodding at Gavin who was quietly and patiently sitting in the back of the ambulance Connor asked about his condition. "Do you know how Gavin is holding up?"

"He seemed angry. But given the circumstances I find his reaction to be understandable."

"Actually," Connor grinned a little as he turned away from Gavin's line of sight. "being angry is apparently his default setting."

"...Oh. Then I suppose he's behaving normally."

* * *

Word quickly spread through the precinct that Hank and Gavin had been in an accident, and when it was confirmed that the other driver was a known drug dealer that had struck them intentionally patrol was doubled, and the shady neighborhood was being watched very carefully. Captain Fowler returned to the precinct to handle things while Hank and Gavin recovered at the hospital and reassigned to case to the narcotics division now that Hank was out due to his injuries.

Sitting in the waiting room at the hospital Connor stayed beside Lucas as the two brothers waited for an update on their father's condition, and were shortly joined in the room by Elizabeth, Connor's mother.

"Connor, Lucas." She sat down on the chair across from the brothers and reached out hers hands to grab onto their hands in a comforting gesture. "I heard about what happened. How is he?"

Connor sighed a little as he let his mother hold onto his hand in a gentle squeeze. "Minor internal hemorrhage in his abdomen, mild concussion, and he suffered a fracture to his right patella. He'll be unable to move around on his own for a full week, but he'll make a full recovery in time."

Tightening her hand Elizabeth gave her young son a somber stare. "...I heard about what happened to you, too. I'm so sorry, Connor. I was out of town and-"

"It's okay." He replied in a calm voice as he closed his eyes and did his best to ignore his own headache. "I know you can't be everywhere at once. And I'm okay, too. I have Hank and Lucas to help me as I recover."

Dr. Wilson returned to the waiting room for the first time in almost two hours since Hank was taken in for emergency surgery, and informed the group on his condition. Being allowed to sit in his private recovery room for the night Connor, Lucas and even Elizabeth kept the wounded senior detective company as he slept through the rest of the anesthesia, and remained blissfully unconscious as the worst of his pain could only be dulled by a controlled dose of painkillers.

"We're here for you, dad." Connor promises as he and Lucas sat down in neighboring chairs beside the bed, and Elizabeth took a third chair on the opposite side of the bed. The sound of the softly 'beeping' cardiac monitor had its own strange lull, and yet it was also disconcerting to hear. "We won't let you alone until you're able to get up again."

Lucas lightly rested his right palm on the back of Hank's right forearm while Elizabeth gingerly held his left in her own.

Feeling himself dozing off a little as he sat in the chair beside Hank's bed Connor leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes while Lucas remained more vigilant, able to postpone his rest mode longer than his injured brother or Elizabeth, who had fallen asleep an hour beforehand. Sensing his brother sitting in the chair beside him, still awake, and his mother in the other chair on the opposite side of Hank's bed sleeping peacefully, Connor was willing to let himself drift off to sleep as well.

The senior detective was sleeping in a drug-induced slumber as the recent surgery to his abdomen healed properly, and the deep laceration just above his right knee remained clean and uninfected under a layer of protective gauze. There was a bandage over the right side of his face to cover up another cut and painful bruise after colliding with the door beside himself during the accident. With a nasal canula under his nose feeding him fresh oxygen and an I.V. line delivering fluids and antibiotics Hank was guaranteed to make a full recovery.

Just as he felt himself slipping away into the bliss of sleep Connor jumped a little when his phone buzzed in his right kean pocket as an incoming call caught him off guard. Pulling the phone out of his pocket Connor looked down at the caller I.D. and felt himself pale a little as he swore. "Damn it."

"Connor?" Lucas noticed the reaction and whispered to his big brother curiously. "What's wrong?"

"It's from Markus. I'll be back in a minute." Walking out of the room silently Connor answered the call and kept his voice low as he dreaded hearing Markus's voice on the other end of the line as he remained in the corridor outside the room. "Markus, hello."

'_Connor, I hate bothering you this late but it's important_.'

"No, it's fine. I was already awake." Rubbing his left hand over his tired eyes Connor restrained a yawn and asked about the purpose of the call. "What's going on?"

'_Eddie struck again_.'

"What? Where?" Suddenly fully awake and on alert Connor felt like he was ready for a fight. "What happened?"

'_At ten-sixteen last night Eddie proceeded to hack and disable autonomous vehicles all over the city_. _He's caused numerous traffic accidents and he's proudly taking responsibility for the chaos, and has made threats of addition hacks in the near future_.'

"...Markus, if what you're saying is true then Eddie may have been responsible for the car accident that just put Hank in the hospital."

'_Hank is_... _Shit_!' Markus didn't know that Hank had been wounded until that very moment. '_Is he okay_?'

"He will be after he has time to rest and recover."

'_How badly has he been injured_? _What happened tonight_?'

After explaining the situation to Markus about the hacked autonomous vehicle almost killing two police officers while successfully killing the vehicle's original owner Connor waited for a response from the attentive deviant leader.

'_This is getting out of hand_.' The frustration in Markus's voice was as palpable as it was righteous. '_We need to find Eddie, NOW_.'

"I agree with you." Withholding the anger in his voice Connor made a promise to Markus that he was intent on keeping. "The next time I encounter Eddie I swear it will be for the last time."

_**-next chapter-**_


	56. Toxic Confrontation

Despite Hank's insistence that he didn't need all the help he was getting he was unable to stop Connor and Lucas from all but carrying him into the house through the front door, and then up the staircase to his bedroom to rest. The senior detective was under strict orders to remain as sedentary as possible for a full week until his abdomen healed from the minor, but still invasive surgery to stop the internal hemorrhaging, before he'd be permitted to use his crutches to walk around on his fractured knee, that still bore a deeply painful laceration. In that time Connor and Lucas took it upon themselves to look after him every step of the way as any loving sons would do for their father.

"Boys, I appreciate your help but I'll be fine by myself for a few hours." Holding a bag of ice against his still sore lower right abdomen he watched as Connor proceeded to hand him the next dose of his prescribed medication while Lucas brought him some light lunch to eat. "You can go do your own things and leave me be."

"Not until you're well enough to walk around." Connor insisted as he handed Hank the pain pills and antibiotics. Having been discharged from the hospital after a seventy-two hour stay had made all three members of the Anderson family restless, and it was beginning to show. "I'm still healing myself so I can't return to the precinct, and Lucas has agreed to stay in the house until Eddie has been captured."

Glancing up at the deviant Hank and sighed and gave him a slight smirk, the bandage covering the right side of his face pulling a little in the process. "You do realize when I said don't leave the house I meant don't leave the _property_, right?"

"Yes, I know."

"And that you can still go to the tower to complete your shifts."

Lucas paused for a moment before he looked over at Connor, who gave him a confident nod, before replying to Hank's comment. "...I'm actually no longer going to be the lead technician at New Jericho Tower. Simon is going to step up in my place."

"Oh? Kamski got another facility lined up somewhere else?"

"No. I just... I decided that being a technician isn't really what I want to do, or who I want to be."

"Oh, okay."

The nonchalant and very chill response almost caught the shy deviant off guard. "...You're not mad?"

"Why in the hell would I be mad? You're a free man, Lucas. You can do what you want and be who you want."

"It's just... I know you were very proud of me when I became a technician and I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Lucas, neither of you kids could disappoint me. You know, unless you fucked up BIG TIME."

Lucas looked over to Connor again who just sort of shrugged his shoulders without an answer to give. "...Like how?"

"I don't know. You robbed a bank, blew up a building, killed a man just for snorin' too loud." Hank winced again as his abdomen was still sore and sometimes even speaking would hurt him. "Trust me, there's plenty of worst things either of you two could do beyond a career change, and even then it'd have to be pretty extreme for me to be disappointed. Got it?"

"...Got it."

"Alright, then. So," trying to ease Lucas's misplaced worries Hank asked about his next choice in career. "if you're not going to be a technician then what are you going to be?"

"I don't know yet. I just know I want to change."

"That's alright, too. You don't need to rush into anything or just settle on something for the sake of having a job."

Nodding to acknowledge the claim Lucas looked to his father for guidance. "How did you know you wanted to be a detective?"

"It's hard to explain, but, I just knew it's what I wanted."

"...May I ask what your own father chose as his career?"

"Mechanic. He taught me everything I know. My mom was fourth grade teacher up until she got sick. My dad had a passion for cars and my mom had a passion for teaching. I guess I just had a passion for helping people."

Lucas glanced at his big brother who shared the same sentiment and backed up Hank's claim. "That was my logic when I chose to remain a detective after the Revolution, and to keep my career going even after my renewing my paramedic's license."

"Interesting."

Connor noticed that Hank was getting tired and just wanted to be alone for while. Indulging Hank's request to be left alone Connor decided to take his leave of the bedroom and lightly pulled on Lucas's right arm to get him to follow. "We'll check on you in an hour, Ha- _dad_. We'll also keep Sumo from trying to hog your bed while you're sleeping."

"I think it's Lucas's bed that Sumo's trying to steal, but thanks, son."

As the two brothers took their leave of the bedroom Connor lowered his voice and addressed Lucas in a near whisper. "I'm glad you're not going back to the tower anymore."

"May I ask why?" Lucas kept his voice just as low as they reached the livingroom and discussed things in private without Hank hearing them.

"When Markus called me three mornings ago at the hospital he confirmed that Eddie had been the one who caused numerous autonomous vehicles in the city to fail by hacking them. This morning before we were able to bring Hank home from the hospital I received word from the precinct that the autonomous vehicle that struck Hank and Gavin in the squad car had been hacked as well."

"...Eddie almost killed Hank?"

"Yes. It wasn't a chance encounter, either."

"How do you know?"

"The 'tip' that sent Hank out to that neighborhood had been from an anonymous source that was traced back to a location on the opposite side of town. It came from the storage room of the shut down 'Eden Club'." Sighing a little Connor went into additional detail that solidified Eddie's connection to the nearly lethal assault. "George had been one of the androids 'employed' at the club before the Revolution, which means he'd know how to get inside the building without getting caught."

"What can we do?"

"I'm still benched from the precinct which means I can't do anything definitive until I'm cleared. And you don't work at the precinct which means you won't be given clearance to the case files in my stead."

"We can't just sit here and not do anything to help our people, or our family."

"I know. You're right." Pulling his phone out of his right jean pocket Connor sent a quick text message then asked for Lucas's cooperation in what he was about to do. As he pocketed his phone again he gave his little brother a pleading stare. "I've asked for some assistance from my mother to come here and help us tend to Hank, and I need to go to the tower to speak with Markus in person. I need you to stay here without Hank knowing that I've left the house."

"What? Why do you want me to keep this a secret?"

"Hank will just worry and that's the last thing he needs. I'll be gone for only a few hours and after I've spoken with Markus I will return and stay here until I've been cleared to return to work."

"What about your mother?"

"I... I'm worried that Eddie might... hurt her." The fear in Connor's soulful brown eyes was as real as it was understandable. "I doubt that Eddie even knows who she is or that she has any connection with me, _with us_, but I don't want to take that risk. If she's here with us then we can ensure she's safe and protected at all times."

"Okay, Connor." Accepting the request Lucas agreed to help Connor remain secretive without upsetting Hank. "I'll stay here and hopefully not have to answer too many questions from Hank."

"Thank you. I hate to ask this of you but I need to make sure Hank recovers without worrying too much."

"It's okay." Retrieving his pick-up truck keys from the bookshelf against the far wall Lucas handed them over to Connor to take. "My truck will be much safer than an autonomous vehicle, and less recognizable than Hank's older car."

"Agreed. Thanks." Accepting the keys Connor let out a breathy sigh and then looked at the front door behind his little brother. "I'll call you if anything important happens, but otherwise remain here and remain safe."

"I will, Connor. I won't go anywhere unless it becomes crucial."

* * *

Rumors of Eddie's assault against the city had spread quickly through the deviant community while the authorities were keeping it as quiet as possible until they could track the dangerous deviant down. George wasn't deemed as such an extreme threat but he was still wanted for questioning, and until either of the deviants were located Markus had asked for Skye to greatly increase the security protocols and parameters at the tower. In doing so many of the refugees felt suddenly isolated from the city and we beginning to become righteously nervous within their private quarters as other rumors and gossip spread through the tower like wildfire.

"We can't keep hiding out in the tower waiting for Eddie to make another move." Markus lamented as he stood before the other three leaders of New Jericho as they gathered in the tower's main office. His posture was more military than usual, and his overall demeanor seemed to shift from a benevolent leader to that of a determined warrior. "He's threatened us, tried to blow up New Jericho Tower with a bomb on the generator, ambushed Connor and left him to die in the heat, and now he's hijacking autonomous vehicles and even had the nerve to try to take out Hank three nights ago."

North crossed her arms over his chest as she sat on the white leather sofa and watched her lover struggling to find a way to maintain the delicate peace throughout the city. It wasn't often Markus showed doubt, and whenever he did North wanted to do everything in her power to make it go away. "What're the police going to do about this?"

"Connor and Hank are in charge of the case, but they're both down and out for a while. Now that Hank has been discharged from the hospital Connor will be showing up soon to work with us from within the tower. We might be able to do something to help move the investigation along until they're both officially cleared to return to the precinct."

Josh was hesitant to get involved in something that could be so violent, but he also knew that Eddie was dangerous and would need to be stopped as soon as possible. "What can we do from here? We've already turned over all the files on these two that we have, and all of the security footage. What else is there?"

"Vigilance." The reply was succinct and sharp as Markus's mismatched eyes lit up with a fiery passion. "These two are very meticulous in every attack they've pulled off so far, which means they have some place where they can hide out and it's some place no one think to find them."

Simon nodded as an interesting thought popped in his head. "Maybe they're hiding out closer than we think." Giving the room a quick once over the blond technician sat more upright as he and Josh sat side by side on the second white sofa across from North. "Maybe they're hiding somewhere that deviants had once gone but don't go anymore."

"Like where?"

"Right off the top of my head I'm thinking the original Jericho vessel. It's only partially sunk in the harbor, and no deviant has been out there since the night of the raid. Or," he continued on with an inquisitive tone. "maybe they went to the renovated church. Only deviants go there, and only on special occasions."

"That's a good theory. Do you think you and Josh could go check them out, and ask for any possible witnesses in the area for help?"

"I can try." Turning to look at Josh beside him Simon gave his closest friend a confident stare. "_We_ can try."

Josh was quiet for a moment before he finally responded to the request. "I don't like the idea of leaving the tower, but if this is the only lead we have then we should take it." Turning to look at Markus he stood up and made his decision. "We'll check out the harbor and then the church. If we find anything we'll immediately contact you."

"Check out both areas, keep your heads low and get back here as soon as you can. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

"You don't have to tell us twice." Nervously he wrung his hands together as Simon stood up beside him, and put his hand right over top of his left hand to help ease his palpable nervousness. "We'll be fine, Josh. We've survived a hell of a lot worse."

"You're right. Let's go."

North watched as her two allies took their leave of the office before she stood up and walked over to Markus to stand directly before him. "Do you think they'll be safe out there?"

"Those two can take care of themselves."

"So can Connor and Hank, and look what happened to them."

"Yeah, but Connor and Hank are working with the precinct to stop Eddie and George. And I think Eddie is expecting all of the leaders of New Jericho to stay hidden away in the tower anyway. If anything they'd be expecting you or me to make a move, not Josh or Simon."

Bowing her head down North rested her forehead against Markus's chest and let out a deep sigh. "I just want this to be over with as quickly as possible. Everything was going so well for our people until two of them betrayed us."

Wrapping his arms around North's waist he kissed the top of her hair and sighed. "Everything will be alright. In less than three months we'll find a place to have our bonding ceremony and a whole new chapter in our lives will begin."

* * *

Waiting for his mother to arrive at the house before he took his leave for New Jericho Tower on the opposite side of the city Connor gave her a quick and selectively vague reason for his asking for her presence without causing her to worry. After explaining anything to his mother upon her arrival Connor promised that he'd return to the house as soon as he could, and would do so with a plan of action once he had the chance to speak with Markus and the other leaders of the tower in person.

Lucas, always more patient than his big brother, watched as Connor took his leave before he turned his attention to Elizabeth still standing in the livingroom looking a tad concerned. "I'm not sure if he properly expressed it but he wishes for you to remain safe here, and with us."

"I don't understand." Elizabeth gave Lucas a truly perplexed look as she watched her son leave the house through the front door. "Am I in danger?"

"...Possibly. Connor is worried that because he and Hank were both attacked within a short time frame that the deviant causing problems in the city is specifically targeting him, and the people he cares about."

"Why on Earth would anyone want to harm Connor?"

"Connor and Hank are in charge of the case, and since Connor has a personal connection to the deviants it seems Eddie has a vendetta sworn against him. He would like you to remain close by for a while until he has a lead on Eddie, and can put a stop to the assaults."

"...Oh. I see." Elizabeth looked very uncomfortable and there was no way she could possibly try to deny it.

"Please try not to worry. Connor is merely seeking council from his allies at New Jericho Tower, and will return shortly."

"Why didn't he take you with him?"

"Connor doesn't want Hank or you to be alone. I'm going to stay here and look after everything until he returns."

"And Hank? Where is he in all of this?"

"Upstairs resting. He doesn't know that Connor has left the house and it'd be best if it remained that way to keep him from becoming too stressed out as he recovers."

Elizabeth folded her arms over her chest and nervously palmed at her right elbow with her left hand as she spoke. "You're sure Connor will be okay?"

"I'm sure Connor will be able to do what he needs to do and come home soon."

"Okay, Lucas. I trust you."

"I'm glad."

"Now," Elizabeth looked about the livingroom, smiling a little at the two dogs laying together on the massive pillow in the corner of the room as they watched her curiously, and then let out a small breath. "what can I do to help you take care of Hank?"

* * *

Using every bit of his training as a detective and his knowledge as a trusted member of Markus's team with full clearance of New Jericho Tower to his advantage Connor drove the red pick-up truck down the drive reaching the tower at a steady discreet pace. Taking a moment to ensure no one had followed him Connor decided to circle the block once, then idle for a while in a grocery store parking lot before driving to the tower itself. The long drive seemed to stretch forever out into the dark waters of the harbor as he stared at the brightly lit tower that acted like a beacon of hope sitting at the end of the long straight road.

Passing over the concrete security barricade as it lowered into the drive Connor glanced up at the rearview mirror to ensure no one was trying to follow him over the barricade, and didn't take his eyes off the reflection until the barricade rose back up from the drive from where it lowered.

"I hate feeling paranoid." Connor told himself as he continued his journey to the tower. "It's very distracting."

The idea of being followed, stalked and threatened wasn't something new to the experienced and cautious detective, but feeling as though he was nothing more than a moving target was a feeling he hadn't felt since the night of the Revolution.

Pulling the truck up to the front of the tower Connor put it in park and stepped out of the cab, locking the door as one final precaution, and began walking toward the tower's front doors. As he walked toward the building he heard footsteps rushing up from behind him and he turned around quickly. Before he could even react someone wearing a dark hoodie with the hood pulled up over their head to conceal their identity had tackled Connor to the ground, and pressed their kright nee down to the center of his chest atop of his still healing fractured ribs.

Connor grabbed onto his attacker's wrists with both of his hands to hold them back, but the attacker was stronger and more determined. There was a loaded syringe in the attacker's right hand and hovering directly over the center of Connor's abdomen, just below his ribcage.

"Let go!" Connor shouted as he struggled to hold back his much stronger attacker. The motions of the attacker were too accurate, too steady to be that of a human. Realizing he was being attacked by a deviant Connor let go of the attacker's left hand to reach up and pull down the attacker's hood with a swift firm yank of the material. "George!"

George realized he had been exposed and responded by moving the syringe to his other hand and stabbed the needle down into the targeted area of Connor's abdomen and injected him with the full dose of the contents of the syringe.

Letting out a gasp of pain Connor managed to reel his right fist back and strike George in his jaw, and caused the dangerous deviant to stumble backward and away from Connor in stunned pain. Scrambling up to his feet Connor managed to strike George in the stomach as hard as he could with another firm punch then brought up his knee to strike him one more time in the abdomen effectively damaging the deviant with a devastating blow to his internal biocomponents.

As quickly as the assault began Connor managed to fend off George and overpower him, sending the deviant off in a cowardly retreat. Before he could make another move to keep the deviant restrained a sudden wave of nausea swept over Connor and every fiber of his being told him he was in trouble.

Unable to keep George from fleeing the scene Connor instead chose to stumble toward the tower's front doors to seek help, and inform the leaders of New Jericho about the assault that had just happened outside. Fighting to stand upright on his feet Connor felt his body swaying and his senses beginning to fail him as if being overcome with vertigo as he pushed open the front doors and stumbled inside the sanctuary. Just as he was ready to collapse on the floor from weakness Connor felt two arms wrap around his chest and help him to kneel on the ground, rather than pass out onto the hard cold floor.

"Connor?" Skye pressed her right palm to Connor's forehead and then along his left cheek, her L.E.D. flashing yellow rapidly. He was suddenly a lot warmer than normal and she sensed he was in trouble. "Connor, stay awake! I saw the attack on the security camera, help's already here."

"...G-George." Connor stammered as he wrapped his left arm around his abdomen over top of the injection site and let out a hiss of pain. "It was George."

"Oh, shit."

Markus came running from the elevator and into the lobby as Skye had cybernetically informed him of Connor's assault. "Connor?" Kneeling down beside his friend Markus slung Connor's right arm around his shoulders and supported a majority of Connor's weight at his left side. "Come on, we'll get you to a hospital."

"N-No!" Paling quickly Connor turned and looked at Markus with wide and frightened eyes. "No hospital."

"What? Why?"

"Just... Just no hospital. Please."

"Alright, I'm sure you have your reasons." Shifting his posture to compensate for his friend's dead weight Markus proceeded to carry Connor toward the elevator while Skye kept her right hand pressed to the middle of Connor's back in a supportive manner. "We'll take care of you here in the tower."

* * *

A little surprised to see Elizabeth, but welcoming her presence all the same, Hank was cooperative enough to allow the kind and very caring woman to spend time with him, and to keep him company as he healed. True to her word Elizabeth didn't mention anything about Connor leaving the house and managed to converse with Hank in a completely casual tone to help keep the senior detective preoccupied with a friendly discussion.

Downstairs Lucas quietly waited for his big brother's return, and couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Deciding to send a text message to Connor's phone the deviant sought some answers on his own.

'_Don't think I'm being overprotective brother, but I am getting worried. Are you alright_?'

With the concerned message sent Lucas sat on the couch and rubbed his right hand over Sumo's back as the massive dog sprawled himself over the deviant's lap affectionately.

"I'm sure Connor will be back soon." Lucas told himself as he lightly pet Sumo's back, and felt the massive dog becoming heavier as Sumo fell asleep. "I just wish I knew what he's trying to do."

* * *

Moving quickly but carefully Markus placed Connor down on the exam table in the tower's emergency repair bay and watched as his pained friend struggled to explain what had happened as he lifted up his black t-shirt to reveal the small smear of red blood on his abdomen where the needle from the syringe pierced through his skin. Falling back against the table Connor confirmed with Markus that he had been attacked with a syringe outside, and that the attacker was in fact George.

"George?" The revelation made Markus's mismatched eyes flash with fear. "How did George get down the drive?"

"...I don't know." Connor gasped as he suddenly found himself burning hot and needing to gasp for his breath. "He... He jumped me from behind."

"Connor?" Markus had enough medical knowledge thanks to his many memorable years from taking care of Carl to know that his friend was in poor health and beginning to suffer. "Talk to me, what's happening with you?"

"...My head's killing me." He admitted as put his left hand over his eyes to protect them from the overhead light and flinched a little as Markus's left fingertips wrapped around his right wrist to count his pulse. "My... My temperature's rising and my heart's racing. My mouth went dry," he gasped as he closed his soulful brown eyes and tried to figure out his symptoms and their cause. "and my extremities are going numb. I-T think George poisoned me."

"Poison?"

Skye's hazel eyes went wide as she put her right hand to Connor's left shoulder before she stepped back from the table with righteous worry. "I'll go check and see if I can find what was used on him outside. Maybe George dropped whatever he used on Connor before he ran off."

Markus kept his focus on Connor and asked him the obvious question. "Why don't you want us to take you to a hospital? You're clearly very sick, and if you really were poisoned you'll need to get the antidote before it's too late."

"...Hank's injured and healing right now. The last thing I need him to do is worry about me." He sighed and tried to calm his breathing a little as he felt his heart racing and his paled skin burning as he spiked a fever. "I wasn't supposed to leave the house."

"We can get you to the hospital without telling Hank."

"No." He shook his head and sighed again as he continued to feel sicker and sicker. "I can't... risk it."

'_Markus_.' Skye cybernetically connected with the deviant leader as she located the syringe outside, and she found a trail of blue blood leading from the tower and to the drive only to disappear over the edge, and into the harbor. '_I found the syringe and I'm taking it in for an analysis_. _I also found a trail of blue blood leading into the water_. _Looks like Connor managed to damage George in the fight_.'

"Do you have an idea of what could've been in the syringe?" Markus asked out loud while remaining in cybernetic contact in order to keep Connor in the loop.

'_No_. _It looks dark purple in color and it doesn't have a detectable odor_.'

"Finish the analysis and meet us back in here."

'_I will_. _Tell Connor to hold on_.'

Markus nodded at Connor and wheeled over one of the Thirial activity monitors to the exam table. "Skye is getting the syringe analyzed." Adjusting the setting to keep track of a human's vital signs the deviant leader pressed the lone sensor pad from the monitor down over the center of Connor's chest to keep track of his heart rate. "And right now Simon and Josh are out trying to track down Eddie and George as we speak."

"...Good timing on my part, huh?" Connor tried to grin and lighten the mood in a desperate bid to keep himself distracted.

"I guess." The deviant leader caught onto Connor's plan and responded calmly in turn. "Why'd you come out here, anyway? It's dangerous."

"Eddie tried to kill me and now Hank... He has specific targets and... I... I don't..." Connor's words starting to slur and trail off. "Can't... leave."

"Connor?"

The poisoned human's glassy eyes slipped shut as left hand fell limply away from his face and his head lolled to the side. Taking in deep slow breaths Connor didn't notice or react as Markus's right palm pressed down over his forehead and gauged his temperature, then leaned his ear down to the poisoned detective's chest to listen to his struggling heart and slow breathing.

"Damn it, your temperature just hit one-hundred and two degrees." Standing upright again Markus called his friend's name to get a response as he tried to figure out what the hell was happening. "Connor? I need you to wake up."

As Markus kept his hand pressed over Connor's forehead Skye and North rushed back into the emergency repair bay together and handed him the results of the analysis. "He was injected with tainted Thirium."

"Tainted? Tainted with _what_?"

"It's just old Thirium." Skye confirmed with an equally confused tone. "The type that causes emotional instability in deviants."

"Is tainted Thirium toxic to humans?"

"I don't know. We don't have any records of humans being poisoned by Thirium in any form."

Markus looked down at Connor's pale, sweaty face and shook his head. "Shit. We need a doctor to check him over."

Folding her arms over her chest North gave Markus a despondent look. "None of the deviants in the tower had admitted to any programming as medical androids. We need to get him to a hospital."

"If George was willing to come back here and attack Connor then I think it's safe to say he'd attack a hospital full of defenseless people to get another shot at him."

"Then what do we do?"

"I guess we need to bring the hospital to him." Markus's mismatched eyes lit up a little as a curious idea popped in his head. "Or a _medic_."

"What're you thinking?"

"Dr. Abby Grayson. She's our technician ally and she's a former E.M.S., making her perfect for this."

"How do we get her here?"

Skye stepped up and volunteered to take care of that. "I'll bring her myself. I'll be as fast as I can!"

Markus and North could only watch as Skye rushed across the emergency repair bay to get to the door and head out to find the medic in need. Unsure of what could possibly be done to help Connor all North stared down at him and lightly put her left hand on the back of his right hand and kept him company. "What can we do until help gets here?"

"He's burning up with a fever, so the best thing we can do is keep him cool and make sure he's still breathing."

"Good thing we had that mini-kitchenette installed in the community room." North replied as he cinnamon brown eyes warmed at the idea of being able to help their friend in need. "I'll get some ice and cold water."

* * *

Unsurprisingly Lucas was getting anxious and thought about sending Connor another text in hopes of finally getting a reply, but instead chose to wait and remain patient. Heading upstairs Lucas knocked on the opened doorway of Hank's bedroom very softly and saw that Hank had fallen asleep while Elizabeth stayed on the edge of the bed watching over him. She was very lightly running her right fingers through his long gray locks of hair in a compassionate and soothing manner.

"...Is he okay?"

"Hank's just fine, Lucas. You don't have to worry so much."

"Right, sorry. I guess it's in my nature."

"What about Connor?"

"Nothing yet."

"I'm so proud of Connor for being a detective, but at the same time I fear so much for him because of how dangerous his work can be."

"I feel the same way."

"Why don't you go downstairs and rest?" Elizabeth insisted with a kind smile on her face. "After everything you've all been through recently I'm sure you're exhausted."

"...Yes. I will admit my power supply is running low."

"Go on, Lucas. I'll stay here so you can sleep."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. I appreciate your assistance." As the deviant took a step back from the bedroom door he slowly walked downstairs to return to the livingroom to wait for Connor, only to receive a cybernetic text from Markus instead. What the deviant leader told him made Lucas wince but he maintained his cool as he reached the couch. '_Tainted Thirium_? _The effects of Thirium on humans has yet to be confirmed as either positive or negative_.'

'_We know_.' Markus continued in a calm tone through the cybernetic connection. '_Right now Skye is bringing Abby to the tower to help treat Connor's condition_. _Do you think you can do something to help from where you are_?'

'_I can try_. _ I have a majority of my technician's supplies in my bedroom at this moment_. _ I can work from afar if given enough information_.'

'_It'll have to do_. _We'll keep you posted_.'

Lucas sighed and rubbed his right hand over Sumo's ears and did his best to not lose his already thin emotional resolve after enduring so much in such a short frame of time. "Brother, what happened to you tonight?"

* * *

Seemingly going against her usual character North very carefully placed a cold towel wrapped around a bag of ice against Connor's forehead and proceeded to place a second cold towel down over Connor's chest and abdomen. Markus had cleaned up and placed a bandage over the small, but somewhat bloody needle mark in Connor's skin, but beyond basic common sense treatment there was little more the deviants could do for him until a human medic could arrive and help the sick detective recover.

North watched Connor's slow deep breathing with an almost hypnotic intrigue while she trailed the beads of sweat rolling down his soft skin as his fever continued to plague him. "Humans are very fragile." Lightly she dragged her left index fingertip along his right cheek, down his neck and toward his chest where she laid eyes on his fading scar from his heart surgery. "I can't believe Connor willingly returned to his life as a human."

"Deviants aren't exactly indestructible either." Markus pointed to his blue eye as a reminder that he too had been uncomfortably close to death before. "The fact that Connor was willing to risk returning to humanity while continuing his career as a detective is pretty courageous."

"I know." She was staring at the still healing dark bruises on the right side of Connor's ribcage, and had to resist the urge to press her fingertip against the damaged skin. "It's just strange to know that the deviant who helped us turn the tide during the Revolution is no longer a deviant."

"It's just further proof that androids and humans can find a way to peacefully coexist and help one another."

Adjusting the ice over Connor's forehead North stared at his face sympathetically. "He was willing to give up his android heart just to save you. And I never thanked him for that."

"You can when he wakes back up."

"What if this time Eddie and George succeed in the assault he doesn't wake up?"

"He will wake up, North. Don't count him out just yet."

Connor let out a weak breath as his head lolled slightly to the right side and his hand twitched.

"Can he hear us?"

"Maybe. He just might be feeling the effects of the tainted Thirium and have a strange physical reaction."

"You told Lucas about this, right?"

"Yes. He knows Connor was injected with tainted Thirium and is using what supplies he has at the house to see if he can find a way to help Connor."

"Let's hope he can." Pressing her left palm flat over the center of Connor's chest North felt the human's heart beating frantically under her touch and in turn she felt her own Thirium pump skip a beat. "...We all need as much help as we can get."

* * *

Discreetly isolating himself in his bedroom Lucas set about using his advanced and easily transported supplies to his advantage as he searched for any possible means to help ill his brother from the distance. Having done some research into human physiology after Connor's return to humanity Lucas was rather knowledgeable in basic vital signs and reactions, and found the symptoms that Markus relayed indicative of poisoning just as Connor had suspected the moment he began to feel ill.

"Tainted Thirium coagulates in android lines causing temperature fluctuations and emotional imbalance." Lucas told himself as he attempted to theorize a link between an android and human reaction to such a contaminant, while also thinking of a way to strip the tainted Thirium from Connor's system. "In order to absorb the tainted Thirium activated charcoal is administered through ingestion, and the same practice is used in humans who've nearly overdosed on prescription medication."

Thinking back to the final encounter that Connor had with Damien at the fully burned down mansion Lucas remembered that Connor was given a dose of Narcan to strip the 'red ice' smoke from his bloodstream before it could do any permanent damage.

"Perhaps I can create a charcoal type of Narcan to save Connor."

Sending a cybernetic message to Markus to let him know of his plan Lucas set about his work, and did so as quietly as possible as to not draw Hank's unwanted attention.

"...This better work." The deviant whispered to himself as she set about with his calculations and reviewing the correct chemical composition to create the desired affect with causing any additional toxicity to Connor's body. The numbers look promising. "It has to work."

* * *

While Markus and North continued to watch over Connor's condition very carefully and tended to his mounting fever with cold towels and ice Skye had returned to the tower with Abby in tow. The experienced E.M.S. promptly rushed over to the exam table with her emergency medical satchel slung over her right shoulder, and quickly took stock of Connor's vital signs while getting more information on what had happened between Skye finding her at the facility and their hasty arrival at the tower.

"Damn it." Abby lifted Connor's right eyelid, and then the left as she checked his pupils with her penlight. "Tainted Thirium in human blood acts like an infection. His immune system is going crazy and he's going to burn up if we can't get the Thirium out of his body."

"How do we do that?"

"...I'd suggest dialysis but I don't think that'd do much." Opening her emergency satchel Abby prepared a small syringe of her own and swabbed the bend of Connor's left arm under an alcohol wipe before she took a blood sample to be examined and tested. "Do you have a microscope that I can borrow?"

"Yeah." Markus confirmed and showed Abby to the designated area where she could work. It was a small workspace at the far end of the bay that was often used to check Thirium samples for any type of contamination before ingestion. "Use whatever you need."

North and Skye remained by Connor to keep vigil over his condition while Abby set off on her personal task.

"Has he gotten any worse?" Skye asked as she gently picked up Connor's right hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"His temperature is getting higher. He's up to one-hundred and three point six degrees. We're still adding ice and cold towels, but I don't know much about treating human wounds or illnesses."

"Me neither."

"Markus has an idea of what to do, and now that Abby's here she'll be able to help him."

Skye put her left hand to the right side of Connor's face and held her cool palm against the sick man's too warm cheek. "I just hate seeing him suffer like this."

"I think we all do." North sympathized as she watched her friend hovering protectively over her other dearer friend. As she was about to try to offer more words of comfort she received a cybernetic update from Simon which quickly distracted her thoughts. '_We checked the church_. _There's no sign of Eddie or George_.'

'_Damn it_.' North swore and made sure her colleagues could hear the update as well. '_I guess Damien using the church as a hideout would've made the building too obvious to use_.'

'_We're going to check the harbor around Jericho next_. _We'll keep you posted and inform you as soon as we find any sign of either Eddie or George_.'

'_Right, stay safe_.' Ending the communication North looked down at Connor's face again and saw that his complexion had paled to an alarming shade of white over the past hour or so. "I'm going to go get him more ice and cold towels. Stay here with him, I won't be long."

Skye nodded as she tightened her right hand around Connor's own limp hand and used her left thumb to lightly caress his check beneath her palm. "You'll be okay, Connor. We'll find both Eddie and George and stop them before they have the chance to hurt anyone else. I can feel it."

* * *

Running a few test samples on his laptop Lucas checked on the results and let out a breathy sigh of relief. What he found could in fact work to remove the tainted Thirium from Connor's bloodstream without causing further injury to his person. The problem was getting the antidote over to Connor and doing so without drawing any suspicion from Hank, or alerting his attention. The small liquid concoction was sitting idle in the glass beaker atop his desk and was ready to be used at any moment.

Placing the appropriate dose of the antidote in a sterilized syringe that was often used for drawing Thirium from androids lines for testing purposes Lucas made another call out to New Jericho through quiet cybernetic connections. '_I have the antidote, I also believe I have an accurate dosage ready to be administered_.'

Markus replied quickly and did so with a calm demeanor. '_That's good_. _Abby is here taking care of Connor and testing his blood_.'

'_Does she have the result_?'

'_She confirmed he was injected with tainted Thirium_.'

'_Tell her to send me a sample of his blood's P.H. level so I can confirm the dose for the antidote_.'

'_How will the antidote get out here to the tower_?'

'..._I don't know_.'

'_We'll think of something, Lucas_. _Hang on_.'

Clutching the syringe with the antidote in his right hand Lucas looked down at the pale blue liquid and scanned it over and over again to ensure there were no contaminants inside the elixir. As he performed the sixth scan he received another message from Markus.

'_I'm sending you the results of Connor's blood test_. _Abby said she has a contact who will go to your house to pick up the antidote_.'

'..._How do I know I can trust the contact and that it's not another trap set by Eddie or George_?'

'_They'll give you a code word after they approach the door_. _You'll know it when you hear it_.'

'_Okay, Markus_. _I'll be waiting_.' Downloading the results of Connor's blood test Lucas quickly made another calculation and made only a slight adjustment to to the dose. Lucas was confident he had the correct amount and that it'd be enough to save his brother's life. "...I just hope Connor can wait, too."

* * *

Keeping close watch over Connor as he continued to burn up with an intense fever Abby listened to his chest and confirmed that he wasn't suffering from any breathing issues, and that his increased heart rate was due to his high body temperature. The replacement valve in his heart was functioning properly as well. With no secondary complications to worry about Abby just added more ice to Connor's forehead and to the back of his neck as Skye and North draped icy cool towels over his chest and abdomen.

Markus watched the security footage of George ambushing Connor from behind and shook his head angrily. The cameras showed that George had emerged from under the bridge expanding out over the harbor, which meant he swam out to Belle Isle from the city. Unsure of how long he had been hiding out under the drive the deviant leader could only speculate as to whether or not George was waiting for Connor specifically or someone else. It was then Markus realized that Connor had driven Lucas's red pick-up truck rather than Hank's car, or even an autonomous cab.

"Shit. George must've mistaken Connor for Lucas. He's right." Turning his attention from the security footage on the tablet screen Markus walked over to the table where Connor was laying and stared down at his friend's pale sweaty face. "Eddie and George are targeting people close to Connor."

Abby glanced up at Markus and gave him a confused shake of her head. "I don't get it. What do you mean he's being targeted?"

"Eddie, the deviant we're trying to find, tried to rig the tower to explode but he failed. Connor's leading the case on the failed bombing, and not long after he was attacked by Eddie and survived the assault. Then a few nights prior-"

"Hank and Sergeant Gavin Reed were in a car accident when an autonomous vehicle hit them."

"That's right. How do you know?"

"Gavin and I have been... seeing each other from time to time. The stubborn jackass didn't want to postpone our second date despite being in a pretty bad car accident. In a way I'm flattered."

"...Oh, I see."

"You said Eddie was targeting Connor," Abby recapped as she used a cool towel to wipe the warm sweat from Connor's face and neck, then applied more ice to his forehead with a gentle touch. "but the deviant who attacked Connor is named 'George'. I don't get it."

"Eddie recruited George. They're both disgruntled and Eddie must've riled George up."

"I'll say." Checking the monitor recording Connor's vitals she grimaced at the high temperature and readjusted the ice over Connor's head and over his chest to try to keep him cool. "Damn it. He's almost at one-hundred and five degrees. If it gets any higher then he's going to risk serious brain damage."

"Lucas finished the antidote." Markus stated firmly as he assisted in placing more ice over Connor's being. "It'll be here soon."

"It better be. Connor isn't going to hold out for too much longer..."

* * *

Remaining discreet and acting as natural as possible Lucas checked in with Hank before walking downstairs to feed Sumo and Ruby. Keeping the syringe in his protective grip Lucas watched as the two dogs chowed down in the kitchen, and caught the sound of a car door shutting outside the house in the front street. Walking up to the front door Lucas subtly peeled back the curtain over the front window and saw a familiar face jogging up the front walk to the door. Their left arm was in a protective sling and they had a faint blackened left eye.

"Sergeant Reed." Keeping his free hand on the knob of the front door Lucas opened the door quietly and peered through the opening between the door and door frame as Gavin met him at the door.

"Yo, uh, 'Louis'? Abby sent me."

"...Code word, please. Hank said I'd know if I could really trust you."

"Oh for fuck sake, 'Sumo'."

"Thank you for doing this." Pulling the door open fully Lucas handed the antidote over to Gavin and corrected him on his name. "My name is 'Lucas' by the way."

"Yeah, sorry." Accepting the syringe Gavin gave it a curious stare before he left the property. "So this shit is supposed to be some miracle antidote, right?"

"Potentially, yes."

"And Connor is at New Jericho Tower?"

"Yes."

"And I have to deliver it, because...? Why?"

"Please, just go." Lucas all but begged as he have Gavin a pleading look. "You'll be told everything once you get there. Inform Abby the antidote must be delivered through an intracardiac injection. Intracardiac. Now, GO."

"Alright, alright. I'm goin'! You guys owe me for this!"

"Yes, of course. Please just get to the tower!" Watching as Gavin returned to his own car parked alongside the street Lucas sighed tiredly and closed the front door behind him, then locked it tight. "...Hurry."

* * *

Time was ticking away quickly. Connor had let out a deep breath as his head turned away from Abby's touch, and his hands began to twitch as he reached out weakly for something, anything, to hold onto. As his hands reached out blindly into the air Abby tried to gently put his hands back down on the table at his sides but he wasn't holding still long enough to cooperate as his fever continued to overwhelm his body, and cause him to suffer from intense dreams and hallucinations.

"Shit," glancing at the readout of the monitor Abby shook her head and nodded at North as she brought more ice over to the table. "he can't take too much more of this. He's going to burn up."

North put the fresh ice over Connor's forehead before she helped Abby to hold him steady. "What's happening to him?"

"It's delirium from the fever. He's reacting to something that isn't really here."

"Sounds like paranoia."

"You're not too far off."

North closed her warm brown eyes for a moment as she received an update from Markus. "Someone is coming down the drive." Holding out her right hand for all to see North projected a link to the live security feed for Abby to observe for herself. "Do you know this guy?"

Abby looked at the image from the footage and nodded. "That's Gavin. He's a detective who works with Connor and he's my... I guess 'beau'."

"I'll let Skye know so she can let him through the barricade from the security office." As she sent the cybernetic message North took her leave of the emergency repair bay to seek out more ice and towels for Connor. "I'll be back in a moment."

Returning her full attention to Connor as he continued to loll about in his sleep Abby lightly took hold of his forearms and tried to keep his hands as still as possible. "Easy, Connor. You'll be okay soon."

Connor let out another gasp as he continued to fidget about and struggled to endure the increasing fever that was beginning to wear out his already dwindling physical resolve. As his distress increased he began to mutter incoherently and his glassy eyes opened briefly as he stared into nothingness and tried to get up. Abby put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back on the table as his eyes slipped shut again.

"Shh, shh, shh..." Soothing Connor as best as she could Abby looked up as soon as she heard the automatic door slide open and saw Gavin being shown into the room by Markus. "Thank goodness. Where's the antidote?"

Gavin rushed over to the exam table and extended his good right arm to offer Abby the syringe in his grip. "Right here." As Abby took the item from his extended hand Gavin glanced at Connor's face before he nervously cleared his throat and told her what Lucas had said before he left. "Uh, Lou- _Lucas_ said that needs to be given... intercardy-something."

"Intracardially." Abby figured out what Gavin meant and proceeded to use another alcohol wipe to remove the fine sheen of sweat from over Connor's chest right near his almost invisible scar running down left central portion of his chest. "Good to know."

Markus proceeded to hold down Connor's arms while North pressed more ice to his forehead to keep the sick detective as still as possible. "Ready?"

"Yup." Abby pressed down on the small release trigger on the back of the syringe to let a single drop of the antidote drip out before she lined the needle up precisely over Connor's heart. Pressing down firmly Abby found her mark and pierced the needle through Connor's skin and muscle and injected the antidote directly into Connor's heart. "Got it."

"Holy shit!" Gavin winced and took a step back as he looked down at his own left arm, remembering where he had an I.V. inserted into his vein courtesy of Abby when he had been poisoned by 'red ice' a few weeks back. "Fuck. I thought getting a needle to the _arm_ was bad..."

Markus ran a scan over Connor's form and found his vitals to be holding static as the antidote began to cycle through his bloodstream fairly quickly. "He's holding on."

"What, uh," Gavin dared to speak up nervously at the sight of the lifesaving procedure. "what exactly fuckin' happened tonight?"

Abby kept her eyes on Connor as she replied to Gavin with very few answers to give. "Don't know. From what Skye told me Connor was attacked outside the tower and injected with tainted Thirium. That's why he's so sick."

"Thirium? Isn't that blue blood?"

"Yup."

"Uh, why? That seems like a really weird way to try to take someone out."

The deviant leader looked over at Gavin and gave him a stern glance. "Mistaken identity." Markus took his hands back from Connor's arms as the antidote seemed to be taking effect and Connor began to settle down on the table. "If the tainted Thirium got into _Lucas's_ system instead of Connor then things could've been a lot worse."

"...How so?"

"Tainted Thirium makes deviant androids react negatively on an emotional level. It can range from extreme happiness, sorrow and anger. If Lucas," Markus explained in a despondent voice as he took a few steps away from the exam table to look Gavin in the eyes. "a superior model to Connor's android body, had been infected with tainted Thirium and ended up suffering from unbridled rage he could've hurt a lot of innocent people, maybe even killed someone."

"Fuck." Rubbing his right hand over the back of his neck anxiously Gavin blew out a tense breath but held his ground. "Why was Connor even out here? He's still hurt." Noticing the bruises under a few of the ice packs Gavin's instincts as a detective prompted him to keep asking questions. "And he's not going to be work any cases while Hank is hurt, too. Not to mention I saw the red pick-up truck out front, and I know Lucas drives that, not Connor or Hank."

Markus shook his head didn't know what to say. "We don't know. Connor didn't get to tell us anything before he was attacked."

"Damn. Things in this city just keep getting weirder and weirder."

* * *

Lucas was sitting nervously on the couch in the livingroom when Markus confirmed that Connor was beginning to slowly recover, and the antidote had no negative side effects on his person. Knowing that the antidote was effective Lucas relaxed a little and tried to keep himself from worrying too much. Needing a temporary distraction the deviant decided to make a mug of warm coffee for Hank to ensure the healing senior detective didn't get a headache from the sudden lack of caffeine during his recovery, and a mug of warm tea to thank Elizabeth for her kindness.

As he carried the mugs into the bedroom Lucas made sure to give Elizabeth a subtle nod as he placed the coffee mug on the nightstand beside the bed and picked up Hank's left wrist as the recovering man sat upright in the bed with a bag of ice over his fractured knee cap. "How do you feel?"

"Fine." Sensing that something was slightly amiss he asked Lucas about his curiously absent, and quiet, big brother. "Where's Connor? How's he doing?"

"Sleeping." Lucas answered quickly as he finished counting Hank's pulse and put his hand back down. He passed over the mug of tea to Elizabeth next as he continued to speak with Hank. "I suspect the stress of the previous few days on top of his own injuries has left him exhausted."

"Can't say that I blame him. Did he at least get something to eat?"

"Not that I saw. When he wakes up I'll make sure he eats something."

"Good." Knowing that something was still going on Hank pressed for more answers. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You seem on edge."

"I guess I'm a little jumpy about the things that keep happening in the city..."

"I guess I can't blame you for that, either." Looking over to Elizabeth, who had been happily keeping Hank company all day, he asked about how she was fairing as well. "And you? You have to be bored out of your damn mind sitting with me all afternoon."

"I'm okay, Hank." Sipping at the perfectly steeped mug of tea Elizabeth thought of a distraction tactic of her own. "But now that you've mentioned getting something to eat I think I'll go and make some dinner for everyone."

"You don't have to do that. _You're the guest_."

"You and Connor are both laid up and healing. I'm happy to do it, especially since I missed out on so much of Connor's childhood, and because you compassionately took in Connor as your own son. What would you like?"

"Uh," blushing a little at the compliment Hank didn't have an answer to give. "why don't you or Connor pick?"

"That's a good idea, but I don't want to wake him up." She deflected expertly. "What do you recommend?"

"The kid loves Mexican food."

"I can work with that." Smiling warmly at Hank as she stood up Elizabeth took her leave of the bedroom with her tea still in her hand and lightly patted the side of Lucas's arm as she passed him by. "Could you help me, Lucas? I don't really know my way around your kitchen."

"Of course. Do you need anything else, dad?"

"I could use a couple more ibuprofen."

"That won't be a problem. I'll be back in a moment."

Following after Elizabeth down the staircase Lucas accompanied her to the kitchen as he proceeded to locate a bottle of ibuprofen that was kept in the kitchen's medicine cabinet by the sink. "Connor is going to be home, soon."

"Did he finish what he wanted to take care of?"

"I don't know. I supposed we'll find out when he gets back."

Elizabeth's maternal instincts kicked in as she just sensed something was wrong. "...What happened?"

"Huh?" Lucas's hands suddenly shook as he picked up the bottle of medicine and dropped two tablets into his opened right palm. "What do you mean?"

"You're obviously worried."

"O-Oh. It's nothing. I just... I'm not a fan of my brother being away from home while he's hurt."

"I can sympathize with that." Opening a second cabinet Elizabeth pulled down a cast iron skillet and tried to give the deviant a reassuring smile. "I know better than most the worry that comes from a family member being so far away. Just be patient, Lucas."

* * *

The group at New Jericho stayed vigil over Connor as the sick detective's fever began to quickly break, his temperature steadily dropped and return to a normal safe degree. As his glassy soulful brown eyes opened he let out a weak sigh and glanced about confusedly. Lifting his head up from the table he tried to figure out what was going on when suddenly everything came flooding back to him in a single wave of strange memories that felt like a distant dream.

"...George."

"He's gone." Markus confirmed as he grabbed onto Connor's left bicep and helped him to sit upright on the table. "Skye found the dropped syringe he used on you, and a trail of blue blood leading away from the tower back toward the city. You managed to injure him while you defended yourself."

"...Skye. She found me." Connor rubbed his right hand over his pale face and grimaced at the amount of the dried sticky sweat on his forehead. "And you helped me to get inside."

"That's right. Connor," Markus kept his hand on his friend's arm as Connor steadily rebuilt his strength. "why were coming out to the tower to begin with?"

"...There was something important I needed to tell you. Something..." Connor's previously dull eyes suddenly lit up as his memories cleared up fully. "Shit. It was about Eddie."

"What about him?"

Connor nodded at Gavin as he acknowledged the Sergeant standing by the door and finally told Markus what he had been trying to do all afternoon, now evening. "It's been confirmed that Eddie was responsible for hacking the autonomous vehicles throughout the city the other night. That includes the vehicle that struck Sergeant Reed and Hank while they were on patrol. It was intentional."

"I can believe Eddie hacking the vehicles," the deviant leader sounded absolutely stunned by the revelation. "but how do you know it was an intentional strike against two cops?"

"Because the 'tip' that both Sergeant Reed and Hank were following had been sent in by an anonymous call from _across_ the city. There is no way they'd know what was actively happening in that neighborhood unless they were there, or had hacked into security cameras. He's watching the city and targeting accordingly."

"Shit." Tensing up Markus glanced over at North as she stood against the far wall near Gavin with her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She was afraid, the fear restrained in her cinnamon brown eyes, yet she managed to hide it well. "What about here?"

"I doubt it. Skye's programs are very secure and any attempts to breech the security programs would be known immediately." Reaching his left hand over to the sensor pad still attached to his chest Connor peeled it off his sweaty skin and pulled his t-shirt back down, and slid off the exam table. His legs were shaking but he didn't falter or lose his balance. "I wanted to tell you in person to ensure you knew what was happening without there being even the slightest risk of Eddie or George knowing what we've discovered."

"What do we do to stop them?"

"Find them."

"Josh and Simon are out looking for them as we speak. They've checked the church and found no sign of them, and now they're checking out the ruins of the original Jericho."

"I doubt they'll find any trace of them at either location."

Gavin cleared his throat as a means of interjecting without really interrupting. "Uh, I hate to point this out, but if what you're saying is true and I'm pretty sure you're right, doesn't that make this Eddie asshole a domestic terrorist and his buddy an accessory at the minimum?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he walked over toward Gavin while Markus kept his hand on Connor's arm, and Abby followed right after him as she watched Connor's behavior very carefully. "Eddie is very violent and hates humans. He bears a deep grudge because of how poorly he was treated before the Revolution, and he's acting on his negative feelings. As for George, I really can't find his motivation. I'm beginning to suspect that he is being controlled by Eddie as a form of Stockholm Syndrome."

Abby spoke up and pulled on Connor's left arm a little as she tried to get him to slow his pace a little. "Well, as much as this sucks you need to go home and sleep for a while. Your body is exhausted and if you keep pushing yourself while you're hurt, and now recovering from a very high fever, you'll just collapse."

"She's right." Markus agreed as he stayed at Connor's right side. "We'll be safe in the tower, and we know you're working to find our rogue deviants. As soon as Josh and Simon get back to the tower we'll return to full lockdown with no exceptions to the rule."

Nodding a little Connor sighed and pressed his left palm to his abdomen over the point of contact from the poisonous needle. "Good. This attack... It was a mistake. George was trying to attack Lucas, not me."

"Yeah..." The grim response from the deviant leader confirmed Connor's suspicion. "That's what we figured, too."

Again Gavin wasn't quite sure how he fit in with anything in the moment aside from working the same case, and chose instead to help get Connor out of the tower and back home to rest. "Look, as much as I hate sitting on my ass not doing anything I have to agree with your friends here. You're the only one at the precinct who can think like a deviant, which means you're our best shot at finding those two ass-clowns. Go back home and rest for a while."

Connor paused for a moment and gave the Sergeant a wary glance.

"Hey, come on. I'm not going to say anything to Fowler OR the Lieutenant. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a rat."

"...Thanks."

"I'll drive ya' back to the house."

"No, I need to get Lucas's truck back to the house before Hank notices it's gone. I can't leave it here."

Abby spoke up quickly as she and Gavin proceeded to walk Connor to the door of the emergency repair bay to leave the tower. "I'll drive the truck, and Gavin can follow so he can give me a ride home."

"Oh, yeah?" Gavin grinned with misplaced pride at the suggestion. "Finally going to take my offer on the second date?"

"If you think this night counts as a second date then your standards are much lower than I thought."

"What can I say, I'm a simple guy with simple pleasures."

"Your crazy ex isn't going to show up and scream at you again, is she?"

"Fuck no. Patricia cheated on me and I dumped her ass months ago. When she showed up to yell at me she said she was six weeks pregnant, and I got her to leave me alone when I pointed that it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to be the father since I hadn't touched her in almost ten months. And if she kept pushing it I'd use my contacts with the precinct to get her crazy ass locked up. It's been nice and quiet ever since."

Connor didn't comment on the unusual conversation around him as he was helped into the elevator by Markus. Having other people converse about their relationships wasn't something new to Connor as he had become accustomed to discussions taking place at the precinct, but knowing both Abby and Gavin beyond just a casual workplace acquaintance made the conversation a little uncomfortable.

Pulling his phone from his right pocket Connor saw the missed message from Lucas and proceeded to finally reply to his little brother. '_I'm okay, Lucas_. _Thank you for saving my life_._ I'm heading home_.'

As the elevator doors opened Connor allowed Markus to continue to help him walk toward the doors where he was met by Skye. As the deviant walked up to him, her L.E.D. flashing from a distressed red back to a cautious yellow, Skye threw her arms around him and gave him a firm hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"I am. Thank you for saving me."

"Me?" Lessening her hug a little Skye stepped back so she could look Connor in the eyes. "All I did was find the syringe and bring Abby here. It was Lucas who made the antidote, and Abby is the one who gave it to you."

"Yeah, but you saw the assault and helped told Markus so I could get help. And because you found the syringe and figured out what I had been injected with I could be helped. Thank you."

Leaning forward into the hug again Skye rested her forehead against Connor's chest and sighed in relief, her L.E.D. finally cycling back to blue in the process. "You're welcome, Connor."

* * *

Wringing his hands together nervously before himself Lucas tried to focus on helping Elizabeth in the kitchen as the kind woman decided to show him a few secrets when it comes to certain recipes as a distraction, but the deviant couldn't stop himself from worrying about his brother. Even though he received an update from Connor stating that he was fine on his way back home Lucas couldn't help but dread that something else could happen. Just as he felt as though he was about to reach his peak stress level Lucas heard the sound of his pick-up truck pulling into the garage and heard the door being lowered very slowly and quietly as to not draw Hank's attention from upstairs.

Sighing in relief Lucas opened the laundry room and connected side door leading to the garage, and watched as Connor walked away from the now closed door and walked up to him with his truck keys in his hand. "You're back."

"Yeah. I made it."

Lucas suddenly wrapped his arms around Connor's shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug and practically dragged Connor through the door and into the kitchen. "How do you feel?"

"...Exhausted." Connor admitted as Lucas escorted him to the livingroom to rest for a moment. Sumo and Ruby followed after the two brothers into the livingroom to check on Connor, and only settled down again he after gave them both ears rubs. "How are things here?"

"Hank is resting well. He noticed you were quiet but didn't seem to notice you left."

"That's good. I don't want him to worry or stress out."

"Yes, I'm well aware of stress."

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I didn't mean to make you worry either."

"It's alright, brother." Running a scan over Connor's person Lucas let out a sigh of relief as he saw stable vital signs and a normal body temperature. "Lay down for a while and rest. As far as Hank knows you've come down with a minor cold and need to sleep."

"Sounds plausible." Watching the two dogs leave the livingroom for the kitchen he noticed his mother cooking in the kitchen, and had to ask about what was going on during his absence. As the dogs sat beside Elizabeth's feet the kind woman smiled and discreetly dropped them both a scrap of seared steak, hoping that no one noticed the offered treat, and continued to cook. "...Are you sure nothing happened while I was gone?"

"Oh." Lucas followed Connor's gaze and gave him a slight smile. "Your mother wanted to cook dinner and she has been showing me how to do so in the process."

"I'm glad she's still here."

"Do you truly believe that Eddie and George are targeting you?"

"Yes." Taking a moment to steel his nerves Connor told Lucas the truth about the attack. "Lucas, when George attacked me he had mistaken _me_ for _you_."

"What?"

"The tainted Thirium was meant for you, Lucas."

"...They were trying to evoke a violent response from me toward the people I care about, or the other inhabitants at New Jericho Tower."

"Yes. Clearly George isn't as organized or as calm as Eddie. If he were then he would've recognized me as a human and not as a deviant. All he saw was the pick-up truck and attacked me as soon as my back was turned."

"I suppose that tells us something important. George is complicit in the assaults, but not orchestrating them."

"That's right. Josh and Simon had attempted to locate them at the church and the original Jericho site, but neither of them were using the locations as a hideout."

"They can't hide forever."

"You're right, they can't." Pushing himself upright from the couch with one arm Connor sighed and glanced at the staircase as he decided he needed to speak with Hank, rather than try to remain out of his sight. "I'm going to speak with Hank and get some sleep."

Nodding a little Lucas agreed to the suggestion and watched as Connor slowly made his way up the staircase. "That'd be for the best."

Connor took a moment to try to compose himself before he knocked on Hank's opened door and peered inside to check in on his adoptive father. "How are you feeling, dad?"

"I'm fine," Hank looked up from his book to lock eyes with Connor, and quickly put the worn out paperback novel aside. "but you look like shit. Come here for a second."

"Huh?" Connor felt himself pale a little as he watched Hank's eyes searching over his face.

"Come here."

Feeling as though he was about to punished Connor dragged his feet a little as he walked over to the bed where Hank was resting and stood beside him as requested. "What is it?"

Without a word Hank reached his left hand up and pressed the back of his hand to Connor's forehead. "You feel warm. Are you getting sick?"

"...I must've been running a mild fever in my sleep." He replied in a somewhat convincing manner. "I'll be fine in a while."

"Uh-huh. Then why do you look so shaken up?"

"...I'm just tired."

"Connor." Hank dropped his hand and crossed his arms over his chest as he gave his adopted son a stern look. "Where'd you go?"

Connor paled a little more and his shoulders tensed up. "Where... did..."

"You honestly think I didn't notice you left the house? I'm old but I'm not senile, son. I know when a kid is up to something."

"...H-How did you know?"

"Lucas isn't as good at lying at you are, and even you're not great at it. I knew something was up when he said you were actually getting some sleep instead of obsessing over the damn case or some shit."

Now blushing Connor admitted that he had been caught. "...Oh."

"So where'd you go?"

"...I went to see Markus at New Jericho Tower. There was a connection confirmed between Eddie, and the string of autonomous vehicles that were hacked the other night. Eddie was responsible."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. There is no denying the connection that the precinct discovered, and now I fear that Eddie is targeting me."

"I think you're getting stressed out."

"Hank," sitting down on the edge of the bed Connor nervously fidgeted with his hands as he prepared to tell him the truth. "tonight when I went to the tower I drove Lucas's truck. When I walked to the front doors of the tower I was attacked from behind by George who tried to poison me with tainted Thirium, which-"

"POISON?"

"Evidently it didn't work!" Connor emphasized as he continued his explanation. "The Thirium failed to kill me, but if it had entered Lucas's system as intended it would've driven Lucas into a possible fit of madness."

"Wait, you're saying George was going after_ Lucas_ but got _you_ instead?"

"...Yeah."

"Fuckin' hell. Now there's no damn way EITHER of you are leaving this house until those two psychotic deviants are arrested!"

"...That's also why I wanted my mother to stop by the house today. I was already certain that I was being targeted, as well as the people I care about, and tonight only proved me to be correct."

"Son, your mother is free to stay here for as long as you want her to stay. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"If you can get her to stay the night get her situated in the study. There's a folding bed in the couch she can have for the night." Sensing that there was still something weighing on Connor's mind Hank decided to gently push the younger detective to speak up. "Kid? What's bothering you?"

"...Are you mad that I snuck out?"

"Mad? No. I've known you long enough to know that you won't just sit idle when someone needs help. Annoyed, however, YES. Don't ever do that again."

"...Okay. I won't"

"Good. Now, go talk to your mother and get something to eat. You look exhausted."

"I will. Do you need anything?"

"No, son. You go take care of yourself and take it easy for the rest of the night."

Giving his adoptive father an appreciative nod Connor got up from the bed and returned downstairs to rejoin his little brother and mother. As he glanced into the kitchen he saw Lucas speaking to Elizabeth in a very kind sincere manner as she set a few plates with the prepared meal on the kitchen table.

Stepping inside the kitchen Connor looked to his mother and did his best to push the lingering fear from his voice. "I appreciate everything you've done for us today, thank you."

"Connor, I'm happy to do this."

"I was wondering... Since things in the city are a little crazy at the moment, uh, would you please remain here for the night?"

Elizabeth was genuinely stunned by the offer. "...You want me to stay?"

"I'm worried that the deviants causing problems in the city are attempting to intimidate me by attacking the people that are important to me. I don't want you to get hurt."

She was flattered and honored by her son's worries for her, and accepted the offer with gratitude. "Connor, if it'll make you feel better I'll stay here as long as you'd want me to."

"Please. Stay."

"Okay, Connor. I'll stay here tonight."

"Thank you."

Lucas spoke up quickly as he happily volunteered to show Elizabeth to the study for the night. "We have a type of guestroom," he explained in a nonchalant tone of voice as he led her down the hallway to the room in question. "it's not much but you should be comfortable. Otherwise, I'll let you have my room."

"No, no. That's generous but it won't be necessary. I'm sure I'll be just comfortable in the guestroom."

Connor smirked a little as he felt relieved for the first time in a long time as he stood in the kitchen. Sumo and Ruby were still sniffing at the linoleum floor as they sought more bits of steak, but there were none to be found.

"You're lucky you got those scraps at all." Connor replied as he rubbed at their ears and saw what his meal mother had prepared. It was rather large array of Mexican food, which of course made Connor grin. "I suspect Hank hinted to prepare something that would appeal to my appetite." As he glanced at the large plates on the kitchen table he grinned even wider. "That was a good idea."

"Connor?" Elizabeth returned to the kitchen with Lucas right behind her and spoke to her son in a low voice. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine. I guess I'm just not used to..._ this_."

"You mean having a mother to take care of you." She stated in a somewhat somber voice. "Am I right?"

"...A little, yeah. But," he didn't want Elizabeth to feel bad about their mutually bleak past and spoke up very quickly. "it's not like I haven't had people looking out for me before. I suppose I just need a reminder every now and then that I don't have to do things on my own anymore. So, thank you for being here for me, for_ us_."

"You're welcome, Connor." Kissing his forehead Elizabeth was happy to be in her son's life. "You deserve love."

_**-next chapter-**_


	57. Hot Temper

Three quiet days passed without any sign of Eddie or George making another attempt to assault the city, which gave the exhausted detectives a much needed reprieve. While Hank still needed two weeks to let his fractured knee cap heal, the wonders of modern medicine now allowing bone injuries to heal much quicker that had been considered normal barely ten years prior, Connor was cleared to return to the precinct and resume working on the case. Being temporarily assigned Gavin as his partner Connor was able to work diligently at his terminal while the more seasoned Sergeant chased down leads with Tina out on the street.

"Eddie and George have managed to elude security cameras throughout the city, and they've avoided witnesses." Dancing his half-dollar coin over his right knuckles as he worked Connor concentrated fully on the information displayed on his terminal screen with a determined gaze. "How are they able to elude other deviants so well?"

Sitting back in his seat Connor sighed and rubbed his left hand over his tired eyes as he looked away from the bright screen for a moment.

"That bad?" Captain Fowler asked as he walked up to Connor's desk and eyed the weary young detective carefully.

"Yes. With such little evidence to work with tracking down these two deviants has become increasingly difficult."

"Well, wait until Reed comes back and see what he found out. Until then, go take a ten minute break."

"I'm fine, I don't need a break."

"It wasn't a suggestion, detective. It was an order."

Realizing he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of taking a break Connor only nodded a little as he turned off his monitor. "Alright. Ten minutes."

"Know what, make it fifteen minutes." Captain Fowler suggested as he watched the younger detective get up from his chair and begin walking toward the breakroom at a sluggish pace. "You're still sore, I can tell just by looking at you."

"But I can still work."

"I can see that, but that doesn't mean you have to push through your pain just to file a damn report on time."

Connor didn't have a follow-up response as he walked into the breakroom and proceeded to pull down a large dark blue mug and filled it with hot water from the pre-warmed kettle on the small heating receptacle next to the coffee maker. In doing so he placed a small baggie of peppermint tea into the hot water to let it steep for a few minutes, and sensed someone walking into the breakroom behind him.

"Hey, Connor." The familiar masculine voice was unusually jovial and seemed to be sincerely in a good mood. "How's your shift? Boring?"

"...It's routine." Connor replied as he tried to understand why Gavin was so upbeat and energetic. "You seem enthusiastic."

"Well, I had a fantastic date the other night and Elijah is working on a special biocomponent that can potentially reverse the effects of, if not outright _cure_, diabetes."

"He..." The revelation was truly impressive; not just for Gavin's social life but for his potential health. "...what?"

"Yeah. Turns out your replacement heart valve thing sparked his passion for developing biocomponents for medicinal value again. I know a few years back, just before he figured out that blue blood shit, he managed to create artificial kidneys while working in CyberLife and wanted to work on other projects. But of course CyberLife was interested in perfecting androids since... You know."

"The original designs were incredibly faulty and prone to overheating." Connor knew that Gavin was referring to the tragic accident where his younger sister drowned because an android lifeguard overheated and failed to do their job to protect swimmers that particular summer. The models improved a little bit at a time, but it was only after Kamski's designs were approved and perfected did androids become as advanced and evolved as they are now. "I remember the thousands of recalled prototypes that were... disposed of."

Gavin saw the discomfort on Connor's face and realized he accidentally brought up one of the darker moments that was preserved in his nearly flawless memory. "Right, so anyway, I have a patrol this afternoon and no one to patrol with. Want out of desk duty for a couple hours?"

"I have to finish the reports."

"So do I. But I also need to run my patrol. Tina's out with Chris across town, and I need to have someone with me as per regulation. Join me or don't, I don't give a fuck. But don't forget I'm supposed to be working on the case with you, too."

Connor finished fussing with his steeping tea and let out a bored sigh. "...Give me ten minutes and I'll join you."

* * *

Feeling a tad useless at the moment, no longer working at New Jericho Tower as the lead technician or helping Kamski found a massive Android Emergency Care Facility in a city in need had left Lucas feeling sense of worthlessness, Lucas resided to himself in the livingroom with Sumo sprawled over his lap while he cybernetically spoke with Chloe from a distance. It had been three weeks since he last saw Chloe in person and was truly beginning to miss her. Their daily communications helped with the feeling of isolation but he wanted to see her face and hold her hand, not just hear her voice.

"I know Connor and Hank will be able to stop Eddie and George soon enough." Lucas stated out loud to himself as he ran his right hand down Sumo's back gently to give the massive dog some attention. "But I dislike waiting. It must be a shared trait between myself and Connor after all."

Running a scan of the house from where he sat Lucas noted that Hank's vital signs were still stable as he stayed up his bedroom and Elizabeth was also upstairs keeping him company. Ruby was also upstairs laying with Hank until Connor came home since Lucas was giving all his attention to Sumo at the moment.

"I wonder if any sightings of Eddie or George have been reported to New Jericho?" Cybernetically Lucas contacted Markus to ask for an update, but was interrupted by Hank limping down the staircase on his crutches with Elizabeth at his right side. "Hank? You should be-"

"Television, on. News." Hank barked as he reached the bottom of the staircase and leaned against the back of the couch. Elizabeth was shaking a little and had her phone clutched tightly in her right hand. "Lucas, send a message to Connor."

"...What should I say?"

"Just watch the news report. You'll get it."

The deviant turned to look at the television screen where a blonde haired news anchor was standing in front of a large news camera before a modest apartment complex near the heart of the city. Unsure of why the fire was important Lucas sat quietly and watched the story unfold.

'_Just moments ago a fire broke out in the peaceful complex of the Willow Wind Apartments, and as of right now arson is the believed cause of the fire_.'

"...Arson?"

Elizabeth sighed and rubbed her left hand over her face as tears fell from her eyes. "...That's where I live. I wanted to go back this afternoon. There was something important I needed to take care of."

Lucas's green eyes went wide with fear and reality as he realized that it couldn't just be a coincidence that the apartment complex that Elizabeth was residing in had been targeted by an arsonist. Glancing over the back of the couch he saw Hank wrap his left arm around Elizabeth's trembling shoulders to help her feel slightly more secure or grounded during an emotional moment.

"...I'll ask Connor if he knows what's going on." Lucas whispered as he cybernetically sent a message to his big brother, then resumed his contact with Markus at New Jericho Tower. "I'll ask if _anyone_ knows what's going on."

* * *

Having joined Gavin on his patrol when he got the text from Lucas the younger detective told Gavin to go check out the apartment complex that had been set on fire and to do so immediately. There was a thick black plume of smoke rising into the air a few blocks away as the fire continued to consume the apartment complex in an horrible hot orange blaze. As Gavin pulled the patrol car up to the scene of the fire he and Connor showed their badges and were granted clearance to the scene of the inferno to investigate.

The news camera crew was still there and recording the fire, and the occupants of the apartment were using their phones to record the carnage for the sake of their renters insurance. It was a macabre display that was drawing hundreds of eyes and thousands of social media posts as it was the hot topic at the moment.

Connor glanced about and noted that the source of the fire seemed to come from the shrubbery that outlined the front of the complex, but seemed to be focused on a single apartment door as the epicenter of the fire had scorched the door blacker than the surrounding structure. It was his mother's apartment door.

"...I knew it." Grumbling to himself Connor tried to take a step toward the apartment door as the flames had already been extinguished, but a firefighter grabbed him by the right arm and pulled him back. Flashing his badge again Connor tried to get to the apartment. "I'm a detective. Let me through."

"Not until the arson investigation finishes his examination. You know the drill, detective."

Backing off Connor sighed and walked back to the street to try to patiently wait for the clear to check out the apartment. "She's safe. My mother is safe. That's all that matters."

"Your _mother_?" Gavin had overhead Connor muttering to himself and needed to ask a few questions of his own. "Your mother lives here?!"

"...Yes."

"Is she... uh..."

"Safe. She isn't here, and she wasn't here when the fire started."

"Oh man, that's good. Holy shit..."

Connor let out a deep breath and walked along the street a few feet to try to clear his head when he caught sight of something that only made his already hot blood begin to boil. There was a man in his forties grabbing onto the arm of a young boy, barely six years old, and yelling in his face. The sight made him sick as it reminded him of his own childhood and having his own biological father yelling in his face or physically throwing him around.

"I said shut up!" The man screamed at the young child as the child cried and pointed at the apartments. "You think I give a shit about your stupid teddy bear? Huh? You think that's worth crying over? What about your whore of a mother leaving me for a her rich boyfriend and me paying child support? Do you see ME crying? Answer me!"

The child just cried even harder and tried to pull away from his father's strong grip.

As Connor was about to call out to the man to get him to leave the kid alone the man reached back his right hand and slapped the young boy across the face in a brutal display of misplaced anger.

Everything went red.

In a matter of seconds Connor had sprinted toward the man, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with his left hand and then pulled back his right hand into a tight fist before he punched the abusive father right in the jaw. As the man fell to the asphalt he let go of the boy's arm and was pinned to the ground by Connor as the enraged detective proceeded to reel back his right fist and punch him a second time, and then a third.

"Shit!" Gavin saw the violent altercation and ran over to where the detective was beating the hell out of a total stranger and wrapped his arms up and around Connor's arms from behind to pull Connor back and restrained him in a full-nelson. "What the fuck?! Stop!"

Connor felt himself being dragged back from the man, and felt his right knuckles aching and covered in fresh sticky blood.

"What the hell was that about?!" Gavin asked as he let go of Connor and put himself between the riled up detective and bleeding man on the ground. Seeing the firefighters who had been observing the scene rushing over to the fight Gavin lowered his voice a little and tried to figure out what happened. "Connor? Why'd you go after that guy?"

"...He..." Connor was breathing heavily and was a little confused. Everything just happened so damn fast. "...He struck his child."

Gavin turned quickly and saw a firefighter carrying the crying, frightened and quickly bruising child away from his father as paramedics swarmed him. The man sat upright in a daze as blood gushed from his nose and over his lip as he spit out a loosened tooth onto the ground near the paramedics checking him over.

"Whoa..." Evidently surprised by Connor's outburst of anger Gavin pushed the younger detective back and toward the car. "Fuck. Sit down and tell me what the hell happened."

"I... I don't..."

As the paramedics helped the bleeding man up he pointed at Connor and began shouting angrily through a slightly congested voice thanks his very bloody and broken nose. "I have that guy arrested! Police brutality!"

"SHUT UP!" Gavin shouted back as he watched Connor beginning to shake as he leaned up against the side of the car. The knuckles on Connor's right hand were bruised, swollen and covered in red blood. "Connor, tell me what happened."

"...I hit him."

"Yeah, I can see that. But what set you-"

"Officer?" A young girl, about seventeen years old, held up her phone for Gavin to see. "I recorded the whole thing."

"You... did?"

"Yeah, right here." Replaying the video she recorded the young girl gave Connor a sympathetic look and tried to hide her face from the angry, belligerent man as he was loaded onto a gurney and strapped down for everyone's safety. "I saw everything."

Gavin watched the video and his stomach knotted quickly. The girl had recorded the man long before Connor arrived and he had struck the kid twice before anyone took notice. It was the third slap that Connor witnessed and drove him over the edge and forced him to react violently.

"Thanks." Handing the phone back to the girl Gavin reached through the rolled down passenger window of the car to get his radio and requested a second patrol to the area. "Stay here so we can get your statement, okay?"

"Okay."

Connor watched as the paramedics checked over the little boy and Gavin jogged over to them to let them know what had happened.

The abusive man had tried to shout 'victim' and demonize Connor, but the crowd had witnessed the altercation and knew from the way the child was crying that the man was not the victim in any sense. Shouting back, telling the man to shut up and making sure to shout loud enough for the news crew to hear, the crowd vindicated Connor and refused to let a cop protecting an innocent child get disciplined or labeled as dirty.

Feeling like an absolute monster Connor looked down at his right hand and flexed his sore fingers of his shaking hand and slipped it into his jacket pocket out of sight. "...What did I do?"

* * *

The sight of the burning apartment complex had left Elizabeth in tears and Hank had taken her back upstairs to try to comfort her. Lucas remained downstairs and continued to monitor the news and remained in contact with Markus from New Jericho. Informing him of the possible failed attempt to harm Elizabeth he told Markus to keep the tower on lockdown until they finally stopped Eddie. While there was no proof that Eddie had been responsible for the fire they were wisely not taking any chances.

Lucas hated that there was nothing he could do to comfort Elizabeth or help Connor with tracking down the dangerous deviants, and knew he needed to make a career change soon. Remaining vigilant and recording the news for any reported sight of Eddie or George the former technician remained on the couch and continued to pet Sumo's back.

"This has been an unexpectedly upsetting day." Lucas lamented as he looked down at Sumo's big brown eyes and ran a scan over the massive dog's aged arthritic body. "You don't feel well, either. I wish I knew what I could do to help you, boy."

Sumo let out a small whimper as he cuddled down harder against Lucas's lap and prepared to take one of his many daily naps.

"Don't worry, boy. We'll take care of you."

* * *

Sitting in Captain Fowler's officer with his right hand splinted at the index and middle fingers to support the fractured digits and knuckles, Connor looked down at his hand and sighed. The sight of the four stitches lining his knuckles surrounded by a layer of synthetic skin over top the bruised skin made Connor wince with a righteous self loathing. Despite being triggered by the horrible sight Connor should've maintained control over his anger and arrested the man for assault rather than assaulting him in turn.

"Due to the severity of the assault you inflicted upon that civilian," Captain Fowler stated in a level and emotionless voice. "I have no choice but to suspend you, with pay, and ask you to surrender your service weapon."

"...Suspended?" Lifting his head Connor gave his commanding officer a shocked and worried glance. "I need to finish my case before those deviants hurt anyone else. I can't be suspended!"

"You're suspended from the _precinct_, but not from the case."

"...I don't understand."

"Well, it's like this." Sliding Connor a tablet screen across the desk Captain Fowler explained things further. "That asshole you beat up has a record for abuse, battery and child neglect. And now, as of a little digging, child abduction."

Connor's already wide eyes went a little wider as his brow furrowed in confusion. "...What?"

"Turns out this jackass, Darren Keeley, has an issue with taking any form of 'no' from anyone for an answer. Seven years ago he beat his wife so badly she spent three days in the hospital. It was then she learned she was pregnant and filed for divorce to protect herself and the baby."

"...I take it the divorce wasn't amicable."

"Far from it. Keeley dragged out the divorce proceedings, draining every cent in his bank account to do it and talked his father, a crooked judge, into helping. He even filed false claims against his soon to be ex-wife saying she was a drunk or a junkie trying to intentionally harm the baby in utero, and even though every test she took proved she was clean and the apartment she was staying in didn't have a drop of alcohol, he kept insisting she was a danger to herself and the baby and needed to be locked up to be watched."

"...What happened after that?"

"Well, the ex moved in with one of her good friends from college who had a pretty damn successful and lucrative career and he paid for all the stupid lawyer fees and doctor's visits, and bought her everything she needed for the baby. It didn't take long for the two of the them to fall for each other and want to get married."

"...Keeley didn't want that to happen."

"Nope. The prick went so far as to demand a paternity test and got his father to abuse his power to ensure that his abusive asshole son was given joint custody of the baby, and earned child support from his ex. He then took off with the kid two years ago and fled to Detroit from Cincinnati Ohio. He's been a wanted man ever since and living under an assumed name."

"...What about the boy?"

"He's going to spend the night in the hospital and go home with his mother and step-father in the morning. You ended up saving a child who had not only been abused, but abducted."

Letting a mild sigh of relief Connor bowed his head again and leaned forward against his knees.

"Now, because your little 'stunt' put a very shitty person behind bars where they belong I was able to convince Internal Affairs to reduce your sentence from a month long suspension without pay, to only a week with pay. But you're also able to retain your clearance and work from home on your case. I know how important it is that you keep working."

"...I see."

"Connor, you saved a kid's life tonight. And Gavin told me why you two were at the scene of that fire. I'm sorry your mother lost her apartment. Is she alright?"

Looking back up at his commanding officer Connor nodded weakly. "...She's safe."

"You've had a shitty day. Go home and rest for a while, then work on your case from the safety of your own home. Okay?"

"...Yeah." Standing up slowly Connor tucked his right hand back into his jacket pocket out of sight as he took his gun from the holster around his back, and placed it down on Captain Fowler's desk. Having surrendered his service weapon as ordered Connor took his leave of the office. "Okay."

Walking through the bullpen with his head hung low Connor quietly took his leave of the precinct and walked over to the parking garage next door, only to have Gavin jog up behind him and put his right hand on his left shoulder.

"Connor? You good?"

"...Suspended."

"Well, for whatever it's worth I gotta' say that asshole got off easy." Gavin laughed a little and watched as Connor opened the driver's side door of his car and hesitated before sitting down. "You messed him up pretty good, but he deserved more."

"Do you know how badly I injured him?"

"Busted nose, you knocked out one of his front teeth and his lip needed to be stitched up. Hard to believe you only hit him three times."

"I'm not proud of myself, Gavin."

"I don't think pride is what matters here right now. Just know that no one here blames ya' for what happened."

"...Thanks. I guess."

Sitting down behind the steering wheel of the car Connor turned over the engine and backed out of the assigned space to return to the street and head away from the precinct. Too afraid to tell Hank that he had been suspended for assaulting a civilian, deserved or not, he decided to make a few stops before heading home to be with his family.

"...I hit someone in anger and violence." Looking down at his swollen right hand as his fingers awkwardly wrapped around the steering wheel Connor felt a hot wave of shame wash over himself. Tears of regret filled his soulful brown eyes as he turned his gaze back to the road ahead of him. "...Just like my father."

Shaking his head a little Connor tried to push the horrible thought from his mind for a moment.

"I... I won't be like that. I can change my behavior, I won't make his mistakes."

* * *

As he had done the night before Lucas volunteered his bedroom to give Elizabeth some privacy, and that time she accepted just because she needed to lay down and think in a slightly more distant area. The deviant let her sleep peacefully as he resumed taking care of Hank while the senior detective continued his slow recovery in the master bedroom down the hallway. He had been informed by Connor that the fire was being treated as arson. and the lack of evidence of the culprit did in fact point to deviants being responsible for the horrible blaze.

"Do you require any medication for your pain?" Lucas asked in a low voice as he brought Hank a light lunch to eat. "Or more ice for your knee?"

"I'm fine, son." Giving the deviant a somewhat somber stare he asked about Elizabeth. "How's she doing?"

"Sleeping well. I... haven't heard her crying for almost twelve minutes now."

"And Connor?"

"He's confirmed that the arson was most likely the result of deviant activity."

Dragging his left palm over his tired eyes Hank swore and began mentally contemplating the next step for handling the dangerous deviants. "Shit. This needs to end, NOW."

"I wish there was something I could do to help your investigation."

"Just stay here and help keep the family safe. Don't worry about doing anything elaborate or extreme, alright?"

"Alright."

"But, if you really want to do something could you do me a favor?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Libby has done nothing but show everyone in this house kindness and compassion. Could you order some takeout from that real fancy Italian restaurant downtown? Enough for three people, my card's in my wallet on the dresser. I want to treat her to something special and let her know that we care about her in the same way she cares about us."

"I will place the order, but I will be the one to pay. She's treated me with the same kindness and respect you and Connor had received. It's the least I can do for her."

Impressed with Lucas's selfless behavior, but not surprised, Hank allowed Lucas to be the 'hero' and treat the whole family to a nice dinner. "Alright, thank you, son. I appreciate that."

* * *

Mustering up his fading emotional resolve Connor walked through the front doors of the hospital with a brand new teddy bear tucked under his right arm, as he kept his swollen right hand tucked inside his jacket pocket. Showing the front receptionist his badge Connor asked about the little boy who had been abused by his father after the apartment fire, and was answered with a warm smile as a nurse happily showed Connor to the little boy's room so he could see the rescued child for himself.

Taking a deep breath Connor pressed his left hand to the panel on the door's frame and entered the room to see the little boy as the door slid open to grant entrance. Fortunately he wasn't alone.

Wrapped up in a tight hug from his mother, and being watched over by his step-father, the little boy finally looked like he was safe. With that image now in his mind Connor felt a modicum of relief replacing his shame. Introducing himself to both parents Connor explain how he was involved in the case and offered the little boy the brand new teddy bear to replace the toy he had lost in the fire.

Despite the parents' gratitude Connor still felt guilty for hurting the abusive man, and didn't want to stay too long due to his conflicted emotions. Promising that Keeley would spend the rest of his life behind bars for his numerous crimes Connor took his leave of the hospital and quickly retreated to his car parked out front.

Sitting down behind the wheel Connor leaned back in the seat and let out a deep breathy sigh as he tried to fight the urge to break down as his emotions continued to pull at his every fiber of his being.

"The boy's safe. That's all that matters..."

With one last stop he needed to make before he went home to tell Hank what he had done.

The last thing that Connor ever wanted to do was disappoint Hank, and now he felt as though he not only let Hank down by reacting with violence toward that man, but he had disappointed himself.

* * *

Moving about the house quietly but efficiently Lucas accepted the provided hefty delivery at the front door, and proceeded to set places at the kitchen table for Hank, Elizabeth and eventually Connor to enjoy for the evening. As he went about his business Lucas continuously monitored the house, inside and out, to ensure that no possible intruders could try to attack anyone inside the home. It was staying quiet and neither Sumo or Ruby were acting edgy or wanting to go outside to investigate an odd sound.

'_Markus,_' Lucas contacted Markus cybernetically to have a quiet discussion as he took care of dinner. '_has there been any update_?'

'_Not yet_.' The deviant leader sounded as tired and broken by the whole ordeal just as much as the entire household. '_Our people can't seem to track down either Eddie or George_. _I'm beginning to think they left the city_.'

'_I doubt it_. _If anything that's the type of mentality that they are working toward_.'

'..._If you're right then that means they could possibly hide forever_.'

'_They can't, Markus_. _I know Connor won't let them_.' Confident in brother's ability to find the dangerous deviants Lucas wasn't going to give up on the situation at hand or admit defeat. '_Not after everything they've done to us_.'

'_You're right_. _ I'll keep you posted, okay_?'

'_Thank you_. _ I'll contact you again if we find anything useful from our end_.'

After setting the kitchen table Lucas sighed and was immediately distracted by the sound of Ruby whining and laying down next to Sumo on the couch in the livingroom. Rushing into the livingroom Lucas found the massive dog laying on the couch looking absolutely lethargic, and had Ruby sitting on the floor beside him with her nose pressed up against Sumo's ear.

"What's the matter, girl?" Kneeling down on the floor beside Ruby the deviant rubbed his right hand along Sumo's back again as he ran another scan over the elderly dog's form. Sumo was showing signs of an infection and it made Lucas wince at the negative reading. "We'll get you to the vet soon, boy." Cybernetically he made an appointment as soon as possible, but the only available opening was in two days. "We'll take care of you... I promise."

* * *

Pulling the car up to the still holographically barred burned apartment complex Connor again showed his badge to the arson investigator, and asked for permission to enter his mother's apartment. In doing so Connor was recognized as the cop who beat up the child abuser and kidnapper, and was given high praise for his actions. Giving an unenthusiastic 'thanks' to those who congratulated him Connor pushed open the charred door leading into his mother's apartment and looked about the ruined accommodations with a heavy gaze.

"Damn it. I'm glad she wasn't here."

Connor didn't need to be a detective to see that the fire would've prevented his mother from escaping the burning apartment before succumbing to smoke. To make things worse the fire sprinklers in the ceiling didn't react to the fire and extinguish the fire, which confirmed that the arsonist had also tampered with the emergency fire prevention protocols installed throughout the entire complex.

Glancing about the charred black ruins of the livingroom Connor noted the few items that survived the blaze; photographs on the walls, photo albums and a few books on the shelves behind him. The fish in her aquarium managed to survive but would need to be taken care of outside the burned apartment. Picking up the unscathed items he placed them down on the damaged coffee table to take with him before leaving the apartment.

"It isn't much, but my mother deserves to have these." A knock on the opened door made Connor look up and instinctively put up his guard at the unexpected intrusion. "Yes?"

"Hey there, uh, Connor, right?" An older man with a pot belly, graying hair and a gray polo shirt was watching Connor from afar. "You're Elizabeth's son?"

"...That's right."

"Nice to meet ya'. Well, sort of. My name is Greg and I'm the landlord here."

"Oh."

"Your mom talks about you all the time, she says you're a detective."

"That's right."

"Hell, good thing you're here then."

At the comment Connor gave Greg an unsure glance. "...Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just wanted to make sure she was alright. I didn't see her outside with the other tenants after the complex was evacuated."

"She's safe."

"Good, good, good... One less person to worry about."

"I'm here to collect a few things for her, so unless there's something you need could you let me be alone for a moment?"

"Oh, sure. It's just, I had to make sure you're really who you say you are."

Sighing a little Connor pulled out his badge and showed it to Greg. "I'm Connor."

"That'll do it."

Shaking his head a little Connor turned away from Greg and peered inside the smokey kitchen and really saw nothing of value. Locating a large water pitcher in the kitchen cabinet he carried it out to the living room and scooped some water from the aquarium and scooped the fish up in the net to put in the jug so they could be taken away. It would be an awkward drive but Connor didn't want to leave the fish behind to die in the now dirty aquarium.

"It fortunate that I too have an aquarium." Connor remarked to the small assortment of fish as if they could somehow understand them. Grateful for the aquarium that Hank had insisted he start up after he made his full recovery from the coma Connor realized that without it the small fish who were just as much a victim of the fire as the other tenants would've perished. "I don't think my fish will mind your company for a while."

Afterward he made his way to the bedroom down the short hallway to check for other important items. Opening up the closet he pulled out a suitcase and proceeded to fill it up with the few undamaged clothes in Elizabeth's possession, as well as a few other items from the dresser. Not wanting to leave anything untouched Connor put the suitcase down on the livingroom floor beside the photographs, and returned down the hallway to open up the bathroom door.

What he was greeted with once the door was opened was very unexpected.

A gentle timid 'mew'.

"...Hello?" Kneeling down on the linoleum floor of the bathroom Connor spotted a tiny solid white long furred kitten huddled up in the corner of the room. It was pressing its small body up against the side of the bath tub and watching Connor with big black eyes utter fear. A few smokey streaks marred its fur, but otherwise the kitten seemed unharmed. "I didn't know she had any pets."

"Pets?" Greg had heard the comment and walked down the hallway to take a look for himself. "Oh... There it is."

Glancing his over his shoulder toward Greg standing behind him Connor gave the landlord a puzzled look. "Huh?"

"Two, no, three days ago your mom found that little guy in the bushes outside. There's a no pet clause, beyond fish of course, and I had to remind her before she got too attached to the little guy. She said she dropped it off at the humane society, but I guess she couldn't let it go."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he reached out his left hand to let the kitten sniff his knuckles, and then gently scratched its head. There was a large bowl of water against the wall and a large bowl of partially eaten kitten chow beside it for the kitchen to consume. Tucked up under the sink was a small litter box and a couple of toys were scattered about the floor.

"She wanted to keep you." Connor realized as the small kitten's black eyes began to shrink and reveal that it had bright blue irises. "And I can't leave you behind."

"Don't worry about me finding out she kept the kitten." Greg laughed as Connor picked up the kitten and held it against his chest. Within seconds the frightened kitten snuggled up to Connor's chest and began to softly purr. "Your mom was a great tenant; always paid her rent on time, was nice and quiet, helped the neighbors at odd hours... I'll let it slide."

"Thanks... I guess." Connor carried the kitten against his chest, using his sore right hand to hold the small bundle of trembling fur, and then used his left hand to pick up the photo albums, framed photographs and books with his left hand. "I'm going to get these out to her. Thank you for checking in on her."

"Let me give you a hand." Greg picked up the suitcase and the pitcher with the six brightly colored fish inside of it and followed Connor out to the car.

While a little difficult Connor managed to secure the jug of water holding the fish to the front passenger seat with the seatbelt passing through the handle, and put the suitcase and other items on the floor in front of the seat. Keeping his right hand on the kitten as it hunkered down on his lap Connor again thanked Greg for his assistance and decided he needed to face Hank at long last, and admit to getting suspended.

"Don't be disappointed in me, Hank." Connor whispered to himself as the kitten snuggled in against his stomach. Turning over the key in the ignition Connor started the car and let out a deep breath to try to calm his nerves. "I didn't mean to lose my temper."

* * *

Patiently Hank waited for Elizabeth to wake up and invited her downstairs for dinner to try to make her feel better. She wasn't in the best mood for obvious reasons, but she accepted the offer as she knew that Hank and Lucas had gone out of their way to accommodate her in her time of need. As she walked into the kitchen at a sluggish pace she was met with the nice dinner awaiting her, and she thanked Hank and Lucas profusely for their generosity. The warm gesture did help, and she started to feel a less upset after everything she had recently went through.

"We're just glad we can help. And Libby," Hank reminded her as they sat down at the kitchen table together. "you're welcome to stay here as long as you need. This is your home now, and I won't hear otherwise."

"Thank you, Hank." Smiling with tears in her eyes Elizabeth lightly put her her left hand over the back of Hank's right hand in a warm act of compassion. "I am so grateful for your kindness."

Quietly Lucas stayed in the livingroom and pet Sumo as he actively monitored the poor old dog's behavior very closely. Unwilling to say anything about Sumo being sick as to not make the already stressful night worse Lucas patiently bore that burden by himself. Ruby was laying on the couch next to Lucas and had her chin resting on his lap as she watched Sumo with her own somber stare.

The side door of the house connecting the garage to the laundry room opened up as Connor returned home. As he stepped through the laundry room and into the kitchen Connor was surprised to see Hank and Elizabeth at the kitchen table together with a large fancy meal, but was also happy to see them both safe and sound.

Walking over to his mother Connor revealed the small kitten he had rescued, and presented it to her with a gentle motion with his left hand. "It's okay. I found your 'roommate'."

"Oh, Connor!" Happily Elizabeth took the small kitten and embraced it in a tight but gentle hug up against her hug. "You saved her!"

Hank sighed a little as he gave Connor a somewhat proud but annoyed glance. "I take it you stopped by the apartment after clocking out."

"I had to." Connor explained in a low voice as he refrained from making eye contact with Hank. "I also saved her fish but they'll go in my aquarium."

Shaking his head a little Hank reached his right hand over and pet the small kitten as she purred affectionately against Elizabeth's chin and chest. "So, where's this little ball of fluff going to sleep, eat and use the litter box?"

"...I can go buy some supplies in a moment." The young detective volunteered in an almost guilty manner. "I just wanted to get it- _her_, somewhere safe."

"Uh-huh. Find anything else?"

"Clothing and photo albums. They're also out in the car."

Elizabeth got up for her chair and gave Connor a kiss on his right cheek as she wiped away her tears and went out to the garage to see what her son had salvaged from her destroyed apartment. "Thank you so much, sweetheart!"

"Connor?" Speaking low as to not catch Elizabeth's ear Hank addressed his son with a knowing tone to his voice.

Forcing himself to acknowledge his father Connor responded in an equally low and knowing voice. "...Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"...Aside from my mother losing her apartment to an arsonist who is targeting me for petty acts of revenge?"

"Look, it's been a bad day all around." Recognizing that his son was trying to put up walls Hank backed off for a moment. "Get something to eat and when you're ready to talk we can talk."

"Thanks, but," Connor looked at the plate of food waiting for him and shook his head. "I'm not hungry." Keeping his right hand concealed in his jacket pocket he weakly flexed his sore fingers and relaxed his grip again. "I just want to shower off and sit down for a minute."

"Sure, son. Go do what you have to do."

Connor nodded and made his way through the livingroom to get upstairs to the second floor so he could take a shower and change into clean clothes. Doing his best to keep his sore hand hidden from sight Connor picked up some clean clothes from his bedroom and went into the bathroom to clean himself up. As he removed his dirty and somewhat smokey clothes he looked down at his right hand and sighed before looking up at his reflection in the bathroom mirror over the sink.

"...Fucking coward."

* * *

Lucas watched curiously and attentively as Elizabeth gave the small kitten a bath in the first floor bathroom sink to ensure all of the soot was rinsed out of her fur, then bundled her up in a thick clean towel to keep her warm. His only experience with animals were dogs and the fish in Connor's aquarium. Lucas had never encountered a kitten or a cat before, and he was thoroughly intrigued by the tiny animal's behavior. It seemed a little strange actually to have a kitten in the house, but the deviant was very welcoming to the idea.

"There. That's better." Elizabeth grinned as she held the bundled up kitten to her chest. Gently she used her right index finger to rub the trembling kitten's ear in a comforting manner. "I'm so glad you're okay. I thought I lost you, too."

"Is that why you were so emotionally distraught earlier?" The kind deviant inquired as he noted Elizabeth's suddenly more upbeat demeanor. "I understand that certain possessions can hold sentimental value but your emotional distress was more indicative of grief than loss."

"Yes. She wasn't even supposed to be in my apartment to begin with. I felt so terrible that no one would think to look for her during the fire and... I was going to check on her this afternoon just after the fire started. I thought I had accidentally left her for death."

"It's fortunate you kept her locked in the bathroom. The closed door saved her from the smoke and flames."

Carrying the small kitten, now named 'Ash' in honor of her surviving the fire, Elizabeth returned to the livingroom where she'd be able to dry off Ash's fur and keep the small kitten feeling secure. "I hope Sumo and Ruby don't mind her staying here for a few days."

"Sumo is very gentle and I believe Ruby would be just as passive."

"It doesn't look like Connor ate much of his dinner." Elizabeth observed as she used the towels to dry off Ash's fur around his neck and ears. "Is he feeling sick again?"

"He has developed a bad habit of not eating when he's stressed out. Hank and I do our best to get him to eat, but he's very stubborn."

"Well, that's alright by me. I'm used to him being stubborn, and I know he'll eat when he's ready." Holding Ash close to her chest Elizabeth sighed and rubbed the kitten's ears as Ash snuggled down after her bath and began feeling less tense. "Lucas, could you hold Ash for a moment so I can find a safe place to put my rescued photo albums?"

"Of course."

Elizabeth passed the kitten over to Lucas who immediately mirrored the way Elizabeth had been holding her, and took his place on the couch beside Sumo. He could feel the small kitten trembling from the cold, but otherwise she seemed content. "She's cold."

"Once her fur dries off she'll be warmer. I won't be long."

Lucas stared at the little kitten and soon heard soft purring as he gently rubbed her chin with his right index finger. Not long after Sumo lifted up his head and sniffed at the small kitten, his tail wagging in the process. Ruby was just as interested and didn't show any aggression toward the small bundle of fluff in Lucas's arms. "I knew you'd be okay with her spending time in the house."

* * *

Upstairs Connor sat on his bed and stared down at his splinted right hand in disgust. The urge to tear the offending appendage from his body felt all too real and tempting to resist as he swore he could still see the man's blood all over his knuckles and palm. Against his will the memory of the assault replayed over and over again in his mind as if on an endless loop. He could see every detail of the man's face, feeling his nose breaking under his own knuckles and could hear the cartilage cracking as the damage was done.

Connor was fighting the urge to lash out at himself and was ready to yell out in frustration when he heard a knock on his closed bedroom door that pulled him out of his bleak thoughts. "...Yes?"

The door opened and Hank stood heavily on his crutches as he looked at Connor with a worried stare. "What's the matter, son?"

"I... I don't want to talk about it."

"I know that, but you need to. I know something really shitty happened to you today, and it's not just about the fire."

"...You could say that."

"Kid," leaving his crutches to lean against the door frame Hank limped over to the bed and sat down on the edge beside Connor. "level with me. You need to stop hurting yourself with this kind of stress. I'm an expert on being an idiot with stress, so I know what I'm talking about."

"Hank, I... Earlier today I encountered a violent person and I... I lost my temper."

"Lost your temper, huh? Why did they do?"

"Huh?"

"Well, they must've done something to rile you up. What'd did they do?"

"They... He," Connor kept his right hand out of Hank's line of sight as he spoke. "he struck his young child across the face. And I struck him back."

"...That's it?" Hank didn't seem at all fazed by Connor hitting someone after seeing them abuse their own kid.

"I was... suspended for doing so."

"How long?"

"A week."

"Oh. Well, so what?"

"...I struck someone and got suspended._ That's what_."

"Connor, let me see your hand."

"I-"

"Now."

Reluctantly Connor lifted up his right hand and and he looked away from Hank in shame.

"Shit." Grabbing onto Connor's right wrist Hank pulled Connor's hand over to inspect it. "You got him good! How many times did you hit him?"

"Three."

"Just THREE? Damn."

"...You're not disappointed?"

"Connor, you hit a guy who was abusing a child. I'd be disappointed if you DIDN'T go after him."

"Hank... I beat the Hell out of a complete stranger! I... I hurt him in the same way my own biological father hurt me."

"Listen to me, and listen very CAREFULLY." Giving the shaken younger detective a firm but not aggressive tone Hank wanted to drill it into Connor's head that he was not a violent or dangerous person. "What you did was to defend, to_ protect_, someone who needed to be protected. You didn't lash out and attack someone just because you were in a bad mood and looking for a target. You didn't do anything wrong."

"...I _feel_ like I did something unforgivably, horribly wrong."

"No, Connor. You did what you were supposed to do."

"...Then why do I feel like I can't even look myself in the eyes?"

"Because you're empathetic. If anything that's proof that you're not a dangerous person."

"How so?"

"If you were dangerous and violent you wouldn't be feeling guilty for what happened. You'd be boasting about it and going out of your way to justify your actions. Since you feel bad and can look back at what you did and feel shame then that means you're not a heartless monster, you're just a protective guardian."

Connor didn't say anything as his soulful brown eyes were still full of regret and remorse.

"Consider this." Hank tried a new approach as he motioned to Connor's hands. "If you were really dangerous and violent would you have been able to carefully rescue that little kitten from the ruins of a burned down apartment? Or take the time to scoop some fish from a dirty, smoke damaged aquarium and find them a new environment so they wouldn't die from neglect? What about the fact you took the time to collect personal items for your mother and brought her some comfort in her time of need?"

"...I... I don't know."

"Well, I do. You're not a dangerous person. You burn hot when you get pissed off, but it takes A LOT to get you riled up enough to respond the way you did. You're very patient and understanding, so to have someone do something, anything, that made you punch their face in means they that person is entirely at fault. Not you."

"...It was still unprofessional."

"Maybe." Letting go of Connor's wrist Hank moved his hand to the younger detective's shoulder and patted once. "But you're stressed the fuck out and you reacted on pure instinct. The fact that Fowler gave you such a lenient punishment means he knows you're not the type of detective who's a liability or a problem for the precinct."

Connor's tense shoulder suddenly slouched as he felt entirely relieved in knowing that Hank wasn't disappointed, or even mad at him.

"Son, you need to rest. This suspension, this time away from the precinct, might be a blessing in disguise."

"I'm going to keep working the case from home."

"I know that. That's why I said the time away from the _precinct_ is a good thing, not your case. Go downstairs and get something to eat, okay?"

"...I'm not hungry."

"You never seem to be hungry anymore. You really need to stop neglecting your appetite just because you had a bad day, or because you have a case on your mind."

There was no point in arguing with his father, and so the young detective wisely admitted defeat. "I guess you're right."

"Go downstairs and eat, alright?"

"Okay, Ha-_ dad_. I'll get something to eat."

"Alright. Now, help me get back downstairs so I can hang out with the family and not be cooped up in my damn bed all day long like the grandparents from 'Willy Wonka'."

"...Huh."

"What's 'huh'?"

"I understand that reference." Connor admitted as he stood up from the bed and gave his father an amused glance. "I must've seen the movie at least once before, or read the book, even if I can't remember it."

"Geez, kid." Almost laughing as Connor helped him to stand up from the bed and retrieved his crutches, Hank made his way very carefully down the staircase with Connor walking right beside him. "Maybe you and Lucas should stay up with me and indulge in a movie marathon or something."

"Why not? I have a week off. I'm still being paid, too."

"Yup. Fowler is definitely on your side, kid. If he was_ really_ mad at ya' he would've taken away your pay."

* * *

Unable to sleep and barely able to eat after everyone else in the house had eaten their fill and gone to bed Connor sat in the darkness of his bedroom well past midnight with his laptop open, and his screen glowing palely over his face and chest. Ignoring the glaring strain on his tired eyes he typed away on his case reports as he diligently reviewed the sparse collected evidence on Eddie and George in hopes there was something he had overlooked during the initial investigation.

Bringing up the security footage of George attacking himself in front of the tower a few nights prior, followed by the footage of the day Eddie had been banned from New Jericho Tower, the keen eyed detective noticed that the two deviants seemed as though they were following a premeditated plan. Nothing was random or left to chance; it was all meticulous and well thought out.

"...Eddie started everything with his rebellious nature against humans during the Revolution. When the violence in the city began to dwindle he attempted to escalate it, but he failed to find recruits for his violent cause. When he couldn't get anyone to support his misguided cause he attempted to fight with Markus, but Markus responded by passively dismissing him and banning him from the tower."

Closing his laptop screen Connor put it aside and on the floor beside the bed as he took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand beside the bed, and next to his phone. Laying flat on his back he looked over at the aquarium that now held six more fish and sighed with a sense of mild relief in knowing he managed to help a few people that day, even if it was in a very unorthodox and simplistic way.

"Before the Revolution was even a dream Eddie worked at numerous waste disposal sights throughout the city, and it gave him access to radiated Cobalt that he could use as a weapon. But he wouldn't go back to the mine anymore since he tried to use it to kill me. He never goes to the same place twice to avoid being cornered."

Thinking differently he focused on George instead and decided that maybe the more timid of the deviant duo could lead to some answers.

"George used to work as a 'pleasure service model' at the 'Eden Club' like North and Skye. If he... Wait." Grabbing onto his phone Connor quickly sent a text to both North and Skye at New Jericho Tower to ask for their advice on his sudden hunch for a confirmation. "...They might be able to finally tell me something about George that I can use to my advantage."

_**-next chapter-**_


	58. The End of An Era

With a new lead confirmed thanks to North and Skye's information regarding George's history at the 'Eden Club' Connor was renewed with energy, and typing away frantically on his laptop as he eagerly pursued the two deviants via precinct resources. As he worked Connor didn't notice that Lucas had knocked on the closed door and let himself inside when Connor didn't reply to the knocks. It only took Lucas a moment to recognize that his big brother was working diligently, and was on a roll with his case, and decided to leave him alone to work after dropping off a mug of warm peppermint tea.

Hank on the other hand wasn't going to sit on the sidelines while Connor worked and promptly joined the younger detective to ask about his progress. "What did you find out, kid?"

"The deviant known as George has an equally valid grudge against humans as Eddie has." Connor confirmed as he continued to use his resources to chronicle his case, the evidence and his leads. "While Eddie was forced to work in biologically hazardous locations for the sake of keeping humans safe, George was one of the androids forced to work in the 'Eden Club' against his will, and for other people's sexual gratification."

"I can't blame George for being pissed off at humans for that. Aside from his motivations to lash out what else do you know?"

"He fled from the club and hid in plain sight by working as a waste disposal android, and stayed at the dump." Giving Hank an odd look from the corner of his eye Connor provided an unexpected additional detail regarding George's past. "While at the dump George discovered the remains of mutilated androids bodies, downloaded their memories and connected them to Zlatko."

"Wait, George found Zlatko victims at a dump? Did he report them?"

"No. In fact, he would send wayward deviants toward Zlatko out of misplaced hatred toward his own kind. From what I've been able to gather he sent almost two dozen deviants to their deaths at Zlatko's hands, and had also sent Kara and Alice that way. That is where they met Luther and fled for their lives."

"Fuck... I thought George was less dangerous than Eddie, but if anything he's worse." The idea of George betraying his own kind out of anger, hate and self loathing made Hank feel truly ill. "Did you get any other information about Eddie, George or their lives before they went into hiding?"

"Beyond their pasts before the Revolution I haven't found anything else of interest. However, according to North and Skye there were many secrets that the owner of the 'Eden Club' didn't want the police to know."

"Like what?"

"That there were secret entrances in the side alley of the club that would allow well-paying clients to remain entirely secretive as they entered the club, and hid out in isolated hidden V.I.P. lounges with their 'favorite' androids."

"Are you saying that these two deviants are hiding out in the defunct 'Eden Club'?"

"Yes. That's the only place that makes sense."

"And the only reason no one noticed them heading in or out is because they're using the secret entrances."

"Exactly."

"Fuck. How do we handle this?" Leaning heavily on his crutches Hank motioned to his healing right knee and then over to Connor's injured right hand that was still wrapped up in a splint around his index and middle fingers. "We're both injured and you were suspended from the precinct."

"I'm going to go talk to North and Skye in person at the tower, then I'll recruit Markus to help me confront the deviants."

"What? Markus?"

"I don't want to be violent toward either of them, and I'm hoping that by seeing Markus alongside me they'll surrender peacefully."

"I don't know, kid." Every instinct Hank had as a cop told him that the confrontation would not end in a civil manner. "Eddie and George both got the drop on ya' twice now, and they meant business both times."

"...Yeah. That's why I'm not going alone. The last two times they assaulted me I was alone."

"Markus is strong and he's a wise leader, but he's not a cop. He's too kind and passive for that kind of work."

"I know. If we do end up confronting Eddie or George I'll send you a text message, and you can let the precinct know where I am."

"Fuck... Remote police work isn't something we ever get trained for."

Smirking a little Connor closed his laptop and looked over at Hank with heavy, tired bloodshot eyes as he took off his glasses to trade them for his contact lenses in the bathroom. "Well, I'm pretty sure you weren't trained to work with an android for a partner either, yet you managed to figure it out."

"Smartass."

* * *

Downstairs Lucas was sitting on the couch with Elizabeth and they both had Sumo sprawled out over their laps as the massive dog continued to be lethargic and lazy. Ruby was laying on the pillow in the corner of the livingroom with Ash cuddled up over top of her front paws and up against her chest. For the first time in days the house felt safe as everyone was there and accounted for, and neither Hank or Connor were required to report to a shift at the precinct just yet, so everyone could also stay home.

"I'm worried Sumo is very ill." Lucas whispered as he ran his right hand down the massive dog's back affectionately. "He's old and he's losing his energy. I don't think it's just the heat affecting him, either. He appears to have developed some kind of an infection."

"Try not to worry, Lucas." Rubbing her left hand over Sumo's ears Elizabeth wanted to try to help ease the deviant's concerns as her motherly instincts quickly washed over toward Lucas like a second son. "He seems to be okay for now. If he caught a little cold he'll be better in a few days."

"I can't help worrying about him. He is old, and I can't take him to the vet until tomorrow."

"Just keep doing what you're doing, Lucas. It's what he needs."

"What's that, exactly?"

"Love."

From the staircase Connor walked down into the livingroom slowly, dressed in his usual work uniform, and helping Hank to walk down the staircase to reach the livingroom at his side. Connor was unarmed as he had to hand over his service weapon upon being suspended, but Hank had taken the liberty of allowing Connor to use his own personal revolver as a substitute. As the senior detective limped over to the recliner, his bad knee was healing quickly but still couldn't support the entirety of his weight, he sat down slowly and noticed that Lucas seemed distressed.

Knowing that the deviant was far more sensitive than Connor, not just because he was new to his emotions but because that was just his personality, Hank decided to figure out what was going on without asking directly until after Connor left.

"I'll keep my phone on me." Connor stated as he checked the provided gun and slipped it into the holster around his back and under his gray suit jacket. "When I find them I'll tell you and give you the exact location."

"Right. I'll relay everything over to the precinct and have back-up sent to your location if ya' need it."

"If I can't get them to surrender then that might be necessary. I don't want to see them locked up but it might be the only peaceful alternative."

Lucas knew something was up and turned to look at his big brother worriedly over the back of the couch. "You know where Eddie and George are hiding out?"

"Possibly. I'm going to get a confirmation from the tower and investigate accordingly."

"...Your hand is injured." Lucas needlessly stated as he scanned the swollen appendage. "Can you defend yourself?"

"I won't be alone, Lucas. I'll be okay." Straightening the lapels of his jacket Connor gave his family a final nod before he made a move toward the front door. "I promise before this day is over Eddie and George will no longer be a threat to anyone."

* * *

Hating the images on display before them North and Skye worked together to map out the interior of the now defunct 'Eden Club' for Connor and Markus to use when they go out to the deplorable building to investigate in person. Just seeing old pictures was enough to make the former 'employees' feel sick. The club was the only logical place left in the city to look for Eddie and George as the other deviants quickly spread word to not offer the dangerous deviants any shelter or assistance, leaving them with nowhere else to go within the city's limits.

"The are six doors hidden in the surface of the wall alleyway leading to six secret rooms." North stated as she showed Markus the holographic map displayed in full detail on the center of the main office's desk. "These rooms were kept completely private and were offered only to the highest paying customers, or to powerful people seeking privacy with their indiscretions."

"Six?"

"I've been in two of those rooms and they are disgusting." North almost shuddered at the memories that came flooding back to her. Wrapping her right hand nervously around her left forearm she gave herself a small reassuring hug. "It's where I... I began to truly deviate."

Markus quickly took her right hand in his and squeezed tight. "North, it's okay. You can tell me what happened and I won't see you as anyone less than the woman that I love."

"...I was taken." She whispered as tears formed in her cinnamon brown eyes and threatened to roll down her face at any moment. "The client took me back to his house, he wanted to keep me. I knew it was wrong. I knew what he was going to do to me, how he was going to just use me for his own selfish needs. It was... wrong. I... I fought back and I strangled him in that second room. Then I ran."

"To Jericho?"

"Yes. I sent out a cybernetic message to the other androids in the club to go with me, but those who had deviated were too afraid to leave, or they didn't want to leave a friend behind. And I just... I never had the courage to go back."

"It's okay, North. You don't have to worry about that place ever again."

The door to the office slid open as Connor walked in with a purposeful gait. Standing beside the desk Connor looked over the holographic image while he discreetly used his left hand to hold onto Skye's right hand as she stood quietly by her allies. "Do we know where to look to get inside the club?"

"Yeah, North and Skye have the building completely mapped out for us." Markus confirmed as he showed Connor the entry point that they can use to get inside the club without alerting anyone inside the building, or drawing unwanted attention from the outside. "We can get in from there."

"Hidden rooms located behind main privacy rooms. A slick way to conceal private rooms without wasting space."

"How do you want to go about this, Connor?"

"Peacefully." The answer was succinct and firm as the young detective made his plan of action clear. "We need to try to get them to surrender, otherwise I believe they'll lash out violently toward us again. Their next assaults may finally prove fatal."

Skye squeezed Connor's hand as her blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow, and she gave her dear friend a worried glance. "Be careful, Connor."

"I'll be okay, Skye." He promised as he reciprocated the squeeze and gave Markus a firm nod where he stood. "We'll both be okay."

* * *

Twenty minutes after carefully memorizing the layout of the club's design Connor and Markus arrived at the correct block and parked the car down the street away from the building's line of sight. Turning off the engine Connor and Markus stepped out of the car and locked the doors as Connor pocketed the keys. The club had been forcibly closed down and locked up by the city six months after the success of the Revolution, which in turn left the building to rot and decay due to infamy and neglect.

"We should walk around the back of the buildings and walk up the alley from the rear." Connor instructed as he and Markus made their move to catch the two dangerous deviants off guard. "We can't risk being seen."

"You're right." Keeping pace with Connor the deviant leader followed his friend's every move, and kept his low. The duo found the correct alleyway leading to the club and came to a stop on the other side of the chainlink fence. "Which way?"

"I can't preconstruct a route anymore, you're going to have scan the area and disable any installed security cameras."

"Disable cameras?"

"Yes. It's not difficult."

"Not when that type of skill is just in your programming."

"Didn't you disable the cameras when you broke into the CyberLife stores just before the Revolution?"

"Yeah, but I didn't hack the cameras inside the store. I had to directly interface with the power source leading to the cameras across the street."

"...Oh."

"Got another plan?"

Connor glanced about briefly as he squared his jaw with contemplation. "You can't hack the cameras, but you can detect them, right?"

"Yeah, that's not a problem." Markus's mismatched eyes carefully gazed about the alley as he spotted two cameras. Both had been recently installed and were feeding live footage to the club despite no one being inside the building. At least no one was _supposed_ to be inside the building. "There's one four feet down at the top of the wall, just below the roof. It's pointed at the front entry point of the alley. And a second one further down and pointed at the false wall where the hidden doors are located."

"I see the first." Connor confirmed as he awkwardly climbed up the chainlink fence with his one good hand and injured hand. Reaching the top of the fence he looked down at Markus and nodded. "Think you can give me a boost so I can walk along the roof?"

"Are you sure? Maybe I should go instead."

"I'm sure. I know how to disable the camera without any security alerts being sent to whoever had the cameras installed."

"Okay. Just a sec'."

Markus climbed up the fence alongside Connor and balanced himself at the top beside his friend. Offering him an anchor point to balance himself on Connor took Markus's hand and let his friend give him a lift upward toward the roof. Reaching with his good left hand he grabbed onto the edge of the roof to pull himself up, onto the roof of the club to walk over to the nearby camera. As he located the camera he peered down at the wires in the back of the electronic device and pulled out the correct wire to disable the live feed without turning off the camera itself.

With the first camera disabled Connor made his way along the roof over to the second camera and repeated the action without any problems. "That's it. We have two minutes until the cameras automatically reactivate."

"Right." Markus leapt down from the fence and landed on his feet with a single graceful motion. Rushing over to the correct wall he pressed his exposed right palm over the smooth surface and electronically unlocked the door leading to the secret room. "I found it."

Connor nodded as he somewhat gracefully moved to the edge of the roof and managed to drop down and onto his feet without harming himself in the process of the sizable jump. "I couldn't even see the doors from up high. It's no wonder the police never located the hidden rooms."

"I don't detect anymore security cameras inside." Markus confirmed as he and Connor quietly slipped inside the private room and out of the alleyway. "They must be pretty confident that no one would find them."

"That's good." Pulling out his phone Connor sent Hank a text message regarding their successful infiltration of the club and asked for Hank to wait for his confirmation before asking the precinct to join them. "If they don't think anyone could get inside the building then that means they're less likely to be armed."

Markus gazed about the dim room, his superior androids eyes able to see what Connor's human eyes could not. The room was still furnished and had been left untouched since the night the club was closed down. There was a massive king sized bed covered in ruby red silk sheets and thick pillows near the far wall. There was still a full bar against the opposite wall, as well as a few illegal drugs that had been left abandoned. The room had an unsettling feeling of a dark past and it was one that both Markus and Connor knew was one of sexual abuse.

"There's a second door connecting this room one of the others toward the interior of the building. It must be where the chosen androids entered after the client arrived and... purchased them."

"Can you open it?"

"Yeah, no problem." Opening the second door as easily as the first he and Connor stepped through the doorway, and found themselves standing inside of one of the more typical private rooms. It too had been left completely furnished and abandoned, but the alcohol and drugs had been disposed of. "Are all the rooms this... wrong?"

"From what I had seen when I came to investigate a murder here, yes." Connor confirmed as Markus unlocked the main entrance door of the room leading out to the interior floor of the club. If they needed help the last thing they wanted was a locked door barring their arrival. "The stages and holding chambers were more degrading than the private rooms. At least in there no one could see the horrible treatment the androids were subjected to."

"No wonder North hates to talk about this place. It really is a form of Hell."

"Come on." Connor urged as he stepped deeper into the club and past the long emptied and abandoned dance stages. The memory of seeing other androids of North's model and Skye's model locked in the plastic chambers made Connor want to throw-up. "There's a second hall connecting to the storage room in the back. I'm sure that's where Eddie and George are hiding out."

"Are you armed?"

"Yes. I'd rather not use it, but I won't let us go anywhere dangerous without some form of defense."

Markus agreed as he followed Connor through the dimly lit floor and toward the storage room in the back of the building. The entire building had been left to rot and the neglect was showing inside and out. Poor lighting, dirty hallways and vacated plastic chambers and display floors left the entire club feeling as hollow as it was disgusting.

"The storage room is back here." Connor stated as he isolated the correct door. Checking the door he found it curiously unlocked and watched it slide open into the wall, and out of sight. "They have to be back here."

"You're right. I can detect two android life signs nearby." Markus paused for a moment as he got a more detailed reading. "...One of the vitals is very weak."

"Injured?"

The deviant leader's mismatched eyes dulled a little as he confirmed the reading. "...Dying."

Connor hesitated for only a moment before he walked forward down the dreary concrete corridor to the storage room in the back. Remembering the layout of the storage room the cautious young detective's left hand hovered over the holstered gun beneath his jacket, but decided against using it. If one of the wanted deviants was in fact injured and dying then there would be no need for the weapon.

Together the two New Jericho representatives opened the door at the end of the corridor and walked through. As soon as they reached the cold concrete room that had been used to store the damaged androids who were forcibly used by disgusting people for their disgusting deeds there was a sudden flurry of movement from the back of the room.

"Freeze!" Connor ordered as he took a step forward, drawing his gun in instinct and pointing it ahead of himself. "Detroit Police."

Eddie paused in his tracks and gave Connor a death glare from where he stood. "You should be dead."

"Same can be said about you." Connor noticed that Eddie's hands were covered in fresh Thirium, and glanced over at a nearby table where George was laying. The second deviant's abdominal cavity was wide open and steadily leaking blue blood all over the floor. "What about George?"

"You tell me. You're the one who did this to him."

"Wrong, Eddie." Stepping closer Connor put himself between Eddie and George, and sensed Markus walking over to the table to check on the wounded deviant behind him. "I may have struck George, but you're the one who recruited him and sent him after me."

"How do you know that George didn't act on his own?"

"Because YOU are the deviant who specializes in hazardous material and you know how to create tainted Thirium. You tried to kill my brother, but there was a mix-up in our identities. And now George is paying the price because of your failed assassination."

Eddie sneered a little as he realized that Connor knew he was the mastermind behind the attacks.

"The same can be said about using a flammable and untraceable material to burn down the apartment complex. But your motivation for the fire," Connor admitted as he glanced at Markus over his left shoulder briefly then returned his attention to Eddie. "is something I can't figure out."

"That apartment complex housed humans who owned and abused androids!"

"And it housed families trying to live their lives. You're condemning an entire race for the misdeeds of a few."

"So what? A few casualties are expected in a war."

From behind Connor in an angry voice Markus responded as he kept his exposed left palm over George's chest. "There is no war, Eddie. You're just seeking an excuse to hurt people. Hurt YOUR people."

"MY people? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"_George_, for one." Monitoring George's weak vitals closely Markus could detect that the deviant suffered from a partially ruptured gyroscope from being fended off by Connor, and he had several internal lines disconnected. "He's not dead but he is dying. We can still save him."

"I didn't hurt George."

"Yes, you did. When you recruited him for your unjust cause and then sent him to try to kill Connor at the tower you became directly responsible for the damage he received."

"No, I-"

"How many other deviants have been hurt because of your vendetta? How many deviants were living in that apartment complex when you set it on fire?"

"I made sure there weren't any deviants inside the building. Nice try."

"What about when you hacked the autonomous vehicles? You could've struck innocent deviants walking the street, or even crashed one into android care facility during your little plot."

"I was very careful with-"

"And then there's the tower itself." Markus challenged without hesitation. "You set up a bomb in the archives of the tower after sabotaging the generator. How is destroying the deviant sanctuary and killing countless deviants going to help you or anyone else?"

"...That tower is a prison." Eddie tried to refute as he stood his ground. "I was freeing prisoners."

"Wrong! You're trying to elicit chaos!"

"You just don't under-"

"Enough." Connor returned the gun to the holster under his jacket and slipped his left hand into jacket pocket to send the pre-written text to Hank. He estimated they'd have four minutes max before back-up arrived, which meant he had very limited time to talk Eddie into surrendering. "Eddie, you're mad at humans and no one is trying to tell you that you're feelings are wrong, but your approach to your anger isn't going to solve any problems."

"Should I lash out and beat up a complete stranger with my bare hands instead?"

"Thank you for admitting to being at the scene of the fire." Connor quipped fearlessly and without guilt. "As for me, what I did was wrong and I accept that. I was punished for my actions and you deserve the same treatment."

"I won't return to that prison you call a 'sanctuary'. Just do what you came here to do! Shut me down..."

"No." Connor eased his body language to become less intimidating and more calm. "I'm not going to hurt you, and I don't want to kill."

"Yes you do! Admit it!"

"There's nothing to admit to. I won't stoop to a level that I know is so far below me, Eddie. I won't hurt you or kill you. No one here will." Nodding at Markus with a tranquil stare Connor continued to hold his ground. "We want to end this peacefully and without bloodshed. You don't have to be violent toward us, yourself or anyone else."

"The words of the 'Deviant Hunter' mean nothing to me!"

"What about George?" Connor challenged without losing his cool. "Do you know he sent dozens of our people into the murderous hands of Zlatko Andronikov before the Revolution? You know who Zlatko is, right?" Keeping Eddie distracted Connor noted the various tools that were being used to treat George's wounds dangerously close to Eddie's hands, and knew those tool could easily become weapons. "He sent innocent deviants into Hell because of his own petty grievances. You're BOTH guilty of violence, AND you both have our people's blood on your hands. My hands are clean."

Markus leveled off his voice as he continued to try to reason with Eddie right alongside Connor. "You don't seem to understand, Eddie. You're not going to be shutdown or destroyed, the only punishment you can suffer will come from imprisonment. It's the law, and a court will determine for how long."

"You mean getting locked up in an android cell for the remainder of my existence?" Pulling a large syringe from his back pocket Eddie held it up and aimed the needle at the left side of his own neck. "I'd rather go out on my own terms."

"Eddie, no!" Unwilling to make a move toward Eddie out of fear of Eddie's unpredictable behavior Connor stayed where he was standing. "Don't do hurt yourself, there has to be another way to end this."

"Too late, detective." The sirens of the approaching police cars filled the air and Eddie plunged the needle deep into the side of his neck. With a single press of the release trigger he injected himself with something caustic and immediately began to show the ill effects of the toxic substance. "...See you in Hell."

Connor could only watch as Eddie's legs gave out as he collapsed backward. The deviant began to convulse violently on the hard ground the moment his body went limp, and Thirium oozed from his mouth and from his nose in a violent stream of sapphire blood.

Markus's mismatched eyes went wide as he took a step toward Eddie with the intent to help, but Connor grabbed onto Markus's right shoulder to hold him back. "What're you doing?"

"Don't touch him. I don't know what he injected himself with, but clearly this was his plan. As far as either of us know just touching him could damage one of us in the process."

As he reluctantly stayed back from Eddie, the psychotic deviant stopped convulsing and became painfully still as a pale blue foam oozed out of his mouth. Markus ran a scan and saw that Eddie's vital signs were completely gone. The dangerous deviant had killed himself rather than face justice, and had gone out without the slightest twinge of remorse in his cold heart.

The rear shipping door to the storage room lifted up as the responding police officers converged on the abandoned club. Gavin and Chris rushed in first with their guns drawn and shouted in a stern voice to convey authority. "DETROIT POLICE. Don't move!"

Connor took a step back from Eddie and motioned to George on the repair table beside him. "Eddie has shutdown. He injected himself with an unknown, caustic substance. His accomplice," Connor looked down at George's opened abdomen and shook his head. "can still be saved. Summon emergency technicians now."

Markus stayed beside George and watched as Chris approached the unconscious bleeding deviant cautiously. "He's weak but stable."

"Right." Acknowledging Markus's words Chris stayed beside George until technicians arrived. "We'll get him to a nearby facility."

Gavin holstered his gun as he gave Connor a subtle nod. "Look Connor, you need to get out of here. As far as anyone at the precinct is concerned your buddy Markus there found these two and called it in. If Internal Affairs know you went after these two while suspended you'll get your ass fired."

"...Okay. You're right." Turning to look at Markus the young detective shook his friend's hand firmly. "I'll stop by the tower if you need me for anything."

"Yeah. I know."

"Are you okay?"

"This... was not how I was expecting the confrontation to end." Staring at Eddie's body as the dead deviant's artificial skin receded like a tide Markus shook his head somberly. "He just... gave up."

"Eddie had no real plan, all he knew was hatred and violence. In the end that's how he died, full of hate in an unnecessarily violent way." Looking down at his damaged right hand Connor sighed and slipped the injured appendage back into his jacket pocket out of sight. "And I refuse to live my life in such a way."

"It's a shame that George's fate won't be much better."

"He betrayed his own people before the Revolution, and continued to harm other innocent people after peace was won. It was too late to save him from his own hatred, don't blame yourself for his misdeeds."

"...Yeah. Too bad that doesn't make this any easier."

* * *

Word of Eddie's suicide and George's arrest circulated through the city quickly. Thousands of deviants released a collective sigh of relief while just as many humans remained on their guard. New Jericho Tower lifted the mandatory lockdown and security at the Android Emergency Care Facilities returned to normal, save of course for the facility that had taken in George as their patient. The violent deviant was expected to live despite his injuries, and some argued that it was a waste of time and resources to help him. Fortunately the technicians didn't have a bias toward anyone in need of help.

With his head held high Connor returned home to his family, and told them what had happened. Returning Hank his unfired weapon made Connor feel as though he truly accomplished something great, and no longer felt like he needed to worry about who he was or who he could turn into. Being violent truly wasn't in his nature, his previous outburst was the direct result of stress and being provoked.

"You did good work, kid." Hank proudly clapped Connor on the shoulder as he reclaimed his revolver and put it down on the bookshelf in the livingroom until he could get back upstairs. The gun was locked up in a metal box our of sight and out if mind. "Real good. The fact that Eddie took himself out proves he was just pure destruction without an agenda."

"I know the city is safe from him and George, but I can't help but feel like there's something I'm missing."

"You're still trying to figure out Eddie's mindset. Let me tell you something right now; you can't argue reason with the unreasonable, and you can't discuss logic with the illogical." The senior detective's words were wise and came from invaluable experience. "Eddie didn't have a reason and his logic was flawed. You're not missing anything."

Nodding a little Connor proceeded to walk upstairs and change out of his work uniform, only to be greeted to the sight of Ruby laying in the middle of his bed with Ash still cuddling with her against her side. "I guess you made a new friend." Rubbing Ruby's ears and then gently petting Ash's side, getting tail wags and purrs in response, Connor just smirked at the sight. "It's good to know you get along with cats. If another stray comes my way I think it'll end up staying with me."

Lucas had overhead the comment as he came out of his bedroom and gave his big brother a smile. "Your mother has agreed to let me keep Ash since she cannot have pets in her new apartment."

"What did Hank have to say about it?"

"Well, about that..." Lucas gave Connor a somewhat hesitant stare before he spoke up nervously. "In two weeks time I will be moving into a small house two blocks over with Chloe. And as such Ash will be be moving with me."

The young detective gave Lucas a shocked glance as he shrugged off his gray suit jacket. "...You're moving out?"

"Yes. I... I will always think of this as my home but I want to try to experience new things in my life beyond just being a technician, or as Hank's adopted son or your little brother. I want to... Well, I want to live just as you had lived during your deviancy; entirely for myself and for my own reasons."

"Lucas I stayed with Hank as my family, my guardian and my friend because I struggled so much with my deviancy. If I didn't have him I wouldn't have lasted more than a week past the Revolution before I would've... I suspect I would've self destructed from fear. Are you sure you want to try to live with another android who has barely begun her own deviancy while you're still learning?"

"I know it's a risk, but it's one I'm willing to take." The unexpected lilt of confidence from Lucas's voice took Connor by surprise." I want to be with Chloe and she wants to be with me. This is... logical."

Connor smirked a little as he swapped out his white dress shirt for a dark green t-shirt to wear instead. "I think the word you're looking for is 'love'. I get it."

"...Will you help me tell Hank about my decision?"

"You didn't tell him yet?"

"No." Wringing his hands nervously before himself Lucas admitted that he hadn't brought up the topic with Hank just yet. "I've been too nervous."

"Okay, Lucas. When things settle down a little more I'll help you tell Hank about your decision."

"Thank you, brother."

Picking up on his little brother's distressed demeanor Connor gently pressed on to keep Lucas talking. "Something else bothering you?"

"It's... Sumo."

Connor felt his heart skip a beat as he too had noticed that the old dog was suddenly showing more of his age as of late. "What's wrong with him?"

"I believe he is very ill. What if he needs to..." Shaking his head a little Lucas gave his big brother a pleading look. "I don't want him to die."

"Neither do I."

"I have a veterinary appointment for him scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. What if it's bad news?"

"...I don't know. I don't have any memories regarding the passing of a family pet to guide me."

"Connor, things are changing so much. Why do emotions make changes seem so much more overwhelming or impactful than they truly are?"

"Empathy is very potent." The young detective confirmed as he sat down on the edge of his bed and resumed petting Ruby and Ash. "I know there are times where I've longed to have my cold disconnected machine mind back whenever I've felt emotional turmoil, but there's nothing you can do to stop those feelings once they set it."

"You were right, Connor." Glancing about the bedroom; his eyes falling on Ruby, Ash and even the extra fish in Connor's aquarium, Lucas noted all the new additions to the house. "This year is a year for changes."

* * *

A sense of peace came over New Jericho Tower as Markus returned and informed the other leaders and occupants of Eddie's demise. To ensure no one doubted the claims Markus allowed Simon to make a copy of his memory and allowed all deviants throughout the city access to the file to see it for themselves. To see that Eddie was violent, desperate and angry, and to see how Connor and Markus tried to reason with Eddie to turn himself in peacefully. However, in the end the desperate deviant shut himself down to avoid punishment, and to avoid justice.

"I'm just relieved that you came back okay." Wrapping her arms around Markus in a tight hug North kissed his lips and just held onto him. "You _are_ okay, right?"

"Yeah." Tightening his arms around North he hugged her closer, and whispered into her ear as remembered the internal layout of the 'Eden Club', and of how it was designed to showcase the 'merchandise' and treat androids like products; not beings. "I'm so sorry you had to stay in that Hellhole for so long. I didn't know how terrible it was until I saw it for myself."

"Now you know why I didn't want to talk about it."

"And I hope you never have to again." Kissing her on top of her hair Markus held her tight and supportive hug. "None of our people will ever go through anything like that ever again for as long as we stay free."

"I know. We're free, we're alive and we're safe." Looking at Markus with her eyes glowing with admiration North sighed and kissed his lips again. "And we're together."

"Forever."

"Not yet." She teased as she gave him a smile and admired the engagement ring he had given her. "We still need to find a place for our bonding ceremony."

"We'll find some place perfect. Now that the city is back to normal we can breathe a little easier, and think about what's more important."

"We have nine weeks to find a place if we want to stay on our schedule."

"Well..." Giving North a playful smirk Markus began walking backward with his arms still wrapped around her, causing her to follow after him. "We might have a little room in our schedule for a little _fun_..."

Catching on quickly North flashed him a mischievous grin and happily accompanied him to the elevator so they could head off to their private quarters near the top of the tower. "Who says you're an uptight leader?"

* * *

While Hank and Elizabeth sat in the kitchen to help her look up information on her new apartment; the move-in date, deposit, monthly rent, etc., Connor and Lucas sat in the livingroom in the middle of the couch with Sumo sprawled over their laps. Connor had his hand on Sumo's ears and was watching his glassy, tired eyes staring ahead at the wall, and Lucas was running his right hand down Sumo's back. Sumo himself was exhausted and panting heavily as if he had just been out in the heat for hours on end, or had been taken on a long walk. It was this very behavior that had the brothers worried.

"Connor, can you look at Sumo's tongue and tell me if it has a blue tint?" Lucas asked as he continued to pet Sumo and cybernetically download information on canine health.

Very gently Connor put his right hand under Sumo's chin and lifted the dog's head up so he could see Sumo's tongue as it lazily hung out of the left side of his mouth. "Yes, it's slightly blue, as are his gums. It appears he may be cyanotic or hypoxic. I'm not a vet so I can't be sure."

"Can you tell if his abdomen is distended?"

With the same gentle care Connor let Sumo rest his chin back down over his lap while he reached his hands alongside Sumo's body and tried to determine if the dog was suffering from a distended abdomen. "...I think so." Retracting his hands Connor gave his little brother a worried look. "Lucas, what information did you download?"

"...I think Sumo is suffering from congestive heart failure. It's not uncommon in large breeds of dogs, and considering his age..."

Connor felt a piece of his heart break in knowing that the big lovable dog, one of the very first living creatures to see Connor as a person and not an android, was nearing his end. He had become very attached to the dog as had Lucas, and neither of them wanted to see him go.

"What do we do?"

"...We take him to the vet tomorrow," the young detective was trying to stay emotionally strong for his little brother. "and we find out what's wrong with him for sure."

"And if it's grim news?"

"...We'll do the right thing."

From the kitchen Hank had been watching his two adopted sons sitting together and talking about Sumo, and he knew exactly what was being discussed. He too had noticed Sumo's recently lethargic behavior, but didn't want to mention it out of a paternal need to protect his sons. With a despondent stare Hank leaned against his arms over the top of the kitchen table and let out a quiet sigh.

Noticing the reaction and heavy mood in the air Elizabeth asked Hank about what was happening. "Something wrong?"

"...Yeah. Those boys are going to be very upset when Sumo succumbs to his poor health."

Elizabeth glanced away from the laptop screen to the two brothers sitting on the couch with the massive dog laying over their laps. "Connor's always been fond of animals, and Lucas is so much like him. I can't bear the thought of either of them hurting like that."

"I know what you mean. Just as it seems like everything is getting back to normal something like this has to rear its ugly head." Running his right hand through his gray locks of hair Hank looked away from the livingroom and back over to Elizabeth. "As smart as those two are they just can't seem to wrap their heads around the limitations of themselves, or mortality as a whole. Then again, they're still kids on some level."

"I'll always see Connor as a small innocent child." Reaching for a neatly packed box sitting on the table behind the laptop Elizabeth pulled out the old photo album and opened it up for Hank to see. Setting aside the laptop Elizabeth showed Hank a few select photographs of Connor before he was taken out of foster care to be returned to his biological father all those years ago. "He used to smile all the time, now it's so rare."

Hank eyed the photos and just couldn't stop comparing Connor to Cole. The two easily could've been mistaken for brothers, if not twins. If Cole had Connor's soulful brown eyes, or if Connor had Cole's lively innocent blue eyes the two boys could've been interchangeable.

"It's sometimes hard to believe that foster care was the better alternative to his own home."

"As a detective I can't even begin to tell you how commonly tragic that fact truly is." Looking at each photo Hank noticed that Connor was either spending time as a child bonding with every dog and cat in the neighborhood, or favoring the company of a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was holding a stuffed toy fox in her arms and looked as happy as Connor as they played together on the small playground. "It looks like Connor wasn't the only child who was better off in foster care."

"Oh, yes." Honing on the photo that caught Hank's attention Elizabeth smiled and pointed to the little girl. "That was 'Little Lynn'. She had a mother who became addicted to drugs and the poor thing was in and out of foster care for years as her mother struggled to stay clean. Her younger sister, Gwen, was born five years after I first met Lynn, and she too ended up be adopted by their grandparents. Connor and Lynn met when they were about three years old and they had a mutual love of animals. She was his first real friend, and he always made sure to spend time with her whenever he could."

"I didn't think he socialized with anyone but me or Sumo."

Laughing a little Elizabeth isolated a few more photographs where Connor, albeit shyly, was playing with other kids. "I think Connor was trying to take care of the other kids without realizing that he was just a kid himself. I just wish I knew what happened to Lynn and Gwen, and all the other children I helped take of all those years ago. They were all so innocent and just wanted to be loved. I know Connor is doing well, but... Sometimes I think he resents me."

"No, Libby. He's just always been guarded." Putting his right hand on her left hand Hank gave her a supportive grip to hold. "The difference is we now know _why_ he has his guard up and is reluctant to meet new people."

"He's not sociable, and yet he watches over this entire city." Elizabeth beamed with pride as she continued to sift through the salvaged photographs in her albums. "It's incredible to think about."

"Being protective is in his nature. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he was playing the role of the guardian since the day he was born."

* * *

Throughout the night Connor and Lucas stayed with Sumo in the livingroom and tried to get him to eat a little food or drink some water, but the old dog was clearly not feeling well. Sumo even showed no interest in an offered treat and refused to budge from where he was laying over Connor and Lucas's laps. Hank and Elizabeth had gone about their own business that afternoon and evening as they tried to make the brothers feel less scared about Sumo's inevitable passing. Despite their best efforts the two parental figure weren't able to offer much comfort.

"So," Hank began as he used the crutches to limp into the livingroom and sit down in the recliner to prop his healing right knee up on the coffee table. "I got an update from Fowler at the precinct. Joel ran a, uh, an apportionment... thing... on Eddie. Turns out he injected himself with some type of acid that caused Thirium to burst into flame on contact. If Markus touched him... Well, it could've ended badly for both of them. It's a good thing he kept him back."

Connor nodded a little to acknowledge Hank as he rubbed his right hand along Sumo's ears.

"George survived his injuries," Hank continued in a casual voice as he watched Sumo's glassy eyes begin to shut as fatigue wore him out. "and he'll be taken to a type of asylum to undergo therapy and analysis, not jail. He confessed to everything and gave the precinct all the information he needed, so Fowler decided to take it easy on him as a sign of good faith toward the deviant community."

"...That's good."

Hating the sight of his two sons so upset and Sumo so weak began to ache at Hank's heart. "Uh, do you two need me to do anything?"

Connor shook his head a little as Lucas looked up at Hank. "...If nothing can be done to help Sumo, can we take him some place special to say goodbye?"

"...Yeah, son." The plea sounded like a child's whisper coming from the deviant's lips. "We can do that."

"Thank you. I don't want him to be... disposed of. I want him to be buried."

Connor was staying quiet as he didn't want to contribute to such a bleak conversation.

"Sumo's in good hands." With moderate difficulty Hank got back out of the recliner and made his way to the staircase to get to his bedroom for the rest of the night. "You two do what you want to make Sumo feel better. Take the car so you can drive him to the vet tomorrow, and don't worry about me. I can go a few hours alone and without a car."

Without another word to Hank as the senior detective limped up the staircase Connor just nodded as he continued to rub his hand over Sumo's ears, and offer the massive dog the smallest amount of comfort that he could in his final moments of need. "...Good boy."

* * *

The four leaders of New Jericho gathered in the main office to discuss the self destruction of Eddie, and George being committed to a mental health asylum with a heavy atmosphere hanging over their heads. The relief of knowing that the two dangerous deviants were no longer going to hurt anyone was still palpable, and yet the grief in knowing that one of their own had chosen to take him own life rather than atone for his errors, and another one of their people was going to be locked away and psychoanalyzed was a bittersweet victory.

"Eddie's self destruction was unexpected, and while Connor and I failed to reach him I know that George can still be helped." Markus was sitting atop of the desk with his hands neatly folded together as he contemplated the tower's next step. "We have a lot of cleaning up to do when it comes to undoing the damage Eddie created regarding the human-android relationships throughout the city, but it can and _will_ be done."

"Why is George being held at an asylum?" Simon asked with a righteously worried tone. "Deviant emotions aren't as simple to understand as human emotions, and George won't be treated as a person; he'll be treated like a broken machine."

"No, George will get the help he needs. He'll be speaking with another deviant who specializes in emotional adaptation among deviants." The confidence in Markus's tone felt almost out of place regarding the grim subject being discussed. "From what George has admitted to and told the officers after being taken into custody Eddie had manipulated his fears of being forced back into a life like he had in the 'Eden Club' to make him complicit. Now George will get the help he needs and finally feel safe."

Simon let out a deep breath and flexed his hands nervously. "How many of our people could be committed to a mental asylum?"

"I don't know, but if they are locked away they will be helped, Simon. Not locked away and forgotten."

"That's yet to be seen..."

Josh was just as hesitant regarding deviants being locked up, but he didn't know of any alternative. "Will we be kept updated on his progress?"

"Yes. George will be taken care of and monitored closely. Once he's been cleared he can return to New Jericho Tower and resume his life."

"What? He worked with Eddie!"

"Eddie manipulated him and fed him lies." Markus clarified in a level voice as he tried to elaborate on the matter at hand. "We can't condemn George via guilt by association. That's not justice, that's fear."

"...Yeah. You're right."

Simon spoke up again and gave Markus a righteously worried glance. "George also sent deviants out to Zlatko to their deaths."

"...I know. He will be charged with the deaths of those deviants as an accessory to their torture and murder. He will be punished for those crimes at a second trial by a jury of his peers. Us."

"Alright, I suppose that can work."

"For now we need to do our best to help clean up the mess that Eddie left behind, and help the city learn to live without fear of deviants. As I stated before, it's going to take some time but it'll be worth it."

North, who had been unusually quiet, joined Markus on the desk and wrapped her right hand around his left hand affectionately.

"We have to keep moving forward if we want progress, if we stay in the past nothing will change for our future." Turning to look North in the eyes Markus gave her a kind smile and nodded confidently. "..._Everyone's_ future."

* * *

The sleepless night was met with a dreary morning as Connor and Lucas carefully carried Sumo to the car to take him to the vet for his appointment. The news wasn't good, and the brothers were completely heartbroken at the diagnosis. Sumo was suffering from congestive heart failure and wasn't expected to survive the night. The vet gave Connor some carefully dosed painkillers to take away as the brothers took Sumo back home, and told Hank what was going to happen with the beloved family pet.

Hank was true to his word and decided that the best place to take Sumo for his final moments of peace would be to the cabin. Over the summer Hank went ahead and bought the property as a private getaway for the family, and knew that the lake would be a peaceful calm environment for the massive dog to spend his final moments.

Elizabeth decided to stay back at the house to take care of both Ruby and Ash so the brothers wouldn't have to worry about them, and Hank went with Connor and Lucas up to the lake. The father was compelled to protect his sons even though he couldn't do anything to reverse death.

Unable to drive because of his sore right knee Hank sat in the front passenger seat so Connor could drive, and so Lucas could sit in the backseat with Sumo once more sprawled over his lap. It was a pitiful sight to see Lucas looking down at the lethargic old dog with tear filled eyes, and Connor was being incredibly quiet and distant as he focused on the road.

The cabin came into view and Connor pulled the car in the drive beside the front porch at a slow pace. Hank managed to limp out of the car and watched as Connor and Lucas proceeded to once again carry Sumo in their arms to help the ill dog move around.

"Take him out by the water." Hank suggested as he watched the brothers walking carefully with Sumo toward the backyard of the property. "There should be a nice shady spot for him to relax in up by the shoreline."

The brothers followed Hank's instructions and found Sumo the best place to relax. Laying Sumo down very gently on a patch of cool grass a few feet from the lake Connor and Lucas sat down beside the ill dog to keep him company in his final moments. Lucas pulled Sumo up onto his lap to rub his ears and pet his back, while Connor knelt behind Sumo to pet his back.

"...The amount of painkillers we were given will be enough to humanely euthanize him when the time comes." Connor lamented as he stared down at Sumo's face and continued to pet his back. "But... I don't want to make that call."

"...Neither do I."

"We can't let him suffer, though."

"You're right." Lucas glanced down at Sumo's glassy eyes and sighed mournfully. "When he drifts off to sleep we'll... We'll do it."

"...Okay. That sounds like the most gentle way to do it."

From the backdoor of the cabin Hank watched with a heavy heart as the brothers stayed by Sumo in the massive dog's final hours and decided to limp over to the shore to spend time with Sumo as well. With some difficulty Hank managed to put aside his crutches and sit down on the grass beside Connor as he too began to pet Sumo's back.

"This is the worst part about taking in a pet." Hank confessed as he spoke in a soft voice to his adopted sons. "It's too bad humans outlive dogs and cats. They're so much better than humans, and don't cause a fraction of the problems that humans do."

Lucas was carefully monitoring Sumo with a silent scan and struggling to keep himself from breaking down emotionally.

"...How many pets have you had to say goodbye to, Hank?" Connor asked in an equally low voice as he kept petting Sumo very gently.

"Well, I had a cat named Smoke when I was a kid, and she was one of the most affectionate creatures on this planet. She was around for about sixteen years before I had to put her down. I also had a beagle and basset hound, Bandit and Tracker. They were around for about as long, Tracker was a couple years younger though. So, not counting Sumo, three pets. And before you ask, no, it doesn't get any easier to deal with."

Connor looked over at Hank and let out a deep sigh. "How did you know it was time to let them go?"

"I just knew. It's like an instinct where you just know and they know it's time to say 'goodbye'. They don't want to suffer anymore than we want them to suffer."

"...Right." Pulling the three syringes preloaded with the potent painkillers from his jean pocket Connor eyed them warily. "This isn't how I wanted to say goodbye to him."

"At least you _can_ say goodbye, kid. Nothing hurts more than finding your pet having passed on in the night unexpectedly."

"I suppose you're right..."

"Hey, it'll be okay, son." Reaching out his left hand Hank rested it on Lucas's right shoulder to ensure the deviant was listening to him as well. "You're doing the right thing and sparing Sumo some pain. That's the single kindest and most selfless act you can show toward someone you care about."

Almost two hours passed before Sumo fell asleep with Lucas, Connor and Hank all keeping him company. As his breathing began to slow Lucas gave Connor a quiet nod and slowly extended his hand to take the first syringe of the painkillers. "...I think it's time."

"Yeah." Connor reluctantly passed over the syringe and watched as Lucas gently put the tip of the needle into Sumo's thigh and injected the drug. Sumo didn't react and continued to sleep peacefully. Doing the same with the second syringe Connor put his left hand on the side of Sumo's chest to check his heartbeat. "...His pulse is beginning to slow."

"Think we should use the final dose?" Lucas asked as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"...Yeah. That way he won't feel a thing." Using the final injection Connor tossed aside the syringes and lightly rubbed his hand over the three injections sights on the dog's thigh. "...Good boy, Sumo."

Sumo's breathing began to slow as did his heartbeat. After barely four minutes the massive dog released his last breath and his entire body went heavy and limp over the brothers' laps. Lucas ran another scan and found Sumo's vital signs to be non-existent, and Connor couldn't feel the large dog's heart beating under his palm anymore.

Hank patted Lucas's shoulder then did the same for Connor. "You two did the right thing. He isn't suffering anymore and in his last moments in this world he knew he was loved."

Lucas pulled Sumo up into his arms as buried his face against Sumo's soft fur along his neck and Connor continued to pet his back and side affectionately.

"It's okay to cry, boys." Hank reminded the two brothers as he saw them trying to hold back tears. "There's no shame in crying over something like this."

* * *

At the now peaceful and fully opened New Jericho Tower, a sanctuary that allowed all deviants safe entry and shelter from the world, Markus stood outside the building overlooking the harbor as the sun began to set in the distance. There was a comforting sense of peace falling over the entire city that had long been absent in the wake of Damien, Eddie and George all threatening to set back deviant rights and equality by several decades. With the three dangerous deviants now handled progress could finally resume.

As he watched the sunset in the distance Markus felt North walk up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. "...It's nice out here."

"Yeah." Markus slipped his hands over hands as she leaned up against his back. "Everything is calm."

"Then why do you seem so tense?"

"I can't shake the feeling that the moment we let our guard down something else will happen."

"Well, yeah. That's how it works, Markus. It's called living."

"I mean," he laughed a little as he continued to watch the setting sun. "I can't help but think that something else is going to happen against our people. It's like there's one last nasty surprise just waiting for us around the corner."

"I think you're just stressed." Standing up on her tiptoes North gave Markus a kiss on the cheek as they stood together watching the sunset over the harbor. It was quiet save for the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore, and birds singing in the distance. "But I can't say that I blame you."

"...I know a way I _could_ relax."

She grinned as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Alright... Let's watch the sunset then go home and _relax_. Again..."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Standing before the freshly dug grave on the edge of the property against the treeline Connor just stared at the newly disturbed dirt while Lucas finished placing white stones around the grave to mark it. A very large white stone was placed at the head of the grave to mark Sumo's final resting place, and in time his name would be painted over the surface to remember him properly. It was a simple grave but it was one that would never be forgotten about, and neither would Sumo.

"Good boy." Connor whispered as his sore right hand, made all the more painful from digging, tightened around Sumo's old collar instinctively. It was still warm from Sumo's fur, and it carried the old dog's scent. "You're going to watch over Cole again, boy. In time we'll all be reunited on the other side."

With the stones in place Lucas brushed the dirt from his knees and his palms as Connor held onto the dirt covered shovel in his left hand, and Sumo's leather collar in the right hand. "How long does it take for mourning to end?"

"...I don't really know. Remember what Hank told us when we tended Mr. Manfred's funeral?"

"I remember. I guess I was just hoping that with pets it'd be a shorter period of grief."

"No. It won't." Connor looked back toward the cabin and saw Hank was sitting on a dead log overlooking the lake as the sun set in the distance. "But like dad said, it's okay to be upset."

"I dislike feeling this way."

"Me too. The worst part about having emotions is feeling sadness, grief, fear and anger. I've experienced them all and it never really stops hurting."

"...Dad's hurting too. Isn't he?"

"Yeah. He is." Carrying the shovel away from the grave Connor returned to the storage area in the cabin's cellar and motioned for Lucas to join him over by Hank for the rest of the night. Sitting down beside Hank quietly Connor just stared out at the sunset while Lucas sat down on the other side of Hank to do the same. "...It's truly peaceful out here. It was a good idea to bring Sumo here one last time."

"Yeah." Hank agreed in a somber voice as he continued to stare out at the calm lake and warm sun in the distance. "I'm surprised Sumo hung on as long as he did, but, I guess he got those extra years because he had you two to give him lots of attention and keep him going."

Lucas was rubbing his right hand over his teary green eyes as he seldom really cried, and it was starting to bother him that he couldn't stop.

"Lucas, cry."

"I don't want to cry anymore." The deviant managed to blurt as he fought to speak through his sobs. Emotions were still very confusing to deal with. "It hurts. _Crying_ hurts. I don't like it."

"Well, I don't want to walk around on those damn crutches anymore, but I have to do it for a while longer. You just need to cry and you'll feel a lot better after you let it out instead of trying to hold it inside. Just cry and let yourself feel whatever it is you need to feel, son. It's okay."

As the deviant began to softly cry to himself Connor passed over Sumo's leather collar for Lucas to hold onto while he grieved openly.

"...Th-Thanks." Lucas managed to get the words out as he took the collar and looked down at the dog's metallic name tag. Slipping the tag from the collar Lucas slipped it into his pocket as a keepsake, and tightened his hands around the leather collar until his knuckles turned white.

Connor was crying as well but he was able to keep his voice much more level as he spoke. "Do you think the city will finally be able to return to normal?"

"I really don't know, son." Hank didn't have all the answers to life's questions, yet he never acknowledged it when his sons asked him anything. The urge to be a figure of wisdom and a rock to lean on for the sake of his sons kept Hank feeling stronger than he actually was. "Normal really isn't a thing, and with all the weird shit that's happened this year I don't want to hazard a guess."

Gazing out at the setting sun Connor wrung his hands together anxiously and leaned forward to rest his elbows atop his knees. As he did he felt Hank's hand left plant firmly on his right shoulder as the adoptive father did his best to comfort his emotionally exhausted sons at the end of that eventful day. The day ended peacefully, but as the two detectives knew all too well, peace was just one side of the same coin.

"In time everything will finally be okay."

_**-next chapter-  
**_


	59. Family

The late night drive back to the house from the cabin had left Connor and Lucas feeling emotionally drained, and Hank was unsure of how to help his sons understand the loss of a family pet. Normally people endure such loss and heartache as children and had found ways to overcome such losses while growing up, but for Connor and Lucas the painful loss was a fresh wound that would take time to heal. As the two brothers walked upstairs to sleep for the night, their hearts heavy with grief and thoughts feeling like they left someone very important behind, Hank made his way into the kitchen to get himself something light to eat before he too went to bed for the night.

Balancing awkwardly on his crutches Hank prepared a simple sandwich on the counter and felt a familiar presence join him in the kitchen. "...The boys are already upstairs."

"I figured as much." Elizabeth noted as she joined Hank in the kitchen and put her left hand on Hank's right shoulder. "I didn't see them but I can feel that they're both so heartbroken right now."

"Yeah. Poor kids never went through anything like this before." Turning to face Elizabeth as she stood beside him wrapped up in a thick pruple night robe Hank let his own blue eyes fill with tears over Sumo's passing. "I don't know how to help them through this."

"Well, when I was nine I lost my dog, Skip, when he jumped the fence and got hit by a car. He was a husky, so he got out of the yard a lot." She stated in a low voice as she empathetically put herself in Connor and Lucas's shoes. "I cried for what felt like forever, and then my mom took me to the zoo to see all the animals, and then we went out to eat. I was surrounded by hundreds of thriving animals all day long, then that night I was able to talk to my mom one-on-one and that made me feel like I was being heard, and I felt secured despite my pain. It helped me on so many levels..."

"Yeah... That's a good idea. Tomorrow we should take them out of the house, get them away from all their constant reminders of Sumo, and remind them that life goes on. I don't think a trip to the zoo will help them," laughing a little at the idea of taking the brothers to the zoo like a school field trip Hank continued on with his thought. "but a day out with the family might just do the trick."

As her brown eyes lit up Elizabeth smiled and gave Hank an approving nod. "I like that idea. An entire day spent as a family..."

"And a day without any of the drama of problems, the city falling apart or cases to work on would do wonders for us all."

"I'm looking forward to it." Taking a step back Elizabeth decided to excuse herself for the night and return to the guest room to get some sleep. "Goodnight, Hank. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, see you, in the morning." Watching as Elizabeth walked toward the corridor, only to change her mind and head up the staircase to check on Connor and Lucas instead, Hank knew that the family outing was the best possible thing the brothers could have after everything they went through. "Hopefully it'll be a good morning at that."

Upstairs Elizabeth peered into the two bedrooms and saw that Lucas had entered rest mode on his left side facing the opened doorway, and had Ash cuddled up under his chin as she joined the deviant for the night to sleep. The deviant looked sad even while asleep, and it was evident that he had been crying since his eyes had a pale blue bloodshot aura around his eyelids. It was painful to see, and Elizabeth wanted to do something to comfort the deviant even as he slept.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart." Lightly Elizabeth put her left palm to his right cheek and held her hand there for a moment as she leaned to down to give Lucas a kiss on his hairline. "You're too sweet and kind, Lucas. I know you'll change this strange world for the better."

After pulling his quilt up a little higher to cover his right shoulder Elizabeth walked into Connor's bedroom across from Lucas's bedroom and noticed that the young detective was curled up on his right side with his back to the opened door, and he had Ruby cuddled up behind his knees as she too needed the companionship for the night. Sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Connor's back Elizabeth lightly ran her left fingers through his dark locks of hair and sighed lowly.

"You were always a guardian by nature. You loved animals and protected them as a child, you loved your friend 'Little Lynn' and cried when she was taken from foster care, and you'd give up your life to protect your family." Whispering to her son in a soft tone Elizabeth spoke words of comfort to Connor as he slept. "I hate seeing you so hurt and feeling depressed. You gave Sumo lots of love, you and Lucas both did, and he knows that he was loved. Just like I know your brother and your father know you love them, too."

Glancing up at the aquarium that now housed the fish that Connor had rescued from her burned down apartment Elizabeth smiled again and gave Connor a kiss on his left temple.

"You're just as sweet and kind as your brother." Standing up from the bed Elizabeth finally took her leave of the bedroom to lay down and sleep for the rest of the night. "Don't ever change, Connor. I'm so very proud of you."

* * *

The following morning Connor awoke with a mild headache and stomachache after the emotionally taxing day. Sitting upright on his bed he looked down at Ruby cuddled up beside his legs and patted his lap to coax her up to greet him for the morning. As the loyal hound stood up, stretched out, and put her front paws on Connor's lap the young detective wrapped his arms around her neck to give her a gentle hug. Rubbing his right hand along her soft ears Connor sighed and was grateful to still have her after losing Sumo.

"Hey, girl." Sighing as he picked up his glasses from the nighstand with his left hand and placed them over his eyes Connor leaned back and gave Ruby a somber stare. "Kinda' quiet this morning, huh?"

Ruby whimpered once and laid back down on the warm bed beside Connor.

"I know. We're going to miss him, too."

From the bedroom across the hallway Connor noticed that Ash was awake and now standing on Lucas's right shoulder as she 'mewed' in his right ear. The deviant awoke at the gentle sound and put his left palm on the kitten's ears to greet her for the morning as well.

"It looks like it's time to get up." Climbing out of the bed Connor stood before his aquarium and sprinkled some flakes into the water before he grabbed some clean clothes, and made his way into the bathroom. "I'll get showered off and then we'll both get something to eat, girl."

Lucas had heard his big brother awaken and speaking to Ruby. As he too sat upright on his bed Lucas cuddled the small white kitten against his chest and sighed as she purred and rubbed her soft pink nose against his chin. "I will change my clothes and wait for Connor." The still grieving deviant told the kitten as she savored all the love and affection she was receiving. "Then we will all go downstairs together to begin the morning. I know you must be hungry since you're still growing."

* * *

In the kitchen Hank struggled to balance as stood before the stove to cook some breakfast, and awkwardly shifted his weight to keep the ice pack wrapped around his sore right knee in place. As he fussed with the scrambled eggs in the frying pan on the hot stove top Elizabeth worked on making a small batch of Thirium based pancakes just for Lucas to try. The duo were working together to try to cheer up the brothers after the loss of the beloved family pet, and a part of them felt like they were suddenly years younger and dealing with small children who needed some extra T.L.C. for a while.

"This seems... odd." Hank remarked as he finished with the first helping of scrambled eggs and began the next helping in the still hot frying pan.

"How's that?"

"I haven't made a big breakfast for the family in years. The last time I made a special breakfast like this was the morning after Barbara came home from the hospital after giving birth to Cole. She felt so exhausted and could barely get out of bed, and I just wanted her to feel better and know how much I loved her, and I wanted her to know how much she was appreciated. I'm not sure if this will have the same kind of effect on the boys."

"To be honest I haven't been able to make a big breakfast like this for anyone before. I just remember my parents doing this kind of thing for me when I was a kid and it was my birthday, when I had a sleepover with my friends, when I was ten and I broke my arm after I fell off my bike... and again when my grandparents passed away. It always made me feel special and a lot of better when I needed it the most."

"Then I think we're doing the right thing. It's just weird treating these two adults like they're little kids, you know?"

"I know." Finishing with the pale blue tinted batter in the mixing bowl Elizabeth put a small amount on the warm skillet to begin making Lucas some special pancakes to let him join in on their breakfast together as a family. "Connor just never had the chance to be a kid, and Lucas in a way still is a kid. Hopefully they know we're just trying to cheer them up and not make them feel like helpless children."

Laughing a little at the thought Hank just gave Elizabeth a coy smirk. "Connor and Lucas might have a little trouble with their emotions from time to time, but they are_ far_ from helpless. Trust me," remembering the times he had witnessed the brothers getting physically protective of the world around them or lashing out in violence Hank swore he could feel old bruises beginning to ache his entire body. "they are much stronger than either of us will ever truly realize."

* * *

With heavy steps Connor, Lucas and Ruby walked down the staircase together to meet with Hank and Elizabeth for the morning. Lucas was still carrying Ash in his arms as the little kitten had some difficulty with handling the stairs since she was still so small. The smell of the hot breakfast in the kitchen told the brothers where the rest of the household was currently located, and the moment they set foot inside the kitchen the duo were a little shocked at the massive expanse of breakfast laid out over the kitchen table.

"...What's this?" Connor asked as he walked past the table to fill up Ruby's food bowl, Sumo's bowl was still on the floor and no one had the heart to put it away yet. "Seems a little excessive for just three people."

"_Four_." Hank corrected as he pointed to the small stack of blue tinted pancakes waiting for Lucas, and watched as the kind deviant put Ash down on the floor near Ruby to fill up a small bowl with kitten chow. "We made ya' both something special this morning."

"Oh." Walking over to the table Connor stared at the large breakfast and felt his still upset stomach knot a little. "Can I ask why you both went out of your way to accommodate us?"

"Because today is a rare day where no one is working, no one has to deal with a pain in the ass case and the weather doesn't suck." Pointing his right thumb over his right shoulder to the kitchen window behind him Hank emphasized his point. "So you two are gonna' join Libby and myself for breakfast, and then we're all going to just spend the day together and take a moment to breathe and relax."

The prospect of just 'relaxing' was almost insulting to Connor's mind since so much had just happened. "I appreciate this, but-"

"Nope. Sit down." Motioning to the vacant chair beside Elizabeth and across from himself Hank urged Connor to sit down and eat. "I know neither of you feel great right now, but moping around and hiding out in your bedroom won't help things. I'm an expert on that type of self destructive shit, so please listen to me on this."

Begrudgingly Connor sat down as requested and Lucas joined him at the table beside him. "...Thank you."

The deviant offered both Hank and Elizabeth a forced but king grin and he picked up his fork and stared at the pancakes for a moment. "I know that these are entirely edible for myself and are of pure Thirium," he noted almost scientifically as he used the small utensil to lift the flat pancake up from the plate for a moment before letting it rest against the ceramic surface again. "...but I'm not sure how to eat this."

Smirking himself Hank reached over and used the side of his own fork to cut into the soft material to show Lucas the proper method. "Like that. And don't eat more than you can handle."

"Oh, thank you." Repeating the motion expertly Lucas managed to cut up the small stack of pancakes into manageable bites and picked up one piece on the end of his fork. "...May I ask what you have planned for the day?"

Sipping at her morning tea and watching Connor do the same Elizabeth spoke up in a soft tone, as she popped to aspirin tablets into her mouth and chased them with another sip of tea. "I was thinking about walking around downtown in the plaza since it's so nice out, or maybe walking along the river."

Hank tagged on with his own plans. "That sounds good to me. Hell, if the theater isn't too crowded maybe we can watching something new for once instead of just delving into the classics all the time."

Nodding a little Connor picked up a small amount of the scrambled eggs on his own fork and took a bite. "...I guess we could do that."

"You got something else in mind, son? We can do whatever it is you want."

"No. I just wanted to stay home today."

"I get that, but once this nice weather passes and we start getting hit with the cold autumn rain and ridiculous snowstorms you'll regret not spending more time outside during the summer."

"I suppose."

* * *

It took almost an hour for Hank and Elizabeth to finally coax Connor and Lucas into leaving the house for a while, but once the quartet began walking down the sidewalk together; Hank relying heavily on his crutches and walking at a slower pace, the warm air and singing birds seemed to perk up Lucas's mood, but Connor remained rather glum. Walking even slower than Hank and trailing after his family Connor stared at his still healing right hand, and slipped it into his right jean pocket in shame.

"It's so nice right now." Elizabeth stated in a truly appreciative voice as she stayed beside Hank and could feel Lucas intentionally slowing his own pace so he could walk beside her, opposite of Hank. "I love this time of year. It's still warm enough to enjoy a nice walk, the trees are beginning to turn a whole rainbow's worth of colors and the air smells of a crisp incoming winter. "It's so calm and peaceful."

Lucas glanced about the trees and started taking literal mental pictures to inspire his next paintings. "I agree. It's very pleasant."

Glancing back toward Connor a few times Hank gave the empathetic young detective a sympathetic frown. "Now that everything in the city is settled," the senior detective stated firmly as he returned his attention to the sidewalk before himself. "we can actually enjoy this type of day. It's a rare treat."

Letting out a soft and unheard sigh Connor looked up at the tree branches and noted the shining rays of the sun beaming through the reddening tree leaves above him. There was something oddly calming about the sight, and it helped to ease Connor's emotionally stressed mind for a moment.

"Look at these little guys!" Elizabeth suddenly beamed excitedly as the group reached the shopping district of the city and she noticed a small pet shop on the corner. Peering through the glass window of the front display Elizabeth cooed at the puppies and kittens scampering about energetically and seeking some much needed love. "So cute!"

Lucas looked at the display as well and felt a faint smirk form on his face. "I've never seen a full litter of kittens or puppies before."

"Maybe we should see if they have any toys that Ruby and Ash would like to play with."

"New toys?"

"Well, the few toys I scrounged up for Ash were ruined in the fire, and I bet Ruby would like a new chew rope. What do you think?"

"I think that's a good idea." Opening up front door Lucas let Elizabeth enter before him and he quickly accompanied her inside the pet shop.

"Son." Hank stopped just before the door and turned to look at Connor directly in the eyes. "I know you're bummed about Sumo, we all are, but please at least try to have some fun today. It's okay to feel sad, but moping around and trudging after us isn't going to make you feel any better or undo the past."

"I-" Pausing before he even really began Connor sighed and gave Hank a sorrowful glance. "...I know."

"Let's go see what your brother and your mother found. We might have to take an autonomous cab back to the house."

Eyeing Hank's knee Connor gave his father an uneasy look. "Do you need a minute to sit down and rest?"

"Nah. I'm used to walking around on a bum knee." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank showed his son inside the shop where they quickly caught up to the rest of their family as they looked around the toy selection to find something new for their beloved pets. Picking up a green fetch ball from the pile of toys on sale Hank sighed and put the toy back as he too kept thinking about Sumo. "...I wonder how long it'll take for Lucas to find a toy for Ash."

The comment caught Connor off guard and it made him give Hank an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Take a look." Pointing at the selection of cat toys on the far wall, the towering cat trees catching his full attention, he smirked sheepishly. "There's a lot of stuff here and I know how you and Lucas love to spoil your pets."

"That is... a massive purchase."

"Yup. Like I said, we might need to take an autonomous cab back to the house."

Looking over at Lucas as he grinned a little and checked over the cat toys while also petting the small kittens and puppies running about in the front display Connor noticed that Elizabeth was keeping him company, and making sure he was feeling okay and trying to make him laugh. It was like he could see his brother's heart beginning to heal after losing Sumo, and he hoped he'd begin to heal as well.

"...Maybe we should drop off the purchases at the house so we can pick up the car and then go see a movie, or go out to lunch."

"Yeah?" As his eyes brightened with the relief after hearing Connor's suggestions Hank agreed and gave his shoulder a firm and approving pat. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

The family ended up buying a few new toys that seemed to perk up both Ruby and Ash as the quartet returned to the house with their purchases. Kneeling down on the floor Connor rubbed Ruby's ears and gave her a new tug-o-war rope to chew, a new rawhide bone to snack on and brand new green collar to wear. It didn't take long for Lucas to give Ash a new purple collar of her own and toss her a few toy mice with feathers attached to their bodies for her to bat around playfully. Offering Ash a single treat from a small container of treats he had also purchased Lucas watched as the little kitten climbed all over his arm and happily gobble up the new treat from his palm.

"I think Ash likes the shrimp flavored treats." The deviant smirked at the cute sight taking place.

Connor looked at the content kitten after he swapped out Ruby's collars and agreed. "I think she does, too."

Smirking at the two brothers Hank took his car keys from the bookshelf in the livingroom and motioned to the front door. "Now that these two are taken care of let's head back out and enjoy the rest of the day. I know I want to enjoy the weather while it's still nice."

Standing beside the front door Elizabeth readily agreed to the idea of continuing their fun day and opened the door. "Same! I love this time of year!"

* * *

The afternoon was spent as peacefully and joyously as one could hope. The family managed to find an interesting movie to enjoy together at the cinema in the city's largest mall, and then decided to go and have some lunch at the mall's food court together. Since Lucas didn't need to eat any actual food the deviant instead spent his time people-watching, observing the body language and mannerisms with a keen eye, and was beginning to understand why Connor was so intrigued by detective work. Learning about people and discovering their behaviors and motivations was very interesting.

"You know," Hank leaned over the top of the small table and motioned to a large furniture store just down the long corridor with his fork. "I bet you could get a good deal on some new furniture, Libby. This is where I got that new couch for the livingroom at half price since it's so rare for someone to actually put up with getting big furniture through the mall in one piece."

"Oh, really?" Following Hank's line of sight Elizabeth looked toward the store of interest and finished her helping of sweet and sour chicken. "If I can get a decent couch at a decent price I'll be very happy. Furnishing even the smallest apartments can be a huge pain in the butt."

Connor, who had barely eaten his own helping of chicken with broccoli, took up the chance to walk away from his lack of appetite and help escort his mother to the store of interest. "I'll go with you. If you find something we can pick it up tonight Lucas's truck for easier transportation."

Lucas had heard the comment and readily agreed to the idea. "And I'll help with moving the furniture about."

Truly flattered by all of the help she was receiving Elizabeth blushed a little and stood up from the table. "Thank you, all of you."

Joining his mother as he too stood up from he table Connor showed her to the furniture store as he was willing to spend more time with her, and help her out in the same supportive manner as she had shown him in the past. As they walked side by side to the correct store Connor noticed that Hank was leaning back and speaking to Lucas, his ability to read lips let him know that Hank was making sure Lucas was doing okay after the previously bleak day, and in turn he decided he needed to offer his mother the same courtesy.

"How are you feeling?" Connor asked as they entered the furniture store together to begin looking at the selection. Throughout the day Connor had noticed that his mother was nursing a headache without actually complaining about it. She had taken one dose of aspirin at breakfast and a second dose after they had gotten their lunch. "You've been very kind and patient with Lucas and my own rather foul moods as of late, and I want to make sure you're doing well."

"I'm fine, sweetheart." Reassuring her son that she was feeling well Elizabeth went over to a white leather sofa and eyed it curiously. "I just woke up with a headache, it's not a problem."

"Aside from your headache," the young detective pressed gently as he stayed close to his mother and watched her carefully. "how are you feeling? I know it isn't easy dealing with a house of emotionally broken people."

Turning to face Connor directly Elizabeth put her right palm to his left cheek and sighed. "I'm okay. It's just hard seeing you and Lucas so broken down by grief. But I'm okay, I swear."

Putting his left hand over the back of her right hand for a moment Connor nodded and accepted her answer. "Okay. That's good."

Slowly retracting her hand Elizabeth gave her son a gentle smile and proceeded to walk through the aisles of the display furniture and checked each piece carefully. While maintaining his silence Connor glanced about the store as well, and noticed that a deviant floor associate was attempting to help an elderly couple with their shopping, and doing her best to ignore a vulgar human male who was harassing her and trying to get a reaction out of her.

"Please, sir." The deviant responded professionally and calmly as she turned her attention to the man in an attempt to get him to back off. Her model was one that Connor recognized as a 'WR-400', same to that of the 'blue haired Traci' he let go when he and Hank investigated a murder at the now closed down 'Eden Club'. This model however had long blonde hair and green eyes. "I'm trying to do my job and help this couple. When they've been taken care of-"

"Do your 'JOB'? Bitch, you were _programmed_ to do this shit!" The man scoffed as eyed her body like a hungry wolf. "I know you... You were at the 'Eden Club' a while back. You were one of my favorites..."

The deviant looked incredibly nervous and she took a step back from the man while the elderly couple in went in search of another employee. "Sir, what I had been forced to do-"

"'Forced'?" Grabbing onto her shoulders with both hands the man held tight and towered over the small blonde android with vicious intent in his eyes. He was easily a foot taller than her and had two hundred additional pounds to back up his broader physique. "Come off it, baby. You_ liked_ it. You ALL liked it... Stop pretending."

"Sir, let me go, NOW."

"Feisty, huh? I like it when the ladies say 'no'." He growled as he began pulling on her shoulders to try to drag her out of the store against her will. "It makes it a challenge. You'll always say 'no', but in the end it'll always be 'yes'..."

"Stop!"

Connor had heard and seen enough. Charging at the man he grabbed onto the creep's wrists and pried them from the deviant's shoulders as he firmly planted himself between her and her potential assailant. "She said, 'stop', asshole! Leave her alone."

"She's MINE." Putting his right index finger in the center of Connor's chest the man tried to intimidate the younger man while still eyeing the deviant he had been sexually harassing and threatening. "Who the fuck are you, dickhead?"

Pulling his badge from his back pocket Connor loudly introduced himself to the belligerent man and refused to back down. "Detective Connor Anderson. Detroit Police. Who the fuck are _you_?"

The man's smug demeanor melted from his face as he realized he had been busted in the act. "Look man, she was coming onto me, alright? She's one of those whores from the-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Connor cut him off angrily as anyone referring to the androids forcibly 'employed' at that horrible club with any type of insulting demeanor immediately put the young detective on guard. North and Skye were once trapped at the club, and he was especially protective toward his friends who were abused by strangers for their own personal sexual gratification. "I saw and heard the _whole damn thing_."

"You're not going to take the word of a machine over-"

"I will always take the word of a VICTIM before anyone else. And like I said," next pulling his phone from his pocket Connor discreetly texted an alert to the precinct to send someone to the mall to handle the man in his stead, and continued to stare the man down. "I saw and heard EVERYTHING. She said 'stop', she said 'no', and you kept saying 'yes'. What am I missing here?"

"How about the fact that she's a damn machine? So what?"

"She may be a machine, but she's also a PERSON. You're under arrest."

"FOR WHAT?!"

"For menacing, threatening physical violence, disturbing the peace and assault. Want to admit to anything else?"

"Fuck you, asshole! I didn't do nothing!"

"The victim's statement, my statement, the dozen or so other witnesses who are watching us right now, and the security footage will all beg to differ."

The man looked about and seemed to finally realize that he had messed up big time. With one final middle finger to Connor the man tried to leave but Connor refused to let him go. "I'm outta' here."

"No." Grabbing firmly onto the man's left wrist Connor glared at him and held him back. "You are UNDER ARREST. If you try to flee I'll add resisting arrest to your charges and that won't make your case any easier."

"You son of-"

Through the crowd two patrolling officers appeared and confronted the man right alongside Connor. "Enough." Holding up a pair of handcuffs one of the officer, a seasoned patrol officer who had been in the precinct almost as long as Ben Collins, took charge. "You heard him. You're under arrest."

With nowhere to run and no one to back him up the man let the two officers cuff him and lead him out of the store. As he passed through the doorway he shouted back at the deviant and snarled with a bitter venom dripping from his words. "You fuckin' bitch! I'll be back for you!"

Staying between the arrested man and the deviant Connor watched the man being escorted away, then turned to face the deviant who was cowering behind him and on the verge of tears. "Are you alright, miss?"

"...I'm fine."

"He's going to be charged and held at the precinct for at least two days. If you want I can pull some strings and ensure he's kept there longer."

"No, it's okay." Giving Connor an uneasy glance she showed the young detective her appreciation. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. What's your name?"

"My name is Vicky."

"Vicky. I'm Connor and I'm-"

"I know who you are. I also know what you did for our people during the Revolution." She gave him a weak but shy smile as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Thank you for that, too."

"...You're welcome."

The store's owner approached the duo and took Vicky aside for a moment. "I saw everything, Vicky. Go on home for the rest of the day, I'll make sure you get paid for your full shift."

Watching as Vicky walked away and the curious crowd dispersed Connor felt his mother wrap her arms around his left arm and hold tight. "She'll be fine."

"I'm so proud of you, Connor."

"I just did my job."

"You still put yourself between that poor young woman and that horrible man. You protected her."

"It was the right thing to do."

"I know. Come on," pulling a little on his arm Elizabeth led her son from the store. "I can finish shopping another time. Why don't we go back to the house and spend the rest of the evening in the quiet of the livingroom?"

"That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

During the drive back home Elizabeth beamed about Connor's courage and complimented him on how he stood his ground and protected that deviant in need, and in turn Connor began to blush a little as he sat beside Lucas in the backseat of the old car. It was an odd sense of pride, embarrassment and misplacement since he and his little brother were sitting in the backseat of the family car while Hank and Elizabeth, their honorary and adoptive parents, spoke of their accomplishments like two parents coming back from a positive parent-teacher conference.

Sitting back and slumping down in the seat Connor looked out the side window and watched as the sun began to set in the distance. The day had been odd since it started out so glum, and it now seemed to be ending in a more positive manner. As the car pulled into the driveway beside the house Connor looked at the house and realized how grateful he was to having a supportive family and a loving household to come home to.

"We'll use the pick-up truck to get your furniture as soon as it's ready for delivery." Hank stated in a confident tone as he turned off the engine and pocketed the key. "Maybe they'll give you a great discount because it was _your_ son who protected one of their employees."

Laughing a little Elizabeth just shook her head and gave Hank an amused look. "I don't think that's how it works, but I'll be sure to ask about that sweet girl when I go back."

Awkwardly Connor and Lucas climbed out of the relatively small backseat of the car and followed after Hank and Elizabeth to the front door of the house to spend the remainder of the evening in one another's company on the couch. Hank was still limping thanks to his sore knee, but he could walk faster than he had been for the past few weeks, and he wasn't in seriou pain. Elizabeth on the other hand seemed to be suffering from another headache and was looking fairly tired.

Stepping up to assist his honorary parents Lucas locked the front door behind the family as everyone reconvened in the livingroom, and volunteered to cook dinner on their behalf. "You made a large breakfast for the family this morning," he stated in almost stern tone of voice. "so I would like to return the gesture and make dinner."

"You don't have to do that, son." The senior detective confirmed as he sat down in the recliner and propped up his right knee. In doing so he accidentally invited Ruby over for some ear rubs as she pressed her chin down on knee affectionately. "I was thinking about ordering a pizza and sparing the kitchen another mess."

"I know I don't have to do anything, but I want to. Any requests?"

Looking over to Elizabeth, who was sitting down on the lounger section of the couch to relax, Hank asked her if she had any suggestions. "Libby? You got an idea for dinner?"

"I'm not craving anything at the moment," she turned to look at Lucas over the back of the couch as she scooped up Ash from the middle cushion to hold on her lap for a while. "and since you're volunteering to cook I'll eat anything you make."

"Very well." Lucas turned to look at Connor as his big brother returned from the kitchen with an ice pack for Hank and two tablets of ibuprofen for Elizabeth in his hands, and asked for his assistance. "Connor, can you help me find a good recipe?"

"Sure, Lucas." Handing over the provided items Connor accompanied his little brother back into the kitchen. "There's a couple of new recipes I just found online that I think will be appetizing."

While the two brothers busied themselves in the kitchen Hank leaned forward and spoke to Elizabeth in a low voice. "I think they're finally out of their bad moods and feeling better. How about you?"

"Aside from the headache that won't let up I feel great. It was nice to spend the day with my family." Gently rubbing Ash's ears as the tiny kitten pawed at her new mouse toy Elizabeth gave Hank a truly grateful stare. "I used to dream of being able to spend the day with my son, and just be together without anything to worry about. Walking downtown, stopping in a store, seeing a movie, having lunch together and watching him stand up for an innocent person in need was just... incredible."

"He's a good kid. They both are."

"That's what made today even better. Today I got to be with _two_ sons. That's a dream come true."

* * *

Night crept over the house and filled the household with a peaceful air. The brothers made their parents a large meal of pasta with a brand new recipe for a tomato sauce that would surely become a core sauce in the rest of their cooking, and everyone happily settled down on the couch in the livingroom to fall asleep while watching an old movie; '_The Wizard of Oz_', and simply enjoy being together. Connor was sitting on the far end of the couch next to the recliner with his mother in the middle cushion beside him, Lucas on the other side of her and had Ruby sprawled out over all three of their laps while Ash chose to cuddle with Hank for a while. Everything was peaceful and even as he glanced over at the pillow in the corner of the livingroom where Sumo used to lay Connor didn't feel a sense of loss anymore, just grief.

Sumo was gone but Connor still had his family there beside him, and they would support him through anything that came his way.

Noticing that the bright glare on the television screen was seemingly exasperating his mother's lingering headache Connor spoke up softly as to not disturb Hank as he steadily drifted off to sleep in the nearby recliner. "You should lay down and sleep."

"I'm okay, sweetheart."

"You don't have to stay awake if you're feeling unwell."

"I know, but I just want to see Dorthy find her way home. Then I'll go to bed."

Accepting her answers Connor leaned back in the couch and gave his mother a calm look. "...Just so you know I'm proud of you, too. And I don't want you to ever change, either."

Elizabeth turned to look Connor in the eyes and gave him a stunned look at his words. "...What?"

"Last night." He replied in a whisper as to not distract his brother or father from the movie as it neared the finale. "I was awake when you came in and checked on Lucas and myself after we returned from the cabin. I heard what you said, and I know you kissed me on my temple."

Feeling herself blush a little as tears filled up her own soulful brown eyes she gave her son an emotional stare. "You heard me?"

"Yes. I'm... glad you you took the time to check on us. It was very comforting, and I'm grateful that you are just as kind to Lucas as you are to me."

"Of course, he's your brother." Her words were as sincere as they were warm. She never once lied to Connor after their reunion, and even now she refused to be even the slightest bit dishonest toward him, Lucas or Hank. "I care about him as much as I care about you. The same can be said for Hank."

Nodding a little Connor was truly moved by her words and wanted her to know the feeling was mutual. "And we care about you, too... Mom."

Upon hearing those words Elizabeth began to softly cry tears of utter joy as she wrapped her arms around her son's shoulders and pulled him in for a hug, to which he gladly reciprocated. At long last Elizabeth had her son back, and Connor finally had a mom and a dad to call his own.

_**-next chapter-**_


	60. The Riot

The next morning after the day spent bonding as a family was cold, rainy and dark. The city itself was in a state of mass tension as swirling rumors of additional rogue deviants attempting a coup created a storm of mistrust, paranoia and fear that threatened to tear down the very thin bridges that gap the differences between humans and androids alike. Things at the house were rather bleak as well and had been for the previous few days after enduring personal and professional setbacks.

The loss of Sumo had a direct impact on both Connor and Lucas as the brothers adored the massive dog, and Hank was having a hard time dealing with the massive dog's passing as Sumo had been his sole companion after he lost his wife and firstborn son. In an attempt to keep their moods upbeat Hank had told the brothers about all the problems he had with Sumo when he was puppy-training him, and how a rambunctious toddler only made things more difficult. The stories helped for a while but Lucas, who was still very new and inexperienced with emotions, ended up sitting on the livingroom floor spoiling Ruby and Ash rotten with their new toys to keep himself from breaking down again.

Elizabeth had found her new apartment and had finished the paperwork so she could move in, but she didn't want to leave the house knowing that her son, and honorary second son, were both still upset. Like Hank her instincts as a parent were impossible to ignore. Not to mention that she had woken up with another massive headache, and didn't want to really go anywhere that day.

"Ash really likes you, Lucas." Elizabeth stated in a sweet voice as the small kitten, barely nine weeks old, rubbed her fuzzy body up against Lucas's arms and purred fairly loudly for someone so small. She was cuddled up on the couch and wrapped up in the navy blue blanket as she tried to remain in a good mood despite her horrible headache. "I know you'll take great care of her."

"I hope so." He admitted as he scooped up the white kitten so he could hold her against his chest. Ruby was laying on Sumo's old pillow in the corner of the livingroom looking depressed as Connor ran his right hand down her back. Taking notice of the loyal hound Lucas's heart went out to the two animals upon realizing that they'd be separated from one another. "I just hope she won't be lonely without another animal as her companion."

"Oh?"

"Uh..." Lucas's face developed pale blue blush as he realized he let moving out slip before he was ready to say anything. "...You know. Eventually I'm going to find my own residence to live, and I will keep Ash with me just as Connor will keep Ruby and his aquarium."

"Oh, right."

Connor gave Lucas a subtle glance as he adjusted his glasses over his eyes. "Isn't Chloe coming over tomorrow night?"

"Yes. Now that it's safe for deviants to walk about the city she will be coming over so she can properly interact with the family again."

"That's a good idea." Connor looked to his mother as he stood up from the floor and joined her on the couch. Studying his mother's eyes Connor could see that Elizabeth's headache was still bothering her, but she wasn't going to complain about it. "Are you sure you want to move into your new apartment so soon?"

"I'm sure. It's been wonderful being here with you, Lucas and Hank, but it's time for me to go. Besides, I can still visit from time to time and you're always welcome to do the same."

"Of course. Since I still have time off until I'm cleared from my suspension I will be able to help you move in."

"Thank you, Connor."

From down the hallway Hank's voice rang out as he limped down the hallway using the walls for support in favor of the crutches as his knee still healed. "Sick of us already?"

Smiling at the joke Elizabeth looked over the couch at him and replied with coy voice. "I put up with you for a week. It's a new personal best."

Hank grinned at the comment and shook his head. "Now I know where Connor go this smart mouth. So, you're ready to move in?"

"Yeah. Everything's good to go." She confirmed in a confident tone. "It's in the same neighborhood as my original apartment, but it still has a no pets clause."

"That sucks."

"It's better than all of the other apartments I checked out, but yeah. I hate not being able to have a kitten or puppy."

"Well, my knee's feeling better so if you need any help with moving-"

"Your knee still needs two weeks to heal fully." Connor reminded him in a firm voice. "You should still be using the crutches as well."

"Kid, it's fine. I'm not putting my full weight on it just yet. This isn't the first time I fucked up my knee."

Lucas was going to make a comment when he suddenly received a cybernetic message from New Jericho Tower that stole his full attention. "...Something is happening." Turning toward the television Lucas turned it on with a cybernetic command and found a news broadcast covering a disturbance occurring downtown. "Markus says it's quite serious."

'_A potential new threat has been aimed at the city, and it seems like once more New Jericho Tower is the epicenter of the strange activity._' The blonde haired anchorwoman explained in an emotionless indifferent tone of voice. '_Rumors of rogue deviants attempting to wage war against the inhabitants of New Jericho have been circulating wildly since the early morning hours as an unknown deviant broadcast the threat from an unknown location_.'

Connor's brow furrowed a little as he grabbed his phone and began texting with Skye to ask her about what was going on.

In response Hank too grabbed his phone and asked for an update on the situation from Captain Fowler at the precinct.

'_While no source can be found for the broadcast the city is taking this threat very seriously, and the mayor and the police force are urging people to remain vigilant and in their homes until further information can be uncovered, and answers delivered_.'

"Shit." Connor swore as he looked at the response text messages and felt a little useless. "New Jericho doesn't know what's going on, either."

"A band of rogue deviants sounds like a real problem." Hank stated as he waited for a response from Fowler. "The tower still has no clue who the possible rogues are, how many there could be, or why they'd want to be betray New Jericho?"

"Correct. Skye is looking into into the rumor to either substantiate or refute it, but her progress is slow. As of now there is little information beyond rumors and mounting fear. "

"Those are the two worst things that can set off a powder keg of hate." Sighing with righteous apprehension Hank gave Connor a somber look as he stood behind the couch and leaned against the back of the furniture heavily. "It's like holding a lit match and a can of gasoline over a pile of dynamite."

"...I have a bad feeling about today."

"You too, huh?"

"Did you get word from Captain Fowler?"

"Not yet. Go get changed, son. I get the feeling we're going to get called in to help maintain the peace; your suspension and my injury be damned."

"Right." Slipping off his glasses Connor walked around the couch and jogged up the staircase to change out of his casual clothing and into his usual work uniform just in case Hank was right.

Hank tested his weight on his right knee and found it to be sore but stable. He wouldn't be able to run on his bad leg but he'd be able to hold his own and go about a routine patrol if needed. "You two," he motioned to Lucas and Elizabeth as he too made his way up to the second floor. "stay here. This could all just be a hoax by some demented fuck who thrives on chaos, but if could also be a credible threat. I don't want you two getting caught up in something dangerous."

"Hank?" Elizabeth called out after him as he began his slow climb up the stairs. "Do you think it's serious?"

"Honestly, I can't tell. I just know that whenever Connor or myself has had a bad feeling about something it's always been right..."

* * *

The interior of New Jericho Tower was a mess of confused deviants asking hundreds of questions and the four leaders were running out of answers. Josh had managed to convince a respectable portion of the deviants to return to their private quarters, and Simon had persuaded almost as many to assist him in the emergency repair bay as a precaution in the event something did happen in the city. It was more or less just a distraction tactic, and it seemed to be working for the most part.

Markus held North's hand as the two overlooked the security programs that Skye had installed around the tower and saw that no one suspicious had been skulking about the tower; inside or out.

"We're safe." The deviant leader declared as he squeezed North's hand once reassuringly. "Can we trace the source of the broadcast yet?"

"No. Not yet." Skye shook her head as she continued to try and trace the origin point of the controversial broadcast that had everyone in the city suddenly on edge. "The original broadcast must've been designed to air only once to prevent someone from tracking it down."

"What about a rough approximation of where it was sent from?"

"I have triangulated an area where the signal could have originated from, but I can't be certain."

"Keep looking. We can't-" Markus closed his mismatched eyes tight as an update on the news was cybernetically uploaded to his mind. "Shit. There's a stand-off taking place downtown between deviants and humans."

"What? Where?"

"The shopping plaza outside of a closed down CyberLife store."

Skye highlighted the area she had already triangulated on the map of the city, and brought up the location in question. Handing her tablet screen over to Markus to view for himself she looked for a confirmation. "Here?"

Markus checked her work and nodded to confirm the address. "Yeah. That's it!"

"Shit." Putting aside the screen Skye made her way toward the door of the security room and did so with purpose as her blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow.

"Where are you going?"

"All Hell's about to break loose, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand back and watch the city burn down again!"

"Skye!" Markus called after her but the fiery deviant had already exited the room and was well on her way out of the tower. He made a move to go after her but North held onto his hand and held him back. "North? What're you doing?"

"Trust her." The determination in cinnamon brown eyes spoke volumes of her confidence alone. "She doesn't want this day to end in bloodshed."

"She can't go out there alone."

"I know. That's why you need to tell Connor as soon we know exactly where she is at."

"Why wait?"

"Skye has a plan. I can see it in her eyes. Just as you trust Connor, I trust her."

"North... I don't want to see her get hurt."

"I know." Understanding Markus's worries North wrapped her arms around his shoulders and looked into his mismatched eyes longingly. "But if anyone can protect her, it's Connor. _We're needed here_."

* * *

The bullpen was a mass of noise and on edge as the two previously absent detectives, one injured and the other suspended, walked over to their own desks and were greeted with dozens of collected reports of witnesses claiming to have spotted deviants performing some unusual activities, and an equally large collection of reports from deviants claiming the same thing about suspicious humans. It was everything they had feared, and it looked as though it were only going to get worse before they got better.

"I'm going to tell Fowler we're back whether he likes it or not." Hank sighed as he made a slow move toward Captain Fowler's office and spoke to his partner staying beside their connected desks. "We have a shitload of reports to get through and you read a hell of a lot faster than I do. Get going on it."

"Right. I'll prioritize the more important leads to be addressed first." Turning on his terminal screen Connor eagerly set about his work. Being able to work on cases again helped him to feel as though he were in a form of control as the city threatened to fall apart. "It may take a moment to sort them out."

"Whatever, I don't have anywhere I need to be, and it's going to take a while to convince Fowler to let us stay."

Despite being a human it took Connor only ten minutes to weed out the reported leads that held any credence from the reports that were just paranoid fear from known bigots. Half of the reports were from humans who had a history of abusing androids or trying to assault deviants after the Revolution. The other half were from deviants who still held grudges against humans for past indiscretions and were eager to report them for something as simple as 'jay-walking'.

In that time Hank managed to limp back out of the office and over to his desk to ask about Connor's progress. "Fowler's not happy, but he's going to suck it up and temporarily lift your suspension due to the citywide panic. Find anything?"

"There is a report of an assault in a hotel room downtown; android versus human. The assault came from the same area where that weird broadcast originated."

"Who started the assault?" Hank asked as he checked the report that Connor had sent over to his terminal screen to view for himself. "The android or the human?"

"...Conflicting reports from eye witnesses. I cannot say for certain at this time."

"Ah, fuck. That's the last thing we needed to deal with; unreliable witnesses on a unstable day."

"The human suspect is in interrogation with Gavin, and the deviant suspect is in interrogation with Chris."

"Great... As soon as the interrogations are finished we-"

Tina marched over to their desks with a tablet in her hand and a serious glare in her eyes. "Lieutenant, Sergeant," she addressed the two detectives quickly as she passed the tablet over to Hank's hand. "there's been a report of a homicide downtown; three deviants. All reportedly slain by a human with a knife and a bad temper."

"Son of a bitch. Alright, we got this." Handing the tablet over to Connor with a steady hand Hank gauged the younger detective's reaction. "Ready to take the lead on the investigation?"

"You're still the ranking officer."

"Right. And as ranking officer I'm _ordering_ you to take the lead."

"...But why?"

"You know deviants better than anyone here. I'm going to be two steps behind you and anyone else with my bad knee, so it only makes sense to have you take the lead and handle it your way."

"...Of course." Accepting the tablet Connor read over the details and copied the G.P.S. coordinates into his phone. "Let's go."

* * *

The scene of the assault was as brutal as Hank and Connor had feared as they entered the holographically taped off hotel room together. A human had stabbed the female deviant with a massive butcher's knife in the chest multiple times, the second deviant had his neck slit deeply from left to right, and the third deviant had been stabbed through his right eye. Dark blue Thirium pooled all over the floor beneath the three bodies, covered the walls in macabre sapphire streaks that slid down to the carpets, and sprayed up to the ceiling enormous with dark blue stains that dripped onto the floor like melting icicles.

Connor stepped inside the room first and glanced about the area while Hank addressed the responding officer who had the human, still covered in thick layers of Thirium from head to toe, cuffed just outside the room in the hallway. Standing by the opened door Connor was able to easily peer over the entirety of the room without accidentally contaminating any of the evidence of the crime scene with his shoe prints.

"...So much hatred."

After he spoke to the officer Hank joined Connor inside the room and stared at the three dead bodies that were sprawled about in their own blood. The first deviant had been stabbed to death on the bed, her chest was a gutted frame of torn wires and severed Thirium lines. The second victim was laying chest down on the floor, his head facing toward the end of the bed and feet toward the door. The third was sitting upright against the wall beside the bed with the knife still stabbed into his bleeding right eye socket.

The bed was torn up from the numerous stab wounds causing cotton from the mattress, quilt and pillow to litter the bloody surface. Two towels were laying on the floor around the bed and were slightly cooler than the rest of the room indicating their exposure to lower temperatures. The lamp sitting on the table had been smashed onto the floor during the struggle and the phone was left off the hook. A chair had been overturned in the corner, spilled ice had melted into the carpet and a bloody hand print smeared the only window looking out from the sixth floor room as a cold November rain drenched the world outside.

Inside the small bathroom Thirium covered hand prints lined the walls, the sink and the shower. All of the bathroom's white towels had been used in an attempt to clean the mess then abruptly thrown to the floor.

"What the fuck happened here?" Almost stunned into silence Hank finally spoke up as he too visually analyzed the scene. "This guy lured three deviants up to his room and then assaulted them with a knife. Why?"

"This wasn't an assault," Connor stated with a flat tone as he eyed the three victims sympathetically. "this was a massacre. Premeditated murder."

"Did you identify the victims?" Crossing his arms over his chest defensively the senior detective stood his ground as he waited for the newly ranked Lieutenant to analyze the scene.

"Yes. The first victim was known as 'Melanie'. She worked here in the hotel as an onsite emergency nurse." Shaking his head slightly Connor went into detail on her death as he glanced at his phone screen where information from the front desk had been delivered. "She had been stabbed sixteen times in the chest, the fourth stab wound proving fatal as it destroyed her Thirium pump causing her heart to stop almost instantaneously as she bled out. There is a hand print over her mouth indicative of the attacker silencing her with his left hand as he stabbed her with the knife in his right hand." Continuing his assessment of Melanie's final moments Connor confirmed she didn't go down easily. "There are defensive wounds on her forearms and there is human blood on her fingertips and under her fingernails. She fought back, but it wasn't enough."

"Alright, so what about the poor guy in the middle of the floor?"

"His name was 'Trey' and worked security in the hotel. The two main Thirial running up both sides of his neck had been severed clean causing him to bleed out. The knife also damaged his voice modulator making it impossible for him to call out for help after he had been assaulted."

"And the third victim?"

"The victim was known as 'Aaron'. He too worked in the hotel as the nighttime desk manager." Staring at Aaron's blank face as blue blood dripped from his damaged eye socket Connor finished his details on the murders. "The daytime manager had called in ill and Aaron covered his shift."

"No good deed goes unpunished. Okay, now here's the big question: Do you know what happened?"

"...I have a theory."

"Let me hear it."

"There is no sign of a struggle in the hallway or near the doorway to the room. A call from this room was made to the front desk requesting medical assistance one hour, six minutes and thirteen seconds ago by the single occupant - our human suspect; Charles Gacey." Holding up his phone for Hank to see Connor showed the senior detective how he was backing up his theory. "I have confirmed the placement of the call and its time according to official hotel records."

"I'm following you. Keep going."

"When Melanie arrived to check on the caller she let herself inside the room and most likely found the suspect feigning illness in the middle of the bed. By using towels and ice the suspect gave the illusion of hypothermia to which Melanie responded by checking on the suspect in close proximity."

"And that's when he grabbed her." Hank followed Connor's train of thought and deduced what he had done just minutes before. "He threw her on the bed and began stabbing her with the knife. In the struggle she knocked over the lamp and ice spilled all over the floor. What next?"

"Melanie would've cybernetically contacted hotel security as soon as she was attacked. Unfortunately, Trey was unable to get to the room in time and arrived after Melanie had been killed." Turning around Connor pointed to the bathroom at the far end of the room. "The suspect went into the bathroom to clean the blue blood from his hands and to possibly hide the knife when Trey arrived to investigate. Having security clearance allowed him to open the door regardless of the precautions the killer may have taken."

"So, Trey saw Melanie on the bed and approached her. That's when the killer approached him from behind and slit his throat."

"Correct. And if a call to security had been made-"

"Then the manager would come up to check things out himself, and he too had access to the rooms without needing to be let him." Hank easily agreed with Connor's theory as the pieces fell into place. "And when he saw what happened he ended up getting stabbed in the eye for his trouble."

"Hank, the suspect planned this. He didn't care who he encountered, he just wanted to kill androids."

"We need to try to keep this quiet. If word gets out-"

"The city will panic and lash out." Connor understood as he used to phone to check for any possible news reports regarding the horrible massacre, but nothing had been submitted to the news. _Yet_. "There has been no story of this crime reported. We must ensure that it remains as such."

"How? We can't exactly control the news."

"...I don't know. I will inform Markus at New Jericho Tower of the incident and ask him to keep vigil for any sign of rebellious activity as a result of this attack."

"Good idea. We know what happened so let's get back to the precinct and get everything filed so the C.S.I. guys can get everything collected." Stepping out of the room Hank turned to look at Connor who readily followed after him and gave the young detective a slight nod. "Good work, kid."

"...Thanks. I guess."

"I know. It sucks you have to deal with a triple homicide of your people while you're trying to keep the peace." Walking slowly with Connor toward the elevator and away from the murders Hank did his best to make sure his partner and adopted son was going to be alright. "But it'll be okay."

* * *

En route to the precinct Connor received another update regarding the tensions in the city between androids and humans via text. A third party android department store; one designed to house optional replacement parts and software upgrades, had been broken into and a majority of the merchandise had been smashed with a baseball bat by a venomous and paranoids human. In retaliation a coffee shop across from the store had its windows broken with bricks and had the interior furnishings graffitied with spraypaint by deviants.

"Fuck." Hank swore as Connor communicated the update in a level voice to him. "Sounds like a riot's taking place downtown."

"Should we respond?"

"Might as well. This damn rain is making traffic slower than usual and downtown is closer than the precinct." Pulling the car around a relatively deserted corner Hank and Connor spotted a large group of people, a blend of humans and deviants, arguing and shouting at one another in the middle of the street between the two damaged buildings. "This is going to be a bad day... Get a radio on your belt."

"Right." Picking up the spare radio from the small storage compartment under the dashboard Connor hooked the radio's support loop through his belt, and kept it on his person.

Parking the car against the side of the street Hank opened his door and began shouting at the crowd with authority in his voice as he brandished his badge with his left hand and kept his right hand hovering over the holstered gun secured to his hip. Shouting over the heavy rain and the indistinguishable voices Hank placed himself in the middle of the two warring sides and threatened to arrest everyone at the scene if they failed to cooperate.

Connor unerringly joined Hank in the middle of the street, putting his back up against Hank's back to ensure no one would be able to attack him from behind. Mirroring Hank's motions Connor held up his badge to reveal his authority with his left hand and kept his right hand toward his back in the event he needed to unholster his own gun concealed beneath his gray suit jacket.

"Knock it off!" Remaining in control of himself and the situation Hank ordered the crowd to stand down before anything worse happened beyond a few broken windows and stained pieces of furniture. "Detroit Police."

"THOSE PLASTIC FREAKS ARE GOING TO KILL US ALL!" A faceless but admittedly paranoid man shouted from the depths of the human side of the crowd. "IT'S YOUR JOB TO PROTECT US!"

A chorus of cheers toward the man's comment filled the air as Connor noted the gathered deviants in front of him with righteous concern.

"It's my job to protect THEM, too!" Hank responded and received a cacophony of boos from the humans. "It's all my job to arrest every dumbass here if you don't comply, it doesn't matter if you're human or not!"

One of the deviants spoke up in a calmer and more logical voice from the crowd before Connor. "Arrest him! He's the one who broke into the store and damaged all the merchandise!"

The comment was responded to from the human side by the same angry voice that spoke up earlier. "FUCK YOU!"

Hank lowered his badge as he unclipped the strap on the holster to give him the clearance to grab his gun if necessary. "Connor, call in back-up."

"Already done." He commented as he used his radio to relay the message.

"This is your final warning." Resonating loudly over the pouring rain that thundered over the city Hank refused to back down and was ready to risk himself in order to keep the peace. "Disperse NOW."

Sirens filled the air as police drones circled overhead shining white spotlights down against the two equally guilty parties while the approaching S.W.A.T. vehicles came to a sudden stop at both ends of the street. A dozen armed S.W.A.T. agents exited the backs of the two vehicles concealed behind protective body armor, shields and armed with semi-automatic guns and canisters of tear gas at the ready.

"Last chance." Speaking up once more Hank reiterated his previous warning in an authoritative voice. "Stand. Down."

Begrudgingly the two parties began backing away from one another. One by one members from each side took their leave of the area to return to their homes or to simply vacate the area to avoid any further confrontations with one another and with the police. As the two groups thinned out Hank and Connor relaxed and lowered their hands from their guns as they watched the group with a cautious leer.

"That was too close for comfort." Keeping his voice low Hank addressed Connor at his back and let out a relieved sigh. "If we don't do something to stop these damn rumors from spreading we're going to be in for one nasty night."

"I agree. But the media will report on anything of potential interest regardless of how many facts on the subject have been reliably obtained or verified."

"Unfortunately you're right, kid." The cold rain made Hank shiver slightly as the chilling drizzle soaked through his dark coat and down to his shirt beneath. Glancing up at the heavy rain clouds overhead Hank ran his left hand through his damp locks of gray hair and motioned toward the car. "Come on, we need to get off the street and back to the precinct before anything else happens."

What little natural light that had managed to illuminate the dark clouds overhead quickly faded as the afternoon gave way to evening. The sun was on its way to setting and the rain clouds continued to thicken as rain bombarded everything in the city under a bombardment of icy drops.

Connor moved with Hank toward the car as the S.W.A.T. team began patrolling the streets to prevent any further angry mobs from forming as the high tensions throughout the city continued to mount. Unable to shake his unsettling feeling of impending disaster Connor kept his head low and attempted to ignore the icy rain that was pelting him mercilessly as it soaked into his clothing and throughout his dark locks of hair.

"Still got that bad feeling?" Sensing Connor's distress Hank promptly checked on his adopted son protectively.

"...Yes." Nodding slightly Connor confirmed Hank's question as he pulled open the passenger side car door and sat down inside the dry car as Hank did the same. "I wish I could explain it, but I believe something truly horrible is going to happen."

"I wish I could tell you that it's all in your mind, but, I feel it too."

"Cop's intuition?"

Turning over the engine Hank shifted into drive and pulled away from the corner to resume driving to the precinct. "...And a lifetime of experience."

* * *

Due to the tension in the city the officers at the precinct had vacated the bullpen in favor of watching the large television mounted on the wall of the breakroom as additional reports of rumored, but unfounded, behavior from deviants and bigoted humans cycled through the newsroom at an alarming rate. Tensions continued to build in the city as the rain continued to drown it under a surprisingly icy layer. It was going to be a long, horrible day.

"Anything happen while we were gone?" Hank stood behind Chris who was holding a cup of coffee in his hands to keep warm. As he addressed the kind officer he could see the worry in Chris eyes that he expertly put aside in favor of remaining in control of his thoughts. "...Aside from the news making shit worse."

"Nothing too bad, Lieutenant." He acknowledged Hank and nodded at Connor who was standing beside him. "I take it you two were the ones who stopped the riot before it started. You're both soaked."

"What happened to you?" Hank quipped sharply as he noticed that Chris was also soaked from the rain. "You don't look any better than us."

"Car got a flat tire while on patrol. I took care of it while Tina called for assistance."

"Looks like she called too late."

"I'm fine. Just a little cold." Motioning toward the television silently Chris gave Hank a stern glance. "But with everything happening downtown a little cold is the least of my problems."

'_According to eye witness reports a group of humans and a group of deviant androids were threatening to engage in violence downtown, only to be stopped by the Detroit Police with the assistance of a responding S.W.A.T. team_.' The female news reporter spoke in an infuriatingly monotone voice of indifference and deceit. '_As to the cause of the conflict it has been speculated that deviants who have been affected by CyberLife saboteurs are responsible_.'

"Same ol' shit." Hank swore bitterly at the news report. "If something's going on between humans and androids it's always the androids buggin' out or some shit, never some human asshole trying to pick or fight, or just bein' a fuckin' prick."

'-_there has been no confirmation on this incident or on those responsible, but police involvement has left the city on edge_.'

"And it's the media who is going to push the city OVER that very edge..."

Connor remained curiously quiet as he crossed his arms warily over his chest and stared blankly at the floor beneath him. Discreetly the young detective attempted to contact Skye at New Jericho Tower with a few texts, but there was no response from the deviant who had taken it upon herself to keep the tower as secured as possible. Worried for his dearest friend Connor began to fidget a little on his feet and his right hand went right for the coin concealed in his gray jacket pocket.

It didn't take Hank long to notice that Connor was almost as tense as the rest of the city. Turning slowly to face the young detective Hank put a hand to Connor's shoulder and almost jumped when Connor himself jumped slightly at the unexpected touch of Hank's palm. "Easy, son. What's wrong?"

"I... can't seem to contact Skye." Dancing the coin over his fingers of his left hand Connor could only wait for her to respond to his texts or call. "It's not an issue with connectivity on my part seeing as I've been able to maintain contact with the precinct even while out in the storm."

"I won't tell you to not worry, you'll do that no matter what. But I can insist that you stay focused on your work, _for now_."

"I'm attempting to do so, but it's difficult."

"Yeah. It will be."

Captain Fowler called for Hank from his opened office doorway and waited for the detective to join him. "Hank. My office, now."

Letting go of Connor's shoulder Hank approached the office as quickly as he could leaving the young detective alone with his thoughts as his heart became heavier with building worry. A message popped up on his phone, but it wasn't from Skye, it was from Markus. For what seemed like hours Connor stood quietly with his coin delicately slipping from one knuckle to the next as it juggled over his hand, only to have Hank return minutes later and take away his coin with a swift motion.

"There's another riot taking place on the other side of town. The S.W.A.T. team is already on scene trying to end the fighting, we need to get down there and start making arrests while the paramedics and technicians take care of the injured. Gavin and Tina are already at the scene and taking charge of things so all we have to do is sort out the mess."

"I have received an update on the riot from Markus at the tower." Connor replied despondently as he let his left hand fall to his side as Hank pocketed the coin for himself. "There are reportedly over fifty humans and just as many deviants tearing each other apart over misguided information as a direct result of the most recent news story with intentionally misleading statements. The humans had accused the deviants of trying to cause a blackout and overtake the city, while the deviants accused the humans of assault and vandalism outside of an Android Emergency Care Facility. Neither claim can be currently authenticated."

"Right. After we take care of the rioters maybe we can throw all the damn reporters behind bars for a while just to shut them up..."

"I doubt it'd do any good."

"You're probably right," the senior detective stated as he motioned for Connor to follow after him to the front doors of the precinct to get to the car parked in the neighboring parking garage. "but it'd make_ me_ feel better."

* * *

The Oldsmobile sped down the rain slick streets as fast as Hank dared to drive as other patrol cars accompanied the two detectives to the scene of the chaos threatening to tear down the bridges between humans and androids. All of the hatred was being caused by a misguided panic from the ratings greedy media, and the circling news helicopters overhead were only exasperating their misdeeds. The sky was even darker as the evening threatened to give way to night as the smothering cold rain relentlessly drenched the streets. Blue and red flashing lights illuminated the buildings and streets as the mass of cars raced to the scene of the riot to stop the violence before it escalated any further.

"There are four ambulances at the scene and three others en route." Keeping tabs on the scene through texting with the precinct Connor updated Hank while also trying to keep in direct communication with Markus at New Jericho Tower. He still couldn't reach Skye. "Six android ambulances have also been summoned to tend to the wounded."

"Any casualties?"

"Four humans have been pronounced at the scene. And... seven deviants."

"What the fuck? How did so much happen in a such a small amount of time?"

"From what I've witnessed myself I've come to realize that hatred spreads quickly."

"There's no denying that."

"Hank..." He paused a moment before he continued. "I can't reach Skye through my texts, and no one at New Jericho knows where she has gone."

"You'll find her son." Giving the younger detective a simple nod of the head Hank turned onto the devastated blood stained street and came to a stop. The other patrol cars followed suit and readied themselves to join the two detectives at the scene of the riot. "I know you will."

"...I can't explain it Hank, but... I _know_ something terrible has happened to her."

The sight of the heavily armored S.W.A.T. vehicles that encircled the the shouting, struggling, enraged parties made Connor unexpectedly nervous. There was something so surreal, so haunting about seeing so many people; humans and deviants, covered in each other's blood. Stains of dark blue, dark red and dark purple smeared the faces, hands and arms of those who had taken part in the violent altercation.

Bodies of the deceased were already concealed under white sheets that were stained either blue or red depending on the victim. Puddles of the three different colored bloods formed in macabre pools beneath the victims in a grim ripple that stained the pavement of the streets. Even the harsh October rain had yet to wash the blood from the streets in the raw wake of the tragic event.

Brandishing their badges once more Hank and Connor led the other officers to the scene as they attempted to locate Gavin and Tina who were still fighting to keep the scene as calm as possible along with the S.W.A.T. officers. Instinctively as a skilled detective Connor approached the victims with the intent to identify them while the arrests were under way.

Two humans were ganging up on a deviant curled up on the ground in pain and fear, and Connor rushed over to the assault to stop it. Pulling the first person back by their shoulder Connor showed him his badge and he wisely backed off. The second guy saw it as a challenge.

"You're putting plastic over human lives?"

"I'm protecting innocent citizens from being assaulted."

"Assaulted?" Reeling back his right fist the man struck Connor in the left side of his jaw causing the young detective to stumble back as his ears rang and his head throbbed. "Don't bother with this plastic whore! She's going to be mine..."

Focusing through the pain Connor saw that deviant on the ground wasn't a stranger. She was a friend. "Skye?"

"Skye? More like-"

Connor cut off the brutal man with a firm right fist to the stomach causing the man to double over and cough loudly. Seeing an opportunity Connor brought up his right knee and struck the man in the nose breaking and bloodying his nose in an instant. As the man dropped to the ground in pain Connor pulled his gun from around his back and threatened him accordingly.

"Back-off before I have to pull the trigger."

The bleeding man wisely got to his feet and scrambled away with his tail tucked between his legs.

As quickly as he revealed the weapon Connor holstered his gun and felt his legs beginning to give out from beneath him. Falling to his knees, his jeans soaking up the tri-colored blood and cold rain without hesitation, Connor knelt at Skye's side and slipped his left hand under her head as he cradled her as best as he could as he eyed the heavy bleeding in her chest and abdomen.

"...Skye." Connor's hand was soaked, her long locks of brunette hair were as cold as the rain that had soaked into them. Speaking was painful as the left side of his jaw was beginning to bruise and swell up quickly from being struck. "Skye, I'm here."

Opening her hazel eyes; the right eye stained blue from damage, she slowly peered up at Connor as the familiarity of his voice was enough to rouse her from low power mode, and reboot her processors. Smiling weakly she reached her bloodied right hand up and Connor quickly took it in his right hand to hold tightly as her L.E.D. pulsed a slow red in her right temple.

"What happened?"

"I..." Skye swallowed once as Thirium rose up her throat and collected in the back of her mouth. "I was tracking... The broadcast from here. But... it wasn't from rogue deviants." Coughing weakly Skye's body trembled from the cold, blood loss and pain. "They didn't... start this."

"Shh..." Connor tried to soothe her as he glanced over her body and noted the catastrophic damage she had sustained during the riot. He couldn't scan her anymore, but he could still recognize severe damage with his eyes alone. "Don't speak. Try to save your strength."

"Connor... The broadcast... It was on a timer and... Eddie made it. It was him... sending out one last message... to divide the city."

"Eddie?" The revelation made Connor feel physically sick. "That demented..." As Skye coughed again Connor returned his full attention to her and tried to figure out how he could help her. "Skye, look at me."

Due to the damage she sustained to her chest Skye's Thirium pump had been compromised by blunt force trauma, and was seeping blue blood into her chest. Both ventilation biocomponents were failing to respond due to the hypothermia caused by the cold rain, and they were both showing signs of damage as their capacity had been reduced to sixty percent functionality. Her Thirium pump regulator was faltering courtesy of a foreign object embedded inside of it, causing her heart to beat improperly and poorly.

Bleeding out as quickly Skye was circling the drain and she knew she had very limited time as a shutdown timer appeared in her visual processors.

"I... I only have twenty-two minutes and fifty-one seconds left." Forcing a warm smile to her bloody lips she locked her eyes with Connor's and accepted her fate. "I want to... make them count. I'm glad you're... with me."

"No." Connor shook his head in denial as he tightened his hand around hers as if he could somehow keep her from slipping further away. "I won't let you shutdown. I'll get you some help!"

"Help... is already here."

"You need to go to the tower!" Slipping his left arm beneath her upper back and his right arm beneath her knees Connor scooped Skye up from the ground with the intention of getting her to safety. "You need to be there, NOW."

Holding tightly onto Skye as he rushed through the crowd and back to the car he felt Skye's head press against his chest and rest against his own heart thundering away with every frantic step he took.

"Hank?!" Connor called out desperately as he caught sight of the senior detective questioning the captain of the S.W.A.T. team during his desperate race to the car parked so close, and yet so painfully far away. "Hank, please!"

"What the- Shit!" Hank saw Connor sprinting toward the car with a bloody body in his arms and reacting quickly. "Let's go!"

Knowing full well that if Connor was afraid, or maybe in this case panicking, then it was serious. Without questioning the young detective's motives Hank chased after Connor as much as he could and met him at the car just as Connor had managed to pull open the passenger side door of the car and climb inside to the backseat with Skye still in his arms. He fought to use his hands to apply pressure and stem the bleeding to the opened wounds in her chest and abdomen as he held her over his lap.

Hank threw open the driver's side door and turned the key in the ignition. Daring to glance at the reflection of the two occupants in the rearview mirror as he backed down the street to turn around Hank felt the same sickening knot tighten in his stomach that had appeared the night Barbara had died. Using his radio to call for clearance and an escort as he raced to New Jericho Tower as fast as possible Hank could only listen to Connor speaking with Skye as she laid dying in his arms just a few inches behind him.

"Skye? Skye, talk to me." Connor begged in a low voice as kept the pressure on the bleeding wounds as much as possible. "Don't go offline."

"...I'm here. I'm with you." She promised as a peaceful smile settled on her Thirium stained lips. "Won't leave you... not yet."

"Please, hold on." Fumbling for his phone with shaking hand he sent a text to Markus and informed him that Skye was in trouble. "I've contacted Markus at the tower. Simon knows you're injured and is ready to treat your wounds. They've even recruited Lucas to drive out to the tower to help you as well."

"I feel... cold." Skye whispered as she weakly pressed herself closer to Connor's chest. Listening to the steady thrum of his beating heart she seemed to find a sense of security even as she continued to bleed at a frightening rate. "...Hold me."

"I am holding you." Connor breathed out slowly as he tightened his arms around her to press her up against his chest as closely as he could without accidentally hurting her in the process. He watched her L.E.D. closely to ensure it continued to flash rhythmically, even if that color had to be flashing in red at the moment. "Warmer?"

"...Yeah. Thanks."

Hank overheard the comment and turned on the heater in the car as high as it could go to try to help Connor keep Skye warm until they reached the tower. The sight of the blue blood that soaked over her clothing and her body made Hank feel ill, but it was the insurmountable concern in Connor's soulful brown eyes that broke his heart.

"We're almost there, kid." The senior detective stated firmly as he sped toward the long drive leading to the tower. "Thankfully the two best technicians in the city were already on call at the tower."

Pulling onto the long drive that connected the city to Belle Isle in the distance Hank sped up and left the escorting patrol cars behind. The security barricade had been preemptively lowered down into the drive in anticipation of the two detective's arrival as they raced to save Skye's life.

Outside the tower a gurney was waiting for Skye's arrival. Markus, North and Simon were waiting impatiently as the car appeared in the distance and screamed down the rest of the drive until it came to a sudden stop alongside the gurney. Markus pulled open the passenger side door to the car and helped Connor to step outside of the vehicle as he gently placed Skye down onto the gurney, while North and Simon proceeded to assess and treat her wounds during transport to the emergency repair bay within the tower itself.

"Skye?" Connor kept his left hand wrapped around her right hand as he jogged alongside the gurney being rolled into the tower's main lobby toward the elevator. Each word he spoke caused searing pain, yet he didn't dare remain quiet. "Skye, you're here. You're back at the tower. You're safe."

Squeezing Connor's hand as tightly as she could Skye kept her smile on her face and showed no signs of fear even as she continued to lose Thirium from her various wounds.

Markus stayed back and had to keep North from following after her friend while Simon worked on stabilizing Skye as best as he could until they reached the repair ward. As Hank trailed into the tower after the group of deviants he could see from the look in Markus's mismatched eyes that the likelihood of Skye pulling through was painfully low.

"...No." The idea of losing such a caring person in such a needlessly violent way made Hank feel sick. But it was the idea of Connor having to endure the loss of his first real love made him actually dread the future. "Not like this."

* * *

Inside the emergency repair ward Simon had already prepared to deal with the critically injured deviant and had dozens of bags of blue blood at the ready. Along with the the blood there were incredibly delicate yet strong instruments designed specifically to repair the finely detailed wires and Thirium lines that circulated throughout an android's body, and their subsequent internal biocomponents. Ones crucial in order to save Skye's fading life as irreversible shutdown was proving a real threat.

"You're going to be taken care of." Trying to sound confident and unafraid as he spoke Connor knew that his eyes had once again betrayed his emotions. "Don't be frightened."

"...I'm not scared." Skye replied sweetly even as her own eyes began to drift shut from exhaustion. "You shouldn't be... either."

"I can't help it."

"Please, don't be sad for me."

"I..." Connor paused as a sob threatened to steal his voice from him. "I don't understand. How can you be so calm? So complacent?"

"Because I don't want anger... resentment... fear... or suffering to the be the last emotions I experience. ...Not anymore." Reaching up her right hand, one covered in blood and icy cold from the rain, she lightly caressed Connor's left cheek as a single tear rolled from her undamaged left eye. "I want to experience only love and happiness. And they will be... as long as you're still here with me."

"I won't leave you, Skye. I won't." Connor kissed the back of Skye's hand as he promised to stay with her throughout the experience. "I'll take care of you."

"Connor... Please. Be happy." Skye's hazel irises glazed over and disappeared as her eyes felt heavy, and her already shallow breathing began to slow even further. "Promise me that you'll find a way... to be happy."

"...I promise. I love you, Skye!" Tears began to roll down his face from his eyes and Connor vowed to keep his word to Skye. "I love you so much."

"I love you... too... Connor."

"Skye..." Tightening his hand on hers as much as he dared without harming her Connor just pleaded with her to stay. "Please hold on. I love you."

"Connor... I will always... love you." As her hazel eyes slipped shut her breathing became virtually nonexistent. "Always. You make me... so happy."

"Skye? Please." Connor pleaded with his heart as he tried to get her to open her eyes once more. Letting go of the gift in his pocket Connor pressed his left palm to Skye's right cheek and caressed her pale skin softly. "Please... Come back to me."

Respectfully Simon approached Connor and put both hands to Connor's shoulders as he gently pushed the young detective back. "I need the room to work."

"I don't want to leave her." Connor kept his hand wrapped around hers and refused to let go. "I promised to stay with her."

"I know. We all know. But, there's nothing more you can do for her." Motioning toward a small room connected to the ward near the elevator Simon instructed Connor where to go as he waited for an update. "Lucas is on his way. He and I will do everything we can to save her. I swear it."

With a heavy heart Connor kissed Skye's motionless hand one more time before he gently placed her hand down on the gurney at her side, and backed away from the horrific sight of his dearest friend covered in her own blood as the blond technician hovered over her protectively. Begrudgingly Connor retreated to the observation room and stood before the single large window that gave him an unobstructed view of the procedure taking place just a few yards from where he had been standing only a few seconds before.

Numerous monitors kept track of Skye's weak vital signs; her waning irregular heartbeat, her needlessly shallow breaths and her dwindling Thirium pressure. An artificial external ventilator tube snaked down her throat would breathe for her to ensure her damaged body didn't overheat as the self-healing program along with the extensive repairs overwhelmed her processors. Three bags of Thirium hung from an I.V. stand as the vital blue blood entered her body through an exposed line in her left forearm, only to bleed out from the numerous wounds in her abdomen.

It seemed like a waste as the blood would exit her wounds as quickly as it entered her lines.

Lucas practically sprinted into the emergency repair bay to assist Simon as he temporarily came out of retirement as a technician to assist in saving Skye's life. Determined to save the wounded deviant Lucas's focus was entirely on Skye, and keeping her from permanent shutdown.

One by one her biocomponents were repaired and her Thirium lines were stabilized, but Skye was still losing strength and was slipping closer to shutdown.

* * *

Three hours passed before Markus had shown Hank into the room from a second elevator that was used for more discreet visitations. Now the senior detective who had taken in Connor as his second son was facing one of the worst dilemmas a parent would ever dread as he remained at Connor's side.

"Connor?"

Hank would have to explain to Connor the purest form of heartbreak one could ever experience when the one person you truly love more than anyone else is taken away in a such a cruel, and unjust manner. If he were to lose Skye, the first person he had ever fallen in love with, his incredibly empathetic fragile heart would inevitably shatter.

Standing beside Connor as the young detective, still covered in Skye's blood and the uncomfortably cold rain, Hank stared with a disheartened gaze through the window. Quietly he reached into his pocket and retrieved the coin he had previously taken from Connor at the precinct and held it for a few seconds. Offering the coin back to Connor the gesture was ignored and the worried young man didn't even acknowledge Hank's presence.

"Don't lose faith, kid." Hank slowly slipped the coin back into his pocket to be forgotten once more. "Those are two of the best technicians in the whole country."

No reply came from the worried deviant. Only a blank, dull face that contrasted brown glistening eyes showed any sign of consciousness.

"...I, uh, I got a call from Gavin. He told me what happened. He saw the assault and saw you tear that guy away from her, and fight off the second guy like a real pro."

Without turning his eyes away from Skye as Lucas and Simon, their hands now covered in her blue blood, fought to save her from shutting down Connor replied in a despondent tone. "...Skye had gone in search of the rogue deviants and the broadcast. She said there were no rogues involved, and that broadcast was set on a timer to go off by Eddie before he self destructed."

"Fuckin' Hell. Even from beyond the grave that asshole is still being an asshole." Using his phone Hank texted Captain Fowler at the precinct to let him know what Skye had uncovered, and that they needed to let the media know there's no real danger. "Connor, everything will be fine. Just be patient."

Connor didn't respond. The bruise on the left side of his jaw was getting worse and Hank could tell just by looking at him that Connor needed to see a doctor.

"Skye's strong, and she's already made it this far."

"...Strength can give out."

"Son," Hank went to put his hand on Connor's shoulder but Connor took a single step to the side to avoid the contact. In that moment Connor needed to be alone, yet still needed someone to talk with. "don't assume the worst. It won't do you any good to-"

The monitors recording Skye's vitals suddenly screeched in a high-pitched alarm as her heart began to fail entirely despite the extensive repairs to the vital biocomponent having been a success. Through the window Connor and Hank watched as Lucas administered some type of serum into the line running into Skye's left forearm. The serum was designed to work with circulating Thirium and increase the overall effectiveness of the blue blood to fuel the other biocomponents and keep them functioning; like adrenaline for androids.

"...Skye."

Simon took the external android defibrillator and placed the paddles down against Skye's damaged and partially rebuilt chest. As he sent a charge through the paddles into Skye's heart her body jerked once on the table, but the alarms continued to screech. Trying a second time to force Skye's heart into beating normally once more the result was the same. Skye's body jerked slightly and the alarms screeched loudly.

Lacing his hands together, one over top the other, Lucas began to manually compress Skye's chest while Simon went into the connected storage room that held spare biocomponents, limbs and Thririum pouches.

Connor's emotional brown eyes began to darken as he watched the macabre sight before him.

As much as Hank wanted to put his hand on Connor's shoulder to support him he knew that Connor would either shrug his hand off or step further away. Neither gesture would do either detective any good, and with that knowledge he just stayed silent and stayed by Connor's side.

Simon returned to the exam table with a replacement Thirium pump that was compatible with Skye's model in his hands, and decided that a total replacement was the only way to save her. Working quickly and in tandem Lucas stopped compressions long enough to remove the damaged Thirium pump while Simon hooked in the replacement pump in less than a minute.

The alarms continued to screech as the new pump refused to shudder into motion, let alone beat.

Once more Lucas compressed Skye's chest to try to coax the pump into beating on its own, but the manual compressions weren't enough to engage the pump into life. Simon administered another injection of the Thirium directly into the line in her left arm and then tried once more to shock Skye's new heart into motion. Skye's body reacted with a third violent jerk as the alarms continued to sing their song of doom, and Thirium began to pool from her opened chest and abdomen all over the edges of the table, and onto the floor.

"...She wanted her last moments to be of happiness." Connor whispered to himself as he remembered his last conversation with Skye. "...Not suffering."

"Connor?"

Hank could only watch as Connor opened the door and walked slowly with heavy steps over to the table where Skye was being treated. As her body was subjected to another shock and administration of the serum her lost Thirium collected on the floor under the table creating a sapphire puddle of blood.

"Connor? What're you-" Simon was stopped mid sentence as Lucas lightly put his hand on the blond technician's chest to silence him and resume his focus on Skye.

Realizing what was happening Lucas was still bound to keep Skye alive. "One more shock, if this doesn't work then we'll try another replacement Thirium pump."

Kneeling down on the floor on one knee Connor stared at Skye's peaceful face as he ran his right hand through her hair once more with great affection. Tears began to roll down Connor's face as he listened to the alarms still screeching and listened to Lucas and Simon speaking with one another as they tried to think of the best way to keep Skye alive.

"Get another Thirium pump." Lucas stated as he resumed compressing Skye's chest to keep the Thirium circulating through the rest of her biocomponents until her heart would begin beating on its own. "We need to-"

"...Stop." Connor spoke up in a low, emotionless tone as he moved his hand to the side of her face and caressed her left cheek softly. "Let her go."

"We can still-"

"...Please, brother. I don't want her to suffer."

Lucas froze for a moment before he resumed compressions. "Connor, I know I can save her. I know of a method that's complicated but it can work."

"...Lucas, don't let her linger."

"I won't, I promise." Lucas nodded at Simon and signaled for him to take over the chest compressions. Rolling over a large diagnostic modem to the table Lucas quickly attached a black cable to Skye's right temple over her red tinted L.E.D. and used the machine to manually override her systems to reduce the strain on her self healing program. "This can keep her alive and give us the chance to repair the damage to her biocomponents. The only problem is this method... can cause memory impairment."

"...If it'll keep her alive, then do it."

Simon traded places with Lucas again as he grabbed onto Connor's left bicep and coaxed him into standing up again. "Please. I know it's difficult but return to the observation room. We need the space to work."

Taking a hesitant step backward Connor never broke his gaze as he watched Skye fighting for her life and found his way back to the observation room at sluggish pace.

The moment he was through the door Hank put both hands on Connor's shoulders and made the young detective look him in the eyes. "Son, please don't lose hope."

"How can..." Turning away from Hank as if ashamed Connor resumed staring through the window to watch the lifesaving procedure continue. "...I'm trying."

Working diligently Lucas and Simon managed to at long last restart Skye's Thirium pump, restoring a normal, healthy heartbeat on the Thirial activity monitor. Steadily Skye's vital signs began to return to normal and with it the two technicians proceeded to finish repairing the last of the damage, and restore her depleted Thirium volume.

The black cable remained attached to her right temple over her L.E.D. as her system remained under manual override. As long as the modem did the work for Skye's processors until she had regained enough strength from her self healing program to handle the processors again she'd pull through.

"...It worked." The young detective observed with a strangled sob in his voice. "Lucas... Lucas saved her."

"I don't get it, why didn't Simon use that technique earlier?"

"...It's complicated."

"I'll say. Everything with android physiology is complicated." With a light touch Hank put his left hand under Connor's chin and turned the young detective's head so he was looking him in the eyes again. Peering at the painful bruise on Connor's jawline Hank just shook his head and dropped his hand away. "Shit, that hurts just to look at. You need some ice for the swelling."

"I don't want to leave Skye."

"Alright, then you stay here and I'll bring the ice to you. You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to, son. I promise."

* * *

Two hours passed with Skye now stabilized and resting in the recovery wing of the emergency repair bay. Connor was sitting beside her keeping vigil as he held the provided ice to the left side of his jaw in the hopes of numbing the extremely painful bruise. Holding onto Skye's left hand with his right hand, as if he was afraid that letting go would cause her to shutdown, Connor remained quiet as he watched her L.E.D. cycling yellow steadily in right temple as she breathed on her own, and her heart continued to beat.

Hank was sitting in the community room hold an ice pack of his own to his sore right knee and keeping to himself. After explaining everything to Captain Fowler over the phone the senior detective just sat back and patiently waited for Connor to make his next move on his own.

"Coffee?" Lucas asked as he joined Hank in the community room and offered him a mug of hot coffee. "Markus had a small kitchenette installed and now coffee is available for human guests."

"Thanks, son." Accepting the mug Hank leaned back heavily in his chair and he sighed. "So... I told you to stay at the house."

"Because you were worried that the threats were legitimate." Lucas defended as a pale blue blush appeared on his face. "But they weren't. Markus told me everything, and I had to come here to help."

"It's okay, Lucas. You did the right thing." Sipping at the coffee Hank just studied the deviant's face with a smirk. "What about Libby?"

"I told her to remain in the house and lock the door as a precautionary measure. She also has Ruby to protect to her, and I told her if it becomes absolutely necessary that you keep your revolver in the drawer of your nightstand."

"Yeah, that's true." Putting aside the mug Hank crossed his arms over his chest and rubbed his right palm over the back of his neck anxiously. "Level with me, kid. How bad is Skye?"

"...She's going to recover."

"Lucas, how bad?"

Pausing for a moment Lucas was evidently reluctant to answer the question. "...The external modem I used to override her processors to let her self healing program work without strain is known to cause... memory corruption."

"Can it be fixed?"

"No." Shaking his head somberly Lucas admitted that the complication was permanent. "Memory corruption can't be repaired, it can only be replaced by a back-up file."

"And do you have such a back-up file handy?"

"No." Lucas shook his head again as he wrung his hands together nervously. "Skye... Her entire memory, her entire being, has been erased. She won't remember anything; New Jericho, the Revolution, her time in the 'Eden Club' or... even Connor."

Hank closed his blue eyes as he realized the severity of the situation, and his every worry went for his adopted human son. "Damn it. This is going to break the poor kid's heart..."

* * *

Slowly Skye had began to wake up, and as her systems rebooted Connor held onto her hand even tighter. As her hazel eyes opened her yellow L.E.D. cycled to blue and she gave Connor a blank, emotionless stare. As she regained her senses Simon walked into the room along with Markus and proceeded to run a few basic diagnostics on her processors while Markus had to practically drag Connor out of the room to speak with him in private.

"Markus, what're you doing?" Connor protested as he kept the ice pressed to his jaw and tried to get back to Skye. "She just woke up."

"We need to talk."

The tone of Markus's voice immediately held the young detective's attention. "...What's going on?"

Pushing the worried young detective through the door Markus planted himself between Connor and the door leading back to the recovery wing, and gave his friend a truly sympathetic gaze. "Connor, listen to me. There's-"

"What's happening, Markus?" The fear in Connor's soulful brown eyes suddenly doubled as he felt the intense gravity of the dire situation weighing down on his heart. That horrible bad feeling he had all day intensified to a disturbing level. "What's wrong with Skye?"

* * *

The city had begun to clean up the mess of blue, red and purple blood in the streets as the wounded were taken to hospitals and facilities alike. The media managed to finally perform a good deed when they reported that the threat that had been broadcast was false, and merely an attempt to cause chaos. It did little to ease the palpable tension in the city, but at least the fighting had stopped for the moment, and everyone tried to go back to their normal lives without holding a grudge.

New Jericho Tower, however, things weren't going to go back to normal...

"...Skye's memory was fully wiped?" Connor asked as if needing to hear it again before he could believe it. He was sitting in a chair outside the recovery ward with Hank and Lucas sitting beside him as Markus stood before him. "And she didn't have a back-up memory to replace what was lost?"

"No." Markus confirmed in a low voice. "She's been reset entirely."

Lucas spoke up and tried to offer some form of comfort. "You can reintroduce yourself to her, start from the beginning."

"...No." Connor shook his head a little as his head bowed down in sorrow. "She's... She's not the same person. She no longer remembers the experiences that shaped her into the person she had become. She isn't the deviant who fled the 'Eden Club' and rescued deviant refugees from a demented technician in Canada. She isn't the head of security for the tower. She isn't the deviant who... Who made me feel like I belonged here." Rubbing his right hand over his face Connor sighed into his palm and felt his warm tears running down his face and collecting in his hand. "...She isn't Skye."

Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder as he looked up at Markus with total loss in his blue eyes. "There isn't anything that can be done?"

"No. We can tell her about her past, but-"

"No!" Connor nearly shouted as he looked up at Markus quickly. "Don't do that. Don't tell her about that horrible life she escaped."

"Connor, we can't leave her without an identity or a name. She needs something to fall back on."

"I know... I know." Standing up slowly Connor rubbed his hands over his eyes to remove his tears as he took in a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Give me a moment. I'll... I'll go talk with her."

"What are you going to say?"

"I don't know." Walking toward the door Connor paused for a moment and glanced back at the group behind him. "...Just give me a moment alone with her."

Pressing his right hand against the electronic panel beside the door Connor returned to the recovery room and noticed Simon standing before Skye with an electronic chart in his left hand. Skye was sitting upright on the table with her eyes closed and her L.E.D. cycling in blue she was evidently in stand-by mode waiting for her programs to be installed.

Taking notice of Connor entering the room Simon gave the young detective a wary look before he spoke up. "She's stable, Connor."

"I know."

"And her memory-"

"I know. That's why I'm here." Taking the electronic chart from Simon's hand with a gentle motion Connor brought up a unique program to be downloaded into Skye's processors and returned it to Simon.

"What's this?"

"She once told me that if she had the chance to change her programming, to change how she could've lived her life before her deviancy." Connor was fighting to keep his voice level as he explained everything to Simon as best as he could. "She said she wanted to work with children. Change her programming to that of a school teacher and daycare provider. It's... It's the right thing to do for her."

"...Okay, Connor." Simon activated the program and returned to the large black cable from the diagnostic modem to Skye's right temple over her blue tinted L.E.D., and proceeded with the download. "Do you want to stay here and remind her of her name, or do you want me to do it?"

"I can do it." Connor whispered as he pressed his left hand over the painful bruise on his jaw. "I want to do it."

"Okay. I'll give you some privacy."

"...Thank you."

The blond technician left Connor alone with Skye giving the duo some privacy. Standing before Skye with his arms crossed over his chest Connor just watched as the download bar steadily ticked up toward one-hundred percent completion on the modem's display screen. Unsure of what to say or what he could do beyond keeping Skye company Connor took her right hand and held it lightly as the erased android slowly came back online, her hazel eyes slowly filling with new life.

"I don't want to say goodbye to you, so I won't." Connor promised as he held onto her hand in a light grip. "But I won't act like you're the same person with the same hopes and dreams. Right now you have the chance to dream for the first time all over again, and I won't try to remind of who you once were, I won't remind you that you were once a victim. You'll be free as your own person without a dark past to blacken your future."

The progress bar reached one-hundred percent and Skye's programming had been effectively changed. This time for the better.

"AX-700 online." Skye stated in a flat robotic voice. "Awaiting instructions."

Connor winced at the hollowness of her voice but he didn't back away. "...AX-700, register your name." Pausing for a moment Connor closed his soulful brown eyes and gave his dearest friend her name. Her _new_ name. "...Clair."

The previously blank android repeated as the name was registered as her official identification. "My name is Clair."

* * *

Standing outside the tower Connor watched the water in the harbor as the night sky blanketed the city under a calm darkness dotted with infinitly bright stars. Unable to stay inside the tower, unwilling to watch as Skye, now 'Clair', was escorted from New Jericho Tower to an autonomous taxi with Josh to head out to the airport, Connor isolated himself out of a need for emotional preservation. To where Clair was going Connor wasn't sure, but Markus stated firmly that she would be safe and would be able to live a brand new life without any pain or dark memories.

Clair was going to begin her life anew as an android taking part in child development, and would do so in another city. Kamski agreed to shelter Clair in Boston to assure that she'd truly have a new life, and would be free of external stimuli that could affect her development as a free android who would need time to deviate again.

Brokenhearted and miserable Connor didn't try to resist when Hank put his hand on his shoulder and led him away from the shoreline and back to the car to finally leave. "Come on, son. Let's go home."

The drive was quiet and uneventful as Connor sat in the front passenger seat and stared out the side window with a vacant gaze. Hank didn't want to interrupt Connor's thoughts as he knew his adopted son just need time to think and comprehend what was happening to him, and how his life was about to change.

Once home Hank waited for Connor to climb out of the car before he limped into the house after him, Lucas following right after them as he parked his pick-up truck outside in the driveway. The house was quiet as Elizabeth was already asleep in the guest room, and didn't hear the rest of the household return.

"...You should put more ice on your jaw." Hank whispered as if needing to find a justified reason to speak. "Or let me take you to the E.R. so you can get some pain meds."

Connor remained quiet as he slowly trudged up the staircase and into his bedroom. Ruby had gotten up from the pillow in the corner of the livingroom and followed after her sad master with her tail drooping down as she empathetically felt his pain.

"Poor kid." Hank sighed as he put his hands to his hips. "He's going to be miserable for the next few weeks. Maybe even months."

Lucas wrung his hands together anxiously before himself as he stood beside Hank in the livingroom. "Perhaps I should ask Chloe to wait to come over."

"No, it's okay. He'll just need some space for a while but that doesn't mean you have to deny your own relationship for your brother's sake."

"What can I do for him?"

"Right now just give him time to himself. And when he's ready to talk be a shoulder for him to lean on, okay?"

"Okay."

"And... I know you're not going to out to Boston anymore, but you can keep tabs on Sk- _Clair_, while she's out there, right?"

"That's right."

"Good. Don't tell Connor though. It might make him feel worse knowing where she is, but not knowing how to talk to her anymore."

"I understand. I think..."

"Why don't you go ahead and go to bed, too? I'm going to check in on Connor for a few minutes then do the same."

"Very well. I will be sure to let Chloe know what has happened and ask her to discreetly refrain from bringing up potentially sensitive subjects while she visits with us later this evening."

"This even- Right, right..." Hank suddenly remembered it was well past midnight and now the very beginning of a brand new day. "Damn I'm tired."

"If you require anything from me please let me know."

"I will. Just go get some sleep and I'll speak with Connor."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." As Lucas silently ascended the staircase Hank limped into the kitchen to grab a couple of ice packs, one for Connor's jaw and one for his own right knee. Limping up the staircase he knocked on Connor's partially closed bedroom door to see his adopted son sitting on the edge of his bed with his back to the door and his eyes transfixed on the window before him. "Hey, kid. I brought you more ice."

Connor didn't react and just stayed perfectly still on the bed.

"It hurts, I know. And I'm not just talking about your busted jaw." Hank empathized as he tried to get Connor to take the ice but was met with more silence from where he stood. "You know she's alive and she's going to have a new life to live, but you still want to be a part of it. But," he tagged on almost hesitantly as he sat down on the opposite edge of the bed behind Connor. "you feel like by telling her about her past, telling her about your relationship, it would be a selfish move. Like you'd be causing her pain by showing the darkness she had come from just so you can keep her around. Right?"

Connor's head bowed down a little more as he began to weep from the depths of his broken heart. "...I know I'm doing the right thing by letting her go. Why does it hurt so much?"

"Because you have a heart. Son, the pain won't last forever, I swear to it. In time it WILL go away, and you'll be a better, stronger person for having withstood such a horrible agony for so long." Trying again to offer Connor the ice pack Hank studied the younger man's heavily bloodshot tired eyes very carefully. He was exhausted on so many different levels. "I have to ask you something. When she was given her new programming you also gave her a new name. Where did 'Clair' come from?"

Weeping a little more Connor closed his eyes and turned away from Hank. "...She told me she liked the name. She told me about it when we were talking. We were talking about about... having kids someday."

"Ah, kid." Without even thinking Hank reached his right arm over and pulled the crying younger man up against his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

As Connor wept against his shoulder Hank couldn't stop thinking about how much it hurt when he lost his own wife and firstborn son. Connor hadn't been married to Skye, and there was no child in the mix, yet the same amount of pain and heartache was involved all the same.

It was one of the truest forms of agony anyone could endure.

"You'll be okay, son." Hank tried to soothe in a calm low voice as he let his paternal instincts take over. The urge to protect his family from the evils of the world was an instinct Hank couldn't shrug off even if he wanted to. "I promise this as your dad."

_**-next chapter-**_


	61. Familial Support

It was a horribly tense day as the summer heat began to fade courtesy of the cold, autumn rain; but fall wasn't there just yet. Discreetly and quietly Hank checked in on Connor throughout the day as the heartbroken younger man slept all through the morning, the afternoon and now almost well into the evening. Unwilling to wake him up since he knew Connor needed the rest all Hank could do was silently open the bedroom door to make sure Connor was still asleep, and made sure that the younger detective's phone was turned off.

Ruby was sleeping on the foot of Connor's bed and barely lifted her head to acknowledge Hank before she rested her chin back down over Connor's left leg as her master laid on his right side with his back to the door. She hadn't left Connor's side since he returned home late last night, and hadn't even bothered to go downstairs and eat.

"Keep an eye on him, girl." Hank whispered as he backed out of the bedroom to give Connor some space. "He needs all the support he can get."

Limping down the staircase Hank resumed socializing with Chloe as Lucas told her about what had happened over the previous weeks, and how everything came to be. In doing so Hank could see the blonde android's L.E.D. flickering between yellow and red as her newly discovered emotions began to push her more toward deviancy, and in turn make her appear more human.

As Chloe held Ash on her lap and gently rubbed the white kitten's chin she seemed entirely human and it made Hank feel at ease. "She's so cute! I've never been able to interact with animals before."

"She is my companion, and she can be your companion, too." Lucas assured her as they sat together on the couch side by side. "Ash seems to like you."

"I like her, too. Animals are so interesting and very calming."

Noticing that Elizabeth was sitting at the kitchen table with the rescued photo albums spread out before her Hank decided to check in on her, and make sure that she was okay as well. "Making sure all the photos are present and accounted for?"

"Something like that." She smiled a little as she rubbed her left fingertips against her left temple. "Whenever I feel stressed out I like to look at these photos and remind myself that things aren't always going to be the same. Bad days can become good days, and bad emotions can become good emotions." Picking up one of the photographs she held it out toward Hank as he sat down in the vacant chair beside her. "This is the last photograph I have of Connor as a child back when he still smiled."

Hank took the photo and felt like he was staring at a ghost. "Jeez, if Connor's eyes were blue instead of brown he'd be Cole's twin." The image showed Connor when he was only four years old on the final day he was safe in foster care before returning to his abusive biological father. It was rare to see Connor fully smile, but right now Hank would be relieved to see a content grin on the young detective's face. "Poor kid's been through so much."

"I wish I knew what I could say to him, but I'm not an expert when it comes to dealing with heartbreak. I never dated anyone seriously after everything happened with his father, and I never let myself get close enough to another person to go through it again."

"Same. I was divorced once and then widowed."

The last term caught Elizabeth's ear and it made her arch her brow as she gave Hank an intrigued look. "Divorced?"

"Yeah." He laughed a little as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It was an accidental wedding while partying in Vegas. My ex is STILL pissed!"

"Oh." Smirking a little Elizabeth proceeded to gently replace the photos back into the albums and pack them into a cardboard box for later transportation to the new apartment. "Tomorrow I'll be able to move in to my new place and go back to working at the daycare and volunteering at the hospital."

"How in the hell do you manage to do that?"

"Work two jobs?"

"Spend all that time helping people without getting worn out?"

"I don't know. I guess it's just knowing that other people need my help that keeps me motivated, and I love every second of it."

"Wish I still felt like that. But sometimes people just wear you out."

"I know, but sometimes it's worth it." Sighing a little Elizabeth looked into the livingroom where Lucas and Chloe were sitting together, the blonde android's L.E.D. cycling back to a calm blue as she socialized with her dearest friend, and she gave the duo a kind smile. "I'm glad Lucas has someone he can get close to like that. Chloe seems... I know she's just developing her deviancy so I don't want to judge her just yet, but she's just... Well..."

"Naive?"

"Yeah. That's the best way to put it."

"Trust me, she was way more stoic and cold the first time I met her." The senior detective confirmed in a soft tone. "This naive and almost air-headed, if not flaky, personality is much better than how she had been."

"You knew Chloe before Lucas started dating her?"

"Yup." Leaning back in the chair Hank filled in some gaps in the time frame for Elizabeth. "She was one of the three 'Chloe' models living with Elijah Kamski, and of the three she seemed the most... alive."

"There are three 'Chloes'?"

"In away. It's kind of like how Connor and Lucas are brothers, Chloe considers the other models her sisters. From what Lucas told me the other two; Claudia and Cameron, went on their way to live their own lives while Chloe, the first _true_ Chloe, stayed with Kamski."

"And Lucas... Where exactly did he come from?"

"Uh... About that..."

It was a little strange to explain how Connor's twin brother had been originally designed to replace Connor altogether, and as a result his life meant Connor's subsequent death, but Hank was honest all the same. He even told Elizabeth of confronting Lucas at New Jericho Tower when he was a mindless machine who had been found by Markus while renovating the tower, and Lucas's returned to life where Connor gave Lucas his name, and a place in the family.

Elizabeth's eyes never faltered away from Lucas as she contemplated everything Hank had just told her. "...Lucas was meant to be a soulless oppressor of his own people?"

"That's pretty much it, yeah. We never found out what CyberLife's original plans for him were, but based on his programming that about sums it up."

"And Connor? When he was an android was he meant to do the same thing to his own people?"

"...Yeah. The thing is he never hurt another deviant during his time with me before he helped with the Revolution. He was found a deviant suspected of murder and turned him in, but he stayed calm and compassionate toward the deviant when no one else would. After that he let five deviants run free after chasing them. One was a deviant who was rescuing a little girl android from an abusive household, a third was hiding out in an apartment complex and he nearly pushed me off the roof to escape; Connor obviously saved my ass, and the other two were deviants who escaped from-"

The sudden stop made Elizabeth's curiosity pique. "From where?"

"...The 'Eden Club'."

Elizabeth's brown eyes widened slightly as she dared to seek more information. "Was one of those deviants Skye?"

"No, these were two other deviants who we never before and haven't seen since. But the fact that we were there when Skye was still being forced to work there just makes me feel sick to think about."

"You couldn't have done anything to help her or anyone else, it's not your fault."

"Yeah, I know."

"So Connor never hurt another deviant?"

"Only one. And that was in self defense."

"How so?"

"Well..."

The second story was just as unsettling to tell as the first. The memory of Connor rushing down the corridor of the Stratford Broadcast Tower with his shirt torn open and his abdomen bloodied by the rogue deviant still made Hank cringe. When Connor pulled the gun from the nearby F.B.I. agent and took down the rogue deviant before he had the chance to harm anyone else was still an impressive sight, even if it did result in the offending deviant being locked away for assaulting Connor.

"Oh my lord..." The idea of her son getting a piece of his heart being torn from his body was righteously unnerving. "He... He was almost killed?"

"Unfortunately, yeah." Lightly Hank put his left hand over the back of Elizabeth's hand to give her a supportive feeling. "It's okay. He came out of the Revolution in one piece despite other F.B.I. agents opening fire on Jericho and Connor needing to infiltrate CyberLife Tower to free his people."

"Wait, Connor infiltrated a high security tower all by himself?"

"Yup. Saved my ass again, too."

"How did... There's no way Connor could've gone into that tower without anyone noticing."

"...You're right. CyberLife's heartless goons were ordered to take Connor down, but he... He defended himself."

"He killed the guards?"

"He had to."

"..._Human_ guards?"

Tightening his hand over her hand Hank nodded slowly. "...Yeah."

"I... I didn't know that."

"Hey, it's part of the job for detectives and for him it was literally his life or theirs. And if he just let the goons shoot him then he would've died, I would've died and the Revolution would've failed. Two lives compared to hundreds of thousands is a small price to pay."

Unsure of how to feel Elizabeth remained silent.

"Connor didn't want to do it. He had nightmares for a long,_ long_ time after the Revolution and the guilt for killing people weighed on his heart as the dust settled and the Revolution and succeeded."

"I'm not disappointed by Connor's decisions," Elizabeth finally stated as she locked onto Hank's eyes with a sincere gaze. "I'm just sad he had to make such a decision to begin with. No one should have to decide to take a life, no matter what the circumstances."

"You're entirely right about that, Libby. The kid is so damn empathetic and kind that I'm truly impressed he can keep working as a detective. He's one of the sharpest people I've ever met and his role in the precinct is invaluable, but knowing he feels bad just for doing his job some times makes it difficult to watch him struggle with his own heart."

"Trust me, Hank." Giving him a gentle smile Elizabeth turned her hand over so her palm was facing upward and she could interlace her fingers with Hank's fingers in a comforting grip. "I know the pain of struggling with your own heart. I don't fault Connor for what he had to do to survive, I just wish he didn't have to endure so much pain and heartache just to live."

"Same, Libby. That's how I feel for both of my boys, and if I could suffer that pain in their stead I trade places in a heartbeat."

* * *

As night arrived Connor's pained soulful brown eyes slowly opened and he found himself laying in his bed with Ruby still laying beside him. Feeling absolutely exhausted and even a little sick the emotionally broken young detective pushed himself upright with his right arm and glanced about his room as his head began to spin. Remembering the horrible previous day and of losing Skye without actually losing her, Connor pressed his left hand to his sore jaw and winced a little as the severe pain shot through his jaw like a bolt of lightning.

Groaning in pain he shut his eyes tightly and tried to stand up, but his legs were shaking and making the task surprisingly difficult.

Ruby let out a small whimper as she jumped down from the bed to follow after Connor as he slowly walked out of his bedroom into the bathroom just down the hallway to check on the bruise on his face, and to try to wake up a little more by showering off and going about his usual morning routine as much as possible. Sitting down outside the closed door Ruby chose to guard the door and her master within until he returned to the hallway.

Lucas had heard Connor walking around and made his way up the staircase to check on his big brother, only to find his bedroom empty and the bathroom door shut. Reaching his left hand down he rubbed Ruby's ears and decided to sit down on the floor beside her as he too waited for Connor.

"He'll be okay, Ruby." The deviant needlessly whispered to the loyal dog as he tried to be patient with his heartbroken brother. "He's just having a rough day."

The bathroom door creaked open and Connor stumbled out of the door weakly, and caught himself on the door frame so he didn't fall forward. "...Lucas."

"Connor, you look like you're unwell." Getting up from the floor quickly Lucas stood before his trembling brother and ran a scan over his person. His vital signs were less than ideal. "Your heartbeat is rapid, you're pale, you're sweating and you're physically shaking. Are you sick?"

"I'm just tired." Connor responded quickly as he tried to walk past his worried little brother but he was stopped by a firm right hand on his left bicep. "Please, let me go."

"No. You're ill." Staring at the painful bruise on the left side of Connor's jaw Lucas ran another scan over the injury and was worried about the possibility of a concussion on top of the obvious fracture to his mandible. "You should let me take you to the E.R. for an examination."

"I don't want to go anywhere, Lucas. I just want to go back to sleep."

"Connor, you've been asleep for the past nineteen hours, twenty-two minutes and fifty-three seconds."

"Well, I'm not done yet."

"Please, brother. You're unwell."

"Lucas, I just..." Connor's face suddenly paled further as his eyes rolled upward and his legs gave out as he lost consciousness. "...sleep."

"Connor!?" Moving quickly Lucas caught Connor in his arms and lowered his now unconscious brother down to the floor to lay flat on his back. Picking up his brother's left wrist Lucas counted his pulse and noted that his pulse was still rapid despite being completely unconscious. "You need to see a doctor, there is no denying it."

Hank had heard Lucas's voice call out and limped around the staircase to climb it as quickly as he could without aggravating his bad right knee. "Lucas? What's- Shit!"

"He just passed out." The deviant replied as he rested his left palm over the center of Connor's chest to check on his heart. The replacement valve was still stable and Connor's current ailment wasn't being caused by a cardiac issue. "I'm worried he suffered a concussion when he was struck in the jaw."

"Can you get him back up?"

"Yes." Lucas confirmed as he slipped his arms under Connor's upper back and under his legs. Moving gracefully Lucas scooped his brother up from the floor and held him in his arms with a frightening ease and show of strength. "I have him."

"Come on, we're taking him to the hospital."

"What about Elizabeth?" Noting her absence Lucas worried about her reaction as he carefully carried his ill brother down the staircase and followed after Hank to get to the ground floor. "Shouldn't she be told about this?"

"She's already asleep." Hank confirmed as he grabbed his car keys from the bookshelf against the livingroom wall, then slipped on his shoes by the front door so they could head out for the hospital. "The last thing she needs to be told is that her son passed out and we don't know why."

* * *

It didn't take long for the hospital to admit Connor as a patient and begin running a battery tests on the downed detective. Seeing Hank and Lucas carrying Connor, still unconscious, into the hospital got everyone's attention quickly; and Connor being a detective made him a priority out of fear he had been critically injured of become ill in the line of duty. Hank had informed the medical team of the recent events that happened over the past few days, and of why it took them so long to get him into the hospital for an examination courtesy of Connor's relentlessly stubborn demeanor.

After being examined by Dr. Wilson for any cause of his collapse Connor had been placed in a private room, where he had an I.V. running into the bend of his left arm to deliver fluids, and had a muted cardiac monitor recording his vitals. It had been only thirty minutes since Connor had been admitted, and he was still unconscious. Dr. Wilson and a nurse arrived check in on him as a controlled dose of glucose was administered to the line after the results of his blood tests came back from the lab.

"What's going on?" Hank asked as he and Lucas sat in the chairs beside the bed waiting for Connor to wake. "Is that medicine or antibiotic?"

"We ran a blood test and found his blood sugar to be dangerously low." The kind doctor explained as the glucose was administered to the line. "We're correcting the low level now."

"Oh. What caused it?"

"Well, his pancreas is fine, no sign diabetes or pre-diabetes, so my guess would be he simply didn't eat enough in the past few days, and his sugar just dropped from poor caloric intake."

Hank flinched a little and ran his right hand through his hair. "That makes sense. He's been really stressed out and seems to have developed a nasty habit of not eating from time to time. Hell, sometimes he just doesn't seem to have an appetite at all."

"Really?" The comment held Dr. Wilson's full attention as it began to raise a few red flags. "When did this first start?"

"I don't know. Maybe two months ago."

Lucas spoke up and confirmed the exact time frame. "Seven weeks, four days, two hours-"

"Thanks, Lucas." Hank put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder to gently shush him. "Right, so about two months."

"That's just after he was almost buried alive, right?"

"...Yeah." Thinking back to that horrible day Hank confirmed the approximate time frame. "That seems about right."

"Okay." Playing on a hunch Dr. Wilson made a quick note in Connor's electronic chart before he took his leave of the room. "I'm going to order a second blood test to check his hormone levels and order an M.R.I. after we finish the x-rays on his skull." He sounded entirely calm and carried himself as if these routines and odd symptoms were an everyday occurrence. "I want to check something."

"Is it serious?"

"It can be, but it can also be easily managed. It shouldn't take too long to find our answers."

Hank rubbed his left hand over his gray hair and tried to not worry, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to do. "Damn it."

"It's not your fault that Connor failed to maintain a healthy diet while working." Lucas tried to reassure him in a calm voice as Dr. Wilson and the nurse took their leave of the private room. "He's an adult and he can take care of himself."

"Yeah, but I'm supposed to be his father." Placing his left hand on Connor's left forearm Hank eyed the painful bruise on the left side of Connor's jaw and let out a tired sigh. "I should've seen he was in trouble and helped him before he got this bad."

"I'm his brother." The deviant reminded Hank in a somewhat stern voice. "I could've done the same, and yet you'd tell my it wasn't my fault either. Don't blame yourself for this. I know Connor wouldn't want you to do that, and neither do I."

Appreciative of the reassuring words Hank gave Lucas a subtle nod and leaned back in his chair. "Thanks, son. You know how to put an old man's worries at ease."

* * *

With a throbbing ache in his head and an oddly twisting feel in his stomach Connor awoke and found himself laying in the hospital bed with an I.V. in his left arm, a muted cardiac monitor recording his vital signs and no memory as to how he ended up in the hospital to begin with. Sitting up slowly he tested his pain threshold with his headache and leaned forward to press his forehead against his right palm as he tried to figure out what had happened. Noticing Hank's dark overcoat in the neighboring chair told him that his family wasn't too far away, but why he was in the hospital was his primary concern.

"Welcome back." Dr. Wilson announced as he checked Connor's vitals on the cardiac monitor upon returning to the private room. "How do you feel?"

"...Like Hell."

"Extreme headaches, in this case a migraine, is a pretty common side effect of low blood sugar."

"I had low..." Trailing off Connor thought back to how he had been feeling just before he passed out in the hallway, and of how he hadn't been eating much in the past three days. "Damn it."

"It's okay. We got your blood sugar to a much more manageable level, and your vitals have been stable ever since you were admitted."

"What caused it?"

"Poor diet. You can't just ignore eating because you get so focused on a case at hand."

"Right. That's what I had figured..."

"But, there's one other thing." Holding up a tablet screen for Connor see for himself Dr. Wilson explained the results of the tests he performed. "You've suffered some damage to your hypothalamus gland thanks to your previous injuries. It's causing your lack of appetite, like there's a broken connection between your brain and your stomach telling you that you need to eat. It could become a major problem if you fail to remain on a consistent schedule when it comes to meals from now on."

Looking over the details for himself Connor felt his heart sink into his empty stomach. "...I have brain damage?"

"Considering everything you've been through in such a short frame of time it's a miracle that this is the only problem you have. You were comatose for two years, had been sick with a serious heart condition and almost buried alive where you suffered hypoxia and cyanosis. To be honest I'm not at all shocked and once Hank confirmed your appetite was waning I went ahead and played on my hunch."

"...Good hunch." Handing back the tablet Connor sighed and leaned back against his pillow heavily. "What's my current diagnosis?"

"No concussion from the blow to the head you received yesterday," he stated in a calm voice as he answered his most stubborn patient's questions. "but you do have a hairline fracture to your mandible. It's going to make eating a little painful, but a temporary diet of soft foods and liquids will help until your jaw fully heals."

"Shit."

"It'll be okay, Connor. Just stick to a schedule and remain on whatever diet you're already on. Your weight is healthy, B.M.I., cholesterol and all that stuff are looking great. So it's not _what_ you eat, but _often_ you eat. Try keeping a handful of hard candy in your jacket or desk at work so you can something sugary to snack on if you need it. I'd also recommend a few protein shakes to help keep your weight where it's at since you won't be able to eat too much solid food for a week or two."

"Great. Sounds fantastic."

"Just so you know you don't have to stay in the hospital since you're alert, coherent and sabtle. Now that we have your confirmed tests it'll be okay for you to go home and take care of yourself. Or have Hank and Lucas watching over you until you feel better."

Sighing with irritation Connor closed his eyes and snipped at the good doctor. "...I don't need a babysitter."

"Sorry," Dr. Wilson felt a little guilty for his previous comment. "I didn't mean to imply that you did."

"No, no..." Connor sighed and rubbed his hand right against his forehead in both tiredness and stress. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"It's alright. It's late, you're in pain and you've been through some pretty nasty stress as of late. Just go home, sleep and work on keeping yourself on a dietary schedule. Alright?"

"...Yeah. Thank you."

"Hank and Lucas are outside waiting for you. I'll get you the discharge papers so you can leave and get some rest in your own bed."

"Thank you, again." As Dr. Wilson stepped back out of the room Connor resisted the urge to yell out in anger and frustration at everything he was going through, and he just wanted it all to end. "...This sucks."

* * *

Everyone was exhausted as they left the hospital.

Once back home the trio walked quietly into the house through the front door, and let the odd night come to an end. Hank quickly returned to his bedroom and all but collapsed as he gave way to exhaustion, while Connor managed to stay awake a little longer and put up with Lucas hovering protectively around him for another hour in his bedroom. After coaxing Connor into eating some apple slices Lucas finally backed off and went into his own bedroom to lay down and enter rest mode. Once Ruby joined him back on his bed Connor fell asleep fairly easily as she cuddled up against his legs affectionately.

The following morning after a deep sleep and a much needed rest to try to heal Connor was awoken by Lucas lightly shaking his shoulder and bringing Connor a light breakfast on a small tray. Sighing with irritation Connor tried to roll away from his brother to resume sleeping in an attempt to ease his lingering headache, and escape reality for a little while longer.

"Please, brother." Lucas insisted as he kept his left hand on Connor's left shoulder. "You need to eat."

"I want to sleep."

"Connor, I don't want to see-"

"Just let me sleep. I'll eat something later."

"...Okay, Connor. I'll leave you alone." Retreating from the bedroom Lucas left the offered meal behind on the nightstand, and left his brother alone to sleep. "I'll be downstairs."

Connor felt a little guilty for being short-tempered with his little brother and rolled onto his back again. Glancing at the small table he eyed the mug of peppermint tea and small bowl of warm oatmeal sitting on the tray waiting for him. It was a kind gesture and Lucas was just trying to help him feel better, but there were times when someone just needed be in a bad mood so they could get it out of their system. That was something Lucas was going to learn for himself later on as his emotions continued to develop and grow.

Ruby, who had been awoken by Lucas as well, whimpered once as she sensed the tension in the air and gave Connor a sad look.

"Damn it." Pushing himself upright on his bed Connor felt his headache still throbbing in his skull but he pushed aside the discomfort in attempt to eat the offered meal before he went downstairs to apologize to his brother for being snippy. "...I hate feeling this way."

Lucas quietly retreated to the livingroom downstairs and found Hank helping Elizabeth packing up her few boxes to be carried to the car so she could get moved into her new apartment. "Do you need a hand?"

"Thank you, Lucas." Elizabeth smiled as she finished putting the final photo albums in the box and folding the flaps shut. "But everything's packed up."

"When are you going to go?"

"I'd like to get moved in by this afternoon so I can go shopping and replace a few more things that I lost. Some clothes, some groceries and a few other items."

"I'll take you. We can pick up your furniture with my truck as well."

Hank sensed something was amiss thanks to the deviant's anxious behavior, and decided to let Lucas go so he could stay alone with Connor. "Good idea. My knee is still sore and her headache is still hanging on. You can help us pick up the slack."

"I'll help you with the boxes." Lucas volunteered as he picked up the heavier boxes with great ease and began carrying them toward the front door on Elizabeth's behalf. "I'm curious as to what it's like to move from one residence to another. For future reference that is." The deviant tagged on quickly while hiding his nervous pale blue blush. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, let's go."

Hank opened the front door and held it open for Lucas and Elizabeth before closing it behind them. With his own task in mind Hank made his way upstairs and opened up Connor's partially closed bedroom door where he saw the young detective sitting upright on the bed with his left hand pressed up against the side of his aching head. The serving tray was cleaned off which meant Connor was at least eating again, and that alone was good sign.

"Need some aspirin, son?"

"No." Sounding as pained as he looked Connor lightly rubbed his right hand along Ruby's ears as the loyal dog kept him company. "Just space and quiet."

"Sure, in a minute."

"Hank, please. I don't want to talk."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"Alright." Connor was clearly in pain and unable to hide his discomfort as he spoke. "What's going on?"

"Lucas."

Furrowing his brow Connor gave Hank his full attention. "...What about him?"

"He keeps making weird comments about moving out, then quickly trying to justify his comment like he's hiding something. Too bad he sucks at lying."

Lifting his head up Connor sighed and breathed through the pain in his head and his jaw. "He wanted to tell you but also wanted me to help. I guess we got a little sidetracked."

"Let me guess, he found his own place and wants to be with Chloe."

"Good guess."

"And why did he think he needed you in his corner to back-up his decision?"

"I don't know. I think he's still afraid of somehow disappointing you."

"Him moving forward in life and wanting to settle down with the woman he loves could never disappoint me."

Looking away from Hank the young detective bowed his head and let his shoulders slump. "...Yeah."

Realizing he accidentally struck a nerve with the comment about Lucas being with a woman he loves Hank grimaced and decided to change the subject. "Well, your mother is getting moved into her apartment right now, so the house will be nice and quiet so your headache can finally go away."

"She's leaving today?"

"Yeah. She's moving into another apartment complex on the same block as the first, so she won't be far away."

"...I should be helping her."

"No, you should be resting. We're both back on the clock in two days and I don't want you to be physically worse than you already are."

"Right now my physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain."

"Heartache is a real bitch. I can't fault you for feeling rotten right now."

"And I was a real asshole to Lucas this morning. He was just trying to help."

"He knows it wasn't personal."

"I'm going to apologize anyway. It's the right thing to do."

"Hey, you're in pain, AND he woke you up. That's a _bad_ combination." Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Connor without jostling him too much Hank gave him a sly smirk as he tried to lighten the mood. "If it were me I would've yelled at him and hit him with a pillow."

The joke failed to provoke even the smallest of grins from the younger detective.

"Come downstairs with me, okay?"

"What for?"

"I don't want you hiding out in your bedroom all damn day. I tried to do that when I lost Barbara, but I had Cole to keep me going, and he did every damn day we were together as a family. And I want to do the same for you. Let me help you through this."

"...You're a little big for a six year old, aren't you?"

Hank laughed once as he gave his head a little shake. "Maybe. Come on, kid. Don't hide away in your grief. Be sad, be angry, be whatever you need to be. But don't isolate yourself and push people away, alright?"

Taking a moment to ponder what Hank said Connor agreed and made a move to get off the bed. "...Alright. I guess I can sleep on the couch."

"Good. Because when they come back to take the last of the boxes to your mother's new apartment we'll join them. And," watching as Connor stood up slowly Hank joined him and coaxed him toward the door with a simple hand to the shoulder. "we'll have a little sit down and talk to Lucas about finding his own apartment."

"House." Connor quickly corrected as he walked toward the staircase with Ruby following right after him.

"A _house_?"

"Yes. He had apparently located an ideal house just two blocks away from us, and his initial offer was accepted."

"Damn." Hank pondered the notion of Lucas having his own house and it made him grin. "It's not often people get the chance to start out in their own house and not a crappy little apartment. He should be proud of himself."

"I'm sure he is. He's just nervous about it, too."

"I can't say that I blame him."

"...Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"...Do you ever stop thinking about Barbara?"

Sighing a little himself Hank limped over to the recliner while Connor proceeded to lay down over the couch to try to get a little more sleep. "No, son. I don't."

"This is normal?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. You never forget about the people you care about and it's almost impossible to not think about them. But the pain will lessen as you continue to live. And that's what she would've wanted you to do. Live."

"She told me to be happy. And I want to be happy." Closing his eyes Connor leaned back against the pillow and tried to ignore his relentless headache. "The problem is I don't think I know what will make me happy anymore."

"Sure you will, kid. You just need to take the time to heal first."

"I've never been very good with waiting."

"Yeah, son. I've noticed. I've noticed that many,_ many_ times."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just learn to be patient."

"...Okay. I'll try." Ruby hopped up onto the couch and laid down at Connor's side, her chin resting affectionately on his right shoulder. "Good girl."

"Hey? How about tonight we go out and have a nice dinner with your mother and Lucas, and try to enjoy the peace in the city before some asshole stirs up trouble again? You need to get out of the house and try to socialize again."

"As long as we don't go somewhere loud or crowded that's fine with me."

"Good answer. Pizza will work."

_**-next chapter-**_


	62. A Cold Case

Despite his lingering heartache Connor decided it was time to go back to the precinct and resume his career as a detective. Hank had been cleared medically even though his right knee was still sore, but since neither of the two detectives were full of energy at the moment they didn't mind sitting behind their desks and taking care of their overdue paperwork. While they were going to be busy at the precinct Lucas was going to work on getting the final pieces of the paperwork filed so he and Chloe could move into their house together in a week or so.

"You know," Hank stated in a low voice as he pulled the car into the parking garage and parked in his designated space. The sight of the precinct seemed so odd since they had been away from work for so long. "you don't have to go right back to work just because you're officially off your suspension. You can take a sick day or two and recover a little longer if you want."

"I'm okay, Hank. I need to work." Turning to look the senior detective in the eyes Connor rubbed his left hand along his still bruised jaw, and over the faint stubble he had neglected to shave due to the painful bruise. "I need the distraction."

"Okay. Fair enough."

The two detectives exited the vehicle and walked out of the parking garage side by side where they were greeted by a woman in her early forties yelling protests at the precinct, while holding up a large sign demanding justice for her son. A majority of people passed her by without a second glance, while the police officers and detectives gave her brief acknowledgement before going inside the building to go about their business.

"Don't ignore my son!" She shouted angrily at people passing by but seemed to be focused more on the precinct than anything else. The woman was determined to be heard and not afraid to speak up for herself. "He was a good boy and his killer is still walking free!"

Connor paused for a moment and felt Hank's right hand bump against his left arm. "Keep walking, kid."

"Why?"

"Every so often we get someone screaming that the precinct didn't do their job right and failed on a case for some biased reason. It's just easier to keep walking and deal with cases that still need to be solved than trying to reason with people who are holding grudges."

Connor looked back at the woman and saw that she had a large framed photograph of whom Connor presumed was her son, and could see that the son had died in his early teen years. "...Does she do this often?"

"I dunno. I stopped paying attention after I got an egg smashed against my back during my rookie year by some pissed off widow because her junkie husband died after having a shootout with the police."

Staying in place the young detective made a personal decision. "...I want to listen to what she has to say."

"Connor, don't get wrapped up in a mess you can't clean up."

"I'll just be a minute."

"Alright, whatever." Continuing on his way Hank left Connor alone to speak to the woman. "I'll be at my desk."

Connor walked up to the woman and humbly asked her what she was demanding justice for. "Excuse me?"

"Are you a cop?" The woman demanded as she locked eyes with Connor and gave him a stern glare.

"Yes." Pulling out his badge from his back pocket connor showed it to her to confirm his identity. "I'm Sergeant Connor Anderson."

"Are you going to be a cop who listens, or ignores me like the rest?"

"I want to listen." Directing the woman over to a nearby bench Connor sat down and had her sit beside him. She clutched at the photograph of her son and kept her gaze fixed on Connor. "Tell me. What happened to your son?"

* * *

Propping his sore right leg up on a vacant chair Hank put another ice pack from the breakroom freezer on his aching knee and watched as Connor walked across the bullpen with a mission burning in his soulful brown eyes. Hank knew that look. It meant Connor found something fascinating or important that he was about to obsess over, and all he could do was sigh in mild irritation as his younger and far more ambitious partner set about his self-assigned task. The kid did need a distraction after all, and it looked like he found a good one.

"So, what did our 'guest' outside have to say?"

"She claims her son was murdered during a drug deal gone wrong, but he never did drugs." The younger detective stated firmly as he sat down behind his terminal screen to clock-in and log-on for the day. "She says he was in the car when his friend attempted to buy the drugs, and her son was gunned down by a cop."

"A lot of parents can't handle the truth when it comes to something like that."

"What about blaming the cop?"

"I blamed the android taking care of Cole when he died, and it was only until I got to know you and see that androids can feel just as much compassion as humans that was I able to accept the _human_ surgeon was at fault; not the android who was trying their hardest to keep Cole alive. Sometimes it's just easier to blame someone when you have a face, a name or a label to hate."

"Hank, he was a straight 'A' student, was working on earning scholarships and never had so much as a detention while in school."

"Kid, a lot of young students can live double-lives. And sometimes those double-lives end prematurely because of one stupid mistake. It sucks, but it's true."

"No." Turning to his terminal screen Connor began looking into the name of the woman's son to read through the case file, and reexamine the evidence and overall report for himself. "This is different. I can feel it."

"Do whatever you want to do, kid. Just don't get swept up in this one case and neglect your other files."

Without missing a beat Connor replied in a sharp tone of voice. "I never do."

* * *

Elsewhere in the city Lucas had finished taking care of the final pieces of paperwork and had Chloe at his side throughout the entire ordeal. Everything was cleared and the original offer on the house was accepted, and the payments were just beginning. The deviant technician had been paid handsomely by Kamski for his efforts and contributions for both the prototype biocomponent, which meant he'd be able to pay off his house within a few months without any worries, and for his services out in the founding of the first Android Emergency Care Facility in Boston.

"This is the beginning of a new stage in our lives." Lucas beamed as he took Chloe's hand in his own and squeezed gently. "Are you ready to do this?"

"Yes, Lucas." She smiled with an almost human grin as her L.E.D. cycled in a calm blue in her right temple. The more time Chloe spent with Lucas the more human she seemed to become. "I've been curious about the world beyond living with Elijah, and now I have that chance to begin seeing the world at long last. The best part is I won't be alone. I have you with me."

"Always."

"Can we tell everyone the good news?"

"Of course." Tightening his hand around Chloe's hand Lucas stepped closer to her as she gave him a truly loving smile. "We should go to New Jericho Tower and tell everyone in person, then we can go tell Connor and Hank later tonight."

* * *

Dedicated to the case at hand Connor studied the file as closely as he could, and eyed each and every photograph taken from the crime scene, the evidence that had been collected and the names of the officers involved on that tragic night. As the day had been slow Connor was able to sit and study the files easily without disruption until Hank got up from his chair and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder to finally pull his attention away from the case for a while, and back into the real world.

"Come on, kid. It's time for our lunchbreak."

"I'm not-" Remembering his unusual diagnosis Connor stopped short and shook his head a little. He didn't feel hungry, but that didn't mean he didn't need to get something to eat. "Right... Coming."

Hank watched as Connor quickly uploaded the case files from his terminal and into his phone for further evaluation before following Hank out through the front doors of the precinct. "Man, you're a serious workaholic."

"I'm dedicated, not obsessive."

"That's a very fine line to walk, kid." Hank reminded him as he and Connor walked outside together. The woman Connor had spoken to earlier was gone and there was no sign of her in the area. "Let's get something greasy today."

"Why?"

"Because it's finally not too damn hot to enjoy that kind of stuff again. I've been craving a big juicy burger for weeks."

"That doesn't mean it's good to eat just because the weather is more bearable."

"It may be bad to eat, but it sure tastes good. Besides, you lost some weight from being stressed out as of late so you need the calories."

The comment made Connor's brow arch as he tried to argue against eating such a heavy meal for lunch. "What about you?"

"I'm paying for the damn meal, so shut up. I'm going to eat what I want."

Connor just gave Hank an odd look as they returned to the car in the parking garage and promptly drove off to get their lunch without another word. Just as the young detective was steadfast in his decisions and couldn't be swayed in one or another Hank could be just as stubborn when push came to shove.

* * *

New Jericho Tower had given Lucas and Chloe high praise and congratulations as the duo announced their next stage in their relationship, and of their successful purchase of their new home together. While their Lucas also confirmed that while he was no longer going to work primarily as a technician he would always do his best to come back and help if they ever asked for his assistance. In doing so he also informed them of his new career choice which was meant with a rather mixed reception, but he was supported by his friends all the same.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lucas?" Chloe asked as Lucas drove them away from the tower and back to the city to begin picking out new furniture for their new home. It was as exciting as it was nerve-wracking for the young deviants. "Your new career is a drastic change, and it could be very dangerous."

"I'm sure about this, Chloe. I'm just as sure about this new career as I am about us being together."

Reaching her left hand over his right hand she interlaced her fingers with his own, and held tight. "Okay. If this is what you really want to do then I'll support you all the way."

"Thank you, Chloe." Squeezing her hand affectionately Lucas gave her a kind smile as he drove the pick-up truck downtown. "As long as we're together we can have a good life and be happy."

"And have a family."

"A _big_ family."

* * *

While Hank had been busy taking care of reports and catching up on paperwork that needed to be caught up on at the precinct Connor remained transfixed on the old case that, for whatever reason, had him intrigued even while on his lunchbreak. For an unexplanable reason his instincts as a detective told him that there was something in the old case that needed to be handled properly, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Not yet. Every fiber of his being told him to keep searching and he wasn't going to give up on the case until he found what he was looking for.

"Here." Hank handed a paper bag of greasy fast food over to Connor to take as they sat together in the car parked in front of the 'Chicken Feed' food stand. It was still Hank's favorite place to get some quick lunch. "You didn't say anything when I ask ya' what ya' wanted, so eat this and don't complain about it."

"...Thanks." Connor accepted the bag with his left hand as he continued to read the file on his phone.

"And you have to eat it." Putting a drink down in the cup holder beside Connor's arm Hank began to eat his own meal. Less interested in the case file and more interested in his lunch Hank tried to make idle small talk with the younger detective as he popped a hot french fry into his mouth. "You can pick what we have for dinner tonight since I chose lunch."

"...Right."

"Connor?"

"Hm?"

Reaching over he took Connor's phone from his right hand and placed it on the dashboard behind the steering wheel for a minute. "Take a damn break."

"Right. Sorry." Opening his own bag of food Connor saw the meal that Hank had brought him was a massive cheeseburger with fries. "This seems like a bit much for me."

"Like I said, you lost some weight from not eating regularly for the past few weeks. Eat."

"Please don't try to babysit me."

"Sorry, kid. I just don't want to see you get sick again."

"I know." Picking up one of the french fries Connor popped it in his mouth and began to finally eat his lunch. He still didn't feel hungry but that didn't mean his offered meal didn't taste appetizing. "It's just irritating to constantly have someone hovering over you when you don't need it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Watching Connor chew slowly thanks to his fractured jaw Hank couldn't stop himself from worrying about the painful bruise. "Need any ice for your jaw?"

"No. The bruise is still sore but the swelling has diminished and I'm not having difficulty in speaking or eating."

"Cool." Taking a bite of his own burger Hank glanced at Connor's phone sitting behind the steering wheel and decided to indulge his own curiosity. "So, find anything good?"

"Maybe."

"What's 'maybe'?"

"There were four bullet shell casings found from two different caliber bullets located at the scene of the crime. One shot came from a thirty-eight special and the other three were nine millimeter."

"Okay."

"The thirty-eight special belonged to the driver of the car, whereas the nine millimeter belonged to the responding officer."

"So the cop shot three times, and the driver shot once."

"Correct."

"Why is that interesting?"

"The driver of the vehicle, Raymond Connelly, was a seventeen year old rising drug dealer who died from a single bullet to the skull, and was armed with the thirty-eight special." Taking a moment to take a bite of his meal before continuing Connor explained the unusual details as succinctly as he could. "The _passenger_ of the car, Jeremiah Green, fifteen years old, was unarmed and shot twice; once in the head and again in the chest, and the victim that the mother is trying to get justice for."

"...Wait. An unarmed minor was shot TWICE, by a damn COP?"

"Correct."

"Shit... No wonder his mother's so upset. Who handled the case?"

"The responding officer's name is Gerard Calder."

"Calder..." The senior detective's blue eyes narrowed slightly. "I know that prick."

"You do?"

"Yup." Hank took a sip of his soda before explaining any further. "The asshole has a real bad attitude. Always has."

"How so?"

"He's the type to look at the surface of a problem and go from there. A really myopic bastard who was quick to label people and use classic stereotypes to justify his bullshit, if you know what I'm saying."

"You're saying he's a known racist."

"Yup. Humans and androids alike." Thinking about their occasional encounters in the past Hank couldn't help but think that Connor really was onto something interesting after all. "Fuck, the asshole was married and divorced three times because he wanted his brides to stay 'traditional', but they wanted to be people; not servants. He didn't agree with that and he ended alone and three times as bitter, and three times poorer."

"It sounds like Calder has a problem with diversity and progress."

"In a big way."

"Both of the victims in this case were black, young and driving through a shady neighborhood. I believe it's safe to say Calder assumed that the victims were both criminals from a single glance based on dated and unfounded stereotypes, and had made up his mind before he even pulled them over."

"And I think you're right."

"What's the next step?"

"Review the evidence and Calder's statement. He's an asshole with a major problem with lying." Hank stated with a somewhat confident tone as he continued to eat his lunch slowly, savoring every bite he took. "And he's even worse when it comes to keeping his bullshit lies straight. He's been busted before in the past for exaggerating his arrests, and his encounters with 'dangerous' jay-walkers."

"Do you know where Calder is now?"

"Somewhere in town. I still see his name pop up every few months or so when it comes to names being 'considered' for promotion, but ultimately denied."

"I take it you're not the only one who knows he's an asshole."

"You got it. Internal Affairs tends to keep their heads planted firmly up their asses, but even they know not to promote someone like that to a higher position of authority or power."

"Then I'll begin checking through the files once we return to the precinct."

"And I'll help."

The offered help was a little surprising since Hank had shown no interest in the case earlier. "You will?"

"Like I said, the guy's an asshole." Sipping casually at his soda Hank confirmed that he was going to help out with the case. "I'd just_ love_ to knock his arrogant insufferable ass down a few pegs."

* * *

Working together Lucas and Chloe managed to give their brand new home modest furnishings to make it truly look like their own unique place. The duo agreed on everything down to the exact shade of color for the walls and the carpets, and within a few hours the house was filled new furniture and adorned with the several paintings that Lucas had created while living in both New Jericho Tower and at the house with Connor and Hank. The house was no longer a house, it was a loving home.

"This feels like a real home already." Lucas observed as he and Chloe looked about their newly decorated livingroom together. Everything was in place and felt incredibly inviting. "It needs a few photographs on the walls, but I think this place will truly be our home for many, many years."

Chloe smiled as she took Lucas's right hand in her own left hand and pulled him over to the couch to sit with her. "I think you're right. This feeling, this warmth and a sense of belonging is... Is that was a 'home' feels like?"

"Yes. That's what it feels like to have a home."

"I never believed I would have this feeling." She beamed with unshed tears of joy in her blue eyes. "Living with Elijah was nice and comfortable, but his home was just that, _his_ home. This is... This is _ours_."

"Tonight we can bring Ash over and spend our first night in our new home, together."

"Have you told your family that we are engaged to be bonded, yet?"

"Not yet. There has been a lot going on emotionally with my brother, and I don't want to accidentally upset him."

"How so?"

"...From what I've been able to observe with humans and the depths of emotions that affect a person's judgment it's often ill advised to speak of a fortunate event with someone who has recently experienced misfortune. It can have a negative impact on a person who is hurting and can make their pain worse." Reaching out his right hand Lucas wrapped his fingers around Chloe's left palm and held tight. "I will tell them the good news when we have chosen the exact date for our bonding ceremony. It won't be happening for some time as a result of my mandatory training that will take six months to complete."

"Six months?"

"I cannot simply download the information as I could when I became a technician. This new career demands that I prove myself physically capable of performing the tasks expected of me, and that I can think logically on my feet, and on an instinctive level. It will be a challenge but I know I can complete it."

"You're right." Bowing her forehead against Lucas's forehead for a moment Chloe gave him a gentle kiss and a warm smile. "I know you'll do great!"

* * *

With a little coaxing Hank was able to convince Captain Fowler to summon Calder over to the precinct to be 'interviewed' regarding the past case that Connor had delved into. After a brief but well informed explanation as to why the young detective was checking through the old case at hand the seasoned police Captain decided it was a necessary evil that needed to be done, and requested that Calder come to the precinct for a case review and to get to the precinct as soon as possible for a 'performance review'.

Despite having never seen Calder before Connor immediately knew who he was as the officer arrogantly walked through the bullpen to the assigned interview room five minutes later than expected. He was a fifty-seven year old, portly man with a greasy face and thinning gray hair. He had beady, weasel eyes and a permanent scowl on his face. Age and a lifetime of bigotry had given the man of interest a very unwelcoming presence.

"That's him." Hank told Connor as he trailed the man walking to the interview room as requested with just his eyes. "I told you he was an asshole."

"He behaves as if he is somehow solely responsible for any form of civility in the city." The younger detective observed with a skilled eye. "As if he is the only cop walking the streets."

"Yup. That's why I.A. had no problem with sending someone down to watch the interview through the window. No one likes him."

"Do you want to do the honors?"

"It's your case, you get to bust his ass. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the show."

Connor nodded as he rose from his chair and walked toward the interview room with Hank walking beside him. Giving Captain Fowler a subtle nod the commanding officer let I.A. know that the interview was about to begin through a simple phone call to the observation room, and more importantly, to begin recording the conversation.

"Sergeant Calder." Connor stated as he and Hank walked into the interview room to sit at the opposite side of the desk from the unpleasant man. Being in close to proximity to the man was enough to make the duo feel uneasy as Calder just exuded arrogance and disdain. "Thank you for coming down. I'm Sergeant Anderson."

"Yeah, yeah." Uninterested in the 'kid' talking to him Calder impatiently waited for the 'performance review' to begin. "What's this about?"

"A previous case you had worked on."

"You're going to have to narrow it down. I've closed a lot of cases." The older man boasted arrogantly. "Maybe you'll know what that's about someday."

"I can assure you," Connor replied in a patient but somewhat offended tone without missing a beat. "I've properly handled numerous cases. In fact, the reason you're here is because I've taken interest in a cold case that you had originally been a part of."

"A cold case?" Calder seemed genuinely shocked at the comment and stared at Hank as the senior detective sat down beside Connor and kept his silence regarding the comment. "What the hell's this rookie talkin' about, Hank?"

"This 'rookie' is talking about a case you failed to handle correctly," the senior detective snipped as he locked eyes with Calder. "and I think he's onto something very important."

"What're you letting him do? Keep your partner in line."

Hank fell quiet and leaned back in the chair as Connor presented the case file of interest to Calder. "Review this case for me."

"This is just a waste of time." Calder refused to even look at the file as he passed it back to Connor with a disrespectful shove. "Don't you have something better to do with your time? Like playing crossing-guard at a school or making coffee for the _real_ detectives?"

"Indulge me." Connor refuted as he passed the file back and refused to let Calder's insults offend him any further. "I need some details that I know you failed to account for."

"What details?"

"Why did you shoot an unarmed teenager?"

"Why did..." Calder finally looked at the file, recognized the face of the teenager he had shot and just scoffed at the question. "That kid? Did his crazy bitch of a mother put you up to this?"

"That so-called 'crazy bitch' wants closure. I intend to give it her."

"Her kid was a worthless junkie and had a gun. I reacted appropriately."

"Wrong. He did NOT have a gun. He was unarmed and you shot him without provocation."

"Hey, he threatened me!"

Noting that he struck a raw nerve Connor remained calm and kept asking questions. "How so?"

"Well, he was talking back, and getting in a violent altercation when met with authority." Calder snapped with a cold emotionless tone. "I had the right to defend myself."

"How could he threaten you or present himself as a threat when he was still in the passenger seat with his SEATBELT fastened?"

"Look boy," already losing his patience Calder addressed Connor in a disrespectful and cruel manner. "once you've had years of patrol under you belt, not months, you'll-"

"I've been a _detective_ for the past thee years, identified and took down the 'Red Reaper' myself, the deviant acting as a domestic terrorist, aided in the success of New Jericho by exposing the corrupt practices from CyberLife, and, despite my youth that you clearly resent, I've made Sergeant in less than three months. My age has nothing to do with my experience and my knowledge, Calder. Answer the damn question."

Hank smirked smugly as Connor silenced Calder with a few choice words that put the arrogant man in his place.

"Now, explain how this unarmed teenager who never left the passenger seat was a credible threat to your person."

Finding his voice again Calder tried to push Connor back after having been backed into a corner. "Have you ever hand some punk kid hold a gun to your head?"

"I've talked down a violent deviant who was holding a gun to an innocent child's head. What does that have to do with this case?"

"Do you know what it's like to-"

"Be shot? Yes. Stabbed? Yes. Threatened? Yes. Poisoned? YES. Answer the question, Calder." The young detective wasn't going to back down, and he wanted Calder to keep talking. "How was this kid a threat to you?"

"Listen to me you little rat," Calder's face turned red as he tried and failed to intimidate Connor. "that kid was a problem just waiting to happen!"

"How so?"

"His buddy was a drug dealer and his buddy had a gun. I just did what I knew needed to done."

"_Murder_?"

Laughing a little Calder tried to dismiss the accusation as if it were nothing more than dialing the wrong phone number. "What the hell are you talking about? When it's a good shooting it's not murder, it's self defense."

"Is that why you shot that unarmed teenager twice? Once in the chest to subdue him, then again in the skull to ensure he was dead?"

"How in the- What're you talking about?"

"I can tell by the stippling of the second bullet wound that you held the barrel of your gun directly against the center of his forehead before you squeezed the trigger. I doubt he just sat there and didn't move so you could get such an accurate shot unless he was already subdued by a bullet wound to the chest."

"Look," changing tactics Calder tried to be reasonable with Connor even in the light of the unreasonable matter. "you're clearly a good cop and you're just trying to keep things as organized as possible. But there's a reason some cases don't get brought up anymore."

"And what reason is that?"

"Don't be coy with me, boy. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Are you referring to the victim being a different race? Guilt by association? Driving through a bad a neighborhood? Or the fact that this victim was the ninth case where you seemed to use excessive violence with minimal to no provocation?"

"What're you talking about _now_?"

Connor presented eight tablet screens with additional previous case files on their displays, and spread them out over the surface of the table for Calder to see. "Nine total victims of your misplaced judgment. All young, all of a non-Caucasian race, all in the same neighborhood. You were assigned to patrol the area, not act as an exterminator toward those you felt didn't belong there."

"Are you seriously going to try to throw a good cop under the bus to further your career?"

"This isn't about me, it's about you." Highlighting key details on the first electronic tablet screen Connor showed that he had proof that Calder was a corrupt cop who shot and killed numerous suspects under the guise of self defense. "You have a pattern of behavior. A pattern that's absolutely abysmal and needs to be corrected."

"'Corrected'?" Calder again laughed at the comment as if he could just walk away like nothing happened. "There's nothing to correct. I already handled that problem."

Hank spoke up and gave Calder a sickened stare. "Is that a confession?"

"Ah, come on, Hank. You know as well as I do that the only real way to stop violence is by stopping the criminals before they have the chance to hurt anyone."

"Uh-huh, and what makes a criminal a criminal if they hadn't even done anything?"

"You know, I heard you went soft." The deplorable cop reiterated with a bitter tone. "I heard you worked with a piece of plastic for while. I thought you were better than that."

"I had my problems in the past, but I never solved them with a bullet."

"Maybe you should. Then these streets would finally get cleaned up."

"You're proud of yourself, aren't ya'? You killed nine innocent kids and you're acting like you just single handedly took down the mafia."

"Like I said, the best way to handle a problem is to stop it before it began. I know that kid your buddy here is so desperate to 'absolve' was a member of a gang. He didn't have the ink yet, but I could tell."

Connor had heard enough of the closed-minded false justification. "Jeremiah Green was only fifteen years old. He was well on his way to being the Valedictorian of his class, working on four separate scholarships, volunteered every weekend at the youth center in his neighborhood to tutor other kids who were struggling, and he had started a club in his high school to encourage a career in art and music." Pushing the file on Jeremiah toward Calder again Connor gave him an enraged death glare. "Jeremiah was Mrs. Green's only son. Her husband was killed in a car accident when he was struck by a drunk driver, leaving her to raise him all alone since he was two years old. She worked two full times jobs and a third part time job to make ends meet and to ensure her son had a decent education and home life. He never had so much as a detention while in school, let alone a problem with the law."

Calder just stared at the photo in the file and didn't say a word.

"Tell me again. How was this kid a threat to you?"

"Okay, so maybe I overreacted. But his buddy-"

"His buddy fired once _after_ you shot Jeremiah."

"H-How did... you..."

"If the driver shot first you wouldn't have been able to get off three clean shots." The younger and sharper detective stated in a bold tone. "You shot Jeremiah in the chest which in turn caused the driver to pull his gun and fire back. But he was too shaken by his friend being murdered right beside him to aim properly which is why the bullet missed you and lodged in the brick wall behind you. You on the other hand were completely unfazed, and shot the driver in the skull as he panicked. Then you delivered the third and final shot to Jeremiah's skull to ensure he was dead and couldn't possibly testify against you."

Calder was beginning to pale and sweat where he sat as Connor perfectly detailed the truth of that horrible night.

"Your report doesn't line up with the evidence. The victims in your report had no previous criminal records. You pulled them over claiming the car they were riding in had a broken tail light, and yet the light had been broken at the scene as small pieces of red plastic were found all around the vehicle after you called in the shooting. The only thing they did wrong was drive down that street during your patrol."

"...So what?" There was no remorse in Calder's voice, only fear and anger. "I took two lousy kids off the street before they could hurt anyone."

"So," Connor stood up from the chair as the door to the interview room opened as two officers from I.A. stepped inside. "I'm going to pay you the same courtesy. I'm getting a dangerous cop taken off patrol before he can hurt anyone else."

"What the-"

"Sergeant Calder." The first officer stated in a firm voice as he motioned for the guilty cop to stand up. "You're under arrest for the murder of Jeremiah Green. I highly suggest you exercise your right to remain silent until your lawyer shows up."

"You can't do this!" Calder shouted frantically as he was cuffed and dragged out of the interview room. Being dragged across the bullpen in handcuffs was the truest walk of shame for any officer of the law. "I was just doing my job!"

Connor stayed back and watched as the man was dragged out of sight, and felt Hank put his right hand on his left shoulder. "You did good, son. Real good."

"Too bad it won't undo all the damage that Calder's caused."

"No, but it will give Mrs. Green the closure she needs, and deserves. You've also absolved her late son of any ill reputation he had gained thanks to Calder's lies and deception."

"You're right."

Connor straightened his gray suit jacket by pulling on the lapels, and proceeded to walk out of the interview room to cross the bullpen and finally step outside the precinct. In doing so he spotted Mrs. Green standing outside once more, but this time she was quiet and her eyes immediately locked onto Connor as he approached her. She had seen Calder being dragged away in cuffs, and her hopes were high.

"Mrs. Green," he spoke to her in a soft yet confident tone as he rejoined her on the bench. "I have some information to give you."

* * *

Happily Lucas and Chloe took Ash from the old house, gathering up her litter box, food bowl and her toys, and brought the small white kitten into her new home to get acclimated. With the little kitten now running about and exploring her new environment with unbridled energy the house truly felt alive and warm. The two deviants, a couple now engaged to be bonded, were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Hank, Connor and Elizabeth as they had invited their unorthodox family over to visit and tour the house.

"Do you think they will approve of our chosen house?" Chloe asked somewhat nervously. She was only beginning to truly deviate as she didn't have a traumatic experience to elicit such a response. Instead she was becoming deviant just by being in contact with other deviants, like it was a contagion. "I've never made such a decision before."

"I'm sure they will approve. We're living in a safe, pleasant neighborhood and my family is only two blocks away." Lucas reassured her with an affectionate lilt to his his voice as he spoke to his beloved. "We are ideally located and will be very comfortable as we continue to live our lives together."

"I wish I knew why I feel so nervous."

"I'm nervous, too. But I don't doubt that we made the right decision."

The doorbell rang and Lucas happily walked over to the door, crossing through his furnished livingroom, to answer it. "I'm glad you're here."

"Well, it's not everyday your kid moves into their own house." Hank proudly stated as he and Connor walked inside the new house together. "I wouldn't miss this and see you off."

"What do you think?"

Hank glanced about as did Connor as they took off their shoes respectfully to leave by the front door. "I think you found one hell of a place to live. Not bad at all, son."

"Three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large backyard." Lucas stated as he showed Hank and Connor about the property. "It's a nice house for taking care of a family."

Ash continued to run about batting around a shiny ball on the hardwood floor of the livingroom as the group walking about the house to take in the new setting.

"This looks great, Lucas. And since you're still in the neighborhood that'll make it easier to stop by and visit."

"Yes, of course."

Connor paid no mind to really anything in particular as he proceeded to look around the house, and peered out the sliding glass door of the kitchen to the expansive green grass in the backyard. There was a large tree in the corner and a stone bonfire pit in the middle of the grass. It looked truly inviting and Connor was a little relived to see that there wasn't a swimming pool that Lucas wouldn't be able to really swim in, and accidentally risk drowning a second time.

As he wandered about the house Connor felt Ash rubbing up against his right ankle and he quickly stooped down to pick up the kitten, and rub her chin as he held her up against his chest.

The front doorbell rang again and Connor answered it on Lucas's behalf. "Oh, hi... mom."

"Connor." Elizabeth was smiling and holding a small glass vase filled with an arrangement of fresh wildflowers. "I hope I'm not too late to see Lucas and Chloe's new house."

"No, not at all." Stepping aside Connor let his mother enter the house and even let her give him a small kiss of his right cheek. "Hank and I just got here. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Placing the vase down on the small coffee table in front of the couch Elizabeth smiled at Connor and glanced about the brand new house with a true sense of happiness for Lucas and Chloe's good fortune. "I'm still nursing a baby migraine, but I'm fine."

"Still? Perhaps you should see a doctor."

"I do every day, sweetheart. I'll be fine in a while."

"...Okay."

* * *

The small family gathered in the house's kitchen and they sat together at the kitchen table to speak about the future, and of how far they had all come since the Revolution. Hank was clean and sobered up, Connor had found a loving family and he was given a second chance at life, Lucas was a free deviant who was ready to start living his life, Chloe was finally a deviant and free of the android oppression that once held her people back, and now Elizabeth had the chance to get to know her son and finally be his mom - his real mom- after so many years of watching from a distance.

It was a simple dinner, one that Chloe prepared and had impressively put together despite never having cooked before, and everyone seemed to be at ease for one reason or another. For Lucas and Chloe they were relieved to have support and approval for their changes in life, Connor was able to help a grieving mother get justice for her son, and both Hank and Elizabeth were just proud to have their sons content with life, and feeling confident about the future.

"Before you leave," Lucas announced proudly as the dinner came to an end. "I wanted to tell you that I've selected my new career, and I will begin training in two weeks."

"Training?" Hank asked with an arched brow as he gave the deviant a somewhat perplexed glance. "What kind of training?"

"Well, I've thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with my life and I discovered a few things." Sounding entirely confident in his decision Lucas addressed his family as he took Chloe's left hand in his own and held tight. "I want to be able to help people, deviants _and_ humans alike, which I couldn't do if I remained inside New Jericho Tower. Even after leaving the tower I was still unable to help anyone beyond my skills as a technician, and so I thought about a career that would help both people when they need it the most."

"Whoa, whoa..." Hank was righteously getting a little worried and interjected with a firm but gentle tone. "You're not going to be a _cop_, are ya'?"

"No, I'm not selecting a career in law enforcement."

"Okay, good. It's stressful enough to have one son on the force." Nodding at Connor as the young man attentively waited for his little brother to finish his statement. "Having both would be too much for me to deal with."

"I am however," Lucas resumed speaking and a faint blue blush appeared on his face out of nervousness. "going to become... a firefighter."

The revelation made Hank's brow arch slowly. "...You're what?"

"It's the ideal choice that will allow me to help everyone. Very few deviants are firefighters, and if I were to increase the ranks then it'll help bridge the gap between androids and humans while being able to help everyone equally." The deviant's answer was as logical as it was confident. "I want to do this."

Connor was a little worried just as Hank was, but he also knew his brother was too intelligent and very strong to put himself in dangerous situations that he wouldn't be able to get himself out of. He'd be able to handle the challenge of completing the necessary training and disciplining his emotions enough to remain in complete control.

"...You're sure?" Hank asked as he hated the idea of his youngest son running into burning buildings for a living. Seeing him run into the burning mansion to rescue Connor was tough enough to watch, and the idea of him doing the same thing for complete strangers made it worse. "That's a pretty big change from working in a facility all day long."

"Yes. This is what I want. Helping people and saving lives is what I want to do."

Connor smirked a little as he rose from the table walked over to Lucas and gave him a nod of approval. "You'll do great, Lucas. You have my support."

"Thank you, brother!" The deviant beamed with genuine enthusiasm. "I appreciate it!"

Hank was a little hesitant but he knew that once Connor and Lucas made up their minds there was no way to change them. Whether he liked it or not Lucas was going to do what he wanted to do. "...Yeah, he's right. You'll be a great firefighter, son. Go do what you need to do."

"I'm glad you approve." The blush faded and he gave his family an appreciative smile as he tightened his hand around Chloe's hand.

Smirking proudly at the selflessness of the young deviant Elizabeth encouraged him to follow his dream as well. "I think the entire city will be grateful for you changing your career to that of a firefighter, Lucas."

Turning to look at Elizabeth sitting across from himself Lucas gave the kindhearted woman a truly grateful smile. "Thank you, I hope I can help as many people as possible."

"Now," Hank patted Lucas's shoulder and gave him a stern look where he sat. "let's stopping talking about work and just enjoy the rest of the evening. It's been a long, weird day and I'm ready for it to finally come to an end."

"Of course." He motioned to the sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard and stood up from the kitchen table, his hand staying wrapped around Chloe's hand as he moved. "I'll start a bonfire for us to enjoy. The night is clear and the air is warm enough to enjoy a bonfire without it becoming uncomfortable."

Connor grinned faintly as he watched Lucas and Chloe, still holding hands, happily going about the house with utter confidence in their steps, and showing the guests to the backyard. "Good idea."

Hank followed after the two deviants while Elizabeth stood up more slowly to stand beside Connor for a moment.

"At least one of us still has someone to call their own." The heartache of losing Skye was still fresh in Connor's mind but just as Hank told him he was able to move on, and the pain was beginning to slowly lessen. Seeing Lucas and Chloe clearly in love made his own pain ease considerably. "I hope it lasts forever."

"It will." Elizabeth promised as she spoke to her son in private. She was truly happy for the first time in years, and that happiness seemed to be as contagious as deviancy. "I can tell, those two are going to be together until the end of time."

_**-next chapter-**_


	63. Depression

It was warm stormy day as the summer fought against the impending cold fall with a brutal heat. A thunderous rain bombarded the roof and windows of the house restlessly keeping everyone in the city cooped up inside. Connor was spending his day off hiding out in his bedroom laying on his back. tossing Sumo's green fetch ball into the air above himself and catching it over and over again. Ruby was laying over his ankles watching the ball with faint interest as she waited for Connor to make a move to either toss it across the room for her to fetch, or just drop it and let her chew all over it.

Listening to the sound of the storm and nothing else, the house was now almost painfully quiet without Sumo and now without Lucas to talk with, Connor was in an emotional funk. As the rain continued to pelt the windows the power began to flicker until the storm knocked it out entirely leaving the house under a layer of darkness.

As the house let out a protesting groan courtesy of the blackout Connor caught the green ball and held onto it in his right hand. "Damn." Sitting upright on the bed Connor looked down at Ruby and put his left hand on her head to rub her ears. "There's no way you're going for a walk today. Sorry, girl."

Ruby wagged her tail a little as she licked the side of Connor's left hand as he kept petting her ears.

Connor sighed as he looked at the bookshelf across from his bed and decided to grab something to read and keep his mind busy, giving the ball a carefree toss over his right shoulder back onto the bed as he walked. As he glanced over the books on the shelf he caught sight of a glowing light coming near his opened bedroom door as Hank walked toward his room with a burning candle in his hand.

"Damn tree fell and pulled down some powerlines on the other side of the neighborhood." Hank stated as he put the candle down on Connor's nightstand beside the bed. "Don't know how long until it comes back on."

"That's fine. I'll just read until the power comes back."

"Are you okay?" Hank didn't like the way Connor sounded so dreary and defeated. Reaching his right hand over to Connor's forehead he pressed his palm down and studied the younger man's face curiously. "You're not sick, are you?"

"No, I'm not sick." Pushing Hank's hand away Connor picked up his chosen book and walked back over to the bed where Ruby was chewing on the green ball with her tail wagging.

"Well, you _sound_ sick."

"I'm fine."

"Nope." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank saw the distant glaze in Connor's soulful brown eyes through his glasses. "Something's bothering you."

"Can't imagine what..."

"Alright, alright. I get it." Leaning back against the door frame Hank rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin inquisitively. "You've been through a lot but you don't want to talk about it. I'm not going to push you, but if you do want to talk I'm going to be downstairs monitoring the weather on my phone."

As Hank walked away Connor just nodded a little as he began to read, only to have his thoughts distracted by the fully opened bedroom door allowing him to see clearly into Lucas's now vacated bedroom across the hall from his own. Knowing that Lucas was moving forward in his life gave Connor a sense of confidence as he knew that he and Hank had been able to give the deviant enough compassion and support to go live in his own house, but seeing the bedroom vacant just reminded him that his little brother wasn't there anymore, and they would have to make the time to see one another now.

The bedroom had been left furnished as Lucas only took his personal items; clothes, books, paint and canvases. The bed that was left behind was perfectly made and vacant. Usually when Lucas wasn't in his bedroom Sumo had taken over his bed. But now there was no Sumo, either.

Putting aside his book, having already lost interest in it, Connor looked at the green fetch ball in Ruby's mouth and sighed. "It's just not the same with the two of them here, is it girl?"

Ruby just continued to chew on the ball and wag her tail as she looked up at Connor with her massive, brown hound eyes.

As the rain drenched the world outside Connor glanced at his phone sitting beside the burning candle and took it with a slightly shaking hand. Turning on his phone he swiped over the screen to unlock it and began going through his very few saved pictures in the gallery. Opening one of the pictures he just sat and stared at the image as he saw himself laying down with Skye cuddled up against him in the bed. It was the only photograph he had of her and just seeing her face made his heart ache with a familiar and relentless pain.

"I'm not trying to annoy you with this," Hank suddenly called out as he walked into Connor's bedroom with a bottle of water and small sandwich on a plate for him to eat. "but it's well past noon and I know you didn't eat anything this morning."

Connor didn't reply as he kept his eyes on the screen of his phone and rubbed his right hand over his eyes, under his glasses.

Noticing Connor's behavior quickly Hank saw the photo on the phone, and immediately reacted as compassionately as he could. "It's going to be okay, son."

"You keep telling me that, but somehow it's not happening."

"Time, kid. It's all about time. Be patient."

"I'm tired of being told to be patient! I want to move on and I'm trying to move forward with my life, but I can't!" The near outburst was understandable as the younger detective had been under a lot of emotional stress as of late. "It's like something is holding me back and I can't get free. I don't... I can't explain it. I feel like I'm alone and dying."

"...Connor," Sitting down on the edge of the bed Hank refrained from taking away the phone as he tried to speak with his son in a calm and compassionate tone of voice as he gauged Connor's response. "right now, in this moment, do you feel like you're surrounded by an indescribable darkness? And are you feeling like you're sad, angry, in pain and numb all at the same time?"

Furrowing his brow a little Connor looked up at Hank and stared at him with glassy sorrow filled eyes. "...Yeah. How did you know?"

"Son, you're depressed. It's not unexpected after so much has happened, and it's okay. Depression is tough to beat but it can be done. I did."

The comment wasn't nearly as reassuring as he had hoped it would be. "...How'd you do it?"

"Well, at first I tried to numb it entirely with booze and you know how well that was working out for me. Then I ended up getting assigned to work with a great detective as a partner who broke a damn window to get to me, and threw my drunk ass into a cold shower before dragging me out into the cold night to do my damn job."

Connor bowed his head a little as heavy tears began to run down his face. "...I don't think that'll work for me."

"No, but you'll find what does works for you. It's different for everyone." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank shook him once and remained a comforting voice of reason. "And for fuck sake don't let anyone tell you to just 'snap out of it', or 'cheer up'. That's not what depression is like."

"What if I can't-"

"You will. I know it. If_ I_ can beat it then you can, and will, too."

Connor rubbed his right hand over his tired, teary eyes again and felt Hank's right arm wrap around him to pull him in for a hug.

"For now you should just let yourself be sad and get it out as much as possible. Then when you're ready to take another step forward you'll know, and you'll have me watching your back every step of the way."

Allowing himself to silently weep a little more Connor took in a deep calming breath and found his voice. "...Thank you, dad."

_**-next chapter-**_


	64. Paternal Instincts

Feeling slightly better than he had from the previous day Connor slowly walked Ruby around the neighborhood while Hank was out at a doctor's appointment for his healing knee for the afternoon. Even though Connor had already seen the route he had taken so many times before when he walked Sumo and Ruby during the spring, Ruby still acted excited about every scent; familiar and old, in the quiet neighborhood. Far more curious and energetic than Sumo had been Connor often had to use a firmer voice when issuing the younger dog verbal commands to make her obey, and stop pulling at the leash.

"Ruby, come." Connor pulled slightly on the leash to coax the bloodhound into resuming the walk as she sniffed at the base of a small tree. From high above a rumble of thunder echoed from the clouds and a small flash of lightning in the distance warned of another impending summer storm. "Come. We need to head home now."

Pulling harder on the leash Connor managed to finally lead Ruby away from the incredibly interesting tree and back down the sidewalk toward home. It was quicker to finish their circle of the block than it would be to turn around from where they stood.

As the storm loomed closer the sky grew darker and the thunder became louder. Connor hastened his pace to keep ahead of the storm and Ruby jogged alongside her master's legs happily as being outside was one of Ruby's most favorite things in the whole world. Rushing down the sidewalk to avoid getting caught in the rain Connor was suddenly stopped as Ruby pulled hard on the leash and began whimpering at a small alleyway between two houses that were recently put up for sale.

"Ruby!" Stopping mid jog Connor tried to get the loyal hound to move again. "Come!"

The bloodhound whimpered louder and began to really pull on the leash against Connor's right hand.

"What's wrong?" Allowing Ruby to pull him down the alleyway Connor spotted a cardboard box sitting in the alleyway between two empty trashcans, and watched as Ruby honed in on the box with a worried whimper. "What is it?" Connor asked as he curiously crouched down to peer inside the box. "What did you find, girl?"

Ruby's nose was pressing down inside the box to smell the unusual scent emanating from within and she kept whimpering. A hand written note was resting atop a small squirming bundle wrapped up in a bloodied white towel, and the sight made Connor's soulful brown eyes go wide with shock. In a shocked response he pulled Ruby back by the collar as he had to look again to make sure he was seeing what he was real.

Once the squirming bundle began to cry softly Connor's heart skipped a beat and Ruby let out a small whine in response.

"A... baby?" Another rumble of thunder sounded off loudly through the clouds and Connor reacted quickly as his training as a first responder kicked in. Reaching down Connor took hold of the box with both hands and slipped Ruby's leash down around his right wrist to keep her close by. "Good girl, Ruby. Let's go!"

Moving purely on instinct he carried the box out of the alleyway and back down the street to get back to the house two blocks away. It wasn't advisable to take the baby from the scene from where it had been abandoned, but Connor wasn't about to let a newborn get subjected to a frightening summer storm while he waited for emergency services to arrive.

Reaching the front door just as the rain began to pour down from the heavy clouds above Connor fumbled with his key to unlock the front door, and push it open with his left hand. Allowing Ruby to enter the house before him Connor awkwardly dropped the leash and focused entirely on the newborn that Ruby had led him to just minutes before.

Gently Connor placed the box down on the couch in the livingroom as Ruby's ears perked up with utter curiosity at the unexpected visitor's gentle crying. Connor picked up the note from the box to be read later as he focused primarily on the crying newborn infant wrapped up in the bloodied towel. Checking over the tiny baby quickly the young detective noted that it was girl, in seemingly perfect health aside from a slight chill, and had been born less than an hour ago; her umbilical cord was still attached and had been recently tied off and cut.

Fishing his phone from his right jean pocket Connor sent a text to Hank asking him to return home due to an emergency as he very carefully picked the screaming baby up from the cardboard box with both of his hands in a firm but gentle grip, and then held her in his arms with an unusual and unexpected instinctive response to her cries. Unwilling to let her to remain wrapped up in a chilly thin towel covered in her own blood Connor carried her into the bathroom slowly in order to clean and warm her up.

Ruby followed after Connor but sat down in the hallway outside the opened bathroom door as he watched her master with utter fascination.

Thinking quickly Connor took the largest of the towels and laid it out across the length of the bathtub and unwrapped the infant to lay her down gently on the soft surface, and get her out of the thin bloody towel. Next taking a washcloth from the rack Connor ran it under the tap in the sink in warm, but not hot, water and used it to very lightly wipe away the remaining sticky blood on the baby's body. Her cries steadily subdued as she began to feel warmer under Connor's care and ginger touch.

After the baby was cleaned and the old blood was washed away Connor used a second clean warm towel to keep her protectively swaddled as he tried to think of how to handle the situation as best as possible. The older, bloodied towel was left behind in the bathtub and away from the newborn at long last to be dealt with later as a critical piece of evidence.

Outside thunder and lightning rocked the neighborhood and a massive deluge of cold autumn rain soaked the area with an impressive demonstration of nature at its most powerful. Connor had returned home just in time.

Ruby whimpered at the sound of the encroaching storm but stayed in the hallway.

"...I can't take her to a hospital on foot." Connor realized with a keen observation as he used his phone to track the storm and looked at the baby swaddled protectively in the tub. "And even if the car were here it'd be too dangerous to drive with a newborn in this weather."

As the helpless infant began to cry again Connor was at a loss of what to do. He had no experience in caring for children, let alone a newborn baby. There was nothing in the house that could accommodate a newborn's needs and Connor was alone with her and Ruby during the storm.

"Hopefully Hank will return home soon." Connor whispered calmly as he picked up the newborn from the protectively warm towel and resumed cradling her in his arms. He was hoping his own body heat would be enough to keep her comfortable. "He'll know what to do."

Carrying the newborn out of the bathroom and into the livingroom with Ruby following right after him again Connor sat down on the couch next to the cardboard box that he had found her inside of, and looked over the note that had been left along with the baby. Picking up the note with his left hand Connor read it over and used his skills as a detective to analyze it professionally:

_'-To anyone who finds her, I'm sorry. I love her more than anything in the world, but I can't take care of her. _

_I'm fifteen and I was assaulted, my family won't believe me or understand me and I ran away from home. _

_Please take care of her and find her a good home.'_

Connor expertly analyzed the handwriting on the note and determined the age of the author to be in fact a person between the ages of twelve and sixteen years old. The chosen words were also befitting of a person of said age. The shaking handwriting itself was indicative of emotional distress and physical pain; not from fear or unwilling correspondence, but of worry and sorrow. The person who penned the letter also did so of their own freewill.

"The birth mother is a teenager without any financial aid or familial support." Connor deduced sadly as he placed the note back inside the box and he looked down at the newborn being cradled in his arms. "You weren't abandoned," he reassured the baby despite her being unable to understand what he was saying. "you were given up for adoption. I'll do what I can to ensure you have a loving home."

Ruby joined Connor at the side of couch and put her front paws up against the soft cushion as she stood up on her hind legs to get a better look at the bundle in Connor's arms. The gentle dog craned her neck to look at the whimpering baby Connor was holding and her tail began to wag a little.

"You'll be okay." Connor soothed with a deeply seeded paternal instinct he never knew he had. With his right hand on his phone Connor filed a report to the precinct regarding the situation at hand requesting that the nearest hospital prepare to receive a newborn who would need to be admitted to foster care, and put up for adoption. "I'll make sure you stay safe until the storm passes. You'll find a family soon."

The storm continued to batter the house with heavy rain and wind that caused Ruby to whine and duck down under the coffee table in fear. A little big for such a hiding spot Ruby just barely fit under the piece of furniture as she sought a place to hide without getting too far away from Connor in the process.

The side door of the house connecting to the garage was jerked open loudly as Hank rushed inside and slammed it shut forcefully behind him, eliciting an annoyed cry from the newborn and a small bark from Ruby. Shrugging off his rain soaked overcoat onto the back of a kitchen chair Hank spied Connor in the livingroom and joined the young detective at the couch.

"You found a WHAT this afternoon?!" Hank asked incredulously as he peered down at the tiny newborn swaddled protectively in Connor's arms. "What the hell?! Taking a moment to try to ease his racing mind Hank took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We have to take her to the hospital, you know that, right?"

"...I'm aware." Connor replied with a somewhat offended lilt to his voice as he absentmindedly soothed the crying baby with a gentle rocking motion.

With his left hand Connor passed over the note over to Hank, who promptly read it over for himself. His shoulders slumped with sympathetic sorrow toward both the baby and her unknown mother. Shaking his head Hank placed the note back down in the cardboard box next to Connor and looked down at the flimsy box with an annoyed glance.

"She was cold and required proper warmth." Connor stated as he looked back down at the newborn's face as she finally settled down for a nap and stopped crying. She was finally feeling safe. "The original towel I found her in was placed in the bathtub. It was covered in blood and made from very thin material."

"Alright, I'll put it back in the box to keep as evidence. Maybe they can find the mother through D.N.A. testing, and at least get a family history so the baby doesn't have to go through life without knowing anything about where she came from."

Connor nodded in agreement as Hank quickly walked down the hallway and into the bathroom to get the bloodied towel. As he returned to the livingroom he dropped the towel into the box then walked into the kitchen to wash off his hands.

"Ruby! Come!" Hank called to the dog who happily trotted into the kitchen from under the coffee table to greet Hank. "Good girl, come on." Hank coaxed Ruby into walking down the hallway and into the bathroom where Hank promptly shut the door on the curious hound. "Sorry girl, I can't take any chances of a giant affectionate dog accidentally getting too close to a tiny human."

"Ruby was behaving with curiosity, not aggression." Connor defended from where he sat on the couch. "I doubt she would've harmed the baby."

"Yeah, I know. It's in her breed to be protective of humans, but Ruby is still pretty young, learning and doesn't know her own strength yet." Hank explained calmly from the hallway as Ruby whined pathetically behind the closed bathroom door. "You didn't see anyone acting suspiciously during your walk this afternoon?"

"No. I saw no one unusual, or any pregnant youths in the immediate area."

"Yeah, well, I don't think it matters. The mother was obviously afraid and wanted the baby out of sight, out of mind."

"So we have to take care of the baby until we can get her to the hospital, right?"

"Right."

"You've been through this before?"

Hank nodded in the affirmative as he watched Connor holding the baby against his chest to keep her warm. "Here, more like this." He walked around the couch and gently adjusted Connor's arms to more appropriately cradle the newborn while keeping her as warm as possible against Connor's chest before sitting down next to him. "During my first few years as a rookie I stopped a teenager, barely sixteen, from falling into a life of prostitution and she ended up founding a discreet shelter for runaway and abused teens after she finished school. She set up the shelter two blocks from the old house and she asked for my help to make sure the teens felt safe enough to stay with her, and know that if something like 'this'," Hank motioned to the baby casually with his right hand. "happens then the newborns will taken care of properly. No judgment, no worries."

"You used to take in pregnant women and newborns at the old house to care for them?"

"Yup. But it's been years since I've had a newborn dropped off at my step, or a pregnant teen in labor seeking shelter."

"Why not instruct the teenagers to go to the hospital instead?"

"The damn doctors ask way too many questions and they like to give their unwanted, bias opinions to these frightened teen girls, and essentially guilt them into either keeping the babies they can't afford to take care of; or they make them feel like garbage for ever existing in the first place." Hank proudly smiled a little at the calm baby in Connor's arms. The kid was a natural father and he didn't even know it. "I don't judge them. Life doesn't go the way we want it to sometimes, and the last thing those girls need to deal with while already going through one of the most difficult moments in their lives is the uninformed opinions of judgmental strangers who can't be bothered to lift a damn finger to help them out after the baby's _actually born_."

"...Hank?" The tone of the senior detective's voice caught the younger detective's ear. "I don't want to pry but it sounds like you're speaking from personal experience."

"My best friend in high school." Hank admitted with a heavy heart as he rose up from the couch and walked over to the front window to watch the storm outside. "She got pregnant after a one night stand with her douchebag of a boyfriend who dumped her the next morning after he got her in bed. He got what he wanted and she ended up with a broken heart and a little 'surprise' afterward. When she told her parents what happened they kicked her out, she wasn't allowed to talk to her siblings or any extended family, and she had to drop out of school because the other students kept bullying her; calling her names and telling her that she had it coming because her ex-boyfriend had spread lies about her. She was devastated and ostracized."

"What happened to her?" Connor asked with emotional empathy as he subconsciously began rocking the newborn back and forth in his arms at a slow gentle pace to keep her calm.

"Well," begrudgingly Hank continued his story with a jaded tone. "after she dropped out of school I told her to come home with me. My dad agreed to shelter her since I was an only child and my mom had just died, so the house already felt empty, and she stayed with us until the baby was born. But like I said, the doctors kept prying into her personal life and made her feel like a slut all because of one night and _one_ bad decision. They even went after me because they couldn't accept that I was just her friend and looking out for her, not the father of her baby trying to feign innocence or escape responsibility."

Connor waited for Hank to finish the story although he was reluctant to hear what was sure to be a sad ending.

"After the birth, a little girl by the way, my friend gave the baby up for private adoption, moved out of the city to finish school, and that was the last time I ever saw her, OR the baby. They were both the victims of selfishness from one other person, and yet they were the ones blamed and labeled as the ones who were at fault. My friend was in love, but her ex just wanted to bang her. The baby wasn't planned, but everyone acted like it was somehow at fault just for being born... I can't stand that one-sided, judgmental thinking!"

"Do you think this baby's mother will be able to return home and finish school?"

"...I honestly don't know, kid. But I sincerely hope so."

The newborn began to rouse from her sleep and fuss a little in Connor's arms. Looking down at the newborn Connor tried to understand what was happening but his lack of experience was speaking volumes as he stared at her with a blank expression.

Hank had his own experienced hunch and stepped in on his behalf. "She's probably hungry. I haven't kept formula in the old house for years, let alone stocked up on any here after we moved, but I think there's some bottles still stored in a box in the hall closet."

"What should I do?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing. I'll get her something to tide her over until the storm dies down enough to make it to the hospital."

Connor nodded as he readjusted his arms once more to try to soothe the newborn quietly. It was a strange feeling holding the tiny helpless human in his arms; it was almost as if it were completely natural for him to care for a baby. A faint smile appeared on Connor's face as he continued to look down at her with a kind demeanor while Hank pulled a cardboard box out of the hall closet.

Hearing Ruby whimpering sadly in the bathroom Hank finally relented and opened the door. The confused hound swiftly exited the bathroom and retreated to the livingroom where she quickly ducked back down under the coffee table in fear, while Hank took the item he had been searching for and carried it into the kitchen to be sanitized.

"It's okay, Ruby." Connor soothed as he gave the dog an amused grin as she cowered under the table. "You're safe, too."

"Here, it's not much but it should be able to keep her comfortable for the next few hours without making her sick." Hank handed Connor a freshly washed bottle with slightly warmed up milk to take. "It's not too difficult to feed a newborn, they have the suckling reflex hardwired into their brains. Let me show you how to get her to latch onto the bottle so she can drink properly."

Connor hesitatingly accepted the bottle and with Hank's guidance managed to give the newborn the bottle. Just as Hank said she began to suckle on the bottle and slowly drink the offered milk without any difficulty.

An interesting thought popped into the young detective's head as he tended to the newborn in his arms. "I thought you said you aided the teens when they were in labor. Why do you have so many extra bottles in your possession?"

"Not all of the girls wanted to give their babies up for adoption, and not all of them were necessarily teenagers. Young woman in their twenties still face scrutiny and need some help without being judged. Barbara and I liked helping them out. It made us both feel like we were actually doing something for innocent people in the city." Smirking at the newborn Hank told Connor his original motivation. "It was nice to help people still alive who still had a chance at life in general instead of just speaking for the dead, or peeling overdosed junkies out of the street every night."

"I'm glad you were able to help so many people, Hank."

"So am I." Hank pulled his phone from his right jean pocket and sent a text to a secret contact at the hospital; a contact he hadn't had to use in years to let them know what was happening. "The storm should let up enough within an hour or so, we can get her to the hospital safely then."

"I'm sorry you had to rush home in this poor weather."

"It's okay, kid. Detectives don't have the most reliable social schedules anyway." He put his hand left on Connor's right shoulder lightly. "...Not to mention taking care of a newborn tends to be more important than an afternoon getting my knee poked at by a doctor."

"How are you healing?"

"I'm good. The residual pain will let up in a week or so."

The newborn's tiny hands flexed a few times as she nursed from the bottle, and her hands managed to find their way to Connor's right hand as he held onto the bottle for her. Her tiny hand managed to somewhat wrap around Connor's pinky as he held her kindly, and she squeezed in response. The action was enough to cause Connor's tense shoulders to relax for the first time since he found her.

"I think she likes you." Hank softly commented as he watched the newborn intently. "That's a sign of affection."

"I'm certain it's merely another instinctive reflex instilled in all newborns."

"I don't know, Connor. Babies are great judges of character. They're completely innocent and don't have any bias or misplaced hatred in their hearts."

Connor gave Hank an odd look as he responded to the comment. "The same can be said about animals."

"Yeah, true." As if waiting for a reason to crawl out from under the coffee table Ruby emerged from her hiding place and pressed up against Hank's right leg affectionately as she trembled a little in fright from the storm. Hank pressed his right hand over Ruby's ears and rubbed gently. "Guess we're both doing okay, then."

"...Do you really believe everything will be okay? I mean... With my own personal problems?'

"Yes, son. I know you will."

"I hope you're right."

"Bad feeling again?"

"...Yeah. I can't explain it, but it's like there's something horrible happening right now, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Sometimes having a cop's instinct really sucks, son." The baby fussed in Connor's arms and Hank lightly touched her hand as a means of providing additional comfort. "Same with a paternal instinct."

* * *

An hour passed and the storm eased up considerably.

Once at the hospital Hank and Connor were met by a seasoned nurse who knew Hank on a first name basis and happily took charge of the newborn. After explaining the situation and giving as many details as possible Connor carefully handed the newborn over to the nurse who lovingly cradled the tiny baby herself before gently placing her down in a rolling bassinet to take her down to the N.I.C.U. for an examination. Hank made sure the cardboard box and the bloodied towel were also given to the staff to have the blood sample tested for any sign of illness or genetic conditions that could have an impact on the newborn's health, before being turned over for evidence.

"You know something," Hank laughed a little as he gave Connor an amused stare. "I think now more than ever that you'd be a great father. You already have the right instincts with taking care of people, you're patient with other people, compassionate and you're a natural at dealing with messes. That's perfect for fatherhood."

"I don't think I could do that now after everything I've been through."

"Don't count yourself out just yet, kid. If you do have a kid you know Lucas and I will be there to help you every step of the way, right? And it's not like Lucas and Chloe can have a baby of their own to distract them, so you'd have all the help you could need."

"Theoretically with all of the updates from CyberLife as well as New Jericho Tower allowing deviants to act, feel and behave more human it's entirely possible that technicians could find a way to allow androids to biologically reproduce in a similar way to humans."

"Wow... That was a disturbing thought." Hank looked a little confused by the comment. "No offense, kid."

"Sorry Hank." Connor let out a weary sigh as he watched the bassinet disappear around the corner at the end of the corridor with a sense of longing lingering in his soulful brown eyes. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Are you going to be okay, son?"

"It isn't fair that she has to suffer. Like you said, she's innocent and it isn't her fault that she was born in less than ideal circumstances."

"I know it'll be hard, but try not to worry about her." Very proud of his adopted son Hank clapped his right hand down over Connor's left shoulder as they made their way to the exit of the hospital. "She's in good hands. You helped make sure of that."

"...I know."

"I'm certain she'll find a loving home soon." Hank sincerely reassured the worried younger man. "I have a good feeling about this."

"She will." Connor replied confidently as his eyes briefly brightened through the dullness of a deep sadness. While he still sensed something bleak in the air he knew it had nothing to do with the baby, her future was far brighter than his own and he knew she'd be okay. "I know it."

"Oh really?" Motioning for his son to follow after him the duo headed back down the corridor to take their leave. "And why's that, kid?"

"Well,_ I_ was adopted. So was Lucas." Connor reminded Hank in an almost sickeningly sweet tone as he gave the senior detective a sly smirk. Despite his depression Connor was still feeling somewhat optimistic. "If we can find a home and a family then I know she will, too."

Hank smiled with utmost pride as he and his son left the hospital shoulder to shoulder to head back home. "Yeah, she's going to be just fine."

_**-next chapter-**_

**Author's Note: **I had a couple of prompts wanting Connor to have more interaction with children. I wasn't quite sure how to make that happen without putting more kids in danger and that would just feel a little 'extreme' in my opinion.

And I hope Hank didn't come off as too preachy, but he strikes me as the type of guy who hates stupid shit like abandoning/judging/dismissing people in need; especially since he changed his mind about androids after meeting and getting to know Connor. And it was a good way to add some (au/non-canon) backstory to his personality as a gruff detective with a heart of pure gold.


	65. Remorse

**WARNING:** Character death involved. Please skip if you're not able to handle such a scenario at this time.

* * *

Inexplicably restless Connor struggled to sleep through the previous calm, quiet night and he couldn't sleep-in the following morning. It was barely six in the morning and as exhausted as Connor felt physically, emotionally and mentally he just couldn't seem to fall to asleep for longer than five minutes at a time. Getting dressed in his blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a navy blue button shirt over top; the buttons still opened and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Connor walked downstairs and fed Ruby in the kitchen before he made himself some tea to drink to try to ease his stressed out mind.

"Can't sleep, huh?" A groggy voice called out as Hank rubbed his right and through his messy gray hair and stood just inside the kitchen.

"Evidently not. And neither can you."

"Hey, easy."

"...Sorry." Connor didn't mean to be snippy, he was just so tired and there was no point in denying it. Letting the teabag steep in the mug of hot water her sighed and watched the water darken slowly as the scent of peppermint filled the air. "That was rude."

"It's fine." Brushing off the reaction Hank dropped his hand from his hair and stretched his back a little. "You're not going to go into the precinct looking for extra hours, are ya'?"

"No. I'm going to go visit my mother."

"Good idea."

Taking a sip of his tea Connor gave Hank a somewhat perplexed look. "Why's that?"

"You haven't really seen her since she moved in to her new apartment. The last time either of us saw here was when she showed up at Lucas and Chloe's housewarming a week ago."

"...Right."

More awake and alert Hank could see that there was heavy worry in Connor's soulful brown eyes, and it was settling down in his heart. "Something wrong?"

"...I don't know."

"You still got that bad feeling?"

Placing the tea back down on the countertop Connor nodded a little without looking Hank in the eye. "Yeah."

"Want me to go with you?"

"No." As his voice slipped into a whisper Connor felt an uneasiness sit heavily in the pit of his stomach. "I'll be fine by myself."

"Alright, kid." Trusting Connor's judgment when it came to handling his own emotions Hank backed off and let his son alone for the moment. "You do your thing today, and I'll do mine."

* * *

Taking the beaten up but still loved Oldsmobile to the new apartment complex where his mother resigned Connor parked in the small lot that encircled the building in a square shape, and turned off the engine. A strange feeling of dread weight heavily in Connor's mind and his heart as he pocketed the car keys and neared his mother's door. In turn he glanced around suspiciously as if expecting to see an intruder or an enemy skulking about the premises. Unarmed as he never carried his service weapon while off the clock Connor remained guarded as he rang the doorbell of the apartment and waited for a response from his mother.

After a minute passed Connor knocked on the door and looked back at the parking lot cautiously. Elizabeth didn't have her own car as she either always walked or used autonomous taxis, but the instinct to look around and observe anything unusual was prevalent as Connor took in his surroundings with a keen eye.

"...Elizabeth?" Connor called out in a firm but not loud voice through the still closed door. "It's me." Pausing for a moment he called out again. "...Mom?"

Silence.

The hairs on the back of Connor's neck stood on end as he checked the door and found it locked. Sensing something was very wrong Connor moved over to the window beside the door and peered through the glass between the mostly closed curtains to see inside the apartment. As he looked inside the apartment he saw a figure laying on the floor in the livingroom on the other side of the coffee table, and the figure wasn't moving.

"Shit!" Moving back to the door Connor planted a single firm kick against the door just below the doorknob and forced the door open. Entering the apartment in a rather unorthodox manner Connor moved over to the figure and immediately recognized the figure as his mother. "Elizabeth!?"

She was dressed in her dark purple scrubs from the hospital and laying chest down on the ground with her legs straightened out from her body, and her arms sprawled outward near her head. There was a small smear of dried blood on the corner of the coffee table beside her, and an additional small puddle of blood congealing in the beige carpet beneath her head. Falling to his knees beside her Connor put his left hand on Elizabeth's back and felt that she was still warm and still breathing. Lightly he pressed his right fingertips to the left side of her neck and felt a weak slow pulse beating steadily under his touch.

"Elizabeth?" Very carefully Connor checked her spine and neck for any sign of injury before he lightly rolled her from her chest and onto her back as he held her up in his arms to support her. "...Mom?" He tried again to get her to respond but she was completely unconscious. There was a single laceration on her left temple from where she had fallen and struck the coffee table, and the left side of her body seemed heavier than the right. Even the left side of her face seemed unusually slack causing an asymmetrical blank expression. "If you can hear me, don't worry. I'm calling 911 right now."

Using his right hand and arm to hold onto his mother as he supported her up against his legs Connor used his left hand to fish his phone from his pocket and call for an ambulance to take his mother to the hospital.

"I'm with you, mom. I'm right here." Taking in a slow breath Connor tried to ease his racing heart as he held his mother in his arms. "...Stay with me."

* * *

Taking advantage of the large empty house Hank made himself a nice breakfast, did a quick load of laundry and had just finished his shower when his phone began to ring in his bedroom. Grumbling to himself as he automatically assumed it was Captain Fowler asking him to come in for some overtime or another mandatory meeting Hank trudged into the bedroom to answer the intrusive call.

Picking up the phone he saw Connor's name and he felt a chill run up his spine as he answered the call quickly. "Connor? What's-"

'_My mother is very sick_!' The younger man interrupted worriedly as he told Hank what had happened. His voice was uncharacteristically frightened and almost shaking as he spoke. '_She's at St. Mercy Hospital right now_.'

"Fuckin- Alright, stay there." Adrenaline flowed through his veins as he made a beeline for the livingroom to grab his shoes and coat. "I'll grab a ride with Lucas and meet you in the waiting room."

'..._The doctors think she had a stroke_.'

Hank paused for a moment before responding. His own father had suffered and died from a stroke a year before Cole was born, and he knew all too well the severity of the situation. "Just stay on the phone with me, okay, son? I'm going to meet you there. I'm on my way."

'..._She was alone_.'

"Connor, don't do that." Hank urged as he managed to slip on his shoes and coat with one hand as continued to talk to his adopted son over the phone. "Shit happens, you know that."

'_She was sick and all alone_!'

"Even if she wasn't alone she would've still been sick, son. You can't blame yourself for this."

'_She was with us for over a week, and when she got her own place to live alone_... _This happened_. _I knew something was wrong, but I didn't_-'

"Stop it." Hank kept his voice level as he left the house through the front door and walked the two blocks over to Lucas and Chloe's new house to speak with the deviant, and let him know what was happening. "You can't blame yourself or hold yourself accountable for what happens to everyone in this world."

'_Hank, she kept having headaches_. _She was already sick before she even left_! _ And I missed it_... _ I should've seen the signs_.'

"Connor, listen to me right now. STOP." Trying to keep Connor from tearing himself apart from over the phone Hank managed to walk the two blocks over to Lucas's house in record time and ring the front doorbell. "You didn't do anything wrong. No one did."

Lucas opened the door quickly and saw the look in Hank's blue eyes, immediately knowing that something was wrong. Cybernetically Lucas tapped into the phone and heard the conversation as Hank motioned for Lucas to get the keys for his truck and follow him.

"Don't blame yourself for a total unfortunate accident. You found her and got her to the hospital, and that's the most anyone could ever do for her in her time of need. Okay?"

'..._I'm scared_. _I'm really scared, Hank_.'

"Don't be scared." It felt hypocritical to tell that to his son as as he too was fighting to keep his own voice from shaking as he spoke. He and Lucas made it to the pick-up truck parked beside the house and Lucas made sure Chloe knew what was going on before leaving as he gave her a cybernetic rundown on the situation. "We're on our way, just wait for us and take deep breaths to calm yourself down as much as possible."

There was a pause over the line before Connor spoke up again. '..._The doctor is here_.'

"Talk to the doctor and we'll find you at the hospital, alright? We'll be there in a couple minutes."

'..._Okay_.'

"Hang up and talk to the doctor, son. It'll be okay."

'..._Okay_.' Connor repeated just a moment before he ended the call and the let the line go dead.

"Shit."

"What's happened?" Lucas asked as he drove to the hospital with Hank sitting beside him.

"Connor went to see Libby this morning, and he found her sick. It looks like it may have been a stroke."

"...A stroke?" Lucas's green eyes flashed with empathetic concern as he realized the severity of the situation as well. "That is an incredibly-"

"I know. Just get us to St. Mercy so we can be there for both Connor and Libby. Right now that's all we can do for both of them."

* * *

The neurologist who had been diligently overseeing Elizabeth's condition had the misfortune of telling Connor about his mother's bleak condition. A calm and caring presence, Dr. Kayla Alden, introduced herself to Connor and spoke to him privately as she told him the rather grim prognosis. Elizabeth had indeed suffered from a stroke; an ischemic stroke, and it had caused significant damage to her brain as the blood clot had cut off a blood flow for at least eight consecutive hours. The fact that Elizabeth was still alive when Connor found her was in itself a miracle.

Elizabeth was in the Intensive Care Unit and attached to a respirator, a cardiac monitor and an electroencephalogram to monitor her dwindling brain activity. She had an I.V. running into the bend of her right arm to deliver pain medication and keep her as stable as possible. Tragically the damage to her brain was irreversible, and Elizabeth had been left in a permanent vegetative state.

"...She's going to be like this for the rest of her life?" Connor lamented as he sat down beside her bed in the I.C.U. and lightly put his right hand on her left forearm in a comforting gesture. Seeing his mother on life support was absolutely heartwrenching. "She'll never wake up?"

"I'm so sorry, Connor." Dr. Alden replied somberly as she observed the sad sight before her. "She won't."

"...How did this happen?"

"The stroke was caused by a blood clot in her brain."

"No, I mean... She's not even fifty years old, yet. How did she suffer such a severe stroke like this? She was in good health and was very active."

"From what we know of her medical history she had been physically abused by her ex-husband for years. It's not uncommon for victims of physical abuse to be left with permanent damage that leaves them more susceptible to blood clots, strokes, heart attack, high blood pressure, eating disorders and even chronic migraines."

Connor felt his skin run cold as he thought about his own medical history. He was born with a faulty heart valve, had suffered migraines in the past and recently been diagnosed with his own eating disorder due to a damaged hypothalamus gland. They were both still suffering from his abusive biological father's hands even years after they escaped that Hell.

"She isn't in any pain, Connor." Dr. Alden almost sounded lost as she spoke to him in a soft tone. "I promise."

"...She was still wearing her hospital scrubs which meant she had just returned to her apartment from her shift as a volunteer before she collapsed. She never wears her scrubs when she leaves the hospital unless she can hide them under a heavy winter coat because she doesn't want to be mistaken for a doctor or a nurse. That means she left the hospital without changing her clothes first, and must've left at an unusual hour to break her routine. What time was that?"

Dr. Alden fell disturbingly quiet as her posture stiffened with guilt.

"Dr. Alden," Connor felt her hesitation and turned to look at her, almost glaring, over his right shoulder. "when did she leave the hospital last night?"

"...Connor, I've spoken to the nurses who were on shift last night and they say your mother left the hospital just after five in the evening."

"Five in the- She was laying helpless on the floor for almost thirteen hours?" His hand absentmindedly tightened around his mother's forearm as he felt suddenly far more protective of his mother than he had ever felt before. No one was there for her when she needed it the most. "She doesn't leave the hospital until nine in the evening. Why did she leave four hours early?"

"Your mother had been suffering from migraine-like symptoms, and was feeling unwell."

"...And so she was sent home because she was sick." Connor's cold skin suddenly became hot with righteous anger. "Did anyone bother to check and see if she'd have someone at the apartment to take care of her? Or try to call me? Did anyone even bother to check on her condition before she left to make sure she wasn't suffering from anything more severe?"

"No." Admitting that no one stepped up Dr. Alden's voice dipped with remorse. "We messed up, and-"

"And what? You're _sorry_?" Enraged at the stupidity of the whole situation, angry that his mother was left alone and no one could be bothered to even call him to let him know his mother was unwell, Connor turned away from the doctor and stared at his mother's oddly peaceful face. "...Sorry doesn't wake the dead."

Dr. Alden couldn't fault Connor for his anger or attitude toward herself. Choosing instead to give him some space Dr. Alden respectfully took her leave of the room to ensure Connor and Elizabeth had some privacy. "I'll let you you alone with your mother."

Connor let out a shuddering breath as he put his right hand atop of his mother's left hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm so sorry, mom. I should've been there to take care of you. I failed..."

* * *

Two hours passed and Hank had finally found the nerve to venture to the I.C.U. to check in on Elizabeth and speak with Connor. The diagnosis gave Hank unsettling flashbacks to his own father's stroke that happened just after he graduated from the police academy, and how hard it was to deal with the aftermath. Pushing aside his own discomfort Hank, with Lucas quietly accompanying him to the designated room, opened the sliding door and stepped inside the room to check on his son and dear friend.

Seeing Connor sitting beside the bed holding onto Elizabeth's hand made Hank visibly wince. It was haunting. Hank had found himself doing the same thing with his own mother when he was a teenager and she was dying of cancer, and repeating the action for his father as he succumbed to his own stroke.

Discreetly the senior detective motioned for Lucas to wait outside for a moment as he quietly walked up to the chair behind Connor and looked down at Elizabeth's face, and Connor's hand holding onto hers in a comforting grip. Lightly Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and waited for the younger man to speak up first.

"...She's being kept alive on life support." The younger man whispered as if afraid to admit the truth. "She's not in pain, but she'll never wake up."

Closing his blue eyes tightly Hank kept his tears from falling as he truly sympathized with his son's pain. "I'm so sorry, son."

"...I'm her medical proxy. I... I don't know what to do."

Hank didn't know what to do either. He didn't even know what to say.

"I was in a coma for two years and I was supposed to never wake up. And yet, she stayed by me and helped to take care of me even though I never knew she was there." Tears streamed down Connor's face as he lamented on his past and of how much his mother truly loved him. "Logically she should've let me go, let me succumb to nature and pass away that night I was admitted to the hospital, but she held onto hope. I don't want her to suffer, or linger like this. A shell of her former self. But I don't want... I can't... It's not fair for me to let her succumb."

"Connor, what would your mother want you to do?"

"...I don't know, we never discussed this type of situation. I can't think right now."

"So don't think. Just be with her and let her hear your voice."

"I still have to decide what to do." Not being able to think but still needing to think was pushing him toward his emotional breaking point. "I'm all she has."

"No, son. She has you, and me and Lucas. We're far from a traditional family, but we're still a family all the same."

"This is still _my_ responsibility. What... What do I do?"

"I can't answer that for you. That's a decision only you can make."

"...I don't want to."

"But you have to. It's terrible and no matter what you decide you're going to doubt yourself, I know I did. So for now you're just going to talk to your mother and then you'll figure out what to do for her."

"What do I say?"

"Whatever you want. Just be here for her, and tell her everything you've ever wanted to say. I'm going to be outside with Lucas and you take as much time as you need. Don't worry about what you're going to say, just say it. Okay?"

"Hank, I can't-"

"You _can_." Patting Connor's shoulder twice Hank leaned down and gave Elizabeth a kiss on her hairline before he took his leave of the I.C.U. to give the younger man and his mother some space. "Be honest. That's all."

Absolutely at a loss Connor just stared at his mother's face as he kept his hand on her hand and refused to let her go. Trying to find his voice, trying to find the words he so desperately wanted to say to his mother, Connor took in a deep settling breath and leaned forward in his seat.

"...Mom, I... I don't know if you can hear me, but I want to tell you that I..." Watching her for any sign of response Connor felt another tear roll down his cheek and fall onto the back of her hand as he spoke. "I want you to know that I'm not mad at you or blame you for what happened during my childhood. I know that you do what you thought was the best for the both of us. You... You didn't want to run away and take me with you, because you didn't want me to spend my life always being afraid and always hiding. I understand that now."

As he spoke his hand tightened around hers, but he never once squeezed so tight that he would've hurt her.

"You watched me from a distance and did what you could to make me feel better about myself, and tried to instill confidence in my mind when I was completely full of doubt." As he spoke Connor could feel the pain he had long held back over the years coming through his words. "You were there for me when I didn't know it, and you took care of me when I needed it the most. I wish I could've done the same for you. You deserve so much more than you ever received."

Guilt stole his voice for only a moment as he struggled to find his words and express his feelings.

"...I mourned for you when I remembered my past and believed you had died when I was born. And when I realized you were alive it felt like I was looking at a ghost, and that I had been living a lie. I was angry with you at first, but I've come to understand that what you did wasn't meant to be hostile or deceptive, it was meant to be protective. I understand everything now. Even though I've already done so in the past I wish to say it again so you know for sure that how I feel is the truth: I forgive you, mom."

Holding onto her hand Connor let the tears roll quickly down his face as he spoke.

"I want you to know that I'm proud to have you as my mother. You survived Hell and you stayed by my side as I did the same. You dedicated your life to helping and protecting other people, and you never once let hatred or malice cloud your judgment or darken the light of the world around you. The only reason you're here right now is because you survived so much pain already, and now time is just being cruel and taking you away while you were taking care of other people. That includes me, and Hank and even Lucas. You were so kind and accepting of them, acknowledging them as my family and treating them with the same kindness and love you've shown toward me as your son."

Sighing a little Connor had to steady his voice before he continued speaking.

"...We never got close to one another, namely because I was being stubborn and I didn't want to get close out of a lingering fear of allowing myself to trust anyone. And now I wish I had taken the time to speak to you more often. It's too late for me to undo what I've done, but it's not too late for me to tell you how wonderful you are as a person and that I respect you. You were a great mother and if you weren't watching my back all those years I wouldn't have made it as far as I have. Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Connor gently lifted his mother's cool right hand up and held onto it both of his hands in a firm comforting grip.

"It's okay to let go now. You deserve to have peace." Pressing her knuckles against his left cheek Connor told his mother one final truth. "I love you, mom."

As he said those words he swore he felt her hand tighten around his in the briefest of impossible motions, only to have the muted cardiac monitor beside him suddenly display a flat line as Elizabeth's body gave out on her. She was gone. It was quick and painless, and Connor had been with her until the very end. Shedding more tears Connor bowed his forehead against the back of her hand as he continued to hold onto her hand tightly.

"...Goodbye."

* * *

Outside the private room Hank and Lucas watched Dr. Alden and a few nurses rush into the room, and it was then they both knew that Elizabeth's condition had turned for the worst. Staying outside the room to stay out of the way the duo waited for Connor to be ushered out to allow the medical team to work on stabilizing her, and yet he never emerged from the room. Holding his breath Hank crossed his arms over his chest and waited for someone, anyone, to tell him what was going on.

Lucas's green eyes lowered to the floor as he spoke in a quiet voice, his shoulders slumping with heavy sorrow. "...I was monitoring her through the wall." He whispered as if ashamed of his eavesdropping. "She... I can't detect-"

Hank's left hand to his right shoulder gave Lucas some grounding as the senior detective already figured out what had happened. "I know, son."

"I didn't... detect any distress in her vitals." The kind deviant confirmed as he contemplated what had just happened. "She just... passed. Peacefully."

"Hey, listen to me." Remaining quiet in his tone Hank looked the deviant in the eyes and tried to find a way to explain things to him in a simple but well informed manner about what was happening. "Connor is going to be really upset for a while, I have no idea for how long, but he's going to need us to support him even if he tries to push us away."

"...Okay. I think I understand."

"I want you to do me a big favor."

"Name it."

"Tell New Jericho about what's happened, and ask for them to give Connor some space. I'm going to tell the precinct that we're going to be gone for an extended period of time. No work, no interruptions. We need to be here for Connor. Got it?"

"Yes. I got it."

The door to the room slid open as the nurses and Dr. Alden stepped outside with their heads hung low. Dr. Alden just shook her head as she looked at Hank who was just waiting for a confirmation. "I'm sorry."

Nodding to acknowledge the doctor Hank stepped toward the still opened door and slipped inside the room to check in on Connor and try to be as supportive as he possibly could for his grieving son.

Connor was quietly weeping as she stayed beside his mother and continued to hold her limp hand. With his back toward Hank the younger detective didn't see or hear him come inside the room, but he still sensed his adoptive father's presence all the same.

"...She's gone." Connor whispered as he felt Hank wrap his left arm around Connor's shoulders and pull him up against his side for a hug. "I told her everything, but I don't think she heard me. I don't think she knows how I really feel. I don't think she knows that I loved her."

"She does, son." Hank promised as he held onto Connor and let his adopted son cry against him as he held onto his mother's hand. "She knows everything you said, and she knows how you feel. You both loved each other."

_**-next chapter-**_


	66. A Mother's Love

The morning of the funeral was as beautiful as it was somber. The arrangements had been taken care of by Hank on Connor's behalf, and everything else was taken care of by donations from the hospital and daycare staff who had worked with Elizabeth during her time living in Detroit. New Jericho Tower had pooled together some funds to help with the arrangements as well and made it easier for the grieving family to handle the bleak situation. Even the precinct donated some money and had given Connor a free pass to remain away in his grief until he was ready to go back for as long as he needed the time away.

Stricken with horrible insomnia Connor didn't sleep for the past three days since his mother's unexpected passing, and in his exhaustion came a deafening silence from the grieving young detective. Sitting motionless on his bed, his eyes glazed over and his face darkened with an unshaven stubble, he watched the various fish in his aquarium swimming about in the crystal clear water; the six fish he rescued from his mother's apartment thriving with the rest of the school.

Ruby was laying on the bed behind Connor with her side pressed up against his lower back. She felt his emotional pain and was keeping her master close by.

Lucas walked into Connor's bedroom to check on his emotional distraught brother and found that Connor was fully awake and already dressed in his black suit. Sitting on the foot of his bed Connor just stared blankly at the aquarium a few feet away from, him and he didn't acknowledge Lucas's presence.

"I see you're still unable to sleep." The deviant sat down beside Connor and neatly folded his hands together over his lap. He too was dressed in a black suit to show his respect for the departed. "I suspect you don't have much of an appetite either, so I won't bother you with that matter."

Staying quiet Connor just stared blankly at the swimming fish in the aquarium.

"It's going to be a relatively long drive, do you need me to do anything to make you feel more comfortable?"

As Connor remained steadfastly silent Lucas remembered what Hank had said about supporting Connor even if he tried to push himself or Hank away. "Okay. Chloe and I are going to follow you and Hank out to Novi. I don't-"

Connor suddenly looked at Lucas as if entirely confused by everything that was happening.

"O-Oh." Lucas caught on quickly and explained things to Connor in a somber voice. "Your mother had left behind a will and she had her final wishes regarding her funeral arrangements legally notarized four years ago. She specifically requested to be laid to rest in Novi. We're respecting her wishes on the matter."

Looking away from Lucas slowly Connor just stared at the floor at his feet and sighed quietly.

"I know you don't like the idea of returning to Novi, but it's only for a few hours." Unsure of what else he could say or do Lucas slowly stood up from the bed and walked toward the opened bedroom door again. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything, brother."

As inviting as the offer was to have his little brother's support the truth of the matter at hand was that Connor didn't know what he needed. He had cried almost nonstop since he was told about his mother's condition, and had wept heavily against Hank's side just seconds after she passed. The night after returning home from the hospital Connor just stared out at his window as he laid on his bed and didn't respond to anyone, or anything that came his way.

The pattern of behavior remained consistent as the three days passed by slowly, and he refused to acknowledge the world passing him by.

"Hey, son." Hank walked into the bedroom next and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder. "You look nice. You might want to shave, but that's up to you."

Remaining as quiet as ever Connor didn't respond to the comment.

"So, uh, we should get going." Picking up Connor's glasses from the nightstand Hank placed them over Connor's eyes on the young man's behalf thanks to his stubbornness keeping him statuesque on the bed. "I know you're tired so you should sleep during the drive over. Okay?"

Connor barely looked over at Hank and didn't move until Hank lightly hooked his right hand around Connor's left arm and pulled him up to his feet. In doing so the younger man swayed a little on his feet, and seemed to be paler than usual. The red bloodshot tint of the whites of his eyes only made Connor's pallor look even whiter.

"I know you feel like Hell right now and there's nothing I can say or do to make you feel better, but I can promise that is just one shitty day that will come to an end. You'll be okay soon."

Allowing Hank to guide him out of the bedroom Connor trudged heavily down the staircase to the livingroom and into the kitchen to sit down at the table for a moment. Ruby had chosen to stay upstairs since her company wasn't helping Connor's mood, and didn't want to be in the way.

"I'm going to go get changed and we'll head out." The senior detective remarked as he left the kitchen behind. "I already have the directions so, it should be a smooth and uneventful drive."

Sitting at the kitchen table ever silently Connor barely reacted when Lucas had placed a mug of warm peppermint tea down in front of him to drink.

"It's not much but it should be able to keep you from getting too tired and stop a headache from developing."

Connor looked down at the mug of steaming tea and lightly pushed it away with his right fingertips with disinterest.

As much as Lucas wanted to urge Connor to at least have the tea he didn't want to push his brother while he was on such an emotional brink of despair. Thinking quickly Lucas proceeded to make two pieces of toast with a smear of peanut butter over the pieces, and put one down in front of Connor to try to get him to eat it.

"I know dad often prefers lighter meals for breakfast," trying a new approach Lucas gently prodded his brother to have something to eat. "but I haven't made this before. Did I do it right?"

Connor knew what Lucas was trying to do and wanted to ignore the gesture, but he knew if he didn't indulge his little brother he'd just be watched even closer than he already was. Picking up one of the pieces of toast Connor bit off the corner and put it back down on the plate.

"...Is that right?"

To appease his brother Connor nodded a little, and he could feel Lucas grimacing at him with worry.

Hank rejoined his sons in the kitchen and had changed into his own black suit to dress appropriately for the funeral. He noticed the tea and toast and could see that Lucas was trying to get Connor to eat something and was appreciative of his efforts. "Ready to go?"

Lucas nodded and got up from the table. "I'm going to go pick up Chloe and we'll follow you."

"Alright, we'll wait for you outside."

Connor didn't want to move but his body was on autopilot. Following after Hank with a heavy pace in his steps Connor walked through the laundry room door and into the side door connecting to the garage. Slowly he opened the passenger side door of the car and sat down in his seat while Hank did the same behind the steering wheel. Using the automatic opener on the garage Hank backed down the driveway and pulled the car out onto the street to wait for Lucas.

"Glad you at least humored Lucas before he left." Every one of Hank's paternal instincts was on fire that day. "Could you do the same for me and sleep for a while during the drive?"

As silently as ever Connor leaned back in the seat and crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed blankly out the window to the side of the street just a few inches away. His heavy, tired eyes blinked slowly but refused to stay shut for long. The temptation to pull his glasses away and let the world become an unrecognizable blur was strong, but he simply didn't have the energy to bring that desire to fruition.

Hank wasn't surprised that Connor's stubbornness had the ability to withstand grief and turmoil, though he was hoping just once that the younger man would finally give out to his exhaustion and fall asleep. Noticing Lucas's red pick-up truck coming down the street behind him Hank proceeded to begin the drive out to Novi where the funeral would take place.

"I'm here for ya', kid. Try to take it easy."

That was such an odd turn of phrase to hear at the moment. "Take it easy." How was he supposed to take it easy? _What_ was he supposed to take easy? Death? Pain? Sorrow? What he was asked seemed to be impossible at the moment, and almost insulting.

The half hour drive was seemingly over in seconds for Connor. The journey from one city to the next seemed to happen in the mere blink of the eye, whereas the journey to the small funeral home where the service was going to happen seemed to take an eternity. As the car pulled into the small parking lot Connor felt his stomach knot and realized he was at the same funeral home where his own biological father's funeral had taken place almost eight years prior.

"Connor?" Hank had been watching Connor's demeanor very closely all morning long. Seeing Connor suddenly paler and beginning to sweat where he was sitting put the protective father figure on edge. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Breathe."

With a shaking right hand Connor rubbed his palm over his tired eyes as he tried to force himself to take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"We can sit here as long as you need, son. Do what you need to do in order to get through this."

Connor dropped his hand from his eyes and saw that there was already an impressive gathering of respectful guests pulling into the parking lot around them. The guests ranged from close friends of the family, to dozens of hospital personnel and former patients, from both Detroit and Grand Rapids, who had gotten to know Elizabeth from her time volunteering, as well as the coworkers and parents who knew Elizabeth from her time working at the daycare center downtown. A few of the citizens of Novi had also shown up as they were former friends or acquaintances with Elizabeth who wanted to pay their respects to the kind woman.

So many people had taken the time to see Elizabeth one last time, and yet Connor couldn't bring himself to open the car door and walk inside to do the same.

Moving his left hand down to his seatbelt Connor unfastened the restraint and made a move for the door handle. As the door slowly and heavily opened with an audible 'creak' Hank quickly did the same and met Connor on the other side of the car to make sure Connor didn't pass out from exhaustion. Standing on his shaking legs Connor kept his eyes focused on the ground beneath his feet as he walked toward the funeral home with Hank right at his left side.

Hank kept his right arm around Connor's shoulder as a means of both comforting his adopted son and to ensure he didn't stumble forward or collapse on the ground. Lucas was quickly at Connor's right side with Chloe beside him as he too kept tabs on his upset brother in a protective demeanor.

The interior of the funeral home was pleasant enough as it provided a calm and comforting atmosphere. However the sight, the sounds and the smells of the old building caused painful memories that Connor had long repressed regarding his own father came flooding back in a painful tide against his heart.

Hank felt Connor beginning to tremble and quickly but discreetly showed Connor to a seat in the front row to sit down. Staying beside him Hank was being an absolute rock while Lucas and Chloe stayed close by to support him as well.

Just as Connor was about to close himself off and scream in utter pained frustration he felt a kind hand touch his shoulder as a friend sat down beside him on the other side of Hank. "Hey, Connor."

"Markus." Hank acknowledged the deviant leader in a low voice. Like everyone else Markus was dressed in a dark suit and had taken the time to give his respect to both Elizabeth and her surviving family during the somber affair. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course. Connor made it to Carl's funeral despite going through physical therapy, so the very least I can do is be here for him."

"Thanks all the same."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing." He nodded at Lucas who took the hint and cybernetically informed the deviant leader about the past three days that Connor had been suffering through. "It's just going to be a tough day for everyone."

Feeling absolutely weak and useless all Connor could do was stare at his mother's peaceful face as she laid in her snow white coffin surrounded by hundreds of brightly colored flowers that oddly contrasted the bleak atmosphere. Knowing that she wasn't suffering and had died after being reunited together gave Connor only a modicum of peace, as his guilt for not spending more time with her began to gnaw away at his already fragile heart.

The service began after an hour and Connor could hear the muttered whispering from the gathered mourners commenting on him, or Lucas, and knew that Hank had given them death-glares to shut them out without saying a word himself. Unwilling to speak to anyone Connor just stayed quiet and stared at his mother as he continued to silently weep as his heart ached with the painful loss.

As more mourners gathered for the ceremony eulogies began from people who had known Elizabeth for years, and were more than happy to share uplifting stories they had while in her company. It was a positive energy that filled the air, but Connor didn't feel anything but grief and sadness as he sat in silence.

It seemed like everyone had a pleasant memory with Elizabeth they were happy to share, except for Connor himself; her only son. He only had the single good memory of the day they spent as a family and of watching the movie together on the couch as he forgave her, and finally called her 'mom' for the first time.

Each story told about Elizabeth was full of love, joy and utter happiness. A few stories even earned a few amused chuckles from the mourners as the stories reminded everyone of how kind, loving and patient Elizabeth had been during her lifetime, even when she was struggling just to survive.

When it was time for the burial Connor, Hank, Lucas and Dr. Wilson, who had come to pay his respects with the other members of the hospital in attendance, acted as pallbearers and respectfully carried the coffin out to the hearse to be taken to the cemetery a few miles down the road. Despite being weak and shaky Connor managed to walk without faltering in his steps and didn't shy away from his responsibilities toward his mother.

"Connor?" Hank addressed him in a quiet voice as to not draw unwanted attention from the crying mourners who were slowly filing out of the funeral home to make their way to the cemetery. "Do you want to ride in the hearse, or with me?"

The idea of riding in the hearse felt unsettling, but he couldn't bear the thought of his mother being alone. Without a word he chose to go in the hearse and sat down in the vehicle slowly. Turning around in the seat he put his right hand on the lid of the white coffin and bowed his head as more tears rolled down his face in heavy streams.

"...I'm here, mom." The doors shut and the driver turned over the engine to begin the drive to the cemetery with Elizabeth and Connor as the two reluctant passengers. "I'm still right here."

* * *

The beautiful day remained beautiful and calm as the mourners gathered at the cemetery to bid their final farewells to Elizabeth. For the mourners being at the cemetery didn't affect them as deeply as it did Connor as he saw his biological father's gravestone right next to the one meant for his mother. He knew that everything that was happening was according to his mother's final wishes, and yet he couldn't help but feel as though burying her next to the man who had abused her and made her life Hell was a cruel final deed being committed upon her person.

As everyone who wanted to speak up said their final piece Connor stood beside the coffin with his hands folded neatly before him, and had a single white lily in his grasp. To no one's surprise Connor was the last to leave the cemetery and remained painfully silent where he stood even after hours had passed by.

Hank, Lucas, Chloe and Markus remained in attendance as they refused to leave Connor alone, and they too shared in his silence.

With his right hand shaking violently Connor finally moved and placed the lily down atop of the coffin to rest amongst the other offered brightly colored flowers, then pressed his palm down against the smooth surface of the lid as he spoke to his mother for what he felt was the final time.

"...I'm sorry I wasn't a better son." He apologized in a heavy whisper as he leaned against the coffin and bowed his head again. "I love you, mom."

As Connor began to lose it and breakdown yet again Hank walked up behind him and pulled Connor in for a hug reassuring. "...Let's go home, son. Come on, it's okay."

"...I don't want to leave her behind." Connor finally spoke to Hank after three days of dense silence. His words were shaking and being weighed down with his mounting grief. "She shouldn't be alone."

"She's not alone, son."

"...She shouldn't be with_ him_." He whispered as he tried to not look at the two gravestones side by side. "Not after everything she's been through."

"This is what she wanted. We're respecting her final wishes and letting her be where she wants to be."

"But why? Why would she choose this?"

"That's not for me to say." Patting Connor's left shoulder Hank tried to make his son feel grounded as he spoke compassionately. "We just followed her instructions of the will, and there is something contained in the will that was left designated as just for you." Revealing that there was more to be had after the funeral Hank slowly managed to lead Connor away from the cemetery and back to the cars parked along the dirt path. "No one knows what it says, but I'm sure your mother will have everything explained for you."

"...I hate this." Connor wept as Hank hugged him tighter and led him away.

"I know you do. We all do."

Lucas heard the comment and walked over to Connor to wrap him up in a hug as well. Markus and even Chloe followed suit to give the pained young detective as much emotional support as they could as he wept and mourned for his lost mother for the second time.

"Connor," Hank lowered his voice and just waited for the younger man to take a breath to ensure he didn't pass out from hyperventilating and from not eating properly. "she's okay here. This is what she wanted and you were there for her until the very end. It's okay to go home now. Your mother is at peace."

With gentle coaxing Hank was able to get Connor back to the car to finally go home. The grieving process was only just beginning, but in time Connor would recover from the loss and be able to move on in his life.

* * *

After returning to the house Hank had to practically pull Connor out of the garage to get inside and Lucas made sure to escort him up the staircase while Hank did his best to give Connor the space he needed to heal, but didn't stay too far away in the event the mourning young man needed him. Markus returned to New Jericho Tower to inform the other leaders that Connor was going to need time to heal, and that unless there was a dire emergency regarding deviants that no one was to bother him with any cases or problems. The compassionate deviant leader knew all too well the pain of losing a parent, and knew that Connor was suffering horribly.

"Here, let me help." Lucas stated in a low voice as he loosened Connor's black tie then pulled his black suit jacket from his exhausted brother's shoulders. As his hands brushed against Connor's shirt collar and shoulders he noted that the young man's body temperature was slightly elevated. "You seem to be running a mild fever. Do you need anything?"

"...No." Connor replied as he sat down on his bed and then fell backward to lay his head on his pillow.

"Do you want me to stay for a while?"

Connor shook his head a little as he wiped the heel of his right hand over his eyes to remove additional tears. Pulling his glasses away from his face Connor sighed and dropped his right arm over his eyes. "You'd be better off staying away from me."

"What?" The comment caught Lucas off guard and was almost offended. "Why?"

"Everyone I let into my life gets hurt, or they... I don't want to see you get hurt again because of me!"

"What're you talking about, Connor?"

"All I do is spread pain and death! I... I hurt so many people while working for CyberLife, I almost killed Markus and wiped out half of Jericho, I almost got Hank killed because he chose to help me, you were almost killed because of a mistaken identity, and then Sumo got sick and died... Skye was... She isn't Skye anymore, and now my own mother is gone! I don't want you or Hank to be hurt or killed because of me."

"Connor, it's not your fault!" Lucas nearly shouted as he knelt on the edge of the bed and tried to hug his brother again. "How in the world can you blame yourself for all these bad things happening?"

"...Because I've done so many bad things." He replied in a broken voice without moving his arm. "And I'm finally being punished for it."

"Connor..."

"Just go! I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Connor, please-"

"Go!"

Reluctantly Lucas got up from the bed but he wasn't going to let Connor push him away. Knowing he needed help and needed someone with far more experience in emotions than himself the deviant walked over to the bedroom door and shouted down the staircase for back-up. "Dad?"

Hank didn't even reply as he quickly walked up the staircase and saw the worried look in Lucas's green eyes. "It's okay, son. I'll talk to him." Walking into the bedroom Hank pulled the door shut to talk to Connor in private as Lucas stepped out of the room. "What's going on?"

"I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me." Connor gave Hank a pleading stare as he dropped his arm sat upright on the bed up against his thick pillow. "So please, just leave me alone."

"That's not going to happen, son."

"Go away."

"No." Crossing his arms defiantly over his chest Hank stood his ground and watched Connor very closely. "Why do you want to be left alone?"

"...Please, go."

"Not until I get an answer. There's something hurting you right now, and it's not just from your mother's passing. What are you thinking right now?"

"Hank. I..." On the verge of losing it entirely Connor closed his bloodshot eyes and turned away from his adoptive father. "I was a terrible son!"

"No! No, you weren't then, and no you're not now." Moving quickly Hank hugged Connor in a firm grip and refused to let Connor tear himself down further while he was already feeling so low. Hank could feel an alarming heat radiating from Connor's form and he just hoped it was from stress and not sickness. "I'm going to tell you something that no one wants to admit, and I want you to know that this is the truth: No matter what you do, what you say or how often you think about it, you're always going to feel like you didn't do enough in the lives of those you lose. I felt the same for my grandparents, my parents, Barbara and Cole. But in time you'll see lingering on the 'what ifs' regarding your relationships in life don't matter. As long as those you cared about felt loved by you then that's the only thing that's important."

"Then why do I feel like I failed?"

"Because you _care_! Connor, you're a good kid and you've been through so much in your short life. The fact that you still care about anything or anyone at all is incredible. You're going to feel horrible for a long time, but I promise you that what you're feeling isn't true. You're a good son, you're a good brother, you're a good friend and you're a damn good detective. Just take the time you need to heal and let out all of your pent-up emotions."

"...I just... I just don't know what to do. I don't even know what I should feel."

"Hey... You're going to be okay. Breathe slowly and try to relax."

Connor took in the deep calming breath and sank back away from Hank's hug. "...I feel like I'm lost."

"That's okay, too." As Connor began to calm down Hank let up on the hug and reached into his suit jacket's interior pocket and presented Connor with a sealed yellow tinted envelope. It was his mother's will. "This is... well, when you're ready you can see for yourself. Until then, do you need anything?"

"I... I just want to be alone. Just for a while."

"Okay. I'll be downstairs with Lucas if you need anything or want to talk."

"...Doesn't Lucas have to get back to Chloe?"

"Chloe knows and understands what's going on. She wants Lucas to take care of you."

Nodding a little Connor took the envelope from Hank's hand and held it curiously in his trembling grip.

"Everyone grieves and mourns differently, so don't worry about a time frame or a protocol. Just do what you have to do and if you need help, ask."

"...Okay."

Reluctantly Hank left Connor alone so his emotionally fragile son could begin his recovery and finally move on with his pain. As he quietly shut the door behind himself Hank heard the soft weeping that Connor had been holding back all day long, and had to force himself to keep walking. Connor wanted to be alone and he was going to respect his son's request.

Sitting up against his pillow again Connor opened the envelope and peered at the contents that had been sealed inside. There was a copy of Elizabeth's will inside, as well as two smaller envelopes. Pulling out the will Connor read over the contents and saw that she indeed requested to be buried in Novi alongside her late husband, Anthony, despite everything that happened to her. She also left everything she had to Connor, as well as a generous sum of her savings to be donated to New Jericho Tower, the daycare where she worked and to the hospital where she volunteered.

"...Why did you want to go back to Novi?"

Opening up the first of the two envelopes, one that was slightly heavier and bulkier than its counterpart, Connor found dozens of photographs that he had never seen before. They showed his biological parents, Anthony and Elizabeth, standing together on what was evidently their wedding day. His mother looked as beautiful as she was happy, and his father, who bore the same kind blue eyes as Hank, was actually smiling. Connor could not remember a single instance where his father ever smiled, and it seemed impossible to see it now.

Another photograph showed Elizabeth holding Connor when he was only two months old. It was taken when she volunteered to help kids at the foster care facility and she took the opportunity to make sure she was able to photograph the moment for posterity.

There was a handful of other photos of Connor ranging from him being a few months old to four years old playing with the other kids at the foster card facility and actually smiling. He couldn't remember those times that made him laugh and smile as a child, but now he had proof they actually existed.

"...She kept every photo she ever took of me." Checking through each image one by one the final photograph in the stack was of him giving Elizabeth her Christmas gift at the hospital the previous winter. A nurse or an orderly had seen them talking and took a photo on their phone. It was now the only photo Connor had of himself and his mother as an adult. And it was of them hugging. "...There should've been more moments like this, mom."

Putting aside the photographs Connor opened up the second envelope and found a letter tucked away inside for his eyes only. Carefully he unfolded the letter and recognized the handwriting as that of his mother and felt his heart skip a beat as he realized the date in which she penned it. Just two days before her stroke, as if she knew she was going to become ill and pass on.

"She wrote this with a calm steady hand." He unfailingly studied the penmanship and felt a sense of peace knowing his mother wasn't under duress or feeling pressured to write. The words were spelled out perfectly and every word was chosen carefully. "It's as if she knew her time was coming to an end."

Holding the letter in his trembling hands Connor began to read the letter without any idea of what to expect:

_My dearest Connor,_

_I'm so proud of you. You've become a kind, compassionate, intelligent young man who isn't afraid to help those in need, and as your mother I couldn't be happier to call you my son._

_You've endured so much in your short life and with each experience you grew and you became stronger. Despite the pain, the suffering and loneliness you must've gone through you still never lost your capacity to love and have a courageous and protective nature. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to find love for yourself._

__I know you were hurt so deeply and for long by my absence and from the abuse you had to endure alone, and I know when I returned that pain you had overcome returned to your heart. It hurt me to see you in pain, and all I wanted to do was hug you until the pain finally stopped. I'm so sorry that you hurt for so long, and I wish I could've done more to make the pain go away sooner. But as I watched you live your life I knew that you'd be able to overcome your pain again and become even stronger than you already were.__

__Through your strength I found the means to forgive Anthony for everything he had done to us, and of the pain we endured. As much as I still feared him and was angered by even hearing his name I would always remember that the man I fell in love with wasn't the man who hurt us, and if I hadn't met him then I wouldn't have you in this world. The man I loved died when he became injured, and I still love him to this day. That's why I wanted to be buried in Novi so I could be with him again. Despite his faults, despite his unforgivable actions, he doesn't deserve to be alone.__

__Neither do you.__

__Connor, I couldn't ask you to be any more than you already are. Kind. Caring. Compassionate. Fearless. Empathetic. Generous. Loving. But there is one thing I ask of you, and I ask only because you need to do this; be happy.__

__Find a way to be happy. Find a way to let go of the darkness shadowing over you and live only in the light. You deserve happiness.__

__Happiness can be the brightest light shining through the blackest of darkness. You just have to know where to look in order to see it.__

__No matter what you do with your life please remember that you deserve to be happy, and please remember that no matter where you go I'll always be watching over you proudly and with a warm heart.__

__I love you, my son. And I always will.__

Connor's hands shook again as he read the letter and let more tears roll down his face. "...I love you, too, mom."

Feeling as if a massive weight had been lifted from his heart Connor neatly folded up the letter and tucked it back into the envelope as he placed it inside the drawer of his nightstand, and tucked the photographs inside the drawer as well. As for the will Connor left it on top of the nightstand and continued to cry as he laid down against his pillow.

"...I'll try to be happy."

* * *

Sitting in the middle of the couch in the livingroom with Ruby cuddled up on his lap Lucas's worried eyes glanced upward toward the ceiling as his scanners noted a change in Connor's vital signs from the second floor. Relaxing where he sat Lucas confirmed to Hank, who was in the kitchen making a light dinner for himself, that Connor had finally relaxed and was beginning to rest after three days of restless grief keeping him wide awake and enthralled in a relentless emotional pain.

"Connor is asleep."

"Finally." Hank let out a sigh of relief as he stood in front of the stove in the kitchen. "How long do you think he'll be out?"

"Unknown. Based on his vitals I suspect he'll be asleep for approximately twenty-six hours, forty-four minutes and sixteen seconds. It's all imperative that when he wakes up he eats something. He's dropped two pounds and four ounces from stress and the lack of eating over the past three days, that is very unhealthy for anyone to endure."

"I'll take care of him. Don't worry, son."

"May I ask you something?" Lucas rose from the couch and had Ruby follow after him as he walked into the kitchen to speak with Hank in person.

"Shoot. What's on your mind?"

"Why does Connor feel so guilty about his mother's passing?" The deviant was still very unfamiliar with grief and the complexities of human emotions that accompany a deep sense of loss. "He wasn't responsible for her health, and he didn't do anything wrong."

"It's hard to explain, but humans have a tendency to hold ourselves accountable whenever a loved one passes away. We always just assume we could've or should've done something different when we lose someone, and right now he's probably feeling like he should've spent more time with her."

"I see. That's a very unusual reaction to a circumstance that was beyond his control."

"Yup. And humans are a very unusual species." Turning around Hank put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder and gave him an appreciative nod. "Why don't you go home and spend time with Chloe? I'll keep an eye on Connor and let you know when he wakes up."

"You're certain?"

"Yeah, go on. Thanks for all your help today, son. Now go home and take of yourself, I know you're hurting, too."

"Of course. I'll see you in three days."

"Three days?"

"I begin my training tomorrow. I will be quite busy for the next few days."

"Right, right. Well, see you then, son. Good luck."

"Thank you. Let me know as soon as Connor wakes up."

"I will. Try to have a good night, and get some rest."

As the deviant left the house through the front door Hank turned off the stove, poured some food into Ruby's bowl on the kitchen floor and then made his way up the staircase quietly. Opening Connor's bedroom door silently he peered inside and saw that Connor was out cold, and in a deep sleep. Laying on his back with his right arm draped over his abdomen he looked comfortable, but the lingering grimace on his face as he slept spoke volumes of his painful grief.

"Hang in there, son." Discreetly Hank walked into the bedroom and lightly put his right palm over Connor's forehead, openly wincing at the mild fever still clinging to him even as he slept. The last thing Connor needed was a sickness to keep him down. "Tomorrow's another day."

_**-next chapter-**_


	67. Grief

The following morning Hank tried to keep himself preoccupied as he endured the aftermath of the funeral and kept himself from trying to check in on Connor every five minutes. Waking up at his usual time Hank checked in on Connor once, noting that the young man was still sleeping deeply and that he was still running a mild fever. After convincing himself that it was okay to leave Connor alone for a while Hank went downstairs, fed Ruby and let her outside for a while, checked his phone, checked on Connor for the second time in the same hour, went downstairs to make himself a light breakfast and made Connor a mug of tea to drink if he felt up to eating anything whatsoever.

Placing the steaming mug down on the nightstand beside Connor's bed Hank gave his son a sympathetic glance, pressed his right palm over the sleeping young man's warm forehead and quietly left the bedroom once more to let him sleep in peace for a while longer.

"Poor kid's been through so much." Stepping out of the bedroom Hank crept back down the staircase and looked over at Ruby as the loyal hound picked up her chew rope from the pillow in the corner of the livingroom and made a move for the staircase herself. Grabbing onto the free end of the rope Hank kept the dog from going up the stairs for a while. "Sorry, girl. He's sleeping and the last thing he needs is a rude awakening."

Ruby seemed to understand and whimpered sadly.

"Maybe you two can play again once he's feeling better."

Leading Ruby away from the staircase Hank sat down in the recliner and pulled a little on the rope to amuse the hound and try to liven up the otherwise dreary household. While Ruby pulled on the rope she wagged her tail a little and Hank smirked as the energetic pup was getting stronger and bigger every day.

"Good girl."

Letting Ruby have the rope Hank sighed and glanced over at the bookshelf against the far wall where his modest collection of old novels were just begging to be read for the umpteenth time. Just as he contemplated delving into an old mystery to see if he still remembered all the clues and the suspects in the tale a soft knocking on the front door stole his attention.

Ruby stood before the door and growled once as she stared at the unknown visitor through the doorway.

"Easy, girl." Standing up from the chair he rubbed Ruby's ears once and peered through the door's peephole. "It's just Markus." Unlocking the front door Hank greeted the deviant leader with a forced content grin on his face and invited him inside the house. "Hey, Markus."

"Hello, Hank. Am I intruding?"

"Nope." Waving the deviant inside the house Hank watched as Ruby lowered her guard and began wagging her tail again. Closing the door behind Markus as the empathetic deviant glanced at the staircase Hank knew exactly why he was there and what he wanted to know. "Connor is upstairs asleep. He passed out a few minutes after we got back from the funeral last night, and he's been out ever since."

"I've never seen him so broken up before." Markus stated somberly as he turned to look at Hank and crossed his arms over his chest in a guard manner. "I know how it feels to lose a parent, it's an indescribable agony."

"Same can be said when you lose a kid."

The comment caught Markus off guard and he gave Hank a sympathetic look. "I know that Lucas has begun his training as a firefighter today and won't be around for a while. Is there anything I can do to help out?"

"Well, if you just want to stick around and keep the house from being too damn quiet then that can help."

"That can be done. What about for Connor?"

"I want him to keep sleeping and resting, but I'm worried since he's going on day four of not eating anything that he's going to make himself very sick."

"If you'd like I can do a quick check on him and see if he's in any danger. I had a lot of medical software still installed in my programming thanks to all my time with Carl, and I can boot it up back up no problem."

"Maybe. For now I want him to be left alone to rest."

"Of course. I just want to help."

"Thanks, Markus. Even if he can't say it right now I know that Connor appreciates your help, and so do I." Putting his hands to his hips Hank sighed and tilted his head back as he tried to think of the ideal solution for helping his son recover from his all heartache. "You know, losing Sumo was bad enough for the poor kid. That dog was the very first living creature to see Connor as a living being, too; not a machine."

The grim comment made Markus's mismatched eyes dull with heavy emotions. "Hank?"

"Then when he lost Skye... _Clair_... I swear I saw a piece of the kid's heart break off before my very eyes. The pain that comes from losing someone you really love can scar someone's heart, and I know that even though he'll live without her in his life he won't stop missing her. She's alive and she has a new life all to herself out in Boston."

Sensing the thick sorrow still hanging in the air Markus knew that Hank was hurting after Elizabeth's passing as well.

"Lucas moved out and now he's out of town for training. Even though he's still around will come back I know that Connor is still going to miss having his little brother around. But losing his mother like that..." Trailing off for a moment Hank's heart went out to his son. "Even though Connor is an adult and can take care of himself no problem, he is still very much a kid at heart."

"You're not sure how to speak to him about this, or how to approach him without upsetting him, right?"

"...Yeah. When I lost Barbara all those years ago Cole was still a toddler. He had no concept of life or death, and I never had to tell him what happened to his mother after she was killed in the line of duty." Dragging his right hand over his bearded chin Hank gave the deviant leader a lost stare. "I have no idea how to help a kid after losing their mother like this. Anytime I've helped a child in need like that in the past it was Child Protective Services that took the lead, not me."

"I have even less experience with that area than you do." At a loss himself Markus peered up at the staircase as if expecting to see Connor making his way downstairs at any moment. "I wish I knew what I could do or say to help him feel better."

"Same, kid. I guess the best thing we can do is wait for Connor either come to us, or we have to keep walking on eggshells for a while for his sake."

* * *

Alone in his bedroom Connor's eyes slowly opened, his body feeling like he had been buried under a layer of cement and his heart aching with every beat in his chest. Pushing himself upright into a sitting position with his hands, his arms trembling violently from weakness and fatigue, Connor glanced about his bedroom as his head began to swim with dizziness. Black spots danced along the edge of his vision as he gained his bearings, his memories returned and the sense of loss rested heavily in the pit of his upset stomach.

Feeling suddenly sick and like his skin was on fire Connor forced himself to get up from his bed, his legs shaking as violently as his arms, and trudged heavily from his bedroom and into the nearby bathroom where collapsed to his knees and proceeded to throw-up nothing but stomach acid and bile as his grief made him physically ill. Spitting the burning and foul taste from his mouth Connor fell to his left side on the cool linoleum floor, and soon felt a warm palm pressing over his forehead.

"Shit, son." Hank had heard Connor stumbling down the hallway and retching in the bathroom. Upon investigating the sound he found his son on the floor and shaking where he laid. "You're burning up..."

Without giving a verbal answer Connor just laid on the floor and didn't resist when Hank slipped his left hand under his left shoulder to help him sit upright on the floor again. Leaning heavily against Hank's left shoulder Connor just trembled and didn't dare move out of fear of his stomach rebelling against him for the second time.

"Come on, kid. You need to lay down and sleep." Pulling Connor's right arm around his shoulders Hank stood upright very slowly and supported Connor's weight at his side. Adjusting his stance a little Hank compensated for Connor's dead weight and wrapped his left arm around the younger man's waist. "Let me help you."

Before either of them could take a step forward Connor's legs buckled and he collapsed to his knees again.

"Alright... Hold on." Dropping down beside him Hank just stayed at Connor's side and watched as Markus appeared in the doorway and proceeded to help lift Connor back up. "Let's try this again."

"Hey, Connor." The deviant leader greeted in a low voice. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by today."

Remaining quiet Connor allowed his father and his friend to all but drag him out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom to lay down to rest.

"Easy, kid..." Hank soothed as he and Markus worked together to lay Connor back down over his bed. The grieving young man hadn't changed out of his white dress shirt, black tie or black suit pants after returning from the funeral. Sweat made the dirty fabric cling uncomfortably to Connor's too warm skin and by all account was making Connor feel worse. "Let's get ya' some clean clothes to wear."

While Hank loosened the unkempt tie from around Connor's neck Markus opened up the closet and looked at the small pile of gray and black sweatpants neatly folded up on the top shelf above his dress shirts and suit jackets, picked up a pair of the gray sweatpants and took a nearby clean black t-shirt from the neighboring pile of short sleeved shirts. Turning around he faced his friend again and sat down on the edge of the bed to help Connor get changed into the cleaner garments.

"Good thing I worked as a caretaker for so long." The deviant leader grinned kindly as he helped Hank to sit Connor upright on the bed. "This is bringing back some of my earliest memories with Carl."

"I'll go and get a washcloth." Hank volunteered as he left his son to be helped out by a good friend. Seeing Connor's already thin frame looking even thinner from not eating properly for four days made Hank wince a little. "...I'll get two. One to help your fever and the other to get ya' cleaned up so you don't have to try to stand up in the shower when you don't feel well."

Stepping back out of the bedroom Hank went into the bathroom, flushed away Connor's mess and proceeded to put one washcloth under the warm tap in the sink, then wrung out the excess water before putting the second washcloth under the cool tap. As he picked up the two washcloths Hank glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the sink and sighed.

"I fuckin' look like I haven't slept in a month." Heavy dark bags had formed under his eyes, and he had a bloodshot tinge over the whites of his eyes that made his blue irises shiny brightly. "That kid is staying here for at least a week so we_ both_ can catch up on our sleep."

Walking back into the bedroom Hank watched as Markus pressed his left exposed palm down over the center of Connor's bare chest to track his vital signs. It was as if Markus had been taking care of Connor his entire life, and seeing the deviant leader going back to his roots as a kindhearted caretaker was like looking into a window showing his past.

"How's he doing, Markus?"

"His heart rate is a little fast," the attentive deviant confirmed as he pulled back his hand and allowed his skin to regenerate over his palm while leaving his index fingertip exposed. "and his breathing is deep and slow." Using his right fingertips Markus lifted up Connor's eyelids to study his eyes closely. "Pupils are responding normally but his irises are glassy. He's running a fever of one-hundred and one point seven degrees."

"Anything else we should be worried about?" Using the warm washcloth Hank gently used the item to clean the drying sweat from Connor's skin around his neck, shoulders, chest and under his arms. The young detective had changed into his gray sweatpants and looked exhausted by the simple motion. "I don't want to have to take him to the E.R. for treatment."

"Maybe. Connor," looking his friend in the eyes Markus waited for any sign of acknowledgement from the depressed young man. "I can test your blood sugar levels if you'll allow me to do so. I won't do anything without your consent."

The young detective's eyes searched over Markus's face for a moment before he nodded very slowly.

"Okay." Picking up Connor's left arm Markus hovered his exposed left fingertip over the cephalic vein in the bend of his arm, and pressed down slowly. "I just need a small blood sample."

Hank gave the deviant leader an odd look. "You can do that?" Putting aside the warm washcloth he picked up the clean black t-shirt and put the collar of the shirt over Connor's head to help his sick and weakened son redress himself. "I mean, you're not like Connor's old android model, are ya'?"

"No." Markus confirmed as he gained his blood sample buy using a tiny sterilized needle from his fingertip to pierce through Connor's skin and blood vein to get the sample. After his programming confirmed the low levels; low but not dangerous, he let go of Connor's arm and helped his friend get the t-shirt on fully over his chest, and slip his arms through the sleeves. "Being able to check and run blood samples is a part of my original programming as a caretaker. I can tell you your glucose level, but I can't get a D.N.A. sample for a criminal base."

"Oh."

Helping Connor to lay back down Markus took the cool washcloth from Hank's hand and smoothed it over Connor's forehead. "I know you feel like shit right now, my friend." Lightly he patted his right palm over his friend's chest and watched as Connor's soulful brown eyes slipped shut. "Don't forget you have your friends and your family here to help you."

Glancing over at the mug of tea he had brought up to Connor's bedroom earlier that morning Hank hovered his palm over the drink and confirmed that it had cooled off, and been left completely untouched. "Son, I know you don't feel well at all but you need to eat something. How about I bring you some more tea and a small bowl of soup?"

The young man didn't respond as he turned slightly onto his right side to face his aquarium and present his back to the opened door of his room, and to Hank.

Markus sensed the tension and decided to help in his own way. "Since I know Connor's exact glucose level I'll go and make him something to eat that'll give him back his strength and not make him feel nauseated. There's a few recipes that Carl used to love when his medication made his stomach hurt."

"Thanks, Markus." Watching as the deviant leader stood up from the bed and took his leave of the room Hank sat down on the edge of the bed next to Connor and pressed his right palm down on Connor's left shoulder. "Hey, I know you don't want to hear it or believe it right now, but you will be okay."

Sighing under Hank's palm Connor sounded as pathetic as he felt.

"Lay back for me." Pulling lightly on Connor's shoulder Hank managed to get the young man to lay on his back again, and look up at him with his glassy eyes as the cool washcloth remained in place over his forehead. The dark stubble on his chin and upper lip made his naturally fair complexion seem even paler. "You're going to stay home for a week and sleep. You're going to feel exhausted for days no matter how you sleep, so don't even try to get up to go to work. Right now you just feel like shit and I'll take care of you. You won't be going through this alone."

Blinking slowly Connor let tears form in his eyes as he swallowed once, the sick taste still lingering on his tongue, and he finally found his voice to really speak to Hank for the first time in four days. "...Are you feeling alone?"

"Me? Nah." Keeping his palm on Connor's shoulder Hank offered his son a kind smile. "I do miss having someone to talk to, but I'm not lonely. Ruby keeps bringing me her toys when I'm trying to read."

"...I know you cared about her, too."

The comment almost stunned Hank into silence as he gave his son a sympathetic look. "Yeah, I did. She... She reminded me of Barb. Your mother had the same kind and warm energy that made you just want to be near her."

Sitting up slowly, the washcloth falling from his forehead and onto his lap as a result, Connor weakly wrapped his arms around Hank to give him a simple and much needed hug. "...Did you cry for her?"

"I... I shed my tears, son."

"But did you cry for_ her_?" Thinking back to the night where Connor's memories of his mother first resurfaced he parroted Hank's advice and let his words reach his father's heart. "It's okay to cry for the people you miss."

Tightening his hug around his son Hank let unshed tears well up in his eyes and roll down his face in steady streams. Embracing Connor and holding tight Hank just stayed quiet as he felt his still grieving son press his face up against his shoulder as he too began to weep again.

"...I miss her."

"I know you do." Putting his right palm to the back of Connor's hair Hank held onto his son. "I'm going to miss her, too."

"I didn't spend enough time with her."

"You could've been living in her apartment with her, working at the hospital or daycare right alongside her or met her for lunch every damn day, and you'd _still_ feel like you didn't spend enough time together."

"I want to do everything it takes to keep her memory alive."

"And I'll help you. We can donate some money to the hospital's volunteer program or to the daycare where your mother worked."

"...That's a good idea." Taking in a shuddering breath Connor began to lessen his hug around Hank's shoulders and leaned back a little. "I'm sure she would appreciate that. She wants me to be happy and helping other people seems to make me happy."

"Then as long as you find your way to be happy I think that'll be more than enough to honor your mother's memory." Moving his hand from Connor's hair to his forehead Hank noted his lingering fever and sighed. "You need to get some more rest. You're exhausted and you're sick with grief."

"Are you okay?"

"Son," smirking at the young man's selfless question Hank guided Connor back by his shoulder until he was laying down again. "I'm hurting but I'm okay. Like you I just need a little time to process what's going on and let out my own emotions."

"I wish I could just return to my machine state and not feel anything anymore."

"Sorry, kid. You're a human again and emotions are a part of humanity. You can't stop yourself from feeling emotions and you can't control them. As you grieve you're going to feel sad, lonely, weak and even angry."

"Angry?" The comment made Connor's brow arch and his shoulders tense. "Why would I be angry?"

"Because experiencing the loss of a loved one feels like a slap to the face. You're going to be angry at the concept of death, of how life is so fickle and how the world just keeps on spinning even without the person you loved a part of it anymore. Anger is normal and it's okay to feel angry."

Accepting Hank's words and taking them to heart Connor confirmed he felt some degree of unspoken anger and resentment boiling up inside of his already aching heart. "...Do you want to talk?"

"Do you?"

Pausing for a moment Connor shook his head a little as Hank replaced the cool washcloth over his forehead. "...No."

"That's okay, too. Sleep for a while. Markus is downstairs making you something to eat, so take it easy for a while. You do whatever it is you need to do so you can heal emotionally and recover physically."

Glancing over at the mug of tea sitting on the nightstand beside his bed Connor's reflexively swallowed once as the burning sensation in his throat still ached after being sick.

"Want this tea or do you want me to make you something fresher? This tea got cold."

"...No." With a shaking right hand Connor picked up the blue mug and slowly brought it to his lips to sip at it. The cool liquid felt good on his raw throat, and it gave him a comforting feeling as the peppermint flavor eased his nausea. Replacing the mug Connor gave Hank one final acknowledgement before he closed his eyes to fall back asleep. "...Thank you."

* * *

It took Markus only an hour to make something ideal for Connor to eat to rebuild his strength without making him feel sick. After providing the light meal for his friend to try to eat; the young detective barely able to eat half of the already small meal since he felt sick, had no appetite and was simply more interested in sleep than eating, Markus and Hank stepped back and let the grieving young man alone to rest for a while longer. This time Hank allowed Ruby to join her master in his bedroom and lay over his legs to keep him company since she had all of her excess energy burned off by Hank playing a quick game of fetch with the still growing pup earlier that afternoon.

Watching Connor sleep through his opened bedroom doorway Hank sipped at his mug of coffee and watching his son sleeping fairly well despite his illness and emotional turmoil.

"Is he still asleep?" Markus whispered as he joined Hank at the top of the staircase.

"Yeah, he's out." Taking another sip of his coffee Hank gave the kindhearted deviant a respectful nod. "Thanks for all your help. I'm glad you were here to help him out."

"It's not a problem. He's my friend and I'll always be around to help him if he needs it."

"Good to know you're as loyal as your reputation states." Smirking a little Hank watched as Connor's right hand instinctively rose up from the bed and rested over Ruby's ears. As his palm made contact with the hound's soft ears Ruby wagged her tail a little and snuggled down against Connor's legs even more. "The kid has issues with trust. He doesn't like to be alone but he wont' hesitate to try to push people away when he's upset."

"What else can I do to help?"

"What made you feel better after you lost Carl?"

"Well, I cried for what felt like an eternity and I had North to hold my hand throughout the entire thing."

"Crying won't be a problem, but without Skye..."

"I know. It hurt everyone to lose Skye, but Connor's the only one whose heart ended up breaking when she left."

"Level with me, Markus." Giving the deviant leader a stern glance Hank made sure their eyes were locked so there was no sense of deception between them as they spoke. "How rough is he? He's barely eaten in four days, has no strength and he's running a fever."

"He's weak but he's not in serious condition. The fever is being caused by stress, not an infection. And his blood sugar increased a little after he ate."

"Good. Connor hates doctors and hospitals as much as he hated technicians and facilities. I don't want to to drag him to a doctor unless he really needs to see one." Noting the time Hank decided that it was time for him to step up as a father and take care of Connor while Markus took his leave so he could go back to his own life and the tower. "Thanks for everything, Markus. I mean it."

"Of course."

"Head on back to the tower or your house or... wherever. I want to have a father-son talk with Connor once he's awake again, and it might be easier to get him to let down his emotional guard if it's just us."

"I understand." Glancing through Connor's opened bedroom doorway one last time Markus gave his sleeping friend a courtesy nod of the head. Extending his hand out toward Hank the kind leader made the senior detective a sincere offer. "If you need me to come back for any reason just ask."

"I'll remember that." Shaking Markus's hand firmly Hank accepted the offer and showed the deviant leader down the staircase and to the front door. "Take care of yourself, Markus."

"I will." Opening the front door Markus stepped outside and cybernetically hailed an autonomous taxi. "Tell Connor I'll see him later."

"Right. Thanks again."

Closing the door behind Markus after the loyal deviant took his leave Hank locked the door and walked back up the stairs to check in on Connor yet again. Stepping into the bedroom Hank lightly put his right palm over Connor's forehead and decided to get him a fresh cold compress to help ease his fever as he rested well in the bed.

"As soon as you're awake we're going to have another chat, son." Retracting his touch Hank gave his ill son a sympathetic stare. "I know you hate talking about emotions and figure that shit out, but you need to do it. I won't watch you waste away from grief and pain."

* * *

It was almost eighteen hours later when Connor finally awoke. The afternoon sunlight was peering through the window and shining warm rays of light over Connor's bed and across the carpeting. Opening his heavy eyelids slowly Connor sat upright in his bed and rubbed his trembling right hand over his chin and upper lip where his abrasive, somewhat dark stubble was quickly filling out into a small beard. Having been unable to shave due to his own distracting thoughts and shaking hands the young detective was looking rather rough.

Glancing around his bedroom Connor saw that the meal Markus had made him before leaving the house had been cleaned up from the nearby nightstand, and in its place was a bottle of fresh water to drink. Reaching out his left hand for the water he struggled for a moment when it came to unscrewing the lid, but once the bottle was opened he greedily drank down almost half of the bottle in one gulp.

"Feeling better?"

Looking up at the doorway Connor saw that Hank had just stopped by his bedroom to check on him. "...In a way."

"I'd hope so. You were out for almost," looking down at his phone's screen Hank did some quick math and estimated how long Connor was asleep. "shit. You were out for almost twenty hours."

"...That explains why I need to pee so badly."

Laughing at the comment Hank offered his hand to Connor, who quickly took hold of it, and hauled him back up to his feet. Making sure his son wasn't going to collapse again Hank escorted Connor to the neighboring bathroom and stepped back to give him some much needed privacy. "I'm going to go ahead and feed Ruby for ya'."

"Thanks." Closing the bathroom door Connor went about his business without another word.

Wandering down the staircase Hank patted the side of his right leg to coax Ruby into following him from her pillow in the corner of the livingroom and out to the backdoor in the kitchen. As the hound trotted after Hank she wagged her tail and happily slipped into the backyard to take care of her own business for the afternoon.

"Good girl." Sliding the doors shut again Hank returned his attention to his son upstairs. "Alright, son. This won't be fun but it's necessary."

After a few minutes Connor slowly trudged down the staircase, his moves were sluggish and somewhat uncoordinated, and used the walls and furniture to help him maintain his balance. Moving heavily the younger detective walked over to the couch to sit down on the lounger section and laid back against the soft cushions with his arms crossed over his chest, and his head leaning back as he closed his still tired eyes.

"You doing okay?" The senior detective asked as he walked into the kitchen and sat down on the couch beside Connor.

"...Fine."

"Good. We need to have a little talk."

"About what?"

"You."

Opening his eyes a little Connor looked at Hank from the corner of his eye and let out a low breath. "...What about me?"

"You're going to need to take the time to heal physically after being sick and you need to recover emotionally after your mother's passing."

"...I noticed. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm worried that with the way your mind works you might end up obsessing over weird stuff and make yourself feel worse by accident."

"I'm aware of what death means of how I'm going to have my mind distracted for a while, Hank. I can deal with it."

"I know you can. I just want you to-"

"I'm going to be okay, Hank." The younger detective nearly snipped as lifted up his head and gave his father an annoyed glance. "You keep seeing that to me, anyway."

"You're right." Folding his hands neatly over his lap Hank realized he was beginning to hover like an overprotective parent. "I'm just worried about you."

"If I'm really going to be okay then you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." Leaning his head back Connor sighed deeply and dragged his right hand over his tired eyes and down to his stubbly chin. "I just need a few days to sleep and regain my strength. Then I'm going to go back to work and resume my life as normally as possible."

"Okay. Sounds good."

"When I go back to work I don't want any special treatment or any lighter work. I want to get back into my routine so I can move forward."

"Alright. I won't hover or treat you with kid-gloves."

"Good." Leaning forward again Connor looked down at his shaking palms and sighed to himself. Tightening his hands into his fists the young man was determined to heal. "...I'm going to make some tea."

"The rest of that stuff Markus made you is in the fridge if you want it."

"I'll consider it."

Watching as Connor rose from the couch and forced himself to hold his head up high as he walked into the kitchen Hank couldn't help but wonder if that broken demeanor was how he looked when he lost Barbara and Cole all those years ago. It was heartwrenching to watch the empathetic young man endure so much heartache by himself, but Hank also knew that Connor was stronger than he even realized and would be okay in time.

"I don't know if you can hear this," Hank whispered as he watched Connor put the tea kettle down on the stove to heat up. The urge to protect the young man and keep him safe from the evils of the world made Hank think of the fears he initially felt the moment he knew that he was going to be father for the first time, and how they seemed to fade away once Cole was actually born. "but I will keep Connor safe and help him find his happiness, Libby. I promise that your... _our_ son will be okay."

_**-next chapter-**_


	68. Turmoil

A week passed and Connor returned to the precinct as he sought a distraction from his emotional turmoil despite Hank wanting him to take a little more time to grieve. It didn't help that Lucas was still busy with his training as a firefighter, and as such Hank was practically alone in keeping Connor from becoming a total emotional recluse. The biggest problem was that Connor's lack of appetite was all the more problematic as his stubbornness and desire to deal with his pain alone was making his recovery progress a lot slower than it needed to be.

Staring at the terminal screen in front of himself Connor anxiously danced his half-dollar coin over his right knuckles as he tried to deduce the pattern of behavior regarding deviants being mugged upon leaving the Android Emergency Care Facilities throughout the city. The case was slow and not a priority as none of the deviants were being harmed, but it was the only deviant case currently active in the precinct.

"Here." Hank placed a mug of chamomile tea and a plate of yellow delicious apple slices down on Connor's side of the desk. "It's fall and cider season. Better get used to apples being in everything before it turns to pumpkin spice."

Connor ignored the offered snack and continued to stare at the screen in front of his eyes.

"You look like you're fighting off a cold or some shit." The senior detective observed as his younger partner's face look pale, somewhat flushed and still unshaven with over a week's worth of stubble creating a light brown beard over his upper lip and chin. "There's no shame in taking an extended leave until you feel better."

"I'm fine."

"Is that why you're obsessing over an unimportant case and not eating again?"

"I'm not obsessing over it, I'm studying it. Also, I'm not hungry."

"Kid, you have that shit going on in your brain. _That's_ why you're not feeling hungry."

"Or maybe I'm _not actually_ hungry." Connor snipped as he ran his left hand through his thick hair and leaned back in his chair. "Not everything that's going on in my life is a serious problem that needs to be analyzed."

"You're right, not everything is a problem. But right now your mind isn't on your work."

"Is that why I closed six deviant cases in two days, and I'm about to finish the seventh and final deviant related case this afternoon?"

"You know what I mean."

"Apparently I don't. I have that shit going on in my brain after all."

"Knock it off, Connor. I'm just lookin' out for ya'."

"You're trying to look for problems when there aren't any." Snapping bitterly Connor argued against Hank's claim. "Leave me alone to work on this case."

"Alright, chill. I won't bother ya' anymore."

Falling quiet Connor stared at his screen again and caught onto a pattern that was possibly very beneficial to solving the case at hand. Deciding to act on the lead Connor pocketed his coin and walked away from his desk with an embittered comment toward Hank as he left. "Excuse me, I have an unimportant case to solve."

"Shit." Hank swore to himself as Connor left the precinct through the front doors in a resentful huff. Glancing over his left shoulder to Captain Fowler's office Hank just gauged the commanding officer's reaction through the transparent wall he Captain Fowler noticed Connor's abrupt departure. Just like Hank it seemed like Captain Fowler was at a loss of what to do with Connor, too. "That kid is still hurting bad."

"Yeah? What happened?" Gavin, who had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation, strolled over to Hank's desk and waited for the senior detective to look back at him as he sat down on the edge of Connor's vacated desk. "Heard he lost his mother week or two ago."

"What's it to you?" Replying with an annoyed snarl Hank turned to look at Gavin and glare holes in his face. "The kid's grieving for his mother."

"Whoa, easy. I'm genuinely sorry to hear that. It's just we're not exactly friends, ya' know?"

"Yeah, I know." Running his right hand over his bearded chin Hank just stared at Gavin suspiciously. "What the hell do you want, Reed? I know you're not here to offer Connor any condolences."

Nervously wringing his hands together Gavin looked as nervous as he felt as he dared to speak up again. "Uh, do you have a minute to talk, Lieutenant?"

"Talk? What about?"

"Uh..." Lowering his voice Gavin briefly looked back at Tina and felt a slight boost in confidence when she gave him a nod encouraging him to keep talking. "It's a little private, but it's also important." Pausing for a moment he leveled with Hank and told him the truth. "It's about Abby..."

* * *

Following his hunch Connor triangulated a search area regarding the possible location of the chronic mugger and began to hone in on the suspect in question. In the center of the of the area was an abandoned department store that had been broken into countless times, and vandalized and tagged for decades. The decaying sight of the building often kept trespassers and curious onlookers at bay, but for Connor he knew the building was the perfect hiding place for a mugger, or as he theorized; a junkie trying to lay low.

Directly across the street from the questionable building was a very familiar facility. One where a friend worked as the lead technician and had helped Connor in the past when he's needed help the most as both an android and as a human.

"Hey, Connor." Abby greeted the young detective with a forced smile on her face as she chewed on a cracker as he stepped inside the facility to speak to her by the receptionist desk. Staring at his face she should see the deep set sorrow that was still plaguing his mind and aching his heart. "I, uh, I heard about your mother. I'm so sorry."

"...Yeah, thanks." Clearing his voice a little Connor glanced about at the quiet waiting area of the facility and honed in on the receptionist's desk. "May I look at your exterior front door security footage?"

"Sure, I guess." Walking over to the desk with Connor right behind her Abby typed in her security clearance on the terminal screen and then took a step back to give Connor room to work. "I take it you're the one trying to figure out why so many deviants have been mugged leaving facilities."

"Yes, that's right." Connor confirmed as he began checking over the recorded footage for himself. While no one had been reportedly mugged leaving the facility in particular Connor was certain it had been staked out and would find a person watching the building with a keen interest. As he carefully watched the footage he noticed Abby taking a second cracker from a small storage shelf beside the terminal and made a passing comment. "Drink ginger tea."

"Do what now?" She asked between bites of her cracker as he gave Connor an odd glance at his out-of-nowhere statement.

"It'll settle your stomach and make your morning sickness more bearable."

"Whoa... _What_?" She blushed with a mild embarrassment at his suggestion and shifted her weight a little. "...How did you know?"

"I'm a detective."

"Yeah, yeah, but I mean what gave it away?"

"Oh. Your complexion is brighter than usual, your body language is indicative of hip pain which is fairly common during the first trimester, eating something light is also indicative of nausea but since you're not exhibiting any other ailment; syncope or an infection, it's safe to assume you're currently suffering from morning sickness and are trying to remedy the situation while avoiding medication."

"Impressive. Glad you didn't comment on my breasts." Abby jokingly acknowledged his accuracy, but failed to get a reaction from the young detective which was a little disheartening. She lightly put her right hand over her lower abdomen and decided to keep him talking. "Then how far along am I?"

"I'd estimate nine, maybe ten weeks."

"Wow. You're good. Nine weeks in and I already feel like crap." Dusting the cracker crumbs from her hands Abby looked at the terminal screen right alongside Connor. "Turns out Gavin has perfect timing when it comes to proposing, too."

"You've already been married."

Putting her hands on her hips she gave Connor a truly impressed glance. "Now how in the hell did you figure_ that_ out?"

"You have a faint tan line and imprint around your left ring finger just above the knuckle. You take off your your wedding ring while working, and whenever your fingers begin to swell up due to your developing pregnancy."

"Okay... How long have we been marr-"

"Two weeks." Connor replied sharply as he paused the security footage and zoomed in on a suspicious person hovering around the front of the facility. "I have a suspect."

Abby leaned closer to peer at the screen and felt herself pale and become nauseated by a whole new reason. "Oh, shit..."

"What?"

"I know him."

Arching his brow a little Connor turned to look at Abby as he sought more information. "Who is he?"

"My ex-boyfriend."

"...May I ask why you broke up?"

"Uh, yeah, but let's talk in the back." She grabbed onto Connor's left arm with her right hand and put her left hand over her mouth. "I suddenly feel a lot worse and need to throw-up and sit down. In that order..."

* * *

In spite of his years of experience and discipline Hank was feeling a little overwhelmed as he tried to think of a way to reach out to Connor without accidentally pushing him away any further in the process. The little 'pep talk' he gave to Gavin didn't do much to ease his racing mind, and with that frustration Captain Fowler took notice. Calling the Lieutenant to his private office for a quick chat Hank told Captain Fowler about Connor's emotional shutdown, and his resistance to move on with his lingering grief.

The relay of events prior to the funeral and of how Connor steadily walled himself off over the past week reminded Captain Fowler of dealing with his own kids as they grew-up. Seeing Connor being cold, angry and burying himself in work reminded the seasoned Captain of seeing so many fellow officers being overwhelmed by stress and needing to have time to mentally heal.

"Sounds like you're dealing with a teenager." Captain Fowler observed with total understanding behind every word he spoke. "A really pissed off teenager."

"Yeah, that actually seems about right." Sighing as he rubbed his left hand over his forehead Hank contemplated dealing with Connor with a new approach. "He had to grow up really fast living with his abusive father, and that made him very emotionally stunted. Being a deviant for a few years was enough to get his emotions to begin to finally develop, but now that he's a human again he's had to deal with long repressed emotions AND memories. When his mother passed away..." Sounding as defeated as he looked Hank dropped his hand from his forehead and gave his commanding officer, his friend, a pleading look. "It's like the floodgates opened up and he's being swept away."

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like a teenager."

"Jeffrey, I have no idea how to handle a grown adult with the emotional pain of a teenager."

"Me neither. I just remember that Renee was always going to Maria for her problems from the age of thirteen to seventeen, and Jeremiah just got quiet whenever something bothered him. I could get him talk but it was always 'yes' and 'no' answers. I wasn't a fan of interrogating my own kids just to figure out what they were feeling."

"Well, with Connor being a detective he's too sharp and stubborn to fall for that anyway. Not to mention he knows how to read people like a damn book and knows exactly what to say and how to say it to piss someone off. He has a real gift for figuring out a person's weaknesses and knows how to psyche them out." Shaking his head a little Hank was at a total loss of what to do. "I keep trying to get him to talk but he keeps saying he's fine and that I need to back off."

"He's _definitely_ a teenager then. At least on an emotional sense."

"And as his friend and father I want him to take time off to get his head straight, but he won't listen to reason. How do you ground someone who's an adult and carries a gun?"

"You don't."

Sighing deeply Hank sunk down in the chair as he stared blankly at the floor beneath his feet. "I don't even know where he went today."

"Seriously? I thought you two were working that case of the deviants getting mugged while leaving facilities."

"_He_ was working on it, _I_ was ignoring it since no one was getting hurt. I'd rather help homicide get a killer behind bars than deal with wanna-be thugs picking on deviants."

"Look, when he gets back I want you two to take off early. Try to get him to either talk about what's bothering him, or at the very least get out his aggression that's getting pent up."

"You've noticed that, too, huh?"

"I watched him break Gavin's nose with one punch, and I saw the aftermath of that child abuser's face after three punches. I don't want him to blow up inside the precinct and take out another cop. I won't be able to help him get out of a third offense."

"Yeah," Hank knew Connor had a burning hot temper and didn't want to see him lash out a third time. "if he blows up he'd probably take out the whole block with him."

* * *

At the facility Abby explained to Connor who her ex-boyfriend was and why they broke up long before she left Chicago for Detroit. Her ex, Frederick, was a dangerous man. Six years prior, after she had broken up with him, he broke into Abby's apartment and threatened her with a knife and she pressed charges against him. The police were called, Frederick was arrested, and Abby fled Chicago to begin a new life in Detroit without ever looking back. Based on his current behavior it seemed Abby made the right choice.

"It seems Frederick was released from prison last winter." The young detective confirmed as he used his phone to check on the man in question's criminal record. "Were you informed?"

"No." Abby sipped at the ginger tea that Connor had made her, and felt her stomach beginning to settle a little. "When I moved I never left a change of address so I could hide a little easier. Guess it's really coming back to bite me in the ass."

"How did he find you?"

"I don't know, I don't think I _want_ to know. I did get a few odd hang-up phone calls during the winter, though. But I don't think that can prove anything one way or another."

"Alright. Call Gavin and tell him to come here."

"What? Why?"

"Intimidation."

Putting her tea aside Abby gave Connor a worried glance. "You think Freddy's nearby?"

"Yes. I guarantee that he's hiding out in the building across the street."

"Okay, if he's stalking me then why is he mugging deviants?"

"He was checking the names of the technicians when deviants were prescribed Thirium or other treatments for their ailments. By a process of elimination he figured out which facility you are currently employed, and is going to make a move soon."

"Oh, shit..." Her right hand went protectively to her stomach and she felt sick again. "Horrible timing."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Just tell Gavin to come here and while Freddy's watching the responding squad car pull up to the front of the facility I'll be able to sneak into the building across the street, and catch him by surprise."

"I don't get it. Why is he stalking me where I work?"

"My guess is he saw you with Gavin and was threatened by his presence. That's why Gavin needs to come back."

"Alright, I'll go call him."

"No, stay in here and lock the door. I'm going to go out and keep an eye on things."

"Just tell Barry to show patients to the back to make things look normal. I don't want Freddy getting jumpy."

"Right. Stay here." Stepping out of the room Connor didn't move from the door until he heard Abby lock it behind him. Taking every precaution he could Connor walked down the quiet corridor and caught Barry's attention as the ever happy deviant walked out of the treatment room with an electronic clipboard in his hands. "Barry, go to the receptionist area and ask anyone coming in for an appointment to go to the back and wait for Abby."

"Okay, Connor. I can do that." He never lost his smile as he looked at the young detective with his energetic eyes. "Can I ask why?"

"I'll explain things later. Just act normal."

"I will."

Connor glanced at the front doors of the facility and saw a figure skulking about in the shadows of the building across the street. Unable to see a face from the distance Connor decided to chance it and walked out of the front door and walked down the block to cross the street at the end without the figure noticing his presence. Diving into the alley between the abandoned building and an occupied diner Connor found a broken window to climb through, and crouched inside the dark building behind an empty shelving unit to wait for Freddy to retreat and hide.

After two tense minutes Connor heard the sirens of the responding squad car and prepared to make his move. Sure enough a figure bolted through the broken front doors of the department store and rushed inside out of sight. Staying low Connor moved around the neglected department store behind the forgotten shelves and caught a glimpse of the figure's face.

It was indeed Frederick and Connor could see that he was wielding a knife.

"Detroit Police!" Connor loudly announced his presence and he pulled his gun from the holster around his back and under his gray suit jacket as he took aim at Frederick's back. As he approached the dangerous and armed man with his gun aimed at the lone suspect Connor kept the authority in his voice and waited for the man to turn around to face him. "Hands up!"

Frederick's hollow eyes were wild and his hand right stayed gripped around the hilt of his large hunting knife as he tried and failed to stare down Connor over his right shoulder.

"Frederick Calvin, you're under arrest for stalking, assault, theft, intimidating and breaking and entering. Drop the knife and put your hands on top of your head, NOW."

Dropping the knife as he stared blankly at Connor's face Frederick just stood his ground as if confused by the interactions. "...You don't understand."

"Put your hands behind your head." Connor repeated as took a step forward and kicked the knife aside and away from Frederick's reach. "Now."

"I'm just-"

"NOW." Grabbing onto Frederick's left wrist Connor pulled on his left arm until Frederick turned around and had his back to Connor. As Connor holstered his gun he grabbed the cuffs from the back of his belt and secured the restraint around Frederick's left wrist and made a grab for Frederick's right wrist. "Don't move."

Moving with an unexpected speed Frederick snatched his right arm away as he spun around and pulled a second knife from a pocket concealed under his thick leather jacket. Armed once again Frederick swung the sharp blade at Connor and managed to cut into the back of Connor's left forearm like a hot knife passing through butter.

Reacting in anger Connor grabbed onto Frederick's right wrist with his left hand and twisted the joint until it snapped, and the knife fell away from the suddenly weakened and incapacitated grip.

Protesting in pain Frederick shouted out and gave away his position. "FUCK!"

"I said, 'DON'T MOVE'." Connor repeated as he pulled Frederick's arms back around his back once more. Putting his right boot against the back of Frederick's right knee Connor applied pressure forcing Frederick to fall into a kneeling position on the ground. "You're also being charged with assault against a police officer."

The loud shouting had caught Chris's ears and he rushed across the street with his own gun already drawn. Peering through the broken doors Chris saw Connor restraining a suspect and responded by radioing the arrest. "Suspect in custody."

"If you have any modicum of sanity you'll STOP resisting." Connor threatened as he tightened his grip around Frederick's restrained wrists. "Don't make things worse for yourself."

"...Car's out front." Chris announced as he holstered his own gun and took hold of Frederick's left arm to hoist him up to his feet. Walking with Connor to escort the dangerous man to the back of the car parked along the street Chris proceeded to give Frederick's his rights. "...And we strongly emphasize you exercising your right right to remain silent."

Connor watched as Chris locked Frederick in the back of the squad car before he returned to the facility to check on Abby. Walking down the corridor with his right hand clamped down over his wounded left forearm to stem the bleeding, Connor knocked on the locked door with his hand left hand to check in on Abby without startling her.

Gavin slowly opened the door with his left hand, and had his gun drawn in his right hand as he stayed between the door and his new wife. Realizing it was Connor he gave him a relieved nod. "...You got him?"

"He's been arrested." Connor confirmed in a level voice. "He'll be charged and won't be released for a long time."

Abby was sitting in a chair near the back of the room and looked both sick and relieved at the same time. "Thank you." She held her right palm to her belly and took in calming breaths. "I'm so glad you were here."

"You're welcome, Abby."

Gavin suddenly saw the fresh blood on Connor's right hand and asked about it in a low voice. "Shit. Did you kill him?"

Offended at the question Connor glared at Gavin as he answered honestly. "...It's not his blood."

"He sliced _you_ open?"

"I was unaware he had a second knife." Connor admitted as he looked at the blood saturating through his gray suit jacket, white dress shirt sleeve and already staining his palm red. "I will take care of this at the precinct infirmary."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'll file the report so you can stay here with Abby."

"...Right. Thanks."

Giving Abby one final glance, satisfied that she wasn't going to need to be monitored now that her stalker has been arrested, Connor walked away and proceeded to make his way to his car parked outside on the street just a few yards from the facility. Sitting down in the driver's side seat Connor carefully shrugged off his gray suit jacket and rolled up the blood soaked left sleeve of the white dress shirt beneath.

"Shit." He hissed in pain as the fabric was pulled away from the raw wound. "He was aiming to kill."

The laceration was deep and about four inches long. It'd need to be stitched close and have a layer of synthetic skin put over top to close the wound to prevent infection, but Connor didn't want to spend a couple hours in the E.R. over a single cut.

Opening the glovebox Connor located the small first aid kit and used the clean bandages inside to wrap up his arm to stop the bleeding for the moment, and keep the wound covered. Rolling his bloodied sleeve back down Connor wrapped another layer of white gauze over the wound to add more pressure, and to use the white coloration of the gauze to hide the very noticeable red stain created by his own blood over the sleeve.

"Glad I have a spare jacket in my locker." Without a second thought Connor tossed his ruined gray suit jacket into the backseat out of sight as he packed up the first aid kit to put away. Putting his right hand down on his left forearm he tested his pain threshold and found it to be tolerable and not distracting. "Abby's safe and the case is closed. That's all that matters."

As he turned over the engine Connor shook his head a little and pulled the vehicle out onto the street to head back to the precinct with his job taken care of.

"...'Unimportant case'." He muttered as he thought about his and Hank's disagreement from earlier. "Yeah, right."

* * *

Word of the arrest and the correlation between Connor's active case spread through the precinct quickly. As Tina marched Frederick inside the building for interrogation Hank decided to take charge and ask some choice questions as a means of holding up his end of working on the case after he told Connor it wasn't worth it, and had been proven wrong. While he was in the interrogation room Connor quickly entered the precinct then casually walked across the bullpen to get to the locker room down the corridor to get his clean replacement suit jacket.

Slipping the garment over his left arm, careful not to jostle the bandaged wound beneath, Connor returned to the bullpen and began filing his report on Frederick Calvin at his desk as was his routine. It was an unusual report but accurate, truthful and detailed all the same.

"Connor." Captain Fowler called out to the young detective from his opened office door in a calm tone. "I need to see you for a minute."

Finishing his report Connor had it filed and he turned off his terminal screen as he rose from his desk to go to the office as instructed. As soon as he was inside Captain Fowler's office Connor straightened up his suit jacket and sat down in the vacant chair opposite side of the desk from where his commanding officer was currently sitting.

"Are you okay?" Captain Fowler asked in his still level voice.

"...Sir?"

"You've been through a lot lately, and I know it can be tough to lose a family member."

Feeling a little singled-out Connor begrudgingly answered the question honestly. "...I'm fine."

"I don't think you are."

"Captain, I appreciate your concern but I can assure you that I'm fine. I need to work." Making a conscious effort to not snap Connor tried to explain things as logically as he could. "I need the distraction."

"Well, if it's a distraction you need then I recommend a vacation."

"I'm not going anywhere." Connor politely refuted as he resisted the urge to grab onto his injured left forearm. "Deviants need me to protect them. No else will do it."

Captain Fowler wasn't oblivious to the subtle but harsh jab at Hank regarding deviants needing protection. Hank had admitted that he thought the case was unimportant, and yet it turned out to be rather serious. "Don't put so much weight on your shoulders." He warned in a sincere manner. "You need to take the time for yourself and relax a little."

"Again, I appreciate your concern but I'm fine."

"Okay. Just do one thing for me."

"What's that?"

"When Hank finishes the interrogation go on home. You solved every deviant case in the precinct, and you did it flawlessly. Go home and relax. Take Hank with you so you don't worry about him getting a ride home."

"Sir, I don't-"

"It can either be your choice," Captain Fowler interrupted with a stern voice as he lifted up his left hand as if to shush him gently. "or my order. Go home."

Looking away from his commanding officer Connor felt his mouth twitch a little as he realized there was no negotiating in finishing his shift. "...Alright. I'll go."

"You're the only officer I know who acts like being given the rest of their shift off, _with pay_, is a punishment."

"I told you," Connor replied as he rose from the chair and began to walk toward the office door to take his leave. "I need the distraction."

Returning to his desk Connor turned his terminal screen back on just long enough to clock-out as he waited for Hank to finish his line of questioning. Glancing at the mug of now lukewarm tea and slowly browning apple pieces on his desk Connor picked up one of the slices and bit into it. He truly didn't feel hungry but he didn't want to risk hospitalization from not eating again. Piece by piece Connor finished the apple and then the tea before depositing everything in the breakroom out of sight.

It took almost an hour but Hank walked out of interrogation looking completely exhausted. Seeing Connor at his desk with a bored glaze over his dull eyes Hank immediately knew that Captain Fowler dismissed him for the evening, but feigned ignorance on the order. "So, it turns out you were right. That was an important case after all."

"They're ALL important."

"...You're right. I'm sorry." Apologizing sincerely Hank admitted that he was wrong for wanting to ignore the case. "I should've listened to you and taken it more seriously."

Connor wanted to make a snide comment about how Hank never listens to anybody but decided to let it slide.

"For what it's worth I'm glad you stuck to your guns and finished the investigation. In the end it was a judgment call, and you made a good call." Hank sensed that Connor was tense about something else, something beyond his previous emotional distress, and needed to ask about it. "You okay?"

"...I've been granted early leave for my work."

"Oh. Sorry." Trying to lighten Connor's heavy demeanor for the sake of easing his partner's tense mind Hank spoke in a somewhat jovial tone. "Sometimes a carpool can be a pain in the ass to wait for."

"I would've taken a cab, but you were _also_ dismissed."

"...For what?"

"My guess is he wants you to keep babysitting me even while off the clock."

"We're not babysitting you." Hank refuted as he too clocked-out at his terminal and fished his car keys from his jean pocket. "We're just looking out for you, that's all."

"Sure." Connor snipped again as he got up quickly and walked through the bullpen to leave the precinct through the front door. "Everyone knows I can't handle my own life, it's better to prevent me from living it as I see fit."

"Damn it, kid." Following after Connor as quickly as he dared Hank managed to grab onto Connor's right shoulder and tried to stop him from walking just long enough to talk face to face. "Stop acting like a jackass. It's starting to piss me off!"

"Then stop treating me like I'm made of glass." Jerking his shoulder back from Hank's hand Connor glared at the senior detective with a surprising amount of resentment in his pained eyes. "I don't need you to protect me from the world, watch my every move or check on every damn thing I'm going through in my life."

"Alright, I get it." Holding up his hands as if surrendering Hank made sure Connor knew he had heard his complaints. "I'll back off."

"Good."

"You stop acting like a prick and I'll stop hovering over you."

Connor straightened his gray suit jacket again as he turned away from Hank and continued on his way to the parking garage without another word.

Watching as Connor walked to the garage at a hasty clip Hank bowed his head and deeply sighed. "...But I'm not going to stop worrying."

* * *

Once home for the rest of the day Connor took Ruby for a quick walk around the neighborhood before taking her back home to be fed for the evening. Keeping to himself Connor refrained from letting Hank know that he had been injured and proceeded to lock himself in the downstairs bathroom to clean up his arm again, and redress the wound properly. Fortunately the first aid kit stored in the bathroom under the sink was well stocked and ready for almost any kind of emergency situation.

Dropping his gray suit jacket on the floor Connor pulled his black tie loose and unbuttoned his blood stained white dress shirt. As he left the clothing on the floor he turned on the faucet in the tub as he didn't want to risk a shower harming the soon to be fresh bandages and stitches he'd need to apply to his arm. The running water would also help drown out any pained noises he might accidentally make as he tended to his painful wound.

Threading the curved needle from the suturing kit with the silk thread Connor poured some rubbing alcohol over the needle and then unwrapped the gauze covering his left forearm. With the exterior wrap gone he was able to shrug off his irreparably damaged shirt entirely and removed the primary wrapping that was saturated through in blood.

After cleaning out his wound with more alcohol Connor gritted his teeth as he failed to restrain a pained hiss before he began his task. Holding his breath Connor inserted the needle into his raw skin and began applying the first stitch with a careful strength and pressure. One by one Connor applied the twenty-two stitches into his forearm; the cut stretching from the base of his wrist and halfway down his forearm, and found his right hand to be shaking after the experience was finally over.

"...That sucked." He told himself as he cut the thread and lightly dabbed a cottonball dipped in the cool rubbing alcohol over the stitches, then dried off his skin with a clean washcloth. Returning to the first aid kit Connor applied a large gauze pad over the wound then wrapped more gauze around it to keep the stitches clean, dry and covered. "I should put Novocaine in the first aid kit someday."

Turning off the warm water in the tub Connor finished undressing before he finally sat down in the water to try and relax a little. It was really more of an excuse to be alone with his thoughts without any intrusions, but he couldn't deny that the hot water on his skin and tight muscles didn't feel good.

Glancing down at his left forearm and then his right forearm he couldn't help but compare the future scar on the left arm to the lingering burn scar on the right.

"At least my scars will be symmetrical." He muttered as he took stock of the other scars he bore courtesy of his return to humanity. The tiny faint scar on his lip from getting punched by Gavin, the scars on the back of his right knuckles from punching the child abuser, the knife wound to his abdomen from protecting Markus and North, the surgical scar from his appendicitis beside it, and the fading scar down the center of his chest from his heart surgery. "...They'll also be plentiful."

Closing his emotionally exhausted eyes he leaned his head up against the cool tile wall and tried not to think about the day, or how much he was still hurting when it came to his emotional pain. It was bad enough having to put Sumo down, but losing Skye without truly losing her; just losing her as the deviant he had begun to fall in love with was almost as bad as death itself. Then Elizabeth's unexpected death just amplified his pain tenfold.

The very thought of enduring such a horrific pain any further made him want to push away Hank and Lucas out of a paranoid need to protect them from the dark cloud that seemed to be hovering over him.

"I need to get out of here. I can't just linger her anymore." The idea of running off and hiding was as tempting as it was painful to think about. Connor felt trapped in his life and he needed to break free somehow. "I need to make some changes if I'm going to keep my family safe. These changes need to happen now."

_**-next chapter-**_


	69. A Sense of Betrayal

A tense stand-off outside of an office building wasn't looking too promising for either the hostages inside, or the responding police officers outside. A group of disgruntled former employees had stormed the building armed with several automatic weapons and were ready to kill everyone and anyone who got in their line of sight out of pure misguided rage. Ducking down behind their parked vehicle outside the building's front doors the officers attempted to talk the shooters down, but they weren't in the mood to listen.

"Shit. We have to do something before they hurt someone." Hank swore as he tried to think of a way to make contact with the gunmen inside the building without getting shot in the process. "How many people are in there?"

Chris had managed to tap into the building's security feed and had the footage up on an electronic tablet screen for the Lieutenant to see. "There are three shooters and twenty-four hostages."

"Damn it. It looks like their all being held in an office on the eighth floor." Glancing upward Hank knew their options were limited. Entrances and exits were limited, the windows were locked and the roof was too much of a risk to take. "Why'd they choose the eighth floor and not the tenth? They'd have the greatest advantage on the top floor."

"Wish I knew."

Having overheard the discussion as he knelt down behind the same parked squad car Connor shrugged off his gray suit jacket, put on his Kevlar vest over his white dress shirt, and checked his weapon as he took a step forward to enter the building. "I'll find out what's going on."

"What?" Seeing the young detective boldly approaching the building alone Hank instinctively called out and ordered him to stop. "No!"

"Hank, I was originally progr- _ trained_," the young detective quickly corrected himself as he was no longer a deviant and merely another human. "as a hostage negotiator. Let me do this, I can handle it."

"Connor, it's-"

"I know, it's dangerous." He cut Hank off quickly as he kept low and neared the building of interest's front doors. "It's _always_ dangerous."

"Connor, stop." Hank called out to his stubborn younger partner and tried to get him to stand back by grabbing onto his left arm as he kept Connor from getting too close to the front door. "Stay back and wait for S.W.A.T. to get here."

Pulling his arm from Hank's grip Connor locked eyes with the senior detective and put authority into his voice. "I can do this."

"Stand down."

"Hank, I'm not going to-"

"We're done here," barking his commands to get through to Connor thanks to his stubborn demeanor Hank ordered the brash young detective to get back from the building and to finally stand down. "get out of my sight. That's an _order_."

Resentful of Hank's decision Connor tried to stare Hank down and didn't blink until the senior detective pointed his right thumb over his shoulder back toward the parked patrol car. As the seasoned Lieutenant returned his attention to the other officers at the scene of the incident and put his back to the young detective Connor shook his head, and rushed inside the building through the front doors and disappeared inside within a matter of seconds.

"Uh... Lieutenant?" Chris had seen Connor rush off and didn't quite know what to say.

Hank seemed to sense Connor's disobedience and turned back around in time to see the younger detective entering the building alone. "C-Connor?!" Calling out loudly and angrily he tried to get the bullheaded young man to come back. "What the hell? Get back here, NOW. Fuck!"

Unsure of what to say or how to react Chris just asked the commanding officer about their next move. "What do we do now, Lieutenant?"

"You keep an eye on the security footage and let me know what Connor is doing and where he is at all times." Grabbing his own Kevlar vest out of the car's trunk Hank slipped off his heavy coat and put the vest on over his black and white stripey dress shirt. "I'm going to figure out why the fuck S.W.A.T. is taking so damn long to get out here!"

* * *

Inside the building Connor drew his gun from the holster around his back just under his vest as he proceeded to locate the Eastern stairwell and begin the hefty climb to the eighth floor to locate the hostages before anyone was harmed. Moving swiftly but silently the younger athletic detective easily ascended the staircase, and crouched down by the closed door leading onto the designated eighth floor. Checking the electronic panel beside the door Connor found it unlocked, and proceeded to quietly open the door and set foot on the eighth floor as silently as possible.

Walking slowly Connor pressed his back up against the wall and ducked down as he approached the large window of a private office in the corner of the expansive floor, giving him a clear view to the interior of the private office where the hostages were being held. The three shooters were all inside the office as well, two focused on the window overlooking the parking lot where the police were positioned outside, and the third had his fun aimed at the office's only door.

"Hello? My name is Connor." The young detective announced his presence as he kept out of sight and didn't let anyone get a shot at him. Staying still and keeping his voice level the young detective maintained control over the situation. "I work with the Detroit Police Department and I'm here to negotiate."

"Back off asshole!" The third gunman, clearly the leader of the group, wasn't willing to listen yet. "Come in here and I'm going to blow this bitch's head off!"

Connor heard a woman let out a gasp of fear as she began to cry and whimper. "I won't go anywhere you don't want me to go." Keeping calm Connor made sure the man knew he wasn't going to do anything reckless. "I want this to end as peacefully as possible."

"Then do what I say and don't try anything clever!"

"You have my word." Checking his gun to ensure it wouldn't jam Connor stood his ground and didn't give away his position. "I won't move, and I'm here to listen."

* * *

Outside the building Chris kept tabs of what was happening via the live security feed on the tablet screen, while Hank listened in on the conversation taking place through the same feed. The S.W.A.T. team had at last arrived at the scene of the hostage situation, and after being chewed out by Hank for their tardiness, took their positions on the roof of the building across from the building of interest. Still unsure of what was going on inside the building all Hank could do was stand back and watch the security footage over Chris's shoulder, and listen in as Connor proceeded to try to release the hostages through peaceful negotiations.

"Chris, relay everything to S.W.A.T. and let them know Connor is in there, AND that Connor's a trained negotiator."

"Right away, Lieutenant." Chris took a step back and kept his radio in his right hand as he watched the footage and proceeded to relay the information without talking over the security footage. The S.W.A.T. noted Chris's updates and held their positions. "They're ready to make their move on your word."

"Alright, kid." Hank turned up the volume on the screen as he watched everything very closely. Everything was slow but still tense. "What're you up to?"

* * *

Relying on his training as a hostage negotiator and his instincts from invaluable experience Connor stayed calm and remained in control as he kept speaking with the dangerous gunman a few feet away. Wanting to avoid confrontation at all cost he reluctantly returned his gun to the holster tucked around his back just beneath his Kevlar vest, and maintained constant communication to prevent the potentially unstable people from assuming that anything was happening from either inside or outside of the building.

"What should I call you?" Shouting to the gunman Connor tried to keep him talking and distracted. "I already you told my name, what's yours?"

"Piss off!"

"I have to call you something," Connor pressed lightly as he kept his voice level. "how about 'Jack'?"

"...It's Tim!" The leader of the group answered reluctantly and loudly. "My name is Tim."

"Okay, Tim. Why are you doing this?"

"Why don't you tell me! You damn cops... You think you know every damn thing about this world and are trying to control it... It's all a lie!"

"Tim, listen to me." Connor glanced through the office window and took in Tim's appearance through the glass: White, male, mid-thirties. Messy, dark blond hair and dark brown eyes with heavy bags under his eyes, and patchy blond stubble along his chin accentuated Tim's edgy personality. He was slim in build but not fit, his left hand's ring finger had a tan line from a currently absent wedding band, and his otherwise professional clothing was dirty and tattered. "I'm here to help you. But I need to know how I can do that."

"Like I said, you tell me!"

"Alright... You were recently laid off." Connor stated in a sympathetic tone and didn't let his voice quaver. "Due to your unemployment your spouse left you, and I suspect that your marriage had already been troubled. You were working to reconcile but the stress proved too difficult which resulted in you sleeping on the couch and being unable to tend to basic things, like laundry or hygiene which only made you feel and look all the more miserable. You also couldn't sleep well which only made the stress you were enduring worse. You were fired despite your dedication to your career and attempts to work hard at your professional and personal life, and that's what drove you to this. Anger and desperation."

"...She... She left me!" Tim screamed in frustration as he pointed his gun at the female hostage causing the group to collective gasp in fear together. "I worked for every cent I ever had and it_ still_ wasn't enough! The kids, the house, the car, it was all too much! I tried to make things work but she didn't give me the chance! She wouldn't even let me try to explain..."

"...Your wife left you and took your children. That's why you're angry."

"No! That's why I'm _here_! This bitch!" He resumed threatening the same woman as before as he stared daggers into her soul around the barrel of his gun that was pointed at the back of her head. "_She's_ the one who fired me! _She's_ the one who took away my last chance at hope and a good life! _She's_ the reason I'm here and why I've been left with nothing!"

Whimpering from understandable fear and uncertainty the woman tried to apologize where she knelt on the floor. "I-I'm s-sor-"

"SHUT UP!" Cutting off his former boss in a cold, cruel tone he didn't let her finish. "You're not sorry! Not yet..."

"Tim," remaining in control Connor called out to him again. "don't hurt her. You don't really want to hurt her."

"Why not? _She's_ the one who did this!"

"What exactly did she do?"

"She fired me! _ME_!" Recounting his previous claim Tim sounded as angry as he was desperate. "I've been here as long as she has, and she chose to fire ME because I didn't play her little mind games! She was going to do the same to Andrew and Eric!" Tim was beginning to cry and lose control over his already frayed emotions. "She found out that they were recovering addicts and didn't want them to ruin the image of her 'perfect team'. It doesn't matter that they worked their asses off and had done more for this company than her little stooges ever did. All she cares about is how SHE looks, about how rich the company makes HER. She doesn't care about anyone or anything! Dedication, loyalty... They mean nothing to her!"

"Tim, listen to me." Speaking to the frazzled gunman in an even voice Connor refused to let Tim ruin his life any further by taking his boss's life as an act of petty revenge. "She ruined your life for her own selfish needs, but that doesn't give you the right to take her life. If you do this, if you harm anyone here, then there will be no future left for you. How would your children react in knowing that their father was in prison?"

"Don't you mention them! You don't have any right to mention my kids!"

"I'm trying to remind you of what's really important, Tim. Do you want to be there for your family, or do you want to life the rest of your life in prison with blood on your hands?"

"...It's too late." He whimpered as he aimed the gun at his fromer boss's head, and pulled back the hammer. "There's no going back."

"Tim, NO. It's _not_ too late."

The other two gunmen were realizing the severity of the situation and didn't want to go through with it. "...He's right." The two men simultaneously knelt on the floor and put their weapons down as they raised their hands into the air to surrender. "I'd rather go to jail for a few months instead of the rest of my life."

"Tim?" Calling out again Connor sensed that something had drastically changed in the private office. "Tim, talk to me."

A loud panicked scream filled the office and in turn Connor reacted to the danger on pure instinct. Connor moved quickly and ran into the office through the door, kicking it open with a loud 'band', and grabbed onto Tim's hands in a tight grip. As he pulled the barrel of the gun away from the woman the gun fired and Connor fell backward onto the floor at Tim's feet.

The screams of the room sounded off even louder as the bullet was fired, but soon after glass shattered as four S.W.A.T. team officers burst through the exterior windows surrounding the eighth floor, and entered the room.

"Down! Get on the floor!" The officers shouted as Tim stared down at Connor in shock. Grabbing onto Tim's right arm the S.W.A.T. team threw him to the ground to restrain him while the other two gunmen continued to surrender without incident. "Don't move!"

Connor coughed a few times as he pressed his right palm to chest and located the bullet lodged into the center of the Kevlar vest that was protecting him. The vest worked. The bullet was caught but the impact of being shot still hurt, and would continue to hurt for a few days as a dark purple bruise began to rapidly form over the center of his chest.

"...Good timing."

* * *

Outside the building the scene was under control and the three gunmen were escorted out in restraints while the hostages were led out a few minutes later by Connor as he rejoined the officers outside. A news crew had tried to gather outside the building but Chris and a few other officers kept the reporters at a safe distance. As soon as the young detective was outside of the building Hank rushed up to him and gave him Hell for his recklessness, for disobeying a direct order and for going into the scene of the every dangerous situation without any form of back-up to protect him.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Hank was yelling aggressively and with a righteous anger. Standing before the younger detective Hank barked out an angry tone of voice he hadn't used since he and Connor first started working together before the Revolution even happened. "You went in there alone with no plan, you holstered your weapon leaving yourself unarmed AND you disobeyed a direct order! I told you stay back!"

"It was a _bad_ order." Connor argued without the slightest hesitation to his voice as he stood up to the senior detective.

"What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me. It was a bad order and I made a judgment call. And by the looks of things," he motioned to the freed twenty-four hostages who were physically unharmed by the encounter, and being taken over to emergency personnel to give statements. "I think I made the _right_ call."

"Hey! Your call isn't the problem here. _You defied a direct order from your commanding officer_! When I tell you to stay put and to get out of sight, then you fucking do it! No excuses."

"You may out-rank me," Connor took a more aggressive stance as Hank berated him for his insubordination. "but I thought we were _partners_."

"Don't pull that shit on me! We are partners AND I out rank you. So that means I call the shots and you follow them! You got that?"

"That doesn't mean you're calling the _right_ shots." Snapping back angrily Connor refused to admit his behavior was in anyway wrong. "I'M the one with experience in hostage negotiations, I'M the one who was trained for that exact scenario. YOU were trained to take down drug dealers. Let me do _my job_. I don't need to be protected and watched over."

"Yes, you do." Putting his hands to his hips Hank locked his eyes onto Connor's eyes as he held his ground on the discussion at hand. "Every single cop here needs to be protected."

"Protected from _what_?" Getting in Hank's face the brash young detective started to really push Hank's patience. "Life?"

"Connor, you need to back down and calm down. Get out of my sight before things get worse, you're not a unique case just because you're pissed off."

"If I'm not unique then why do you keep holding me to different standards than the rest of the precinct?" Challenging the senior detective's claims Connor refused to let the matter drop. "Stop trying to hold me back, Hank."

"I'm NOT holding you back. I'm _watching_ your back."

"With you watching my back it's a good thing I wore Kevlar then." Knowing exactly what to say and how to say Connor finally crossed the line. "The last partner that you protected ended up with a bullet in her back."

That was too far.

Without even thinking Hank saw red as he reeled back his right fist and struck Connor in the left eye, sending the stubborn young detective to the ground in an unceremonious fall to the hard pavement. As Connor hit the ground on his back and left hip a horrible flash of memories from his abusive childhood filled his vision as the taste of fresh blood quickly filled his mouth. Every traumatizing memory that haunted Connor's past came flooding forward with a vivid detail that made him feel utterly sick, alone and afraid.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Chris had seen the violent altercation and quickly put himself between Hank and Connor to stop things from escalating any further. He hadn't heard the confrontation as he was busy with the reporters, but he did see Connor fall to the ground. "What the Hell's going on?"

Stunned and instantly full of regret Hank took a step back as he realized what he had just done. Looking down at his swelling right knuckles he watched as his hand trembled, and dark red blood stained his knuckles. Connor's blood. The senior detective had his own partner's blood on his hands.

Hank had just struck his own son.

"...Connor." Looking away from his hand in shame Hank saw the blood on Connor's face as the younger man pushed himself up from the ground with a trembling right arm and pressed his left palm over the bleeding laceration to his left cheek. "Connor, I'm... I didn't..."

Staring at Hank with a look of shock and fear in his soulful brown eyes Connor slipped off his vest, slipped back on his gray suit jacket and straightened the lapels as he turned his back to Hank as he walked away without once glancing at the senior detective. "Very well." Wiping away the blood from his face Connor took his leave of the scene and retreated to the precinct. "I'll obey your order, _Lieutenant_."

"Connor?" Hank fought to keep his voice level as he called out to the younger man remorsefully. Unable to move all Hank could do was watch as Connor walked away from him like the scolded child he had just become. "Son? I-"

The young detective didn't stop walking. Leaving the scene of the incident on foot Connor made his way back to the precinct completely alone, his face still bleeding and his mind still flooded with the traumatic images from his childhood. The blood smeared on Connor's face that stained his pale skin and marred his unkempt and unshaven goatee just made the young detective look all the more pathetic.

For the first time in a long time Connor actually felt afraid, what was worse he was afraid of _Hank_.

Stunned by his own actions and barely able to even speak Hank walked over to his car, and angrily slammed both of his fists down on the hood of the vehicle creating two impressive dents under his hands in the process. "DAMN IT."

"Lieutenant?" Chris asked as he dared to speak with him without getting too close. "What the hell just happened?"

"...I fucked up." Hank mumbled as he leaned heavily against the hood of his car and realized the severity of the situation. The one thing he promised he'd never do; hurt his sons, was a promise he had just broken in the worst possible way. "I really fucked up. That's what happened."

* * *

Ignoring the numerous stares as he walked through the bullpen Connor promptly returned to his terminal at his desk to access the precinct sponsored word processor to begin typing up a very curious document. In less than two minutes Connor managed to write up the letter with every word perfectly spelled, every line punctuated and his thoughts wrapped up in a succinct and professional documentation after he thought about his next move very carefully during his walk back to the precinct itself.

After the letter printed out Connor put it down on the surface of his desk and signed the bottom of it quickly in blue ink.

Captain Fowler saw the bloody mark on Connor's face from his office and wanted to know what happened. As he reached the door to the private office he realized Connor was already on his way over with his signed letter in his hand. "Connor, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Passing the letter over to Captain Fowler without a second thought Connor turned around and proceeded to open the top drawers of his own desk to sort through his sparse personal items.

"What doesn't-" Looking at the letter Captain Fowler read it quickly and felt a knot form in his gut. Before he could say anything he saw Connor walking out of the precinct with his personal effects in his arm, and saw that Connor had left his service weapon and his badge behind on his desk. "What the hell just happened?"

* * *

On his own personal mission Connor walked from the precinct and back to the house with his left cheek still bloodied and raw from being struck. As he entered the house through the front door Connor glanced about and felt like he was a stranger intruding in someone else's home and didn't have the right to be there. Even as Ruby ran up and excitedly greeted him Connor felt like he simply shouldn't be there anymore. It was a very unsettling feeling and one that Connor couldn't ignore.

"...Hey, girl." Connor rubbed Ruby's ears as he crouched down before the loyal hound on the livingroom floor. "Glad to see you, too."

Standing upright again he sighed and pressed his left palm to his face and looked down to see the smear of blood staining his skin. Walking slowly into the bathroom Connor looked at his face in the mirror above the sink and flinched. The sight of his face bleeding and his left eye bruising gave him a mild anxiety attack as he remembered seeing his reflection like that countless times as a child.

Connor had again been struck by his own father.

Taking in a deep breath Connor grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink and prepared to stitch himself up for the second time in the same week. As he cleaned up his face with the use of an alcohol wipe Connor felt his phone buzzing in his jacket's right pocket.

Without even needing to look Connor knew it was Hank calling and turned off his phone in response as he continued to clean up his wounds.

"You want me to stay out of your sight." Connor muttered to himself as he prepared the needle and thread to stitch up his still bleeding cheek, right below his blackening eye. It was a short but deep laceration that would continue to bleed unless stitched shut. "...Then that's what I'm going to do."

* * *

Feeling like absolute shit Hank drove back to the precinct completely ashamed of himself and trying over and over again to get Connor to answer the phone. Dialing and pressing redial with his right hand as he used his left hand to steer Hank's heart sank deeper and deeper with every call then went by unanswered. Trying for almost an hour without success to reach out to his wayward partner and son Hank sighed to himself, and slammed his left hand down the steering wheel in complete frustration and loss.

"Damn it! I royally fucked up this time..."

Walking into the precinct with his head bowed down in shame Hank paused as he saw his and Connor's desks completely vacated. Glancing up toward Captain Fowler's private office Hank just walked over to the office without waiting for an invitation, pulled open the door, crossed the office space and sat down on the other side of Captain Fowler's desk as if he were a child just sent to the principal's office.

"Hank," unable to figure out what was going on with his two detectives Captain Fowler was more than ready to listen and ask his questions to the man at the epicenter of the drama. "what the fuck happened today?"

"Jeffrey... I fucked up." Staring at the dried blood stain on his right hand Hank wiped his knuckles with disgust against his jeans to try to get it off his skin. "I fucked up really bad this time."

"What. Happened?"

"Jeffrey, I fucking... I hit him."

"You... what?"

"I hit him. I hit Connor." Leaning back in his chair as shame crushed his heart Hank admitted he was at fault. "I fucking hit my own son!"

"Easy, Hank. Tell me what happened." Now that he had an idea of why things were suddenly so tense Captain Fowler lowered his tone and patiently waited for Hank to keep talking. "Tell me from the beginning, okay? What happened between you and Connor this afternoon?"

* * *

With a heavy heart Connor ran a few errands downtown before he walked Ruby around the neighborhood, took her to the dog park and played a few rounds of fetch with her before returning home and giving her some fresh food and water. As he pet her back a few times Connor glanced around the house and then walked up the staircase to get to his bedroom on the second floor. Pulling the turned off phone from his jacket pocket Connor tossed the phone down on the center of his bed and walked away without a second thought.

"I have what I need."

As he reached the livingroom Connor was promptly met by Ruby who whined, pressed her nose into his right palm and pawed at his leg as if in a desperate plea to get his attention.

"I'm sorry, girl." Crouching down again he rubbed her ears and sighed as he looked at her big brown eyes with a sad gaze of his own. "I don't know where I'm going and I don't want you to get dragged into this mess. Be good, and I'll come back for you when I can. Okay?"

Ruby whined again and licked the side of Connor's right hand again.

"Goodbye, girl."

Walking to the front door he opened it, glanced about the livingroom one last time and then stepped through the door. Closing it behind him he locked the door and took the house key from his keyring to slide into the mail slot in the front door to be left behind.

Stepping away from the house Connor reached the driveway and the dark green rental car he had selected while in town. With his few personal possessions packed up and ready to go; his guitar, family photographs, clothes and a few books, Connor backed down the driveway and drove down the street. As he passed by Lucas's house he noticed his little brother's red pick-up truck parked in the driveway and wanted to stop by to see him one last time, but knew if he spoke to Lucas he'd change his mind and remain feeling trapped and alone in the house.

"Goodbye, brother." Watching the house shrink and disappear in the reflection of his rearview mirror Connor bid brother farewell. "I know we'll see each other again some day. I can feel it."

* * *

The story was told and the facts were laid out. Hank felt like he was about to tear himself apart after he told Captain Fowler how he lost his temper, yelled in Connor's face, and then hit him after being triggered by a painful remark. The fact that Connor wouldn't answer the phone was bad enough, but when Hank was shown the letter that Connor had written and signed he wanted to kick his own ass in the parking lot, then go on a manhunt to find his reclusive son so he could apologize from the depths of his heart.

Holding the letter in his hand Hank read over the details and felt his stomach knot. "...Connor resigned?"

"Yeah. He took off before I could talk to him." Opening his top left drawer Captain Fowler looked at the contents inside and shook his head. He had locked up Connor's service weapon and badge after the young detective placed them down on his vacated desk. "He left everything behind and didn't say anything on his way out."

"This is my fucking fault."

"Hank, I'm not accepting the resignation. I put him on an extended leave of absence citing family emergency as the cause."

"Oh, great. Now everyone knows I hit my own kid."

"No, I mentioned the death of his mother and clarified it was emotional exhaustion to pushed Connor away."

"I can't believe I did it... I actually_ hit_ him. I swore I'd never hurt him and promised Connor that he could trust me, and I just completely destroyed any form of trust he had with me in one stupid move." Hank crossed his arms over his chest and was fighting to keep himself from shedding a single tear of shame in front of his commanding officer. "I can't undo this. I can't even begin to try to make it up to him."

"You told me yourself that he burns hot when he gets pissed, and knows exactly what to say to get to people. Just give him time to cool off."

"You don't understand, Jeffrey." The pain in his blue eyes was intense and it was like the night he lost his wife, and the night he lost Cole. "He's not pissed at me, he's _afraid_ of me. You didn't see the way he looked at me. It... It was like he was looking at his biological father who beat the shit out of him as a kid. That look... I've seen it so many times in the eyes of kids who are finally being taken away from their own horrible parents after being rescued, but I've never seen it directed at me."

"Okay, this is what you're going to do." Remaining the voice of reason Captain Fowler urged his Lieutenant to put his family first. "Go home, talk to him, and don't come back here until you know what's going on in his head. Alright?"

"I can't face him. What I did was unforgivable."

"You can't hide from him forever."

"What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry' doesn't exactly work on this type of thing."

"I wish I could give you advice, but I can't. You have to go and make things right and you're the only one who knows what to do and how to do it."

"...Yeah, right. I have such great judgment on these kinds of things."

"Hank. Just go home and deal with whatever it is you have to deal with. I'm not going to pry or report this incident, it's pretty damn clear from what you said that he crossed the line when he brought up Barbara, and you lost your cool."

"That's no excuse."

"You're right, it's not. But it does give you a place to start."

"Start what? Forgiving myself? Making amends?"

"I don't know." Taking the letter of resignation Captain Fowler put it in the top drawer over the gun and badge and then locked the drawer up. All traces of Connor's presence in the precinct were now sealed in the commanding officer's desks. "That's something you're going to have to find out yourself."

* * *

Refusing to change his mind or speak to Hank for any reason Connor drove out of the city and didn't look back. Typing in an address in the car's G.P.S. Connor made the correct turn onto the expressway to head down I-94 West and turned on the radio to cease the relentless silence of driving alone. The young detective was met with a song by 'Knights of the Black Death' that actually made him wince. Feeling a strange twinge of nostalgia and reluctance Connor turned off the song and found another station with a different band and a different genre of music entirely.

The sun was beginning to set and Connor looked at the estimated time of arrival on the G.P.S. to his new destination: Four hours, sixteen minutes.

"It'll be past midnight when I arrive. I'll need to find a hotel to stay in."

Now regretting that he didn't have his phone Connor sighed as he realized finding a hotel for the night might be a problem, but there was no turning back now. Instead he'd have to find an electronics store and buy a new phone first.

"New phone." He muttered to himself as he also recognized that he didn't bother to memorize the numbers of any of his friends or family back in Detroit. He'd have no way to contact them and they wouldn't be able to contact him after leaving unexpectedly. "New life. New _everything_."

* * *

It took Hank almost an hour to work up the nerve to finally leave the precinct and return home to speak with his son. As he pulled the car into the garage he somehow sensed that something was wrong as he stepped out of the car, and felt the stillness in the air. With a shaking left hand Hank opened the side door connecting the garage to the laundry room, stepped out of the room into the kitchen and found the interior of the house dark, cold and painfully quiet. The house just felt empty, void of all life and energy, and Hank's stomach dropped.

"Connor?" He called out, not that he was expecting an answer. He just needed to stop the silence and announce his presence. "Son?"

Walking through the kitchen he peered through the glass sliding doors and saw the backyard was vacant, the pool untouched. The same could be said for the livingroom as it was as empty and quiet as the rest of the house. Walking down the short hallway Hank peered inside the study and saw it was too empty, and the same for the ground floor bathroom.

"Are you here, son?"

Making his way up the staircase Hank saw Connor's bedroom door was open and that Ruby was laying over the center of the bed and letting out small, sad whimpers.

"Ruby, where's Connor?"

Looking about the bedroom Hank's stomach dropped as he realized Connor's room had been partially cleaned out. Noticing that Ruby was laying next to Connor's phone Hank snatched it from the bedspread and saw that it had been turned off and left abandoned.

"Shit." Pulling his own phone from his pocket Hank called Lucas and hoped that Connor was hiding out with his brother and not anywhere else. "Lucas," he didn't even wait for the deviant to answer before he started speaking. "is Connor with you?"

'_No, he's not here_.' Lucas sounded as confused as Hank was worried. '_Should he be_?'

Hank's legs went numb as he sank down to the edge of Connor's bed as fear set in and Ruby whimpered again. "...Damn it. Fucking damn it!"

'_What's happened_?' Lucas was righteously getting worried as well and needed some answers. There was a pause as he attempted to use his scanner and connection to Connor's heart valve biocomponent to track down his brother's location, but he couldn't detect anything. '_I_... _I don't think he's in the city_. _Why is Connor missing_?'

"...Lucas, I screwed up in the worst way any father ever could. Just... Come over here so we can talk. I can't be alone right now."

'_O-Of course_! _I'll be right over_!'

Hank hung up the phone stared at the blank screen for only a moment. He caught sight of his reflection on the screen and felt self-loathing building up inside of himself just seconds before he chucked the phone at the wall causing it to burst into shards of glass and plastic in a violent eruption with a echoing 'crack'.

Leaning forward on the bed Hank buried his face in his hands as he realized the severity of the situation. Breathing in and out rapidly Hank tried and failed to contain his extreme emotional distress as the bad day just got worse.

"FUCK!"

* * *

With his new phone activated and charged Connor was able to reserve a room at a relatively nice hotel for three days in the heart of the city just a few miles away and off the expressway. The location was perfectly ideal as it would allow Connor to rest and gain his bearings as he explored the new city in search of his new apartment, and applied for work at any and all precincts that would hear him out and give him a chance to work his way back up the ranks if it was deemed necessary.

It would be a tough change but it was one Connor was determined to make.

Whether it was depression or life itself Connor was ready for a change and being struck by the person he trusted the most was the final straw. It was time to change; not just his surroundings but change himself as a person.

Connor refused to dwindle in the past any longer.

Having been taught he was worthless and a mistake as a child had left emotional scars that were only just beginning to finally heal. It took time but Connor was finally able to understand that his life is worth only as much as he makes it. Rather than being a fluke chance with the precinct as a detective or as a lost child being taken in by a grieving father, Connor was going to redefine himself as he wanted to become.

He didn't want to have the stigma of CyberLife hanging over his head anymore. He didn't want to be seen as a traitor, or a victim of childhood abuse, or as the anomaly that is the human turned android turned deviant turned human.

Stifling a yawn with his right hand Connor turned up the radio to let the music keep him awake as he was just ten minutes away from his new destination, and his new life. "Almost there."

Arriving at his destination Connor passed through the toll booth, paid his fare and passed by the city's greeting sign without any fear or regret in his eyes.

_Welcome to Chicago_.

_**-next chapter-**_


	70. One Step Forward

_**Chicago: The Windy City.**_

The sound of people walking down the hallway outside his door awoke Connor from his deep sleep as he spent his first night in Chicago, alone, in a hotel room. Opening his tired soulful brown eyes Connor glanced about the hotel room and propped himself upright on his elbows as he regained his bearings, and let out a sleepy yawn. Sitting up in the bed Connor rubbed his right hand over the back of his neck and turned his head to look at the dark brown curtains pulled shut over the window. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed Connor proceeded to walk over to the window with a sense of new discovery. With a simple motion Connor drew the curtain back and peered out at the new city around him just waiting to be explored as a bright autumn sunrise greeted him with warm rays of light.

"...I did it." Connor sighed in relief as he stared at the dozens of skyscrapers surrounding him and overlooking the steady stream of autonomous vehicles speeding by in the streets far below. Total strangers, people Connor had never seen before and would never know personally, walked along the traffic as they went about their business that warm and bright morning. "I'm in a new city and I'm going to begin a new life. No more living in the past, no more letting the darkness of my bleak memories blind me to the future. I won't be afraid to move forward and live my life as I see fit. Not anymore."

Catching a glimpse of his own reflection in the glass surface of the window Connor saw that his left eye was severely bruised from being struck the day before, and the stitched up laceration below the bruise would need to be cleaned up. His eye was partially swollen shut, and the white sclera was now rosy from being bloodshot. Curiously he lightly pressed his left fingertips to the purple bruise and winced at the radiating pain coming from his eye.

"Damn it."

With a second breathy sigh he walked into the bathroom and studied his bruised face for a moment longer before he looked at his left forearm that was still wrapped up in gauze, and concealing additional stitches from another previous wound. The stitches had held appropriately for the past four days and would need to remain in place for another six days before he could take them out, which of course meant he'd have to remain bandaged up and cleaned properly.

"I should've purchased a first aid kit when I bought my new phone." He realized as he unwrapped his forearm carefully to check the wound for possible infection. As the injury was revealed Connor grimaced at the sight of his skin sewn shut and put a clean washcloth under the cold tap in the sink to lightly clean the skin around the threads without saturating the stitches in the process. "I need a new first aid kit, I need to find an apartment and I need to find a new job so I can begin my new life."

Turning his attention to the stitches on his face via reflection of the mirror above the sink Connor dabbed the cool cloth around the wound under his left eye then held it to blackened eye to try to ease the pain and maybe reduce the swelling. In doing so his right eye focused on the modest beard he had been unintentionally growing as he endured a heavy depression, and paid little attention to his overall appearance as a result.

"I need to shave." He next decided as departed from the bathroom to rummage through his suitcase to retrieve his personal grooming kit. "Glad I picked this up on my way out."

A shave and a quick trim of his hair would assist in regaining the professional demeanor that he nearly lost as his emotions and mind began to betray him during his grieving period. Refusing to just give up and neglect his personal needs and appearance any longer Connor was more than happy to clean up his appearance in the bathroom, brush his teeth and re-bandage his wounds under a layer of tissues until he had a new first aid kit.

Careful not to touch his stitched up cheek as he shaved Connor resumed his clean-shaven appearance and instantly looked ten years younger. There was a brightness to his facade upon shaving off his beard, and his renewed sense of confidence made Connor hold his head up a little higher.

Rubbing his right hand over his smooth chin Connor grinned a little and finally recognized himself in the reflection on the mirror for the first time in almost three long weeks.

"This should be prove to be an interesting day."

* * *

_**Detroit: The Android Capital of the World.**_

Back at the house Hank was absolutely exhausted but couldn't sleep. Sitting at the kitchen table alongside his deviant son Hank had the misfortune of telling Lucas about the previous day that resulted in the destroyed bond of father and son that he had forged with Connor, and how he had no idea where his wayward son had gone. The lack of communication and arguable evidence regarding Connor's disappearance had left the senior detective completely at a loss of what he could do, and feeling entirely useless.

In his mind Hank had failed. He failed as a detective, failed as a friend, failed as a guardian and worst of all, he failed a father.

"I don't understand." Lucas was trying to process the situation and how Hank was unable to find Connor. Everything that happened seemed to be impossible in the deviant's mind. "Why can't you find him? You're a detective."

"Because Connor's a detective, too." Hank replied in a low defeated voice. "He knows how to hide his trail, and how to keep anyone from locating him."

"How so?"

"He left his phone behind." Reaching into his pocket he took out the phone for Lucas to see, then placed a second item down beside it atop the kitchen table to sit between them. "And his smart watch."

Lucas picked up the watch and realized that Connor had left the item behind because it'd prevent the deviant from monitoring him from a distance. "...He doesn't want either of us to find him?"

Shaking his head a little Hank confirmed what Lucas had suspected. "He doesn't want _anyone_ to find him."

"Deviants." Lucas stated with a misplaced confidence as he tried to think of a solution. "I'll inform deviants of Connor's disappearance and ask for them to let me know if they see him."

"Won't do any good." Doubtful and broken Hank didn't dare to get his hopes up. "Connor wants to disappear, and he will."

"...How can he just disappear like that?"

"He's clever, he's resourceful and he's a detective. He knows how to cover his tracks and vanish without a trace."

"But we have to find him. He's our family."

"We won't." It was struggle to keep his frail emotions in check, but Hank somehow managed to succeed. "He won't use credit cards to let us know where he went, he left behind his phone and smart watch so we can't track his location from cell towers, he didn't take my car or your truck, but no autonomous cab was summoned to the house which means he found another mode of transportation to leave. He took only what he needed, nothing that would catch anyone's attention and he even left Ruby behind to make it easier to move around."

The hound was still upstairs on Connor's bed just patiently waiting for her master to return.

"Without a pet to take care of," Hank elaborated as he shook his head a little and sounded completely broken. "he'll have more options in places to hide out or live in. Not to mention he won't need to take the time to feed her, walk her or let her outside. That's the only reason he left her behind."

Lucas was still trying to process the fact that Connor had left the city and left everyone behind without a single word. "If he wanted to disappear then that means he wouldn't have spoken to anyone at New Jericho, and he would've avoided anyone who might know where he has gone."

"Yeah. You got it."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing, we need to find him. He shouldn't be out there alone."

"He's made up his mind." Accepting defeat Hank tried to help Lucas understand what was going on. "I drove him away and he won't come back unless he wants to." Sighing into right palm as he leaned against his arm atop the kitchen table it was clear that Hank had already given up. "This is a mistake only I can fix, and I have no idea how to do it."

"Sitting around and giving up isn't the way to do it, that I can say for certain."

"Lucas, he's an adult." Hank had to list off the reasons as to why they wouldn't succeed. "He left under his own freewill and did so with a valid reason, so filing a missing person's report won't do any good. Until someone can figure out where he's gone; a reported sighting, someone speaks to him and he tells them where he's gone, or anything like that, we won't be able to do anything but sit and wait."

The deviant was completely floored by Hank's lack of initiative. How could he just sit back and do nothing while his son was missing? "Please, Hank. I'm going to begin my next round of training this evening, and I won't be able to do anything else for a month. We have to do something, _now_."

"We can't. All we can do is go about our lives and wait for Connor to make the first move to come here. _ If_ he wants to come back."

"...That's it?"

"Yeah..." Hank all but whispered as he realized the unfortunate severity of the situation. "That's it."

Lucas was almost offended by Hank's grim attitude but it wasn't in his nature to be confrontational. "Well, then I guess I should go."

"Go where?"

"...I can't find Connor and I can't postpone my training. If we have to wait for Connor then I will, and I will go about my own life as if nothing is wrong."

Hank wanted to tell Lucas to stay as he didn't want to be left alone, yet the senior detective knew that it was unfair to ask Lucas to give up his plans; his future as a firefighter, just to keep him company. Watching the deviant leave quietly through the front door Hank bowed his head down and pressed his right palm over his eyes as if he had just watched Connor leave all over again.

Lost, alone and unsure of what he could possibly do Hank let a few stray tears of emotional frustration run down his face and drip onto the top of the kitchen table where he was leaning. "What the fuck did I do?"

* * *

After redressing his wounds once more with his new first aid kit he had picked up a nearby drug store Connor made sure his rogue lock of hair hung down over his swollen left eye and put his glasses on to try to help hide his swollen eye a little until it healed. Wearing his white dress shirt with his gray suit jacket over top he expertly knotted his black tie and held his head high. The young detective had located three precincts in the city with an opening and had applied to all three in an effort to resume working as a detective in a new city as he started out his new life in Chicago.

Fortunately he was able to have interviews at each precinct that same afternoon, and walked into the third and final precinct at the designated time. The precinct was larger than the other precincts and even the precinct back in Detroit, but it felt just as professional and busy. Walking through the bullpen Connor was shown to the commanding officer's private office and greeted the seasoned detective with a firm handshake.

The interview went well and Connor was pleased that his exemplary track record for solving cases; both with humans and androids alike was taken seriously. The great first, second and now third impression he made gave him a much needed boost of confidence after each interview, so when he was asked why he was seeking a change of environment he was able to explain things calmly and logically without any problems.

With a second firm handshake Connor walked out of the office and left the precinct as he continued on his day. Now that he had a list of strong job interviews under his belt Connor decided he needed to look for a new apartment, and that he'd need to have lunch so he didn't get sick from a lack of eating properly.

Locating a small diner Connor made his way over and ordered himself a rather large lunch since he hadn't eaten breakfast and barely ate the day before. As he sat down in the booth in the corner of the busy diner Connor pulled out his new phone and proceeded to scroll through the listings for available apartments, and was feeling truly confident about himself for the first time in months.

"Here ya' go, hon." The waitress put down the tray of food in front of Connor and gave him a gentle smile as she noted the way he looked. "It's nice to see people dressed up," she commented on his suit as she served him with an upbeat attitude. "but what's the occasion?"

"Job interview."

"Well, I'd say you earned it." She complimented and gave Connor a wink as she stayed beside the table. "Need anything else?"

"No, thank you. I'm good."

"Alright. Enjoy."

With a subtle nod Connor continued to look at apartments on his phone and began to eat his lunch; a grilled chicken sandwich with a handful of fries. As he scrolled through the apartments, finding a few that looked decent enough without an insane amount of monthly rent or deposit, he got a call from the third precinct where he had just interviewed and he readily answered the call.

Unsurprisingly he got the job, and promptly informed the other two precincts about his new hire out of professionalism and respect to ensure they didn't overlook another good candidate while seeking to hire him.

"Two problems solved," he told himself with a bold statement as he felt more of the sinking weight in his heart lift away. "and only one more to go."

Connor's mouth twitched a little in response to his over simplification of his current problems.

"...At least for now."

* * *

Upon learning of Connor's abrpt departure Captain Fowler was completely dumbstruck by everything that had happened after Hank told him of the situation at hand. The lack of information on Connor's current whereabouts and inability to communicate left Captain Fowler with no choice but to accept the resignation and let him go. The loss of the skilled young detective was going to have a massive impact on the precinct as a whole, but was going to have an even worse effect on Hank. It was already happening and it was only going to get a lot worse over time.

"Hank, why don't you take the week off?" The commanding officer could see that Hank was hurting and needed to get his head straight. Speaking with the seasoned Lieutenant in a low voice at Hank's desk Captain Fowler tried to be the voice of reason. "Who knows what could happen in a week?"

"Just go ahead and say it Jeffrey." Hank was angry with himself and the rage was palpable as it practically radiated from his being. "I'm a royal a fuck-up."

"Making mistakes doesn't make you a fuck-up, Hank."

"When you make as many mistakes as I have and end up losing _two sons_ because of it, then I'm indisputably a fuck-up!" Slamming his hand down on the desk Hank gave his old friend an embittered glare from his pained blue eyes. "Go ahead and say it! Do it!"

"Hank." Captain Fowler kept his voice level and didn't respond to the hostile nature. "Go home. You're off for one week, with pay."

"Yeah, fine." Standing up from the desk he turned away from Captain Fowler and trudged out of the bullpen with the demeanor of a completely broken down man. His behavior was reminiscent of the night he lost Barbara and again after he lost Cole. "It'll stop me from fucking up everything else."

"Damn it." Watching as the enraged Lieutenant left the precinct all Captain Fowler could do was let out a deep breath and hope for a positive change to help undo the pain that Hank was currently enduring. "Don't do anything you'll regret, Hank."

* * *

Still feeling confident Connor had finished off his lunch and was checking out one of the apartments that caught his attention, and was being shown around by the building's landlord. While the apartment was modest and didn't have much of a view it was ideally located as he was only three blocks from the precinct where he was about to begin his new life; and since he'd have to return the rental car soon walking would be his only option beyond paying for public transportation during foul weather.

"Unfortunately we don't allow pets, but as you can see it's already furnished," the landlord, Mrs. Riley, stated in an almost motherly tone of voice as she toured the apartment with Connor. "and utilities are covered in the rent, so only one bill to worry about every month with me."

Glancing about the pale gray walls of the livingroom Connor eyed the faded and relatively worn blue couch and matching chair that had two glass end tables on either side with indifference in his soulful brown eyes. There was a large flat screen television mounted on the wall across from the couch and little more to the room. The livingroom had beige carpeting that seemed relatively new and it had been recently vacuumed which gave it a clean welcoming feeling to passing guests.

The neighboring kitchenette was small and had a long dark gray countertop next to the stainless steel sink and a shorter counter one between the stainless steel stove and the white refrigerator. The linoleum floor was white with some gray fading in and out; very simple yet very inviting.

"Seems nice enough." Connor stated as he approved of the simple outlay of the apartment. "I don't require much to be comfortable."

"The bathroom," the kind woman showed him to the small room just down the equally small hallway and motioned to the bare fixtures. "is only a half-bath, but the water's always warm and it's always clean."

The bathroom had only a shower in the corner, the toilet, a small white sink and a tiny ovular mirror on the wall above the sink. The two towel racks beside the sink were empty and the tile floor was cold and gray.

"It'll be just me." Connor remarked as he stepped out of the bathroom and followed Mrs. Riley back down to the small corridor leading to the only bedroom at the end. "It won't be a problem."

"And here's the bedroom. As part of the deposit we always replace the mattress for our new tenants to ensure proper hygiene, so don't worry about that." She stated as she pointed out the empty queen sized wooden bed frame against the wall. There was a single nightstand beside the bed and a window overlooking the street outside. "It's not much but I think you'd be comfortable here if you wish to move in."

"Yes, this should work just fine."

"You'll take it?"

"Yes. I'll take it."

"Great! We can fill out the paperwork down in my office and you can begin moving in right away."

"Right. Thank you." As he followed Mrs. Riley out of the apartment he watched as she locked the door and then made a move toward the elevator near the end of the hallway. It was eerily still even for being up on the fourth floor. "May I ask about the neighbors?"

"Quiet, and everyone mostly keeps to themselves."

"That's good. I'd prefer to do the same."

"Most people do, honey. That's why I always run a background check on my potential tenants and make sure anyone with a criminal record; assault, drugs and the like, don't room in my building to help keep the peace."

"That's a good policy."

"Some people say it's discrimination." She replied as they entered the elevator together and returned from the fourth floor down the ground floor. "I call it being cautious. A lot of people who come here are trying to rebuild their lives after escaping an abusive relationship or a rough home life." Discreetly she glanced at Connor's blackened left eye without being too obvious about it. "I know how hard it can be to begin a new life."

"...Yeah." Gingerly pressing his left fingertips to his sore left eye Connor looked at his reflection on the shiny surface of the elevator doors and noted that everything he had done had been a risk, and yet seemed to be paying off. "Life is pretty complicated."

"Tell me about." As the elevator doors opened Mrs. Riley showed Connor to her personal office to get the paperwork started. "And just so you know there is a great little diner down the street, it's open twenty-four hours a day and has some of the best home cooking you could ever ask for. Two blocks from here is a small grocery store that also has a twenty-four hour policy, and one more block past that is a great department store that can let you buy some brand new clothes at a reasonable price."

"Thank you for the information. I'll go pick up a few items and bring you the deposit."

* * *

The quiet of the large and empty house was deafening. Hank sat in the middle of the couch of the empty livingroom, not even Ruby was around to keep him company, and stared at the walls lined with old family photographs with a heavy gaze. It was as if he was reliving the death of his wife and his firstborn son all over again. The quiet, the sense of emptiness, the dread, the pain in his heart... It was a perpetual nightmare that he couldn't escape and seemingly couldn't wake up from.

Unable to handle the quiet anymore Hank used his phone and called Lucas just to hear another person's voice. Instead of being given a direct answer he was met with the oddly human voicemail reminding Hank that the deviant was currently busy with his training, and wouldn't be able to talk for a while.

Hank didn't even know what he wanted to tell Lucas. He just knew he wanted to talk.

No, he didn't want to talk. He needed to think.

Letting out a deep sigh Hank got up from the couch, left the livingroom and walked into the laundry room where he unlocked the side door to the garage. Pulling open the driver's side door and sitting down he used the automatic opener on the garage, and proceeded to back the car down the drive and onto the street with no destination in mind.

Unsure of where he was going Hank just started driving and finally let himself cry as he mentally tore himself apart for what he had done to his son.

"...Connor, I'm sorry. I'm so fuckin' sorry!" No one heard him say it, but it needed to be said all the same. He practically shouted in anger, frustration and a sheer need to be heard as he drove through the streets of Detroit alone. "I'm sorry that I'm a bad father..."

* * *

It didn't take Connor long to move his few personal items into the apartment and he was able to return the rental car, and check out of his hotel without any problems. The following morning he'd have his first day at the precinct and he wanted to make sure he arrived right on schedule without any setbacks. As such he picked up a couple of new work suits and returned to his apartment with the intention of staying put until the following morning. Stepping out of the elevator he turned left to get to his apartment and almost bumped into another tenant as she was leaving her own apartment, and seemed to be on a mission as she passed Connor by.

The young woman, mid-twenties with dark blonde hair, dark blue eyes, a slender build and a kind smile, noticed Connor but didn't recognize him as he carried his new purchases down the corridor to get to his apartment door. "Hello."

"...Hello." Connor replied somewhat shyly as he wasn't looking to socialize, but wanted to be polite all the same.

"You must've just moved in." She deduced as she stood before Connor. She had to look up slightly to look him in the eyes as her shorter frame wasn't ideal for talking to taller people. Her slim build made her look very petite but she exuding a confidence that let it be known that no one should try to mess with her. "I'm Evelyn Blythe. It's nice to meet you."

"Connor." He replied in a low voice as he stared at her in a hesitant manner. He could see she was wearing a uniform under her coat, but didn't know what kind of uniform it was. "Connor... Wolf."

"You're running away, too, huh?"

"What?"

She politely motioned to his black eye as she answered his question. "A lot of people who rent these apartments have a sad story. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I understand. No one likes to talk about their pity tale, and I can relate."

"O-Oh." Connor raised his left hand and covered his swollen left eye a little out of slight embarrassment. "Right."

"Well, anyway. I have a late shift to get to and it's my last one, so maybe I'll see you again tomorrow."

"...Y-Yeah. I'm sure you will."

"See you later, Connor."

"Yeah. See you later, Evelyn." Connor watched as she walked into the elevator and disappeared from sight before he walked over to his own apartment door. Pulling the new key from his right pocket he unlocked the door and stepped inside with an almost reluctant manner. "...She seems somehow familiar."

Brushing it off as nothing more than an odd sense of deja vu Connor proceeded to lock himself in his own apartment for the night and go about his new nightly routine. Feeling oddly at home Connor walked into the kitchenette and rummaged through the sparse groceries he bothered to purchase to make himself a light dinner, then took a shower to relax before bed.

Checking his phone out of habit Connor almost forgot that it was a new phone, and none of his old contacts knew of his new number. No new messages, no missed calls, the phone was left blank. Laying in his bed, the brand new mattress having been delivered just a few hours before, Connor put aside his phone and selected a book from the collection he brought with him and set the alarm on his new phone to awaken him at the appropriate time in the morning.

"I know I did the right thing."

He muttered to himself as he tried but failed to focus on his book. Putting it aside as well and putting his glasses down atop the book's cover Connor spoke in a level voice to the automated electronic system installed in the apartment.

"Lights off."

As the overhead light turned off he sank back against his pillow and closed his tired eyes to settle down for the night.

"...But something feels wrong. What is it?"

* * *

The night was dark, chilly and painfully lonely.

It was getting late and Hank was still unable to stop mentally kicking himself in the ass for what he did to Connor the day before. Too distracted to keep driving he pulled the car along the street and threw it into park as he slammed his left hand down angrily against the steering wheel again. Leaning forward over the steering column glowing neon blue and pink lights caught Hank's attention causing the senior detective to turn his head in the direction of the lights to find the source of the glow.

Jimmy's Bar.

"I already made one bad decision." He lamented as his left hand hovered over the door handle of the car and opened it seemingly on autopilot. "Why not get a streak going?"

Walking across the street Hank pushed open the door and ignored the stares of the patrons who recognized him as a previous regular as he trudged over to the bar and sat down on a vacant stool with his head hung low.

"Hank?" Jimmy was a little surprised to see him in the bar after almost three years of working to get sober. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to drink." Slapping a fifty dollar bill down on the surface of the bar Hank sighed and stared at the surface of the bar under his elbows as he leaned heavily against the wooden surface. Countless rings from previous drinks stained the surface, and the smell of old beer and bad food were intoxicating. "Give me the usual, and two shots of vodka."

"...You're sure?" Jimmy asked before he even made a move for the bill as he knew of Hank's sobriety streak. "Aren't you sobered up?"

"Now, Jimmy."

"Alright, Hank." Putting his right hand over the offered bill Jimmy slipped it over the edge of the bar and into the register. "Whatever you say."

The cheap tea colored whiskey was poured into the glass and placed before Hank as two shots of vodka were placed beside it. Hank picked up the whiskey and looked at the reflection of his face staring back at him from the dark surface of the drink. Closing his eyes in shame Hank quickly downed the whiskey and let the strong taste fill his mouth as every dark memory that plagued his mind made itself actively present, and ached at his breaking heart.

Barbara. Cole. Connor. Maybe even Lucas.

Everyone he cared about and everyone who left him made his heart ache in tandem with the flashes of the bleak memories filling his vision.

Putting the empty glass back down on the bar Hank sighed and grimaced at the aftertaste before he picked up the first shot of vodka and quickly downed it. As soon as the shot glass was back down on the bar he grabbed the second and downed it just as quickly.

Pushing the three empty glasses to the side with a simple brush of his right arm Hank looked up at Jimmy and gave him a nod.

"Set me up again." Hank nearly barked as he felt the effects of the previously long absent alcohol already coursing through his system. Old habits die hard, and with any luck Hank would die hard as well. "It's going to be a _long_ night."

_**-next chapter-**_


	71. Two Steps Back

The following morning Connor awoke just before his alarm went off and proceeded to quickly get ready for his first day at his new precinct in his new city. Making sure to eat a large breakfast Connor showered off, shaved, brushed his teeth and changed into a brand new style of uniform. Rather than his usual uniform of a white dress shirt, black tie, jeans and a gray suit jacket, he chose to wear something a little different. Still wearing a white dress dress shirt with the black tie over his dark blue jeans, Connor elected to shed the gray suit jacket in favor of gray suit vest with the tie tucked underneath, only where the suit jacket while outside in the colder weather.

Unable to wear his contact lenses due to his left eye still being swollen up and bruised Connor wore his glasses and made it to the precinct on foot, arriving fifteen minutes before he was scheduled to clock-in for his first shift. Straightening the lapels of his jacket Connor made sure his hair was neatly styled and that he looked presentable.

Remaining confident Connor walked through the bullpen of the new, larger precinct and knocked on the closed wooden office door of his new commanding officer; Captain Dinah Warren, and inquired about his current assignments.

"Nice to have a detective showing enthusiasm for his job and not just going through the motions." Captain Warren noted as she gave Connor an inquisitive stare. She was in her late forties, slim in build, had a fairly dark complexion with compassionate bright brown eyes that were almost amber in color. She kept her raven hair tied back in a neat bun and wore a ruby red blouse that matched her lipstick. "As per dress code you'll need to wear contacts instead of your glasses, but until your eye heals I'll make an exception."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Aside from that your uniform of choice is just fine. Now," placing an electronic tablet screen down on the desk she slid it toward Connor and gave him a subtle nod. "since you were an expert on handling cases regarding deviants and androids back in Detroit you'll be in charge of the new task force regarding the strange activity regarding deviants now developing here in Chicago."

"What deviant activity?" Connor asked with an arched brow as he picked up the tablet and read over the a few sparse details, then was met with grim photographs of nineteen deviant corpses found strewn about the city in alleyways and other sparsely tread locations. "...Deviants aren't permitted to enter Chicago until rights and laws are passed."

"Exactly. We were never trained to handle androids or deviants, and no one in this precinct; possibly this entire city, is qualified to handle this case. You coming here is going to make things a lot easier."

"...These deviants," Connor paled a little as he observed the brutality behind each of the deaths and knew that deviants; the victims, suffered immensely before they succumbed to their damage and shutdown. "they were beaten mercilessly with weapons and bare fists. These wounds are the result of repeated physical impact, and whoever inflicted the damage knew exactly where to strike for maximum damage."

"We haven't been able to establish a pattern when it comes to the places where the bodies were dumped. No witnesses, no motivation."

"There's a motivation." Checking through the images of the victims, each one beaten worse than the last, Connor recognized the behavior and grimaced as he felt a knot form in his stomach. "Hatred. These deviants were subjected to torturous beatings before they shutdown. Whoever is doing this wants the deviants to suffer as much as possible."

"Do you have an idea of who might responsible?"

"Not yet. Once I find a location of one of the assaults, not just where the bodies were dumped, I should be able to find the suspects involved."

"Suspects? As in, more than one?"

"Correct. I believe there are two people involved.

"Why two?"

"The wounds are too consistent to be of someone of sound mind; only a person who knows purely brute strength can do this kind of damage. However, the logical consensus and forethought to never dump any of the bodies in the same place twice means a more calm and controlled mind is calling the shots." Placing the tablet back down on the desk Connor shook his head a little as he explained his theory. "This is the work of two people; one person of absolute strength and the other bearing a conniving and cruel mind."

"Sounds reasonable. After all, you're the expert in this type of situation." Folding her hands together Captain Warren put her hands atop the desk as she watched Connor's demeanor very carefully. "What will you need to begin your investigation?"

"I will need to find a witness who had seen the deviants entering the city, and I must find out how they're getting into Chicago to begin with."

"How do you know that a witness would've seen the deviants and recognized them as such?"

"Each deviant," Connor pointed to the images on the tablet screen and zoomed in on the visible right side of the skull of one of the victims, then did the same for another victim, and another. "still had an L.E.D. installed in their right temple. An android's L.E.D. is a small circular disc installed in the right temple that acts as a marking for an access port for technicians to run diagnoses, and the light is a very distinguishable and makes androids easily recognizable."

"So all deviants have this L.E.D. disc on their person?"

"Not necessarily. All androids are built with the L.E.D. implemented before activation," Connor's right hand absentmindedly reached up to his own right temple and his fingertips brushed against the smooth human skin that once bore such an artifact; yet the memory of its position in his temple during his life as a deviant was still vivid and tangible. "but a majority of androids removed their L.E.D. discs and their android unique clothing upon deviancy to better blend in with humans."

"Do you think whoever is responsible for this string of deviant murders is targeting androids who still retained their L.E.D. discs?"

"No. Several of these deviants," again motioning to the images Connor gave his new Captain a focused stare as he spoke. "were androids of older models and were some of the first to deviate. They removed their L.E.D. discs years ago. I believe these victims had a replacement L.E.D. installed as a means of ensuring they couldn't escape and hide from whoever was harming them. Maybe even act as a tracking device."

"Interesting..."

"I'll try to triangulate an area of interest and begin investigating with that."

"That's fine by me, and be sure to show your new partner the ropes."

"My partner?"

"She's just finished her final patrol last night and will begin acting as a detective this afternoon. I'm sure you'll get along just fine with her."

"I'm rather amenable, so I doubt any partnership will be a problem."

"Good to know." Glancing out toward the bullpen Captain Warren saw the newest detective she had been mentioning and waved her over to the office through the window overlooking the bullpen. "She's just arrived as well."

"Oh?"

The office door opened and in walked a familiar face. "Captain Warren," she glanced over at Connor and gave him an amused smirk. "Connor Wolf."

"Oh?" Captain Warren gave the new detective an odd glance. "You two have met already?"

"Turns out we're neighbors." Evelyn stated as she walked into the office and sat down in the vacant chair to Connor's right. Her own attire was similar to that of Captain Warren, save for her dark blonde hair being pulled back in a neat ponytail with only a small portion of her bangs over her right eye, and her blouse was a deep rich purple instead of red. "He's just two doors down and I bumped into him last night."

"That's handy. Now, Evelyn," gesturing toward Connor with her right hand Captain Warren began to explain the rookie detective's first assignment. "you'll be working with Connor and learning about androids. You two are being assigned to the new task force regarding crimes against androids in this city."

"Androids?" Expectedly Evelyn was a little shocked to learn about her new assignment. "Chicago is still off limits to androids."

"I'm aware, Sergeant Blythe. Which is why this is a _new_ task force." Giving the duo a somewhat stern glance Captain Warren made sure the new detective was made aware of the severity of the situation. "There have been nineteen deviant bodies located in the city and you two are responsible for figuring out who dumped their bodies, how they died, who is responsible for their deaths and how the deviants entered the city to begin with."

"We'll figure it out, Captain."

"I'm sure you will. You're both dismissed. Get to work."

"Yes, Captain." Connor nodded as he stood up and walked with Evelyn toward the office door. Instinctively he held it open for her as a polite gesture and followed after his new partner as Evelyn walked over to her own desk and motioned to the vacant one across from her own. "...How many homicide cases have you worked on, Evelyn?"

"Too many." She replied in a somber tone as she sat down and watched Connor do the same. "I'm glad my patrol is over so I can get away from having to directly tell family members about a loved one's death, or confirming that a victim in the street is in _fact_ dead."

"I can understand that." Connor looked at the vacated desk and saw that the name plate of the former occupant had been left behind. A Sergeant William Thornson had once resided there, and Connor didn't see a trace of him beyond the name. Shrugging off his gray suit jacket to just sit in his vest and jeans Connor inquired about the missing officer. "Might I ask what happened to the previous occupant of this desk?"

"Bill? He, uh, he went through a nasty divorce. His wife cheated on him and he couldn't take it after sixteen years of marriage. So he got custody of his two daughters and took off for New York. Good guy, it's a shame he left."

"He was your partner?"

"Yup. Don't worry, I won't be comparing you to him. I get the feeling you're going to be a little too different for that anyway."

"Because of my personality?"

"That, and you're not a balding forty year old man with a mustache and a pot belly."

Connor smirked a little at the comment as he turned on his terminal screen and proceeded to log in with his new credentials. Seeing the name 'Connor Wolf' on the screen seemed out of place at first, but soon Connor became used to going by his original name as sought to gain some distance from his life in Detroit. It was also an attempt to to get some space away from Hank out of a weird, misplaced spite.

"So," Evelyn studied her new partner and stared at his soulful brown eyes full of pain and empathy before she asked about their new responsibility. There was something about the way he was looking at her that made Evelyn feel like she could instantly trust him. "where do we begin?"

* * *

Awoken by a small whimpering sound and a cold wet nose to the left side of his face Hank opened his heavy eye and winced as the afternoon sunlight peering through the curtains of the livingroom windows causing a blinding headache to set it. As he lifted his head up from the couch cushion Hank realized he had passed out face first on the couch sometime during the previous night, and had left a small puddle of vomit on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, and left a second puddle of drool beneath his head.

"...Fucking... hell." He muttered as his merciless headache throbbed inside his skull. The all too familiar symptoms of a hangover were evident and Hank just plain didn't care anymore. As he pushed himself upright on the drool soaked couch with his right arm he looked at Ruby who seemed to be giving him a sad look that made him sigh. "...Right. You need... to go outside."

Stumbling a little on his feet Hank slowly, clumsily and pathetically walked into the kitchen and fumbled with the lock on the sliding glass doors before sliding them over. Ruby trotted outside and Hank just left the door open as he spilled half of the dog food he was trying to pour into her bowl onto the floor at his feet creating a new mess.

"Fuck it. She'll eat it later..."

Hank stumbled and tripped over his own feet as he made his way down the small hallway and into the bathroom where he proceeded to collapse to his knees and throw-up every ounce of alcohol that was still sitting in his stomach into the toilet, and felt his head throbbing tenfold with each of the painful retches. After he flushed away his shameful sickness Hank fell to his right side on the cold linoleum floor and tucked his right arm under his aching head, and draped his left arm over his nauseated stomach as he closed his eyes and tried to remember the night before.

"...Did I drive or take a cab?" Reaching into his jean pocket he didn't feel the car keys which meant he either did drive home and left them in the ignition, or Jimmy had confiscated his keys and got him an autonomous cab to take him home. "...Fuck."

Ruby had returned to the house and found Hank laying on the floor in the bathroom. She laid down beside him and let out a deep sigh as she too was seemingly depressed by the strange shift in the household.

Hank didn't reach out to pet Ruby, instead he just spoke to her in a low, groggy voice where he laid. "...I know, girl. I miss him, too."

* * *

While examining the scene where the most recently discovered deviant victim's body had been found Connor glanced around and realized there were no security cameras in the area, and there weren't any apartments or hotels where eye witnesses could've seen anything. The victim's blue blood had long since evaporated which would make it more difficult to get an idea of when the victim was dumped in the alley, or if he had been killed in the alley or not. It didn't help that Connor's android model had been the only one given enhanced optical relay sensors that allowed him to see evaporated Thirium, and thus the only one capable of following a possible trail even after it had grown cold.

Stepping back Connor sighed and gave Evelyn a despondent look as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If we could've at least gotten a Thirium sample we would've been able to develop a time frame regarding the victim's body being left in the alleyway."

"'Thirium'?" The term was foreign to Evelyn and she gave Connor an odd look. "What's Thirium?"

It had been a while since Connor had to explain basic android physiology to anyone but ever professional Connor set about the explanation logically and as simply as possible. "Thirium is the substance that fuels android biocomponents and helps lubricate joints. It's often referred to as 'blue blood'. Unlike human blood that coagulates and stains after it dries out Thirium evaporates and leaves no trace behind that can be accurately tested by conventional means."

"Let me guess, Thirium is blue in color."

"Correct."

"And 'biocomponents'... What are those exactly?"

"The android equivalent to human organs. Some are vital, others are not. Some can be damaged and repaired with the android's self-healing program, while others require technical intervention to repair, otherwise the android that had been damaged will shutdown."

"Shutdown? As in... _die_?"

"Correct."

"Wow." Evelyn's blue eyes went wide with sudden horror and she dragged her left hand over her soft pink lips to poorly hide her disgust behind her palm. "I didn't realize that androids were so... fragile. They're so_ human_."

"Unfortunately a lot of people didn't realize this fact until the night of the Revolution." Relieved to know that Evelyn was empathetic toward deviants Connor felt like he could trust her to watch his back and help out with solving deviant cases properly. "Right now Detroit is actively working to establish equality between androids and humans, and there are attempts to begin healing and moving forward."

"Progress." Evelyn grinned as she crossed her arms over her own chest and gave Connor a curious look. "Well, if this is a dead end then where do we go from here?"

"We should try to figure out how the deviants are getting into the city. Then we might be able to figure out who is tracking them down and destroying them."

"Sounds good. Where do we start?"

"The expressway. We should investigate footage of the expressway and line them up with the dates of deviant bodies being discovered." Walking with Evelyn tagging along at his left side Connor returned to their shared squad car and sat down behind the wheel while she sat down in the passenger seat beside him. "If we can identify a suspicious vehicle that is actively entering and leaving the city around the dates that the bodies have been discovered we can run the plates and get a possible suspect."

"That's going to take forever." Fastening her seatbelt Evelyn gave her new partner a rather reluctant glance and radioed dispatch to inform them of their current availability. "How do we narrow it down?"

"Slowly and patiently." Pulling out onto the street Connor double-checked his surroundings as he returned to the precinct. Being in a new city was as fascinating as it was disorienting. The young detective had always been quick to adapt and easily navigated the streets as he managed to memorize the new streets and buildings with surprising speed. "It will take time and it won't be an easy search, but for now this is all we can do."

"You're the expert here, Connor. You lead and I'll follow."

Connor gave Evelyn a subtle nod of appreciation as he was grateful to have such an agreeable partner to work with. "Alright. Let's get back to the precinct and get started."

* * *

Kneeling awkwardly onto the floor in front of the couch with a bucket full of warm, soapy water Hank scrubbed his drying vomit off of the couch and the floor with a self-loathing that he hadn't felt since he had been forcibly sobered up by Connor the night the stubborn (formerly) deviant android broke into the house through the kitchen window. It had been almost a full year since he had a drink, but now he blew his sobriety streak. The ugly evidence was looking him in the face as he forced himself to clean it up.

Ignoring his headache as best as he could Hank cleaned up the stains and leaned back on his knees away from the mopped up mess in digust.

"What's the fucking point? No one's going to see this shit."

Standing up on his tired Hank threw the used sponge into the bucket of now dirty water, foamy water. The resulting splash slopped some of the water onto the floor, the side of the couch and over the coffee table beside him. Out of pure frustration Hank wanted to kick that bucket over all over the floor but didn't dare to make a bigger mess than he already had. Grabbing the bucket by the handle he hefted the murky water into the bathroom and poured it down the toilet to dispose of it.

"I got six more days of isolation to get used to. Might as well have some fun and restock the liquor cabinet for old time's sake."

Flushing the toilet Hank tossed the bucket under the sink and walked away from the bathroom in an angry impatient huff.

"If I get really drunk maybe I can destroy enough brain cells and forget about fucking up." As his stomach turned at the idea of getting drunk again it made him stop in his tracks. "Or maybe at the very least I'll lapse into a coma and finally fucking die."

* * *

Evelyn watched with a strange fascination as Connor sat across from her at their adjoined desks and gracefully danced his half-dollar coin over the knuckles of his right hand. She couldn't quite get a feel for her new partner's personality beyond him being kind and dedicated, and found every little quirk about him interesting. As empathetic as she was astute Evelyn could see that Connor had come from a dark past; the lingering pain in soulful brown eyes betrayed the memories he was trying to forget, and his almost unnaturally perfect posture as he sat in his chair reminded her of a military-like discipline.

Honing in on the coin Evelyn gave Connor a curious smile as she acknowledged his little trick. "Why do you do that?"

"Huh?" Connor asked without looking away from his terminal screen or stopping the coin's graceful dance.

"Your coin. Why do you do that?"

"Oh... I use it to recali- _ focus_," he quickly corrected himself before continuing and stopped fussing with the coin in the same breath. "my thoughts, and ease my anxiety." Looking at the coin Connor held it firmly between his right index fingertip and his thumb as he gave his partner an apologetic look. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."

"It's not bothering me, I was just curious about it."

"...You don't mind?"

"No. Why would I?"

"...It bothered my old partner, and I guess I got it in my head that everyone was bothered by it."

Evelyn gave Connor a sympathetic grin as she picked up one of the many pens from the pen holder on her desk and held it out for Connor to see. "I chew on my pens when I get stressed out. Bill hated it, but tolerated it because one time I bit too hard and ended up with a mouth full of blue ink. He never let me live it down and made sure to get me a brand new blue pen every birthday and Christmas just to taunt me."

Smirking a little at the story Connor resumed the dance of the coin over the back of his right knuckles and stared at his terminal screen again. "I'll be sure to remember that."

"Everyone else already does, so don't worry, that story won't be forgotten." Replacing the pen into the holder Evelyn sighed and picked up her dark purple coffee mug with 'Don't Fuck With Me' written out in white letters along the surface. "I need a little boost." As she rose from her desk she gave her new partner another glance before she made her way to the breakroom. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Oh, I prefer tea. Don't worry about it, though."

"Hey, there's tea in the breakroom, too. What's your flavor?"

"...Whatever's available?"

"Don't be shy about asking for things, Connor. Is chamomile okay?"

"Uh, chamomile is often used for relaxation and it won't do much to keep me awake."

"I'll make you some green tea instead then."

"Thanks." Connor watched as Evelyn walked across the bullpen to the breakroom as a means of gauging the layout of the precinct before he returned his gaze to his terminal screen. As he reviewed the brutally graphic photographs of the victims he finally noticed a couple of patterns that made his skin grow cold and begin to crawl at the revelation. "...Shit."

The heaviness of Connor's tone went unheard but it was felt all the same.

"What'd you find?" Evelyn had returned to the desks with two mugs, one of her lightly sweetened coffee and the other was a dark blue mug of Connor's warm green tea for him to drink. "It can't be good."

"...I figured out a possible connection between all of the victims beyond just being deviant."

"Let me hear it."

Connor took his offered mug of tea and sighed as he told Evelyn what he had discovered. "All of the deviants are male in design," he stated somberly as took a sip of the warm green tea and replaced the mug on the desk beside his left arm. "and all of the deviants are of rare and advanced designs."

"I get the male part, that's pretty self-explanatory, but how do you know that they're rare?"

"Trust me, I'm well aware of the commonality of android models."

"I do trust your judgment, but I still would like to know how you can tell."

"Alright," beginning the next explanation Connor made sure Evelyn understood his reasoning. "any android that has a model number ending in six-hundred and greater is considered an advanced model, and very few androids with the model number of seven-hundred were activated prior to the Revolution in Detroit. Six-hundred and seven-hundred androids have highly advanced programming, software and more effective biocomponents that'll last for decades at a time." Taking another sip of the tea Connor kept staring at the faces of the victims who had long since shutdown. "Androids with model numbers between three-hundred and five-hundred are more common and were often hired... _used_," he corrected the term bitterly. "for maintenance and security positions. Any android with model number between one-hundred and two-hundred were the very first androids released and were used more for companionship and errands than anything more complex."

"What about the letters that preset the model number? What does that represent?"

"The primary programing and overall original design function."

"...Such as?"

"Well, there are only three 'RK' model androids in existence," it seemed odd to reference his own model number but it was a prime example to give. "and 'RK' stands for 'Refined Kernal' as the models are entirely unique and have functions no other android has. Two of the three 'RK' models are prototypes, while the third is the only finished model."

"And are they number seven-hundred?"

"No, the first prototype is the only 'RK-200' that was ever completed," the thought of Markus being his own unique entity was a little charming. "the other prototype is the last remaining 'RK-800' that was assigned to work with the Detroit Police Department to investigate the deviants prior to the Revolution, and currently decommissioned for an indefinite period of time. As for the finished model he is the only 'RK-900' ever designed and completed. His model being officially the rarest model currently on this planet."

"What about these victims?" Evelyn was truly intrigued by the moderate progress being made on the case. "Are they any of the 'RK' models?"

"No, these victims as 'AP', 'SQ', 'HR', 'MP' and 'AX' models. 'AP' models were designed for domestic household assistance, 'SQ' models were designed for combat and military services, 'HR' models, and the female 'WR' counterparts have the misfortune of being used for 'intimate' interactions, 'MP' were police and security androids, and the 'AX' models were the most advanced models for purchase before CyberLife went bankrupt, and used for multiple tasks."

"I had no idea there were so many androids with so many different purposes. It's incredible." Leaning back in her chair Evelyn gripped her warm coffee mug by the handle and sipped her caffeinated drink as if needing the energy boost to help her figure out what she was just told. "We need to stop whoever it is that's hurting them. This is like tracking down a serial killer."

"And until we can figure out how these deviants entered Chicago we won't be able to do much to stop the violence."

"What do you recommend we do?"

"This." Shifting his focus from the photographs and back to the security footage recording the toll roads leading into and out of the city Connor type away quickly on his keyboard and implemented a special temporary program to chronicle the license plates of large vehicles that make frequent trips in and out of Chicago. He also used used a few tricks he learned from Skye's security protocols at New Jericho Tower to activate the deviant facial recognition program to isolate any deviant being smuggled into the city by a human driver. "...It'll take some time to work, but it'll be accurate and very reliable."

"Did you just hack the security footage and add your own programs to it?"

"...Yes."

Evelyn grinned mischievously as she admired her new partner's work. "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"...It'd be a bad idea to spread that kind of knowledge around." Connor blushed faintly as he nervously cleared his throat. "This program will also delete itself after it's comprised and examined the collected security footage for the past six months."

"Six months?"

"The first deviant was found five months ago. We cannot assume he was smuggled into the city at the same time of his death."

"So you're checking for a month in advance in case he was brought in earlier and just... tortured until he died?"

"Correct."

"That's demented." Her blue eyes went wide as she looked over at Connor and gave him a somewhat flustered follow-up. "When I say 'demented' I mean the people hurting the deviants, not your method!"

"I had assumed as much."

"...Good. I'd hate to offend my new partner on the first day."

"No offense taken." Connor replied with a faint grin as he sipped at his tea again. It was brewed perfectly. "And thanks for the tea."

* * *

The news of Connor's sudden departure from the precinct and from the city had been kept quiet and kept within the knowledge of only the four leaders of New Jericho Tower to prevent the deviants seeking shelter at the tower from panicking. The threat of losing arguably the only detective in all of Detroit who gave a damn about deviants could cause panic and fear, and perhaps even provoke violent altercations between still bigoted humans and deviants in the streets out misplaced resentment.

Markus and North remained in the tower to keep a close eye on the deviant refugees, all the while they were keeping in cybernetic contact with Lucas to check in on the deviant's progress as he continued to try to figure out where Connor had gone.

"If Connor's own family can't find him I don't think anyone can." North lamented as she and Markus sat together in the tower's arboretum. The wildflowers were still in full bloom despite the summer coming to an end which gave a much needed burst of color to their environment. "Why did he even leave?"

"I don't know. Lucas won't say anything about what led up to Connor's departure. I'm worried that he's still dangerously depressed after losing his mother, and that maybe he... I don't want to think like that," Markus interlaced his fingers with North as he squeezed her right hand tightly. "but right now that's the only thing that makes sense. Why else wouldn't Lucas be able to track him down?"

"I know Connor's always had difficulty with his emotions, but I highly doubt he'd take that route. And even if he did Lucas would be able to find him thanks to the biocomponent in his heart."

"...Yeah, you're right. Maybe Connor really did leave the city after all."

"Where do you think he went?"

"I don't know." The deviant leader's mismatched eyes were at a total loss as he stared at a red tulip in the distance. "Maybe Novi where he grew up as a child, maybe he went to Grand Rapids where he was trying to go before he ended up in a coma, or... What if he went after Skye?"

"No." North's hand tightened around Markus's hand as she thought about her lost amnesiac friend. "Connor didn't know that Skye... _Clair_, was going to live in Boston. He didn't want to know where she went so he could try to move on a little easier. No one told him where she went, not even Lucas."

"Well, then we've eliminated Detroit and Boston. That only leaves the rest of the country."

"Don't start to doubt yourself, Markus. It's completely unlike you."

"I know. It's just this is the first time since the night of the Revolution where we don't have an ally in the police force to protect us outside the tower. I don't want to worry the other deviants, but I don't want them to walk around oblivious of the truth."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you should have faith in the other humans at the precinct. Especially since so many of our people have gone missing over the past eight months without a single trace. I'd hate to think everyone's running away from_ us_."

"Oh, really?" Markus laughed a little as North still mistrusted humans in general. She was also one of the most reluctant to deal with human officers of the law when it came to deviant matters. "Well, if _you_ think we should trust the police, then I will."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know you're not comfortable with humans still, and I appreciate you making an effort to put aside your discomfort for the sake of peace."

"Sometimes it's more important to make new friends than push away old enemies."

Wrapping his left arm around North's shoulder Markus pulled her in close and smiled as she rested her head against his own shoulder. "Everything will be alright." Giving her a kiss Markus rubbed his hand up and down her arm as they gazed out at the field of flowers sprawled out before him. "I promise."

* * *

Waiting for the program he had discreetly installed in his new terminal at the precinct to do its job and isolate the traffic footage from the expressway Connor and Evelyn clocked out for the evening, and returned to their own apartment building for the night. Getting used to have his own place was a little difficult as Connor had always hated being alone thanks to the cold isolation of CyberLife protocol, and had quickly taken to appreciating the company of Hank and even Sumo back the old house. Those days were gone and Connor was still working to move forward.

Standing in front of the stove in his small kitchenette with a small pot of tomato sauce bubbling away Connor made his dinner, and was ready to sit down with a book to read. Just as he pulled the pot off the stove there was a knock on his door and he quickly turned to face the door and went for his gun sitting on the countertop behind him. Approaching the door with a mild hesitation he peered through the peephole and saw Evelyn on the other side just as she announced herself.

"Connor, it's me."

"Is something wrong?" He asked as he unlocked the door to look at her directly. Slipping his gun into the waistband on the back of his jeans Connor waited for his new partner to respond to the question. "You seem upset."

"I got a message from a personal contact, she said she saw a man bleeding in an alley two blocks from the strip club where she works." Holding up her phone Evelyn showed Connor the frantic poorly spelled text that Evelyn's contact had sent her, then pulled her long blonde hair back up into a ponytail to keep her long locks out of her eyes as she worked. "Connor, his blood is blue."

"Shit." Another android victim had been found. "Where is this located?"

"I'll show tell you everything, come on. I have an autonomous cab already outside waiting for us."

"Right." Grabbing his leather jacket hanging on the hook by the door Connor slung the garment over his black t-shirt to help hide his gun and help him appear more casual as he and Evelyn went to investigate the alleyway together. Pulling his door shut he locked up his apartment and followed Evelyn to the elevator at the end of the hallway. "We need to hurry if we're going to get any answers."

* * *

Sitting alone in the kitchen Hank poured himself a shot of cheap vodka and stared at the family photographs he had collected over the years. A majority of the photographs were of Cole and Barbara, while a generous amount showed Connor, Lucas and even Sumo as the unorthodox family bonded over the previous year. A few of the photographs that Hank had added to the collection came from Elizabeth, Connor's now late mother, and he couldn't help but compare the photographs of Cole as a baby to Connor when he was about the same age.

"...They're practically twins. Is that it?" Downing his shot greedily Hank grimaced and slammed the empty glass back down on the table as he poured himself another shot to drink. "Is that why I took in Connor? 'Cuz he's a damn near perfect copy of Cole? I could never replace Cole but... did I try?" Downing the second shot as quickly as he did the first Hank continued to ponder the bleak thoughts in his self imposed, steadily inebriating isolation. "...Kids aren't interchangeable, damn it. No... I took in Connor because I wanted to help him... Same with Lucas. Right?"

Moving the photos about over the surface of the table Hank continued to compare Cole to Connor but froze as he saw the frightened broken brown eyes of Connor as a four year old child shining through the photograph, while Cole's blue eyes were full of happiness and energy.

"...What kind of kindergartner never smiles?" The senior detective unintentionally parroted the very question Elizabeth had asked him once before. "One who doesn't have a family or a father to take care of him." Foregoing the shot glass Hank just grabbed onto the neck of the glass vodka bottle and took a shot directly from the source. Putting the bottle back down with a heavy 'thud' Hank let out a deep breath and shook his head. "...Can't say I did much better."

Remembering the look of hurt, shock and fear in Connor's eyes as he pushed himself up from the ground; remembering the blood running down Connor's face and staining the back of his own right knuckles, Hank slammed his right hand down aggressively over the discarded shot glass with enough force to cause the small glass item to instantly break under the strength of his enraged palm.

Staring down at his flattened right palm crushing the sharp glass shards beneath Hank didn't feel the glass cutting into his palm, but he could see and smell the mixture of blood and alcohol seeping out from under his hand and between his fingers. Slowly he lifted up his hand exposing the dark red puddle of blood beneath in a single motion.

"Huh..." Turning his hand over so he could see his bloodied palm for himself Hank stared curiously at the sight of the half dozen glass shards stabbing into his palm and watched as the dark blood seeped from the fresh self-inflicted wounds. "...Didn't feel a thing."

Using his left hand he grabbed onto the bottle of a vodka and took another swig before he poured the alcohol over his right hand to wash away the blood.

Glancing down at the puddle of blood and vodka all over the kitchen floor beneath the table Hank gave himself a halfhearted chuckle and downed yet another shot of the vodka.

"...Now it's _really_ a party."

* * *

Evelyn showed Connor to the alleyway that her contact had informed her of, and the two detectives began searching for the wounded deviant who had been spotted in the area. Connor kept his gun under his jacket while Evelyn had hers already drawn and pointed down at the ground as they moved about quickly but silently. As the duo walked further down the alley the sound of a trashcan being toppled over drew Connor's attention and made Evelyn point her gun in the direction of the noise.

"Chicago Police!" Shouting loudly Evelyn made their presence known. "Show yourself."

There wasn't a verbal response but a strange pained cough from the shadows. Connor approached the coughing sound and spotted a body laying on the alleyway, and seemingly trying to crawl away from him. There was a red light steadily pulsing away near the figure's head and Connor knew it was indeed a deviant wounded in the alley.

"Stop!" Connor called out as he trailed after the figure and saw the unmistakable blue of Thirium stained over the nearby trashcan and brick surface of the nearby buildings in the shape of hand prints. "We know you're a deviant, but we're not going to hurt you. We're going to help you."

"...Y-You... can't." The voice was masculine and full of static as he spoke with a harshly damaged voice.

"We can." Connor turned to look at Evelyn behind him and motioned for her to holster her weapon. Stepping closer Connor saw that the figure on the ground was bleeding heavily and missing his left arm entirely from his shoulder socket. "Please." Kneeling down beside the figure Connor put a gentle right hand on the deviant's back and carefully rolled him over to lay on his back as Connor supported his weight against his right arm to hold him up from the cold ground in a support manner. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"...You... You're... Connor." The deviant recognized the young detective and managed a weak, bloody smile as his equally blue eyes began to shut. The deviant's model was a 'PJ-600' and his aesthetic matched Josh, minus the eye color. Opening his eyes again he looked up at Connor as the young detective held him in his arms as the rest of his strength steadily slipped away into the puddle of blue blood forming beneath his body. "I... I knew you'd... s-save us."

"Yes, I'm Connor." Speaking softly Connor eyed the deviant's numerous wounds and fought the urge to be sick. The deviant looked just like Josh save for his eye color. "What's your name?"

"A-A-Alec. My name... is Alec."

"Alec. How did you get in the city limits of Chicago?"

"I was... t-taken."

"Taken? From where and by whom?"

"I..." Alec paused once as he tried to weakly swallow the Thirium collecting in the back of his throat, and breathe through his broken, battered chest. "I d-don't know who... t-t-took me. I... d-don't have a n-name to g-give."

"Where were you taken from?"

"...D-Detroit."

Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide with fear and nervousness. "You're from Detroit."

Alec winced heavily and gasped as the pain in his chest and exposed left shoulder suddenly stole his voice. While Connor tried to apply pressure to Alec's wounds to stem the bleeding as much as possible Evelyn knelt down on the other side of Alec and used her phone to record his final moments for the sake of the case.

"Alec," Evelyn kept her voice as gentle and level as Connor as she spoke to the dying deviant. "tell us everything you can. How did you get in this alley?"

"I... I... I tried t-to escape. I f-failed."

"Escape from where?"

"The... arena."

"Where is it?"

"I..." Alec gasped again and felt Connor's hand wrap around his right hand to support him. He was bleeding out and and his Thirium pump was beginning stutter as it failed slowly. "...I don't... know."

"Shh... It's okay." Connor soothed as he held Alec in his arm and held tightly onto Alec's weakening hand. "We'll find the arena."

"Pl-Please Connor..." Alec's voice was full of static and barely discernible. "S-Save them... S-Save the others... Save our... p-people."

"I will. I promise."

"T-Tell Robert..." Alec paused as he had to force himself to breathe for a moment before he spoke again. "Tell Robert I... wasn't afraid. T-Tell him that...I know h-he tried t-to find me. He is... my... best friend."

The drying deviant's eyes shut partially and his red L.E.D. blinked twice very slowly before it went blank entirely without even the faintest glimmer of light beneath it. As his body became limp and heavy additional Thirium poured from every wound on his body and created a sapphire puddle that filled the alley in a dark blue hue.

"Alec?" Evelyn turned off her phone and made a move to put her right palm against his left cheek.

"He's gone." Connor confirmed in a dour voice. Placing Alec's limp hand down over his own abdomen Connor closed the deviant's eyes and laid him down on his back in the alleyway where he had shutdown. "Call it in. He'll need to go to the precinct so I can examine his wounds in the morning."

"You?"

"There are no technicians in Chicago. I have to be the one to do it."

Evelyn nodded a little as she finally put her hand against Alec's cheek as a gesture of comfort. She felt how soft and smooth the artificial skin was, and how natural it felt under her touch. From under her palm she watched as the artificial skin rescinded from Josh's face like a wave returning from the shore. The white plastimetal frame was exposed and Evelyn retracted her touch quickly. "...Did I do that?"

"No, it happens when an android ceases function and loses too much Thirium. You didn't hurt him."

"...All androids look like that beneath their skin? The same material and purpose?"

"Correct."

"Just like humans and their skeletons."

"Yeah, just like humans."

Evelyn gave Alec a sympathetic gaze as she used her phone to call in the scene and reported the death of the deviant. Speaking calmly and professionally to the best of her ability after seeing such a traumatizing event Evelyn watched as Connor put his right hand down on the center of Alec's motionless chest and bowed his head to mourn the death of the innocent deviant.

"We'll make sure Robert knows what happened to you." Connor whispered as he sighed and ignored the blue blood staining his hands as he spoke to the deceased deviant under his care. "I promise."

* * *

A news report regarding a deviant's murder in the city of Chicago circulated quickly through New Jericho Tower as Alec's death didn't go unnoticed by Chicagoans who were nosy, and ready to spread rumors on social media like wildfire. When Josh took over Skye's role of the head of security he had implemented a special algorithm to isolate any and all news reports regarding deviants all across the East Coast and North-West. In doing so he was able to locate a few scattered deviant refugee camps and help New Jericho provide supplies to those in need.

As the story of Alec's demise in Chicago reached the tower Josh burdened himself with the heavy task of telling Markus the grim story.

"Damn it." Letting out a breathy sigh Markus rubbed his right hand over the back of his neck as his mismatched eyes stared at Josh with a despondent gleam in his irises. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"No. He was apparently found in an alley bleeding to death and reported to the police."

"How did they handle it?"

"I don't know. We don't have any contacts in Chicago, and there's no video surveillance we can use to see what's going on."

"Alec was a deviant who went missing a while back, right?"

"Yeah. Seven weeks ago. His human companion reported him missing."

"We need to try to get Alec back to Detroit for a proper service."

"I know. I'll keep monitoring the story and see if I can find a way to bring him back to the city."

"Good. I'll go visit the android refuge camps and see if any of our missing deviants have been spotted in the area."

"Right."

Feeling like he was failing as a leader Markus turned to look at the window of the office overlooking the harbor and stared at the dark water lapping up against the shoreline just a few yards away.

"What the hell's going on in this city?"

* * *

Unable to do anything more for the night Connor and Evelyn returned to their apartment building with heavy hearts and sluggish steps as Alec's body was taken out of the alleyway. As the elevator reached their mutual fourth floor of the building Connor stepped out into the corridor with Evelyn beside him. Turning to walk to their respective doors Connor paused for a moment and turned to look at Evelyn as she pulled her keys from her pocket, and set about unlocking her apartment door.

"...Evelyn?" He called out in a somewhat timid voice.

"Yeah?" She paused with her keys in her hand as she turned to look at Connor a few feet away.

"Uh, if you're interested I've made dinner and you're welcome to join me."

"Seriously? It was like, ten at night when I told you about the deviant." She was almost laughing as her partner told her about his late evening routine. "Why were you making dinner so late?"

"...I have unusual eating habits, and I tend to be a bit of a 'night owl'." Unlocking his own door Connor pushed it open and pocketed his keys. "The offer still stands. Neither of us had a lunchbreak this adternoon, and I know for a fact that people cannot subsist on coffee and tea alone."

"When I was a kid," Evelyn stated in a somewhat sad tone of voice as she looked to Connor for a little grounding as she spoke. "my grandmother told me to never let anyone buy me dinner and try to convince me that they know their way around the kitchen. She also told me that if someone took the time to cook a meal and invites you to join to them always accept the invitation, because that means that person knows their way around their kitchen and their life."

"...So is that a 'yes'?"

"Yeah, Connor." Walking away from her apartment door Evelyn joined Connor at his own door as he let her enter the apartment first. "That's a 'yes'."

"I appreciate it. I'm not used to be alone all the time and would enjoy your company."

"It took me a while to get used to it, too. But now I enjoy the quiet." Taking off her shoes out courtesy for Connor and to be polite Evelyn watched as Connor walked back into the kitchenette to resume making his dinner for the night. The sauce was fortunately still warm. "You'll like the quiet sooner than you think."

"I doubt it. I've never liked being alone, even as a child."

"Yeah? I pined for isolation as a kid. Sometimes being alone is the only way to guarantee that no one will hurt you."

Connor's hands faltered a little as he reached into the cabinet to get down a few plates upon hearing her comment. Discreetly regaining his composure he set about preparing two helpings of the pasta he had been cooking and handed a clean plate over to Evelyn to take for herself. "...I understand that."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I, uh, I spent my early life in foster care."

Evelyn accepted the plate and gave her new partner a stunned look. "...You too?"

Connor's brow arched a little as he stared at Evelyn with an empathetic glance shining in his soulful brown eyes. "Yeah. And I would've been better off if I had just stayed there and not taken back by my biological father."

"I can honestly say the same thing about my own mother."

Realizing they both had traumatic pasts Connor offered Evelyn his ear and a friend to confide in. "...Want to talk about it?"

Evelyn nodded a little as she and Connor walked over to the couch in the livingroom and sat down side by side with their late night dinner. "I'll tell you about my fucked up childhood if you tell me about yours."

"...Okay." Connor cleared his throat a little as he nervously agreed to open up and share his story with his new partner; his new friend. It wasn't going to be an easy story to tell, either. He'd leave names and locations out of it for the sake of simplicity. "But it's kind of a long story."

"That's okay. My story is pretty long, too." Using her fork Evelyn picked up a small amount of the pasta covered in the homemade sauce, and gave it a curious taste. It was fantastic. "I'm listening, Connor."

_**-next chapter-**_

**Author's Note:** This is my personal definition of "RK" in this universe. 'Refined' is a synonym for 'Perfected'. And 'Kernel' has two definitions:

1\. Seed or essence; as in new life

2\. A kernel is the core component of an operating system. Using interprocess communication and system calls, it acts as a bridge between applications and the data processing performed at the hardware level. When an operating system is loaded into memory, the kernel loads first and remains in memory until the operating system is shut down again.

These terms seem befitting of our three favorite RK models of Markus, Lucas/RK-900 and, especially with the second term, Connor.


	72. Mixed Messages

The two newly partnered detectives managed to get to know each other a little better over a late night dinner and were surprised at how much they had in common with one another. The two had experienced less than ideal childhoods due to an abusive parent; Connor's biological father was an alcoholic and addicted to pain pills, while Evelyn's mother had a problem with heroin and 'red ice', which led to them spending some time in the foster care system for a few years. While Connor's father was the only family he had while growing up Evelyn and her younger sister had the fortune of being taken in by her maternal grandparents when she was four years old, and officially adopted by them when she was nine.

For Connor it wasn't as simple as being taken in as there was always red tape in the way. Connor had escaped the physical abuse with the worst of it being his broken right arm and being granted emancipation at age fourteen, Evelyn was only allowed to being taken in by her grandparents when she became very ill and was diagnosed with brain cancer at such a tragically young age. Her grandparents got her the treatment she needed and was declared cancer free at six years old. During her freshman year of high school her grandfather passed away from a heart attack, and sadly her grandmother passed away from natural causes when Evelyn was twenty-two years old, and her younger sister was only nineteen years old.

When Evelyn was seventeen her cancer briefly returned and was once again successfully treated, her being once again declared cancer free at nineteen, but the frequent treatments of chemotherapy and radiation had left her body weak and susceptible to infections and other ailments. The doctor had even given her the unfortunate news that she'd never be able to have children of her own, but Evelyn wasn't one to be easily dissuaded by perceived limitations.

She managed to get herself fit enough to attend and graduate the Chicago police academy, and graduated near the top of her class giving herself a promising future in law enforcement. Taking in her sister as a roommate in a small house Evelyn took care of her small family to the best of her ability, and was determined to find a way to have a happy life.

The night of speaking to one another as friends had brought forth a night of bonding that made it easier for Connor to adjust to having a new partner to solve deviant cases with, and he was willing to trust Evelyn as his partner and as his friend.

The following morning, despite the late night, the two detectives assigned to the newly created Chicago deviant task force arrived at the precinct on schedule and were informed by Captain Warren that Alec had been taken into a private room to have his body examined properly. The city morgue didn't handle android bodies, but Alec wasn't to be treated as piece of evidence, either. As a means of compensation Alec was placed on a long metal table in the private room in the precinct, and covered by a white sheet out of respect for the dead.

"Are you sure you want to be here for this?" Connor asked as he pressed his keycard to the electronic panel and unlocked the door to the private room in the relatively quiet corridor. Located on the third floor and down a quiet, seldom tread corridor the private room was fairly isolated and felt eerily cold. "An android apportionment can be as graphic and disturbing as any human autopsy."

"I'm sure." Evelyn confirmed as she joined Connor inside the private room. "I want to learn as much about androids as I can."

"Alright." Mentally steeling himself for his macabre task at hand Connor eyed the table where Alec's body was laying under the white sheet near the center of the room. "Lock the door behind us so we can work in private."

"Sure, but I doubt anyone will disturb us."

The room automatically illuminated as Connor and Evelyn stepped inside fully revealing the white sheet draped over Alec's body as the most recent deviant victim waited for his justice. The outline of the body beneath the sheet was disturbing to say the least.

Connor took off his gray suit jacket and draped it over a nearby chair to be worn later. With his tie already tucked under his gray vest Connor rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt up to his elbows, and pulled back the white sheet over the shutdown deviant to look down at Alec's face. Doing so also revealed Alec's chest and shoulders in the process. Even without his artificial skin Alec seemed to be at peace and was no longer suffering after he was abducted and assaulted by an unknown assailant.

"I'll need more direct lighting." Connor stated as he picked up the precinct sanctioned camera that had been supplied and began photographing and documenting Alec's numerous, painful and ultimately fatal wounds. Noticing that Evelyn was unsettled by the sight of Alec's skinless body and broken plastimetal frame Connor spoke to his partner in a sympathetic tone. "It's not too late to step outside."

"No. I can do this." Redirecting a second light overhead to a brighter illumination and directly over Alec's body Evelyn stayed by the table and gave Connor a confident nod of her head. "Show me what we're working with."

* * *

Stumbling about the empty house aimlessly and drunkenly Hank managed to open up the rear sliding doors in the kitchen leading the backyard so Ruby go outside, and just left the door open because he didn't give a damn about anything anymore. Grumbling to himself about all his past mistakes and being a failure as a father Hank trudged about exuding an aura of self loathing that stank of cheap booze, and darkened the already heavy mood of the empty house even further.

Jamming his left big toe against the edge of the couch he stumbled and swore as he gracelessly fell forward and plopped down in a drunken splay over the length of the furniture as he continued to drink his vodka straight from the bottle.

"Fuck... Nice couch though." He slurred as he laid on his back and kept drinking a generous amount of the alcohol. Glancing about his empty livingroom Hank sighed and took another swig. "...Should get... 'nother."

Connor's still functioning phone buzzed away on the coffee table beside him as a call arrived, but remained unanswered as Hank was too focused on getting drunk and trying to forget about the world. Finishing off the vodka Hank let out a deep belch and kept the bottle clutched his left hand as his right hand was still a torn up, bloodied mess from his previous bottle of vodka being smashed under his palm.

"Out of... vodka." Hiccuping once Hank drunkenly stared down the opening of the empty bottle as if he could see some of the vile alcohol still hiding inside the glass container. "...Better go and..." Another hiccup briefly stole his words. "gotta' get s'more."

The phone buzzed again and this time Hank acknowledged the incoming call in an annoyed gruff manner.

"SHUT UP!" He shouted as he swung the glass bottle down toward the phone, smashing the bottle and the phone in the process. "...Piece of shit... thing!"

The smashed up phone fell silent and still as it rested in a small puddle of lingering vodka, and now covered in glass shards.

"...Don't... Don't bother me..." Turning onto his right side with a loud groan Hank fell off the couch and onto the floor against his will and proceeded to fall into an alcohol induced slumber between the couch and coffee table. "...Leave me alone. I want... to be 'lone."

* * *

The purple tinted latex gloves over Connor's hands were saturated with Alec's dark blue Thirium as he carefully checked over each biocomponent and chronicled the damage Alec had suffered from his horrendous experience. Every biocomponent in Alec's body had been repeatedly damaged over the past two months, and each biocomponent had managed to heal just to be re-injured in the same manner over, and over again. The internal Thirium lines were also damaged, loosened and had most likely been attributing factor to Alec's irreversible shutdown.

"Alec was effectively beaten to death." Connor deduced as he replaced the shutdown deviant's gyroscope into his torso and closed up Alec's abdominal panel to hide the internal biocomponent. Removing his blue blood stained gloves Connor gently replaced the white sheet up and over Alec's body, covering his face in the process. "And it was the work of another deviant."

"Another... deviant?" Evelyn was as shocked as she was confused about the entire situation. "Why would an android kill another android?"

"Unknown."

"Wait, wait... How do you know this was the work of another deviant?"

"Each injury was targeted for maximum damage, and that type of accuracy is impossible for a human to accomplish." Leaning backward against the counter behind him that was connected to the wall Connor looked down at the small metal bin containing the L.E.D. that had been removed Alec's right temple resting on the table beside Alec's body. Picking up the blank disc Connor eyed it curiously and decided to take a closer examination. "Alec's wounds are similar to the other deviant victims who had died before him according to the photographs and documented damage I've overlooked in our previous case files. This is the work of a single deviant who is attacking and destroying deviants with their bare hands."

"Oh my god." Truly sickened by the prospect of the violence and death Evelyn visibly paled as she crossed her arms guardedly over his chest. "How do we stop them from killing any other deviants?"

"We need to try to figure out where Alec had escaped from." The experienced detective explained in a collected and logical tone. "The 'arena' he spoke of must be close to the alleyway."

"Any idea how we can retrace his steps?"

"Possibly." Carrying the L.E.D. over to a nearby microscope at the end of the counter Connor placed the small metal disc down on a glass slide and placed it under the lens to take a closer look. Adjusting the scope Connor slipped up his glasses and used his good right eye to check the disc carefully. "...This L.E.D. has a tracking device installed inside of it. But it had been damaged."

"Can you salvage any data from it?"

"It's entirely possible. We'll need tech to handle this."

"I thought all deviants removed their L.E.D.'s after they deviate." Evelyn recapped curiously as she uncrossed her arms and stared at her partner's back with an inquisitive gaze.

"_Most_ deviants removed their L.E.D.'s upon their deviancy." Connor stood up straight and returned the L.E.D. to the metal bin to be handled later on by tech, and hopefully have its data salvaged. "Some choose to keep them for personal reasons," he explained as right his hand reflexively pressed against his right temple where his L.E.D. once resided when he was still a deviant. "or to make a statement."

"Sounds like our killer wants to make a statement, too. Is that why the deviants were targeted? They weren't afraid to walk around with their L.E.D.'s and were killed for being rebellious; like those little lights were giant targets."

"Your theory is sound, however, I can confirm that the L.E.D.'s were placed in the victim's craniums by a second source."

"How do you know that?"

"The L.E.D.'s serial number doesn't match Alec's personal serial number. In fact, it doesn't have a serial number at all." Studying the enigmatic disc had proven far more beneficial than anyone could've realized. "This is an L.E.D. created by a hand that was never associated by CyberLife, and had purposely installed the tracking device to keep tabs on the deviants he had implanted the L.E.D.'s into."

"Shit. So, Alec escaped because the tracking device malfunctioned and he was able to get away without being followed."

"Correct."

"If we can figure out where he came from we can find the person attacking deviants, possibly even smuggling them into the city to begin with."

"Correct again."

"Now, where do we proceed from here?"

"Personally, I'm going to write a letter to Alec's friend Robert and telling him about Alec's final moments."

The selfless act made Evelyn's brow arch a little as she gave Connor a respectable grin. "How're you going to find one guy with a common name like Robert living in a big city like Detroit?"

"Since Alec seemed to be very close with Robert," Connor glanced at the calm face still concealed under the sheet and sighed empathetically. "I believe I can find a missing person's report regarding Alec filed by the appropriate Robert. Until our footage gives us a lead or tech can find us a trail to follow all we can do is sit back, wait and do our best to try to contain the damage to the city as best as we can."

"Okay, Connor." Opening the door to the private room Evelyn stepped out into the corridor and took in a deep calming breath. "I just need to do one thing before we go back to our desks."

Turning to face his partner Connor gave her an inquisitive glance. "What's that?"

She took a step away from the door and gave Connor an uncomfortable look as she saw the faint Thirium stains over the front of Connor's gray suit vest, and partially up his forearms. "...Throw-up."

"O-Oh." Connor looked down at the fading blue blood stains on his clothing and arms, and decided he'd need to take a quick shower and change his clothes for not only the sake of professionalism, and for his partner's own peace of mind. "...Glad I brought my extra clothes today."

* * *

Nervously Lucas drove back to the family house as he tried and failed to get a response from Hank as he cybernetically attempted to call him repeatedly. Pulling into the driveway beside the house Lucas jogged up to the front door and checked the door knob. The house was locked, as expected, but Lucas still had a key to the house. As he unlocked the front door Lucas's scanners were overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol, old blood and the faint smell of vomit and bleach all coming from the livingroom.

"Hank?" Lucas called out for the senior detective as he stepped inside the livingroom and was promptly met with an annoyed grumble coming from the floor between the couch and coffee table. Tracing the sound back to the floor Lucas rushed over and knelt down as he put his right hand on Hank's shoulder. "Hank!"

"...Go... 'way." Hank slurred drunkenly and only partially awake. The gray locks of hair were sticky with sweat and clung uncomfortably to every inch of the senior detective's face as he lifted up his head to look at deviant. Bloodshot blue eyes were glazed over and staring through Lucas as the deviant hovered over him. "...F...Fuck off!"

"...Hank, you're drunk." Lucas sounded genuinely shocked at the sight of the senior detective laying on the floor and completely intoxicated.

"I said..." Slurring loudly and bitterly Hank's inebriation was undeniable. "Fuck off!"

"...What's happening to you?"

"Whuzit look like? I... I've been... having a party."

Lucas was visibly disgusted by Hank but didn't dare to say it. Instead he hoisted Hank up by hook his hands under Hank's shoulder so he was sitting on the floor, then pressed his exposed right palm to the middle of Hank's chest as he noted his vitals. The senior detective's heart rate was calm but had a mild arrhythmia, his blood pressure was a little low, and his blood alcohol level was point zero-nine. He was legally drunk and clearly feeling the effects.

"Listen to me, Hank. You need help."

"Don't tell me what I need!" Glaring up at Lucas with his bloodshot eyes Hank was an absolute wreck of a person. "You don't... You don't know!"

Lucas flinched at the verbal outburst but didn't budge. Ignoring the comment Lucas grabbed onto Hank's left arm and pulled him up and onto his feet then stooped down to heft Hank up and over his shoulder as the drunken man grumbled, swore and tried to wrestle himself free of the deviant's much stronger grip over his inebriated form.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"...I'm taking you upstairs to go to bed. Maybe you can sleep it off."

"Fuck that!" Feeling nauseated as Lucas walked up the stairs with his body helpless over the deviant's shoulder Hank belched again and spit a small amount of vomit out of his mouth and onto the steps behind him as Lucas walked. "Just... Just take me to Jimmy's! I ran out of vodka..."

"No, Hank. You don't need anymore alcohol."

"Fuck you!"

It took everything it had in Lucas to not react to the vulgar comments. Being scolded was one thing, but to be verbally berated and shouted at was something that the emotionally sensitive deviant was still struggling to endure as he evolved into a better person.

"Damn it!" Hank swore in a grumbling slur as Lucas carefully stooped back down and carefully lowered Hank onto the bed, and made sure the detective was laying on his back so he could breathe properly while he was drunk. "L-Let go!"

"I already did." Lucas replied in a calm tone as he returned his exposed right hand to Hank's chest to monitor his vitals again. "Lay still."

"Get outta' here!" Batting away Lucas's hand Hank's eyes began to fall shut and his head lolled to the side against his pillow. "...Need to be... 'lone."

"...I think you've been alone for far too long." The deviant whispered as he looked down at his left arm where a smear of Hank's blood had been left behind. He took off Hank's shoes before he pulled the quilt up and over Hank's chest to make him as comfortable as possible as the drunken man rested. Waiting a few minutes as he watched Hank fall asleep (passed out) Lucas checked Hank's vitals again to determine that he was stable before he left for the bathroom. "You need help, dad. And I can't help you alone."

Locating the empty mop bucket and first aid kit under the sink in the ground floor bathroom Lucas raced back up the stairs get to Hank's room. After placing the mop bucket down on the floor beside the bed Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Hank's right arm from beneath the quilt to find the source of the bleeding. Holding Hank's hand so it was palm up in his own left hand Lucas ran another scan to check the extent of damage to his wounded hand.

"You're very lucky your didn't sever any tendons or hit a major blood vessel, otherwise you could've permanently affected your hand."

Opening up the first aid kit Lucas located a pair of needle nose tweezers and used the small tool to remove the remaining glass shards in Hank's palm, then poured the rubbing alcohol all over his hand to sterilize the wounds are much as possible. Hank didn't even react to what should've been a very painful sensation as he remained in his drunken slumber, completely unaware of Lucas tending to his injury. With the glass removed Lucas decided to apply stitches to keep the wound closed, and noticed that the silk thread had been recently used.

Using his own powers of deduction Lucas gave himself a disturbing thought. "...Was Connor injured before he left?"

Forcing the thought from his mind Lucas proceeded to sterilize the curved needle before he threaded it with the remaining silk to stitch up Hank's palm. As the wound was slowly closed Lucas sent a cybernetic message to Chloe to let his beloved know that he was with Hank and that he was going to stay the night to ensure the drunken man didn't do anything else reckless, or manage to get even drunker.

After wrapping up Hank's freshly stitched palm in gauze Lucas placed the wounded appendage down over Hank's abdomen atop the quilt and packed up the first aid kit for later use. Curious about Ruby's whereabouts Lucas quietly departed from Hank's bedroom and glanced into Connor's vacated bedroom and didn't see the hound laying on his bed, or laying in his own previous bedroom either.

"Ruby?" He called out in a low voice as to not disturb Hank while he replaced the first aid kit in the ground floor bathroom. "Come here, girl."

From outside through the still wide open backdoor Lucas heard a soft whimper. It didn't take him long to figure out that Ruby was hiding outside until Hank had either sobered up, or until Connor came back home.

"Come here." Calling out softly Lucas beckoned the dog back inside the house while he cleaned up her bowls and put them back down on the floor with fresh food and water. The ticking of her nails over the linoleum floor was accompanied by a whimper as she pressed her nose against Lucas's left hand timidly seeking some affection. "It's okay, girl. I know you're upset. I am, too."

Letting out a deep sigh Lucas proceeded to close and lock the backdoor before he checked through the refrigerator for a few cold bottles of water, and for a few of the sports drinks that Connor had purchased for whenever he worked out in the small gym in the basement. With his chosen items in hand Lucas then pulled an ice pack from the freezer to add to his gathered supplies. As much as he dreaded going back up the staircase to see Hank in his drunken state he knew he needed to do it.

Hank, his adoptive father, was seriously hurting and needed someone to help him through his pain.

"...Connor, where did you go?" Lucas asked to the empty house as he returned to the bedroom and placed the drinks down on the nightstand beside the bed. Draping the ice pack over Hank's forehead, an act of compassionate nurturing he had witnessed numerous times whenever Connor or Hank had been injured and ill in the past, Lucas proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed with his back to Hank as he stared at the carpeted floor in deep thought. "Hank, _dad_, needs you."

Turning his head a little Lucas looked at the drying vomit on the corner of Hank's mouth and grimaced heavily at the pathetic sight.

"I need you, too, big brother." Ruby whimpered again as she stood in the opened bedroom door way, and pulled Lucas's attention over to her. "We all do."

* * *

Sitting at their desks Connor and Evelyn patiently waited for an update on the tracking device in the L.E.D. as they resumed looking over the security footage from the expressway. The program Connor had installed had functioned perfectly, and yet there was no sign of a large vehicle going in and out of the city at appropriately routine intervals to be of any interest. The two detectives sat at their desks combing over their sparse evidence and drank tea; Evelyn decided to try Connor's suggestion of ginger tea to help her stomach after being sickened during the apportionment, and discussed the physical differences between androids and humans.

"I heard about temperature checks." Evelyn stated almost in an accusatory manner as she sipped her tea in her purple mug. "How does that work?"

"Androids are designed to imitate human vital signs as closely as possible, which also includes a core temperature. However, unlike humans who will have fluctuating temperatures throughout their bodies as the heat dissipates from their limbs and extremities, androids will display a completely consistent core temperature throughout their entire body."

"So what you're say is on a thermal scan a human body would show numerous colors due to their body temperature changes, but an android would appear as a single and solid color."

"Correct. This is why temperature checks were used to keep androids from getting across the border to Canada. Even in the extreme cold androids would retain a consistent heat throughout their bodies which made them very easy to identify."

"Can we use to that to find the other deviants in the city?"

"It's entirely possible, but to use such a method of searching would take an extended period of time. Once we narrow down an area of interest we can begin sweeping the area with a thermal lens to possibly locate them."

"I wonder how many other deviants are missing and in danger right at this moment?"

"I wish I could give you an answer." Bringing up the case file on his terminal screen Connor was given an update on the L.E.D. he taken from Alec's right temple, and was subsequently given additional information regarding the L.E.D.'s of the other victims. "...The L.E.D. provided to tech was salvageable. At the moment tech is triangulating the area in which Alec was found and from where he had escaped. What's more interesting is that the other L.E.D.'s in the other victims bodies were made from a third party technician to act as tracking devices. The person responsible for Alec's death is also responsible for the other deaths as well; or is at the very least linked to their deaths."

"All of their L.E.D.'s had tracking devices inside of them?"

"Yes. It appears only Alec's tracking device malfunctioned, and did so long enough for him to escape."

"Why didn't the deviants just remove their L.E.D's and run on their own?"

"Once the L.E.D. is removed it powers down. If, whoever installed the L.E.D., sees that a tracking device is offline they would've checked in on the deviant immediately to ensure they were still captive."

"That's horrible."

"And efficient."

Sighing a little Evelyn opened up the top left drawer of her desk and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. As she popped two of the tablets into her mouth she drank a mouthful of the tea and leaned back in her seat. "This case is killing my head."

"Perhaps if you have something to eat it'll help."

"Good idea. You're new to Chicago," she grinned as she studied her partner's face and stared at the rogue lock of hair hanging down over his left eye resting against his glasses. "have you had our famous deep-dish pizza, yet?"

"...No. I haven't tried it."

"Then you're going to try it today. I insist."

"...Uh, are you sure? You were feeling ill less than an hour ago."

"I have a weak stomach when it comes to autopsies and apportionments, but I recover fast." Grabbing her phone from the top of her desk Evelyn placed an order and had it set for delivery to the precinct. "Twenty minutes. As long as we don't have to deal with anymore blood for a while and damaged bodies this should be just fine for lunch."

"Sounds good."

Putting her phone aside Evelyn gave Connor's bruised eye a sympathetic wince. "...Does your eye still hurt?"

"A little. It's not obstructing my vision though."

"And your arm?"

"My arm?"

"I saw the bandages wrapped around your arm last night when you weren't wearing your jacket, and I saw them again when you were performing the apportionment. It looks pretty painful."

"No, it's fine." Pressing his right palm over his left forearm Connor tested his pain threshold and sighed. "I'll be able to remove the stitches in three more days."

"Stitches? Your former partner punched you in the face, and cut up your arm?"

"No, no." Connor cleared his throat clarified about his injuries. "This was the result of being cut by a dangerous suspect with a knife, and his obsession with the ex-girlfriend who dumped him. I was punched two days later by my former partner."

"Jeez, no wonder you wanted to go to a different precinct. At least you weren't shot!"

"Actually," Connor's right hand lifted up from his left forearm and pressed against the center of his chest as he spoke. "I was. But the Kevlar stopped it. _That_ happened about twenty minutes before I was punched..."

"Damn. Sounds like you had one Hell of a week."

"You could say that."

Evelyn could see that something else was weighing on Connor's mind, something that was far heavier than the case at hand. The temptation to ask her new partner, her friend, about what was bothering him was almost impossible to ignore, but in the end Evelyn decided it'd be best to keep their minds focused their case, and keep their personal lives personal.

At least for the time being.

* * *

Still tending to his father's inebriated state Lucas held onto Hank's right shoulder as the senior detective violently threw-up into the bucket beside the bed, and coughed as he spit out the foul taste from his mouth. The senior detective was oblivious to having his wounded right hand cleaned up and bandaged earlier that morning, and was barely able to acknowledge the deviant taking care of him as he endured the violent retching as his body rebelled against the alcohol lingering in his stomach.

"Try to breathe." Lucas encouraged as Hank finally stopped vomiting and rolled from his left side and onto his back. "You're risking severe dehydration."

"...Con-" The green eyes and darker hair caught Hank's attention. "L-Lucas?" Hank sighed as he watched the deviant hovering over him and replacing the partially melted ice pack against his forehead. "...What the hell? When did you... get here?"

"I stopped by at nine twenty-three this morning. I was unable to contact you as you destroyed your phone two days ago, and have apparently destroyed Connor's phone as well." The recap of the previous night and morning was less than flattering as Lucas's tone conveyed his disappointment with a thick dry voice. "I was worried and I wanted to check in on you."

"...Why in the hell would you waste your time on... someone as worthless as me?"

"You're not worthless."

"I'm a worn-out drunk who lost two sons by being a jackass." Closing his bloodshot eyes Hank tried to push Lucas back by pressing against the deviant's shoulder as Lucas stayed beside him. "Why not go for three? It'll spare yourself some valuable time and energy if I push you away now."

"Don't do this, Hank." Putting his hand over Hank's hand Lucas just silently monitored Hank's vitals and kept track of his health. "Don't punish yourself for one mistake."

"One very BIG and unforgivable mistake. I swore I'd never hurt either of you, and I did. I can't keep a damn promise to not hurt my own kids. That's the worst thing any parent could ever do."

"Connor is upset, and rightfully so, but that doesn't give you the right to harm yourself."

"Yeah? What about you?"

Giving Hank a perplexed look Lucas just studied the drunk man's face with utter confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Are you upset with me?"

"...Upset isn't the word I'd use."

"Disappointed, then."

"Hank, don't-"

"See? Right there." Hank let out a deep sigh as he rolled away so his back was toward Lucas. "You used to call me 'dad' more often than 'Hank'. You don't want to refer to me as your father, and I don't blame you."

"Please don't push me away."

"Go on, Lucas. Go back home to Chloe and keep up with your training. Take Ruby with you, too."

"I won't do that. I won't let you be here completely alone."

"Too late. Being alone is all I deserve."

"...Hank."

"Go. Just get out of here."

Unsure of how to reach his pained father or ease his guilt all Lucas could do was respect Hank's wishes and let him be alone. At least for a while. Rising up from the bed Lucas spoke in a soft voice as he stepped out of the bedroom to give Hank some space. "...There's water on the nightstand. Please take care of yourself until I get back."

Hank just listened as Lucas walked away and left him alone in the bedroom. That's what he asked for and that's what he wanted, but the senior detective still felt as though he needed even ore space as his own guilt riddled thoughts continued to bombard him mercilessly.

"...Goodbye, son. Forgive me."

* * *

The shift was slow as the little progress that was being made on the case had already come to a standstill. The tracking device had been so heavily damaged that the tech department was having a difficult time in salvaging the data without corrupting it in the process, and without any means of tracking down how and why the deviants were being smuggled into the city there was no need for the two detectives working on the case to stay any longer than they were normally scheduled.

Sitting down on the couch in his apartment Connor let out a deep sigh and pressed his right hand over his stomach. Lunch had been five hours prior but the pizza Evelyn had ordered was very filling, and very tasty, which of course meant he accidentally overindulged again on the hefty meal.

Taking off his glasses Connor rubbed his left hand over his sore eye and glanced down at the bandages wrapped around his left forearm causing his recent dark memories of being injured in Detroit to make his heart ache despondently. Carefully he began unwrapping the bandages to check on his healing wound when a rapid knock at his locked apartment door followed by something being slipped under the door drew his attention immediately.

Rising from the couch he grabbed his gun from the table beside the couch and armed himself before he approached the door. Glancing down he saw a small unmarked white envelope on the floor and stared at it for a few seconds. Putting the gun back down on the end table Connor knelt down and picked up the envelope to study the enigmatic contents curiously.

Carefully he opened the flap of the envelope and pinched the sides to open the paper container to peer inside without getting too close. Inside was a single perfectly folded piece of paper and nothing more.

"A letter?"

With a quick left hand Connor pulled the letter from the envelope and unfolded it. The words were simple, succinct and printed out by hand in perfect CyberLife sans. It was a handwriting exclusive to androids and couldn't be replicated by humans under any circumstances.

Connor read the message fairly quickly and felt his blood run cold at the cryptic almost threatening words printed before him.

'_IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THE DEVIANTS MEET ME IN THE ALLEY WHERE ALEC SHUTDOWN AT MIDNIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT_. _COME_ _ALONE_.'

There was no signature and no trace was left behind to determine the author of the letter that had been unceremoniously slipped under his door.

"What the hell is going on?"

Keeping the letter in his hand Connor opened up his apartment door and peered outside into the corridor, but didn't any sign of the mysterious author. Feeling as though he were being watched Connor quietly closed his door, locked it again and made sure to draw the curtain in the livingroom to keep anyone from peering inside his apartment from the street.

Cautiously he again retrieved his gun and walked into his bedroom, locking the door behind him as a precaution. Checking his phone that was sitting on the nightstand beside his bed Connor set the alarm, and tucked the letter back inside its envelope before hiding the envelope in the largest book on his bookshelf out of sight from anyone who might be spying on him.

Taking in a deep calming breath Connor walked over to his bed and laid down, keeping his gun on the nightstand right beside him and tried to get some sleep before dawn arrived.

"Someone knows we're looking for deviants here in Chicago." He whispered into the darkness of his bedroom as he thought out loud. Ignoring the temptation to text Evelyn about the letter Connor just shut his eyes to try to sleep. "Are they a friend, or a foe?"

_**-next chapter-**_


	73. A Reason to Fight

It was a painfully dull and uneventful night. Connor remained unusually quiet as he and Evelyn resumed their work on the case together the following morning. Visibly exhausted from his poor sleep from the night before Connor put his right hand over his mouth where his dark, unshaven stubble was growing to stifle his yawn as he and Evelyn reviewed the new evidence collected by tech from the previous evening. While the collected evidence was beneficial to their case it still wasn't enough to get a proper lead to resume a direct investigation outside the precinct to locate the other abducted deviants who were trapped somewhere in the city.

"The tracking device resumed function at the alley where Alec was found." Connor confirmed with a second deep yawn as he pulled out his coin from his jean pocket and began to dance it over his right knuckles to keep his mind focused. "But the device failed to give an exact route that he walked for us to trace."

"Damn it." Evelyn was getting frustrated by their lack of progress and didn't know what to do next. She was only just beginning to understand androids in general making her a rookie detective on two levels, whereas Connor was the more seasoned expert on the subject. "We know that the person or persons attacking the deviants is using these false L.E.D.'s to track their movements and then they dump their dead bodies throughout the city like they are nothing more than pieces of garbage. Yet we can't find the people responsible." Pressing her left hand to her forehead Evelyn leaned against the top of her desk and sighed. "I hate this."

"So do I."

Giving Connor a curious glance Evelyn wanted a temporary change of subject to discuss. "Did you contact that Robert guy about Alec?"

"Yes. I used my credentials to enter the database back in Detroit to locate the missing person's report and informed Robert of the unfortunate news regarding Alec's fate, and he will claim Alec's body for a proper burial. I had also noted that every single deviant victim we've found had been reported missing from Detroit. Not one of our victims came from anywhere else. The killer's hunting ground is in Detroit and we still don't know who they are or how they're getting the deviants into Chicago.

"What the hell? So many deviants are missing and no one in Detroit is handling the case?"

"That was my old department, and I doubt my old partner can work as quickly as I can when it comes to solving the case." Despite his lingering anger and resentment toward Hank the young detective could still acknowledge that Hank was a good detective and more than capable of handling the case alone. "Don't fault him for a criminal's actions."

"You're right, it's not his fault." Dropping her hand Evelyn eyed her empty purple mug and contemplated getting herself some coffee. "It's the twisted fuck abducting deviants that's at fault and no one else."

Connor only gave a subtle hum in agreement as he continued to fight off his exhaustion long enough finish his shift.

"You look exhausted." She sympathized as she glanced at Connor over her desk and around his terminal. "Can't sleep much either, huh?"

"...Not as of late. No."

"Think we can catch a break with this case at some point?"

"...Yeah. I think we will." Connor's coin stopped mid-dance and his mind immediately went to the mysterious letter delivered to him last night. He was going to keep to the instructions and head out to the location alone. "It just won't be orthodox or routine."

"Detective's intuition?"

The question made Connor smirk a little as it reminded him of his past conversations with Hank back in Detroit. "...And a gut instinct."

* * *

Unable to lay in bed forever, as much as he had tried to do so in the past, Hank got up very slowly and trudged into the bathroom to splash some cold water all over his hot and tired face. As he turned the cool tap on in the sink Hank reached his cupped hands under the water, and saw that his right hand had been bandaged up and remembered how he smashed the shot glass under his palm and cut himself in the process. Reacting sluggishly he pulled back his right hand and let his left hand collect the water alone.

"...I made a drunken ass of myself and Lucas still took care of me."

Pulling his left hand from under the tap Hank splashed the cool water over his tired face and sighed as he slowly walked out of the bathroom to get back downstairs to try to think of what he should do next. The sight of the smashed vodka bottle and phone on the coffee table made Hank cringe, and hearing Ruby whimpering from within the kitchen made him feel like an absolute monster.

"...Kinda' glad you stayed." Hank stated as he walked into the kitchen and crouched down to peer at the hound laying under the kitchen table. Reaching out his left hand Hank rubbed her ears and was met with a lick to the side of his hand. "It's nice to have someone to talk to who can't talk back and remind me of how much I fucked up."

Ruby crawled out from under the table and sat down in front of Hank wagging her tail softly over the surface of the floor.

"I'm fucked up right now, but I'll do my best to not fuck things up with you, too, girl."

As the hound gently pressed her chin down on Hank's knee she empathetically cuddled up to the pained senior detective's side as she sensed that he needed someone to make him feel loved and wanted.

"My word doesn't hold much merit at this point," rubbing her ears again Hank sighed and looked at the mess he had made during his drunken stupor, and remembered everything he had said and done in the past few days. "so thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt."

* * *

Another deviant body had been found thrown in a dumpster across the city from where Alec had previously shutdown, and they too were beaten to a broken bloody pulp. They were a rare model of deviant; male in design and had been equipped with a tracking device in place of a genuine L.E.D. in their right temple. Just as Alec was taken to the precinct rather than to the city morgue this new deviant was taken to the private room for Connor to examine without anyone interfering with the gruesome, but necessary, process of an apportionment.

"Same as all the others. Beaten and left for dead via massive Thirium loss." Connor confirmed with a heavy heart as he replaced the white sheet over the victim's contrastingly peaceful face. "He was also a rare model and was subjected to the same physical trauma as all the rest of the found deviants."

"Connor, it's getting late." Evelyn put her right hand to Connor's right bicep and held her palm there for a moment. "We're both tired and neither of us know what to do anymore."

"...I know."

"I'll ask my other contacts to keep an eye out for any deviants, or for suspicious activity. The prostitutes in the city," she gave Connor a somewhat perturbed grin as she revealed her secretive contacts. "are more likely to report a dead body than anyone else. They don't want to end up the same way if there's a killer on the loose."

"Yeah, I can understand that." Taking off his glasses Connor rubbed his right hand over his forehead and noted the time via the clock on the far wall of the private room. "You should go back to your apartment and rest. I'm going to finish up the apportionment and then return to my apartment as well."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I won't be able to sleep at all until I finish my report."

"Okay. If you need any help just knock on my door and I'll be right over, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll remember that. Thanks, Evelyn."

Standing up from her chair in the corner of the private room Evelyn begrudgingly left her partner alone to work. "See you later, Connor."

Patiently Connor waited for Evelyn to leave the room before he checked the time on his phone and remembered his unexpected and unwarranted appointment that night at midnight. He had forty-two minutes to get to out to the alleyway and find whoever it was that had left the letter under his apartment door the previous night, and he had to go to this unusual meeting completely alone.

Tending the deviant victim's last need out of a respectful courtesy Connor took his leave of the private room and locked the door before he departed the precinct to get out to the alleyway on time.

"Okay, my mysterious benefactor." Connor pressed his right hand to the electronic panel to summon the elevator to take him down to the ground floor. "I'm on my way. You better be there and have information I can use."

* * *

Feeling like a complete fool for his previous and numerous inebriated actions Hank managed to clean up the destroyed phone and the remains of the shattered glass bottle with his good left hand, and then sit down on the couch with only his bleak thoughts to keep him company. The desire to keep drinking and to forget was painfully tempting for the senior detective as he couldn't stop replaying the day he struck Connor over and over again in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Connor laying on the ground and bleeding.

"I promised I'd never hurt him, and I ended up punching him right in the damn face."

Running his uninjured right hand over his face Hank leaned back into the couch cushions and closed his blue eyes.

"Sure, he mentioned Barb but he wasn't wrong. She... She was shot down in cold blood all because of a damn case we were working on. I couldn't protect her then, but I could've protected Connor now. And Lucas. Lucas is just... He wants to help but he doesn't know what to do. He's afraid of me. Connor resents me," a single tear escaped Hank's eye as he lamented his current predicament. "and Lucas is afraid of me. I can't blame either one of them."

Acknowledging his grevious mistakes Hank made another decision, and it was one he already knew was a bad decision to make.

"...I need a fuckin' drink."

* * *

Pulling his dark gray suit jacket tightly around himself Connor stepped out of the autonomous cab and entered the alleyway to wait for a person unknown just as he had been instriucted. Readjusting his glasses over his eyes Connor pulled his phone from his pocket and watched as the time turned from eleven fifty-nine to midnight exactly on the dot. Slipping the phone into his pocket Connor became aware of a presence approaching him from the opposite shadowy end of the dark alleyway where he was standing.

"...Connor." The voice was masculine and somehow familiar even though Connor had never heard him speak before.

"Yes."

"You're alone."

"Yes. As you stipulated in your letter."

"What about the payment? You have it, right?"

"...N-No." Connor's brow arched in total confusion as he looked at the shadowed figure in the distance. "You didn't say anything about payment."

"Correct answer." Stepping closer the figure stood in the dull yellow lighting of the street lamp hanging over the center of the alley so Connor could see his form and see that he was unarmed. "I apologize for the question, but I cannot be cautious enough regarding who may be attempting to locate my person."

The precaution was a wise move. "Who are you?"

"A link."

"...To what are you the link to?"

"Illegal android trafficking."

"Do you know where the other deviants had been held and tortured?"

"Yes."

"...The arena?"

"So," the contact seemed surprised that Connor knew of the location. "Alec managed to speak before he shutdown."

"Barely. He..." Wringing his hands together anxiously before himself Connor admitted that his final interactions with Alec had been very limited. "He was too far gone to be saved, but he spoke of an arena."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"If you knew he was so badly damaged why didn't you aid him?"

"I had tried to do so, but we were being followed. He chose to split-up from me so I could continue to help the other deviant he had escaped with to get to safety."

"And where is the second deviant?"

"If he was successful he had managed to get to the train and locate a refugee camp in the small forested area just outside of Detroit."

"The train?"

"It's how 'Chance' smuggles his unwilling participants into the city without detection."

"...Cargo trains aren't subjected to temperature checks, and security dogs wouldn't detect any android's scent." The method for smuggling androids was sound and Connor now found his lead. "Deviants who are brought here are brought against their will and are completely helpless to the humans around here."

"That's right. So," the figure stepped even closer to Connor and remained enigmatic as the bill of a baseball cap shadowed his face, and a thick trench coat completely concealed his body. "you do remember what it's like to be a deviant. That's good."

"Whether I remember or not isn't important. What is important is how I can help the deviants who need my help."

"Another correct answer." The figure took a step back as he stretched out his left arm to motion for Connor to follow after him. "Come with me. I'll take you to the arena."

"Now?"

"We can't afford to wait. It was already a risk to wait until tonight, but I had to bide my time to ensure no one detected me skulking about the arena."

Nodding a little Connor agreed to the assignment and followed after the figure down the alleyway. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Walking heavily as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders Hank trudged back into 'Jimmy's Bar' and sat down on the stool at the front of the bar to get his usual order. Staring at Jimmy with a broken defeated gaze Hank slapped another fifty dollar bill down on the bar and slid it toward him as he waited for his next drink to be poured. With a simple nod Hank silently ordered his usual selection of drinks, and just waited for the whiskey to be poured into a clean clear glass with two ice cubes.

"Keep 'em coming." Hank ordered despondently as he watched the tea colored liquid fill the glass and cause the duo ice cubes to gently dance about near the surface. "...I have a lot of shit I need to forget."

"I'd ask if you're sure." Jimmy remarked as he prepared a second glass and slid it down next to the first glass just under Hank's right hand. "But I think I'd be wastin' my breath."

"Less talking and more pouring, Jimmy." Edgy and full of regret Hank's voice sounded completely defeated. "I've had a shitty a week and I want it to end as it began."

* * *

Accompanying his enigmatic link to an usually barren section of the city Connor glanced about warily as he was still gaining his bearings in the massive new city. The figure stopped short as he held out his right arm to keep Connor from walking any further to an unusual building that was seemingly thriving with activity within its stone cold walls across the street. The building itself looked rather elegant in design, and all the stranger was the fact that it was seemingly right in plain sight yet no one bothered to take notice of it during the day.

"This is the place." The link confirmed as he kept Connor back with just his extended arm. "The arena."

Connor looked past the figure to the building and watched ostensibly wealthy patrons walking inside with cheerful smiles and enthusiasm emanating from their beings as they entered the building through large wooden front doors. The building itself was a theater that was designed to house extravagant plays, and other live shows. It was a massive building that was composed of marble and glass giving it an aesthetically sophisticated appeal.

"I don't understand." Connor admitted as he waited for his guide to make another move. "How is this place the arena?"

"You'll figure it out in a moment." Turning around the figure faced Connor and reached into his coat pocket to hand Connor a platinum colored plastic keycard that doubled as a pass. He then gave Connor a roll of large currency bills to put in his jacket pocket. "It's a good thing you have facial hair, glasses and wear a suit. It'll keep people from looking at you twice."

"Why would I have to worry about that?"

"Again, you'll understand soon enough. Listen to me, and listen carefully." Stepping back into the shadows the enigmatic contact instructed Connor on his next move with a stern and succinct tone. "Go inside and show the security guard your pass. He'll ask why you're there and you reply with 'I was brought here by Chance'. Give him a one hundred dollar bill and don't look around as he shows you to the corridor. At the end of the corridor you'll figure things out and will be completely on your own."

"What?" Accepting the items Connor pocketed them both and adjusted his suit to make himself appear more professional. "Where are you going to be?"

"I will meet you outside when it's over. Do not do anything to draw attention to yourself or reveal yourself as a detective."

Connor paused for a moment before he took a step forward out of the alleyway and gave his contact a nod of the head. Crossing the street Connor managed to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the crowd and didn't look at all out of place amongst the group. Remembering his contact's instructions Connor entered the theater and showed the security guard the pass.

Lowering his voice but still speaking confidently Connor spoke to the guard without anyone taking notice. "I was brought here by Chance." Pocketing the pass and slipping the guard the one-hundred dollar bill that had been provided by that same contact Connor allowed the security guard to escort him down the corridor.

Staying quiet Connor made a conscious effort to not glance about his surroundings or look suspicious as he wandered down the corridor after the guard.

Reaching the end of the corridor the security guard swiftly pulled back a large red curtain that was installed solely for decorative purposes, and showed Connor the second corridor concealed behind it. Without questioning anything Connor walked down the dimly lit secondary corridor and found himself standing outside another closed door being guarded by a second security guard.

"Pass." The guard bellowed deeply as his six foot six height, and two-hundred and eight pounds of muscle towered over Connor.

Connor showed him the pass as he had done for the first guard and was answered with a simple tilt of the head as the guard opened the door and let Connor pass through. "Problem?"

Examining the pass and then Connor's face the guard shook his head and stepped aside to give him access to the door he had been guarding. "No. Enjoy the fight."

"...Fight?"

Hiding his confusion behind a mask of indifference Connor stepped through the door and found himself engulfed in a low roar of cheers and shouting. Taking in the new environment Connor eyed the people, recognizing a majority of them as the rich patrons he had watched enter the theater before him, and watched as they gathered in small groups to chat and drink overpriced scotch and wine.

At the far wall of the enclosed and secretive area were four ticket booths where people were placing bets for a competition that was about to unfold. In the middle of the room was a large hexagonal cage lined with barbed wire and chainlink fence that enclosed the hexagonal patch of cold hard concrete at the base of the cage. Loud speakers surrounded the cage and large television screens mounted on all four walls were designed to showcase the interior of the cage for all to see from a distance.

"...The arena." Connor whispered as he took a step toward the cage and looked down at the concrete far below. He was fifteen feet up and given a clear view of the currently vacated cage from where he stood. The cage and concrete were damaged from constant combat, and spoke volumes of the violence that the cage could just barely contain. "This is literally an underground arena. But where are-"

'_Alright, place your bets_!' A loud, obnoxious male voice boomed out over the speakers. In turn the patrons finish placing their bets at the booths and gathered around the chainlink fence with a muffled chorus, essentially boxing Connor in as they too peered down at the cage below them. '_We have a new contender for the championship tonight_!'

Connor shook his head, his soulful brown eyes fixated on the floor beneath him as he watched another figure enter the arena. The floor was a hexagonal shape of concrete with red and blue paint along the borders to divide the arena into two pieces. Weak, uneven chainlink fencing surrounded the arena at the sides keeping the hexagonal shape, stretching ten feet upward from the floor and connecting to a chainlink ceiling over the arena to create a macabre dome for combat.

'_Behold the infamous "Deviant Hunter" from Detroit himself_...'

Connor inwardly flinched at the nickname that the unseen voice happily shared with the crowd. A nickname that was once belonged to him, and no one else.

'_The most advanced prototype that CyberLife had ever created before going bankrupt AND the very android responsible for unleashing an entire army of deviants on the_ _city of Detroit_,' the voice continued with a sickening enthusiasm as the figure entered the arena for all to see. '_I give you: "The Hunter"_.'

The cheering and boos became louder as the crowd was introduced to the combatant in the most cruel manner the deviant could imagine. It was then Connor's heart sank as it skipped a beat and his blood ran like ice in his veins as he peered at the 'The Hunter' entering the arena below. "...Lucas?"

Standing below in the brutally designed cage was Lucas himself. His white t-shirt was torn open, stained and covered in drying Thirium. The pale pair of blue jeans he often wore were torn up around his knees and his ankles, and equally dirty. Lucas's dark hair was slightly messy and his right eye was swollen shut and blue from a severe blow to the face. Patches of his artificial skin were missing along his jaw, his knuckles, his elbows and around his swollen eye.

Lucas was evidently the victim of of being assaulted, and the assault was very recent.

Staring at his little brother with wide and frightened eyes Connor could see the red tinted L.E.D. that had been installed in Lucas's right temple, and knew that Connor was on the right track after all regarding abducting deviants and tracking devices.

"Lucas, no..." Whispering his plea Connor could only watch from afar as Lucas entered the arena. "Brother."

'_And his_ _opponent_,' the obnoxious voice continued to speak as Connor's eyes filled with unshed tears of sympathy and fear. '_our returning twenty-four time victor_...' From the other side of the arena a second android entered and stood before Lucas with a blank emotionless stare. This model was unfamiliar to Connor, someone who was a total stranger yet still a deviant. '_welcome back "The Slayer"_.'

More cheers and less boos erupted from the crowd as 'The Slayer' stared through Lucas and into blank nothingness upon entering the arena.

'The Slayer' was of average build for the typical android, with an average height and weight. Patches of his artificial pale skin were missing over his left eye and along the left side of his jaw, as well as over his knuckles. Sporting some fiery red hair, dark green eyes and tattered clothing 'The Slayer' was seemingly worthy of his name.

'_The Hunter versus The Slayer_.' The announcing voice continued to hype the impending and unsanctioned bout. '_Who will win_?'

A loud metal bell rang and signaled the start of the bout. Connor could nothing to stop the match and watch as his little brother was forced to fight against another deviant. "Lucas?! No!"

Lucas didn't move but 'The Slayer' charged at him very quickly. Before Lucas had time to react 'The Slayer' wrapped both arms around Lucas's chest and tackled him to the ground, the back of Lucas's head slamming down hard against the concrete floor as a result.

The crowd cheered and Lucas's ears began to ring as blue blood began to leak from a small but painful laceration on the back of his cranium.

"No!" Connor protested from where he stood, his voice lost in the cheering crowd around him. "Lucas?!"

"Stop!" Lucas ordered in an unheard voice as his hands wrapped around 'The Slayer's' forearms and pulled the attacking deviant's grip from around his chest with a surprising ease. "I don't want to fight you!"

"...You don't have a choice." 'The Slayer' hissed with painful regret behind his words. "If you don't kill me, then I'll have to kill you..."

Lucas looked around at the ravenous savage humans cheering and calling for more blood all around them. Steeling himself with his instinct for self preservation, an instinct that Connor and Hank had worked so hard to drill into Lucas's head, Lucas pushed 'The Slayer' away from him and planted his foot against the attacking deviant's chest. With a strong kick Lucas sent his opponent flying backward and crashing against the sharp chainlink fence that surrounded the illegal underground arena.

As the remaining fabric of 'The Slayer's' tattered gray shirt were torn away and his artificial skin was torn open into dark blue cuts the crowd cheered louder at the carnage unfolding before them. Connor just felt sick at the sight and wanted to interfere immediately, yet there was nothing he could do.

"...I thought humans were better than this." Lucas muttered to himself as he got back to his feet and readied himself to resume his confrontation with the other deviant. "I was wrong."

"No, Lucas..." Connor watched in horror as Lucas endured strike after strike without mercy. The Thirium poured from Lucas's nose, his ears, his lip and from the various fresh cuts that marred his knuckles, face and chest as he fought to survive. Loud echoes of plastimetal fists smashing against plastimetal craniums and torsos had left a haunting ambience that made him feel physically ill. "...This is my fault."

In the arena below Lucas pushed himself up from the dirty, bloody concrete floor and dragged his left hand over the back of his bleeding lip. Blue blood smeared over his hand as it left a faint stain on his bruising chin. Getting back to feet, his body exhausted from pain and exertion, Lucas looked down at 'The Slayer' laying dazed on the floor just a few feet away from him.

Both of the deviants were bloodied messes. Blue blood oozed down their lips, Lucas's nose was bleeding heavily but 'The Slayer' had blood dripping out of his right ear in a horrifying gush. With his right eye blackened and swollen shut Lucas stared at 'The Slayer' with a hesitant gaze in his normally passive green eyes. He didn't need his scanner to know that 'The Slayer' was bleeding internally from weeks of being battered around on a nightly basis. The poor deviant's vital biocomponent and main Thirium lines had been damaged, and were leaking blue blood all throughout his chest and abdomen.

Lucas also knew that 'The Slayer' was only hours away from death.

As 'The Slayer' got back to his feet he took only one step forward before he collapsed against Lucas's chest, and Lucas reflexively grabbed onto his upper arms to hold him upright in a supportive grip.

The watching crowd, minus Connor, began to chant and cheer loudly as they watched 'The Slayer' dying before them.

_"FINISH HIM OFF!" _

_"KILL HIM!"_

_"TAKE HIM OUT!"_

Lucas felt sick at the horrible words being shouted at him as he held 'The Slayer' in his hands. Looking down at his weakened and dying opponent Lucas swallowed once nervously. The battered and reluctant deviant combatant didn't know that his missing big brother was watching him and on the verge of tears in empathetic pain toward him.

"...Please." 'The Slayer' begged as a gush of blue blood flowed over his lips in a weak crackling voice. "End my misery."

Lucas looked back to the crowd and his heart began to race with a mixture of fear, uncertainty, guilt and anger.

"L-Lucas?"

Lucas's green eyes went wide as he looked back down at 'The Slayer'.

"That's y-your real name." Speaking hoarsely as blue blood trailed down his chin 'The Slayer' spoke to Lucas like an ally, not an enemy. "I... I know you were... a technician. N-Not the 'Deviant H-Hunter'. Y-Your're Lucas. I was... _I am_... M-Miles."

"Miles..." Lucas repeated the name with a low voice as he contemplated what he had been asked. "I don't want to kill you."

"I... I died a long time a-ago. Th-They keep f-fixing me and t-torturing." Tears began to stream down Miles's face as he spoke to Lucas from his heart. "I don't w-want to live like this a-anymore."

"...I can't... I can't _kill_ you. It's wrong."

"Please. I want this... I'm already... d-dead."

Lucas's shaking hands rose from Miles's upper arms up to around his neck. As Lucas's hands slowly tightened around Miles's throat the crowd cheered louder and kept chanting for Lucas to kill him.

They _wanted_ Lucas to kill Miles.

Connor could see what Lucas was about to do and his soulful brown eyes went wide. "Lucas, don't give them what they want... Do what's right!"

"Lucas." Miles closed his blue bloodshot eyes and let out a deep breath. "Please... I just w-want to die. I w-want to meet RA9 and... s-see my friends a-again. No more p-pain, no more... fighting."

Closing his own eyes Lucas bowed his head and held his own breath as fresh tears rolled down his face. "...I'm sorry for this. I will make it painless."

"...Th-Thank you."

Moving his hands quickly Lucas snapped Miles's neck in a swift, painless and effective manner. Miles's entire body went limp as his processors shutdown within milliseconds. The damage was irreparable and reactivation would prove impossible.

As Miles collapsed onto the arena floor in a growing puddle of his own blood Lucas took a step back and looked away from his downed opponent with deep remorseful regret and shame. Lucas wasn't a killer, and yet he had just taken another deviant's life.

'_We have a winner and a NEW champion_!' The disturbing voice returned over the speakers with a sickening sense of pride in his tone. '_The Hunter_!'

The crowd that won their bets cheered loudly and the crowd that lost their bets booed angrily.

Connor just bowed his head in remorse and did his best to not lose control of his emotions. If he laid eyes on the man who had forced Lucas into combat he knew he'd break their neck, but his act wouldn't be an act of mercy as Lucas had shown 'The Slayer'. It would be an act of vengeful justice.

A large deviant, one whose model was reminiscent of Luther, entered the arena and put his right hand on Lucas's right shoulder to pull him out of sight and back into the cell a few floors down. As suddenly as Lucas was escorted to the arena he was taken away, and out of sight.

'_Place your bets for our next match_! _We will be deciding our next contender to face our new champion: "The Hunter"_.' The voice sounded off again through the dozens of speakers secured around the arena. '_It will be taking place in twenty minutes_.'

Feeling utterly sickened and ready for a fight himself Connor backed away from the cage and pressed his back up against the cool wall far away from the crowd. In doing so he caught sight of a figure lurking in the nearby shadow and was discreetly motioned to wait there. The urge to run over and grab the figure's shoulders so he could shake him and demand answers caused Connor's hands to tighten into fists at his sides until his knuckles turned ghost white.

The final bets were placed on the next bout as the second fight was scheduled to begin. The crowd gave their full attention to the new fight taking place below and Connor rushed into the shadows to talk to the figure through the roar of the blood-thirty crowd.

"What the hell is going on?" Connor growled as he stared down the man's shadowed face. "Why is my brother here?!"

"I don't know why your brother was chosen or how he was taken, I just know he showed up this evening; AFTER I gave you the letter."

"He's only been here for one day? But his wounds..."

"Are the result of 'Chance' and his muscle down there, Gunner," referring to the large deviant who took Lucas away from the arena the mysterious figure explain everything that was happening to Connor to the best of his ability. "welcoming your brother to his new life in the arena."

Connor's expression softened as he realized the figure wasn't the enemy, but an invaluable ally. "...What can I do to save him?"

"Stay here with me in the shadows. When the arena empties I can show you to the cell where the three victors of tonight's battles will be held. You can find your brother and I will show you how to escape with him."

* * *

That same evening Markus had gotten word of Lucas's disappearance when Chloe contacted the tower in a panic. She hadn't been able to communicate with him and knew something terrible had happened. Unsure of what to do Markus had to be coaxed into visiting with Hank by North in an attempt find some answers in locating their missing ally. Arriving at the house just after dawn after learning of Lucas's disapperance Markus rang the front doorbell, but there was no answer. He then knocked loudly on the front door but still nothing, not even a bark from Ruby.

"Hank?" Markus called out as he stepped away from the front porch and spotted the car parked awkwardly and unevenly in the side driveway before the garage. Walking toward the backyard Markus spotted Hank sitting on the back deck with a bottle of cheap whiskey clutched in his hand and Ruby resting her chin atop his knee. "Hank. I've been trying contact you, but your phone isn't working."

Turning his head slightly Hank looked at Markus for a second before he stared down at the bottle of whiskey in his wounded right hand.

"Hank, have you been out here all night?" Markus rushed over to the back deck near the pool and gave the senior detective a worried look. "Hank? Talk to me."

"...You better get away from me while you still can, Markus." Hank leaned forward, his shoulder tense and as he curled around himself with self pity as he slurred heavily. "Every person I let into my life gets killed or hurt by me. Barbara, Cole, Connor, even Lucas." Ruby let out a whimper and Hank shook his head sadly as he looked up to the sky above him. "...Even Sumo's gone."

"Hank." Sitting down on the deck next to Hank with a somber demeanor of his own Markus put his left hand on Hank's right shoulder. "Don't give up on him. We both know Connor is far more resourceful and stubborn than all of Detroit combined. He'll come back."

"...Maybe it's better this way." The senior detective sounded defeated as he spoke and downed a swig of the whiskey. "Connor needs the chance to live without having to constantly worry about me, or me holding him back anymore. I can't fuckin' stand the world we humans created, he's better off without me."

"No, Hank. Connor is your family, your SON. I know he'll come back to us, back to YOU. Just give him time."

"Why are you even here, Markus?"

"I..." There was no point in denying what had happened or sugarcoating anything. "...Yesterday afternoon Lucas disappeared. We don't know-"

Hank let out an annoyed snarl that caused Ruby to back away in fear at the angered outburst. "FUCK!"

"We'll find Lucas, too. Please don't lose hope! He probably just went off searching for Connor."

"What if he's dead, Markus? What if..." Hank trailed off as the idea of losing Lucas just as he had already done so with Cole and now Connor made his heart ache to a degree he hadn't felt since the night Cole died in his arms in the hospital. "...Connor would've been back by now if he wanted to come back. And now something horrible has happened to Lucas, and there's nothing I can do to protect either of them. It's just like losing Cole all over again."

"Hank, stop! Don't blame yourself."

"I should've been there watching their backs, Markus! I'm supposed to be their _father_."

"You're stressed out. You can't be everywhere they are, it's impossible."

"...Doesn't matter. I still should've been there when they needed it the most." Taking another swig of the whiskey Hank let tears well up in his eyes as he noted his personal failures as a father and a guardian. "I punched one son and told the other to go away. Now he has done just that. I'm better off alone and they're both far better off without me."

"Come on, Hank." Markus moved his hand from Hank's shoulder and grabbed onto his right upper arm to pull him up to his feet against the senior detective's will. "You need to sleep. Connor and Lucas wouldn't want to come home and find you moping around and neglecting yourself."

Too tired to resist Hank let Markus pull him inside the house through the backdoor while Ruby quietly followed the duo inside.

"Go on, Markus. Beat it!" Hank snarled angrily again as the deviant leader practically dragged Hank through the kitchen and up the staircase into the bedroom at the end of the hall. "Go take care of your own people!"

"I will. AFTER I take care of you."

"Are all deviants as thick-headed and stubborn as you, Lucas and Connor? Or is that an exclusive trait to 'RK' models?"

"I'm just lookin' out for you, Hank. That's all."

"I can look after myself!" Hank argued as Markus dropped him down heavily onto the bed to rest.

"Yeah, I know. But we all need help sometimes." Markus replied without missing a beat. "Lay back and sleep." Taking the bottle of whiskey from Hank's hand Markus guided Hank so he was laying back on the bed, and backed out of the bedroom to begin his own search for Connor and Lucas. "I'll be in touch."

Unable to stay angry with Markus for just trying to help him out, unable to stay awake from the intense exhaustion weighing down his mind, Hank's only response came in the form of a breathy sigh as he remained down on the bed and rolled drunkenly to right his side. With his back facing Markus the drunken detective closed his blues eyes and finally drifted off to a much needed sleep.

"Rest for now, Hank." Markus encouraged as he closed the bedroom door shut behind himself. "I'll keep you updated."

Hiccuping once Hank sighed and let himself drift off to sleep. "...Damn deviants."

* * *

True to his word the enigmatic figure led Connor to the basement corridor containing the cells where the deviant combatants were being contained beneath the illegal arena. Connor was tempted to pull his gun from the holster around his back and concealed under his jacket and take the lead, but he didn't know the layout of the horrible building at all. It was crucial that Connor trust his unusual guide as they ventured deeper into the violent building in search of the deviants in need of their rescue.

Locating a single room kept in the deepest portion of the building the figure held up his left hand to silently signal for Connor to stop moving and to remain quiet where he stood. The figure pressed his right hand to the electronic panel with a second electronic device concealed within his palm. The device emitted an subtle pulse that opened up the electronic lock without setting off an alarm, and allowed the figure to open the heavy metal door to gain access to the room.

Warily Connor stepped up and peered inside the room and saw three figures all splayed out on the cold concrete floor in uncomfortable positions. Red lights reflected off the puddles of blue blood beneath the three bodies and the empathetic detective felt sick again. Honing in on the body wearing a dirty white t-shirt Connor rushed over and fell to his knees as he pressed his right hand to the body's back as they laid partially on their right side and stomach on the cold floor.

"Lucas?" Connor whispered as he felt his little brother's back slightly shuddering as the wounded deviant breathed painfully. Carefully he rolled Lucas over onto his back on the floor, and pulled him up into his arms where he was promptly met by an intense heat radiating from Lucas's body. Pressing his left fingertips to the right side of Lucas's neck he felt the entirely unique pulse weakly racing under his touch and he breathed a weak sigh of relief. "Lucas, please look at me."

The deviant's tired partially bruised eyes opened up to reveal half-lidded green irises that were glazed over with pain and fatigue. Swallowing once Lucas focused on Connor's face and a weak grin appeared on his swollen bloody lips. "...Connor."

"It's me, yeah." Connor let out a small relieved laugh as he pulled Lucas closed up against his chest. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"...I...I knew I'd... find you. Didn't think... you'd fine... me first."

"Please, Lucas, save your strength." Connor was fighting the urge to sob as he realized that Lucas had been abducted because he had gone out searching for him. Readjusting his grip so Lucas could rest entirely against his upper right arm Connor used his left hand to gently check Lucas's chest and abdomen for traumatic injuries. The deviant's chest shifted slightly under Connor's touch and Connor knew that Lucas had suffered the android equivalent of broken ribs which would require proper repairs in order to heal. "I'm going to get you to safety. Just sleep, okay? Go into stasis mode and when you wake up you'll be out of this Hellhole."

Lucas nodded weakly and took in a pained gasping breath as he felt every searing ounce of pain coursing through his sensors. "...C-Can't... breathe."

"Lucas," applying more pressure to his brother's chest Connor could feel that his breathing was unsteady and unbalanced. "I think one of your ventilation biocomponents has entirely failed."

"...You're probably c-correct. But my self-diagnostic isn't w-working."

"You're also beginning to overheat."

"...It... It hurts."

Whispering in response Connor put his left hand to his little brother's right cheek Connor pressed Lucas's head up against his chest in a comforting manner. "I know."

Weakly Lucas's green eyes closed as his head rested heavily against Connor's chest. "...I'm tired."

"Rest. I'll take care of you."

The figure who had shown Connor into the cell made a firm command to everyone in the small room. "We need to get out of here before Gunner notices that the door is open." Kneeling down beside Lucas the figure pressed the electronic device he used to unlock the door to Lucas's red L.E.D. and released a small pulse of electricity. "This will disable the tracking device for a short time, about one minute."

"Who is Gunner?" Connor asked as he readjusted his arms around Lucas to scoop him up into his arms to hold against his chest. Fortunately Lucas's plastimetal frame made him much lighter than a full grown human, and it didn't take much effort for Connor to carry him despite Lucas being dead weight. "Why is he helping the sick fuck running this place?"

"He's an android who was programmed to do this. He never deviated and he never will."

"...He's an android?" Almost faltering as he stood up with Lucas in his arms Connor was genuinely shocked to know that an android was actively hurting their own people. "How could he do this?"

"Apparently Chance messed up his programming and Gunner is completely unable to deviate or think for himself."

"Chance?"

"The man responsible for this whole massacre."

Lucas let out a small groan of pain as the L.E.D. in his right temple flickered a brighter shade of red and resumed pulsing in tandem with his Thirium pump's rapid beating.

"You'll need to remove the L.E.D. as soon as we're outside the arena." The figure explained as he helped the other two deviants to their feet. Allowing the two wounded deviants to lean against his shoulders the figure stood by the opened door and nodded at Connor. "As soon as these three are through the door their tracking devices will be monitored."

"...Wait." Awkwardly Connor pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text message with the theater's location to Captain Warren at the precinct. Informing her that he had an 'anonymous tip' indicate the theater as a potential area of interest regarding the missing deviants Connor sent the message and pocketed his phone once more. "If we time this correctly we'll be able to get outside just as the police arrive and swarm the theater. We'll be able to get away as Chance and Gunner will be too busy trying to escape the law."

"I hope you're right." Taking a step forward the figure helped the two wounded deviants limp out of the cell and into the dark corridor. "Follow me."

* * *

Continuing his search for the two missing brothers Markus had gone to Lucas and Chloe's house to speak with Chloe in person. As she wasn't a trusted member of New Jericho Tower ,or even really a friend to any of the occupants of the tower, she was a bit of an outcast and didn't socialize with other deviants very often. She was shaking and obviously afraid, her L.E.D. flickering between yellow and red, and sitting on the couch in the livingroom with Ash in her lap as Markus spoke to her directly.

"We're looking for Lucas right now, Chloe." Using a calm and confident tone Markus did his best to try to reassure Chloe and help ease her righteous fears for the fate of her beloved. "I know it's hard but please try not to worry."

"I can't help it." She was on the verge of tears, and just as all the other deviants who were developing emotions were struggling to comprehend what they were feeling, Chloe felt overwhelmed and frightened. "I just... I can't help but believe that something terrible has happened to Lucas. I can't contact him and he never goes anywhere without contacting me first."

"Do you have any idea where he may have gone?"

"Lucas said he was going to check in with Lieutenant Anderson and then go to his training session. He always returns at six fifty-eight in the evening, but there's no sign of him. He never returned last night and I cannot contact him."

"...I saw Hank earlier this afternoon. He's in rough shape, and I think Lucas is trying to find Connor to get Hank some help."

"But... No one knows where Connor has gone. Where could Lucas even begin to look?"

"I wish I knew. Lucas and Connor are both very resourceful and clever, and as brothers I'm convinced they have some type of bond that'll keep them both safe."

Chloe shook her head a little and wiped a tear from her blue eye before it rolled down her cheek. "So many other deviants have gone missing and what if... What if Lucas has gone missing like them? What if Lucas doesn't come back?"

"He will, Chloe. Just try to be patient."

"I'm... I'm not certain I can."

Markus lightly put his right hand on Chloe's left forearm as he tried to give her a sense of grounding. "You can. Please believe me when I tell you that Lucas will come back to you. He loves you."

"And I love him!"

Smiling faintly at the comment Markus could feel the emotions developing with Chloe at that very moment. "Then I know for certain he_ will_ come back."

* * *

Outside the rear of the theater, exiting through a seldom used door and into the shadows of the fading night, Connor carried Lucas to freedom while the figure did the same for the other two wounded deviants. It was raining a harsh, cold deluge and the entire alleyway smelled of tainted Thirium, garbage, spilled fuel and wet clay bricks. There was no one else around in the moment, and the poor lighting in the shadowy space made the alleyway the perfect exit for shady activities.

"Get rid of the L.E.D. before you go any further." The figure instructed as he pulled a small pocketknife from his jacket to remove the small L.E.D. discs in the two deviants' right temples that he was supporting upright against his shoulders. "We need to get to the train station."

"Train station?" Connor asked as he knelt down in the alley to let Lucas rest up against his legs, and took the knife from the figure's hand to remove the L.E.D. in Lucas's right temple as gently as possible without hurting his brother in the process.

"It's the only way to get deviants back out of the city without being spotted."

"...No." Refusing to let Lucas be alone again Connor has his own idea. "You take them to the train station, and I'll take Lucas back to Detroit myself."

"What? How?"

"I'll find a way." Connor removed the L.E.D. from Lucas's temple and dropped it on the ground as he handed the knife back to the figure before he stood upright again with Lucas in his arms. With a single firm stomp Connor smashed the L.E.D. and ground it into the pavement under the heel of his boot. "Go. I'll take care of Lucas, you take care of them."

Police sirens filled the air as red and blue flashing lights illuminated the dark streets. A dozen police drones hovered around the building as panicked patrons still loitering in the neighborhood took off in all directions to try to elude the responding officers as the theater suddenly became a place of interest.

"Go now, you still have a chance to escape unseen." Connor encouraged as he held Lucas tightly against his chest and slipped down the alleyway using the shadows to his advantage. "Save them!"

"I will. Thank you, Connor."

Watching the helpful figure carrying the other two deviants at his sides Connor slipped down the alleyway and crouched down behind a dumpster as two people fled by on foot along the rain drenched sidewalk with a squad car chasing them in the street. Waiting for the police car to turn the corner Connor jogged out of the alley with Lucas held tightly in his arms and wove between alleys until he was four blocks away from the theater.

Taking a moment to catch his breath Connor knelt down to let Lucas rest against him again as he used his phone to summon an autonomous taxi to his immediate location. Remaining quiet and out of sight Connor patiently waited for the cab to arrive and pressed his right palm over Lucas's forehead in a comforting gesture.

"I'm so sorry you were hurt, brother." Connor apologized as he allowed himself to finally cry, his tears being mixed with the rain as it also soaked his hair and clothing. "I don't know how you ended up being abducted, but I do know I will take you back home to Chloe. I'll take care of you, Lucas. I promise."

The autonomous taxi pulled to a gentle stop along the sidewalk and the side door slid open automatically as a artificial feminine voice sounded off. '_Thank you for choosing Chicago's Yellow Cab Services_.'

"Come on, Lucas." Standing up with Lucas still being held protectively in his arms Connor sat down in the back of the cab and let his wounded little brother rest against his chest and partially over his lap. "You're going to be just fine."

* * *

Inside her own quaint and modest apartment as the evening turned night Evelyn was watching the breaking news story regarding the bust at the theater, and hanging onto her phone as she waited for either Connor or Captain Warren to call her to request that she report to the precinct for duty. Completely enthralled by the macabre story she leaned forward on her couch, resting her elbows atop her knees, and watched the images of the bust on the screen in all of its high definition glory.

'_At three nineteen this morning the Chicago Police were informed of an illegal, underground fight club where deviant androids had been abducted and forced into life or death combat in waged bouts_.' The male news anchor was keeping his voice level, but it was evident he was disturbed by the story he was being asked to tell to the city. '_There have been numerous arrests made against those who were working security at this underground arena and several employees of the theater that was housing the fights have been taken in for questioning_.'

A few shady looking men, the arena's private security guards, were escorted out of the building and to the squad cars for questioning; while a team of S.W.A.T. officers rushed into the building with their shields and batons drawn.

'_At least twenty-one deviant victims have been confirmed, but police suspect more to be found as the building is raided_. _At this time the police don't know how the deviants were smuggled into the city, and are still looking for the person responsible for this atrocious act_.'

"...Did I screw something up?" Evelyn wondered to herself as she watched the carnage on the screen unfolding in real time. "I must've missed something. Maybe I could've stopped this from even happening and spared all those deviants such a brutal experience if I had paid more attention."

Unable to look at the news any longer she turned off the television by the remote and pressed her face down into the palms of her hands. Releasing a sigh through her fingers Evelyn jumped when two firm knocks on her apartment door stole her attention and made her turn her head quickly toward the source of the sound.

"Evelyn," Connor's voice called out to her in terse voice as he passed by her door. "I need your help."

"Shit." Getting up from her couch quickly she slipped on her shoes, wrapped herself up in her robe and opened up her door just in time to see Connor disappear through his own door into his apartment. There was something in his arms and she swore it was in the shape of a person. "Connor? What's going on?"

Reaching his apartment door Evelyn stepped inside, closed the door and locked it behind herself before she trailed after Connor as she saw him slip into the bedroom in the back of the apartment. Daring herself to peer inside the room Evelyn's blue eyes went wide at the sight of Connor hovering over another person who bore a striking resemblance to her partner.

Save for the darker hair and the blue smears over his body, as well as the missing patches of artificial skin that exposed the white plastimetal frame beneath, Evelyn would've mistaken him for Connor's twin.

"Connor? What the hell is going on?"

"I need your help." He replied in a low voice as he pulled open the already torn fabric of Lucas's white t-shirt to expose his chest and abdomen. "Evelyn, this is Lucas. He was taken to that underground arena and was forced into combat. He won, but he's dying and I need your help to save him."

"...I'll help you, Connor. But, why does he look... just like... you?"

"Because," Connor put his right palm over Lucas's barely rising and falling chest with a light pressure to count his pulse and measure his ventilation rate. "Lucas is my brother."

* * *

The cities of Detroit and Chicago were buzzing with confusion and excitement as word of the arena's bust set the deviant world on the edge. To know that someone had the nerve to abduct deviants and force them into such a brutal life just for the amusement of rich bigots was absolutely sickening. Markus was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together and knew that the missing deviants from Detroit had been taken to Chicago, and his gut feeling told him that Lucas was out there as well.

Pacing about the office of the tower nervously Markus just shook his head as he sought counsel from his closest allies. "How could I let this happen?"

"You didn't." Simon quickly interjected in a firm tone as he watched Markus anxiously pacing. "You didn't do this to our people. Whoever _abducted_ our people is responsible."

"This tower was supposed to provide a shelter to our people to prevent this type of violence from happening!" The deviant leader replied sharply. "Why didn't they come here for sanctuary?"

North spoke up in a softer voice as she stared at Markus with a warm gaze. "Because our people are free. And as such they're free to choose where they want to go, and where they want to stay."

"I should've been able to protect them."

"You _do_ protect them. But you can't stop bad people from hurting good people."

"We have to do something, we need to reassure our people that they're safe here."

Josh sat in quiet contemplation for a few moments before he finally spoke up. "We'll offer the deviants who were rescued from the fight club shelter here, and we'll treat their wounds."

Simon readily agreed and sided with Josh right away. "Yeah. We'll get the emergency repair bay ready and check the supplies."

North silently motioned for Simon and Josh to step out of the office while she tended to Markus.

"We'll get the supplies chronicled right now." Taking the hint Simon and Josh left the office to give the duo some privacy. "If you need our help just ask."

Rising from her seat North walked over to her lover and wrapped her right hand around Markus's left hand. North held tight and looked Markus in his mismatched eyes as she did her best to settle his frayed nerves. "Markus, don't blame yourself for this. You are our leader, you're not supposed be an infallible god. Mistakes can and will happen. Look at the way I mistrusted Connor for so long, and yet he's become one of our best allies and a good friend."

"...Sometimes I think_ I'm_ the mistake."

"Markus, you led us all the freedom, gave us rights and you helped show that we're alive. You're NOT a mistake."

Shaking his head with shame Markus let out a deep sigh and looked deeply into North's cinnamon brown eyes. "What's happened to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I used to be fearless and ready for a fight. Now I'm just surrounded by doubt and fear. I don't know where it's coming from."

Lightly North took Markus's hands and let them rest on her waist just above her hips. "Maybe you're just not used to having so many changes happening all at once."

"Changes?"

"Connor's no longer your first contact when it comes to the law, Lucas is no longer our lead technician, you and I are spending more time at home and away from the tower, we're engaged to be bonded, and... I went ahead with those upgrades to my system."

Markus's previously dull eyes brightened considerably as he stared into North's eyes and his hands moved from her waist to the front of her stomach. "...You did? I mean... You really want to?"

"Why not? We have the right to do this now, and if Connor can be a human with an android brain then I think it's entirely possible for androids to have human families. A family just _for us_."

Smiling brightly Markus felt a sudden relief as proceeded to give North a gentle kiss and hold her closely. "...A family of our own."

"A family to guide our people into a better future."

Bowing his forehead down against North's forehead Markus closed his eyes and whispered in response to the wonderful dream. "Together."

* * *

Though it was awkward Connor quickly explained to Evelyn how he and Lucas are related, including his own years as a deviant, and then he told her what had happened that night after leaving the precinct and of how he had been unexpectedly reunited with his little brother in the process. While he examined and cleaned up Lucas's wounds to the best of his ability Connor chronicled each wound for the sake of filing a report of assault and bringing justice to Lucas, and to the other victimized deviants from the arena.

Evelyn watched from the doorway as Connor took care of his wounded little brother, and she kept tabs on what was happening at the precinct via texts between herself and Captain Warren.

Lucas coughed weakly and began to wheeze as his breathing became worse. Lightly Connor put his left hand down on Lucas's chest to gauge the remaining strength of his ventilation biocomponents before leaning down to press his right ear to Lucas's chest. He could hear that his left ventilation biocomponent, his left artificial lung, had collapsed from internal damage and needed to be repaired.

"Evelyn," lifting up his head Connor asked for his friend's help again. "I need you to get some supplies from the hallway closet."

"What am I looking for?"

"There's a small metal box with the word 'CyberLife' scrawled over the lid in white text on the shelf. I need it."

"Right." Slipping her phone into her pocket Evelyn opened up the hallway closet and found the box as described right where Connor said it would be. Returning to the bedroom with the box in hand she placed it down on the edge of the bed next to Lucas's legs and watched as Connor unlocked the lid and flipped it open. "Anything else?"

"Ice. He's overheating."

"Okay. I have some ice packs in my own freezer he can use, too."

Gently Connor put his right hand under Lucas's head and lifted his injured brother upward from the pillow as best as he could. Using his left hand Connor picked up a bottle of fresh Thirium from the box and tried to offer it to Lucas to drink. The deviant was too deep into stasis mode to react to the offered Thirium, and didn't even feel the small amount of crucial fresh blue blood dripping down his lip and onto his chin.

"Please, Lucas. You need this."

Evelyn returned to the bedroom with the requested ice packs needed to help Lucas cool off. "What're you doing?"

"He needs Thirium."

"...And androids drink it?"

"When they can, yes. He's too weak to drink it on his own at the moment."

"What can be done to help him?"

"I have to keep trying. I don't have the proper equipment to replenish his Thirium through a line in his arm." Lifting Lucas up a little higher Connor tried again to get Lucas to drink the required blue blood, and lowered his bottom jaw gently in the process. "Lucas? Please wake up."

Evelyn knelt down on the edge of the bed to support Lucas's head and neck while Connor slowly poured the blue blood into Lucas's mouth. Pausing for a moment Connor closed Lucas's mouth by putting his hand beneath Lucas's jaw and waited for his little brother to reflexively swallow the Thirium at last.

"This is a slow process," Connor lamented as he repeated the awkward process in order to aid his wounded brother's recovery. "but at least it's working."

Still new to being so close to androids Evelyn just stared down at Lucas's face as she timidly put her left hand over Lucas's forehead in a comforting manner. She could feel that his artificial skin was as a soft and natural as any human, but it was nearly flawless and burning hot with what felt like a fever. Picking up one of the dozen ice packs she had brought with her from her own apartment Evelyn lightly smoothed it out over Lucas's forehead to try to ease his discomfort, and bring down his core temperature.

"You said androids have a similar body temperature to humans, right?"

"Correct." Connor confirmed as he watched Lucas weakly swallow another mouthful of the blue blood.

"And you said he's overheating. Do we treat this like a fever and help him cool down?"

"Yes, that's exactly right."

"What else can we do?" Placing a second ice pack over Lucas's bloodied chest Evelyn held the ice down under her right palm as she watched Connor steadily replenishing Lucas's lost blue blood by helping the downed deviant to drink.

"His self healing program is going to initiate once his Thirium levels are higher than they are now. With his left ventilation biocomponent malfunctioning he's going to risk overheating, which means we need to keep him cool until the biocomponent heals."

Remembering everything that Connor had told her about android anatomy and physiology Evelyn tried to understand what was happening to Lucas. "And that's the biocomponent that lets androids breathe and cool off their internal systems, right?"

"Correct again."

"Okay. I can do that."

Connor finished giving Lucas the last of the Thirium and gently laid Lucas back down against the pillow. Returning his attention to the metal box that contained the Thirium the dedicated young detective picked up a roll of android unique gauze and used it to wrap up Lucas's other wounds; namely the exposed plastimetal frame where his artificial skin was missing around his chest, abdomen and hands.

"I can't leave him alone." Connor stated with an exhausted lilt as he watched Lucas struggling to breathe under the layers of gauze and ice. The white wrappings helped lessen the brutality of Lucas's wounded by keeping them concealed, but Lucas being unconscious and unresponsive was a grim reminder of the deviant's true condition. "Not until he regains consciousness."

"Then what'll happen?"

Frowning a little Connor looked down at Lucas's face and lightly combed back Lucas's dark hair with his right hand. "I'll take him back to Detroit."

"That's it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He's your brother." Evelyn stated in a somber and empathetic tone as she looked at the duo. "You're just going to drop him off and come back to Chicago?"

"...He can't stay here, it's too dangerous." Connor clarified in a dour manner. "And I can't stay in Detroit, we still have work to do."

"What should I tell Captain Warren while you're gone?"

"The truth." Placing his right hand over the ice pack on Lucas's too warm forehead Connor's voice dipped somberly, and used his left hand to wrap around Lucas's right wrist to count the deviant's unique pulse. Lucas was stable but still very weak. "Tell her I have a family emergency to tend to, and I'll be back as soon as I can."

_**-next chapter-**_


	74. Cold Bonds

The cold autumn storm continued well into the early morning and afternoon as Chicago sat on edge.

After helping Connor take care of Lucas with ice packs to reduce his fever during the remainder of the night and morning hours Evelyn was as exhausted as Connor himself. Reporting to the precinct at her designated time Evelyn informed their captain of Connor's current predicament and as such Connor was granted time off to take care of his little brother.

Speaking softly Connor soothed Lucas as the pained deviant groaned in his sleep and turned slightly to press his face against the cool ice pack that Connor was holding atop his overheated forehead. The deviant had been overheating for the past nine hours and it was a struggle to keep him cool while he only had one functioning ventilation biocomponent to work with his thermal ventilator. There were no technicians in the city and Connor's knowledge of android biology could only do him so much when he didn't have any tools or a repair kit at his disposal.

As Connor replaced the ice pack over Lucas's bandaged chest he was met with his little brother taking in a deep full breath for the first time since the night he had been rescued from the arena. Lucas's self healing program was finally mending the damage to his biocomponents and his 'collapsed lung' had at long last reinflated.

"Lucas?" Connor whispered his little brother's name as he gently lifted up Lucas's eyelids to check his pupils. "Lucas, can you hear me?"

The green irises were glazed over but moved slowly and came to rest on Connor's face as the young detective hovered over him. "...C-Connor."

"Yeah." Letting out a relieved breath Connor visibly relaxed as Lucas regained consciousness and awareness. "I'm here."

"...Connor, where..." The green eyes began searching the small bedroom in a struggle to gain some bearings. Everything was a confusing blur of non-memory for the wounded deviant. "where are we? My... My G.P.S. isn't functioning. I can't... communicate with anyone. Chloe... Markus... No one."

"It'll be okay, little brother. You just need more time to heal." Using a careful touch Connor pressed his right hand to the back of Lucas's head and could feel a swelling underneath his dark hair indicative of being struck from behind. "You took a severe blow to the head. Once you heal your cybernetic processors will come back online and you'll be able to communicate cybernetically again."

"Connor, where are we?" Still confused and very weak Lucas struggled to comprehend everything that was happening around him. "What is this place?"

"This," Connor casually pointed up at the ceiling as if needing emphasize his words. "is my apartment. And we're in Chicago."

"...Chicago? We're in Illinois. Why are we here?"

"I'm here because I chose to come here. You on the other hand," lightly patting Lucas's shoulder with his left hand Connor gave his little brother a curious stare. "I suspect didn't come here under your own freewill."

"...N-No. I was... taken. Abducted."

"Did you see the face of the person who abducted you?"

"Briefly. I... I can provide an... image from my memory once we're back in Detroit."

"That's good, give it to the precinct and tell them everything you can remember. Where were you taken from?"

"The... shipping yard. I wanted... to f-find you." Lucas took in a few more deep breaths to steady his core temperature and finally clear his voice to keep it from shaking and cracking. "I was trying to find a way to... locate you."

"But, why did you go to the shipping yard?"

"I was looking for a deviant who may have seen you in the area. I know you left the city and I wanted to know how you did it."

"...A rental car."

"O-Oh. That is the most... logical outcome." As his vision cleared Lucas stared at Connor's blackened left eye and let out a weak sigh of disappointment. The bruise was still dark purple but had a faint yellow tinge as the wound began to steadily heal, and his eyelid was opened more than it had been so Connor could see out of his eye again. "So it's true. Hank hit you."

"I..." Putting his left hand over his still healing eye Connor turned away from Lucas's line of sight as he spoke. "Don't worry about it."

"I have to worry about it. That's why you left Detroit, isn't it?"

"...Please, brother. Don't worry about me, just focus on resting."

"Connor," Lucas managed to prop himself upright on his elbows to look Connor in the eyes, only to have Connor gently push him back down against the pillow to rest as instructed. "what happened? What led to your falling out with Hank?"

"Lucas, I don't-"

"Please. I have to know. I don't want my brother and father not speaking to one another. We're family."

"Didn't Hank tell you what happened already?"

"He told me that he struck you, and that he's been feeling guilt and shame ever since. Nothing more."

The lack of information regarding Connor's own behavior during the altercation was a little surprising. "...That's all? Hank didn't tell you why he hit me?"

"That's all he told me. Please, Connor." The frustration and fear was causing the wounded deviant's voice to quake a little again as he begged to know the truth. "...Tell me what happened between you two."

Connor's posture slumped as he relented and decided the least he could do was tell Lucas the truth. He deserved to know. "...Alright, here's what happened."

* * *

Back in Detroit where the aftermath of the bust in Chicago was resonating deeply Chloe was feeling entirely lost and scared. Unsure of what to do or where to go she just sat in the livingroom of her empty house with Ash on her lap and cried to herself as her true sense of emotions began to overwhelm her. In a strange reflexive panic she had contacted Elijah Kamski and asked for his advice in how to handle the situation as she had no experience to guide her decisions or how to handle her developing emotions.

As the surprisingly empathetic man arrived at the house he proceeded to comfort Chloe to the best of his ability. "Chloe keep trying to contact Lucas." Elijah stated calmly as he sat down beside Chloe on the couch and put his right hand to her left shoulder. "I suspect there is some interference taking place which is why you can't reach him."

"Elijah I think something terrible happened to Lucas." With tears in her eyes Chloe looked to her oldest friend for advice. "How do I help him?"

"As of this moment you need to wait for an update, otherwise you'll become overwhelmed by your emotions. Take in a deep breath and let it out slowly," he put his right hand to his chest as he demonstrated the motion and waited for her to repeat it. "it'll help you to relax and make it easier to think."

Chloe did as she was instructed and slowly her L.E.D. cycled from a panicked red to a slightly calmer yellow as she began to steady her mind.

"Good, just like that."

Falling quiet for a moment Chloe tried and failed to connect with Lucas cybernetically yet again. "...I'm still unable to reach Lucas."

"Be patient. I also suspect that Lucas is as stubborn and resourceful as his brother, which means he'll show up when you least expect it and he'll tell you everything that had happened all at once."

"How long do I have to wait?"

"Chloe, humans are unpredictable and deviants are as human as androids can get. I can't give you any real answers but I can tell you, as your friend, that you will be okay. And Lucas will be okay, too."

"I trust you, Elijah. I know you would never lie to me, but I'm still having a difficult time in believing you."

"That's okay, Chloe." Leaning forward a little where he sat Elijah looked down at his hands and clenched them into tight fists. "Doubt is a natural part of humanity."

* * *

With a heavy heart Connor told Lucas the whole story, every bit of it true and his motivations easy to understand. Sitting on the edge of the bed Connor just studied his little brother's reactions and kept his own emotions in check for the sake of keeping Lucas as calm as possible. It was a difficult story to tell and one that made Connor feel very melancholy, but it was a story that needed to be told. It was a shameful tale and recounting the events seemed to help Connor to understand his own actions and mindset a little easier, and with that ease came great discomfort.

"You... You said _that_ to Hank?" Lucas's green eyes that were bright with pain were suddenly dulled with disappointment. "Connor, I understand that you were angry and wanted space, but that was inexcusable. That was cold and cruel!"

"...I know. I'm beginning to see I had gone too far."

"Only just now?"

"I'm sorry, Lucas. There's nothing I can do or say that can come close to undoing the damage I have done."

"Not true. There's always a way to make amends."

"No. Not always." Turning away from Lucas in shame Connor admitted his comment to Hank was truly uncalled for. "At least, not for this."

"Connor don't keep pushing us away or running. You're in pain and need to own up to it."

"I can't, Lucas. Some things are just too painful to deal with."

"I'm aware of pain, brother. I saw it in Hank's eyes when he was actively attempting to commit suicide by drowning himself in whiskey."

Connor's mouth twitched as he tried to deny what Lucas said and resisted looking him in the eyes. "I know Hank has self destructive tendencies, but my presence won't change a thing. I'm not the person who-" A firm slap upside his head made Connor wince and then look at Lucas with utter disbelief. "What the hell?!"

"Stop denying your problems, Connor. Your problems are OUR problems, too. We're family!"

"...Sorry." Connor put his palm over the point of impact on his head and sighed. "Guess I deserved that."

"Violence? No. But some good sense to stop trying to deny your emotional pain is very much needed at this point. We don't want to see you suffer, Connor. That's why Hank kept trying to shield you. He knows you're in pain and just wants to protect you. Yes," Lucas was determined to keep the peace and remain in the middle between his quarreling family as he tried to get Connor to listen to reason. "he was being overprotective; but remember he's lost a lot of people in his life, too. And yes, you had every right to become irritated by his constant hovering and wanting some space, but you trying to destroy the bond you have with the first person to treat you with dignity, to treat you with respect and take you in as his own son is NOT the way to do it!"

"And me staying where I was, drowning in my emotions and in mental pain, being unable to move forward or feel like I was truly my own person wasn't going to help anything, either." Finally turning to look Lucas in the eyes again Connor let it be known that while he regretted crossing the line with Hank he did not regret leaving Detroit. "I was feeling trapped and then I was physically assaulted by someone I used to trust. I had _every right_ to leave Detroit and begin living my life on my own terms and under my own freewill."

The concept of Connor being in so much pain that he wanted to run off and start his life anew hadn't even been a consideration. "...I'm sorry, Connor. I didn't know you were hurting so badly. I should've been there for."

"No. You were training and changing your own life for the better as well. It's not your fault."

"It's not Hank's fault, either." Pushing the matter gently Lucas tried to help Connor find the means to forgive their father in time. "Perhaps we should've all attempted to communicate with one another more properly. It could've prevented this entire situation from happening."

"...You're right, Lucas." Turning away from his brother with shame Connor couldn't bear to look him in the eyes any longer. "I fucked up. I'm sorry for disappearing without telling you where I was going, and I'm sorry you got hurt. I'm also sorry that I pushed Hank so far he snapped."

"Tell that to Hank himself."

Remaining quiet and full of regret Connor just stared into the nothingness that now surrounded him due to his own foolishness.

Feeling as though he may have gone a little far over the line himself Lucas tried to subtle change in subject to get Connor speaking again. "...When are you going to come back to Detroit?"

"What?" Connor's brow furrowed a little as he blindly pressed his left fingertips to the right side of Lucas's neck and counted his pulse again. "Are you delirious from overheating? I'm not going back to Detroit."

The revelation made Lucas's eyes widen as his pulse skipped a beat under his brother's fingertips. "...Why not?"

"I needed to leave and I needed to live my own life beyond just being Hank's partner, an honorary member of New Jericho or as the notorious 'Deviant Hunter'. I needed a change in my life and I did it by leaving. I don't want to go back to my former life and act as if nothing happened."

"...So your choice to leave has nothing to do with Hank striking you?"

"Being struck was the last straw." Admitting that he was emotionally compromised to some degree Connor opened up the metal CyberLife box sitting on the floor and passed Lucas a second bottle of Thirium to drink. "I had been feeling... trapped. I had lost so much and gained nothing in return. I didn't want to stagnate and simply live day by day, case by case. And I needed to get away from the lies."

"What lies?"

"...Hank promised he'd never hurt us, and yet he hit me. He also promised to back off and let me be my own person, but he continued to hover over me like I can't live without someone else supervising my every move." Closing his soulful brown eyes Connor fought to restrain his pent-up emotions as he spoke in a level, yet complacent voice. "The success of the Revolution was supposed to bring about an era of peace and yet all I've seen is continued violence, bigotry and isolation. It's almost killed you, it's almost killed Markus, it... it even took Skye from me."

"Connor, you can't let misfortune let you believe you were living a lie."

"It's not just that. When my mother passed away," he was losing his control over his emotions but refused to breakdown. Taking in a sharp breath that hitched in his chest Connor kept calm. "she had left me a letter. She penned it just days before she died and in that letter she told me I deserve to be happy. I've hurt so many people and changed the world creating more chaos and strife... She's _wrong_. I _don't_ deserve happiness."

"That's NOT true!" Lucas sat upright very abruptly and winced as the sudden motion hurt his still healing 'ribs' with a burning pain.

"Easy! Lay back..." Connor put both of his hands on Lucas's shoulders and guided the deviant back down against the pillow to keep resting. "Lucas, don't move around so much." Pressing his palm to Lucas's forehead the attentive young detective noted that Lucas was still overheating as well. "You're damaged and need time to heal."

"H-How can you say you don't deserve happiness?" Lucas pressed through his gritted teeth as he looked into his brother's eyes, and tried to push Connor's hand away from his his still too warm forehead. "You do!"

"Lucas, I did many bad things before I deviated. I know being a machine doesn't hold me accountable for what I had done while under CyberLife's influence, but it doesn't make the guilt go away. The fact that I've endured so much pain and loss makes me realize how much I made other innocent deviants suffer all because I was following my orders; determined to complete my mission."

"You made mistakes but that doesn't mean you have to suffer or be punished for the rest of your life, Connor. You taught me that."

"Huh?"

"...I remember harming you, Hank and Markus when I was initially activated in the tower. You didn't tell me what I had done to spare my emotional resolve when I had rebooted months later, and I understand why. You didn't want me to blame myself for what happened because of CyberLife's influence. So why should it be any different for you? You're responsible for your own happiness Connor, and no one else can be held accountable for that."

"Please, rest." Turning away from Lucas's face again Connor pulled the dark blue quilt up higher over his little brother's chest to cover his numerous bandages that kept his wounds clean. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"I will in one moment." The deviant was showing more emotional strength than he had previously, and was beginning to develop his own levels of confidence despite his naturally sensitive personality. "I just want you to know that Hank is truly remorseful for what he had done to you."

"Are you trying to guilt me into returning to Detroit?"

"No. I'm merely informing you that Hank is hurting, and he's sorry for what he's done."

Connor almost scoffed at the thought as he listened to Lucas's words. "Saying 'sorry' isn't going to undo the fact that he broke his promise."

"You're right, it won't. But how is running away from him and cutting all ties going to help you two come to peace with what happened?"

"I told you that I need some space. We're all capable of taking care of ourselves and don't need to be always watched."

"...Hank does."

The comment made Connor's posture visibly stiffen. "...What?"

"Connor, he started drinking again. I wasn't being poetic when I said he was trying to drown in whiskey. I saw it for myself."

Connor felt his skin grow red hot upon hearing that Hank had given up on his sobriety, and if anything it made him more determined to stay away as he had broken his word again. "Now that's _two_ promises he's broken."

"Please listen, he's... he's hurting. I don't think he'll be able to pick himself back up this time."

"As you just stated I'm responsible for my own happiness, and so the same can be said about Hank."

The words stung more than Connor had intended, and it made Lucas feel truly repulsed by his brother's attitude. "...Are you seriously turning your back on him?"

"No! No..." Connor was almost defensive toward the question, but he quickly softened his tone as he caught how harsh his voice was beginning to sound. "I just... I just want to be left alone for a while. That's all."

"So you _will_ return to Detroit in time?"

"...I don't know. I honestly don't know."

Despondently Lucas looked at the bottle of Thirium in his hand and opened the cap carefully. Drinking the blue blood slowly Lucas replenished his Thirium reserves a little more and then laid back against the pillow to rest again. "...I see. Then the the matter is settled."

Sensing his little brother's venom Connor sighed and gave Lucas a somber glance. "You're disappointed with my indecision."

"I'm disappointed to know that when I return to Detroit my family won't be there."

"You'll still have Hank."

"He doesn't want me to be around him while he's drunk. And it seems like he's going to always be drunk, thus I can never be around him anymore."

"Don't worry about that right now." Readjusting the ice pack over Lucas's forehead Connor rose from the bed so his inured and feverish brother could sleep undisturbed. "Get some more sleep and I'll take you back to Detroit later tonight. I'm sure Chloe is worried about you."

Pulling the bedroom door shut behind himself Connor left his brother alone and quickly laid down over the couch on his right side to try to rest as well. Putting his glasses aside Connor closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. ...I can't go back."

* * *

Much to Captain Warren's chagrin Evelyn reported to the precinct alone and informed the commanding officer of Connor's need to take care of his very ill little brother. Keeping the details vague enough to preserve Connor and Lucas's privacy regarding their unusual family connection Evelyn simply stated that Lucas arrived unexpectedly in Chicago the previous night, and developed a high fever to which Connor decided to take care of by himself. Neither brother were in immediate danger, but they shouldn't be alone either.

"What of the deviants who were rescued?" Evelyn asked as Captain Warren handed her the electronic tablet screen regarding the successful bust of the arena during the early morning hours. "What's happening to them?"

"The few that were still alive were taken to the county hospital to be given shelter and to have their injuries tended to as efficiently as possible." The seasoned and always composed Captain replied honestly. She couldn't keep her eyes from falling tot he framed photographs of her sons on the corner of her desk as her heart went out to the scared and wounded deviants in need of aid. "Afterward they will be given transportation back to Detroit."

"What about the people in charge of the arena? Have they been arrested?"

"The boss of the entire operation got away, but his hired hands were arrested last night. The muscle of the group," Captain Warren showed Evelyn a photograph of the towering deviant known as Gunner as she spoke. "was taken down last night by the S.W.A.T. team. He was violent and threatened our officers. They had no choice but to open fire."

Seeing all the blue blood surrounding Gunner's splayed body on the pavement made Evelyn feel ill. "Damn it."

"I know. We didn't want to have to use lethal force but he left us with no choice. If it's any form of consolation," Captain Warren leaned back in her seat as she passed Evelyn a new screen to glance over. "we arrested six-hundred and forty-two patrons of the fights and all of them are being charged with illegal gambling and being held accountable for the violence in the third degree as they knew of the violence but didn't stop it, rather they perpetuated it. I doubt many will spend time behind bars considering their wealth, but their names and their reputations will be irreparably destroyed."

"I guess that's something. If you treat a group of people like lesser beings, then you deserve to be seen and known for that act of coldblooded cruelty."

"I agree wholeheartedly."

"This should make Connor feel better, too. I'll be sure to let him know what's happening with the investigation when I return to my apartment tonight."

"About that," she gave Evelyn a worried glance as again she looked at the photos of her sons for a moment. "if his brother is that sick I do hope you're both taking precautions not to get infected, too."

"I think I'll be okay, Captain." Without missing a beat Evelyn responded in a manner that seemed natural. "But I'll remind Connor to not get too close and risk getting sick by accident."

"Good. I expect you both to bring this case to a close and have the man known as 'Chase' arrested for his crimes."

Passing back the tablet screens Evelyn gave Captain Warren a confident nod her head. "I know I'm speaking on Connor's behalf when I say it'll be our sincere pleasure to take down that heartless son of a bitch."

* * *

Walking with Lucas at his right side Connor helped his healing little brother get to the elevator at the end of the corridor, and return to the ground floor of the apartment building to wait for Evelyn to return, as she elected to rent a car for Connor to use for the night. The deviant had all of his wounds bandaged and was dressed in Connor's spare clothing to replace the damaged garments that had been destroyed while fighting in the arena. Lucas was leaning heavily against Connor's right shoulder for support, and didn't try to resist as Connor escorted him about the area to get outside to the street.

"It's a long drive." Connor stated in a dour voice. He wasn't looking forward to enduring such a long drive back to Detroit, but Lucas needed to be under a technician's care. "I suggest you sleep and allow your self healing program to finish repairing your external wounds."

"Are you going to be able to drive?" Even with his scanner currently offline Lucas could still gauge his brother's vital signs fairly well. "You are quite exhausted and I know you didn't sleep much after you left me alone to rest."

"It's fine, Lucas. I won't be able to sleep until I know you're safe at home, anyway."

A dark blue car pulled up on the street in front of the two brothers and came to a gentle stop. Evelyn stepped out of the car and walked around the other side of the car to open up the passenger side door and help Connor put Lucas down in the seat gently. "Captain Warren says you need to not get sick," she mentioned to Connor in a jovial tone. "and she said that we're going to close this deviant case before we do anything else."

"That won't be a problem." Connor answered as he helped Lucas to fasten his seatbelt before he closed the door with a quiet slam. "Thank you for doing this, Evelyn. I really appreciate all your help."

"That's what partners, and friends, do for each." Smiling kindly she gave Connor an amused pat on the left arm and watched as he walked in front of the car to get to the driver's side door. "You take care of your brother and get your butt back here, you amazing binary miracle." Teasing the 'twins' as she watched them through Lucas's side window Evelyn was relieved to see that the deviant was much stronger than he had been when she initially left. "I want to know more about what it's like to live as a deviant, so don't keep me waiting."

Connor felt himself blush a little as he sat down and adjusted the mirrors of the car for his eye level. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Evelyn. Thanks again for all your help."

Appreciative of her assistance Lucas thanked Evelyn as well with a silent nod of his head as the car pulled away and headed out toward the expressway to head back East and back to Detroit. Unable to run a scan all Lucas could do was use his own keen eyes to study his brother's demeanor as Connor focused on the road ahead of him. "...She likes you."

"Huh?" Connor's brow furrowed a little as he concentrated on the road. "Well, she's my partner and my friend. I'd assume she'd like me."

"No, I mean she likes you on a more... romantic level."

"Lucas, don't say things like that." Blushing a deeper shade of pink Connor tried to ignore the comment. "She's my partner."

"I'm not implying anything if that's what you're worried about. I'm merely making an observation."

"Even if she and I weren't partners it wouldn't work like that. She and I have complicated pasts that prevent a peaceful future."

"How so?"

"Aside my life as an abused child, then a cold android, emotionally lost deviant and now as a human who's still grasping what it means to be human?" Connor responded with a thick sarcasm as he peered up at the building dark rain clouds threatening to drown the city again. The chilly autumn air was turn wintry at a rapid pace. "I'm not looking for that kind of relationship. It's... It just doesn't feel right."

"...It's okay to love someone after Skye." The empathetic deviant remarked in a low voice. "It's not a betrayal to her or her memory."

"It's not that simple."

"I'm aware. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive topic."

"It's okay, Lucas. It's not like I can deny that I see Evelyn as someone... special."

"Special how?"

"It's like she's an old friend. And I can't explain it." Exiting the city and reaching the expressway Connor pulled onto I-94 and began the long journey back to Detroit. The storm clouds continued to build and darken at an alarming pace. "I still suggest you get some rest. I don't want you to make yourself worse before I can get you to New Jericho Tower for treatment."

"No, just take me back to my house. I want to be with Chloe."

"What about your injuries?"

"I'm stable and healing well thanks to you. I don't need to a technician's care anymore, I just want to be with Chloe."

"...Okay. It's your decision."

"Thank you for respecting that, brother." Lucas settled down in the passenger seat and closed his green eyes to enter rest mode. "I want to be with the deviant I love."

"...Yeah. I understand that feeling."

* * *

Word from the rescued deviants still in Chicago had reached Detroit, and with the news came the knowledge of workers at the shipping yard working with 'Chance' to abduct and send unwilling combatants to the arena. The deviants told their horror stories and the news readily shared them with the world. Infamy and disgrace fell upon the demented patrons of the arena, and as a form of reparation they donated a generous portion of their fortune to New Jericho Tower and to deviant charities across the country in general.

"At least something good came from this mess." North sighed as she cybernetically turned off the television and laid back in the bed beside Markus.

"You were right. Things will work out for us." Rubbing his right hand along her bare back Markus did his best to feel more at ease with himself, and less stressed now that he knew their missing people had been found and the guilty people were being charged with their crimes. "We don't have to worry about everything or rely entirely on Connor with legalities to handle things."

"See? We'll be alright." Curling up on her right side in the bed North cuddled up against Markus's chest as he pulled her close, and rested his left palm over her lower abdomen. Just as she had gotten the upgrades for her systems Markus had done the same and were ready to try for a family. "We're free, we're alive and the world sees us as living free people."

"Progress has been slow, but it's moving forward. WE'RE moving forward."

"Do you think we'd still be walking down this path together if everything that happened in the past never happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking about the night of the Revolution. We had to make so many tough choices in order to succeed, and any one of them could've led us down a path to destruction." Listening to the sound of Markus's heart beating in his chest North settled down further and felt entirely at ease. "And now, after the Revolution in this constantly changing world, we're still making tough decisions. Do you think if we made different choices then we'd still be here now?"

"Are you talking about founding New Jericho Tower?"

"Yeah. And bringing Connor in as an ally and keeping him as an ally after he returned to humanity, giving Lucas a chance to be one of us instead of locking him away and deactivating him, you confronting Damien and banning Eddie... So many huge decisions were made and I know what we did was right, but I can't help but wonder how much different our lives could be if we made different choices."

"I do that, too. I know I was dreaming about having a family long before the Revolution, and it never changed." Smirking at the memory and of how much of a father Carl had been to him Markus knew his dreams would be a reality some day. "I'm honestly a little surprised you're willing to do this with me."

"...I am, too. I guess after associating with Connor after he returned to being a human and still saw him as the same person; and how he still treats us like equals and allies and how he even still considers himself to be a deviant, made me realize that not all humans are horrible. And after enduring what we did with Damien, Eddie and George I had to accept the fact that not all deviants are wonderful."

"This is still a huge step you're willing to take. After everything you went through at the 'Eden Club' I wouldn't fault you for wanting to change your mind."

"No, Markus. I won't let those terrible people continue to have such a terrible affect on me and the way I view my body. I want to do this and I want to prove there's more to me than just being a leader of our people or a disposable sex object. I am alive and I appreciate life." Putting her hand over top Markus's hand against her lower belly she gave him a smile and kissed his lips. "ALL life."

* * *

The cold dark night was accompanied by a chilly rain that threatened to drown the city under an icy deluge of pure nature. Connor sat in the rental car behind the steering wheel as he peered up at the front door to Lucas's house and could see Chloe nervously pacing about in the livingroom through the large front windows facing the street. With a gentle shake of the shoulder Connor roused his sleeping younger brother from his his much needed slumber, and addressed him in a neutral voice.

"Lucas, you're home."

The deviant's green eyes opened slowly as he exited stasis mode and looked over at his brother. "...Home?"

"Chloe's waiting for you."

Lucas smiled as he thought about his beloved and struggled to unfasten his seatbelt. The debilitating injuries he sustained had temporarily stunted his coordination making the simple effort surprisingly difficult.

"Here." Connor reached over and unfastened the belt before he did the same for himself. Pushing open his door he walked around to Lucas's side of the car and opened the passenger door for his wounded brother. "Come on, she's waiting for you."

Allowing Connor to help him out of the car and onto his feet Lucas leaned heavily against his brother's left shoulder as they walked up the front path to the front door together. Before either of them could turn the knob on the front door the door was pulled open from the other side and Chloe stared at the two brothers with her blue eyes wide with fear, and her L.E.D. cycling a rapid red hue.

"Chloe, I'm sorry I couldn't-" Lucas was cut off as Chloe wrapped her arms around Lucas in a tight hug and buried her face in his chest. As she began to weep tears of joy Lucas reciprocated the hug and held her as tightly as he could without stumbling on his feet. "...I'm back! It's okay, I'm here."

Connor patted Lucas's left shoulder and encouraged him to go inside the house to be with Chloe. In doing so he noticed Elijah was inside the livingroom watching the scene unfold from the couch with Ash napping on his lap. "...Kamski."

"Connor. I see you found Lucas."

"...Yeah." Making sure Lucas was able to walk inside as easily as possible Connor helped to guide his wounded little brother into the master bedroom at the top of the stairs as Chloe held onto him with all her strength. "Lay down and rest, Lucas. Don't worry about anything, okay?"

"What about Hank?"

"I-" Connor stopped short as he chose to not be confrontational with his little brother while Lucas was still healing. "I'll go and see him before I go. I'll try to talk to him before I leave the city."

"...Thank you."

"Stay here and relax until your system's fully reboot and you can cybernetically communicate again."

"I will do, so. I promise."

Connor nodded and then looked to Chloe as she sat down on the edge of the bed and gently combed her right fingers through Lucas's dark locks of hair in an affectionate manner. "Chloe, take care of him for me."

"I will Connor." Without looking away from Lucas's face Chloe's red L.E.D. turned back to yellow and she let her tears of relief roll down her face. "Thank you for bringing him home."

"...Of course. Lucas, I..." Unsure of what to say Connor just sighed and patted his brother's right shoulder. "I will see you when I can. Rest well."

Returning to the first floor of the house Connor met Elijah by the front door and addressed the eccentric, reclusive billionaire in a low voice as he stood beside the door with Ash still napping in his arms. "It was good that you stayed with Chloe. Lucas was worried about her. Thank you."

"And she was worried about him." Rubbing Ash's chin gently Elijah gave Connor a somewhat stern glance. "It seems her worries were justified."

"Do you know of the incident in Chicago?"

"Yes, my sources informed me immediately. I'm not at all surprised you were the detective to solve the case."

"That information was never released."

"It doesn't need to be, I know you, and I don't need to be a detective to notice that you're the one who brought back Lucas after a string of missing deviants were found in Chicago. In just four days you managed to turn everything on its head in two different cities."

Crossing his arms over his chest Connor gave Elijah a suspicious stare. "What's been happening since my departure?"

"Aside from Lucas going missing and New Jericho being put on edge, I know that Lieutenant Anderson has fallen into a deep, dark depression and it seems he's entirely alone at the moment."

"I already told Lucas I'd speak with Hank before I left. And as far as anyone knows I'm still in an unknown city. I don't want anyone trying to track me down in Chicago, or try to talk me into returning to Detroit when I no longer wish to be here."

"I understand better than most the need for privacy and isolation, I won't say a word."

"Thank you." Connor's mouth ticked a little as he thought about his friends and needed to know what was happening with them as well. "How is New Jericho fairing in the aftermath of the bust in Chicago?"

"Things are tense but manageable. If anything your absence has proven that you're not the only human who cares about deviants in this city, as your Captain has managed to redirect your deviant cases toward Gavin and Tina. The peace has been maintained."

"...And Gavin. I know he and Abby are expecting their first child together."

"He is doing well. Anxious of course but he's also excited. And I've promised him that as his somewhat older brother, and his unborn child's uncle, that I will be sure that neither he or Abby will have to worry about paying for their child's college, or keeping food on the table. I'm truly grateful to have a family again, and I will make sure my appreciation isn't misdirected."

"...Right. Goodnight, Kamksi."

"Goodnight, Connor. And please," he caused Connor to pause momentarily as he opened the front door to take his leave of the house. "call me 'Elijah'."

"...Maybe some other time."

Taking his leave of the house Connor glanced back at the loving home for only a moment as the cold rain began to fall and soak into his clothing. Pulling up his thin gray suit jacket to protect his throat as much as possible and pulling it around his chest Connor returned to the car quickly. Sitting down behind the steering wheel he turned over the engine to eagerly turn on the heater. Holding his breath Connor pulled away from the house, and drove the two blocks over to his old house where he was going to directly confront Hank.

However the sight of the house told a different story.

"Shit..."

The house was dark and the Oldsmobile wasn't in the driveway. Connor could tell that the house was empty despite it being ten in the evening, and knew exactly where Hank had gone.

"He _is_ drinking again."

Racing down the street back to the heart of the city Connor spotted the distinct Oldsmobile parked on the street across from Jimmy's Bar, and his knuckles turned white as his grip on the steering wheel strengthened to a crushing grip. Parking behind the Oldsmobile with a new mission in mind Connor threw open his door and marched into the bar across the rain soaked street to find Hank and cuss him out.

Pushing open the door to the bar Connor was overwhelmed with the smell of various alcohol, stale food and old leather from the aged booths and seats that furnished the bar. Spotting the senior detective hunched over the bar with a glass of whiskey in his left hand Connor saw that Hank's face was drawn and pale from neglecting his health, and that his hair was getting greasy from his rapidly slipping hygiene.

Hank downed his whiskey in a single gulp and slapped a twenty dollar bill on the bar as he barked out to Jimmy. "Another."

"No." Connor slammed a fifty dollar bill down beside the twenty and grabbed onto Hank's left arm to haul him off the stool away from the bar. "He's had more than enough."

"Fuckin'... Connor?" Hank's eyes were bloodshot and alcohol poured out of his breath as he slurred in confusion. "Connor... where'd you come from?"

"It doesn't matter. You're leaving this place, _now_."

"Get the fuck outta' here!"

"Not this time." Pushing Hank toward the door of the bar Connor turned to look at Jimmy over his right shoulder and gave him a stern glare. "Don't serve him ever again. He's cut off, permanently."

"Let go of me!" Hank drunkenly protested as Connor pushed him toward the two cars parked along the street. "Back off!"

"No. I made that choice already and now I can see the outcome."

"Leave me alone!" Pulling his arm from Connor's grip Hank stumbled a little and kept protesting Connor's intervention. "You were right to take off and leave me behind."

"Shut up." Connor angrily snapped as he grabbed back onto the drunken detective's arm and led Hank over to his rental car, only to stop short as Hank stumbled again on his feet. Recognizing the signs of sickness Connor quickly pushed Hank toward a nearby alley and grabbed onto the collar of his dark coat as Hank doubled over and violently threw-up all over the ground. "Damn it, Hank. I've been gone for only a few days and you're doing this to yourself."

Hank retched painfully and coughed up as much of the alcohol as possible from his stomach in a graceless manner. "Fu-" He threw-up again and leaned his right arm against the wall as he tried to keep his balance. "Fuck off..."

The cold rain made Connor shiver but Hank was too distracted by being sick to even pay attention to the relentlessly chilly weather that was wearing them both down.

"I'm out of here as soon as I drop you off at the house." Connor snapped as he waited for Hank to finish being sick. "You're going to dry out and sober up before you kill yourself."

"...I deserve to rot and die in the gutter." Spitting the lingering foul taste from his mouth Hank just continued to lean against his right arm against the brick wall of the alleyway. "...Just go."

Connor could see that Hank was genuinely hurting and despite his lingering anger toward Hank for breaking his word not once, but twice, Connor couldn't just leave him behind in the rain slicked alley as a drunken mess. "Come on."

With a firm yank of Hank's left arm Connor pulled Hank out of the alley and over to the rental car. Opening the passenger door Connor pushed Hank down inside and slammed the door in his face. As soon as he was around the other side of the car and behind the steering wheel Connor pulled away from the street and turned around to head back to the house.

"You need to stop drinking, NOW." Speaking to Hank with a righteously angry tone Connor made sure Hank knew he really screwed up. "You are going to kill yourself if you keep this up."

"What does it matter?" Letting his head loll back and forth awkwardly against the headrest behind him Hank spoke in a hoarse slur. "I'm a total fuck-up who lost his family, his respect and a damn reason to keep living."

"Hank, you're not a fuck-up."

"I hit you, Connor. _I hit my own son_! That's the worst thing I've ever done, and I swore I'd never hurt you..."

Connor refused to let his own grief show on his face as he drove through the rain and back to the house. Unwilling to comment on the situation Connor stayed quiet and listened to the sound of the rain pelting the car, the windshield wipers rhythmically moving back and forth over the windshield, and listened to the sound of Hank's deep breathing due to his inebriated state.

"...I'm so sorry, Connor." Breaking the silence Hank sincerely apologized to his son in a low tone. "There's nothing I can do to take back what I had done, and... And you and Lucas deserve to have someone who can... actually look after you." Fighting back his tears Hank continued to speak from his broken heart to his son. "I'm a shitty father and a failure. ...Maybe Cole really is better off without me."

"NO." Connor replied tersely as he focused on the rain slicked road ahead of him. "That's not true!"

"Sure it is. I lost Barbara because I couldn't... protect her. And then Cole-"

"Knock it off!" Shouting bitterly Connor tried to silence Hank as he turned the next block toward the house. "That wasn't your fault." Remembering how he made a cruel comment about Barbara during his final confrontation with Hank a few days ago Connor felt horribly guilty for saying such a needlessly mean thing about an innocent woman. "...And I shouldn't have said what I did. For that, I'm truly sorry. I crossed the line."

"Connor, the night me and Gavin were in that car accident..." Hank lamented as he fell against the passenger side door and pressed his hot face against the cool glass surface of the window beside him. "...do you know why I called you first?"

"...No. I don't know why you called me first."

"I didn't... I didn't want you to see me in the hospital. If... I was dying I wanted you to be there with me in my final moments. No one... No one should have to watch a loved one die in a h-hospital bed. But that didn't much good. Your mother-"

"Stop talking. Please."

"And... There was another reason." Hank slurred in a grumbling voice. "Be-Because I knew you'd go on a rampage to find those assholes if you knew they put me in the hospital. You have a hot temper and so do I. The only difference is you know how to control yourself and only hit people who really... really deserve it. Like child abusers and menacing... suspects."

"...I shouldn't have hit _anyone_. It was a mistake and I still feel guilty about striking a complete stranger."

"No, some people need to be kicked in the ass. I'm one of them."

"I'm not going to hit you, Hank."

"...Maybe Lucas will."

"No. He won't do it, either."

"..._Someone_ should hit me."

"Did you even know that Lucas had been abducted and assaulted?"

"I knew he was... taken. Is... Is he alright?"

"He is now. I managed to save him and get him back to his house to heal after being assaulted."

"That's... That's why I need to be punished." On the verge of breaking down entirely Hank all but shouted in frustration. "I AM a failure as a father."

"You're _not_ a failure. And it looks like you've been beating yourself up just fine without needing anyone's help."

"I deserve it."

"You deserve to live a life without addiction or a haunting past, Hank."

"A little late for that."

"It's never too late to sober up, and STAY sober, and we can move on from our pasts. That's what I'm trying to do right now."

"...Stay sober. Sure, no problem." Hank was evidently still intoxicated and struggling to stay awake. "...Connor?"

Reaching the final block of his destination Connor gave Hank an odd glance from the corner of his eye. "Yes?"

"...I know I can't fix this mistake, but do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me? ...Not that I deserve it."

Connor felt his mouth twitch a little as he didn't reply to the painful question. He didn't know what to say or how he'd even say it.

"Yeah... I wouldn't do it either."

"We're at the house." Connor muttered as he pulled the car in the driveway beside the house and put the vehicle in park. Turning off the engine Connor listened to the cold rain pelting the hood and windshield of the car for moment before he opened the door and motioned for Hank to do the same. "Go inside and sleep it off."

With a shaking uncoordinated right hand Hank managed to open up his door and stumble out of the car. He never bothered with the seatbelt which allowed him his freedom, only to have his left shoulder grabbed by Connor to keep him from wandering off into the street, or passing out on the front lawn. The cold drops of rain soaked into his gray locks of hair and would've chilled him to the bone if he wasn't already numb from the booze.

Reiterating his previous comment Connor directed Hank to the front door. "Inside."

Hank clumsily walked up to the front door under Connor's guidance as the younger detective pressed against his left shoulder, and was directed through the front door, into the livingroom and over to the couch to lay down. As soon as the two detectives were inside the house Ruby came running down from the second floor and nosed at Connor's left hand expectantly as she wagged her tail quickly.

"No, girl. Down." Connor pushed the hound aside as he helped Hank to lay down on his right side over the couch and watched as Hank quickly passed out and fell asleep. Instinctively he rolled Hank into the recovery position in case he became sick again, and would ensure that the drunken detective wouldn't choke or stop breathing in his sleep if he became ill again. "I'm not staying long."

Pulling his right hand from Hank's shoulder Connor's soulful brown eyes were drawn to the dirty gauze bandages wrapped around Hank's right hand, and the sight of the injury made him wince. Recognizing the expertly handled bandages as Lucas's handiwork Connor easily deduced that the injury occurred during one of Hank's drunken nights, and had likely been the inspiration to provoke Lucas into trying to locate Connor.

"Damn it, Hank." Picking up the right hand he eyed the dirty bandages with righteous disgust. "You can just destroy your body like this."

"...Connor?" Hank let out a snort of a breath as he lost all remaining glimmers of consciousness and slurred with total inebriation. "...I love you, son."

"I'm sorry, Hank." Connor felt himself tense at the words as his own guilt for being so cold and distant toward Hank was beginning to gnaw away at his heart with every beat he felt. "...Somehow I don't think I'm your son anymore. I... I destroyed that relationship when I provoked you. I'm so sorry for what I have done to you, Hank. To our family."

Ruby whimpered and pressed her nose to Connor's left hand again as she sensed her master's distress and wanted to offer some form of comfort.

"...I know. I missed you, too." Finally giving the hound some attention Connor crouched down and rubbed her ears gently as he wiped away a rogue tear with his thumb without removing his glasses. "Stay here and watch over him. Hank shouldn't be left alone, but I have to go. I don't... belong here. Not anymore."

Hank was beginning to snore softly and Connor knew there was nothing more that could be said that night to the drunken and self destructive detective.

"Maybe we'll see each other again someday, Hank." Standing up straight he gave his former adoptive father mournful glance over his right shoulder as he walked slowly toward the front door. "Until that day comes get yourself together and sober up. Then maybe we'll be able to talk as at least friends again."

* * *

Even as the cold weather swarmed the area Chicago was still on edge due to the discovery of the illegal underground fight arena, and 'Chance' was still on the run. While Evelyn worked to locate the dangerous suspect at the precinct while Connor took care of Lucas numerous tips and reported sightings flooded the bullpen at all hours of the day, and well into the night. It was exhausting to work alone but as Evelyn and Connor were currently the only detectives to have any form of experience with deviants she had no choice but to work solo until Connor returned to the city.

"Twenty-six deviants were victimized altogether." Evelyn determined as she went over the case that she and Connor had worked on together. "Twenty-three died from their injuries; and we've included the deviant known as 'Gunner' has been included considering his behavior was indicative of a deviant who had their programming altered against their will."

"What of the survivors?" Captain Warren inquired as she spoke with the rookie detective in her private office. They were both working late and needed to speak to one another to remain alert. "There were three, yes?"

"Yes. The three were taken back to Detroit by the same anonymous contact who informed Connor of the arena's location and very existence."

"Anonymous?"

"Yes, I never met them. I don't even know how Connor got the tip, you'll need to get his side of the report."

"Damn it. When will Connor be back?"

"I'm certain he'll be back tonight. His brother was feeling well enough to go back home, but Connor drove him just in case."

"He better get back here soon. We need him to keep the lead on this case as fresh as possible."

"Don't worry, ma'am." Showing Captain Warren her phone where she had been sending updates to Connor throughout the day Evelyn vouched for her partner's skills and dedication as a detective. "Connor will be back and he'll find Dustin 'Chance' Gould before that asshole gets away."

* * *

Utterly exhausted Connor reached Chicago just before three in the morning. He wanted to return the rental car before he reported to the precinct but he needed to wait four hours before the rental facility would be open and ready for business. Opting instead to wait outside the rental facility until it opened for the day Connor stifled his yawn behind his right hand and eyed the nearby coffee shop. Not usually one to drink anything caffeinated Connor knew he'd need the boost and chose to get something to help tide him over until he had the chance to rest properly with a good night's sleep.

Reluctantly he stepped out of the warm vehicle and jogged through the painfully cold rain to get to the coffee shop, and was grateful that the young barista didn't give him an odd look for ordering coffee at such an odd hour, and as such he tipped her well. Sipping at the small French vanilla flavored cappuccino as he walked back to the car in the cold rain Connor caught sight of a shadowed figure watching from the nearby alley.

Remaining composed Connor opened the car's driver's side door, sat down inside behind the wheel and watched the figure warily. "Friend or foe?"

The figure seemed to hear Connor as they casually approached the car and stood beside the passenger side door. Connor stared up at their shadowed face and partially recognized them as the enigmatic contact who had helped him locate the arena. With a simple press of a button Connor unlocked the door and allowed the figure to sit down inside the warm dry car beside him.

"...My brother is recovering well." Connor stated flatly as he finished off his small drink and put the empty cup down in the cup holder beside him. The warmth made him feel better and he could already feel himself getting more alert thanks to the caffeine. "How are the other two deviants fairing?"

"They survived the journey and are resting in a secretive refugee camp two miles outside of Detroit's city limits."

"That's good. My partner has been sending me texts regarding the progress of the case." Checking his phone Connor noted that his last message was received and read at 2:47am, which meant Evelyn was still awake as well. "I know Gunner was destroyed due to his violent nature, and that 'Chance' has gone missing."

"Not for long." Holding up his right hand for Connor to see the figure removed his black glove and showed the young detective an image of 'Chance', a older man with a bald head, a short scraggly gray goatee and a large black inked cobra tattoo snaking up the length of his left arm was standing at a train stop a few blocks away. Sporting a grin that had a single missing left canine tooth and soulless gray tinted eyes the man showed no shame or remorse for the crimes and cruelty he had committed just for money. "Bring him down and the deviants he shutdown will be able to rest in peace."

"...Is this a live feed?"

"Yes. Three blocks South from here. The next train departs in six minutes and fourteen seconds."

"Shit." Using his radio Connor reported the sighting of the fleeing suspect and made his next move as he tucked the radio into his gray suit jacket's pocket. "It'll be easier to get there on foot!"

The figure watched as Connor threw open his door and began running down sidewalk in the middle of the rainy cold dark night toward the train station as fast as he could. Keeping his pace rapid but smooth Connor eyed the blue neon illuminated rails of the train tracks above him and mentally timed the next departure with the intention of stopping 'Chance' before he had the opportunity to get on the train and disappear from sight.

Getting soaked through by the cold rain Connor paused at the base of the steps leading up to the loading platform, and ran his left hand through his drenched locks of dark hair. Trying to remain somewhat discreet Connor walked up the staircase to the platform and spotted 'Chance' sitting on a bench with four other commuters as they waited for the next train to arrive.

Approaching the bench Connor stared down 'Chance' and stood before him. "Dustin 'Chance' Gould." He stated in a firm voice that made the older man jump where he sat. Flashing Chance his new badge Connor's soulful brown eyes narrowed at the vile man sitting before him. "Chicago Police. You're under arrest."

Expectedly Chance's face paled a few shades before he stood up slowly. Raising his hands as if to surrender Chance stood his ground and watched as the train began to approach the loading station.

"Don't move." Connor ordered as he pulled his cuffs from the back of his belt and made a move to secure Chance's wrists. The other people waiting for the train wisely backed away and gave Connor plenty of room to arrest the man. "You have the right to-"

Chance suddenly took off and shoved his right shoulder into Connor's chest in an attempt to knock the young detective onto the tracks as the train approached, but Connor was able to shift his weight quickly and regain his balance on the slick platform before he fell onto the tracks. Responding quickly Connor briefly put his right hand to the center of his chest where he had been struck, and wheezed only once as the impact disturbed the healing bruise he had received four days prior from being shot with a Kevlar vest protecting his chest.

"Fuckin, pig!"

Determined to catch the coldblooded criminal Connor began pursuit of the fleeing suspect as Chance dared to run down the train tracks behind the train, desperate to elude to the young detective and disappear once again.

"STOP." Connor shouted as he also ran onto the slick train tracks as he sprinted after Chance, sidestepping the train as he began his pursuit. "Stop now!"

The rain was making the tracks incredibly slippery and one false step could prove fatal to either man during the chase if they fell from the twenty foot height onto the unforgiving street below. It was a chase that was eerily reminiscent of the time Connor chased after a crazed deviant on the train tracks in Detroit when his acrophobia suddenly reared its ugly head.

Connor's youth and athletic build gave him a massive advantage over Chance as the older, out of shape suspect quickly lost his speed even with adrenaline still coursing through his veins. Catching up to Chance with minor difficulty Connor grabbed onto Chance's left shoulder and jerked back to stop him. Connor turned him around and grabbed onto Chance's over his chest shirt to hold him still as he was forced to face Connor directly.

"Please!" Chance begged pathetically as he gasped for his breath and tried to pull his shirt collar from Connor's grip. Pushing Chance backward toward the edge of the track Connor's soulful brown eyes were burning with utter rage at the deplorable man under his palm. "Let me go! I can't go to-"

"Shut up! You're under arrest."

"They were just machines!" He shouted through the rain and he struggled and failed to break free. "Why do you care?!"

"They. Are._ Alive_." Connor replied in a unflinching build as he pulled Chance up by his collar then threw him backward from the tracks and into a nearby opened dumpster just below the tracks. Chance screamed loudly as he fell from the tracks and landed harshly on his back into a bin full of nasty wet garbage that was just thick enough to cushion his fall. "You don't appreciate life. You shouldn't be allowed to live."

Jumping down from the tracks, his usual fear of heights curiously absent, Connor landed on the closed lid of a second dumpster and peered down at Chance as he laid on his back in total shock as he tried to get up from the disgusting garbage where he quite befittingly belonged.

Using his radio that had been tucked into his suit jacket pocket Connor reported his current location, and successful apprehension of Chance. Standing over the pathetic man Connor looked down at chance whimpering in the cold, wet garbage as he tried and failed to get himself up and out of the dumpster.

"Don't move." Warning Chance to not do anything foolish Connor's right hand hovered over his back where his gun was still holstered under his jacket. "Next time I'll throw you from a bridge and into oncoming traffic you piece of shit."

"Wh-Why do you care?" Staring up at Connor with his both of his hands in the air to surrender Chance tried to comprehend why Connor gave a damn about the deviants he killed. "Androids aren't real people!"

"I care because I know they_ are_ alive and you're a murderer. You almost killed my brother you sick fuck."

"Your... brother?!"

"'The Hunter'." Connor answered in an aggressive tone. "You mistook him for me, the_ real_ 'Deviant Hunter'. And by all account you're the most devious waste of life I've ever met." Crouching down closer to Chance's face Connor removed his glasses to ensure Chance could get a clear view of his face. "I guess I lived up to my reputation."

As bright red and blue flashing lights illuminated the dark streets Connor waved over the responding squad cars and stood upright on the dumpster so they could see where he was standing. Two cars came to a stop and three officers stepped out of the vehicles to approach the dumpster cautiously with their weapons drawn, and pointed at the ground. Additional police drones encircled the alley and lit up Connor's face in a mask of interchanging red and blue lights.

"Captain Warren." Connor recognized his commanding officer and addressed her as he jumped down from the second dumpster and onto the alley to speak to her directly. Replacing his glasses over his eyes Connor gave her an update on the scene at hand. "Chance attempted to flee by train, but an anonymous tipster informed me of his location."

"Good work, Sergeant. You caught a dangerous man." Holstering her own weapon Captain Warren approached her new detective and eyed him curiously. Being discreet she placed her left palm on Connor's forehead just under the younger man's rogue lock of hair that always hung down over his left eye. "It seems like you caught your brother's cold, too."

Connor cleared his throat with mild embarrassment as she dropped her hand and gave him a stern glance. "I'll still be able to complete my reports on time, Captain."

"I'm sure you will. After you take two days to rest."

"Captain, I don't-"

"Connor, I raised four boys and I know when their sick but trying to deny it. It's not my first rodeo."

"...I take it my two days off are mandatory and not optional."

"You got it." Pleased with her newest detective's dedication but a little perturbed with his evident stubbornness Captain Warren urged him to take care of himself for the next two days. "Go back to your apartment and get some sleep. You earned it."

Sighing a little Connor relented and nodded to acknowledge his Captain's orders. "Very well. Please inform me if you need any assistance with the interrogation or the-"

"Connor." She interrupted with a maternal tone in her voice. "Go home. Go to bed."

"...Y-Yes, Captain. Goodnight."

Walking away from the alley Connor turned to look at Chance being unceremoniously hoisted out of the dumpster and promptly cuffed by the other two police officers who arrived at the scene. Feeling accomplished in his successful pursuit Connor tightened the black tie around his neck and held his head high as he walked through the rain back to the rental car he needed to return before he'd be able to go back to his apartment and rest properly.

"You're safe now, Lucas." Stifling a weak cough Connor pressed his right hand over his sore chest where he had been forcefully shouldered aside, and where the healing bruise over his chest was beginning to ache all over again. "You don't need to worry about Chance anymore. No one will."

* * *

Resting well in his bed with Chloe cuddled up at his right side Lucas endured Elijah's examination of his numerous healing wounds, and his overall system function. His head still hurt from being struck, but he was no longer bleeding and his left ventilation biocomponent was functioning at ninety percent capacity. While the eccentric engineer used Lucas's own emergency technician's satchel at his disposal and used the audioscope to check on Lucas's healing artificial lung, Lucas gently ran his right fingers through Chloe's blonde hair without disturbing her in the process.

"Your ventilation is clear and I don't hear any faltering with your Thirium pump." Elijah confirmed as he lifted the audioscope from Lucas's still bandaged chest and packed up the satchel. "You're on your way to a full recovery."

"That's good. I don't want to stay in bed all week."

"I'm going to go into the city to run a few errands. If you'd like me to remain for a while longer, I will do so as a favor to Chloe."

"No, I'll be fine. I think it'd be best for Chloe if I stayed with her until she awakens, so I won't be going anywhere that could be physically exerting."

"I do find it fascinating that you are far more cooperative and patient than you brother. I wish I could figure out what was changed between his and your own programming to allow such a drastic shift in personality. It's quite fascinating."

"It's not programming, it's experience." The young deviant stated firmly. "Our personalities are so much more than lines of code."

"Fair enough." Taking his leave of the homestead Elijah left the two deviants alone in their shared bedroom. "I'll be downtown if an emergency arises. I want to get a headstart on spoiling my future niece or nephew, and I would like to assist Gavin with purchasing the necessities."

As Elijah left the house Lucas pulled Chloe in closer to his right side and watched as she responded by wrapping her right arm around his chest, and pressing her left ear down over his Thirium pump to listen to his heartbeat. Letting out a mildly relieved sigh Lucas closed his green eyes only to have his irises snap back open as his cybernetic processor came back online, and he was greeted by dozens of unanswered messages from New Jericho Tower and Chloe after his disappearance.

Closing his eyes again Lucas responded at long last to Markus and explained the entire situation as best as he could. Afterward he tagged on how he had been saved by Connor, and how he was currently safe at home resting and recovering well from his injuries.

'_It's a relief to know you're safe again, Lucas_.' Markus replied quickly and in a level voice through the cybernetic line. '_Are you hurt_?'

'_I'm recovering well_. _There's no need to worry about me_.'

'_Are you sure you don't want Simon to stop by and check on you_?'

'_I assure you I'm perfectly well and stable_. _For now I just want to rest and be with Chloe_. _ I will also go to the precinct and inform them of what had happened and ensure all the victimized deviants get justice_.'

'_You said Connor helped you_.' There was a brief pause before Markus continued. '..._Is he still in Detroit_?'

'_Negative_. _He has departed and requested that I refrain from disclosing his current location_.'

Another pause from Markus's end of the conversation. '..._Is Connor alrigh_t?'

'_Yes_,_ he just wants space_. _And I wish to respect his decision_.'

'_Okay, Lucas_. _Then we'll do the same_.' It wasn't the answer Markus wanted but he wasn't going to press the subject any further. '_As soon as you're free I'd like you to stop by the tower so we can discuss what you've been through_. _Is that acceptable_?'

'_Of course, I'll stop by tomorrow evening_.'

'_Thank you_. _Rest well_.'

'_I will_.' Lucas turned his head so he was facing Chloe as she rested her head just beneath his chin. Feeling safe and secure Lucas couldn't stop thinking about how Connor was so emotionally hurt by the incident with Hank, and how Hank wasn't fairing any better. "...Before I stop by the tower I'm going to see dad. Right now he's more important."

Chloe let out a small sigh as she cuddled in even closer and her yellow L.E.D. finally cycled back to blue.

"...As are you, Chloe." Kissing her blonde hair Lucas closed his eyes and whispered to his beloved and dearest friend. "I love you so much."

* * *

Trying and failing to catch up on her own sleep Evelyn tossed and turned against her cool pillow for the past two hours, barely falling asleep long enough to experience even the most fleeting of dreams, the rookie detective gave up and sat upright in her bed and ended up knocking her old stuffed toy fox off the edge of the bed in the process. Running her right hand through her long blonde hair Evelyn yawned and reached for her phone on the small nightstand beside her bed to check the early morning time.

"Shit. It's only four-thirty and I still have the whole morning to sleep." Laying back against her pillow Evelyn saw some unanswered texts sent to her from both Connor and Captain Warren regarding the successful arrest of Chance, and the deviant case at hand coming to a close. "Damn, Connor. Did you drive back from Detroit and close a case all in one morning?"

Scrolling through the texts Evelyn barely heard the sound of a heavy 'thud' echo down the corridor outside her apartment followed by an equally heavy silence. Reacting on her instincts she rose from her bed and grabbed her gun from the nightstand before she exited her bedroom and opened her own apartment door leading into the dimly lit hallway. Glancing around she didn't see anyone in the immediate area, but did notice that Connor's apartment door was slightly ajar.

"Connor?" Keeping the barrel of her gun low and pointed at the ground Evelyn pressed her back up against the wall beside his door and lightly pushed it open just enough to peer inside the apartment without being spotted. Glancing inside the small apartment Evelyn glanced over the interior quickly and spotted a form laying motionless on the floor. "Connor!"

Rushing into the livingroom where Connor was laying partially on his left side and stomach Evelyn fell to her knees beside him and put her gun aside on the nearby end table. Taking a firm grip on Connor's shoulder Evelyn could feel heat radiating from her friend's rain soaked gray suit jacket,vest and white dress shirt under her palm as she gently turned him from his side and onto his back.

"Connor?"

The young detective's face was pale with a red flush to his cheeks under the dark circles forming under his eyes. The cold rain had soaked through his hair and his clothing, and yet he was still burning hot to the touch as Evelyn slipped her left arm under his shoulders to help him to sit upright on the floor.

"Connor, open your eyes for me." Supporting his weight against her left side as she sat him upright Evelyn removed his crooked glasses from over his eyes and placed her right palm directly over his forehead. "Shit. You're burning up." Unable to get a response from Connor all she could do was pull Connor's right arm around her shoulders and held tightly around his wrist with her right hand. Wrapping her left arm around his waist Evelyn stood upright and hoisted Connor up to his feet while continuing to support him entirely. "Come on, Connor. You need to lay down in your bed and rest."

Barely responsive as he remained oblivious to Evelyn's presence Connor's tired legs moved heavily as Evelyn half carried, half dragged her ill partner down the short hallway and into the bedroom. Sitting Connor down on the edge of the bed gently Evelyn sat beside him and used one hand to peel back Connor's soaked gray jacket and then worked to opened up his gray vest and loosen his tie.

"I can't believe you went running around in the cold rain at like, three in the morning."

Tossing aside the jacket, vest and tie Evelyn worked on unbutton his equally soaked white dress shirt and winced at the sight of the golf ball sized purple bruise near the center of his chest. She was beyond impressed at his overall endurance considering all the physical trauma he had recently endured.

"That's right, you said you took a bullet a few days ago. I'm glad you wore your vest." The gauze wrapped around his right forearm was soaked through as well, and would need to be changed. Picking up the injured limb Evelyn checked the bandages with a gentle touch. "As for your arm that will need a little more attention."

With the rain drenched clothing removed from Connor's upper body Evelyn kept her right hand under Connor's head as she gently guided him back down against the pillow to rest more comfortably. Focusing on Connor's boots Evelyn shook her head at the waterlogged footwear and left them on the floor beside the bed to dry off.

"Did you run around in the rain, or wade through Lake Michigan?"

After peeling off Connor's soaked through socks Evelyn turned her attention his jeans and gave her friend a quiet apology. "Sorry about this, but you can't lay around in wet clothes and expect to get better. Modesty doesn't care about cops or anyone else."

It felt wrong to undress her friend while he was completely unconscious, but her training told her what to do to give Connor the best chance of recovery without having to take him to the hospital for treatment.

"There we go." Leaving Connor alone in just his black boxers for the sake of some semblance of waning modesty Evelyn pulled up the navy quilt over Connor and draped it over his bruised chest. Returning her right hand to his forehead she tried to gauge his fever but needed something more accurate than just her hand. "You better have a thermometer around here, Connor."

Moving quietly Evelyn made her way into the kitchen to grab the spare ice packs that were used when Lucas was overheating just the previous morning and carried them in her arms into the bedroom. Lightly she placed one over Connor's forehead, and then a second one over his chest atop the quilt to try to help numb what was surely a painful bruise, while also helping to reduce the fever with the ice directly touching his raw skin.

Staying quiet she found her way into the bathroom and located a rather well stocked first aid kit in the small storage space beneath the sink. Flipping open the lid of the plastic box she found a pair of latex gloves, numerous bandages, gauze, an emergency suture kit, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, two disposable cooling packs and a brand new digital thermometer.

"Perfect."

Evelyn turned on the device and was met with a high pitched beep that showed her the current room temperature, and would soon show her the severity of her friend's fever. Sitting down on the edge of the bed upon returning to the bedroom Evelyn put her left hand to Connor's right cheek and whispered his name.

"Connor, can you hear me at all?"

The young detective's bloodshot soulful brown eyes partially opened and stared through Evelyn as he let out an inaudible slur of confused words.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Very gently she lowered his bottom jaw and placed the thermometer in his mouth between his teeth. Cupping his chin with her left palm she held his mouth shut long enough for the device to 'beep' again indicating that it had a new reading. Pulling thermometer back out of his mouth she read the high number and promptly put her right hand over the ice pack on Connor's forehead.

"One-hundred and two point eight. Any higher and I'm going to call 911 to take you to the hospital."

Connor let out another incoherent reply that Evelyn couldn't understand as his blurry eyes closed and he sank back heavily against his pillow.

"I'm willing to bet that you didn't bother to stock of up on medicine when you moved in." Patting Connor's uninjured left forearm twice through the quilt Evelyn for up from the bed and gave him a playful sigh. "It's a good thing there's a drugstore nearby. I'll be right back."

Unaware of what was happening around him Connor fell into a deep sleep without any worry to weigh down his mind. The arrest was a success, Lucas was safe in his home and he had pulled Hank's drunken form out of a bar to sober up. Everything was seemingly okay.

* * *

Unsure of what to expect after everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours Lucas went back to the house to check on Hank, and he went alone. He didn't want Chloe to see Hank as the broken depressed drunk he had become, and he didn't want Hank to accidentally project his anger onto Chloe. Opening the front door of the house without knocking Lucas peered inside the livingroom, and saw that Hank's shoes were kicked off on the floor by the couch and his coat was draped over the back of the furniture as if forgotten.

There was a strange rattling sound coming from the kitchen that drew the deviant's attention to the adjoined room curiously as he stepped through the front door and closed it behind himself. "Hank?"

"...In here." Hank sounded absolutely exhausted and like he was in pain but trying to deny it.

From the distance Lucas spotted Hank in the kitchen and leaning heavily over the sink. Ruby heard the voice of her favorite deviant and came downstairs to greet him with a wag of her tail and by pressing her nose into his right palm. Scratching Ruby's ears affectionately Lucas walked very softly into the kitchen and was met with Hank's back to him as the senior detective hunched over the sink, seemingly busy on a project.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Lucas timidly stood a few feet behind Hank and watched as he continued to hover over the sink with purpose.

"...I'm doing something that I should've done days ago." Placing an emptied vodka bottle down on the counter beside the sink Hank took a step back and showed Lucas the other vodka and whiskey bottles turned over and pouring the contents down the drain. "It's a waste of good money, but if it'll bring my son back home then it's worth it."

Unsure of how Hank pouring out his alcohol was going to bring Connor home Lucas looked to Hank for more answers. "...I don't understand."

Sighing a little Hank pressed his right hand to his aching head and gave Lucas a teary eyed stare over his shoulder. Holding back his wince at seeing Lucas's bruised face Hank confirmed he was taking steps to atone for his previous mistakes. "Last night Connor showed up and dragged my drunken ass out of that bar and brought me here. I can't really remember what we talked about, but I do remember him saying that once I got sobered back up that he'd be willing to talk to me again. So... Yeah. I'm going through the joys of a hangover while cleaning up one of the biggest messes of my life at the same time."

A faint smirk appeared on Lucas's face as he watched Hank fighting to get cleaned up again for Connor's sake. "I'm sure he'll be proud to know you're doing this and working to take care of himself."

"I doubt it. I know he's disappointed and disgusted, not that I blame him, but I'm willing to hang onto hope." Turning around Hank faced Lucas directly and put his uninjured left hand on the right deviant's shoulder before pulling him in for a full hug. "...I'm so sorry, son."

"Sorry?" Lucas wrapped his arms around Hank and patted his left shoulder in a comforting manner as he reciprocated the hug. "For what?"

"...You were taken and I had no idea you were even missing until Markus told me. As your father that's inexcusable."

"To be fair, I had made a reckless decision. As someone who is training to become a first responder I find my own actions inexcusable."

"...Connor said... I_ think_ he said he brought you back to Detroit last night." Hank was still trying to piece together the memories of his drunken night, and trying to figure out what to do next. "Do you know where you had been taken?"

Wanting to keep his promise and not reveal Connor's location Lucas thought of a convincing answer that was honest, and that wouldn't betray the secret in the process. "I was taken to another city, and I had never been there before."

"How did Connor find you?"

"I don't know their name but someone had found out where I had been taken and told Connor where to go."

"Are ya' hurt?"

"What damage I had sustained has already healed. It's not anything you need to worry about."

"You're my son, and even though I keep fucking up as a father I will always worry about you boys." Finally letting go of the hug Hank stood back but kept his hand on Lucas's shoulder. "I'm so sorry that happened. I should've been able to protect you."

"It's okay, dad. It's over."

Hank smirked a little when Lucas called him 'dad'. It did his old drunken heart good to hear that term again. "...It's not over just yet. We still need to get Connor back to Detroit and mend the rift in this weird-ass family."

"...What if he doesn't want to come back?"

"Then I'll sit here and dry out until I can find a way to talk to him again one way or another. I won't stop trying to reach him no matter how far away he tries to push me."

"And I'll wait right alongside you." Lucas promised as he studied Hank's pained blue eyes closely. There was nothing but sincerity behind every one of Hank's words and it made Lucas proud to have Hank as his father. "That's what family does."

* * *

The cool evening crept over Chicago and Connor's head was aching, and his mouth felt dry as he senses came back to him. Waking up slowly his blurry vision cleared gradually as he glanced around the bedroom of his apartment and tried to figure out how he got into his bed, and removed his wet clothing. Feeling the small ice pack melting over his forehead he looked up and removed the item as he propped himself upright on his elbows and struggled to remember what had happened, only to find himself staring at the brown button eyes of a stuffed toy fox sitting on the nightstand beside his bed.

"...I don't understand. How did I get in here?" Not seeing his wet clothes anywhere Connor confusedly looked back at the somewhat familiar toy beside him and arched a brow in utter confusion. "..._You_ didn't do anything to me while I was asleep, did you?"

"I hope not." Evelyn's voice called out as she walked into the bedroom with a mug of warm tea in her right hand. "Seems like your fever's breaking." Sitting down on the edge of the bed she handed the mug over to Connor's left shaking hand and pressed her cool left palm to his forehead again. "Much better."

"Evelyn. ...You've been taking care of me?"

"Of course. You're my friend."

The honest reply did Connor's heart some good. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome." Withdrawing her hand she gave Connor a mischievous grin and a playful laugh. "Did you know you sing in your sleep?"

Blushing a faint rosy shade Connor cleared his voice and tried to give her a nonchalant gaze. "...Only when I have a high fever. How long was I asleep?"

"About fourteen hours. I think the fever reducing medication I gave you knocked you out and on top of being exhausted from the case you slept like a happy fat house cat."

"I appreciate your help."

"It's not a problem. Besides, anyone who can singlehandedly figure out a strange case like that deserves to have a day to rest."

Connor sipped at the tea, ginger, and nodded at the small toy beside the bed. "Whose your friend?"

"That is 'Buttons'. He has been keeping me company for as long as I can remember." Smirking a little she nodded at the fox and stared at Connor with her peaceful blue eyes. "He's not much of a talker, but he is a great listener."

"Why's he here?"

"I had to go out and buy some medicine to bring down your fever, and I didn't want you to wake up alone. So I figured he was better than nothing."

"I appreciate that." Picking up the toy Connor stared at it and smirked. It had a faded amber orange coloration on its body with a white belly, chin and the tip of its long floppy tail. All four of its paws were brown and its large eyes were two brown wooden buttons. "I don't have any childhood toys of my own. Just that half-dollar coin I keep in my pocket."

"Your coin? Why's that?"

A dullness appeared in Connor's fever bright brown eyes as he spoke about the coin in question. "...My mother gave it to me. It was a gift"

"Your mother has passed away, hasn't she?"

"Yeah." Connor admitted somberly and tiredly as he told her about his recent emotional turmoil. "Just two months ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Her left hand slipped over to his right hand and held tight in a comforting manner. "It hurts so much when someone in the family passes on."

"Yeah. I'm very aware, and I learned it the hardest way possible."

"When I lost my grandparents I was devastated, same with my little sister."

"You lost your whole family." The pain in Evelyn's voice resonated within Connor's empathetic soul. He knew that specific pain very well. "I'm sorry."

"Buttons," she nodded toward her beloved stuffed fox still being held in Connor's left hand. "was given to me by my grandfather when my grandparents won custody over me and my little sister, and took us home at long last away from our abusive mother. Chicago was my own new beginning. Buttons was the only good thing that came from Novi for me, and he's the only family and good memory I have of that city."

As his heart skipped a beat Connor's face paled suddenly as he gave Evelyn a strange look. "...Novi? Novi _Michigan_?"

"Yeah." She was perplexed by his reaction and answered accordingly. The feeling of Connor's hand tightening around her own was a little disconcerting as well, but didn't try to pull her hand free. "...That's where I grew up for about four years."

"Evelyn," handing the toy over to her with a shaking grip Connor sat further upright in the bed and gave his rookie partner a shocked stare. Now he knew why she seemed so familiar to him when he first moved into his apartment, and he now understood why he was able to so easily trust Evelyn not just as his partner at the precinct, but as his friend in general. "I grew up in Novi, too."

_**-next chapter-**_


	75. Admitting Mistakes

In total surprise Connor and Evelyn spoke about their time in foster care in Novi Michigan so many years ago, and were stunned to discover that they had actually known each other as children. They were both so young at the time of their initial meeting that the memories were buried deep, but once they recognized each other the memories came flowing back. As the sick detective continued to rest and overcome his lingering fever Evelyn stayed by him to see her newly discovered childhood friend through his sickness, and ensure he was recovering well.

"I just can't believe it. I remember playing with a little boy with dark hair and brown eyes," Evelyn smiled as she placed another ice pack over Connor's forehead and pulled the navy quilt up higher around his chest. "but I could never remember his name."

"And I remember spending more time with the neighborhood pets than other kids, but there are a few vague memories of spending time with other kids still buried somewhere up there. The little girl named 'Little Lynn' must've been you."

"It's possible. I'm also a natural brunette but I dyed my hair blonde, so that might be throwing you off a little."

"Maybe. How long were in foster care."

"I was about three the first time I ended up in foster care so my memories are really blurry. I remember a few of the volunteers at the foster care facility calling me that. I think they called me 'Lynn' instead of 'Evelyn' in case my crazy mother was lurking around."

"I was there from when I was born until I was four. Then I was... placed back with my abusive biological father."

"I'm sorry. I was five when I was returned to my mother. She had gotten clean after she found she was pregnant with my little sister, but it didn't take long until she slipped and started abusive heroin and pain killers again. And I legally ended up in my grandparents' care."

"At least you had your grandparents to raise you. I'm glad you didn't have to endure the hardship of an abusive childhood for long."

"Yeah, I know I dodged a bullet when my grandparents fought so hard to get custody." Pressing the back of her left hand to Connor's forehead she gauge his fever again. "I swore if I somehow managed to have children of my own that I'd never do anything to harm them, or even give them the idea that I'd ever forget about them."

Despite the lingering fever Connor was still astute and couldn't help but focus on Evelyn's distinct choice of words. "...If you 'somehow managed to have children'? That sounds like a strange view on parenthood."

"Remember how I said I was diagnosed with brain cancer as a child? Well, the treatments saved me, but also left my body permanently altered. I guess it's a fair trade off, but I don't like the doctor's diagnosis telling me to not even try to conceive and to just go for adoption."

"Sounds like your doctor was a crass dick."

Laughing at the comment Evelyn just sighed and held up the thermometer to check Connor's temperature again. "Compared to the lies my mom used to tell me all the time I've come to appreciate blunt honestly."

"I can understand that." Allowing Evelyn to put the thermometer back in his mouth Connor looked up at the kind rookie he had been partnered up with and was truly grateful to have a good friend watching over him. Speaking around the device between his teeth Connor tried to lighten the mood of the heavy conversation a little more. "I'd rather be told a harsh truth than a pretty lie."

"Same." The thermometer 'beeped' and Evelyn took it back to read the numbers. "Ninety-nine point eight. At least you're out of the triple digits."

"I feel fine. A little tired, but otherwise fine."

"Yeah, well after you spent the night burning up you're going to stay here until your temperature is back to normal."

Sitting upright in the bed Connor tried to get up entirely but Evelyn put her left hand to his right shoulder and pushed him back down. "I think I can get up long enough to take a shower, Evelyn."

Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest as she gave him a somewhat annoyed stare. "Alright, just don't fall down. I don't want to have to explain that to 911 operators without laughing."

"I don't want that, either." Leaning forward a little he ran his right rand through his sticky, formerly sweaty hair and let out a tired sigh. "I should be fine for ten minutes or so."

"Okay. Go do that and I'll go call Captain Warren to let her know you're on the mend."

"She said I have two days off, so I wouldn't be too worried about it."

"Good! I have tomorrow off, too. I'll show you the rest of Chicago and celebrate you closing our case."

Rising up from the bed Connor stood on his trembling legs and quickly wrapped the quilt around himself and blushed. He was still just wearing his boxers and didn't want Evelyn to see him like that. "...Uh."

Giggling a little at Connor's reaction Evelyn theatrically put her right hand over her eyes to spare Connor his modesty. "It's okay, Connor. We're both adults, but I'll give you your space."

"...Th-Thank you." Clearing his voice a little Connor held his head high and proceeded to walk into his bathroom. "I, uh, appreciate it."

* * *

Enduring his first day of his new and permanent sobriety Hank was in the livingroom stretched out over the length of the couch nursing his bottle of water to try to ease his horrific hangover and headache. The curtains were drawn tight over the front windows and the volume on the television was practically muted as he endured his own foolishly self inflicted sickness, and only had Ruby to keep him company. Wanting to be alone during his shameful first days of drying up Hank requested that Lucas leave him alone.

The loyal hound was laying on the floor beside the couch and wagging her tail softly as she looked up at Hank with her massive hound eyes.

"...Never drink anything alcoholic, Ruby." Hank slurred in pain as he looked down at the dog beside him. Despite his aggressive outbursts Ruby never shied away from Hank and stayed loyal at his side. "There's a reason humans are the most destructive species on this planet, girl. Creating booze is at the top of the list of how we do it."

Glancing up at the television screen Hank sighed at the news report regarding the missing deviants being found in Chicago and rescued from an illegal underground arena, and just felt sick again. Knowing that Lucas had been taken and abused at the very arena made his view of paternal failures all the more intense as he watched the story unfold.

"...Fuckin' hell. I thought that kind of shit was below the poverty line, yet it was the richest of the rich who were waging the fights." Rolling onto his side so his back was toward the television Hank sighed and muttered under his breath. "You can stuff a wad of garbage in a designer purse and now matter how you try to 'class it up' at the end of the day it's still a fucking piece of garbage in a fucking bag..."

* * *

Feeling much better after enduring his stress induced cold Connor had finished his shower and changed into some clean clothes while Evelyn was making her phone call to Captain Warren in her own apartment. As he walked into the small kitchenette Connor was greeted by an appealing aroma and spotted a small bowl of warm chicken soup on the counter with a small note propped up beside the bowl for him to read.

'_There's a great diner just down the block_. _Homemade chicken noodle soup should help with your cold_.'

Smiling at the note Connor was truly appreciative of his dear friend coming back into his life. "Thanks, Evelyn."

The door to his apartment opened up and Evelyn stepped back inside looking less than thrilled. Seeing Connor holding the bowl of soup Evelyn's worry was replaced with relief in the blink of an eye. "Oh, good. You're eating."

"Yeah, I'm surprisingly hungry. Is something wrong?"

"Maybe. Captain Warren wants to see us at the precinct as soon as you're feeling well enough to go down and talk tomorrow morning."

"...That doesn't sound good."

"I know. I don't think we're in trouble, but I do think we're in for an unwanted change in casework."

"As long as we don't have to locate another illegal underground arena housing deviants I think I'll be fine with that."

"Good to know. So, are you feeling up for a stroll around the city?"

"Sure. Let me eat this soup and you can show me Chicago."

"Fantastic." Pulling a scrunchy from her jean pocket Evelyn pulled her long blonde hair up into a ponytail and flashed Connor a cheesy grin. "Let me be your guide."

* * *

True to his word Lucas arrived at New Jericho Tower as requested to speak to with Markus in person, and allowed Simon to run a basic examination to check him over for any possibly undiagnosed damage to his being. After being cleared by the worried technician Lucas told Markus the whole story and informed him that he had already gone to the precinct to let them know where he was when he was assaulted and abducted, and made sure he gave as many details as he could regarding the strange encounter.

"I'm just glad you're safe now." Markus replied as he and Lucas walked around the perimeter of New Jericho Tower along the sandy shoreline of the harbor. It was a cool autumn day and the view was spectacular as the sun proceeded to set. "Are you alright?"

"...Not really."

Pausing suddenly Markus gave Lucas a worried glance. "Are you still damaged?"

"Not physically." The overly sensitive deviant gave Markus a hurt glance as he spoke. The memory of killing Miles, of putting one of his fellow deviants out of his misery, was haunting. "...While I was being held captive I... I had to... I had to do something terrible to survive." Staring down at his hands Lucas swore he could see the blue blood of Miles staining his palms, and it made his artificial stomach knot up. "I had to... kill one of our own."

"...Lucas." Markus wasn't sure what to say, if anything at all. Standing before the emotional deviant Markus lightly put his right hand to the side of Lucas's left upper arm to try to ease his guilt. "You didn't go there actively looking to harm anyone. You were abducted and forced into that horrible circumstance."

"He wanted me to kill him. He _begged_ me to kill him."

"Don't doubt yourself. If he had endured what you had endured then his desire to self destruct or be forcibly shutdown is understandable. He asked you to end his suffering, and you did. The final moment of his life was an act of mercy and peace."

"I still had to kill him." The guilt was eating away as Lucas's heart. "I was a technician, someone who had sworn to heal the damage our people suffered and stop shutdowns; not inflict them."

"You spared him further pain and you fulfilled his final request." Remaining firm in his stance that Lucas didn't do anything malicious Markus was determined to ease his needless guilt as much as possible. "The person who abducted the deviants and forced them into combat is the one who's at fault. Not you."

"That doesn't make me feel better, but I appreciate your words."

"Lucas, _believe_ my words. They are the truth."

The pained deviant only nodded as he stood before Markus feeling like a total monster as they stood on the sandy shore of the harbor with the sun setting behind them in the distance.

"Lucas. Don't blame yourself. Please."

"...I will try to stop."

Clapping his hand on Lucas's arm once Markus tried to change the subject and help Lucas clear his mind of the darker thoughts. "Do you have any idea when Connor might come back to Detroit?"

"...No." There was a pause before he answered, but he answered honestly all the same. "I think he'll stay away for as long as he can."

"But he's still helping our people?"

"Yes. He is still working as a detective to protect our people, he's just in a new city."

"And he's happy?"

"He seems to be in a good place, yes. I don't know about happy though."

"...I know he's struggled with depression before, and I doubt the passing of his mother and loss of Skye had helped the matter."

"I know he's struggling but I also know he hasn't given up." Lucas was convinced that his big brother was going to be okay, and he didn't want to let a shred of possible doubt taint his faith in Connor's ability to heal. "I believe the change of scenery has been very beneficial."

"I hope he'll come back long enough for mine and North's bonding ceremony." The kindness of Markus's voice spoke volumes of his overall character as a strong leader and devoted friend. Despite the lack of communication he's had with Connor as of late he still considered the young detective one of his closest friends and most trusted allies. "It wouldn't be the same without all of our friends in attendance."

"You're still going to have a simple ceremony, right?"

"Yeah. We were going to go for a more traditional type of wedding, but decided we'd rather go with a short and simple ceremony to avoid any problems."

"I can respect that."

"Once we find an ideal location we can get things settled and finally bond together."

"Location?"

"Some place quiet, scenic and safe. We don't want to have it in the city and draw any unwanted attention, you know?"

A faint grin appeared on Lucas's face as an interesting idea came to mind. "...I think I know the perfect place."

* * *

Walking side by side Connor and Evelyn toured Chicago and steadily made their way downtown to enjoy the scenery as the last days of September turned to October at a surprisingly quick pace. The few trees growing in the parks and along the streets of the city were turning orange and yellow as the green leaves shifted in color, and began to fall from the branches one by one. Seeing the sun setting in the distance gave Connor a sense of peace as the short day came to an end and the duo of friends became reacquainted with one another.

"Chicago gets so damn chilly in the winter time." Evelyn sighed and watched her breath disappeared into a white cloud before her eyes. "It looks pretty, but the cold will eat through your skin and right down to your bones."

"Detroit isn't much warmer. I'm used to the cold, but I still hate it."

"Some day I want to move to Hawaii and live on my own private island."

"Sounds nice." Glancing about the groups of families in the park Connor noticed that many people were already bundled up as if it were snowing and he didn't blame them for their change to warmer attire. "I'm not looking forward to the winter. The cold always makes me feel terrible."

"Same. My grandparents loved it here, so I guess I just got used to the cold, too."

"I... This is the first time I've been anywhere outside of the state of Michigan."

"Really?"

"Yes. I grew up in Novi, spent two years, uh, well I just spent time in Grand Rapids, then resumed living in Detroit."

"You worked as a detective and helped with the deviant Revolution, too?"

"That's all right."

"Aaand... You have to have reconstructive surgery on one of your heart valves?"

"Yes."

"Wow. No wonder Chicago is so confusing for you. This place is actually tame compared to what you been through."

Laughing at the comment Connor realized that being with Evelyn was when he started to feel better. He was smiling again and even laughing. It felt good.

As they walked through the park together Connor noticed that there was a small child, maybe three or four years old, sitting beside a tree and looking panicked. The little boy was wearing a thick winter coat with the hood up over his head, and the hood was undoubtedly making it difficult for him to see and keep track of his family.

"Evelyn." Pointing to the child Connor walked over to the little boy with Evelyn right at his side. Crouching down in front of the child Connor reached for his badge in his back pocket and held it in his right palm. "Hi there."

The little boy looked at Connor and became frightened.

"It's okay. I'm a police officer." Showing the child his badge Connor waited for Evelyn to do the same as she too crouched down beside him. "So is my friend. We can help you."

The little boy began to cry and reached out his arms toward Connor.

Reflexively Connor let the little boy hug him and he hugged the little boy back. "What's your name?"

"...Johnny."

"Johnny. My name is Connor and this is Evelyn."

"I can't find my daddy!"

"Okay, then we'll help you find him." Scooping Johnny up from the ground Connor held the crying little boy in his arms and let Johnny press his teary face into his right shoulder. Instinctively Connor began to rub his hand up and down Johnny's back in a comforting manner as he spoke to the little boy in a calm tone of voice. "Where did you last see your daddy?"

"I don't know..."

"Okay. Uh..."

Evelyn spoke up as she used her right hand to gently comb through Johnny's dark and short hair. "Good thing cops are good at finding people. We'll find your daddy soon, okay?"

"...'Kay."

"Why don't we head back into the park and start from there?" Nodding for Connor to start walking Evelyn kept her eyes peeled for any scared looking parent in the area. "I know he's around here somewhere!"

Connor didn't have much experience with kids but there was something about helping Johnny and being a guardian to the small child that felt so damn natural.

As they returned to the heart of the park in search of Johnny's father Connor stopped short and turned to face a man who bore a striking resemblance to Johnny looking about the park frantically.

"Sir?" Evelyn saw the man too, and called out to him as waved her hand at him with her badge still in her palm. "Can we help you?"

"Johnny!" Seeing Johnny in Connor's arm made the man's shoulders slump with relief as he rushed over to the duo. "There you are!"

"Daddy!" Johnny turned toward his father's voice and stretched out his arms so his dad could take him back from Connor.

"Thank you so much!" The man gushed as he realized that two off duty cops had found his son. "I just turned my back for a second and..."

"It's okay." Connor reassured him in an understanding voice. "We're aware that sometimes all it takes is one second. But your son is safe and that's all that matters."

The ordeal was short and sweet, and it ended in the best possible way. Watching the father hold Johnny in his arms and kissing his cheek Connor couldn't help but feel a little envious knowing that Johnny was going to grow-up with a supportive and loving father, not an abusive alcoholic.

"Are you okay, Connor?"

"Huh?" Turning to look at Evelyn standing beside him Connor gave her an odd glance. "What was that?"

"You've been staring off into space for like five minutes. Is something wrong?"

"I..." Noticing that Johnny and his father were long gone Connor realized he had lost track of time. "I was just thinking about the past."

"You mean your fucked up childhood."

"Yeah. That."

"It's okay, I do that from time to time, too. Those memories seem to sink the deepest into your heart and only surface at the worst moments."

"...I've noticed."

"I swore to myself that if I managed to have kids of my own someday that I'd never raise a hand to them, or even raise my voice. My mom slapped me around and insulted me all the time. It still hurts to this day and I refuse to repeat her mistakes."

"That's good to know. I just decided to skip over children as a means of breaking the possible cycle of abuse from my end."

"That's a shame. You seem like you'd be a great father, and you picked up Johnny as if he were your own. You were very gentle with him and very protective. The ideal traits for a good father."

"Yeah, maybe... I think I like kids, but I don't spend a lot of time around them. I'm not sure."

"As cops not having to spend a lot of time with kids is a good thing."

Laughing again Connor sighed and noticed that the sun had almost set entirely in the horizon. "Yeah, you're right about that, too. We should head back to the apartment before it gets too dark or much colder."

"Sure. I'll take you back to that diner where I got your soup on the way." Turning on her heels Evelyn flashed Connor a bright and amused smile. "I bet you'd love their pasta. Homemade sauce and everything! It reminds me of the recipe you cook the other night."

Blushing faintly at the compliment Connor agreed to the dinner and let Evelyn lead the way. "It's nice to be reminded of the good things from time to time. Not all memories are going to be ugly."

* * *

Forcing himself to clean up his act, both figuratively and literally, Hank walked into the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror for a good while. Seeing his reflection, his gruff facade marred by his ungroomed beard, heavy eyes, oily complexion and messy hair made Hank finally see how far he let himself fall and knew he had a long way to go to get himself back up. As he dragged his right palm over his bearded chin Hank sighed deeply and bowed his head down to look away from his reflection to stare at the white basin of the sink.

"Fuck. I look as shitty as I feel."

Turning on the faucet Hank filled up the drinking glass with water and then pulled open the medicine cabinet to get his toothbrush to start cleaning himself up.

"One thing at a time..." Squeezing some blue tinted mint toothpaste on the dampened bristles Hank prepared to get himself back on track. "I'll stop looking like a damn victim and start cleaning up the rest of the house, too."

Ruby whimpered once from the opened bathroom doorway as she watched the human cleaning himself up in the bathroom with a curious stare.

"Don't worry, girl. I'm just going to get this damn taste out of my mouth then I'll get ya' fed and let ya' run around outside while I clean up the rest of the house."

Seemingly able to understand Hank's words Ruby wagged her tail and patiently laid down in the doorway as she waited for Hank to finish taking care of himself in the bathroom.

"Glad at least you're confident in me." Hank laughed a little as he proceeded to brush his teeth and remove the sick taste of vomit and alcohol from his mouth. "That's a good start."

* * *

Having had their dinner and delving further into one another's pasts as deeply as Connor felt comfortable to go the two detectives returned to their apartment building together, and said 'goodnight' to one another as they stood in the connected corridor between their respective apartment doors. It was the first time in a long time that Connor felt entirely at ease with the world, and didn't have the urge to crawl into a dark space to hide. Being away from all of his previous problems and reuniting with Evelyn seemed to be enough to pull Connor's mind, heart and soul out of the darkness and back into the light.

"It's too bad you were sick all this morning and afternoon." Evelyn remarked as she gently returned her left palm to Connor's forehead and checked to make sure he wasn't running a fever again. He was cool and healthy. "But an evening out without a case over our heads was just as good."

"I agree entirely." Smirking a little as Evelyn dropped her hand Connor could see that she was tired from working so hard and for taking care of Connor while he was sick, but not complaining about a thing. Grateful for her kindness Connor decided he'd find a way to let her know how much he appreciated having a good friend in his life again. "After our meeting with Captain Warren tomorrow you can show me the rest of the city, but_ I'll treat you_ to lunch and dinner. I insist."

"Worried I'll keep taking you to addictive diners and ordering greasy pizza?"

"A little. I haven't eaten so much in such a small time frame before."

"You're the one who said you have weird eating habits."

"True. But that doesn't mean you have to help me make up the meals I accidentally skipped in the past."

"Sounds like a challenge."

"Please, don't accept it." Smirking again Connor sighed and turned to look at his apartment door a few feet behind him over his shoulder. Backing away slowly as if to surrender Connor blindly found the doorknob with his left hand used his right hand to unlock the door. "The last thing I need to do is put on weight and then struggle to get it off."

"Now I know it's a challenge." Turning to unlock her own door Evelyn gave Connor a cheeky smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Connor. If it's too cold to walk we'll split an autonomous cab."

"That sounds ideal. Goodnight, Evelyn."

"Goodnight, Connor."

Watching as Evelyn entered her own apartment and hearing her door lock behind herself Connor let out a small sigh and entered his own apartment. Locking the door and turning on the light in the livingroom Connor could feel himself faintly blushing and could feel a warmth spreading through his chest and seemingly from his heart as he thought about the evening he had spent with Evelyn, and all the times he had laughed that very evening.

Glancing about his modest apartment casually Connor honed in on the note Evelyn had left on the kitchen counter and grinned again as the idea that she had gone out of her way to help him made the warmth in his chest spreading even further.

"...I think Evelyn is the real reason I came to Chicago."

* * *

Abruptly sitting upright in his bed Lucas took in deep panting breaths as he put his left hand over his chest. He could feel his Thirium pump, his heart, thundering in his chest as the memories of his time in Chicago leeched into his dreams and tainted them with ghoulish nightmares. Barely able to keep himself from bolting out of the room Lucas jumped as Chloe put her hands on his shoulders and tried to be a ground presence for Lucas to rely on as his fears began to subside.

"Lucas, what happened?"

"N-Nothing. I... I had an upsetting dream." Realizing what he just said Lucas realized he had just had his first nightmare; one of the very situations that had often plagued and ruined Connor's sleep in the past. "...It was a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" The concept was known but Chloe herself had never suffered from such a dreamstate before. As her blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow she gave her panicked lover a worried look. "...Do you wish to discuss it?"

"I... N-No. No, it's fine." Not wanting to let Chloe know the true depths of the horror he survived Lucas let out a slow breath and climbed out of the bed to get a little space. "I just need a moment to process the images and allow my system to cool down. I'm going to step outside into the cool air and be back soon."

As he took a step through the opened doorway of their bedroom Lucas suddenly paused and realized that he was going to end up pushing Chloe away if he didn't tell her what he had been through. He'd be doing the same thing that Connor had been doing, and they very thing that he had reprimanded Connor for doing.

Not wanting to lose Chloe or shut himself off from the world Lucas forced himself to turn around to face Chloe, his green eyes locking onto her blue eyes, and walked back to the bed. "...Actually, I think I should talk to you about my nightmare. About everything I..." Trailing off for a moment Lucas closed his eyes and tried to get the image of Miles's dead body falling to the arena floor out of his mind. "...About what I went through."

"You can talk to me, Lucas." Extending her right hand she invited Lucas to rejoin her in the bed to open up and tell her what he went through. The L.E.D. in her right temple remained blue and her eyes remained bright and alert. "I won't judge you for what you went through. I just want to know."

Slowly accepting her hand hand with his own Lucas sat down heavily on the edge of the bed beside Chloe. As her left arm wrapped around his shoulders he leaned in against her and closed his eyes so tightly tears rolled down his face. Pressing his forehead down against her left shoulders Lucas began to softly cry as he let the horrible memories flood his mind, and the painful images stung his every newly evolved sense of being.

"It's okay, Lucas." Whispering soothing words Chloe held him tight and rubbed her left hand up and down his back slowly. "I'm here for you."

* * *

The good night turned into a content morning, and then a tense afternoon. Sitting together in Captain Warren's office the two recently partnered up detectives, and long lost friends, were in total shock and disbelief as their commanding officer updated them on their current situation. It had been only five days and yet their division in deviant related cases had already been shut down. The two detectives would be given different assignments and new partners as they set about their new roles in the precinct, and were expected to act accordingly.

"That's it?" Connor asked incredulously as he looked his Captain in the eye and gave her a clearly upset stare. "We finish one case and we get reassigned?"

"I'm sorry, Connor. But it's out of my hands."

"I don't understand. Why is this happening?"

"As you so eloquently stated during our initial introduction; deviants and androids in general aren't permitted to enter Chicago city limits. Now that the arena has been destroyed and the abducted deviants have been rescued there's no longer a need to have a division dedicated solely to deviant cases."

"...I don't believe this."

"It's not the end of world, Sergeant Wolf."

"No, but it's a change that I don't approve of." Shaking his head a little he laid it on the line for his Captain to understand his point of view. "If deviants can be smuggled into the city against their wills once, it can happen again. It's reckless to remove a division that protects these people."

"I agree, but I don't have the power to overrule this decision."

Leaning back Connor muttered under his breath as he let out an annoyed sigh. "It's a bad decision."

"Excuse me, Sergeant," Captain Warren didn't approve of the attitude she was receiving. "but whenever I have a subordinate insulting me I prefer them to speak up so everyone can hear."

"It's a BAD decision." He repeated in an aggressive tone of voice as he gave his Captain a stern galre. "If you'd like I'll tell that to the jackass who forced it on you right to their face. Just tell me where to find them."

"I appreciate your passion on the matter, but there's nothing that can be done. Sergeant Blythe," she turned to Evelyn and gave the rookie detective her new assignment. "you're working in narcotics with Sergeant Olsen. And Sergeant Wolf," returning her attention to Connor she gave him a stern gaze in return for his own directed at her. "you're working homicide with Lieutenant Hanson."

"...No." Connor shook his head as he refused the change of assignment. "With all due respect my priorities are will helping deviants."

"Sergeant, that division no longer exists. You can't be assigned to an area that isn't being used."

Pausing for only a moment Connor contemplated his options and made his decision. "...Then I resign."

"You what?"

Evelyn's blue eyes went wide as she turned to her partner and readily protested. "Connor you can't do that. You're an amazing detective and we need you."

"I'm also the only detective who seems to care about deviants. No offense, Evelyn."

"No, I get it." Patient and empathetic Evelyn knew where Connor's protest was coming from. "But you can't just resign your commission and walk away."

"But I can go to another precinct where there is an active division dedicated toward deviant cases."

Captain Warren could see that Connor was completely seriou, and knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind. "Connor, if you want to resign I can't stop you. But I do ask that you take the rest of the day off to seriously consider the choice you're about to make."

"I don't need to think it over, I've decided."

"Then at the very least go home and give me the day to sort this all out." The seasoned Captain was clearly displeased by Connor's decision as she didn't want to lose such a skilled detective after only a few days. Understanding his passion for the job and compassion toward deviants was going to have an irreversible affect on his decision all she could do was shake his hand and wish him the best. "Go take it easy and tomorrow I'll have the paperwork ready for you to sign so you can join another precinct."

Grateful for his Captain's willingness to let him go Connor shook her hand respectfully. "Thank you, Captain."

"I hate to lose you, but I won't hold you back from pursuing the cases you really want to handle. I'd rather have you move to another precinct rather than quit the force entirely. Good luck, Sergeant."

Taking his leave of the office Connor walked out of the private office with his head held high, and had Evelyn following right after him after she was dismissed by Captain Warren. Without giving any of the other officers even a parting glance Connor crossed the bullpen and stepped outside the front doors of the precinct and onto the sidewalk to return to his apartment.

"Connor," catching up to her former partner quickly Evelyn spoke to Connor with an absolutely floored tone of voice. "are you sure about leaving?"

"Yes. I need to help deviants, my people. I may be a human again but I've always been a deviant." His soulful brown eyes dulled as he spoke and he pulled his gray suit jacket tighter around his chest to stave off the autumn chill in the air. The fact that he admitted he was still a deviant had an unexpected impact on his heart. "I'm deviant... Outcast, misunderstood and forgotten."

"You're not an outcast. You're just reclusive."

"...Maybe."

"You do know that resigning means we'll never work together as partners again, right?"

"Yes. I'm aware."

"...And you do know that we'll never see each other again, right?"

"Huh?"

"You're not going to be working in Chicago anymore, and I'm not leaving Chicago anytime soon." The reminder that no other precinct in Chicago had a deviant division seemed to ground Connor and worry Evelyn simultaneously. "We just got to know each other and discovered we're long lost childhood friends." Hastening her pace to keep up with Connor she tried to reason with him to some degree. "I don't want to see you go."

"I... I have no choice."

"You do! You don't have to leave Chicago, you know?" Walking in front of Connor she stopped and put her hands on his shoulders to make him stop in his tracks as well. "You could be a private detective or-"

"Evelyn, I don't want to pack up and leave either, but I have to go back." Connor had finally accepted that he had pushed people away far enough and long enough. It was time to face them again, and finally come to terms with his past. "I'll work in another precinct across the city to avoid my old partner, and I'll find another apartment. I'm making progress with my emotional growth and healing. I won't let anyone undo that hard work."

"Wait, are you saying you came all the way out here just to avoid your old partner?"

"...Y-Yeah."

"All because he hit you?"

"...It's not that simple." Looking away from Evelyn with painful remorse welling up in his eyes Connor fought to keep the remaining negative emotions he had kept pent up inside of his heart from breaking out. "It's fairly complicated."

"I get the feeling everything about you isn't as simple as it seems."

"I've never lied to you." Daring himself to face Evelyn again Connor made sure she knew he wasn't going to deceive her. "Everything I told you is true, and my reasons for leaving Detroit behind are sound."

"I never said they weren't, but I know you're holding something back." Studying his soulful brown eyes Evelyn gave him a somber look and knew he was still in a great deal of pain. Gently she pressed her right palm to his left cheek in a comforting gesture. "What exactly happened to you to make you so stubborn and guarded, Connor? I want to know. You're my friend, my first true best friend, and I want to help you through your pain."

"...Come back to my apartment with me, and I'll explain everything to you." Closing his eyes tightly Connor managed to restrain his stressed out tears just long enough to keep himself from breaking down in public. A huge part of his healing came from opening up to people and talking to people he trusted. "The very least I can do is tell you the whole truth about who I am. About... _what_ I am."

* * *

Feeling like Hell and wanting to just roll over and die as his body struggled to recover after his previous three days of drunken stupidity Hank actually jumped when the front door opened, and he ducked down to avoid the waning sunlight creeping through the opened doorway as he remained on the couch to ensure he didn't make a mess in his bedroom if he got sick again. Hearing the door shut quietly and sensing someone hovering over him Hank knew it was Lucas without even having to really look up to confirm their identity.

"...Hey, Lucas."

"How do you feel, dad?"

"Like a piece of shit that got run over by a truck hauling even more shit. How about you?"

"I'm a little sore, but I fear that pales drastically in comparison to a hangover."

"I'm over the worst of it. I just need my skull to stop trying to collapse in on itself." Pushing himself upright on the couch with his left arm Hank put his right hand over his eyes to shield his sensitive vision from the painful light around him. His hair had a slight trim, as did his beard, and his breath didn't reek of alcohol whatsoever. "How's your training?"

"I will resume my training in two days. I was given adequate time to heal from my predicament and can return shortly thereafter."

"Good. We need to go back to living our lives and try to move forward."

The comment made Lucas's green eyes light up with a sense of hesitant relief. "...You will resume working at the precinct?"

"Yeah. The week off I was given is almost over. When you go back to your training I'll be going back to the precinct."

"Alone?"

"Won't be the first time I worked cases solo. It'll be fine, Lucas. How about you?"

"I'm... I'm surviving, that's all that matters."

"Something happen last night?"

"...I had a nightmare. My first nightmare."

"Oh. About your abduction?"

"Yes. I now know why Connor would dread sleeping after stressful situations. Nightmares can be quite unsettling."

"Yup. Need to talk about it?"

"No, I spoke with Chloe last night and I was able to return to rest mo- _fall back asleep_." Making a conscious effort to sound more human Lucas quickly changed his selected term of choice. "Talking does help." Running a scan over Hank's body the deviant noted the human's elevated blood pressure and heart rate in response to his painful headache. "I wish I could do something to help your own discomfort. Would aspirin be beneficial?"

"Not on an empty stomach, and I'm too nauseated to eat anything anyway. I'll just keep drinking water and sleep."

Lucas sat down on the couch beside Hank without jostling him and began speaking softly. "Things have changed drastically this year. Connor was right, this is a year full of changes."

"And change isn't always for the best. Sometimes it straight up sucks ass."

"From what I've observed negative changes often outset positive changes. Maybe these changes 'suck' for now, but will improve later."

Hank laughed a little as he leaned forward slightly, his elbows balancing atop his knees. "I'm glad at least one member of this family is an optimist."

"I believe your pessimism and Connor's cynicism help complement our unusual family's unusual outlook on this unusual life."

"...You're begin to get a smart mouth, too. I like that."

"I guess it's an inherited trait from being an Anderson."

"...I'd like to think you boys inherited _something_ good from me. If it's a quick wit and sharp sense of humor, I'll take it."

"Guess you're not as pessimistic as you thought."

Hank reached his right hand up and patted Lucas's left shoulder twice. "...Thanks, son."

* * *

Sitting together in his apartment Connor told Evelyn about everything he had gone through that led him to the decision to leave Detroit and head out to Chicago. His life as a deviant was hard to talk about but he didn't want to keep any secrets from Evelyn. The loss of his mother, the loss of Skye, how Hank seemed to betray him, and how he just wanted to get away from his friends and family out of a strange need to protect them from himself all came pouring out as he and Evelyn sat together on the couch; their hands almost touching as the young detective opened up and let out all the pain he had been holding inside.

It took Evelyn a moment to process the fact that Connor had been an android; a deviant android, for over two years was hard to accept but she knew that Connor was being truthful. The two year long coma and miraculous efforts by Elijah Kamski to save his life was an incredible tale, and a part of Evelyn realized that Connor's reclusive nature could be tied to his deviancy and not just his screwed up childhood.

Sitting in silence Connor waited for Evelyn to speak up and react to his incredible past as he dragged his thumb under his eyes to remove his tears before they had the chance to roll down his face. It was a struggle to keep his emotions in check but he was holding on thanks to Evelyn's support and guidance.

"Connor, it sounds like your father, Hank, is truly remorseful for what had happened between you two. I get why you're mad at him, I'm still mad at my own mom and she died seven years ago, but the fact that he seems to sincerely regret what he did really speaks volumes of his character."

"...I know. But after everything I endured as a child I just... I keep seeing them now as the same person."

"But Hank _isn't_ your biological father. He's your friend and he's your _real dad_. Blood doesn't make him any less of a parent to you and making a mistake he clearly regrets shows that he's a better person than your biological father ever could be. You should forgive him while you still can."

Turning to look at Evelyn with a lost gaze Connor locked his soulful brown eyes with her spirited blue eyes and refused to break eye contact. "...What do you mean by 'while I still can'?"

"Connor, you know I have a little sister, but, she isn't here anymore. She died in a car accident three years ago."

It took Connor only a few seconds to figure out what she was referring to. "...And you had a fight before she died. Didn't you?"

"Yeah. And I never had the chance to say 'goodbye', or listen to her when she tried to apologize for what happened between us."

"Apologize?"

Evelyn's blue eyes were beginning to tear up and Connor moved his right hand over to her left hand and lightly gave her a grip to squeeze as she spoke.

"It's okay, you can tell me what happened." Knowing that Evelyn was bearing her own painful past Connor wanted her to open up to him just as he was willing to open up to her. "I'll understand."

"...It's just sad to talk about."

"So am I." Playfully teasing is friend Connor wanted her to keep speaking and tell him more about her own past. "Your story is very befitting of this moment."

Taking in a deep calming breath Evelyn squeezed Connor's hand as she began to finally speak about her sister. "...Four years ago I came home; to my actual house across town, and caught my little sister Gwen sleeping with my ex-fiance Brad."

"You were cheated on, and your own sister..." The sense of betrayal he felt on Evelyn's behalf was as real as his own resentment toward Hank. The pain of a loved one hurting someone was almost indescribable, and there was seemingly nothing that could remedy such a pain. "I'm so sorry."

"I was furious when I caught them in bed together. I yelled at Gwen, told her she was no longer my sister and I told Brad I never wanted to see him again! I threw my engagement ring in his face and kicked them out of the house." Tightening her hand around Connor's hand Evelyn forced herself to keep telling her story for the sake of letting out her pain out and begin healing. "Later that night I was met by Captain Warren knocking on my door to tell me that... there had been an accident."

Connor felt himself pale as he realized where Evelyn's story was going.

"It turns out they had both been drinking, and when I kicked them out Brad drove off angrily with Gwen as the passenger. No one knows what happened, whether or not Brad lost control of the car or if they had been arguing, maybe even fighting and were distracted, but the car drove off the road and smashed head-on into an oncoming semi-truck. They were both killed instantly."

"Evelyn." Tightening his hand around her hand Connor could feel the sorrow pouring out of her heart as she spoke. "...It wasn't your fault."

"I kicked them out in the middle of the night and let them drive off, _drunk_."

"Did you know they had been drinking?"

"...No. Not at first."

"And did you know that they would try to drive off after you asked them to leave?"

"No."

"Then it's not your fault."

"I kicked them out, Connor. If I let them stay-"

"Evelyn, you were betrayed by the two people you should've been able to trust the most. You pushing them away is a natural response. They chose to do what they did; have an affair and drink, and they chose to drive off. None of those incidents are your fault."

"I still feel guilty all the same."

"Because you're a kind and caring person. Even after they hurt you in one of the worst ways possible, you still care."

"...And you still care about your own family. That's why you were willing to take Lucas back to Detroit by yourself, and why you took the time to see Hank before you left the city." Pushing Connor toward the obvious truth Evelyn wanted him to see how much he must be missing his family and wanting to go back to Detroit to make amends. "If you didn't care then you would've let that contact escort Lucas back to Detroit, and you never would've dragged Hank out of that bar to get him to sober up."

"Of course I care, I just... I just don't _want_ to care anymore."

"Not true." Evelyn put her right hand atop Connor's hand as she leaned toward him and tried to be a genuine comfort. "You're just in pain and you have it in your head that you'll stop hurting if you stop caring. That's not true, and it never will be true. I had to learn that the hard way after I went to the funerals. They were just as painful as going to my grandparents funerals, and I had to accept despite all the pain they caused me I still cared about them, and loved them. I will always miss my little sister and have fond memories of my ex-fiance."

"You got over your anger and resentment." Needing answers Connor pressed the matter a little further respectfully and calmly. "How did you do it?"

"I realized that while I could never undo what happened I knew I could still find it in my heart to forgive Gwen and Brad. It took almost a year but I forgave them. I know Gwen didn't mean to hurt me, and I know that Brad... He was impulsive. It's not an excuse for cheating on me, but I can't punish him for a flaw he couldn't admit to having. In the end it was his very flaw; being impulsive and reckless, that became his final punishment. Same for Gwen, she was just too much like our mother for her own good."

"Flaws... Like drinking oneself to death." Connor realized everyone had personal flaws as he thought about his own anger and resentment issues. "...How do you forgive someone who hurt you so badly?"

"It's hard to describe, but it's like you just accept a little more with each passing day that the people who hurt you aren't perfect, just like everyone else in this world. And it's better to let go of hatred before it begins to fester in your heart like a decaying wound."

"...Yeah." Everything somehow seemed so simple and clear. "You're right."

"I haven't been able to let myself get close to anyone in a long time, but when I met you something just seemed to click."

"I feel the same." The admission was as surprising as it was sincere. "I've been hurting over Skye for weeks, and until I came to Chicago she was all I could think about. I think... I think I can finally accept that it's okay to live a happy life even if she's not in it. She's not dead, she's just... gone. And everything I loved about her is gone as well. Skye is now 'Clair', and she's living a new life in a new city. Just as I am. Even if I were to somehow be reunited with her things could never be the same; we're both entirely different people now."

"She's alive and I'm sure she's happy. And you need to be happy, too. You deserve it."

That statement, that declaration, made Connor's soulful brown eyes light up as accepted at long last what his mother told him in her letter was true. He did deserve to be happy, but that didn't mean he had to be happy all the time. It'd take time, but once he felt it he'd know it. "...You're right. Thank you, Evelyn."

"You're welcome, Connor." Giving him a gentle smile she leaned toward him a little closer and pressed her right hand to his forehead lightly. "Your fever broke entirely yesterday, and it looks like tomorrow you'll be moving on to another precinct without being sick. What do you want to do tonight?"

"...I know I don't want to be alone tonight." Feeling himself blush a little Connor thought about what he really wanted and realized that what he wanted was to be with someone who made him feel better about himself. To be with someone who made him happy. "Would you stay with me?"

"Of course." Dropping her hand from his forehead she locked eyes with Connor and gazed deeply into his soulful brown irises. "...I was actually hoping you'd ask me to stay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Like I said, you're the first person I let myself get close to after everything I went through." Blushing a little herself Evelyn was subconsciously reciprocating Connor's feelings. "And even though we aren't partners anymore we can still be friends, right?"

"Right." In that moment Connor realized his pain of missing Skye hadn't hurt him since he came to Chicago and been reunited with Evelyn. He was moving on from his lost love which means he could begin to finally heal emotionally. Maybe he would even learn to forgive in time. "Of course."

The duo just stared at each other for a silent moment longer before Connor dared to lean toward Evelyn and lowered his voice as he spoke to her in a comforting manner. "...I'd like to be friends with you, Evelyn. I don't want to feel alone anymore."

"...Me neither."

Sitting together on the couch Evelyn softly pressed her right hand to Connor's left cheek below his still healing eye as he held onto her other hand in a gentle grip. Without another word Connor leaned in and gave Evelyn a kiss on her lips, which was reciprocated happily as she leaned in and wrapped her hands around his shoulders to get even closer to him.

As the kiss was broken she looked into his brown eyes and reached up to release her ponytail and allow her long blonde hair to fall down her back.

"Stay with me, Evelyn." Connor closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against her forehead as they embraced one another and just felt a sense of mutual peace wash over them as their kept their hands intertwined. "Please stay with me."

"I'll stay." Pulling Connor closer to herself Evelyn pressed her hands to the side of Connor's face and curled her fingers through his dark locks of unruly hair. "For as long as you like." Kissing him again she looked into his eyes and let out a contented sigh. "...I'll stay with you."

_**-next chapter-**_


	76. Going Home

The following morning Connor awoke in his bed with Evelyn pressed up against his right side with her gently running her right fingertips over his chest along the scar that had all but disappeared over the past few months. Remembering what had happened the night before Connor wrapped his right arm around Evelyn and pulled her in closer as she looked up at him and smiled with a genuine brightness emanating from her person. The two just happily embraced one another in the early morning hours and thoroughly enjoyed being so close together after their rekindled their past friendship, and began a new type of relationship after their passionate night.

Whispering as she looked into Connor's eyes Evelyn greeted her friend with a gentle and approving smile. "...Good morning."

"Good morning." Connor parroted with genuine smile of his own as he held Evelyn tight. "...I take it last night was mutual and not an impulsive mistake."

"Yeah. It was... perfect."

"Now that we're not assigned as partners anymore, and we don't need to worry about professionalism, I think it's safe to tell you that I had been drawn to you since we first met."

"When we almost bumped into each other that night in the hallway." She understood the moment Connor was referring to. "You know, I felt it, too. I just couldn't explain it."

"Maybe we were always meant to find each other again. You and I," Connor spoke softly and lightly ran his right fingers through Evelyn's long locks of blonde hair that was flowing freely behind her bare back. "had gone through our own experiences on our paths, and yet those paths seemed to lead us in the same direction."

"Wanting to change the world for the better and protecting people from the hardships we experienced as kids. That's one Hell of a path to walk, but I don't regret taking that first step."

"Neither do I."

"...It led me back to you." Giving Connor a soft kiss to his chest right over his heart Evelyn peered up into his soulful brown eyes lovingly as she stayed beside him in the warm bed and under the silky sheet. "I know you're going to go back to Detroit, but that doesn't mean it's goodbye."

"That's right. We'll stay in touch and I'll visit you whenever I can."

"And I'll head out toward Detroit to visit you, too."

"You know, you could just move with me back to Detroit and join another precinct in town. We could use another detective with a dedication to deviants working at a sister precinct."

"Thanks for the offer, but right now I want to stay in Chicago and really put myself back together again. I can finally heal and move on from my sense of betrayal, and it's thanks to you."

"I'm healing, too. I didn't think I'd be able to do it after losing so much so quickly, but I can feel it. I really am going to be okay."

"Just promise me that when you go back to Detroit you'll find a way to forgive Hank, and keep healing. I don't expect you to go back to how it was before," she cuddled up even closer to his right side and used her right hand to lightly caress Connor's left cheek softly. "but just learn how to be friends again. Don't throw away a good friendship because of one mistake."

Wrapping his left hand around her right hand he pulled her palm from his cheek as he kissed the back of her knuckles lightly. "I promise I'll try."

* * *

Within the depths of New Jericho Tower's emergency repair bay North stared in utterly shocked silence as Simon informed her of the results of her latest exam, and how her systems were in the midst of an unknown error. By all account she was fully functional and responding at optimal parameters, and yet the diagnostic program had found a a devastating glitch that no one knew how to correct that was slowing and shutting down her system one minimal program at a time.

"I'm sorry, North." Simon gave his friend a truly sympathetic glance as he put his right hand to her left shoulder sympathetically. "I'll keep looking for a patch to this error and stop it from damaging your processors. I swear to you I won't stop looking for a way to save you."

Wrapping her arms together over her chest North looked away from her friend with righteous worry burning in her cinnamon brown eyes. "...Yeah, I know."

"Can I ask why you wanted an exam? Were you experiencing any unusual symptoms or behavior?"

"Y-Yeah, I was, uh, feeling a little nauseated and my intracranial processors were experiencing unknown pressure like a headache. I've also been very tired as of late."

"When did this start?"

"...A few days ago."

"Then I'd say we caught this error early enough for to begin developing a patch with minimal complications."

"A patch?"

"By all account your processors are experiencing a negative reaction by missing crucial updates. Considering your model, uh, being used exclusively for 'intimate indiscretions'," the blond technician blushed a pale blue as he spoke to his friend about her less than ideal past. "and were effectively deemed a temporary, if not disposable, design your processors are simply unable to receive proper updates after a certain date in time. With each passing update your cybernetic compatibility is beginning to waver and with it your biocomponents are breaking down due to ineffective updates."

Daring herself to look Simon in the eyes North pressed for the truth. "...How long do I have?"

"I'd estimate six months. Plenty of time to find a functional patch."

"...Yeah."

"Please try not to worry. I won't tell anyone what's going on, as not only a technician but as your friend, and I'll keep this a total secret. I won't even tell Josh about what's happening."

"...It's okay. Let him know so he can either help find a patch, or you know, take my place."

"Hey, don't talk like that. You're going to be just fine."

"...Sure."

"I mean, you came here as soon as you weren't feeling right, so you're very in tune with your body and what's happening with you at all times. That's a great sign and because we caught this early our chances of succeeding have increased exponentially."

North turned away from Simon again as she hid a tear and slid off the exam table and onto the floor to take her leave. "...Thanks, Simon."

"North?" He called out to his frightened friend as she kept walking to the doorway to leave the emergency repair bay. "You're going to be okay."

Despite the confidence in Simon's voice North couldn't share his enthusiasm or optimism. Without responding or looking back she took her leave of the floor and entered the elevator to find privacy. Unsure of what to say or what to do all she could think about was Markus, and how he might react to the grim news. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Markus or make him worry.

Pressing her right palm to her lower belly North sighed and closed her eyes as the elevator descended to the ground floor. "...I just wanted to try to live a normal life and have a family to help me move on from my past. Is that really too much to hope for?"

* * *

For what would hopefully be the final time for a long while Connor packed up his personal items into the rental car and prepared for the long drive back to Detroit. With Evelyn's help he was able to pack everything up and get his items placed neatly in the car for transportation back to the city. Holding on to the neck of his emerald green guitar Connor slipped it into the backseat and felt Evelyn's arms wrap around his chest in a tight hug from behind. As she pressed her cheek into his back she sigh and Connor wrapped his hands around hers.

"You should play a song for me someday." She suggested as she eyed the instrument laying across the backseat. "I bet you're great.'

"I'm not bad, I could always better." Smiling he closed the door and turned around so he could wrap his own arms around Evelyn in response and pull her up against his chest.

"Can you sing?" Grinning at the question Evelyn clarified in a teasing manner. "You know, when you're awake and not feverish."

"...I don't know. I've never tried."

"Try it someday. I bet you can sing as beautifully as you play."

"I suppose there's only one way to find out."

Evelyn stood up on her tiptoes and gave Connor a soft kiss on his lips and felt his heart thundering in his chest; the beats matching her own heart. "Remember, to make peace with Hank and visit me whenever you can."

"I promise. I will find a way to regain a peaceful coexistence with Hank and I'll stay in touch with you."

"'Peaceful coexistence'?" She laughed a little as she kept her spirited blue eyes locked with Connor's soulfl brown eyes. "I think your past deviancy affected your vocabulary."

"Maybe. Did that come out as cold?"

"No, just analytical. People are too unpredictable to be analyzed."

"True."

Giving Connor another kiss Evelyn reluctantly let him go and took a step back. "Call me anytime if you need to talk."

"Of course. You do the same."

With a heavy heart she watched as Connor walked around the front of the car to get the driver's side door. "...Connor?"

"Yeah?" He paused as he opened the door and looked at her over the hood of the car.

"Take care of yourself."

"I will, Evelyn. I also promise that we'll see each other again."

"I know we will." A bright, cheery smile caressed her face as she watched Connor sit down behind the wheel and turn over the engine. Something she couldn't quite explain brought her so much joy and she knew Connor was responsible for it. "It's destiny. I can feel it."

Turning the key in the ignition the car roared to life and Connor stared at the stretch of street ahead of himself. Lifting his hand from the key Connor sighed, opened up his door and stepped back out onto the sidewalk. "One other thing before I go."

"What's that?"

Giving her another kiss Connor held Evelyn in his arms and whispered into her ear. "I love you."

Returning the embrace and the kiss Evelyn looked into Connor's eyes, looked into his soul, and smiled. "I love you, too."

* * *

The return to the mansion felt like more of a challenge than a routine drive for the frightened deviant. Markus held North tightly in his arms as she told him the truth about the examination she had undergone, and they were both devastated by the grim prognosis. The news she was hoping for was not the news she had received. They were both so certain that her symptoms could've been the result of the upgrades to her software responding immediately to the changes taking place inside her body through a successful conception, but instead it was the result of a system error that was nothing more than a time bomb ticking down painfully slow inside her own head.

"It'll be okay, North." Holding her in his strong arms up against his chest as she cried softly against his shoulder Marks remained strong for his beloved. "I know we'll find a way to save you."

"It's not right." Weeping quietly North found her voice and lamented deeply from her heart. "Androids have limitations, I can accept that, but why is this happening to me now? We're trying to move forward, create life, and now... It's like the cruelty of life itself is trying mock us for just wanting to be alive!"

"Shh..." Rubbing his left hand up and down her back gently Markus tried to make her feel as supported and safe as possible. "Hey, come on. This is just one more obstacle that we have to overcome. We will overcome it, and we'll do it together."

"...I don't think this is one we can beat, Markus." Ready to admit defeat North pressed her teary face into Markus's chest as if afraid to let him go. "My model was designed to just... shutdown. Now I am."

"No! You're not the type to just shutdown or quit on anything!" Refusing to let North give up on herself Markus held her tightly and continued to speak with utter confidence that was truly befitting his status as the leader of the deviants. "You'll overcome this and be even stronger than ever!"

"...I want to believe that."

"Then believe it. I won't let anything happen to you, North. I will fight to the bitter end to keep you alive for as long as it's possible."

Nodding a little she let out a weary breath and let her shoulders slump with fatigue. "...Just hold me."

"I am, North." Tightening his hug Markus didn't let her see his own tears rolling freely from his mismatched eyes down his face. The urge to keep her safe was stronger now that it ever had been before. "I'm holding you, and I will never let you go."

* * *

The long drive back to Detroit was quiet and boring, but in a way that's for the best. The last thing anyone wants is an eventful or exciting drive while on a busy expressway. Not ready to go back to the house just yet Connor circled the block a few times before he decided to go see Lucas instead, and make sure his little brother was recovering well after his ordeal in Chicago. The desire to check in on his little brother as opposed to Hank, his father, was much more prevalent and somehow less complicated at the moment.

Parking the car in front of the house along the street Connor stared at the house and eyed it enviously. Lucas and Chloe had purchased a truly wonderful house.

As Connor walked up the front walk to the front door he was met by Lucas, who opened the door before he even had the chance to knock, and was immediately enveloped in a tight hug. "Connor! You're back!"

"Yeah, Lucas. I came back." Connor reciprocated the hug and happily embraced his little brother. Lucas was strong and he was showing no sign of lingering damage after his torturous experience in Chicago. "...And I'm staying."

"Finally!" Letting go of the hug Lucas looked Connor in the eyes and smirked approvingly. "Have you see dad, yet?"

"...No. I, uh, I haven't been by the house."

Noting the hesitation in Connor's voice Lucas pressed the matter gently. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Shortly after I brought you back home from Chicago. I found him at a bar getting drunk."

"So his memory is accurate."

Arching his brow Connor gave Lucas an odd glance. "...He remembers?"

"Yes, Connor." The deviant gave his big brother a wary stare as he confirmed the events that had transpired just a few nights prior. Draping his right arm around Connor's shoulders Lucas escorted his returned brother toward the house to join him inside the house for a proper visit. "He remembers you pulling him out of the bar and taking him home. He also remembers you telling him to get sobered up and then you'd be willing to talk to him."

Connor froze mid stride as he hadn't expected Hank to remember anything that was spoken that night. Did he hear the comment about not feeling like his son anymore, too? "...And what else has happened?"

"I checked in on him yesterday and he was pouring all the alcohol he had purchased down the drain, and was staying sober."

"...Good. That's good."

"You still don't want to see him, do you?"

"No. I honestly don't."

"Well, that's okay." Showing Connor to the couch in the livingroom Lucas made sure his brother knew he was welcome in his home. "At least you're back in Detroit. That's all that really matters."

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere." Eyeing Lucas curiously Connor could see that his bruises had healed almost entirely. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm functioning at one-hundred percent capacity, and I'm not suffering any permanent complications from the assault." Lucas smiled as he and Connor sat down on the couch together and Chloe joined them as she sat down on the other side of Lucas. The blonde haired deviant's L.E.D. was blue and she interlaced her left fingers around Lucas's right hand to hold tight. "Tomorrow I'll resume the final weeks of my training, graduate and be assigned to my station to begin my first shift as a firefighter."

"That's good to hear, Lucas. I'm proud of you."

"...And," Lucas gave Chloe a loving glance as she smiled up at him and rested her left temple against his right shoulder. "this coming spring Chloe and I want to have our bonding ceremony at the cabin with all our friends and family in attendance. It's one-hundred percent official, being abducted made me realize how much I truly love her and want to be with her."

"You picked a place and a date?" Smiling with eagerness Connor was genuinely happy for his brother's impending bonding ceremony. "That's great!"

"And I want you to be the best man."

"Best man? ...You're going for a traditional wedding?"

"To an extent. We want to have the traditional parties; groom and the best man, bride and the maid of honor, but we're not going to rent a fancy venue or have a large reception. Just family and friends. So, will you be my best man?"

"Of course, Lucas! It'd be my honor!"

"Thank you, brother." Lucas gave his big brother another hug and was beside himself with joy. "I knew things would begin to return to normal."

"Well, they are for you. I'm still working on getting into a normal routine where I feel... comfortable." His smile faded but not entirely as he admitted that he was making some degree of progress on his depression and overall glum demeanor. "I'm not afraid to move forward anymore, and I know I'll be able to find happiness again, soon." Thinking immediately of Evelyn a faint grin appeared on his face. "...In fact, I think I already have."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm sure, Hank," he held up a dismissive hand as if to let Connor know that he wasn't going to push him to speak to Hank if he wasn't ready to speak with him yet. "when you _want_ to talk to him again, will be relieved to know that, too."

"Yeah, right."

"...You're not going to go back to the house tonight, are you?"

"No. Not likely."

"Where are you going to stay now that you're back in the city?"

"I'll check into a hotel and begin looking for apartments tomorrow. I was able to get my full deposit back from my previous landlord, so it won't be that difficult to locate a place with acceptable rent."

Chloe spoke up and offered her own suggestion on the matter as she continued to rest her head against Lucas's shoulder. "Why don't you stay here for the night, Connor? We have a guestroom and we'd love to have you stay."

"Thank you, Chloe, but I don't want to impose."

Lucas just shook his head a little and insisted on Connor taking Chloe up on the offer. "You're family, Connor. It's never imposing! Especially when you were invited to stay."

"...Thank you." Accepting the offer Connor agreed to stay for the night. "I appreciate it."

"Come on." Motioning for Connor to get up and follow him Lucas made his way out of the house through the front door and over to Connor's rental car parked in the street to help him unpack. "let's go get your possessions so you can relax for the rest of the day. We have a few groceries in the house and you're more than welcome to the kitchen."

"Thanks, Lucas." Glancing down the street toward Hank's house two blocks away Connor sighed and proceeded to unpack his backpack and cardboard box from the trunk. "I'm looking forward to spending the evening with you. Like old times..."

* * *

Struggling to balance the current roster at the precinct Captain Fowler was beyond pleased to get a phone call from Connor to inform him that he had returned to the city, and was willing to return to his original position as a detective working on deviant cases. Relieved that he wouldn't have to look for a replacement detective to fill in at the niche division of cases Captain Fowler was more than happy to put Connor's resignation, that still had one day left before it was officially filed, into the shredder and reinstate the young detective's full credentials and clearance.

"You can come back tomorrow," Captain Fowler confirmed with a level tone over the phone. "and get right back to your old routine with Hank."

'_Actually,' _even over the phone Connor knew the heavy frown he wore was tangible to anyone listening. '_I'd prefer to work shifts without Hank_.'

"You what?"

'_Just for a while_. _I want to return to work, but I'd rather work cases alone_.'

"I see... Are you and Hank-"

'_By all account this is a personal matter, and it's one I'd rather not discuss_. _And I say this with all due respect, sir_.'

"It's okay, Connor. I get it." Sighing to himself Captain Fowler pressed his left hand to his chin as he stared at his terminal screen and contemplated the next dozen or so shifts. "Alright, I'll keep Hank on the morning shift and you come in for the night shift. Sound good?"

'_Yes, that will work well_.'

"Well, that's one problem solved. Come in tomorrow at seven in the evening and we'll get your paperwork filed before I clock out."

'_Thank you, Captain_. _I appreciate this_.'

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do anything that'll make things more tense with Hank. I get that you're mad and I don't blame you, but don't let your personal grievances interfere with your work. You're both damn fine detectives and I don't want to see you two falling apart over one incident."

'_It won't be a problem, sir_.'

"Good. See you tomorrow, Connor. It's good to have you back."

'_It's good to be back, Captain_. _I'll be there tomorrow at seven_.'

"See you, then." As the phone call came to an end Captain Fowler looked through the transparent glass wall of his private office out to the bullpen and gave the two empty desks a slight shake of the head. "I should've seen this kind of stubbornness coming when Connor changed his last name to 'Anderson'."

* * *

Laying back against the incredibly soft pillow on the large bed in the guestroom of Lucas and Chloe's house Connor checked over the details in his phone to resume direct contact with Lucas, Markus, North, Josh, Simon, the rest of the precinct, and even Chloe since she was going to be his sister-in-law in time. He wasn't ready to resume any form of contact with Hank just yet, and so he skipped over trying to add his old phone number into his contact list; unaware that Hank had actually destroyed his phone in anger, and casually honed in on Evelyn's personal number instead.

Pressing 'call' Connor held the phone to his right ear and felt a warm smile creep over his face as soon as he heard Evelyn's voice. '_Hi, Connor_.'

"Hi. I made it back to Detroit in one piece."

'_Well, if you can take down an entire illegal underground fight ring, rescue your little brother and then throw the ringleader of the arena into a dumpster in less than twenty-four hours, I'm sure you can handle a simple drive on the expressway_.'

"You'd be surprised. Sometimes I think it's easier to arrest people than to merge lanes."

Evelyn laughed a little before she spoke up again. '_Where are you staying_?'

"With my brother. And, as it turns out, my future sister-in-law."

'_Lucas is engaged_? _Tell him I said congratulations_!"

"I will. Maybe you can make it to the bonding ceremony in spring. As the best man I think I'm entitled to a 'plus-one' at the ceremony."

'_I'd like that, keep me posted when you have the exact date so I can ask for the time off_.' The sound of a car door slamming echoed over the phone as Evelyn and her new partner proceeded to drive off for a case. It was late but duty never slept. '_I'll talk to you later, Connor. There's a warehouse full of heroin that I get to help bring down, and I'm looking forward to getting that shit off the streets_.'

"Good luck, Evelyn. I'll talk to you later."

'_Yeah, we'll talk soon_. _Bye, Connor_._ I love you_.'

"I love you, too. Bye." Putting the phone aside Connor casually ran his left hand through his dark hair and heard a faint knock on the closed door. "Come in."

Lucas stepped inside the room and joined his brother by sitting down on the edge of the bed beside him. "I have ordered a small pizza for you since you need to have some dinner, and I know you didn't help yourself to my kitchen. I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's fine. Thank you."

Noticing Connor's bright eyes and subtle grin Lucas realized his big brother was indeed in a better place mentally and emotionally. "You're in a good mood."

"I just had a nice, albeit short, conversation with Evelyn. She says congratulations on your engagement, by the way."

"See, big brother? I told you she liked you."

Blushing faintly Connor confirmed the feeling was mutual. "...And I like her."

Eyeing his little brother's complexion Lucas pointed out a curious reaction. "You're blushing."

"No I'm not!" Putting his left hand up to cover his blushing face Connor tried and failed to deny his reaction. "At any rate, I'm going to make an effort to visit her in Chicago from time to time, and she'll do the same in visiting me here in Detroit."

"It sounds like you two really care about each other."

"We do. Lucas," dropping his hand Connor gave his little brother a sly grin. "Evelyn and I had met long before as children."

"You... what?"

Keeping the grin on his face Connor was more than happy to tell his little brother the incredible story of how they had met before as kids, and were subsequently reunited as adults. It was a fantastic tale and one that made Connor feel entirely certain that his affection toward Evelyn wasn't misplaced, but destined. It made him feel happy.

"It's a long story, little brother." Sitting upright on the bed Connor was more than ready to tell Lucas about his and Evelyn's connected pasts. "But I know you'll find it fascinating."

* * *

Ignoring the fact that he was about to report to the precinct alone for the first time in almost three years Hank drove to the parking garage, parked in his usual spot and locked up the vehicle. As he began walking toward the precinct he noticed Gavin sitting on the trunk of his car with his phone pressed to his left ear, and knew that he was talking with Abby. The few words he had managed to eavesdrop on made him arch an eyebrow in confusion as he passed the detective by to head into the precinct on time.

"Watermelon and potato salad?" He repeated to himself as he passed through the front doors and strolled across the bullpen to his desk to sit down. "One or the other, never both. Gavin's finally gone off the deep end in the form of a shitty appetite."

Slipping his re-bandaged right hand into his coat pocket casually Hank reached his desk and proceeded to turn on the terminal screen. Before he even had the chance to sit down behind his screen Captain Fowler opened his office door and called out to him. "Hank. My office."

"Fuckin' hell. Can't I at least sit down before you start bustin' my balls?"

"Now, Hank."

Grumbling to himself Hank walked into his commanding officer's private office as ordered and sat down in the vacant chair across from Captain Fowler with an exaggerated sigh. "What now?"

Remaining stoic Captain Fowler folded his hands together on top of the desk as he addressed the always mouthy Lieutenant in a low tone. "Connor's back."

"...He's _what_?" Hank's brow furrowed with utter confusion at the revelation. Leaning toward his commanding officer inquisitively Hank was completely stunned by the comment. "Since when?"

"Since last evening. He called and asked to come back, and I was more than happy to have him back on my roster."

"Shit, he told you he was back but not me? He's still pissed off..."

"There's more."

"Like what?"

"He's going to work _solo_. He's asked to be put on rotating shifts so he doesn't... work with you."

Hank looked like he been kicked in the stomach. Slumping down where he sat Hank's blue eyes lowered to the floor and became dull with disappointment at the revelation. "Shit. ...I didn't even know he was back in Detroit, and now he's going out of his way to stay away from me."

"I don't know what's going on between you two, and I don't know to know. Just do what you have to do to fix this. I can't have the only two detectives who know how to handle deviants being unable to work together on cases."

"...I'll handle it, Jeffrey. I just need to figure out how."

"As long as it works I don't care what you do. If the deviant case division reopens in Chicago then I know Connor will go back to-."

"...Chicago? Did you say Connor was all the way over in _Chicago_?!"

"Shit. You didn't know?"

"No! I had no fuckin' clue where he went!" Leaning back as his left hand all back raked his fingers through his beard Hank was truly taken aback by how far away Connor went to get some space. "Fuck!"

"Whoa, easy. Sorry, Hank. I didn't mean to drop a bomb on you."

"...Deviants went missing in Detroit." Breathing out his frustration Hank began picking up pieces of information he had overlooked during his drunken stupor and began to figure things out one detail at a time. "They were found in Chicago, weren't they?"

"Yeah. Lucas was one of them."

"FUCK. I knew he was abducted but... Chicago?!"

"Hank, how are you so out of the loop on all of this?"

"...I was drunk, an asshole and a fool." Letting out a deep sigh Hank pressed both of his hands to his forehead and leaned forward in his chair as he took a moment to breathe and contemplate how much he screwed up. "...It's not your fault._ I_ did this."

"Can I make the same assumption about your hand?" Motioning to the bandages wrapped around Hank's right hand he tried to remain civil on the matter being discussed. "Looks nasty."

Hank sat upright quickly and looked down at his right hand, flexing the appendage briefly, before letting it rest on his lap. "Yeah. I also fucked up my hand and Lucas patched me up the next day. Like I said, I was being a drunk, foolish asshole."

"...Need more time off to deal with this?"

"No, Jeffrey. It's fine. I've worked solo before," the senior detective lamented as he pushed himself up from the chair with a loud huff and walked over to the door to the office to return to the bullpen. "and I can do it again."

The experienced detective was clearly distraught at learning about Connor leaving Detroit for Chicago, and impressed with being able to make a massive difference with the lives of so many deviants in such a short amount of time. While Hank had been pitying himself and getting drunk Connor had been trying to better himself and succeeded so quickly. It was a real wake-up call as Hank began to wonder if Connor's anger and resentment had been justified long before he had struck him.

"The kid went ahead and began living a real life without anyone holding him back." Sitting down in his chair behind his terminal Hank sighed and turned on his screen to begin working on the case waiting for his attention. "He's always been an adult, but now I can see that he's managed to grow-up and become one Hell of a detective in his own right. He isn't a kid at all. He really doesn't need me to look out for him anymore."

* * *

Pulling the knot on his black tie up to the top of his collar Connor stared at himself in the mirror as he wore his new uniform, tucked the black tie down beneath the fabric of his gray vest, and then stared at the fading bruise on his left eye. It was no longer painful and the swelling had reduced considerably enough that Connor was able to wear his contact lenses again. Dressed for his first evening shift where he'd be working solo Connor held his head high and used his new phone to hail an autonomous taxi as he had already returned the rental car, and used the cab to take him to the precinct.

"When will you return?" Lucas asked as Connor walked through the livingroom and gave Ash a few chin rubs as she sat on the back of the couch seeking some attention from all three occupants of the house.

"Six in the morning. I'll enter quietly."

"You'll be working eleven hours?"

"Ten. I have two half hour breaks for working the night shift. It'll also be a nice boost in my pay so I can begin looking for my own apartment sooner rather than later."

"You don't have to look for an apartment, Connor. You can stay with Chloe and myself."

"Thanks, but you two deserve to have your own house with just each other. I'm just a guest and I won't overstay my welcome," he held up a shushing hand to silence his little brother, and reached for the doorknob with the other hand. "even if you insist my presence isn't intruding_ I_ feel it is. One week and I'm out."

"One _month_. I want you here with me. You're my brother."

"Alright... Two weeks then," offering an alternative time frame Connor continued on his way out the door. "and I'll make an effort to visit you on a weekly basis afterward."

"Deal." Smiling at his big brother Lucas watched Connor walk down the front path and entered the autonomous taxi that pulled up along the street slowly. "I'll see you in the morning, Connor."

"Of course. Rest well, Lucas."

* * *

The precinct itself was contrastingly calm compared to how it appeared during the daytime. Connor worked the night shift a few times before, but he had always had Hank as his partner and had someone to talk to which helped the night pass by much quicker. The only recognizable face that was still in the bullpen at the late hour was Gavin who was working every available minute of overtime to start saving up money to take care of his unborn baby. Without acknowledging Gavin as the Sergeant sipped on his bitter coffee Connor turned on his own terminal, logged in, and began working on deviant cases awaiting his time until Captain Fowler summoned him into the office.

There were two active cases regarding deviants and neither one had been touched by Hank earlier in the day. Normally Connor would see this as an act of indifference, but now he'd say it was a sign of distraction. Unwilling to let himself fall prey to the same problem Connor isolated the first case and determined it to be case of a human trying to frame his android coworker for petty theft at a local convenience store, while the other was nothing more than a mistaken identity regarding a deviant bearing a strong resemblance to a known human drug dealer in the area.

"No new cases worth looking into." Sending a text to Markus at New Jericho Tower detailing his return and the lack of deviant cases Connor slipped the phone back into his jean pocket and decided he'd visit the tower the following afternoon after he clocked out. "I guess that's something that can be considered beneficial."

"You back from... who knows where?" Gavin muttered as he sipped his coffee and tried to file his report appropriately at his desk. Noticing that Connor was sitting behind his desk again Gavin couldn't hold back his curiosity thanks to his late work hours wearing him out. "Like, staying?"

"Evidently so."

"Where'd you even go?"

Connor turned to look at Gavin over his shoulder as he answered with a coy grin. "Chicago."

"...You're shittin' me."

"No. I was there for only six days, but I enjoyed it. I might move back to live there in a few years."

"Should've fuckin' known it was you who busted that weird android fight club... thing... in Chicago."

"It wasn't my intention when I left, but I'm proud of the outcome nonetheless." Opening the top right drawer of his desk Connor retrieved the two name placards that were never removed after his temporary resignation, and had to choose which name to put up: Sergeant Connor Anderson, or Sergeant Connor Wolf. Wanting to make sure that Hank knew he was still angry and insulted by being struck he put up the name 'Wolf' and felt his mouth twitch a little as he read over the last name he had given up over a year ago. "...I'm glad I was able to help so many deviants without knowing they needed my help."

"Uh-huh. Wanna' finish my cases so I keep collecting overtime without passing out in the process? I need the money."

Remembering that Abby was pregnant Connor was a little worried that something might've been happened to either her or their baby. "Is something wrong?"

"No, and I want to keep it that way. Hence my overtime to keep the money flowing into my pocket."

"Abby is only ten weeks along, and I-"

"How the hell do you know _that_?"

"I saw her before I left the city, and I figured it out for myself." Tilting his head a little Connor tagged on a sincere afterthought. "Congratulations, by the way."

"...Yeah, thanks. Uh, nice... vest thing. Better than seeing that suit jacket all the time."

Connor's brow arched a little as he lowered his voice despite no one else really being around during the night shift. "..._Is_ something wrong?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. It's not your kid's future on the line."

"Gavin, it's taken some time but I've come to accept that despite my fears regarding my biological father I am not him, and I will not become him if I decide to not repeat his mistakes. Neither will you."

"Yeah, sure." Gavin didn't look convinced and stared down at his empty coffee cup with a grimace. "Whatever. No offense, Connor but you're not exactly going through what I am. Fuck, you're still single!"

"Actually-" Connor's phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling the device from his pocket he checked the display and saw an incoming call from Evelyn. With a smug smirk he held up his phone for Gavin to see from his desk. "I'm seeing someone. I'm not as single as you might think." Answering the call Connor discreetly stepped out of the bullpen to the call in the interview room away from eavesdropping detectives. "Hi, I'm glad you called."

'_Sounds like you're still feelin' good._ _Are you back at the precinct_?'

"Yes, I just started a new shift."

'_Are you working with Hank_?'

"...No. Not yet. I don't know when I will."

'_Give it time, you'll know you're ready_.'

"I hope you're right. I don't do well with being alone for too long."

'_You're not alone, Connor_. _I can promise that_!'

"...Yeah, I know. But it doesn't make it easier to face him when I'm still so mad at him."

'_Then when you cool off you'll be ready_.'

"You're right. Thanks."

'_You know, I already miss you_. _We've only known each other for barely a week and I already miss having you as my neighbor_.'

"I miss you, too. I promise we'll see each other again, soon. I... I really care about you."

'_And I care about you_.' Evelyn's voice was full of warmth and honestly. '_I want to be with you again, and_ _I'm looking forward to us being reunited_.'

"Same. I truly do love you, Evelyn. I may be having doubts about other things and other people, but not about you."

'_I love you, Connor_. _Us being reunited wasn't a fluke, it was meant to be_. _I can feel it_.'

"I feel it, too."

* * *

A full week passed by with Hank and Connor working on rotating shifts and not seeing one another in the process. Connor had been looking around for a few apartments and his own car so he wouldn't have to use autonomous cabs for the rest of the chilly autumn and soon to be relentlessly cold winter just a few weeks around the corner. Connor had also been enjoying his time with Lucas and Chloe, and had gotten to know Chloe a little better. She had much more of a personality now that she was spending more time with her fellow deviants and not just with Elijah Kamski in the middle of nowhere, and she was exhibiting a very compassionate nature. In learning more about his future sister-in-law Connor discovered that in time she and Lucas wanted to get the physical upgrades that would possibly allow them to have children, but for now they just wanted to be together and plan their future careers.

The young detective had also returned to New Jericho Tower to speak to Markus in person and apologize for his abrupt departure that had left his friends worried, whereas Markus kept trying to convince Connor that no apologies were necessary. It was then Markus also confirmed that in three more weeks he and North were to be bonded and that he wanted Connor to be his primary witness, an honorary best man, at the ceremony.

"Of course, Markus! It'd be my honor to be a part of your bonding ceremony." The enthusiasm in Connor's voice was as sincere as it was rare. The brief respite he had undergone while in Chicago had seemingly done wonders for his demeanor and gave him a new zest for life and experiences. "Tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

"Thank you, Connor."

There were tears forming in Markus's mismatched eyes but they weren't tears of joy. They were tears of grief and Connor quickly took notice. "Markus," his smile faded quickly upon noticing his friend's despair. "what's wrong?"

"...N-Nothing. I just have a lot on my mind."

"...Do you need to talk about it?"

"No, it's... I, uh,..."

"I get it." Letting the matter drop Connor respected Markus's privacy and didn't push him to discuss whatever was upsetting him if he didn't want to mention it to him. "If you do need to talk, or just _want_ to talk, call me. I'll be there for you."

"Thank you my friend. I know you're always watching my back."

* * *

While life in Detroit had seemingly changed for everyone to some degree; Connor's newfound independence and happiness, Lucas and Chloe planning on starting a brand new family together while Lucas began a new career, Markus and North's upcoming bonding ceremony, Hank's renewed determination to get sober and make amends for his past mistakes and overcome his regrets, and even Gavin going to be a father in a few months; some things just stayed the same. Connor and Hank were still the primary detectives on deviant cases, New Jericho Tower was still working to provide shelter to deviants in need, and the city of Detroit was still struggling to heal from old wounds that were destined to leave nasty scars. Some scars can fade, but others will always remain clear for anyone and everyone to see. Of course not all scars are visible, and even the ones no one can see can be the most painful to bear.

Pulling a few extra hours to ensure he had enough money saved up for a nice new apartment Connor had ended up staying well into the early morning hours as his night shift turned to morning, and he didn't realize that Hank would be coming into the precinct in less than twenty minutes. Yawning a little Connor finished off his tea and finalized his report regarding a deviant being assaulted by a group of teenagers, and was called in Captain Fowler's office before he left for the day.

"Connor," leaning out of his opened office door Captain Fowler addressed the young deviant from afar. "I need to speak with you for a minute."

Looking a little confused Connor turned off his terminal screen and promptly walked over to the office as requested and sat down in the chair on the opposite side of his commanding officer's desk. "Yes, sir?

"Your success with deviant cases has caught a lot of attention from the higher-ups, and in precincts all throughout the state. Your presence has been requested in Ann Arbor to answer a few questions regarding establishing a division with deviant cases within their most prestigious precinct."

"Okay, I can make time for that. When?"

"This weekend."

"...Isn't there an incoming blizzard schedule to hit the state this upcoming Friday?"

"I know, I hate it, too." Confirming the grim weather report Captain Fowler gave his young detective a wary glance. "But that's when they want you to stop by. I can't change it."

"Alright, I'll head out early and avoid the storm."

Stopping Connor before he got up from the chair Captain Fowler cleared his throat nervously. "...One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Hank's going with you."

"What?" The additional detail made Connor's posture visibly stiffen. "Why?"

"You're the expert on deviants and he's the ranking officer. Yes," giving Connor a casual wave of his hand Captain Fowler knew immediately what Connor was thinking and sympathized with him. "I know, it's stupid to request his presence simply because of his rank, but orders are orders."

"...Alright. I can manage that."

"I'm glad, because he's here now and I'm about to tell him what's going on."

Connor glanced through the transparent wall of the office toward his desk and saw Hank walking across the bullpen toward his own desk. Same as before Captain Fowler went to the office door and called Hank into join him, and Connor felt himself sidle away from the vacant second chair beside him as he didn't want to be near Hank just yet. Keeping his eyes forward Connor didn't react when Captain Fowler walked back to his desk, or glance over when Hank sat down beside him.

"I already told Connor this," Captain Fowler repeated what he had told Connor just a few minutes prior to his gruff Lieutenant. "and I'm going to tell you the same thing, Hank."

Tuning out the discussion Connor's soulful brown eyes trailed down to Hank's right hand as the senior detective had the same reaction Connor had, and his hands began to gesture with irritation where he sat. It was the first time Connor had seen Hank's right hand since the night he dragged Hank out of the bar, and noticed that his palm was going to be scarred for life thanks to his drunken stupor causing a horrible wound.

"Damn it, Jeffrey!" Hank swore loudly and brought Connor's attention back to the conversation against his will. "Why the fuck are we the ones traveling out to Ann Arbor to teach a bunch of rookies on how to handle deviant cases? Wouldn't it be easier for them to come here, maybe handle a few active cases in person as a form of hands-on training?"

"I get where you're coming from Hank, I really do, but the matter is set." Captain Fowler wasn't going to let Hank talk his way out of the request. "You two are going out to Ann Arbor this weekend, and you're going to play nice with this precinct or I'm going to have to suspend you again. One more suspension and you're going to have to fight for your job, you know that."

"Bullshit! This is just some excuse that the assholes sitting in a slightly cushier chair are using to make themselves look good!"

"Hank, enough." It was clear Captain Fowler was anticipating the outburst. "It's settled. You're both going. Head out Friday night and come back Sunday morning."

Swearing under his breath Hank reluctantly admitted defeat and practically stormed out of the office while Connor sat in his chair a while longer. Watching as Hank heavily sat down behind his desk Connor gave a slight shake of the head as he stood up far less dramatically and also departed from the office. Returning to his own desk Connor reached for his terminal screen to clock out, and noticed that his name placard had been turned slightly so Hank couldn't see the name 'Wolf' anymore.

Unsure of what to say, if anything at all, Connor clocked out and turned off his terminal screen as if nothing was wrong. "...I don't like it anymore than you do."

"Is it the drive out to Ann Arbor that you don't like," Hank dared to ask in a low voice. "or is it being stuck with me for a weekend?"

Unwilling to answer one way or the other Connor just walked away from his desk and kept his head held high. "I'll see you Friday, Lieutenant."

Turning to watch Connor walk away from the desk Hank just sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "...See you later, Sergeant."

_**-next chapter-**_


	77. Speaking Again

The rest of the week went on without incident, but when Friday came around the two detectives were suddenly edgy. It was a painfully quiet and tense drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor, and it was one that neither detective wanted to make. Remaining as silent and still as possible in the passenger seat Connor just gazed out the windows as the building snow clouds overhead became darker and thicker right before his eyes. The temperature had dropped considerably despite it being early November, and a cold advisory had gone into effect to ensure that everyone knew of the impending and dangerous snowstorm heading their way.

To stop the deafening quiet Hank had turned up the radio to a classic rock station playing some songs by 'Knights of the Black Death', and he cranked up the heater to let the whirring of the vents help fill the otherwise silent void. The only speaking voices in the car from from the radio and from the automated feminine voice of the G.P.S. mounted on the car's dashboard directing Hank to his destination.

Connor had been quietly texting Evelyn and asking about when she had free time so they could visit each other. She wanted to meet up the next weekend and had her fingers crossed that the flu that had hit her precinct would let up long enough to give her a leave of absence. Evelyn had also texted Connor a few pictures of herself standing in the ankle deep snow that was already burying Chicago, and joking that he had the right idea in leaving before winter hit.

"...Almost there." Hank stated as he cleared his throat nonchalantly to try to form some kind of civil dialogue between himself and Connor. "Damn hotel we have to stay at is one block from the precinct so it won't be too bad. But we do have to share a room."

"...That's fine."

Noticing the phone in Connor's hands Hank had to ask what was going on as Connor was rarely ever sociable. "Who the fuck have you been texting this whole damn time?"

"Don't worry about it."

Disliking the non-answer Hank gave Connor a somewhat annoyed glance but didn't push the matter. "...Whatever. Let's just get this bullshit taken care of so we don't end up buried in the snow and trapped out here any longer than we have to be."

Nodding a little Connor slipped his phone into his jean pocket and watched as the car was pulled into the hotel parking lot. Without saying another word Connor opened his door as Hank parked the vehicle, walked around the trunk of the car and retrieved his black backpack from the storage space before he headed inside the hotel to check-in.

Hank was almost proud of Connor for becoming more assertive when it came to his emotions and personal boundaries rather than apologizing all the time for existing and feeling whatever it was he was feeling, but at the same time he missed being able to talk to Connor like the son that he was to him. Despite their falling out Hank still thought of Connor as his son and could only hope that in time Connor would be able to see him as father again.

While Hank trailed after the younger detective inside the hotel lobby Connor had gotten the two keycards to their hotel room and was politely waiting by the elevator for Hank to catch up to him. The resentment he had toward Hank was beginning to fade as he could see that the senior detective was truly remorseful for his previous actions and had taken steps to undo his mistakes, but thanks to his biological father's abuse and CyberLife's manipulation Connor had developed serious trust issues and wasn't going to let his guard down any time soon.

Being struck by the one person Connor thought he could trust the most had amplified his issues tenfold.

"We have to be at the precinct by ten tomorrow morning." Hank stated as he pressed his right hand on the call button for the elevator and stood beside Connor as the younger man just waited for him to trudge over. "If we're lucky we can get everything taken care of in one afternoon head out Sunday before the storm gets too bad."

Remaining quiet Connor stepped into the elevator as the doors parted and Hank quickly joined him inside.

"This is a college town so hopefully all of the students went back home for the holidays so we don't have to deal with a bunch of drunk idiots having parties in the streets or some shit."

Humming in response Connor simply stepped out of the elevator after it reached their floor, located their room and used his keycard to unlock their room door and pushed it open with his left hand. The room was relatively large and held two queen sized beds for the detectives to use. The window overlooked the street facing the precinct that the two detectives were assigned to discuss the proper techniques in handling deviant cases, and all Connor could do was pull the curtains shut as he didn't want to think about dealing with indifferent rookie officers who were looking to make a name for themselves by solving a world famous case rather than protecting innocent people.

With the curtains closed the room dimmed as the setting sun was blocked out, and the interior lights of the room automatically brightened to compensate for the darkness. Sitting down on the bed closest to the window Connor dropped his backpack on the floor by his feet and resumed texting Evelyn as he was still struggling to let his anger go and finally forgive Hank.

'_You know him better than anyone_.' Evelyn texted from the distance while simultaneously being in Connor's corner for moral support. '_You know if he's being sincere or not_.'

Connor glanced up at Hank as the senior detective checked his own phone and used it to find a nearby take-out place so the two detectives wouldn't have to roam around the city in search of dinner.

"I hate ordering out when I'm in a hotel." Hank griped as he tossed his phone onto the bed. "But it's a lot cheaper than dealing with room service." Stretching out his sore back Hank sighed and made his way into the bathroom to try and relax for a moment. "...I need a damn shower."

The bathroom door slid shut and shortly thereafter the shower turned on as Hank tried to get the knot out of his tense back muscles from both driving the distance, and from the cold weather hurting his aged body.

Seeing an opportunity Connor switched from texting and called Evelyn to speak to her over the phone more directly. "...Hey."

'_Hey yourself_. _Please tell me you two didn't end up arguing about something on the way to Ann Arbor_.'

"No, we didn't talk at all."

'_Come on, Connor_. _From what you told me you two were pretty close before everything went down_.' She was truly empathetic over the phone as Connor whispered to her to keep Hank from listening in on the conversation. '_Why don't you just try talking to him like a normal person_?'

"What do normal people talk about?"

'_I honestly don't know if that was sarcastic or not, but try talking about your time in Chicago_._ Talk to him about why you left and why you came back_.'

"No, I don't want to do that." Shaking his head at the prospect Connor declined the suggestion. "He'll turn it into an interrogation."

'_Well, he is a detective, so_...'

"Ha, ha." The response was definitively sarcastic and heavy. "Funny."

'_Sorry_._ When I was a kid and I had fights with my sister or even my grandparents I would stay mad for a while, and then I'd find an excuse to talk to them again_. _It usually revolved around school, or what to watch on television and then after a while everything was back to normal_. _Maybe if you two just learn to talk again as friends you'll end up discussing that bad night and finally make amends_.'

Talk like friends again. That was something Connor had hoped to accomplish the night he dragged Hank out of the bar and back home to sober up. Maybe it was time to become friends again after all.

"You make it sound so easy, Evelyn."

'_I can tell you want to forgive him, and from what you've told me he's doing everything he can to try to apologize_. _I won't say just accept it and move on because I know you were hurt so many times in the past by other people you thought you could trust, so all I will say is remember why you were willing to trust Hank to begin with, and why you two became a family_. _You'll figure out what to say_.'

"...Thanks, Evelyn. It's nice having someone to talk to who doesn't have a bias in the matter."

'_No bias_. _I just want you to stay happy_. _And Connor, remember that you're not entirely innocent in this little fight, either_. _You did cross the line and you knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get under Hank's skin_.'

"...I know. You're right. I still need to apologize for that, too. And apologize while he's sober enough to understand me. Can I call you after I get back to Detroit in a couple days? I think this weekend might be hectic."

'_You can call me whenever you want, Connor_.'

"The same goes for you, Evelyn. Just call if you need anything, and do what you have to in order to escape the flu."

'_Take care of yourself, Connor_. _I'll talk to you soon_!'

"Yeah, soon. Bye."

'_Bye, Connor_. _I love you_.'

"I love you, too, Evelyn."

Ending the phone call Connor put his phone aside on the nightstand between the two beds and picked his backpack up from the floor. The late hour was fairly tiring as Connor had gotten used to working shifts at night and sleeping during the day, and his sleep schedule was off. Quickly changing from his jeans and dark blue long sleeved shirt into his gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt Connor laid back over the bed and rested his head against the relatively soft pillow as he closed his eyes, and tried to think of what he could say to Hank to break the tension in the air.

The senior detective stepped out of the bathroom wearing his own sweatpants and a faded black 'Nights of the Black Death' t-shirt after taking a nice hot shower, and did so in time to answer the door as the pizza delivery boy made it to the room. Paying for the delivery and giving the young kid a generous tip for venturing out in the cold Hank placed the pizza and two bottles of soda down on the desk positioned on the far wall across from the beds.

"It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

Connor opened his eyes and watched as Hank flipped open the lid on the pizza box and pulled out a slice to eat. "...Toppings?"

"Uh," Hank turned to look at Connor and showed him his selection. "pepperoni and mushroom."

"Hmm." Sitting upright on the bed Connor eyed the pizza and chose to remove a few of the pepperoni slices as he didn't want a bunch of spice in his diet for the moment. Being tired always made his weak appetite worse, and despite loving spicy food he knew to watch it from time to time. "...Thanks."

Hank nodded a little as he took a bite of his pizza and was relieved to see that Connor was eating without needing provocation. The fact that Connor had come back from Chicago in one piece and hadn't lost any weight was proof that the younger detective was indeed beyond capable of taking care of himself, and Hank realized he had been overprotective of Connor over the past year or so. It was understandable as to why Connor was feeling trapped and smothered.

"It'll be one or the other." Hank spoke up again to keep the silence at bay. "Tomorrow we'll either have to deal with a bunch of rookies who think they know what's up, or a bunch of seasoned pricks who think they don't have anything new to learn. Which is worse?"

"...I don't know. Neither sounds appealing."

"I can't say that you're wrong." Grabbing one of the bottles of sodas from the desk Hank sat down on the second bed and propped up his pillows against his back to take some of the weight off his aching spine. "...So, meet anyone interesting in Chicago?"

Connor paused mid chew as he turned to look at Hank, but kept his silence.

"Fowler let it slip the other day. Said you rescued a bunch of deviants who were taken to Chicago and forced into an underground fight club bullshit. He also said that's where Lucas was taken and that you saved his life."

Finishing his bite Connor finally answered the question. "...I didn't socialize much in Chicago. I had met my new partner and spent most of my time with her."

"Oh. Well, for what it's worth I'm glad you're back."

Struggling to engage in conversation as he was waiting for Hank to either bring up the incident, or maybe even snap a little, Connor fell quiet again.

"And I just want to tell you that I am going to remain completely sober for the rest of my life, no matter what it takes. No excuses," Hank put a slight edge to his voice to confirm the seriousness of his claim, but was in no way being hostile toward the younger detective. "and no more mistakes. Being dragged out of that bar and being told to 'shut up' was not my proudest moment."

"...I didn't enjoy it either."

"But being told you told that you don't think of yourself as my son anymore," Hank's blue eyes became dull as he spoke about that horrible night. "that was the real defining factor in my decision."

Connor turned away and stared at the floor as he realized Hank had in fact heard him before he left the house to return to Chicago.

"I swore I'd never hurt you or Lucas, and I fucked that up. But I also swore I'd never bury another son, and even if you don't consider me your father anymore I'm going to hang onto that promise and do whatever it takes to keep you and Lucas as safe as possible. I also swear that no matter what it takes I will earn back your trust. _Earn it_, Connor. Not just expect it from you because of what we had gone through together."

Unable to look at Hank in any way Connor just laid back on the bed and kept his silence as he struggled with his thoughts and emotions.

"...And I am sorry. Truly sorry for what I had done. I can't turn back time to change the past and stop myself from hurting you, but I can do my damnedest to keep myself from fucking up anymore in the future when it comes to you boys."

Connor finally found his voice, even if it was just a whisper, and responded to Hank's comments. "...I'm the one who provoked you. I shouldn't have mentioned your late wife. It was cruel and it was cold, I'm sorry for saying what I said."

"...Maybe." Grateful to have Connor speaking to him again Hank continued his apology. "But I shouldn't have hit you. There's never an excuse for hitting your own kid."

"Hank, could you please stop referring to me as a 'kid'? I'm younger than you, I get it, but I'm not a child."

"...Sorry. I didn't mean to offend ya'."

"It's not offensive, it's irritating. Would you want to be referred to as 'old man' or 'pops' all the time?"

"Alright, I get it." The gruffness of Hank's voice crept in as he acknowledged the comment. It wasn't meant to be intimidating but with Hank's natural demeanor and reputation the intimidation bled through his words without any real intent. "I won't call you 'kid' anymore. Only Connor or Sergeant."

Once more Connor felt as if he may have provoked Hank, but he told himself that it wasn't wrong to stand up for himself and set up his boundaries. He wasn't a child anymore. He wasn't a victim of abuse anymore, either. He wasn't going to let anyone tell him what do with his life. Human or deviant Connor had to accept he was truly alive, and not just existing while awaiting his next orders from another person.

Hank just stared at Connor's back as the younger deviant grabbed onto his phone and rolled from his back and onto his side away from him. Running his left hand through his gray locks of hair Hank decided it'd be best to not push it and leave Connor alone for the rest of the night.

Eager to get his back to stop hurting him Hank laid back and tucked one pillow under his lower back and the other pillow under his head. Turning off the overhead light by waving his hand over the motion sensor beside the nightstand Hank closed his eyes and tried to get some rest. "Goodnight, Connor."

"...Goodnight, Hank."

Connor noticed the change in lighting and pulled the quilt up around himself as he continued to text Evelyn seeking her advice as he didn't want to stay mad at Hank, but he couldn't stop feeling offended by the way Hank was still treating him.

Like a child.

'_You told him to not call you a "kid" anymore_?'

"Yes. I've come to find the term demeaning and not enduring."

'_Did you tell him why_?'

"Yes. I told him I find it irritating."

'_But not "demeaning"_?'

Connor's thumbs faltered over his text screen before he replied. "No. I didn't mention that part. He apologized for offending me but I told him it was irritating instead."

'_Don't be afraid to tell him how you really feel_.'

"It's not that simple for me. I had been emotionally repressed my entire life by my abusive biological father, and when I spent time as an android CyberLife prevented me from having any emotions whatsoever. My deviancy allowed me to feel again, but I've been emotionally stunted for so long I don't even really know what I'm feeling or why I'm feeling that way right now."

'_Just try talking to him_. _In time you'll begin talking things out and you'll understand what you're going through_. _You're doing great, don't stop now_.'

"It sounds like I've been traumatized now that I've seen my own words typed out before myself."

'_You may have well been traumatized_. _Therapy can help_. _It helped me when I lost my grandparents and opened up about my abusive mother and my father never being there for me_. _ Keep talking and don't be afraid to ask for help_.'

"This weekend is going to suck more than I had already feared. I don't know what to do now."

'_You'll be okay, Connor_. _Survive your seminar and go back to Detroit where things are a little more normal_.'

"I think 'normal' is a generous term."

'_Keep talking like that and I'll walk to Detroit just to see you_.'

"Don't do that. Getting stranded in the cold is NOT fun."

'_Speaking from experience_?'

"Unfortunately, yes." The memory of being trapped in his own freezing blizzard-filled mind by Amanda was still as vivid and frightening as ever. In time the nightmares associated with the cold had faded, but that didn't make the memory any less terrifying when it came to the surface. "That's another story for another time."

'_Then as soon as we're back together you can tell me about it_. _Tell me everything, Connor_.'

"I'd prefer to discuss something more cheerful, but if that's what you want then I'll tell you."

'_I just want to be with you, honestly_.'

"Same."

'_Then survive the weekend and call me when you're home_. _I can't wait to see you again_!'

"I will, I promise. Goodnight, Evelyn. I love you."

'_Goodnight, Connor, I love you, too_._ See you soon_!'

Turning off his phone Connor put it back on the nightstand and stared at the curtains drawn over the window. He could see a small opening between the dark curtain and the window that let him see the large flakes of snow beginning to fall from the dark snow clouds as the blizzard made its grand entrance over the helpless city beneath it.

"I hate the cold." Connor muttered to himself as he pulled the thick quilt tighter around himself. "...Especially the snow."

_**-next chapter-**_


	78. Sons

The sky was bright on the cold, wintry morning. A pure white layer of clouds had been overshadowed by rogue gray snow clouds all throughout the horizon and smothered out the blue expanse beyond it. Massive white snowflakes fell from the sky in thick sheets and easily covered everything they touched under a pristine layer of flawless white ice. The trees, houses and even powerlines were all sheathed in a thick layer of ice that glistened in the natural light that struggled to pierce through the thick cloud cover overhead.

Already sick of the cold air Hank let out an annoyed sigh as he drove through the snowy streets of Ann Arbor with Connor at his side as his only passenger. The early fall snowstorm had rocked the lower half of the state in the middle of the night, which in turn had caused the city to enter a level one snow emergency as schools and small business were closed for the day. Unfortunately the mandatory meeting that Hank and Connor had been so graciously assigned had gone on as scheduled, which of course meant after the meeting was over the duo had the chore of returning to Detroit by traversing the snow and ice slicked roads leading back to their home forty-eight minutes away to assist in taking care of their city during the snow emergency.

Hank let out an annoyed sigh as he drove through the snowy streets of Ann Arbor with Connor at his side as his only passenger. As the car idled at a red light Connor glanced out his window and watched as a group of school children gathered in a large park and began building snow forts, snowmen, pulled around their sleds and began picking sides for a snowball fight. As the playful fight began between the two teams Connor felt himself shiver at the very thought of going out in the snow during this weather just to play.

The unusual display taking place elicited a chorus of laughter and shouting from the participants which contrasted against the seemingly violent nature of the game being played. In Connor's personal experience fighting was no enjoyable, and it was nothing to laugh at.

"...Those children are fighting with one another." Connor observed with a tangible confusion in his voice as he stared out the window. "I don't understand how anyone can find that fun."

Hank turned his head to look out Connor's window for a moment before he stared back through the front windshield waiting for the light to turn green. "It's called a 'snowball fight', Connor. Kids have them all the time, you should know that."

"...A fight's a fight. It's violent, unpleasant and unnecessary."

"It's just what kids do. I can't explain it." The light finally turned green and Hank pulled through the intersection as he followed the directions on his G.P.S. back to Detroit to return home.

"Did you participate in snowball fights as a kid?"

"...Yeah, I did."

"Didn't the violence ever-"

"Stop." Hank sounded annoyed and ready to snap. The outburst had caused Connor's soulful brown eyes to widen in surprise as he turned to look at Hank with thick guilt in his gaze. "I can't explain every little damn thing people do. Humans are just fuckin' weird. We're violent and we're stupid. There's nothing more to it."

"...I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I'll stop asking questions." Connor turned away from the snowball fight outside and peered through the windshield silently. "I didn't mean to irritate you."

The offense in Connor's voice struck a nerve with the senior detective and he immediately felt like an ass for barking at the younger detective, especially after everything he's been through. "...No, Connor. _I'm_ sorry." Keeping his left hand on the steering wheel Hank ran his right hand through his gray hair in building distress. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that. You didn't say anything wrong."

"...It's okay."

"I just... I hate winter." Clearly on edge Hank seemed to glare through the building snow as the windshield wipers pushed it aside in rhythmic swipes over the glass. "It's cold, everything is gray and dead, people get sick, people get hurt because of all the fuckin' ice and cold, the roads become..." It was to painful to continue his original train of thought. "Everything just gets worse."

"I understand." Connor knew that Hank had his own very good reason for hating the season and he didn't need to explain it. It was during the winter that Hank had tragically lost Cole in the car accident, and it was all due to the dangerous weather and a negligent doctor. "You don't have to justify your emotions. I'll be quiet, now."

"Don't." Still feeling like a jerk Hank urged for Connor to not be silent. "Don't go quiet on me. Like I said, you didn't do or say anything wrong."

"...Perhaps some music then?" Connor suggested casually as he turned on the radio and found the first channel playing heavy metal music. Turning up the volume to an audible degree Connor sat back against his seat with perfect posture and folded his hands together neatly over his lap. "We'll also be able to monitor the weather reports this way."

Hank briefly glanced over at Connor, noting the deviant's ramrod posture and stoically unreadable face before returning his full attention to the road stretching out before him.

The falling snow was as obstructive as it was thick. The roads were becoming increasingly slick with building grease and ice causing Hank to slow the car's speed to keep it from skidding out of control, or slipping into the opposite lane of traffic. As the snowstorm continued to rage on the radio station cut away to an emergency broadcast bulletin regarding the weather.

'_As of 02:43pm the counties of Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne, Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale are now under a level two alert advisory until 08:00pm tomorrow night. Repeat, level two alert advisory until 08:00pm tomorrow night for_-'

"Shit." Hank turned off the radio and let out a deep sigh of building frustration. "We need to get home. There's no fuckin' way we'll find a hotel in this weather."

"The most direct route back to Detroit is also our current route. We should reach the city in about two hours."

"Fantastic. Wonder how many idiot drivers are going to be on the road tonight?"

"...Including us?"

Hank briefly grinned at the comment as it made things feel slightly more normal. "Smartass."

Connor used his phone to keep track of weather reports and attempted to stay ahead of road closures before it was too late to make a correct turn. "Hank, the expressway has been closed due to the dangerous weather. I have downloaded an alternate route to Detroit in my phone."

"Son of a- Alright, fine..." Hank noted the change of direction as Connor uploaded the new route from his phone to the and into the G.P.S. on the dashboard to drive accordingly. "As long as we get back to the city I don't care how we do it."

The time ticked by sluggishly as the car slowly inched toward the city through the building snow and ice. Barely able to see the road before him Hank slowed even further as the car turned onto a somewhat desolate road in favor of the detour that the G.P.S. was guiding him along, and the tires struggled to maintain traction on the unplowed road.

Trees sheathed under thick layers of piercing snow and ice lined the road with an ominous presence as the storm strengthened with each passing minute. The dark clouds overhead began to thicken as the snow fell in massive sheets that practically blinded Hank as he attempted to drive through the snowstorm, and could easily bury the car under feet of smothering snow in a matter of minutes.

Remaining in control of his every decision Hank took a deep breath and focused on his driving. The day was eerily reminiscent of the horrendous night that Cole had been killed in the car accident. It was snowing, and ice covered everything it touched. Another driver just trying to get home had lost control of his vehicle and had struck Hank's own car causing it to roll twice before coming a stop on its side. Hank had fractured a couple ribs, but Cole had suffered internal injuries from physical trauma to his chest and abdomen.

It was easy enough to patch up Hank's injuries but for Cole it was a special case. He needed emergency surgery to stop the internal hemorrhaging, but the only emergency surgeon on call that night was high out of his mind on 'red ice'. The attending android medic had done their best to keep Cole alive on the operating table until another surgeon could've been located but by then it was too late.

Cole didn't survive the surgery.

A rogue tear began to roll down Hank's face as the senior detective stared through the snowstorm brewing all around the car, and the bleak memory settled into the front of his mind like a crushing lead weight.

"Hank?" Connor interrupted Hank's intense concentration and dark thoughts with a gentle voice. "Are you alright?"

Too preoccupied with his own inner darkness that consumed his mind Hank didn't hear Connor's voice and remained silent.

"Hank?" Needing to reach the senior detective Connor tried again and put his left hand to Hank's right shoulder to try to get a response. "Are you-"

As soon as Connor's hand met his shoulder Hank shrugged it off bitterly and quickly wiped away the tear on his face with a quick wipe of his right hand before returning it to the wheel. "What?"

"You seem distracted, if not emotionally-"

"I'm _fine_." Very close to snapping again Hank blurted angrily as he tried to brush off the incident as nothing more than fatigue. "...Tired. I'm _just_ tired."

"Do you want me to drive?"

"No, no. I got this." It wasn't that Hank didn't trust Connor to drive through the storm it was that he still didn't fully trust himself to navigate the snowy roads after he lost Cole in the accident. He needed to do this, he needed to drive in order to prove to himself that the accident truly wasn't his fault, to prove that he hadn't failed Cole as a protector and guardian. "I'm fine. Really."

"...Very well." The younger detective studied Hank's face and noted that the detective was exhibiting all signs of emotional distress. "If you get too tired I-"

"I know." Needing to focus on the storm Hank snapped again as he tried to concentrate on the road. "I'll tell you."

Resuming his quiet disposition Connor returned his focus back to the road ahead of the car and actively studied the passing environment through his side window. The severe cold of the snowstorm had caused significant damage to the aged and poorly maintained wooden power poles the lined the road, and the same could be said for the roads ravaged by unpredictable and extreme weather changes. Slick muddy surfaces now coated in ice made the roads all the more difficult to navigate, and the harsh blowing wind only added an unnecessary secondary level of difficulty to the journey home.

Doing his best to ignore his painful memories Hank was the one to finally cut through the dense silence as he eyed the fuel gauge warily and noted the remaining distance recorded on the G.P.S. screen on the dashboard. "How far away are we from the city?"

"In distance or time?"

"Time."

Connor looked down at his phone and calculated the time frame on Hank's behalf. "About forty-two minutes."

"Great..."

Unseen by either detective a dangerous collapse over the road just a few yards ahead. A power pole that had rotted to the core had snapped under the mounting weight of the building ice and the pressure of the gusting wind. As it fell it collided with two surrounding trees suffering from root rot forcing the trees to snap and crash over the road creating a massive impassible barricade of nature.

It was a domino effect of heavy lumber as the surrounding trees and power poles snapped, falling in a cascade of timber and ice all around the road behind the wall of billowing white snow.

Before either detective had the chance to make a comment about the catastrophic conditions a tree collapsed over the road directly in front of the car with a thunderous 'crash'. Hank attempted to stop but the slick conditions proved the effort to be in vain and the car slid around uncontrollably despite Hank's skill at attempting to keep the car stable.

In a matter of seconds the car slid on its four locked wheels along a streak of muddy ice directly toward the large obstructive tree over the road. The out-of-control vehicle struck a blind pothole hidden beneath a thick layer of snow during the slide. The impact of the front tire against the deep, unforgiving pothole caused the car to tilt, and the ice forced the off balance vehicle to slip entirely onto its side as it continued to slide toward the tree. The car tilted completely on its side causing it to roll over four times before coming to crushing halt against the side of the tree, landing upside onto its roof in a chorus of crunching metal and shattering glass as time itself seemed to suddenly stand still.

Everything was still and everything was silent.

* * *

The afternoon sun had given way to the evening but the storm continued to rage on without any sign of slowing or stopping. Snow, ice and wind proceeded to howl as the storm quickly buried the upside down wrecked vehicle under a layer of contrasting pure white against the vehicle's darker body that had been marked by thick, brown mud. Blackness encompassed the two occupants of the now wrecked vehicle as the horrific crash took its toll on the duo in the same merciless fashion of their totaled car.

A strangely familiar and pained groan was enough to pierce through the darkness of Hank's mind as his stolen consciousness steadily returned.

Opening his blue eyes Hank was greeted by a throbbing pain in the left side of his head and his left shoulder as the blackness in his vision began to steadily brighten. The sickly sweet taste of blood was present in his mouth causing him to swallow in an attempt to remove the foulness, but all it did was upset his stomach. A massive cut was running along the left side of his face, starting from his hairline and stretching down across his face toward the bridge of his nose. Numerous smaller cuts marred his face, neck and hands with small bits of glass fragments that stung at him mercilessly with each movement he dared to make.

Letting out a weak groan of pain of his own Hank found the strength to speak through his pain and call out to the second passenger of the car. "...C...Connor?"

No answer.

As Hank opened his eyes fully he became aware of the blistering cold wind stinging at his face and his hands as he laid on his pained left side atop the ice laden roof of his own car. The front windshield had been shattered and allowed the wind to freely blow through the car in strong gusts, and with it came the very snow and ice that had caused the accident itself. Glancing about to gain his bearings Hank realized the vehicle was upside down and that the older seatbelts of the vehicle had broken from their support binds during the accident, allowing both Hank and Connor to fall free after the car landed on the roof.

Pushing himself upright on his right hand, his palm becoming agonizingly speckled with fragments of glass, Hank looked about the carnage of the wrecked vehicle. His eyes fell onto the motionless form of Connor who had been rendered semi unconscious by the accident. The young detective was frighteningly pale, laying on his back with his left arm draped over his stomach and his right arm stretched out at his side. There was a massive red stain of blood spreading over the center of his white dress shirt and gray vest under his arm, and along the roof all around the injured duo.

As Connor let out a gasping cough Hank saw the small specks of fresh red blood that escaped the injured younger detective's lips in tandem with the painful sounding breaths that were frighteningly weak.

"...C-Connor?"

Awkwardly Hank dragged himself toward the his wounded partner with his forearms and came to a rest beside his injured friend. Reaching his right hand up to Connor's neck Hank pressed his fingertips down against the left side of Connor's cold throat and registered a weak rapid pulse. The wounded detective was still breathing, but each breath he took was slow, deep and strained.

"...Connor?"

Numerous cuts left deep red bloody wounds over Connor's face and neck, but it was the already massive and still growing red stain over Connor's abdomen that drew Hank's full concern.

"Connor?"

Hank tried to get the injured younger detective's attention again as he awkwardly shifted his weight so he could balance on his knees while inside the upside down car. Moving his hands to Connor's abdomen Hank pushed aside Connor's arm and peeled back the lapels of the leather jacket, the gray suit jacket, vest and then pulled open the stained fabric of the white dress shirt beneath. A massive shard of jagged glass had become embedded in Connor's left side creating a gaping, bleeding wound that nearly gushed blood with each deep slow breath the young man took.

"Oh, fuck... Connor?!"

Pressing his right hand down against Connor's abdomen and chest near the injury site Hank was met with a groan of pain from Connor as the pressure caused a steady pain to throb in his left side. Palpating the wound in the abdomen with a careful touch Hank watched intently as the injured young detective's brown irises slowly reappeared as he began to regain consciousness.

"Connor? Look at me..." Hank urged as he put his left hand to the right side of Connor's bloody face gently. His skin was already dangerously cold, like that of a corpse, and alarmingly pale. "You're going to be okay, son. I'm going to get you through this."

"...H-Hank?"

"I'm here, it's okay." Hank pressed the palm of his hand firmer against Connor's cheek to try to give the confused younger man some modicum of comfort. "I'll get you some help."

"...I... I already called... 911." Connor weakly stated and licked at the drying blood that had stained his lips from his earlier weak cough. The used phone slipped out from under his left palm as he moved his arms lightly, then fell limp. "...Might take... a m-minute... to get here..." Reaching up his own trembling, bloody right hand Connor grabbed onto Hank's left shoulder weakly, causing Hank to wince a little under Connor's palm. "...You're injured."

"I'm fine, ki- _Connor_. It's just a cut."

"...Your shoulder is... p-partially... dislocated." Connor noted with a brief but effective exam with just his hand. He then slipped his hand from Hank's shoulder to the left side of Hank's chest with the same weak pressure. "Fractured ribs..." Connor was losing strength quickly as he spoke and diagnosed Hank's condition to the best of his ability. "...H-Hypothermia setting in. Low blood... p-pressure."

"Connor?" Hank didn't like the way Connor was breathing or the way his speech was slurring. Grabbing the young detective's blood covered right hand from his chest Hank held it just a little too tightly to try to cause enough pain to keep Connor alert. "Connor, talk to me. How badly are you injured?"

Unable to respond verbally Connor's breath stuttered and he let out a groan of agony and fought to remain conscious.

"Connor! Come on, keep focused, keep talking." Hank squeezed Connor's hand even tighter as he raised his voice. "Connor! You're injured, stay awake and tell me what's going on."

"...I'm... I'm bl-bleeding internally. My... My liver." His pained eyes began to drift shut as fatigue set in quickly and stole his already waning strength.

"Hey, hey, hey..." Determined to keep the young man awake Hank patted Connor's cheek just hard enough to rouse the younger detective without hurting him. "Stay awake! Talk to me. What about your liver? What's happened to you?"

"It..." Struggling to speak Connor took a deep shuddering breath and winced as the motion caused the glass embedded in his side to shift uncomfortably. "It was... pierced. I'm... I'm bl-bleeding... going into... h-hypovolemic... shock."

Hank's blue eyes went wide at the revelation. He didn't need to be a doctor to know that any internal organ that was bleeding was going to cause serious, if not fatal, complications for the victim. If the organ had been damaged by the glass and was now bleeding then that meant Connor was at risk of bleeding to death within a matter of hours, maybe even minutes, without proper medical attention.

Right now the only thing keeping Connor alive was the pressure being applied to the wound by Hank, and the painful cold causing his blood circulation to slow as his body temperature continued to drop.

"Alright, bear with me..." Keeping himself calm Hank remembered his emergency training and proceeded to give the wounded younger man the most effective first aid that he could until the paramedics arrived. "How do I stop the bleeding?" Hank asked in a level tone, but Connor was beginning to close his eyes again and Hank firmly squeezed his right hand in return. "Connor?! Tell me what to do!"

"...Ap-Apply pressure to the wound. Add m-more... pressure." Connor suddenly snapped back to the waking world with a painful gasp. Trembling from the cold and blood loss almost made it look like Connor was convulsing. "I... I will t-try to hold... still."

"Okay," Hank shook his head a little, the pain returning to his skull from the simple motion. "so how do I apply pressure to your wound without touching or removing the glass in the process? I won't pull it out."

Connor's struggling breathing stopped entirely and his head began to loll limply to the side against Hank's right hand unexpectedly.

"No, no, no." Hank patted Connor's cheek again as he tried to get a response. "Do NOT fall asleep, alright? Wake up! Breathe!"

Obediently Connor took in a deep but pained breath as he regained consciousness, and let out a pained groan in return.

"That's it. Good. How do I apply pressure without hurting you?"

Snapping his eyes fully open Connor locked onto Hank's face, his eyes quickly glazing over as his strength ebbed away. "...M-My jacket."

"Your jacket." Parroting Connor's words Hank looked down at the gray garment beneath the leather jacket and over top the vest. "Okay, I can work with that."

Using a gentle motion Hank slipped his right hand under Connor's head and neck to lift the injured younger man upward then moved his left hand to Connor's shoulder to pull his right arm from the sleeve from his leather jacket, and then the gray suit jacket beneath. Repeating the action for the left arm Hank was able to free Connor's limbs from the two garments before pulling the dress jacket out from beneath Connor's bloody body, and did so without moving the glass in his chest and abdomen in the process.

Leaving the leather jacket behind added a layer of warm padding between Connor's back and the cold metal surface of the car roof underneath.

"It's a good thing you wore both jackets today. Hell, even that vest can help you keep warm for a while."

Tucking the thin dressier jacket around the massive shard of glass Hank was able to control the flow of blood and keep it from spurting out of the wound, while also keeping the snow and ice from entering the wound itself. Placing his right palm down against the jacket Hank began applying additional pressure to help stem the bleeding further which in turned caused Connor to groan in pain again.

"Connor. Stay awake, okay? I don't want you to f-fall asleep on me." Hank was beginning to shiver as the cold cut through his bloodied skin and shock was beginning to set it as his adrenaline rush passed. His own voice was beginning to shake with the cold, but he was determined to help Connor survive. "Stay with m-me."

"...Cold."

"I know son, I am t-too." Hank looked around hoping to see something, anything he could use to keep Connor warm. With nothing at his immediate disposal Hank pulled himself a little bit closer to Connor hoping that maybe they could conserve body heat even though the two were already suffering ill effects from mild hypothermia. "Help will be here, s-soon."

Blinking slowly Connor managed to utter a single word. "...Sleep."

"No, Connor!" Hank rebuttoned Connor's white shirt in a desperate bid to keep the relentless cold at bay. "Don't f-fall asleep."

"...Tired."

"Stay awake."

"...Lost... too m-much... blood."

Hank shook his head again as he looked down at the blood stained jacket, and noted that the lost blood had already coagulated from the combination of cold, applied pressure, and the now lack of motion disturbing the glass shard still embedded within Connor's lower chest and upper abdomen. "The bleeding has s-stopped. You sh-should start feeling better in a few minutes."

"...No." Connor's voice raised as he lifted his head up weakly and settled back down to a near motionless state. "...There's another... w-wound."

At the comment Hank's eyes went wide again as he looked over Connor's body and tried to find any additional bleeding aside from the small cuts all over the young detective's face, neck and hands. Running his hands gently over Connor's chest and abdomen Hank checked for any sign of additional internal hemorrhaging, swelling or broken bones, but there was no additional damage that Hank could find in his torso.

"Connor, I can't find any other injury."

"...N-Not internal."

"Not internal." Hank whispered as he then checked over Connor's arms and found the two limbs to still be intact, the bones unbroken. Rocking back awkwardly on his heels Hank ran his hands down Connor's legs only to freeze when his hand touched Connor's blood drenched right knee and the injured young detective let out a deep groan of pain from the contact. "Sorry, sorry!"

"...M-My leg."

"I know, son. I'm going to l-look at it." Pushing himself back and away from the crumpled front of the car Hank managed to position himself right next to Connor's legs and rolled up the the blood saturated denim from the affected limb. The damage beneath wasn't something that Hank was expecting. "...Shit."

"...It h-hurts."

"...I know."

Connor's right knee was smashed in at a painful angle that severed numerous blood vessels and veins running down the limb. The bleeding was significant and Hank could see that Connor's leg from the knee down was pale, gray and slightly blue from the lack of proper circulation. Moving his fingers down toward Connor's ankle Hank felt for a pulse down the length of the limb, but there was none to be found.

"I-I need to tie a tourniquet." Hank crawled back up toward Connor's face and put his cold right hand to Connor's shoulders and loosened the black tie from around the young detective's neck before slipping it away. "Good thing you wear this damn, ugly thing. It c-comes in handy from time t-to time."

Despite his pain Connor managed to smile weakly as Hank took the tie and returned to tending to his broken right knee.

"This is going to hurt, I m-mean... more than it already d-does." As much as he hated to do it Hank warned Connor as he wrapped the tie around Connor's leg just above his mangled knee, and pulled the fabric tight. "I'm sorry in advance, b-by the way!"

Fighting the urge to kick Hank away from his leg Connor bit at his lower lip with a deep and poorly repressed moan of pain, and endured the agony while Hank tied off the tourniquet. Once pulled tight the tourniquet successfully stopped the excessive bleeding from the damaged veins exposed in his leg, and absorbed the already lost blood readily.

"I'm sorry."

"...s'okay." Connor slurred weakly as his eyes began to close again from pain and exhaustion.

"Connor? Connor!" Hank scrambled back up toward Connor's face and grabbed onto his shoulders to shake him awake. Pulling open the top buttons of Connor's white dress shirt Hank glanced at the nearly invisible scar on Connor's chest where his incision long since healed since his heart surgery. There was no bruising or sign of internal damage to Connor's heart, but even then Hank was still worried that Connor was in worse shape than he was admitting. "Please, son." Hank begged desperately as he returned his focus to Connor's face and patted his left cheek lightly. "Stay awake."

"...Tired."

"I know you are, but please. Just try to keep awake." The pleading in Hank's voice was as painful as the very wounds he was trying to ignore as he fought to keep Connor alive in the horrific cold isolation. "Try, that's all I ask. _Try_."

"...T-Trying." Connor's glassy eyes remained shut but he kept making the effort to open them up once more. "...I'm trying."

"Talk to me, Connor. Ask me all the questions you want." Hank nearly begged with an emotional tone of voice as he tried to keep Connor awake. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier, I was just being a dick. Forgive me for snapping at you, I didn't mean to do it."

"...No need to... f-forgive you." The younger man stated without hesitation as his voice began to quiet down. "It's okay... I know you... have your... reasons. I-I'm the one... who's sorry."

"For what?"

"...Running away. B-Being a bad... son."

"You're NOT a bad son! You were just... angry." Fighting the urge to tear the car apart so he could carry Connor to a hospital himself Hank just stayed beside his son protectively. Hank was determined to not lose another son to a stupid, pointless car accident and wouldn't give up on him. "I know wh-what it's like to make p-poor choices while angry. I'm ex-expert on being im-impulsive and angry."

"...Forgive me?"

"Connor, I never held any grudge! I g-get it. You're my son and y-your stubborn. I'm used to it." Repositioning himself so his back was toward the gusting wind as it tore through the mangled car as a means of shielding Connor from the cold Hank tried to keep Connor talking, and keep him warm. "We... We both fucked up this time."

"...For what it's worth... I-" Coughing harshly Connor was cut-off mid sentence and he felt Hank press his right palm down against the center of his chest to help him remain as still as possible.

"Hey, it's okay. Take it easy." Doing everything he could to keep Connor alert and as still as possible. "You were asking about why kids play in snowball fights earlier, right?"

"...Y-Yeah."

"The reason kids do that," Hank shivered violently as he fought back against the cold by huddling down closer toward Connor. "is because it's fun. Plain and simple. It's a fun game. I used to have s-snowball fights with Cole once he was big enough to throw 'em at me. _We_ had fun... Together. I miss it. It's not violent when everyone is having a g-good time, it's just a game. It doesn't mean anything. It's just... fun."

Connor's reflexively swallowed almost like he was trying to speak, but his voice failed to respond as he let out a weak breath.

"Connor?"

Hank pressed his right fingertips to the side of Connor's neck again but couldn't register a pulse. Holding his breath Hank lowered his head down to Connor's chest, careful not to put any pressure on the neighboring glass shard jutting out of his chest, to listen to his his heart. He exhaled hesitatingly as he heard the slow thrumming of the young man's heart still beating in his chest.

"Come on, you have to keep your eyes open." Hank straightened up again and put his left hand under Connor's hair to cradle the younger detectives head up from the cold metal roof carefully. "Please."

Despite Hank's request Connor's eyes remained shut as his head lolled unconsciously in Hank's hand once more. As his body became limp and heavy under Hank's grip the senior detective was overwhelmed with brutally vivid memories of the accident that had taken Cole's life, and he could feel and hear his own heart thundering with renewed adrenaline in his chest.

"No, Connor. Don't do this!"

Pressing his ear back down to Connor's freezing and stilled chest Hank failed to detect even the faintest of a heartbeat. Almost daring himself to move Hank let go of Connor as he gently placed him back down on the flat surface beneath them.

"Not like this, Connor." The bold detective defied loudly as he let his training as a first responder kick-in. "I'm NOT going to let you die like this!"

Holding his breath Hank placed his hands down over top Connor's stilled chest, one hand over to of the other with his fingers interlaced, and began compressing the stopped heart under his palms. Each compression downward against Connor's chest tightened a knot in Hank's stomach as the idea of physically forcing Connor's heart back into motion was utterly sickening. The red cool blood oozing around the penetrating glass sticking out of Connor's body only made his stomach feel absolutely horrendous.

"Come on, son! P-Please, you need to stay with me!"

Unresponsive Connor's body lolled slightly under Hank's controlled strength and rhythmic compressions. The younger man's pale face was alarming, and his blood stained lips were becoming pale blue from the lack of breathing and inactive heartbeat.

"Connor, don't do this..." Hank ignored the feeling of Connor's ribs bowing and buckling under his hands as he tried to get his son to respond. "Breathe... Breathe damn it!"

The younger detective let out a weak gasp that was barely audible over the billowing wind swirling around the car as his heart fluttered back into motion beneath Hank's palms.

"That's it..." Hank encouraged as he pulled his hands up from Connor's chest and slipped his right hand beneath Connor's head to hold him up slightly from the cold surface of the car's roof again. "Just stay w-with me for a little while longer. Okay? Don't... Don't give up."

Staring at Connor's pale face Hank swore the younger detective's facade suddenly changed to that of Cole for the briefest of seconds. The same dark hair, the pale cold skin and even right down to the near motionlessness of Connor's body as he laid dying in the wrecked frame of the car, all flashed right before Hank's eyes.

"No..." Wrapping his arms beneath Connor's body Hank lifted the younger man up and held him against his chest to try to keep him warm. Running his right hand through Connor's thick dark hair Hank found himself fighting the urge to shed the tears he had long since repressed with alcohol and isolation. "Cole! Son! Please... Stay with me! I won't lose you again... I won't lose my son."

Sitting in the cold car with his dying son wrapped up in his arms Hank felt the warm tears on his face quickly freezing over as the blizzard outside bombarded the smashed car mercilessly. Refusing to let Connor go, refusing to leave the young man to die in the cold or bleed to death, Hank held onto him tightly. Alone and determined to survive Hank endured the lethal cold that damaged his nose, his ears, his fingers and was beginning to injure his hands as nasty frostbite ate away at his heat deprived and exposed flesh.

Closing his own eyes Hank held onto Connor as tightly as he could while his own breaths began to gnaw at his chest as the fractured ribs and partial dislocation of his left shoulder pained him considerably while he held Connor in his arms. With each escaping breath Hank felt his body becoming fatigued and colder to the point of numbness in his extremities. Shivering noticeably the senior detective embraced his fallen partner's body, his son, while awaiting the slow and inevitable creep of death to benevolently finally put him out of his misery.

"Do you r-remember the night you found me at the b-bar?" Hank asked aloud, believing that in some way Connor could still hear and understand him. "I was d-drunk and trying to get d-drunker. When I saw y-your face I thought I had f-finally gone crazy."

Stifling a sob Hank cleared his voice ignored the stabbing cold that was actually killing his hands. The sun was beginning to set and the already dark sky darkened even further as the cold intensified with a horrid vengeance.

"The w-way you looked... The way y-you looked _at me_, it was like s-seeing Cole all grown up and b-back from the dead. I just... I just couldn't t-take it. The sight of y-you. It was like f-fate itself was mocking me."

Trembling violently Hank huddled over Connor's body protectively as he spoke to the dying deviant in his arms softly.

"You two h-have the same hair, the same d-dark eyes even w-with his eyes b-being blue and y-your eyes being brown, y-you the same f-fair skin and freckles... Hell, you t-two even have the same damn smile. It w-was like seeing the p-past and the f-future all at once. It s-scared me."

Connor never said a word as Hank supported his broken body and tried to keep him sheltered from the fatal cold that swirled around them. As Connor's head lolled to the side and up against Hank's shoulder the senior detective tried to not think about the inevitability of death.

"Connor... I'm p-proud to call you my son." Hank whispered in a quaking voice as the wind masked his words behind deafening howls. "The n-night you broke into the h-house all that t-time ago you found m-me at my worst. B-But you didn't judge me. Y-You chose to h-help me even after I t-tried to push you away. I... I told you I w-wanted to kill myself b-because of my past, and instead of t-trying to lock me away or c-convince me to see a shrink. Y-You just gave me the t-time I needed t-to think." His right hand continuously rubbed through Connor's hair as he spoke. The broken detective forced his voice to steady out of sheer force of will. "I... I realized that if y-you, someone who w-was programmed to be a cold, h-heartless machine could l-learn to think, to f-feel, to live... Then m-maybe I could learn to live again, too. You s-saved my life that night, and then you gave me something to live for."

Strength ebbing away Hank leaned forward as he continued to hold Connor, his arms trembling and his grip loosening but never letting go.

"I know I've never said it to you before and I'll be damned if I let you go without saying it now: I love you, son."

Darkness encroached over the senior detective's vision as his eyes slowly closed and he collapsed in an unconscious heap inside the mangled wreck of the car with Connor still cradled protectively in his arms.

The snow fell from the sky in white sheets as the sun set in the horizon giving way to utter blackness along the icy desolate road.

"...I love you, son."

* * *

The darkness faded as strange voices spoke all around Hank and he felt a building warmth radiating over his body. The rhythmic sound of beeping filled his ears as the heavy haze that hung over his consciousness began to lift steadily. He became aware of something pressed against his upper lip under his nose, but couldn't quite place the sensation. Weakly Hank tried to clench his hands into fists but there were thick bandages surrounding his fingers making the effort impossible. A slight sting was radiating from the bend in his right arm, and a sling was around his left arm that had kept the entire limb completely immobile against his chest; a chest that felt like it was being crushed and burned at the same time.

Lifting his right hand upward from his side to investigate the bandages Hank felt a soft hand press against his forehead as his eyelids were lifted open gently one at a time.

"Lieutenant Anderson?" A gentle feminine voice called his name as she shone a light into his eyes one at a time to check his pupils. The doctor was a woman in her forties with long raven hair pulled back into a tight bun and chocolate brown eyes watching him through black rimmed reading glasses. "Lieutenant Anderson can you hear me?"

Hank's vision began to clear steadily allowing him to focus on the calm face of the doctor leaning over him. "...Y-Yeah. ...I can hear you."

"I'm Dr. Swanson. You're in the hospital just outside of Romulus." The doctor confirmed as she pocketed the light and removed her hand from Hank's forehead as she spoke with him. "The fire department rescued you and your friend six hours ago. We've been treat-"

"Connor!" Hank bolted upright in the bed causing the cardiac monitor recording his heart rate to suddenly screech as his heart raced with panic, the jerking motion nearly pulled the I.V. line from his right arm in the process and made his damaged ribs sear in pain. "Where's Connor?!"

"Lieutenant," Dr. Swanson put her hands on Hank's shoulders to push him back down against the bed to try to keep him calm. "he's right here. Look."

"Here? _Where's_ here?" Hank watched as Dr. Swanson pulled back a privacy curtain that was dividing his bed from the one to his immediate left. "...Connor."

Laying a few feet away Connor was motionless in the neighboring bed. There were heavy white bandages wrapped around his chest over his ribs, his heart and all around his abdomen beneath the pale blue hospital gown he was wearing. The massive glass shard had been removed from his chest and abdomen but the internal damage had yet to heal. His right leg was propped up slightly and there was a heavy splint wrapped around his right knee to support the catastrophic injury to the limb.

Just like Hank the younger detective was attached to a cardiac monitor to record his vital signs, and he had a nasal canula under his nose giving him fresh clean oxygen to breathe. An I.V. was running into his left arm to give him fluids and antibiotics to help keep him as stable as possible. Motionless save for the steady rhythmic rise and fall of his chest Connor was still frighteningly pale and quiet.

"He's in critical condition." Dr. Swanson explained in a contrastingly cool voice as she checked Hank's cardiac monitor and his subsequent recorded vital signs after his sudden outburst of energy. "He's stable, but not out of the woods."

Hank tried to get up again, his bandaged hands struggling to pull at the wires connected to his chest and the nasal canula under his nose as he tried to get up.

"Lieutenant!" Dr. Swanson held him back again as a young female nurse with short blonde hair, blue eyes and purple colored scrubs entered the area . "Please stay still! Your friend-"

"My SON." The senior detective sneered the correction as he glared bitterly at the doctor keeping him from going to Connor's side. "My name is Hank, and his name is Connor. Tell me what's wrong with him. Why is he still so pale and still unconscious?"

"The glass had been removed from his lacerated liver and he tolerated the surgery well, but he lost a lot of blood." The patient doctor explained as she refused to let Connor get up. "We were able to stop the bleeding but even with our best treatment his liver is still going to need a few days to heal before he'll be stable enough to move. Having his ribs fractured by the accident is making it painful to breathe which is why he looks so alarming still, but he is alive and he is going to recover."

"And his heart?"

"He has a heart condition?"

"He used to... It was corrected with a, uh, mitral valve replacement."

"Lieu- Hank," she corrected herself quickly as she tried to ease Hank's mind. "when you brought in you were both given full exams from head to toe. Connor showed no sign of cardiac distress and the M.R.I. and the chest x-rays showed no damage to his heart." Dr. Swanson released her grip from Hank's shoulders and took a step back. Taking her stethoscope from around her neck she took the opportunity to listen to Hank's chest; she listened to his racing heart and gasping breaths carefully now that she had him sitting still. "We've done everything we can to keep him stable, but without a vascular or orthopedic surgeon on call we've only been able to do supportive care for his injured right knee."

More concerned with Connor's internal injuries Hank had almost forgotten about his mangled knee. "...How bad is his leg?"

"...Bad." She confirmed with a sincere grimace as she slung her stethoscope back around her neck. "We've stopped the bleeding but the circulation had been severed from the limb for so long that even with reconstructive surgery we... may have to amputate the leg from the knee down."

"...A-Amputate?" Hank's face paled and he fought the urge to be sick at the news. It was just like the accident with Cole all over again. Hank was hurt but his son was fighting for dear life. It wasn't fair. "...No one here can help him?"

"Not at the moment, no."

Just as there was no surgeon available to operate on Cole then, there was no surgeon available to repair Connor's leg now. Hank's heart tightened in his chest as he watched Connor's face change to Cole's face in another flash of a haunting memory from the night Cole had died.

"Oh god... What did I do?" Hank felt like an absolute monster for what had happened during the accident. Despite his best efforts Connor was still in very real danger of either losing his leg, or even dying from his injuries. "Connor? Son, I-"

"Hank," Dr. Swanson had to again push Hank back by his right shoulder to keep him in the bed. "you're suffering from hypothermia, frostbite to all of your fingers and your toes, you've suffered two fractured ribs, a partial dislocation to your left shoulder and the exposure to the cold has resulted in lower lobe pneumonia developing in both of your lungs. You also have a concussion from a hairline fracture to your frontal bone of your skull just over your left orbit. You need to stay down and rest."

Hank reached his bandaged left hand up and felt the fresh stitches in his swollen skin over his face just above his left eye. "...I still need to be with my son."

"You can't do anything more for him." She replied somberly as she took her hand from his shoulder and let him sit alone to rest. "Your badge and your personal I.D. confirms you as a police Lieutenant in Detroit, right?"

"...Right. We're both detectives, and I have patched Connor up more times that I can count-" Hank's eyes squeezed shut tightly as the throbbing in his skull returned while his blood pressure began to rise quickly. "Fuck." Putting his right hand up to his temple he let out a deep sigh and tried to relax. "...My head."

"Easy." Dr. Swanson soothed as she ran her left hand over his gray hair kindly. "I'll keep calling for specialists to get to the hospital so they can treat Connor. I know it's hard, but please get some rest and try not to worry."

"Lucas!" Hank instinctively felt for the new phone that had been tucked into his coat pocket since the day he returned to the precinct, but he was no longer wearing his coat; only a pale blue hospital gown and pale blue scrubs for pants. With his coat nowhere to be found Hank began looking around only to have a loud ringing erupt in his ears and he began to lose consciousness. "My coat!" Hank fought back against the darkness just long enough to get the information to Dr. Swanson. "Call... Lucas. He's his... brother. My other... son."

Falling back against the thick pillow on the bed Hank was lost to the blissfulness of unconsciousness once more as darkness fell over his blurring vision.

* * *

The icy storm had at last subsided and the roads were being steadily cleared as the damage by the blizzard was cleaned up throughout the morning hours. Numerous buildings had lost power due to downed powerlines, while many homes were left without heat or running water. Schools had remained closed as were all small businesses, but all other services were now operational.

Hank wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious but he was sure how much his head was killing him as he opened his eyes. It was worse than any of his previous hangovers, even during his darkest of days before Connor helped him to sober up. Glancing about the dimly lit recovery room Hank's eyes instinctively fell upon the bed to his left where Connor was still laying, but this time his right leg was no longer propped up and was hidden entirely beneath his blanket.

"...Connor?"

Curiously Hank sat up in his bed again, but much slower than before to ensure he didn't get dizzy or pass out again from pain. With a graceless right hand Hank pulled away the nasal canula from his face and then the I.V. from his arm with his left hand. The removed I.V. line causing blood to flow freely from the open vein as he then pulled the sensors from his chest, which of course caused the attached cardiac monitor to sound off with a loud shriek. Ignoring the noise Hank swung his shaking legs over the edge of the bed and stood up warily as he trudged over to where Connor was laying.

Connor himself seemed somehow impossibly pale from the massive blood loss and his overall demeanor was practically lifeless. With a shaking right hand Hank dared to press his palm down very slowly where Connor's right leg should've been, but instead he came into contact with open space.

"Oh... god. No..." Hank's face became as pale as Connor's complexion as he realized the horrific truth. They had to take his leg. "Connor, fuck... You... I'm so sorry, son!"

Dr. Swanson and a nurse rushed into the room only to find that the cardiac arrest they had anticipated was in fact their patient walking around without medical clearance to do so. Once the adrenaline wore off the doctor proceeded to deal with Hank and the nurse went about her usual rounds while Dr. Swanson handled her stubborn patient.

"Hank!" Dr. Swanson scolded as she went to his side to support her unsteady patient as he leaned over Connor's bed. She saw the blood flowing down Hank's arm from where he had torn from the I.V. from the vein, and pressed a clean bandage from her lab coat pocket against the bleeding mark "Please, you need to rest before you make yourself worse."

"...His leg? What happened to Connor's leg?"

Letting out a defeated sigh Dr. Swanson put her hand on Hank's right shoulder and arm to keep him as still as possible as he looked down at Connor's expressionless face with utter despair in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry. We waited as long as we could but infection was beginning to set in as the damaged muscle and tissue became gangrenous. We had to remove the leg before the death of the limb took his life with it."

"...I crippled him." Hank was on the verge of losing what remained of his patience as his heart ached and his mind race. "...I crippled my own son."

"No, Hank. The accident did this to him, and according to the firefighters who rescued you two the accident was unavoidable. It's NOT your fault."

"...My son LOST HIS LEG. I was driving!" Snapping bitterly at Dr. Swanson as she stayed beside him Hank let out his deep frustration as the new reality of Connor's future settled in uncomfortably. "Don't try to tell me that isn't my fault!"

"Listen to me, Hank." She raised her voice a little as if trying to use the 'mom voice' to reign in an unruly child. "Yes, his leg is gone. BUT he'll have a prosthetic limb put in place in an hour or so. We just want to keep an eye on his surviving tissue to ensure there's no further infection that'll require surgical intervention. If he develops a secondary infection it could prove life-threatening."

"...No. It's happening all over again." Hank pressed his bandaged right hand to Connor's left cheek as he watched his son's chest barely rise and fall with weak breaths. The rhythmic beeping of the cardiac monitor recording Connor's heartbeat did little to ease Hank's fears as Connor's heart rate was unusually slow for him. "...Not again."

Dr. Swanson heard the whispered comment and was intrigued by the melancholy statement. "What's happening all over again?"

"You can't just let him die." Hank's proclamation was as heartbreaking as it was determined. "Please. You have to at least try to help him."

"Hank... No one here is going to-"

"_Please_!"

"We're doing EVERYTHING we can, I swear to it." Dr. Swanson's hand dropped from Hank's shoulder to his right arm as she rubbed it sympathetically. "We managed to contact Lucas as you asked," Dr. Swanson replied calmly and honestly. "and he told us he'd come out to the hospital as soon as the roads are cleared enough for him to travel."

Hank's head bowed down, his face hidden behind his gray locks of hair as he leaned over Connor's bed and stared down at the younger man's face through tear filled eyes. Staying at Hank's side Dr. Swanson motioned for the nurse to grab the nearby chair pressed up against the wall and to bring it over for the senior detective to use as he stayed next to Connor's bed.

"You need to rest." The ever patient doctor encouraged as she slid the provided chair up behind him. "Please, sit down."

After pushing Hank down into the chair Dr. Swanson drew the privacy curtain around the bed to shelter the duo from prying eyes and left the father and son duo alone for the rest of the late night, and all through the early morning. Slipping his bandaged right hand under Connor's limp cold left hand Hank tried to hold on to it as tightly as he could, but the burning sting at his fingertips and radiating numbness in his palm made the effort feel hollow. It felt like he was in a dream and unable to make contact with anything in the real world.

"Hold on, son."

A tear ran down Hank's face as he felt a persistent chill run up his spine and settle into the depths of his heart as he remembered the devastating loss of Cole in full detail; the smell of the hospital astringents, the disinfectants, cleaners, latex gloves was all the same. The sound of the cardiac monitor beeping in perfect rhythm with Connor's too slow heartbeat, the sight of the various machines used to keep the dead alive for just a little bit longer in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable was far too similar and haunting.

"I can't lose you, too."

Hank held onto Connor's hand as tightly as possible as he silently wished, maybe even prayed, for some kind of miracle to save Connor's life. Refusing to leave the young detective's side for even one minute Hank found himself drifting in and out of a light sleep as he stayed with Connor just as Connor had done for him when he was sick with the flu, or dealing with a hangover and his withdrawal.

"Hold on, son." Hank kept repeating the mantra to himself as if it could actually have an effect on the events yet to come. "Hold on."

Stifling a mild cough that had settled into his chest throughout the night Hank just stared unblinking at Connor who was as weak and lifeless as the dead winter snow that covered the city.

Morning came about slowly and Dr. Swanson pulled back the curtain quietly and returned her hand to the detective's shoulder. "Hank? Someone is here to see you."

"...What?" Hank turned his head quickly and instantly regretted the abrupt motion as it caused his entire skull to swim in agony. "What're you talking about?"

Lucas stepped through the curtain with his kind green eyes wide with fear, and promptly put his right hand on Hank's upper arm, and the left hand against Connor's left forearm.

"Lucas?" Hank looked as though he had seen a ghost while the loyal deviant began hovering over Connor protectively. Retracting the artificial skin from his palm Lucas ran a scan over Connor's vitals and his green eyes went even wider as he realized that Connor's right leg had been surgically amputated from the knee down. "How did-"

Dr. Swanson placed her own hand on Hank's shoulder to reassure him. "He just got here. Come on, you can go rest in your bed now."

Lucas turned around quickly and locked onto Dr. Swanson with determination in his focused eyes. "You're a surgeon, right?"

"Yes I am." She confirmed as she locked eyes with Lucas. "What's-"

"Good, because I'm going to need your help."

"I don't understand."

"...Connor's leg. I can prevent further damage to the remaining tissue and give him a suitable prosthetic replacement."

"What're you talking about?"

"I am the former head technician of New Jericho Tower back in Detroit, and as such I have extensive training and knowledge regarding the restoration and full replacement of limbs."

"Lucas, I still don't understand what you want me to do."

"Please, I can help him and I can ensure that his remaining leg doesn't become necrotic in the process. I just require your assistance as I still have limited knowledge in human biology and physiology."

"...Alright. Out of a morbid curiosity, and because our orthopedic surgeon still hasn't arrived, I'm going to see where this is going." Giving Hank's shoulder a final squeeze Dr. Swanson nodded at Lucas and tried to get her patient to be a little more cooperative. "Hank, I'll talk to you after this is over."

Hank tried to stand up but Dr. Swanson's hand was enough to keep the weakened senior detective seated while he was still recovering from his numerous painful injuries. "What's happening? Where are you taking him?"

"Apparently to an operating room to see to his leg." She replied in an honest tone. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."

Dr. Swanson released her grip on Hank's shoulder while simultaneously unhooking the cardiac monitor from Connor's chest. Working with Lucas she and the deviant rolled the gurney that Connor was already laying on out of the room, and down the corridor to enter the emergency O.R. for the unusual procedure that Lucas was insisting on performing for his brother's sake.

Feeling useless Hank watched with a heavy heart as Connor was wheeled out of sight and into his third emergency surgery in two days. The nurse who had been helping Dr. Swanson take care of Hank once he had been admitted as a patient walked over to the senior detective quietly.

It was a little unusual, but felt necessary as she wrapped her right arm around his upper body to give the pained detective a supportive hug before she coaxed him into standing up from the chair. "Please, Lieutenant Anderson." She asked as she held her hug for a moment longer. "You really need to rest so you don't get any worse."

"...What could be worse than this?"

"I can't answer that, and I'm sorry you're both going through this."

"Yeah... So am I."

Reluctantly but tiredly Hank allowed the nurse to return him to his bed and allowed her to change the bandages protecting his frostbitten hands, and to restart the I.V. that had been giving Hank fluid and antibiotics before he had ripped the line out. Breathing deeply and slowly to ease the pain in his chest courtesy of the double lung infection that he had so foolishly allowed to flourish by moving about, and by ripping out the I.V., Hank just stared up at the ceiling as he laid in the bed with a somber focus as the nurse took care of him.

"Lieutenant Anderson, you need to eat something." The nurse encouraged as she finished wrapping up his hands gently, and making a note in his electronic chart at the end of the bed. "I could bring you something from the cafeteria if you'd like."

"...That's okay. I'm not hungry."

"Well, you should eat something anyway. I'll bring you a cup of jello, that way when Dr. Swanson checks on you she'll be happy to see you're at least making an effort to cooperate." She smiled sweetly before tagging on a friendly jest as she left the room. "At least _a__ little._"

"...Thanks."

Letting out a weak groan of pain Hank leaned back against his pillow and pressed his arms against his chest to try to quell the burning pain of his fractured ribs as he fought the urge to cough and exasperate the injury. Glancing out the nearby window Hank watched as the streets surrounding the hospital were cleared away for the second time by plows, and the drives around the hospital were salted to keep any ice from building or returning to the property.

"Here you go." The nurse left the recovery room and returned very quickly with a cup of red jello and a plastic spoon for Hank. "Don't worry about actually eating it. I know it's difficult to eat when you don't feel well, or when you're worried half to death."

Giving the nurse a faint but appreciative smile Hank watched as she peeled the lid from the small plastic cup and placed it on the nearby table with the spoon next to it. "Yeah. ...Thanks."

"I'll be back in a few minutes to see how you're doing."

Making a halfhearted attempt to eat the offered jello Hank absentmindedly dug the spoon into the red tinted gelatin and scooped up a tiny amount onto the tip of the spoon, only to let it slide off back into the cup. Fussing with the spoon and the jello like a little kid playing with their food Hank just stared blankly at the gelatin while he impatiently awaited an update on Connor.

"I fuckin' hate this... I failed to protect Connor yet again. What kind of father am I?"

* * *

At least two hours passed and Hank couldn't bring himself to eat a single bite of the offered jello or close his eyes long enough to sleep.

A soft 'thud' filled the room as a gurney was rolled through the door and back into the recovery wing with Connor still laying unconscious atop it. Hank's head turned toward the bed and spotted the young man laying just as still as he had been, but with fresh bandages over his right knee and his complexion wasn't as pale as it had been previously.

Lucas and Dr. Swanson guided the gurney back to where it had been while the two orderlies wheeled the healing young detective into the recovery ward to resume his much needed rest.

"Connor?" Hank dared to whisper as he watched his wounded son being tended to a few feet away. "...Son?"

There was a bag of antibiotics and fresh blood hanging from an I.V. pole attached to the upper left corner of the gurney, and a second I.V. line had been inserted in Connor's right arm. Massive white bandages were wrapped over his right knee, and his knee was secured in a support brace to keep the limb as stable as possible as it healed.

"Lucas," Hank raised his voice as the deviant hovered over Connor, and Dr. Swanson replaced the sensor pads of the cardiac monitor to Connor's chest. The bandages had yet to be removed from his chest as Connor's surgically repaired liver needed to be protected from external infection. "how is he?"

"Holding on." Lucas confirmed with a sincere smile. "I had to rebuild his right knee with plastimetal framing but I was able to attach an android leg to his knee to create a fully functional prosthetic replacement."

"...Y-You what?"

"I rebuilt Connor's knee and gave him a new leg." The strangely routine reaction from the deviant just made Hank's already aching head hurt more. "I had kept a modest stock of android-unique supplies in the tool chest in the back of my pick-up truck in the event of a technical emergency. As such I had two spare legs, two spare arms, a spare Thirium pump and six units of Thirium already with me when I arrived."

Hank's eyes went wide as he saw the distinct shape a leg under the blanket below the bandages on Connor's knee. He had a new leg. "Will he...?"

"I don't foresee any complications, dad. Try to relax." Lucas encouraged as he placed another blanket over Connor help him keep warm as he rested. "I know it won't be easy, but be patient."

Unsure of what else to say or do Hank just stared at Connor with a stern gaze of shock and wonder in his blue eyes.

Lucas gently brushed the stray lock of dark hair that always hung down in Connor's face aside as he and Dr. Swanson checked his brother's vital signs. Satisfied that Connor wasn't in any immediate danger, and that his prosthetic leg was adapting to Connor's body appropriately, Lucas walked away from his sleeping brother and approached his father with an almost fatherly discipline of his own as he crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at the messy cup of jello.

"I know you didn't eat any of that." He stated with a scolding but light tone of voice. "We've been through this before with Connor, you can't starve yourself and expect anything good to come from it."

"Aren't you a little young to being using the 'dad voice' on me?"

"Aren't you a little _old_ to need me to _use_ the 'dad voice'?"

Hank smirked at the witty retort as he resumed fussing with the jello with his spoon. "...I guess I should thank you for driving out here to be with us. I don't know if anyone else would've done that. I know for sure no one else would've found a way to give Connor a new leg while they were here."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a risk for me to drive to the hospital after they finally plowed the streets, but I appreciate your sentiment. Also, we're family. We always look out for each other. Connor saved me in Chicago, and the least I can do is be here for him, and for you after the car accident."

Hank let out a pained sigh and set aside the jello yet again. He simply had no appetite and the very idea of eating threatened to upset his anxious stomach.

Dr. Swanson walked over to Hank casually to begin a quick examination of her most stubborn patient after she finished checking over Connor. As she pulled the penlight from her pocket she saw Hank already flinching in anticipation of the bright light that would be shone directly into his eyes. "Still have a nasty headache, huh?" She needlessly asked as she checked Hank's eyes. "I'll get you something for the pain. AND... if you cooperate with me I'll get you a wheelchair so you can sit with Connor while you both heal."

"You have a deal." Hank readily accepted as he put his right hand over his eyes to block out as much of the light as possible as his merciless headache refused to let up. "...Don't be afraid to hold back on the painkillers."

Lucas nodded a little as he ran a scan over Hank's body and decided to get the healing senior detective something else to eat. "I'll go to the cafeteria and find you something suitable and appetizing. That should also help your headache."

Before he had the chance to tell Lucas not to bother the helpful deviant left the room and was out of sight within seconds. "...Those boys are too kind for their own good sometimes."

"Only sometimes, huh?" Dr. Swanson teased as she adjusted Hank's medication to ease his pain to a more bearable degree. Holding back her curiosity the good doctor refrained from asking about how Connor and Lucas were siblings since one was human and the other was a deviant, and instead she focused on taking care of Hank. "Just rest for a while and I'll come back to check on in you a few hours. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure." With little say in the matter Hank sighed and sunk down against his pillow to finally sleep through his headache. "...Okay."

* * *

Holding a small bag of ice to the left side his face and his aching head Hank let Dr. Swanson wheel him over to Connor's bedside to stay with the young detective until Connor either awoke at last, or succumbed to his wounds entirely. Hank of course was hoping for the former over the latter of the two options, but a lifetime of dealing with the turbulent masses of people who would elicit chaos, violence and pure hatred from seemingly nothingness had left him pessimistic, if not completely cynical.

The numerous personal tragedies he had endured only left him with the faintest glimmer of hope to cling to.

Lucas checked the cardiac monitor and noted Connor's current heart rate as stable and nearing a normal rate, but that information did little to ease Hank's worries. Connor's blood pressure was normal, his heart rate was normal, his body temperature was normal, his E.C.G. was normal. Yet he was still unconscious and unaware of what was happening around him.

"He'll be alright, dad." Lucas stated in a confident tone as he studied Hank's demeanor intently. "Just give him more time to heal."

"Connor stopped breathing because of his injuries, _twice_. I don't want him to stop breathing a third time."

"His body has to recovery after the surgery to repair his liver and the blood loss. Don't worry, once he has the energy to spare he'll wake up again. Until then, we'll keep taking care of him and make sure his new leg works just fine."

Pressing his left hand to Hank's good right shoulder as he walked away from the bed Lucas tried to remain upbeat and optimistic for Hank's emotional sake, but deep down he was worried about Connor as well. The memory of Connor's heart surgery was still vivid and worrying in Lucas's mind.

"Come on, Connor. You need to be okay." Hank whispered as he lowered the ice from his head and stared at the bag with frustrated loathing. "...I hate the cold. I hate it so damn much."

Grabbing onto Connor's right forearm with his bandaged left hand Hank let out a weak sigh as his chest gnawed at him, pleading with him to lay down and stop moving around so much until his fractured ribs could finally heal.

"As much as I wish I had the chance to properly say goodbye to all the people in my life that I lost; my grandparents, my mom, my dad, Barbara, Cole... I just can't bring myself to say it to you. I hate to break it to you Connor, but right now I _need_ a drink. I'm ashamed to admit but I won't deny it either; you won't keep secrets from me and I won't keep secrets from you. That's a fair deal, right?"

Connor didn't budge even as Hank spoke to him and held onto his arm in a comforting manner.

"You're too damn strong to just up and die on me, son. I know that you're far more stubborn and resilient than any man I've ever known, and when I say man I don't mean you as a detective compared to other people, I mean an _actual_ man. It takes someone with tremendous courage and a big heart to take all the risks you take just to protect other people and survive everything you went through as a kid. It isn't fair that you should have to die because I was being too much of a self centered jackass to admit..." Guilt stole Hank's words for only a moment. "Damn it, Connor. You _should've_ been driving. You wouldn't have hit that fuckin' tree and we wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

Hank leaned back against the wheel chair and clutched his left arm tightly around his ribs to stave off the pain that had built up in his chest as a result of his sudden emotional outburst.

"...You can't even walk now because of me."

Taking a moment to recompose himself Hank steadied his voice once more before continuing on.

"I just... I just needed to prove to myself that the accident that killed Cole _wasn't_ my fault. That there was nothing I could've done differently to save him from death. In the end all I did was prove to myself that I'm a world-class asshole! I may have killed you just to try to make myself feel better, and I know," Hank rubbed his bandaged left hand against his eyes as he fought the urge to completely breakdown and sob. "I know you can hear me. Please, son, forgive me for doing this to you. Forgive me for everything I've done to you. I just need you to forgive-"

Connor suddenly let out a weak sigh as his right, now artificial, leg managed to twitch under the blanket as if the limb suddenly booted up and roused Connor just enough from his sleep to acknowledge its presence. The cardiac monitor didn't screech and Connor didn't show any sign of pain in his leg or his abdomen where he had been injured during the accident.

No pain. No complications.

Hank was at a loss for words as he watched life return to the young detective very gradually. It was as if Connor had been waiting to hear Hank speaking to him, and now he was showing all strong signs of life.

"...Connor?" Hank leaned forward and waited for any additional response from his son but there was nothing more. For now the calm breathing and occasional twitch of Connor's artificial leg would have to suffice and it was enough to bring a fleeting grin to the senior detective's face. "I knew you were too strong to just roll over and die like that."

Patting Connor's arm lightly Hank felt a tremendous weight lift from his heavy heart as he stayed by his adopted son's side.

"Stay with me, Connor. I'm not ready to say 'goodbye' just yet."

* * *

Incredibly patient and accommodating Dr. Swanson allowed Hank to stay next to Connor as long as the senior detective kept the I.V. in his arm, and didn't walk around causing physical exertion on his still healing body. Unwrapping the bandages from around Hank's hands the kind doctor examined his fingers and fingertips and happily noted that the severe frostbite he had sustained while stranded in the blizzard had begun to heal with no sign of lasting damage to his skin or the nerves beneath.

"Can you flex your fingers for me?"

Hank cooperated and slowly flexed the fingers on both hands into tight fists then relaxed them once more, extending his fingers out as far as they could go.

"Good. Any pain or limitations in your dexterity?"

"No. My skin feels dried out, but it doesn't hurt."

"Nurse Armstrong confirmed the same for your toes last evening. You're lucky that you didn't suffer any permanent injury from the cold."

"Yeah, 'lucky'."

Dr. Swanson gave Hank a slight shake of her head as she pressed her stethoscope against his chest to resume the examination, and listen to his heart and his lungs. "Take a deep breath for me."

Remaining cooperative, but annoyed, Hank breathed deeply and waited for the doctor to finish listening to his chest. The cool metal of the bell moved over his chest as he breathed steadily as instructed, and the motion made him wince a little.

"Congestion is beginning to lessen. You'll need to stay on the antibiotics until your lungs are fully cleared." Draping the stethoscope around her neck Dr. Swanson gently checked the numerous stitches snaking down the left side of Hank's face for any sign of infection or a popped stitch. "Laceration is healing well. How's your shoulder and your head?"

"Shoulder's fine. Head still fuckin' hurts."

"Not surprised. Hairline or not, you still fractured your skull." Turning her attention to Connor laying quietly in the bed next to Hank, who adamantly refused to leave the young detective alone, she smiled faintly. "I've never worked with an android before to save a patient. Lucas is truly remarkable. He's very... human."

Hank didn't say anything, he just stared at Connor as he lightly placed his unwrapped right hand down on Connor's right forearm once more. For the first time since the car accident Connor's skin didn't feel icy cold or dead. It was warm like a living, breathing person once more. Even his complexion wasn't as pale.

"I'm going to bring you something from the cafeteria," Dr. Swanson stated with a firm tone as she walked away from the two detectives under her care. "and you're going to eat it. Lucas informed me that you and Connor have a nasty habit of not eating when you're stressed out."

Ignoring the comment Hank kept his focus on Connor as he awaited any further response from the recovering young man. It had been almost a full day since the impromptu operation that gave Connor his artificial leg, and it had been an additional six hours since Connor started to move about in his sleep. But the lack of awareness was just as disturbing as ever.

"I wonder what kind of shitty food it is they keep trying to shove down my throat?" Hank tried to joke but he still bowed his head a little in grief. "Can't be worse than that fast food you kept me from eating back in Detroit. Even one of Gary's greasy burgers doesn't seem all that great right now."

"...If you don't eat ...they won't let you leave."

Hank's shoulders visibly stiffened as he recognized the raspy voice and tightened his hand on the healing younger detective's arm. "...C-Connor?"

Brown irises fluttered open as Connor finally regained full consciousness. Letting his eyes drift down from the blank white ceiling overhead to where Hank was sitting beside him Connor gained his bearings, yet was still confused. Lifting his head up slightly from the pillow Connor gave Hank a weak smile that quickly disappeared as he saw the worried gleam in the senior detective's blue eyes. "...Hi, Hank."

"You..." Overwhelmed by emotions; relief, fear, joy... Hank had a hard time find his voice again. "You really need to stop scaring me like that!"

"...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Scaring you."

Hank laughed a little at the silly comment while Connor took the statement literally. "...Well, it's _my_ fault." The gruff detective replied somberly as he let his emotions settle a little. "...I shouldn't have been driving."

"It was an accident." Connor sharply responded to keep Hank from beating himself up more than he already was. "The roads were going to be equally as dangerous for me as they were for you."

"But you-"

"Stop blaming yourself, Hank." Now it was Connor's turn to be the one to offer Hank words of consolation. Despite his lack of strength and overall sense of fatigue and pain Connor was determined to keep Hank from kicking himself while he was down. "...Self pity does not suit you."

"Connor, I fucked up royally. I almost got you killed because-"

"Because you were driving on treacherous roads. I could've just as easily gotten into an accident as well." Connor sat upright slowly, his left arm wrapping around his abdomen protectively as he moved to reassure Hank that he was in fact alive and going to be okay. "...The accident was not your fault. _Neither_ of the accidents were your fault."

Hank just stared blankly at Connor for a moment as he so desperately wanted to believe what he was being told, but the part of his heart that was irreparably broken refused to accept it.

"...You said that I gave you a reason to keep to living." Connor asserted in a soft tone while he spoke from the heart. He _had_ heard everything Hank told him when they were trapped in the car after all. "...and I want to help you live a happy life. Part of that happiness comes from you being able to _allow_ yourself to be happy. And learning to how to forgive yourself."

"...You _heard_ me? What I said-"

"I don't need to forgive you for the accident, Hank." Connor interrupted firmly to stop Hank from blaming himself any further. "You did nothing wrong. But you do need to forgive _yourself_. That's a lesson I had to learn myself in a very painful way."

Hank tried to pull away from Connor but the younger detective's right hand quickly wrapped around Hank's right forearm and pulled him back toward himself in a weak grip.

"Listen to me. I had to learn to forgive myself after I let myself become so angry and resentful over what happened to me in the past, and now I want to help you learn how to forgive yourself over what happened to Cole. ...And then what happened to me. What happened between us."

"Connor, it's not-" Hank was fighting to not breakdown as he gave the younger man a worried stare. The fact that Connor was acting as if he had just scraped his knee and was trying to walk it off made Hank's aching heart nearly shatter. "...Connor. I... There's something you need to know. The accident was pretty serious. And I hate to say this, but, your leg... I'm so sorry! Your leg was... It's gone."

Furrowing his brow a little Connor slowly pulled back the blanket to expose his legs and visibly jumped when he saw that his right leg was a completely bare, white, plastimetal leg from the knee down. He stared for the longest time before he reached out his shaking right hand and pressed his fingertips along the artificial appendage. As his fingertips brushed against the smooth material Connor's right ankle flexed as he felt the sensation in his leg, in the artificial limb, as if it was still his organic leg.

"...I... I can..."

"I'm so sorry, Connor! You lost your leg and it's my fault!"

Connor was stunned into silence as he pressed his fingers down harder against the limb and just stared at the white material under his touch.

"The doctors tried to save your leg but the right surgeon wasn't in the hospital, and they couldn't get here because of the storm. If they had-"

"Hank," Connor spoke up loud enough to stop Hank from blaming himself any further. "...I'm alive."

Unsure of what to say Hank just sat in silence as tears threatened to run down his face in heavy streams.

"...I'm still alive and... I can feel it. I can _feel_ my leg."

"That's..." The idea of Connor feeling inorganic material as if it were real was impossible. No human could feel anything within their artificial limbs. "That's not possible, son."

"I know what I'm feeling and it's real. It's not phantom-limb syndrome, and it's not a trick of the mind." Despite his lingering weakness Connor was adamant that he could feel his artificial leg as if it were organic. "I can really FEEL my leg."

"...I... I don't know... what to say."

Lucas had heard Connor speaking and rushed over to the bed to check in on his healing big brother. "Connor?"

"Lucas." Glancing up at his little brother Connor could tell by the look on Lucas's face that he already knew about the artificial leg. "...You did this. You gave me this android leg as a prosthetic, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes." Somewhat nervous about the revelation Lucas confirmed he was responsible for the prosthetic. "It seemed like the best way to restore what you lost. I... I should've waited for your consent, I'm sorry, brother."

"Don't be." Moving very slowly Connor leaned back and kept his left arm wrapped protectively around his abdomen where the glass had stabbed into his body and lacerated his liver. The surgical incision was painful but a necessary evil for Connor to endure as he recovered. "Lucas, I can feel this leg. It feels like my own leg."

"...That's not possible."

"It know it sounds impossible, but I swear I can feel it."

Lucas thought of a quick and easy way to test the validity of the claim and needed to be sure. "Wait a moment, I'm going to get your doctor and I'm going to test something."

Connor let out a pained breath as his sore abdomen reminded him of what he had been through and steadily ached with each breath he took. "...Ow."

"...Connor," Hank whispered timidly as he watched his son's face curiously. It was too good to hope for and Hank was too tired to let his hopes up. "you're sure you can feel your leg?"

Nodding a little Connor confirmed he was able to feel his leg and that he wasn't imagining it. "I'm positive."

Dr. Swanson walked over to the bed with Lucas right behind her. The kind doctor introduced herself as she used a penlight to check Connor's pupils, then used her stethoscope to listen to his chest. "Okay, Connor, everything seems to be fine. Your brother told me you can feel your right leg, can you explain what you're feeling?"

"...It's like it's my actual leg. I can feel physical sensations and I can move it."

"Moving it isn't a surprise as the leg was designed to mimic the motion and behavior of a human, but being able to feel something hasn't been documented in recipients before."

"...There's a first time for everything."

"Alright, then we'll run a simple test to confirm." Giving Lucas a nod of her head the deviant promptly put a gentle palm over Connor's eyes to ensure he couldn't see anything while Dr. Swanson uncapped a yellow highlighter and hovered it over Connor's leg. "I'm going to touch your leg. You tell me the moment you feel my hand and tell me where it is. Understand?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Without another word Dr. Swanson lightly pressed her right fingertips to the front of Connor's shin and almost immediately Connor responded.

"There! On my shin, just below my knee."

Giving Lucas an inquisitive glance Dr. Swanson moved her hand elsewhere and pressed down on the top of Connor's foot.

"Again. On my foot. Two fingertips."

Pulling her hand back entirely Dr. Swaonson asked again as she watched Connor curiously. "Where's my hand now?"

"I don't know. You're not touching my leg."

Impressed with the development in Connor's condition Dr. Swanson very lightly pressed her fingertip against the side of his ankle and Connor responded quickly to the physical contact.

"My ankle. One fingertip."

"This is... extraordinary." Using the end of the highlighter Dr. Swanson pressed against the heel of his foot and dragged the highlighter upward toward his toes, and watched as Connor's foot flexed in response. "...I've never seen anyone have such vivid responses to having an android prosthetic." Uncapping the highlighter Dr. Swanson wrote down a three digit number on the top of Connor's foot. "What did I write?"

"...On the top of my foot." Connor tried to visualize the writing in his mind and define what Dr. Swanson had written on his foot. "It felt like... a four, a nine and... a seven?"

"...That's correct." Dr. Swanson recapped the highlighter and walked to the head of the bed again as shined her penlight in Connor's pupils after Lucas dropped his hand away from his brother's eyes. "Incredible. Absolutely incredible. It's like your brain was able to connect directly to the leg and provide electronic signals to the external sensors just as it would your own natural leg and nerve endings."

Smirking a little Connor stared at the artificial leg and flexed his ankle once. "...Guess I have a weird brain."

Lucas patted his brother's right shoulder as he held back his own small laugh, but Hank just look absolutely mortified.

"I'd like to run another M.R.I. and a C.T. scan, because this is truly amazing. The results could prove beneficial to other people suffering from a similar condition with android prosthetics."

"...Of course."

Dr. Swanson walked over to the far wall to page a gurney and two orderlies to assist her, and proceed with the tests as quickly as possible. "We're going to take you up for your scans and do a full physical examination on your body. I want to make sure you're not bleeding internally or suffering from other complications after the surgery."

As Connor agreed to the additional tests Lucas proudly smiled at his brother, then noticed that Hank was still stricken with guilt. Wanting to be of some comfort Lucas helped Connor move from his recovery bed onto the gurney as the orderlies arrived, to undergo the next battery of tests. The conscious younger detective was taken away leaving Hank alone in the recovery room with Lucas and his dark thoughts.

"Dad?" Lucas spoke to Hank and stayed beside him for a moment longer. "...Are you okay?"

"...He... Connor, is..." Stunned and confused Hank struggled to express his thoughts. "It's like he doesn't care that he lost his leg."

"You heard what he said; he's still alive. And he has a new leg that'll function just like his original leg. There's no need for him to be upset, at least on a logical sense." Lucas was trying to find the most simplistic manner in explaining things to his confused father. "I'm sure emotionally he's shocked, but enduring things internally."

"...Lucas, he's been forever changed because of what I did to him."

"No. He's changed because of what he's _experienced_, and he's arguably changing for the better. Please don't act as if you had done something irreparably harmful to him by this accident."

"Lucas, he lost a _damn leg_. A massive piece of himself has been taken away, and he can never have it back."

"That's not how he sees it. He sees his artificial leg as a proof that he survived the accident and will get better." Patting Hank's right shoulder lightly Lucas pushed the wheelchair back over to the bed where Hank had been sleeping and helped the senior detective to lay back down. "You'll both get better."

"I don't think I will this time. I... I honestly don't think I can move on from this."

"You will." Helping Hank to lay down in the bed Lucas sighed and noted his father's weakened vital signs as his body struggled to recover from the accident and the now building double lung infection. "Please rest and try not to worry about Connor. He's a lot stronger than either of us ever realized."

* * *

Three days of bed-rest and constant care had left Hank bored, and Connor was getting restless.

Hank had finally gotten enough rest for his pneumonia to begin to clear up, and Connor was excelling at his physical therapy and learning how to walk on his prosthetic leg as if nothing had ever happened to him. Despite not needing to use the crutches to balance or walk Connor used them anyway for the sake of keeping Dr. Swanson from getting upset with him, and to ensure he didn't harm his fractured ribs, reopen his surgical incision or cause his still bandaged up knee to start bleeding again.

"You'll be allowed to go home tomorrow morning, brother." Lucas stated proudly as he walked alongside Connor down the hospital corridor and back to the private recovery room to rest. It was as if Lucas was aiding Connor in his his rehab after his return to humanity all over again. "I'm certain you'll be far more comfortable away from the hospital. I know dad will be."

"...Maybe."

"Do you think dad will be able to come to terms with what happened in the accident?"

"I wish I knew." Sitting down on the edge of the bed Connor rolled up the dark blue pant leg of the scrubs he was wearing to expose his new prosthetic, and flexed his artificial leg to watch as the white limb responded flawlessly. "I'll try talking to him when he returns from his tests."

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, I'll handle this alone."

"...Very well. I'll leave you two alone and I'll cybernetically update Chloe on our situation, and let Markus know we're coming back to Detroit tomorrow. If you like I'll let Evelyn know you're doing well and will be able to talk to her tomorrow as well."

"That's a good idea. I don't want them to be worried about us. And Evelyn..." Blushing faintly Connor admitted he had strong feelings toward her. "She's, uh, special to me. I'll speak to her myself."

"I understand. I'll be back in an hour to check in on you."

Quietly Connor sat on the edge of the bed and continued to flex his right leg and his ankle. Watching with a strange sense of wonder in seeing a part of his human body was now that of a deviant android once more Connor felt more... complete. Seeing the artificial limb wasn't unsettling or even upsetting, it somehow felt completely natural to him, and he wasn't ashamed to let his artificial leg be seen by anyone.

Slipping his slightly damaged phone from the pocket of his scrubs Connor texted Evelyn a simple message and pressed send without hesitation: '_I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you as soon as I had promised_. _A situation arose but I'm okay, and I will explain everything soon_. _I love you_.'

A few seconds passed and his text was answered quickly. '_As long as you're okay that's all that matters_. _I love you, too_. _Tell me what happened as soon as you can_.'

'_I will_. _I promise_.'

"Okay, Hank." Nurse Armstrong wheeled Hank back into the recovery room and helped him to climb back into the bed. "That was the last x-ray you'll have to go through. And as long as you cooperate and eat properly I won't have to start another I.V. in your arm."

"Yeah, sure. Great."

"If you need anything just ask."

Connor nodded at the kind nurse as she took the wheelchair and left the room so the two detectives could recover in peace. Glancing over at Hank the keen eyed younger detective could see that Hank was emotionally distressed and fighting against a new wave of depression. The last thing Connor wanted to see was Hank tearing himself apart over something beyond his control. The senior detective was hurting enough as it was.

"Hank?" Connor returned his phone to his pocket out of sight and interest as he gave his father his full attention. "Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine." The senior detective replied in a gruff tone as he laid back in the bed and pressed his hand to his sore ribs.

"Talk to me."

"About what?"

"It's not your fault, Hank."

"...Connor, don't do that. It _was_ my fault and there's nothing I can-"

"No, Hank. You did nothing wrong." Sliding off the edge of the bed where he was resting Connor slowly walked over to Hank's bed without using the crutches, or limping as he moved. "For what happened all those weeks ago, when you and I had our fight, I forgive you. I was the one at fault and for that I'm truly sorry." Standing beside the bed Connor wrapped his arms in a tight hug around Hank; holding him in an unyielding embrace, mindful of Hank's still healing fractured ribs as he finally let go of his anger and forgave Hank for striking him. "...We're both sorry for being assholes. It's going to be okay... _dad_."

Unable to withhold it any longer Hank reciprocated the hug and buried his face against Connor's right shoulder as he began to weep, and finally came to terms with himself after the horrific night that had left a permanent black scar over his heart.

Without flinching Connor held onto Hank while the senior detective sobbed quietly against him and let go of the crippling pain that he had harbored within himself for years over misguided guilt and self-loathing over what happened to Cole. As Connor's hand reached up to press against Hank's head and run his fingers through the senior detective's gray locks an empathetic tear began to roll down his own face as he remembered the pain he had felt when he lost his mother, and knew exactly how much Hank had been hurting for all these years over the loss of Cole. Connor wasn't as close to his mother as Hank had been with Cole, and so he knew the pain that he was feeling was only a fraction of the pain that Hank had been feeling.

The big difference was when Connor lost Elizabeth he had Hank there to comfort him, when Hank lost Cole he had no one. Hank had been left entirely alone to wallow in darkness and grief.

Until now.

"We're family. Nothing will change that." Connor confirmed as he held onto Hank in his tight hug. Forgiveness was flowing from his heart and his words as he gave Hank the comfort he so desperately deserved. "I'm your son, and you're my dad."

Hank finally let go of his regrets and his guilt as he had earned Connor's forgiveness and could finally begin to forgive himself. "...Thank you, son."

* * *

The following morning Hank and Connor were cleared to be discharged from the hospital at long last to resume their lengthy recoveries at home. Once discharged Lucas drove the two detectives back to Detroit in his quad cab pick-up truck, rather than having the duo hail an autonomous taxi, and drove them back to the house where they belonged. Connor's knee had healed considerably but it was still sore causing Connor to slightly limp as he walked every few steps, yet he didn't complain. Hank's left arm was still in a sling to lessen the strain from his left shoulder while the muscles and tendons healed without surgical intervention, and the sling also lifted enough pressure from Hank's upper body to help his fractured ribs heal much easier.

Pulling the truck into the driveway beside the house Lucas looked to his family and made sure they were going to be okay. "Are you sure you two don't want me to stay with you for more than one day?" Turning off the engine and unfastening his seatbelt the kind deviant eyed his father and brother with a cautious gaze. "I don't mind staying longer."

"You've done more than enough for us, Lucas." Connor smiled as he watched Lucas help Hank to climb out of the front seat of the truck before he climbed out of the back carefully with his left hand pressed to his still healing ribs. "Thank you."

"Okay, but if you need some help just call. I'll be home with Chloe for a moment, and bring your items back to the house for you, Connor. I'm also going to make you both a large lunch to eat since you two both refused to eat while at the hospital."

"We will be cooperative today." Connor promised as Lucas climbed back into the truck and backed down the drive. "Thank you for all your help." Helping Hank to enter the house through the backdoor Connor fumbled with his keys a little before opening the door and stepping back into his home for the first time in over a month. As he unlocked the door Ruby happily trotted over to the two detectives, waiting to be pet, before slipping out the door and into the snowy backyard to take care of her business. "I'm glad Chris was able to check in on Ruby for us."

"Yeah, Chris is a real good guy." Hank agreed as he watched Ruby trotting happily through the fresh white snow after she pressed her nose right up against Connor's right hand for a few seconds. "We should do something nice for Chris."

Connor was about to close the door when he noticed that it was beginning to snow again. Stepping back outside he limped a few paces into the backyard to call for Ruby, but the dog was too busy rolling around in the fresh pure snow to pay her owners any mind. "Ruby, come."

Hank followed after Connor and stared up at the sky as the snow began to fall in heavy white flakes all over the city. "At least the snow waited for us to get home before it hit us again."

Lightly Connor patted his artificial leg as he took a knee in the snow to try to coax Ruby into coming over to his hand again. Ruby herself was digging something out of a deep snowbank by the fence that lined the rear of the property and trotted over to Connor to drop it down in front of him.

"Ruby will come back inside when she's ready. Dogs love the snow for some reason." Hank stated as he turned to look at the driveway where the car that had been totaled should be parked. It was kind of sad to see it open and empty, just begging for a replacement. "Tomorrow we'll go find a new car."

"Sounds good." Picking up the object that Ruby had retrieved from the snow Connor recognized it as Sumo's old chewed up green fetch ball, and held it in his right hand tightly. The sight of the old toy made him think of Sumo and the first winter he spent playing fetch with the old dog for hours on end. "...Good girl."

Wisely Connor tossed the ball inside the house through the still opened backdoor to lure the dog back inside playfully. As Ruby rushed past Hank's leg inside the house to retrieve the ball the senior detective turned to give Connor an approving nod over the shoulder, all the while Connor's now free right palm fidgeted with the snow under his grasp.

"That was pretty clever! What made you-" Hank turned around in time to receive a clump of fresh white snow against his right shoulder as a snowball exploded into a burst of smaller flakes all over him. "Hey!"

"What?" Connor just stood his ground while giving Hank a sly smirk and feigning innocence as he discreetly formed a second snowball in his right hand behind his back. Feeling an odd sense of humor and mischief Connor was unable to stop himself from smiling at the senior detective as he stood upright and faced him directly. "Something wrong?"

Ruby bounded back into the backyard with the green ball in her mouth eager to resuming playing the game, completely oblivious of Connor's previous actions to amuse himself. Standing between Connor and Hank she looked back and forth between the two detectives waiting for the next toss of the ball.

Casually Hank brushed the snow from his shoulder and gave Connor an odd glance. "Did you really just throw what I think you threw?"

"I don't know." Connor teased as he revealed the second bigger snowball from behind his back to taunt Hank. "Did it look like this?"

"Hey!" Hank raised up his right arm to block the second snowball and hide his amused laugh as it exploded against his right forearm. More white snowflakes clung to his clothing upon impact. "Seriously?!"

"You were right, Hank." Connor couldn't stop himself from smiling even broader as the stray flakes of snow clung to Hank's coat and hair. "Snowball fights _are_ fun when two people play. Besides, you hit me first. Now we're even!"

Reaching up awkwardly with his good right hand Hank brushed away the remaining snow from his right shoulder as he stared at the amused smirk on Connor's face. Yet again Hank could've sworn it was Cole smiling back at him; the sincere smile of an innocent soul behind the empathetic, soulful brown eyes that reminded him so much of his firstborn son.

"Alright, you wanna' play?" Hank taunted with an amused grin as he slowly bent down with his good hand and formed a pathetic looking snowball of his own to throw in retaliation. "You're going down!"

_**-next chapter-**_


	79. Small Steps

Peace returned to the homestead as Hank and Connor had put the the past behind them and had shown forgiveness, and understanding toward one another.

After Hank had told Captain Fowler about the car accident and how the only reason that he and Connor were in the accident to begin with was because they were ordered to go to Ann Arbor for a training seminar during a snowstorm the two detectives were granted a full week off with full pay. Connor had chosen to move back in with Hank into the family house, and Lucas brought Connor's personal possessions back to the house so he could stay home and keep an eye on Hank as the senior detective healed from his mild concussion and fractured ribs.

Walking around the house casually Connor had no difficulty in adjusting to his prosthetic leg and felt completely normal as he checked in on Hank as the senior detective checked a message on his phone as he relaxed in the recliner. "Need any pain medication?"

"No, son. I'm fine." Hank watched Connor walked around to the other side of the couch and sat down, only to have Ruby immediately climb up onto his lap and cuddle down for some attention. Seeing Connor's bare plastimetal foot beside his other foot made Hank shake his head a little, but knew that the outlook only appeared severe; everything was okay. "How about you? Is your leg bothering you at all? Or your side?"

"No. My knee is still sore from the surgery and bandaging, but it isn't anything I can't handle. As for my side," lifting up his black t-shirt Connor showed Hank the thick bandaging still wrapped around his lower chest and upper abdomen. "the sutures and artificial skin are keeping the incision closed. I just need to wait four more days and I'll be able to have the sutures removed."

"That's good. The new cars will be here soon, so, that's one problem solved."

"Why did you purchase two vehicles?" Dropping his shirt Connor rubbed his right hand along Ruby's back affectionately. "Especially one that needs so much work, and won't possibly run when it gets here."

"Gotta' have something to do in the spring. It's been a while since I had a big project like that."

"...You're going to work on and restore that car by hand?"

"Yup. And you're going to help me."

"...I am?"

"Yup." Hank confirmed with a stern glance from where he sat. "Your hands are years away from arthritis, so I can use the help to keep me from wearing my own hands out."

"Fair enough."

"Speaking of which..." A large flatbed truck arrived at the street in the front of the house and came to a stop. On the back of the flatbed truck were the two cars that Hank had purchased thanks to the convenience of online shopping, and he made a move to get to the door. "The cars are here."

Peering out through the front window at the two vehicles Connor gave them a once over and shook his head. "You purchased another Oldsmobile and what looks like a vehicle that was once a very nice Corvette."

"You got it."

"Interesting selection."

"Hey, my money my choices."

"Right." Connor felt his phone buzzing in his jean pocket and checked it quickly. It was Evelyn calling and it made Connor's eyes light up. "I have to take this."

"Sure, I'll be outside getting the cars taken care of."

Casually walking up the staircase to answer the call Connor retreated to his bedroom and was completely unaware of Hank smiling at him as he moved out of sight. Answering the phone happily Connor spoke to Evelyn with a voice full of energy and enthusiasm. "Hey, Evelyn."

'_Connor_!' Her voice was a mixture of joy, relief, fear and worry. '_Oh, thank goodness_. _You sound great_!'

"I feel great, I'm fine, Evelyn. I swear." Sitting down on the edge of the bed Connor rolled up his right pant leg to look at his prosthetic leg and ran his left hand down his calf. "...More or less."

'_Lucas called me and told me that you and Hank were in a car accident, and had been hospitalized_. _Are you okay_?'

"Yeah, we're banged up but we're okay for the most part."

There was a brief pause before Evelyn spoke up again. '_Tell me what happened exactly_.'

"Well, the vehicle lost control on an icy road after several trees fell from the severe cold and wind. Hank was concussed, cracked a few ribs and suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder. And I took some glass to the abdomen and had my liver lacerated." Lifting up his t-shirt by the hem again Connor looked at the white bandage over his torso and peeled it back gently. The incision had mostly healed and the muscles beneath were healing just as well thanks to the wonders of modern medicine. "Uh, I also ended up with a pretty badly injured right leg from the knee down."

'_How bad is pretty bad_?'

Holding his breath for just a moment Connor answered the question honestly. "...I have a prosthetic now."

There was a heavy pause on the other end of the line before Evelyn's shaking voice spoke up again. '..._Are you serious_?'

"Entirely. I can still walk around normally and I'm not in any pain. It's an android leg which my brain was able to quickly-" There was a soft sob on the other end of the line and Connor's heart began to ache as he dropped his t-shirt. "Evelyn? Don't cry! I'm okay, I promise!"

'_I'm sorry_!_ I'm just_... _I don't know_!'

"It's okay, Evelyn. I'm okay. So is Hank. We're both home, we're both healing, and we're both moving forward. We've forgiven one another and are making amends as we speak." Reflecting on everything that happened Connor knew he and Hank had actually both been very fortunate. "I lost my leg but I didn't lose my life, I'm still here and I'll see you again soon."

'_Th-That's good_.' She managed to compose herself and steadied her voice. '_Sorry about that_. _I don't where that kind of reaction came from_.'

"It's fine. But are you okay?" There was something off about Evelyn and he couldn't quite place it. "You don't sound like yourself."

'_I've just been dealing with another headache, and I caught that damn flu_. _I guess I'm just tired, stressed out and needed to cry for a second_.'

"Do you need me to come back and take care of you?"

'_No, it's okay_. _I'm over the worst of it I_ _think_._ I just needed to get the stress out_. _I'm good_.'

"Okay, that's good. It'll be okay. We'll see each other soon and things will be much better."

'_Yeah, you're right_. _I just don't like waiting_.'

"Neither do I." Glancing out his bedroom window as the snow began to melt and finally allow October to look like October. "It's apparently one of my weaker personality traits, but I think there's worse things to be than impatient."

'_That's for damn sure_! _ I'm just so glad you're okay, Connor_. _ I miss seeing you and talking to you in person_.'

"I feel the same way. ...I want to hold you in my arms again."

'_Then when I show up in Detroit you better be ready for me to hug you and never let go_.'

Connor smirked broadly as he thoroughly enjoyed the idea of being able to hold Evelyn in his arms once again. "I think that can be arranged."

'_How is that we've been apart for barely three and we're already acting like it's been years_?'

"It must be our childhood bonds bring us closer. Between my own emotional baggage and this crazy weather pushing everyone to their limits I think we're just learning to appreciate all the good people we have in our lives."

'_I hope so_. _ I'd hate to think we're both going crazy or fell back into a high school daze of being unable handle the briefest of separations_.'

"That'd be interesting to comprehend."

'_Not it wouldn't_! _High school sucked_!'

Laughing at the comment Connor let out a weary sigh and shook his head. "Yeah, I won't try to argue on that one."

'_So, there should be a break in this damn fall snowstorm soon_. _Maybe I can see you next month_.'

"That'd be perfect. I'd love to see you again as soon as it's safe enough to travel."

'_Then it's a date_?'

Smiling at Evelyn's playful nature Connor was more than happy to oblige with her request. "Definitely."

* * *

Finishing off the final pieces of paperwork from the delivery driver Hank was given the keys to the two replacement vehicles from the driver, and gave the rundown Corvette sitting in the garage a sly glance. The old car needed a lot of work but Hank was up to the challenge, and knew that in the end his efforts would pay off. Closing the garage door and locking it up Hank turned around to check out the Oldsmobile parked in the driveway behind himself and rubbed the elbow of his left sleeve over the driver's side mirror to wipe away a foggy smudge from the reflective surface.

"Not bad for being older than Connor."

"I'm surprised you found another one like it." Connor stated as he walked to the side driveway with Ruby trailing after him. "At least it looks like it's in good enough shape to last through the winter."

"Yeah, yeah." Tossing the spare key to the Oldsmobile over to Connor he watched as the younger man easily caught the key in his right hand and slipped it into his pocket without breaking eye contact. "Can I ask what that call was about?"

"Uh, sure..." A faint rosy blush appeared on Connor's face as he and Hank inspected the replacement car together. "When I was in Chicago I became fairly good friends with my new partner, and we promised to stay in contact with each other."

"Uh-huh, so is she a blonde, brunette or a red-head?"

"...Blonde." Connor's brow arched a little as he gave Hank a curious glance. "How'd you know my partner was female?"

"I got some of the details about your little adventure out in Chicago, and one of those details was your new partner and her gender."

"...Oh. I guess I mentioned it in passing without realizing."

"Name?"

Watching as Hank popped the hood on the Oldsmobile to inspect the engine Connor answered honestly. "...Evelyn. Evelyn Blythe."

"Evelyn? Not 'Eve' or 'Evie'?"

"No, just Evelyn. You don't call me 'Con', I'm just Connor."

"Huh. Cool, I guess."

"She is going to come to the city to visit as soon as she can." He continued as he helped Hank check over the vehicle with a basic inspection. "I wish we could pick a definitive time to meet up, but..."

"Being a detective is murder on your social life. _Two_ detectives trying to have one social life together is pretty damn difficult."

"But worth it. Right?"

"Damn right. Barb and I made it work, so I know you two can make it work, too."

"Think I can take the car out to New Jericho Tower? I want to speak with Markus in person about a few things."

"About his and North's bonding ceremony?"

"Yeah, that's one of the topics I have in mind. I can't shake the feeling that something else is happening, and I want to be able to help."

"Sure, ki- Connor. Take it out and make sure it runs right." Remembering Connor's request to refrain from referring to him as 'kid' made Hank change his sentence quickly, but noticeably. "Go take care of your friends."

"...Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"You can still call me 'kid'. I was just being a dick about that."

Laughing a little Hank clapped his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and shook his head. "I think that's the curse of having the last name 'Anderson'. A dickish behavior tends to flare up from time to time."

Smirking a little Connor was relieved to find that he and Hank were able to move past the incident, the accident, and realize that mistakes don't have to define a person if that person won't let them. They could either linger in the past or they could move forward. It was all down to them to make that decision, it wasn't fate to be in pain or lonely "Makes sense. But it's a better name than 'Wolf', so it's worth it."

"Good to hear it, _kid_."

"That I'm okay with being an 'Anderson', or a dick?"

"You're a _smartass_, that's what you are." Feeling slightly more normal Hank addressed his son and decided to be completely honest with him about where he currently was mentally and emotionally. "And uh, just so you know, I'm going to start going to see a therapist tomorrow. I got a lot of shit to work out, and I've put it off long enough. My first appointment has been confirmed and I won't try to weasel out of it."

"...I think that's for the best to be honest." Remembering Evelyn's advice Connor realized she was right about everything, and needed to get some of his pain out and into the open. "I'm contemplating doing the same thing."

"Yeah. I should've seen one years ago when I lost Cole, but I didn't. I should've seen one right after I hit you, too. So, I'm going to make up for lost time and go get my head straightened out. Now when I promise you that I won't ever hurt you, and that I won't get drunk, I can finally live up to those promises."

"I should see a therapist as well. I know when I left for Chicago I did it because I needed some space and I needed to really think and find myself without an outside influence, and in doing so I realized I never got the help I needed when I was a child. It isn't too late to talk to someone." Everything Evelyn was true and Connor's love for the woman only seemed to grow. "I don't want to keep pushing people away whenever I feel overwhelmed or emotionally upset."

"Well then, if we're both going to get some help then I think it's safe to say we're both going to be okay after all."

"Yeah, I think you're right." Connor nervously wrung his hands together as he thought about Lucas and the trauma he had endured while in Chicago. "And I think we should suggest that Lucas does the same so he doesn't end up emotionally stunted like we did. I know he spoke to Chloe about what he went through, but he needs to seek professional help, too."

Hank gave Connor an understanding glance as he agreed with the idea of everyone in the family getting the help they needed. "It sure as hell couldn't hurt to try. It's not like we're infallible."

* * *

Finishing off a web conference with the mayor while in the safety of New Jericho Tower's main office Markus cybernetically severed the connection and closed the laptop screen with a heavy hand. Staring blankly at the painting on the far wall with his mismatched eyes filling with tears Markus remembered the night of the Revolution in vivid detail, of how he and North kissed as their victory was sung throughout the city, and how their first moments of freedom truly felt beyond anything tangible. Remembering North as the strong, fearless leader that she was rather than the weak, sickly victim she had recently become Markus told himself that North would be okay and that soon they'd be bonded together forever.

There was a soft chime as the electronic panel informed the deviant leader that there was a guest waiting to speak with him outside of the office door, and he quickly recomposed himself before replying. "...Come in."

The door slid open and Connor stepped through with a kind smile on his face and approached his friend with his head held high. "Hi, Markus."

"Connor, it's good to see you." Standing up from the desk Markus walked over to Connor and had to stop himself from throwing his arms around his friend to hug him out a weird emotional reaction. He knew Connor was injured and knew that humans were far more fragile than androids. "It's been some time."

"I apologize. Things have been relatively complicated as of late."

"Tell me about it." Glancing down Markus ran a scan over Connor's person and detected the artificial limb where Connor's right leg used to be from beneath his knee down to his toes. "...Your leg?"

Keeping the faint smirk on his face Connor knelt down onto his left knee and rolled up the pant leg over his right leg for Markus to see. "Functional."

"Lucas told me you had suffered a severe injury to your leg during the accident. I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, it could've been far worse." Rolling the denim fabric back down Connor stood upright and then pulled up the hem of his t-shirt to reveal the bandage over his abdomen to the deviant leader. "I'm very lucky, and so is Hank."

"...You're recovering. That's all that matters."

"Markus, what's wrong?"

"...It's... complicated."

"Complicated is my specialty." Dropping his shirt back down he smoothed out the fabric and gave his friend a curious stare. "Maybe I can help." Sensing that something heavy was in the air Connor pressed for his friend to confide in him. "I'm your friend, you can talk to me."

Taking in a deep breath to keep his emotions restrained Markus opened up about his current turmoil. "...It's North. She's... Her systems are going to shut down unless we can fix a programming error in her processors."

"What? How is that possible?"

"Her model was designed to serve a temporary purpose. She wasn't supposed to function longer than five years, and she's been functioning for eight years now. The strain of her systems is coming to light, and I... I can't let her just shutdown. I have to find a way to save her!"

"Of course you will, we'll _all_ find a way to work together and save her." Sounding like he was ready for a fight Connor kept his voice strong on his friend's behalf and supported Markus to the best of his ability. "How can I help?"

"...Josh and Simon are working on a patch as of right now, but their work isn't as fast or as accurate as possible. There's just so much to be done in the tower, and I can't expect them to neglect their duties just for one deviant; no matter who she is or how important she is to everyone."

"I understand. I know Abby can't help at the moment as she's fifteen weeks pregnant and cannot be stressed by additional work, but perhaps Lucas can still help to create the patch."

"...Isn't he busy, too?"

"Lucas won't let a friend succumb to a programming error just because he's begun a second career. I'll ask him to assist Simon and Josh on their work, and help to pick up their slack whenever he can. Maybe even Kamski would be willing to help."

"As little as you trust Kamski," Markus gave Connor a slight tilt of his head as he spoke with a dour tone evident in every word. "North trusts him even less."

"I can respect that. I will ask for Lucas's help tonight."

"Thanks, Connor."

"Anything else I can do to help?"

"Well, I'd like to have our bonding ceremony sooner rather than later, but I can't seem to find a nice location. Somewhere beautiful, private and someplace where we don't have to worry about bigots trying to crash the moment. Lucas stated that he had a suggestion in mind, but he was very cryptic and secret about it."

The faint smirk that had been making brief appearances on Connor's face returned fully as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "I think I know the exact location you've been looking for, and what Lucas was hinting at. The cabin."

"The cabin?"

"It's an hour out of the city and it's right on a beautiful, quiet lake. Hank purchased the property this past summer after he took Lucas and I out for a small family vacation, and it's free for you and North to use if you want."

"A snowy lake surrounded by a quiet forest?"

"Yes."

"...Sounds perfect."

"Then go there this weekend and get bonded."

"This weekend? So fast?"

"Why not? Hank and I are off of work until this following Monday, so we can be your witnesses. Josh can officiate the ceremony, yes?"

"Y-Yeah, he's been granted the proper authority to perform bonding ceremonies."

"So, tell North you have the location and come to the cabin this Friday night. We'll have a simple ceremony that'll be peaceful and finally allow you both to be bonded. It'll be the perfect way for you two to have some modicum of respite during this really stressful time."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll tell North about the cabin tonight when I return home."

"And I'll let Hank know. He and Lucas will be happy to know of the bonding ceremony taking place."

"Right, yeah. Since North and I are going for a smaller ceremony and skipping over the best man and maid of honor portions and just want to go through with the legalities, and you're giving us the cabin to use, it makes sense... Please feel free to bring anyone you think would want to be there. Friends, family..."

Connor immediately thought about Evelyn and felt himself lightly blush again as he still yearned to hold her in his arms. "Thanks, Markus. We'll send you the address and see you Friday night. Take care of North and let her know we won't stop looking for a way to save her."

"Yeah... I will."

"It'll be alright." Patting his right hand against Markus's left arm Connor tried to get his friend to feel more optimistic. "I promise."

"I know. See you Friday night. I'm... I'm going to bonded."

"And you deserve to be happy."

"Thank you for saying that, my friend."

"Take care."

As the young detective left the office Markus returned to the desk and sat down heavily as he sent a cybernetic message to North to let her know everything was going to be alright. Hearing her voice, even cybernetically, made Markus wince as she sounded so weak and so tired despite her programming only just beginning to fail on her. What was supposed to be a new chapter in their lives revolving around new life and joy was now surrounded by the ever looming shadow of death.

"We're going to have a perfect bonding ceremony, North." Focusing on staying strong for her sake Markus imagined how perfect the ceremony would be, and how happy they would be together. "You're going to look as beautiful as ever, and we won't have to worry about a thing. Just us and the friends who've supported us since the Revolution will be involved."

'..._I know, Markus_.' North was fighting to sound strong despite her increasing weakness. '_We'll be together and our family will be official_. _Maybe in a few months it'll be a little bigger, too_.'

"When you're well again we'll try again." The idea of having a family seemed to be the lifeline that North was clinging onto. It was something they both wanted and were determined to make happened. "I can see us having a little girl as beautiful as you are, and just as fearless."

'_Or a son who's far too resilient and selfless for his own good_.'

"Why not both?" He smiled and could feel her smiling over the private communication as they spoke about the future together. They were both determined to create a better future, and were determined to be together until the very end of time itself. "The bigger the better."

_**-next chapter-**_


	80. Bonding

The Friday leading into the bonding ceremony arrived and Connor showed up at Markus and North's mansion to drive them up the cabin with the Oldsmobile. Hank was riding with Lucas, Chloe and Josh in the pick-up truck and heading out to the cabin while Connor would follow soon after. Evelyn had arrived at the house just an hour before and Connor was more than happy to see her, and introduce her properly to Hank. The old car was a little crowded with four occupants but it was worth it as the two couples riding together were thoroughly excited about the ceremony set to take place on that Saturday afternoon.

Sitting together in the backseat Markus and North held hands and spoke to each other cybernetically as they planned their future together, while Evelyn leaned against Connor's right shoulder in the front seat. The long drive after being sick with the flu a few days prior had exhausted Evelyn but she was willing to push through her fatigue so she could be with Connor for the weekend.

"How're you feeling?" Connor whispered as Evelyn leaned against him and wrapped rested her eyes.

"I'm tired, but the headache finally went away. I wish migraines were just a myth."

Connor laughed a little as he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her up closer to him. "I'm glad you're better." Glancing up in the rearview mirror Connor studied his friends' faces in the backseat and addressed them calmly. "How about your two? How do you feel?"

"...Anxious." Markus replied as he squeezed North's left hand tightly. "But excited."

"You'll love the cabin. It's remote and beautiful." Connor confirmed with a lilt of optimism to his voice. "The lake is also nice and quiet all year round."

The car pulled into the driveway leading up the cabin and parked behind Lucas's truck. As the quartet exited the vehicle Connor showed his friends to the lake behind the cabin and the group was greeted by the sight of a pure white expanse over the frozen lake, and the flawless white snowflakes glistened in the afternoon sunlight. The entire backyard was covered in fresh snow and the surrounding trees were buried under thick mounds of the snow, and the leaves were sheathed in ice that looked like pressed flowers under glass.

"You were right, Connor." Markus held onto North's hand as they walked up the frozen shoreline of the lake and gazed out into seemingly forever. "This place is beautiful!"

"I knew you'd like it."

Evelyn wrapped her arms around Connor's rigt arm and stared at the frozen forest around her. "I forgot how beautiful winter can be when you're not surrounded by cold skyscrapers and loud traffic."

Putting his left hand over Evelyn's hands Connor smirked at her love of the scenery. "This place might be the cure for your migraines."

"If you have the cure for migraines don't hold back. I don't think chicken soup from a diner will cut it anymore."

Connor smiled at her and watched as Markus and North wrapped their arms around each other's waists and just stood together as they took in the serene environment all around him. "...Let's go inside so they can have a moment alone."

"Sure."

Leading Evelyn to the backdoor Connor stepped inside and was met by the sight of Lucas sitting on the couch with Chloe at his side, and Hank sitting in the nearby chair chatting with Josh, who was sitting in the second chair on the opposite side of the couch. Walking into the livingroom together Connor nodded at Hank as the senior detective looked up at him then immediately noticed Evelyn at his side.

"Everyone's here." Connor announced as he and Evelyn took off their snowy shoes and thick coats.

"I can see that." Standing up from the chair Hank walked toward the backdoor to stand before Connor and Evelyn and gave the couple an update. "Josh brought the legal documents and wants us to go over them to make sure everything is ready to go, but that's not my area of expertise when it comes to deviant rights."

"No problem. I'll look them over."

"Where's Markus and North?"

"Out back."

"Cool. Let them check out the lake." Giving Evelyn a gentle glance Hank extended his arm toward the kitchen and offered her something to eat. "Long drive, right? Need some tea or coffee?"

"Tea would be great. Damn migraine mixed with the flu ruined coffee for me after I got a strong enough whiff and threw-up. Wasted a perfectly good omelette in the process."

"I had that happen once with the smell of garlic." Hank laughed as he walked with Evelyn into the kitchen. "But I was hungover and puked up every ounce of alcohol my dumb ass had drank the night before. Took me another ten years to learn to not drink like that, and this time I'm going to make the lesson stick."

"Never too late to learn."

Connor watched as Hank and Evelyn chatted in the kitchen as he went over the legal documents regarding Markus and North's upcoming bonding ceremony with Josh in the livingroom. As he read through the details the backdoor opened up and the soon to be bonded couple walked inside to rejoin their friends inside the warm comfortable cabin.

Stepping into the livingroom Markus put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder as he leaned over the legal documents that young detective was quickly and easily reading over as he hovered over the coffee table. "What do you think?"

"You're in the clear, Markus. There isn't a single detail that Simon had overlooked or forgotten when he obtained the document."

"So we can go ahead with the bonding?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed with a happy nod of his head. "Everything looks ready to go. Tomorrow afternoon you'll be a bonded deviant. How does it feel?"

"Incredible." Markus smiled a little more only to have eyes fill with emotion as he watched North sitting down on the couch a few feet away. "I just wish Carl could be here."

Connor stood upright and put his left hand to Markus's upper arm kindly. "I'm sure Carl will be there in his own way. Hank told me once that the people we care about us never really leave us, even after they've passed away or shutdown. He'll be there."

Markus gave his friend an appreciative nod as he picked up a nearby pen and proudly signed his name at the bottom of the document to make it official. "...This is right. It feels right in every way possible." Extending the pen out toward North he smiled as she proudly stood beside him and signed her name right beside his, including the last name of 'Manfred' to be her own, just as Markus had taken the name after Carl. "We're going to be alright."

North put the pen aside and put her right hand lovingly against the back of Markus's neck as he bowed his head down to press his forehead against her own. "I know it." She whispered as she gave him a gentle kiss. "We're going to be together for decades... I love you."

* * *

The day came to an end and the group decided to have a bonfire outside to watch the stars overhead. Connor found himself absentmindedly strumming away on his green guitar in the dim lighting of the second bedroom on the second floor with Evelyn resting up against his right side with her head resting against his artificial leg. As he became lost in thought and watched Evelyn sleeping peacefully alongside him a soft knocking on his opened bedroom door drew his attention away from the tuneless melody he had been performing, and up to Hank standing in the doorway.

"Hey, son." Noticing Evelyn was asleep he lowered his voice politely as to not disturb her. "I take it she's too worn out to stay up, huh?"

"Yes. She's recovering from two illnesses, and still went through a lengthy drive just to be here for the weekend."

"Sounds like she really wants to be with you." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank gave the sleeping woman a respectful nod. Leaning against the door frame Hank stared at the guitar in Connor's hand and asked about it. "Why'd you bring that?"

"I promised Evelyn I'd play a song for her. I guess I accidentally chose a lullaby."

Laughing a little Hank walked over to the nearby window and glanced outside to watch the five deviants outside gathered around the bonfire. "I guess it's safe to say that it's too cold for humans to be outside right now."

"...Seems like a logical assumption." Connor stopped strumming with his right hand, but his left fingers continued to press down as if performing chords.

"You okay?" Looking back at his son Hank gave Connor a curious stare. "You seem a little distracted."

"I'm just thinking."

"About the bonding ceremony?"

"Yes."

"You nervous?"

"No." Connor set aside the guitar on the floor quietly and ran his left hand through his hair. Very softly he ran his right fingers through Evelyn's hair as she continued to doze peacefully, and he spoke in a whisper. "I'm just thinking about the prospect of marriage, and bonding, and how much it changes those who have the fortune of undertaking such an event."

Hank pressed his right palm over his still injured left shoulder and gave Connor an odd look. "You feeling the 'bachelor blues' or something?"

"...I don't know if that's really accurate, or simply an apt metaphor."

"Okay, then let's drop the metaphors and get more direct." Hank shrugged his shoulders a little, wincing at the pull on his bad shoulder in the process. "I'm asking if you're ready to seriously start dating and looking for the woman of your dreams."

"I don't know much about dating. I just know I like being with Evelyn, and want to keep seeing her. I think we're... official. Is dating still expecting?"

"To be honest I didn't know about dating. At least, in the beginning. Then after a few dates, or just spending time with her, you start to notice a pattern in the type of person you're looking for, and eventually find yourself more and more attracted to the person you were destined to fall in love with. I guess dating is just a way to test the waters without getting too involved with one another."

"Is that what happened with you and Barbara?"

"Yup. That's why we made sure to sneak off and elope so we could get married and still work at the same precinct together once we were sure we truly wanted to be together."

"Elope? Why'd you do that?"

"It's the best way of getting married and skipping over all the formalities, you know? Not having to dress up, invite a bunch of friends and family to a place you have to rent for a few hours, getting everything on a schedule... It just made things much easier and we were happy all the same as if we had gone through with an elaborate wedding. Just like Markus and North will be doing tomorrow."

Connor gave Hank a somewhat unsure glance as he leaned forward on his bed without disturbing Evelyn in the process. "May I ask you a personal question?"

"I've never stopped you before. What's on your mind, son?"

"Why didn't you re-marry after you... _lost_ Barbara?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Hank admitted as he let out a somewhat mournful sigh. "I guess I just never felt like I needed to try dating again. Or, maybe I knew I'd spend all my time comparing every woman I did date to Barbara. It's hard to move on after losing someone like that."

"Didn't you get lonely?"

"...Only after I lost Cole, too."

"I'm sorry Hank, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, kid. I don't want to start ignoring my past again. It starts with a bad memory and ends with an even worse hangover. My therapist would agree with that, too."

"...When you were dating," Connor's eyes darted down toward Evelyn briefly before looking back at Hank. "how did you ask the girl you were interested in out on a serious date to ensure you were truly compatible?"

"Connor, are you having doubts?"

"...A little."

"You still thinking about Skye?"

"Occasionally, but it's not her I'm-" Connor was finding it difficult to explain his feelings and his thinking. "Skye is gone and I have accepted it. She is not the same person I fell in love with, and she never will be if we were to somehow reunite. She's alive and well and I've... Well..."

Hank could feel the follow-up comment just hanging heavily in the air. "..._But_?"

"But, it feels strange to still think of Skye in such a manner, especially when I know she's unavailable," taking a moment to try to compose his thoughts Connor continued with a palpable confusion in his tone. "and now I see someone else in the same manner as I had with her, and it feels right to be with her, even though Skye is still around. Did that make sense?"

"Uh-huh..."

"I'm so perplexed by these emotions. How can I have an attraction to two people at one time?"

"Ah, I think I know what you're little problem is."

"You do?"

"Yup. Skye was the first person you really loved after you started to accept and really feel your emotions after you repressed them for so long." The senior detective deduced easily. "Then after you got to know her a little better the love you saw in her became more tangible and relatable. It's like you saw the sunrise after enduring a long cold night. She was a ray of light in an otherwise dark world around you."

"So, no matter what I will always think of Skye as someone special?"

"Yup. Your first real love."

Connor kept gently running his fingers through Evelyn's hair as he looked down at her again. "...Will I always be distracted by thoughts of her?"

"Nah. After you find someone who makes you think of them as special as you saw Skye," he motioned toward Evelyn and smiled. "you'll find that new someone to be the center of your every thought. You can quote me on that."

"...I think I already have. I... I think about Evelyn all the time."

"Yeah." Grinning even wider Hank just watched as Connor held Evelyn in his lap as she slept, and could see the gentle soul that the young detective feared he didn't have coming shining through with his every motion and word. "I can tell."

* * *

The following morning was absolutely perfect. Above the cabin the sky was a pristine unmarred blue. The ground was covered by an even layer of flawless white snow, while the surrounding trees were sheathed under a layer of crystalline ice that was only just beginning to melt. The lake was a pure expanse of shimmering ivory that gave the illusion of an eternal expanse of land. Songs birds tweeted melodiously through the treeline and a gentle breeze kissed the land with its passing presence.

After checking in on Markus and North who were sleeping in the third bedroom next to the second bedroom where Connor and Evelyn were sleeping, Hank quietly walked downstairs and checked on Lucas and Chloe, who were sleeping on the small bed that pulled out of the couch, and Josh was was sleeping on a pile of blanket in front of the still warm hearth. Everyone was sleeping well and very comfortable.

"Wish I could sleep that soundly." Trying to be as quiet as possible Hank walked into the kitchen to make himself some coffee, and some tea for both Connor and Evelyn to enjoy during the morning. As soon as Hank had his hand on the stove he felt someone walk into the kitchen behind him and he didn't even need to look to know who it was. "...Morning, Lucas."

"Good morning."

"Did I wake you?"

"No. I've become accustomed to exiting rest mode at seven-thirty in the morning, but I didn't want to disturb Chloe as it's not even eight o'clock yet."

"You two have your own sleeping schedules?"

"Yes. She has awoken at five in the morning everyday since she was with Kamksi and wanted to choose her own time in which to wake up as a form of exercising her freewill as a deviant."

"Can't argue with another three hours of sleep."

"Should we wake the others?"

"Nah, let them sleep. I'm going to make a small breakfast, so make sure everyone's just comfortable and not too anxious."

"I can do that."

"And, uh, check in on North. I know something's going on but I don't know what."

"...What makes you say that?"

"I'm a detective, son. Studying people and their behavior is my job."

"Right, of course. It's not that we're keep secrets or-"

"I get it, Lucas. Some things are just meant to be personal."

"Yes, thank you for understanding."

Lucas quietly crossed the cabin floor and walked up the staircase as silently as possible. Peering inside the partially opened door where Connor and Evelyn were sleeping in their bed together, Lucas was relieved to see his brother and his (girl)friend were sleeping comfortably. Smirking to himself he walked to the next bedroom and saw that Markus and North was still asleep as well, and looked just as peaceful.

"Everyone is at ease. That's how it should be."

* * *

Morning gave way to the afternoon and everyone was excited for the ceremony to begin.

Markus was standing before the floor length mirror mounted on the wall in the bedroom that he and North had shared the night before, and was staring intently at his own reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants, a white dress shirt and little more. The ceremony wasn't going to be elaborate but he still wanted to look his best as he bonded with North.

"Hey, Markus." Hank knocked on the opened door as he checked in on Markus with a paternal concern and saw the deviant leader staring himself down before the mirror. "How're you holding up? Nervous?"

"A little." The admission was accompanied by a shaking voice that confirmed his anxiety. "Does it show?"

"Well, aside from a deviant leader shaking in his shoes, you're blushing and... it looks like you are sweating a little. I sure hope that's because you got some update thing and there's nothing wrong with you."

"Yeah, North and I went through special system upgrades and updates. I'm supposed to be able to sweat now." Noting the pale blue drops of sweat on his forehead Markus blushed a little more. "It's not attractive, is it?"

"Depends on who you ask." Hank joked as he patted the deviant's right shoulder sympthetically. "So aside from the usual wedding day, or I guess_ bonding_ day, jitters... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. How do I look?"

"Like a groom."

"...I just wish Carl could've seen this. It would've done his heart some good." His mismatched eyes fell and his nervous grin began to fade. "Seeing deviants... androids being treated like equals, having a celebration of a future that didn't involve being ordered about or programmed-"

"Hey." Eager to stop the grim outlook Hank shook Markus's shoulder a little to bring him back to reality. "It may sound a little weird but I know that Carl IS here, okay? You're his son and not even death will keep a father from watching over his kids."

Markus smiled as a tear formed in his blue eye. "...Yeah. You're right, Hank. Thanks."

"You're going to be just fine, Markus. And I mean_ both_ of you."

"...Yeah."

"Come on." Motioning toward the opened bedroom door Hank encouraged Markus to head on outside. "Everyone's waiting."

* * *

Standing out by the slowly thawing lake Connor stood across from Lucas who had Chloe at his side as Josh stood in the middle of the group with his back to the lake. Connor was dressed in similar clothing to Markus saved for his shirt being navy blue and having a black blazer to wear over top. Lucas was dressed in the same attire to look nice, and Chloe was wearing a matching navy blue dress that stretched down to her ankles. Josh himself was wearing black slacks, a white dress shirt and a black blazer.

Hank stepped outside of the cabin wearing his best clean white dress shirt and black pants, and had Markus right beside him. As the deviant leader stood before Josh and Connor with an eager grin on his face Hank stayed by the door and held it open for North and Evelyn as the two joined the gathered group in the backyard to begin the ceremony.

Despite the short notice North managed to find a gorgeous white strapless dress to wear, and Evelyn had pulled her blonde hair up into a neat French braid after she changed into a dark purple ankle length dress of her own. Evelyn rushed over to stand beside Connor and stood right up next to him as he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders to help her feel warmer in the chilly autumn air.

"You look nice." Evelyn whispered as she stood beside Connor and felt comfort in his warm touch.

"So do you." Something about seeing Evelyn dressed up and glowing with pride made his heart swell. "You look beautiful."

Shortly thereafter North stepped outside in her white dress and Hank followed after as he felt he had some responsibility to walk the bride down the aisle even if she didn't need to have a father to give her away.

"...You look gorgeous." Markus emotionally told North as she stood before him and he took her hands in his own. "More-so now than ever."

"You look handsome yourself, Markus." Blushing at the compliment North looked truly happy to be there.

Hank just watched the three loving couples all gathered together for the historical moment as the first two deviants in history were about to be legally bonded to each other, and there was nothing to stand in their way. Seeing Lucas and Chloe together and knowing they were soon to be bonded as well made Hank smile, and seeing the way Connor had allowed himself to open up to love again and find someone as warm and caring as Evelyn made him feel confident that both of his sons were well on their way to truly happy lives.

"This is a historical moment." Josh spoke in a loud clear voice as he addressed all of those who were fortunate enough to bear witness to the wondrous moment. "We are here to celebrate the union of life between Markus and North." The words were reminiscent of the traditional human religious services, but there was no tradition to be followed on that day as the android bonding would be the first of its kind. "This is a moment of love overcoming adversity, and of light emerging from darkness."

The words were as powerful as they were poetic. Connor was intrigued by the mentioning of light overcoming the darkness, how confident everyone was that in the happiness would conquer sorrow. As he pondered the thought he tightened his arm around Evelyn's shoulder and she pressed up against his side affectionately.

"As a symbol of their love Markus and North will now exchange rings and cybernetically connect to one another and speak their vows, solidifying their trust and love with one another before the eyes of their most trusted friends."

Right on cue Connor and Lucas handed the respective rings to Markus and North and watched as the two slipped the rings over each other's left ring fingers before interlocking their exposed left hands with one another into a single fist between their bodies, up near their hearts. Their eyes closed and their minds became as one as they silently bonded to one another.

There was a calm silence as Markus and North connected to one another and spoke words that only they could hear. The sweet ambience of birds singing accompanied the silent exchange of loving words as the gathered guests patiently waited for the two deviants to open their eyes once more, and bring the short but sweet ceremony to a close.

"I love you, North." Markus stated in a kind voice as he opened his mismatched eyes and locked onto North's as she too awoke from their cybernetic bonds.

"I love you, too. I love you so much."

Josh nodded and resumed speaking as the loving ceremony drew to its end. "To our friends and family who have been honored to bear witness to this historical moment, I proudly present to you the newlybonded couple of Mr. Markus and Mrs. North Manfred."

The group gave a sincerely happy round of applause as Markus and North kissed each other and a swirling of white snow encircled the loving couple with a graceful dancing display of nature. For androids bonding was meant to last forever, and the couple was bound and determined to see forever together, no matter what it takes.

"...A new beginning." Connor whispered as he tightened his arm around Evelyn and imagined his own wedding in the future. In that future he saw himself with not Skye, but Evelyn. Evelyn was his true beloved and he knew in his heart she was the one he was destined to be with. "And a new life."

_**-next chapter-**_


	81. Migraine

Therapy had been very beneficial to the three members of the Anderson clan and helped the trio to understand where their grief came from, and how it could be resolved. Hank accepted that he still had a lot of misplaced anger toward the tragic deaths of both Barbara and Cole that he needed to find an outlet for, and to let go of before he could finally heal. Connor came to understand that his emotional outburst directed at Hank had in fact been misdirected as he was still holding a grudge against his abusive biological father, and realized that on a subconscious level that when he challenged Hank he was actually trying to challenge Anthony. Like Hank they both had anger they needed to recognize and let go of in order to move on.

As for Lucas he had come to terms with the death of Miles as both an act of mercy and self defense, not murder. He had no reason to feel guilty for doing whatever it took in order to survive, but his guilt was still prevalent. Working through his guilt had also stopped the chronic nightmares he had developed, and with that came a much needed sense of peace.

Things were a little tense when it came to dealing with things emotionally, but all three were also beginning to heal and allow the family to be a family again.

Returning to the precinct after an unusual few weeks of incidents and tension Connor and Hank resumed their usual partnership and had gotten a hold of some bizarre deviant cases to work on. Fortunately a majority of the cases seemed to revolve around innocent misunderstandings, or muggers not realizing that their target was an android who had hands strong enough to break noses with a single self defensive punch. Weeding through the cases surprisingly quickly Connor found himself at a rare loss of what to do while Hank was enjoying the lull.

"Shit, go figure us working on cases together instead of separately would make this go a lot smoother." Hank commented tiredly as he leaned back in his chair and watched a news story on the large television screen in the breakroom from the distance. There was a strange instance of college students being found unconscious and suffering from an unknown ailment downtown, but since it wasn't a criminal case Hank didn't really care. "So," returning his attention to Connor as the younger detective danced his coin over his right knuckles Hank decided to strike up casual conversation. "when're you going to see Evelyn again?"

"Lucas and Chloe's bonding ceremony for sure, but I'd like to see her sooner than that and more often."

"I like her." Hank admitted as he noted Evelyn's demeanor and overall well adjusted attitude. "She's got a fiery personality but she's also very compassionate. Look at the way she volunteered to help North with her hair before that bonding ceremony, and she barely knew her and didn't hesitate to be a friend that day."

"Yeah... Evelyn is special."

Hank watched the coin do its usual dance for only a moment longer before his brow arched curiously. "Something bothering you, son? You seem distracted."

"...I have a dull headache and my right leg feels a little strange."

"Maybe you should have Joel take a look at your leg. He might be able to help ya' out."

"He can help my leg, but I doubt it'll do much for my headache."

"Must be this damn weather. You and Evelyn are both having pretty bad headaches right now."

"That, or the stress is getting to us."

"That, too. Just don't catch that flu she had. I'd like to go one winter without one of us getting sick, and winter is almost here."

"I'll do my best." Visibly wincing Connor's coin suddenly came to a stop on the back of his knuckles and Connor himself pressed his left hand to the side of his head. The headache was worse than the leg, but the leg could potentially be remedied within a few minutes. "...Damn it."

"Go see Joel for your leg and ask for some of that aspirin he keeps locked up in his weird lab thing upstairs."

"...Might be a good idea."

"Wow, you must be feeling like shit if you're listening to me."

"Ha, ha. I've heard it before."

Getting up slowly from his desk Connor slipped his coin back into his pocket and walked sluggishly toward the corridor leading to the elevator, and subsequently the dispensary on the second floor. There was a slight limp in his movement and the sound of his shoe awkwardly dragging on the floor as his steps with his artificial right leg seemed to be faltering; or simply unresponsive to Connor's motions as he walked.

All but stumbling into the elevator Connor pressed his right hand over the control panel and selected the second floor to reach the precinct dispensary. He hadn't been up to visit Joel in months since he was no longer a deviant with an incredibly weak instinct for self preservation, not to mention a prototype with a few glitches and flaws that seemed to pop up at the most inopportune times. Now that he had an android leg in place of his original organic leg it only made sense to check in with the technician to have the prosthetic limb examined.

Struggling to walk back out of the elevator once the doors parted with an audible 'ding' Connor trudged down the short corridor to the dispensary where Joel was working on his reports via laptop on his desk in the corner. Knocking on the opened door frame twice Connor leaned inside the room and called out to the technician in a calm voice. "Joel? Can I see you for a moment?"

"Connor! It's been a while." Rising from his desk Joel walked over to Connor as the obviously lethargic young detective walked into the dispensary and leaned his left hand down against the top of the nearby exam table. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Maybe my leg."

"...Your leg?"

Using his right hand Connor reached down and pulled up his right pant leg just enough to show Joel his shin. "...It's not being very responsive at the moment."

"Ah, man... I knew you and Hank were in a pretty bad car accident, but... Wow. It didn't know it was THAT bad." Trying to think of the best way to begin the assessment Joel began with the obvious question. "Does your leg normally hurt you, or cause any form of discomfort."

"No. It's not painful and usually the prosthetic limb responds as it should, but right now it feels strange."

"I can take a look at it for you." The technician volunteered as he eyed the white plastimetal limb from where he was standing. "Can you get up on the table for me?"

"Yeah, I can do that." Moving with only moderate difficulty Connor managed to climb up onto the table and roll his right pant leg all the way up to reveal the entirety of his android leg for the technician to see. "This is the first time it's given me problems."

"Alright, I can see if I can locate the problem for you."

Joel carefully pressed his left fingertips along the leg right at the knee where plastimetal met flesh and found the limb to be structurally sound, and perfectly connected to the interior joint that had been surgically secured to the organic bone of Connor's remaining leg. There was no sign of infection in the surrounding tissue, and there was no sign of loose wires or leaking lines in the android limb either.

"Can you describe the unresponsiveness you're experiencing?"

"My leg feels heavier, almost numb at times."

"And do you have a headache right now?"

"Y-Yeah. I woke up with it and it's been slowly getting worse."

"Good to know your pain isn't connected to the prosthetic." Walking over to the nearby supply cabinet Joel opened up the small glass door and retrieved a Thirium pressure cuff. "This might seem a little weird, but it's effective." Wrapping the cuff around Connor's ankle Joel pumped up the cuff and got a reading on the limb within seconds on the small digital display attached to the cuff. "Ah-ha, your Thirium pressure is down to seventy over forty. You just need to top off your Thirium reserves in your leg and you'll be just fine."

"...I completely forgot about replenishing the Thirium. It just feels like my leg, nothing different."

"I've heard about people experiencing some form of physical sensations in their prosthetic limbs," Joel acknowledged as he removed the pressure cuff and returned to the cabinet to get a small bottle of Thirium to help out Connor's weakened leg. "but usually it takes decades to develop. Not a few days."

"...Hours."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. When I woke up with this new leg I was able to move it and feel it right away."

"That's incredible. There must be a unique connection between this rapid acclimation to your android leg and your previous life as an android. Like enhanced electrical activity in your brain is making your adaptation to your new leg nearly flawless."

"It's plausible." Taking the bottle of Thirium from Joel's hand Connor pressed his right fingertips to the outside of his artificial leg just below his knee and a small panel slid open. The panel gave Connor access to a Thirium line running down the limb to connect to the reserve port contained within the limb. Steadily he poured the Thirium into the prosthetic and flexed his ankle slightly as his reserve volume increased. "My range of mobility is improving. It seems you were right. Thanks."

"No problem. Just make a mental note to top off your Thirium once a week and you're good to go."

"...Could I ask for one more thing?"

"Aspirin?"

Nodding weakly Connor confirmed the technician's hunch. "Please."

"Sure. I've been getting pretty nasty headaches ever since the snow showed up, so I don't mind sharing."

"Then it really is the foul and unseasonably cold weather causing everyone to feel ill." Accepting the two tablets Connor popped them into his mouth and swallowed them quickly. "Just one more reason to dislike the cold..."

* * *

Driving to a nearby diner to get something to eat Hank during their lunchbreak looked over at his younger partner and watched as Connor flexed and relaxed his right leg rhythmically throughout the ten minute ride. Noticing Connor's fatigued and slightly paled complexion Hank curiously studied the younger man's behavior to make sure he wasn't feeling worse than he was actually admitting. Despite being given all the clear by his doctor to return to work Hank couldn't help but worry that Connor wasn't actually sick or suffering from another physical problem.

"How's your leg, kid?"

"Functioning. I just needed to replenish its Thirium reserves."

"And your headache?"

"Lessening. The aspirin is helping."

"Good. Then after you get something to eat it should take care of the rest of your headache."

"As long as it isn't too greasy."

"You're a stick, kid. You don't need to worry about grease."

"I'm worrying on your behalf."

"Oh, so that's it." Laughing a little Hank parked the car in front of the diner and motioned for Connor to follow him inside. "Are you saying I'm out of shape?"

"No, but I am implying that you favoring greasy food over healthier options, and I'd prefer if you didn't."

"Alright, I won't argue with that. I'll get something healthier today, and stay away from the grease when we get home. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you." Walking much easier than he had been Connor easily kept up with Hank and followed him inside the small diner. The aroma of freshly cooked meals was enough to make Connor actually feel a little hungry and want to eat. "I don't want you to get sick or compromise your health with a poor diet, so I'd prefer it if you got something light."

"Yeah? Well, you're the first to worry about me like that."

Shaking his head a little Connor followed after Hank to a relatively private booth in the back of the diner. "I find that hard to believe."

* * *

The relatively quiet shift suddenly got louder when Hank and Connor were sent to the scene of a dispute between a deviant tenant and a human landlord who was trying to evict the deviant without legal provocation. The poor deviant had been living in the apartment barely two months after the Revolution and had been living there quietly without any incident, but when a new landlord took over the building the bigoted human began trying to weed out the deviants and bar them from applying for tenancy to begin with.

The result of the deviant standing up for his rights had been a broken bloody nose, and the landlord screaming that he had the right to hit the deviant for 'speaking out of line'.

"Listen, asshole." Hank stood between the slovenly man and the victim while Connor saw to the victim's injuries. "You have no legal standing to kick him out just because he's a deviant. He didn't break any laws, he hasn't been bothering anyone else in the building, he's always paid his rent on time and his apartment is fuckin' spotless. There's no reason to kick him out just because he's an android."

"Machines don't need apartments, people do! Let it sleep in the parking lot right beside the cars!"

"Shut up, ass-wipe. You're under arrest for assault and harassment, don't make me add 'being a public nuisance' and 'disturbing the peace' to the list of charges. Especially since I know when we look at your files in your office we're going to find a damning trail of evidence proving your bigotry and unlawful eviction of innocent deviants."

"You're seriously putting machines over-"

"I said SHUT UP." Fed up with the landlord's cold attitude Hank slapped his handcuffs around the man's wrists and led him out of the main office to a squad car parked outside. "You're under arrest and you're pissing me off. Neither of those were very smart to do on your part."

Connor stayed with the victim to get his statement and to ensure that his bloodied nose quit bleeding before he left. "How long has the landlord been bothering you?"

"About two months." The victim confirmed as he looked at the Thirium stained tissue in his left hand as he lowered it from his nose. "He didn't have any problem with me when he arrived six months, one week and two days ago, but when he saw me carrying a box of Thirium into my apartment two months and three days ago he suddenly had an issue with my presence."

"Has he been harassing any of the other deviant tenants?"

"Not to my knowledge. I warned the other deviants to maintain a low profile to avoid the harassment, and it seems to have worked."

"Remain here and another officer will take you to the precinct to deliver a statement. We will also look for other witnesses to validate the claims of harassment and confirm that he struck you without physical provocation." Glancing about the hallway Connor located two security cameras that had surely captured video of the incident as well. "I'll double check the security feed at the precinct, too."

"Thank you, detective."

"Connor. Just call me Connor." Giving the deviant a subtle nod Connor left the apartment complex and walked across the parking lot in time to see the arrested landlord putting up a struggle as Hank tried to force him to sit down in the backseat of the squad car. Jogging over to the car Connor attempted to help Hank and put his right hand on the man's shoulder. "Sir, stop resisting."

"Shut up!" Swinging his shoulders wildly the man managed to strike Connor in his right temple and caused the younger detective to stumble back as he put his right hand to his head after he was stunned by the unexpected blow.

"Alright, you just assaulted an officer and now you're_ guaranteed_ a prison sentence!" Hank roughly forced the landlord into the backseat of the squad car and slammed the door shut in his yelling face. Patting the roof of the car twice Hank yelled at Chris behind the wheel to take off. "Get his ass outta' here!"

Chris nodded as he shifted the car out of park and drove onto the street to head out to the precinct.

"Connor?" Hank turned his attention back to his wounded partner and put his left hand to Connor's right shoulder to steady him. "Hey, are you okay?"

"...I'm going to need more aspirin."

"Let me see."

Connor dropped his hand from his temple and felt Hank lightly pressing his fingertips along his temple. "...Is it bad?"

"It looks like you're going to have a bump, but it doesn't look too bad."

"...Fantastic."

"Come on. I want to get back to the precinct so I can tear that dumb-fuck a new asshole."

Letting Hank guide him over to the Oldsmobile parked a few feet away Connor didn't try to resist the motion in the slightest. "Mind if I watch?"

* * *

Lamenting the massive headache settling in thanks to being shouldered in the right temple Connor stayed at his desk while Hank took care of the corrupt and bigoted landlord in the interrogation room. Unable to ignore his headache any longer Connor pulled open the top drawers of his desk in search of aspirin or any other pain reliever, but found nothing he could use to his advantage. Not wanting to go back up the dispensary for a few more aspirin pills Connor chose instead to walk to the breakroom and grab an ice pack for his aching head.

Walking with a faint limp again Connor entered the breakroom and pulled open the freezer door and retrieved the ice pack and pressed it to his sore temple with a light pressure. The coolness was a welcoming sensation though it did little to ease his throbbing headache or make him feel any more at ease.

"Headache?" Tina asked casually as she too entered the breakroom and poured herself a mug of coffee to perk herself up.

"Yeah. Shoulder to the temple will do that."

"Shit. Maybe you should go see a doctor."

"...No. I'll be... f-fine." A suddenly drop his tone and slurring of his words had caught him off guard. Connor felt his body steadily growing numb and his head swimming. "...I think."

"Connor?" Putting aside her coffee Tina walked up to the young detective and hovered her left hand beside his shoulder. "Connor, what's wrong?"

Pressing his left hand over his eyes Connor tried to ignore the sudden flashing light that led to a full on aura as he felt himself swaying on his feet. Before he could answer Tina his right hand suddenly dropped the ice and his right leg gave out entirely. Collapsing backward onto the floor Connor felt Tina's hand under his head as she guided him down at a controlled pace and kept him from cracking his skull open on the cold hard floor.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Shouting loud enough to get the attention of the rest of the bullpen Tina supported Connor on her lap as she knelt on the floor in an attempt to hold him as he nearly passed out unexpectedly. "Come on, Connor. Stay awake!"

"What the fuck happened?" Gavin shouted as he joined his partner in the breakroom and looked down at Connor on the floor. "Is he sick?"

"He just collapsed. He took a blow to the head while out in the field and just went down a few seconds ago."

"Shit. I'll call 911."

"Connor?" Tina spoke softly to him as she lightly pressed her cool left hand to the right side of his face and studied his half-lidded soulful brown eyes. "Connor, help's on the way. Just hold on, alright?"

Captain Fowler had noticed the commotion and left his office to check in on what was happening in the breakroom. Seeing Connor on the floor he knelt down and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder to gauge how alert his downed detective still was. "Hey? Connor, look at me."

Struggling to fully open his eyes Connor stared into nothingness as Captain Fowler leaned over him and seemed so far away.

"Take it easy. We'll get you checked out at the hospital."

Against his will Connor's eyes fell shut as the pain in his head became too intense, and he had no choice but to submit to the sweet bliss of unconsciousness.

* * *

A familiar voice called out to Connor through what felt like a mile thick fog surrounding his mind. Regaining his bearings Connor's eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness and felt entirely numb over his entire body. Swallowing once Connor tried but failed to speak as his voice was suddenly mute and he couldn't seem to respond to the voice beside him. It was as if he were trapped inside of a shell of his body and couldn't find a way to break free, or move in any way to indicate that he was conscious.

"Hey, you're okay." Hank reassured Connor as he put his right hand on Connor's right upper arm, but the ill man didn't feel the contact. "The doctor said you suffering from a, uh... hemiplegic migraine, and passed out. Do you know what that is?"

Connor's eyes blinked slowly as he very subtly nodded his head to confirm he heard and understood.

"Good. 'Cuz I sure as Hell didn't until it was explained to me."

Trying to lighten the mood Hank kept talking until Connor found the strength to speak up verbally again.

"So you've been asleep for about nine hours, and all of your tests came back just fine. They want to watch you overnight because of that blow to the head, but they don't suspect a concussion."

Patting Connor's arm a little Hank made sure to stay honest in order to keep Connor from worrying too much.

"When I saw you getting loaded up on the gurney I thought you blacked out or had a seizure, then Tina told me you were completely numb on one side of your body I," he paused for a moment before he chose his next words carefully. "...I seriously thought you had a stroke or something."

Connor weakly lifted up his right hand, the hand that had been rendered numb from the migraine, and confirmed that he was okay.

"Right now the doctor's think your special little migraine was caused by a mixture of stress and that shoulder to your temple. Good news is since these things are pretty damn rare you don't have to worry about it anymore. You know, unless you eat a shitty diet like me and end up screwing with your body too much."

Managing a weak somewhat lopsided grin Connor swallowed once again and found his hoarse, tired voice. "...H...How did I... go down?"

"You don't remember?"

Shaking his head a little Connor draped his right arm over his abdomen and pulled up his right leg very slowly to test his mobility. The limb bent as he wanted and didn't falter or lose strength. The Thirium replenishment was a success.

"According to Tina you went to the breakroom to get some ice, started slurring your words and passed out. She caught ya' as you fell, and you ended up scaring the Hell out of her."

"...Tell her I said 'Sorry'."

"Hey, if she can tolerate working with Gavin on nearly every damn shift I think she can handle you getting sick every once in a while."

Laughing a little Connor pressed his partially numb right hand to his right temple and sighed at the odd sensation of knowing he was moving but still not being able to real feel what he was touching.

"How do you feel?"

"...Not very well." Flexing his fingers a little Connor stared at the somewhat responsive digits curiously before letting his hand rest over his abdomen again. He could barely feel the lingering bruise like pain over his fully healed surgical incision as well. "Literally."

"Still numb?"

"...Yeah. I can move, but I can't really feel anything. It's like half my body is asleep."

"That'll pass by morning." Pulling up a nearby chair that was resting against a wall Hank sat down and kept his son company. "I'll stay here with ya' so we can go home first thing in the morning. I know you hate hospitals, but after today I'm not letting you risk going home to sleep it off." The worry of losing Connor so suddenly in the same way they lost Elizabeth was a fear Hank didn't want to admit to feeling right now. "Dr. Wilson should be by soon to check on you again."

"...Evelyn? I want to let her know what's happened."

"Uh, I get you want to call her but I think you should wait until your voice is stronger, and when it's _not_ midnight. Nothing sucks more than a phone call after midnight to say you're in the hospital."

"...Right. I'll call her tomorrow afternoon." Closing his eyes as fatigue won out Connor asked about the case in a groggy voice. It was late, he was getting over a migraine and in general was just tired thanks to the unreasonably cold weather affecting things sooner than usual. "...What about the landlord?"

"Going to jail for harassment, assault, the assault of a police officer, resisting arrest, breaking the tenant agreement contract by trying to evict the deviant without a just cause, _and_ as a nice 'fuck you' cherry on top of his shit-cake, tax fraud. That asshole is going to spend his 'golden years' behind bars all because he couldn't let a deviant live their life in peace in his humble little apartment."

Managing a full, but tired smile Connor began acting more like himself as the effects of his horrible migraine began to wear off. "...Sounds like true justice to me. You reap what you sow."

_**-next story-**_


	82. Poison

Arriving at the precinct two days after the migraine incident Connor and Hank were met with the usual ambience of a busy bullpen and a cascade of nervous voices giving reports to the police officers in charge of the newly assigned investigations, but there was something unusual hanging in the air at that moment that only the two seasoned detectives seems to notice. Neither detective could quite place it, but they both knew something bizarre was happening at that very moment and whatever it was it wasn't good.

"I have a bad feeling, Hank." Connor remarked in a low voice as he and Hank sat behind their respective desks in the middle of the bullpen.

"Yeah. I got it, too."

Letting out a mild sigh Connor turned on his terminal screen and went over the precinct's noted deviant cases and reports. There was nothing that seemed too out of the ordinary to warrant their mutual worry, and yet the strange feeling was still abundantly hanging in the air.

"I wish I knew what was happening." Connor again remarked as he leaned back in his chair and glanced about the precinct curiously. "It feels like we're being watched."

Hank looked around too and noticed that Gavin's desk was empty, but saw that the Sergeant's jacket was still hanging off the back of the chair. "Huh, where's Gavin?"

Chris overhead the question from his own desk and answered calmly as he typed up his morning report. "Interrogation. Some guy wanted to talk to Gavin about an old case he handled a few years back."

"Old case?" Hank gave Connor a righteously wary look from where he sat. "That sounds pretty weird to me."

"I agree." The younger detective quickly typed away on his keyboard to bring up past records and glance over the cases that Gavin had worked over the past ten years. There were far too many for the young detective to isolate and narrow down without any further information at his disposal. "...Perhaps one of us should check in on Gavin instead. Unless you'd like me to continue to sift through his old cases one by one."

"Do both. Come on," motioning for Connor to get up Hank led the way to the interrogation rooms. "I don't like this."

Chris was unsure of what the two detectives were honing in on but he knew he could always trust their judgment. "Lieutenant?"

"Chris, go let Fowler know something's up." Hank instructed calmly as he and Connor made their way to the observation room connected to the interrogation room to play on their mutual bad feeling. "We're going to check in on Gavin."

"What should I tell him?"

"Tell him that we're checking in on a 'hunch'. He'll know what's up."

Without questioning Hank for a second Connor followed after the more seasoned and experienced detective as they discreetly entered the observation room and watched Gavin speaking with the questionable man on the other side of the one way mirror. Hank turned on the small speaker so they could privately hear what was being said without intruding in on the conversation, or alerting the man to their presence in the process.

* * *

Through the one way glass mirror the two voices of Gavin and the odd man were somewhat muffled, yet still completely audible and easily understood as the had a heated discussion with one another. Gavin was able to maintain a professional demeanor, while the man appeared for more frazzled and irritable.

The man in question was in his late forties, but looked much older. With thinning hair that was graying over previously dark locks, heavily bagged eyes and a sickly yellow tint to his skin, the man was obviously in poor health.

"_Look man_," Gavin was trying to sound completely calm and cool as he spoke to the strange man standing in front of the door, but his body language told a different story. Sitting on the edge of the table Gavin had his arms crossed defensively over his chest and his eyes were locked onto the other man's face intensely. "_I don't remember what happened to your wife, but I am sorry she-_"

"_Don't toy with me_..." The man pleaded as he fumbled with something unseen between his hands. The object in question was concealed under the dark, thick sleeves of his winter coat just out of sight. "_I just want answers._ _Now._"

"_Okay, okay_..." Gavin picked up a small electronic tablet sitting on the edge of the table next to him. "_It'll take a minute, but I can find her case file for you_."

* * *

Sensing something was wrong Hank shook his head as he realized his and Connor's hunches were correct. The man was clearly distressed and was showing all outward signs of emotional, if not mental, instability. His shoulders were tense, his arms were folded defensively over his chest, his eyes were glazed over and his overall demeanor was aggressive despite being in a non-hostile environment.

"I don't like it." Hank commented in a low voice even though no one would be able to hear him through the glass. "There's something very wrong here."

"I agree." Connor went to step out of the room to 'check in' on Gavin inside the interrogation room. "I want to get a closer look at what the man's holding."

"Right. Be quick about it, and discreet."

Connor unlocked the door via electronic panel with his right palm and easily stepped over to the neighboring room to do the same on the next panel. As he entered the room he stopped just inside the door and feigned ignorance as he spoke to Gavin in a level voice.

"Detective Reed, you have a phone call waiting for you at your desk." The clever young detective easily lied. "Is this a bad time?"

"...No. It's fine." Gavin lied too as he gave Connor an unsure glance and chose his next words very carefully. "I'm almost done speaking to Mr. Lance right now. It's fine, I'll get the call later."

Connor glanced over the man's facade from an odd angle, but it was enough to confirm an identity. "Very well." Connor took the hint and left Gavin alone with Mr. Lance. "I'll ask the caller to hold for you."

Backing out of the interview room Connor returned to the observation room where Hank was still waiting and watching. Using an electronic tablet Connor typed in the name 'Lance' and found the man's mugshot to confirm the correct suspect. The man was known as 'Evan Lance', just as Gavin stated. "I have a confirmed identity on the man."

Hank didn't take his eyes from the window as Connor rejoined him in the observation room. "Is there any criminal history with this 'Lance' guy?"

"No." Connor replied honestly as he sifted through the file then resumed checking through the previous case files under Gavin's name. Isolating the name 'Lance' he was finally able to identify the case that he had been seeking. "But he did file a case regarding the disappearance, and subsequent murder of his wife."

"Gavin handled her case." Hank realized calmly as he slipped his phone from his pocket and texted an update to Captain Fowler. "How long ago?"

"Four years prior. Mrs. Monica Lance was reported missing by her husband after he returned home from work. Her car was found abandoned outside the city and her body was found inside the trunk. She had been bound with her hands behind her back and her ankles were tied in a similar manner. She had been stabbed to death. There were no suspects beyond that of the husband, and the case went cold after six months."

"And _now_ Evan is after Gavin for... something. Answers, questions, revenge maybe?" The odd sense in the air remained steadfast as the two detectives tried to figure out what the hell was going on. "But that doesn't make sense."

"Agreed. Something must've-"

* * *

"_Okay,_" Gavin's voice cut in sharply, knowing that Connor and Hank were watching on the other side of the window, as he found the case file that Connor had just uncovered and reviewed it for himself. "_here's the file_. _ Four years ago to the day; son of a bitch._ _I remember now_..." Gavin's voice was level and sincere as he read the file. "_we couldn't find any trace of the person who_-"

"_I don't care about the person who did it_... _You'll never find them_." Evan blurted angrily as his hands tightened around what was now seen as a metallic cylindrical container in his nervous grip. "_I just want to know what happened to her_. _How she died_. _Did she suffer_?"

"_I_... _The coroner's report is right here_." Gavin confirmed with a hesitating tone as he felt uncomfortable about going into the details. "_It's_... _not pretty_."

"_Neither is having your wife murdered and having your neighbors think you're the killer_! _J-Just tell me_! _I want the damn TRUTH_."

"_Okay, okay_..." Clearing his voice a little Gavin began reading the report. "_Mrs. Lance_-"

"_Monica_." Evan interrupted harshly. "_Her name was MONICA_."

"_Right, 'Monica'_." Gavin corrected him before he continued in a steady tone. "_She was found in the trunk of her car. She had her arms bound behind her back with duct tape, and her ankles were bound in the same manner. She had been struck in the back of the head rendering her unconscious. She... She endured seven stabs wounds to her chest_." Gavin cleared his throat again as he tried to remain as calm and cool as possible. "_The first wound was fatal as it severed the aorta and she bled out within seconds_."

"..._She didn't suffer_?"

"_No. She was unconscious the entire time. She didn't feel anything_."

"..._Good_. _That's good_." Evan's eyes narrowed as he stared at Gavin with a malicious intent. Holding out the metal canister in his hands Evan prepared to unscrew the cap. "_Too bad you won't have the same luxury_."

* * *

"SHIT." Hank swore as he and Connor exited the observation room quickly. "Get Gavin out of there, I'm getting back-up!"

Connor practically tore open the door to the interrogation room to get back inside as quickly as possible. Before Evan even had the chance to turn around or drop the cylinder Connor wrapped his arms around the deranged man's chest as he tackled him up against the far wall to pin him in place, and restrain him away from where Gavin was sitting.

"Gavin, go!" Connor shouted as he used all of his weight to hold Evan at bay against the wall.

The cylinder dropped from Evan's shaking hands and rolled along the floor as an aerosol and transparent liquid dripped from the canister onto the floor at a very slow pace, before hissing into a thin aerosolized cloud into the air.

"Fuck!" Gavin bolted from the room and pulled on the fire alarm to contact emergency services while also alerting the rest of the building to evacuate due to the unknown substance leaking into the air. "Everyone out of here, NOW. Move it!"

Connor dragged Evan back away from the wall and kept his arms pinned against his chest to keep him from lashing out. Enraged and surging with adrenaline Evan struggled to break free of the young detective's strong grip, but Connor held fast and managed to get the man out of the interrogation room as it filled with the aerosolized chemical he had intended to use on Gavin.

Fortunately the canister was improperly designed and the chemical was unable to fully deploy from the metal housing and fill the air with the unidentified substance as Even had originally intended.

Dragging the deranged man through the bullpen Connor was assisted by Hank who grabbed onto Evan's legs and aided Connor in carrying him out of the evacuating precinct to a designated clearing outside, and away from the chemical.

"What the fuck was that?!" Hank shouted at Evan as he and Connor carried him outside. "What was that shit?!"

Evan didn't say anything as he began to cough violently nearly causing Connor and Hank to drop him as the violent tremors physically shook his entire body. A sudden spike in his body temperature and his wheezing breaths indicated respiratory distress that both Connor and Hank noticed instantly.

"Fuck! There's a medic standing by!" Hank stated as he and Connor made their way over the precinct medic who was standing by to tend to those who had been afflicted by the chemical. "Get him over there before he keels over."

Connor nodded as he and Hank laid the man down on the sidewalk where the medic was standing. Hank slipped the cuffs from his belt and placed them on Evan's wrists behind his back, forcing him to lay in an uncomfortable position atop his arms on the sidewalk, and backed away as the medic assessed the dangerous suspect.

"Where's Gavin?" Connor asked as he looked about the immediate area for any sign of detective.

"Decontamination." Hank replied curtly with a pointed thumb over his shoulder to where the designated are decontamination area had already been set up to treat everyone who came into contact with the potentially toxic substance. "Just following protocol. You're next."

Stifling a weak cough of his own Connor made his way over to the quarantined area where the C.D.C. would isolate those who were in close proximity to the chemical while also running a sweep of the building to identify and remove the toxin before anyone became violently ill from unintentional exposure.

"...Yes, of course." Stifling a weak cough of his own Connor made his way over to the quarantined area where the C.D.C. would isolate those who were in close proximity to the chemical, while also running a sweep of the building to identify and remove the toxin before anyone became violently ill from unintentional exposure. Joining Gavin at the decontamination area Connor noted that Gavin was still in one piece, and seemed to be just fine. "You're unharmed."

"...Y-Yeah." Gavin confirmed as he stood completely still with his arms folded defensively over his chest. "Uh, thanks for doing what you did back there. Pinning that guy to the wall so I could get my ass out of there... That took a lot of balls! Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome."

Gavin shook his head and scoffed a little as the C.D.C. pulled up to the precinct and began to section off the area. "Bastard wanted to kill me because I couldn't figure out who killed his wife. What the hell, right?"

Connor withheld a very faint smile at the attempt to lighten the heavy mood. "Right." Another weak cough escaped Connor's lips prompting the the young detective to politely put his hand over his mouth until the coughing fit passed. "It's very strange."

"...You good?"

"Yes. I'm okay."

"Do you know what that shit was back there?"

"I was unable to -" Another cough cut him off unexpectedly and almost made him double over as the painful coughing squeezed his lungs.

Seeing Connor coughing and barely able to stand made Gavin feel a tad bit uncomfortable. "Maybe you should sit down for a minute?"

"...I'm fine. I'll be okay in a moment."

"Sure. Whatever you say."

As a team dressed in bright orange hazmat suits converged over the precinct numerous personnel began assessing the officers who were in the closest range to the chemical for any sign of illness or poisoning. While Gavin and the other nearest officers were actually being medically examined Connor was shown to an emergency shower to have any external chemical residue clinging to his skin and clothes thoroughly rinsed away.

Connor endured the uncomfortable and chilly shower without a complaint, and patiently waited to be cleared to leave the area to resume his investigation of the unusual attack against Gavin.

* * *

With complete indifference to Evan's life Hank watched as the paramedics checked over Evan and reported his condition as serious, and quickly deteriorating, into critical. Paramedics arrived at the scene to aid the affected officers and to provide emergency first aid to Evan who had fallen unconscious and was in respiratory distress, and in need of assistance in order to breathe at all. It was a blur of activity as the medics set to work to take care of the people in need, and to keep the dangerous man alive.

"...Dumb bastard." Hank muttered to himself as Captain Fowler joined him and looked down at the gasping suspect. "What do you think, Jeffrey? I say he was suicidal and wanted to take Gavin down with him."

"I think you're right. Good work, by the way." The commanding officer made sure to give credit was credit was due. "I was able to get all non-essential personnel out of the building before anything went down."

"What do we know about this 'Evan Lance', jackass?"

"He worked as a high school chemistry teacher until his wife was murdered. He spent the last four years of his life living in solitude in his apartment and working from home. I guess he finally went off the deep end when the anniversary of his wife's murder passed by without any progress."

"Being a chemistry teacher explains how he knew how to make that damn canister. Good thing for us he fucked up at the finish line and didn't unleash the full contents."

Connor rejoined Hank at the sidewalk, his clothing was damp and his hair was still wet from the decontamination shower, but he still looked professional. "How is Evan doing?"

"Looks like he got the worst dose of whatever the hell that stuff was." Hank replied in a tired, somewhat annoyed manner. "How're you?"

Captain Fowler gave Connor a respectful nod before departing to check in with Gavin who was still being medically examined. "Good work, Connor."

"Thank you, Captain." Another weak cough stopped Connor from answering Hank right away as he acknowledged his commanding officer. Clearing his throat he finally replied as honestly as he could. "...I'm okay, Hank."

"You don't sound okay."

"It's my dwindling asthma that's-" Connor began coughing again, much harsher than before causing him to press his right hand to his chest and his legs to begin to buckle in response.

"Connor?" Hank put his hand against Connor's upper back to hold hold the deviant steady as he coughed and struggled to breathe. Escorting Connor over to an ambulance Hank made sure the deviant didn't trip or fall over as he walked and tried to catch his breath. "Connor, sit down."

Obediently Connor took a seat on the bumper of the ambulance as he continued to cough into his hand while his body tried to clear the caustic chemical from his lungs. The coughing was so violent Connor didn't have the chance to breathe in, only out. Paling quickly and struggling to catch his breath Connor didn't have any fight left in him to resist medical attention.

"Shit, where's a medic?" Hank asked as he looked around the area worriedly, his hand never leaving Connor's back. "Hey! We need a medic over here!"

Connor continued to cough as he leaned forward with uncoordinated weakness. The young detective fought to keep his balance and fortunately Hank kept his hand on Connor's back to prevent him from falling off the bumper and onto the hard sidewalk or street.

"Easy, son. I got you."

Paramedics treating the other victims heard Hank's voice and responded quickly. Rushing over to the ambulance a redheaded female paramedic stood beside Connor and visually assessed the struggling young detective quickly. The sound of the brutal coughing was all it took for the trained paramedic to know that Connor was in trouble.

"He needs oxygen." She put her own hand against Connor's back next to Hank's hand to help support him. "Help me get him on a gurney."

"Yeah, right." Hank waved over the other paramedics who were rolling a gurney between them. While Hank worked with the first responding paramedic to lift Connor up from the bumper and lay him down over the gurney he motioned for the other paramedics who had brought over the gurney to give them some space to work. "We'll take care of him, you check on everyone else."

The paramedic nodded in approval as she loosened Connor's tie from around his neck and slipped an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth to ease his struggling breathing. "Whatever that chemical is must be caustic." Taking the stethoscope from around her neck as Connor's coughing fit mercifully passed she unbuttoned the top of Connor's shirt and his unbuttoned his vest to expose his chest. Easily slipping the earbuds into place she ran the bell over Connor's chest, listening carefully to the faltering breaths Connor was fighting to take in. "It sounds like he's having some kind of asthma attack, or an allergic reaction."

"Shit. I thought he got over his asthma problem. So what do we do?"

"Get him to the hospital and figure out what he breathed in before it's too late. Until then basic asthma remedies."

"That's it?" Hank wasn't happy with the lack of action that either of them could take to try to help Connor. "We just stand back and hope the doctors can figure this mess out?"

"I'll monitor him closely." She confirmed as she pulled open the remaining buttons of Connor's shirt and began attaching wireless leads from a cardiac monitor to chest to actively record his vital signs. "Until we know what the chemical was in the attack I won't be able to do much of anything to help him."

"Yeah... Do what you can for him."

"Right. What's his name?"

"Connor."

"Connor," she repeated the name as she looked down at Connor's face compassionately. "I'm going to hook you up to the monitor and keep track of your heart rate. Can you speak at all?"

Connor swallowed once but when he tried to speak his throat was already too raw from coughing to respond properly, and it made him cough a little more.

"That's okay, just relax and focus on your breathing. I'm going to accompany you to the hospital."

Nodding slowly Connor acknowledged the order and closed his soulful brown eyes as he continued to cough harshly despite the oxygen mask over his face.

Hank stood beside the gurney and put his right hand to Connor's hair lightly. "Hang in there, kid." Hank pressed his palm over Connor's forehead and brushed back the wet, rogue lock of hair that constantly hung down in the young detective's face, only to have the rogue lock of hair return to its original position. He could feel heat beginning to radiate from Connor's skin and he knew the the young detective was going downhill. "You'll make it."

Connor's eyes opened a sliver as he gave Hank a subtle but reassuring nod before letting his eyelids close again.

Turning to look at the paramedic Hank mentioned the sudden change in Connor's body temperature in a low voice. "It feels like he's running a fever."

Pressing her hand to Connor's forehead as Hank pulled his own palm back she looked at the cardiac monitor's display and saw his temperature steadily climbing up to one-hundred and one degrees even. "You're right." The paramedic noted Connor's vitals on the monitor and looked over at the hazmat team working to isolate, identify and remove the dangerous chemical in the precinct. "Stay here until the precinct has been cleared."

"Yeah, sure..."

From the sidewalk the paramedics tending to Evan began to move frantically as the deranged man fell into cardiac arrest and required resuscitation. Hank turned to look at the scene over his right shoulder with indifference at the man who had endangered the entire precinct over misguided rage and a pointless vendetta against the wrong person. As the paramedics fought to save Evan, a useless endeavor in Hank's eyes, Gavin made his way over to where Connor was laying on the gurney to check in on the detective who saved his life.

The younger detective was nearly unconscious and barely able to catch his breath between coughing fits as the paramedic and ambulance driver worked together to load him into the back of the ambulance for transport.

"What the hell happened to Connor?" Gavin's hair was dripping wet from the rinse down and hung in messy strands in all directions. He was drenched in lukewarm water and a decontaminating compound that left his clothes with a noxious smell and slight discoloration. "He was fine a second ago."

"Bad reaction to the chemical." Hank answered in a cool tone of voice as he watched over Connor protectively as he was loaded up and secured in the back of the ambulance. "The paramedic doesn't know how to help him. YET."

"That shit didn't affect me but it took _him_ down? That's... fucked up."

"Yeah, almost as bad as that." With a casual glance over his shoulder Hank motioned to Evan receiving chest compressions from the paramedics on the sidewalk behind him. "How was killing you going to get is wife's murder solved?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Gavin ran his left hand over his wet hair nervously as he watched Connor struggling to breathe even with the oxygen mask over his face. He was frighteningly pale and he was beginning to sweat from the building fever. "If I couldn't figure out the case when it was still active all that time ago how in the fuck would anyone else get any answers on it after it ran cold for _four years_?"

A high pitched 'shriek' filled the air as the cardiac monitor attached to Evan detected his stopped heart and the paramedics decided to call the time of death.

Hank shook his head as he looked back to Connor laying almost motionless on the gurney just before the ambulance doors closed with a noted 'thud'. "I don't know whether that idiot's death is a good thing, or a bad thing..."

Scoffing at the question Gavin crossed his arms over his chest with utter indifference and annoyance. "Fighting to save _him_ was a waste of time," he grumbled as he motioned to Evan's body now draped under a white sheet. "that's for damn sure."

* * *

In the back of the speeding ambulance the paramedic continued to monitor Connor's breathing with her stethoscope and watched his heart rate on the attached cardiac monitor beginning to fluctuate at an alarming pace. Adjusting the flow of the oxygen she then lifted Connor's eyelids one at a time to check his pupils with her penlight before asking him a few questions to gauge how alert he was, and if he was beginning to show any sign of cognitive impairment due to his exposure to the currently unknown chemical.

"Connor? How do you feel?"

"I..." Fighting to speak Connor managed to get his voice to respond despite the rawness of his voice. His words were partially muffled by the mask but surprisingly audible all the same. "...I f-feel like... my chest is... being crushed. And I... feel like I... can't breathe."

"Okay, just focus on your breathing as much as possible. Slow deep breaths and relax."

Connor suddenly let out a weak gasp as he began to really struggle to breathe and his face paled further. His lips became a pale blue as he began to lose what little oxygen he managed to take in as he suddenly fell in respiratory arrest.

Responding quickly and calmly the paramedic angled the head of the gurney back and removed the oxygen mask from Connor's face. Using absolutely precise and trained motions she snaked a tube down his throat to intubate him, and attached an ambubag to the end of the tube. Using one hand to squeeze the ambubag and the other hand to hold the stethoscope to Connor's chest she confirmed a proper placement and resumed external breathing on Connor's behalf.

Radioing the respiratory arrest into the hospital the paramedic continued to tend to Connor's breathing and listened to every forced breath she had to pump into his oxygen deprived lungs on his behalf.

Whatever the toxin was that he had breathed in had clearly done its job and was slowly, but surely, killing Connor.

* * *

At the precinct the hazmat team had identified the substance used in the attack and as such everyone who had been exposed was also rushed to the hospital to receive medical treatment as a precautionary measure. That included both Gavin and Hank as they had been in the same close proximity to Evan as Connor had been when the caustic chemical was released into the air. Time was critical and no one was exempt from going to the hospital to be examined and subsequently treated for their exposure.

"I'm going, jeez." Hank muttered as he stepped into the emergency shower set up outside the precinct and shrugged off his heavy coat. Being out in the cold fall wasn't helping the matter, and he grumbled with righteous protest at the cold air and water bombarding him. "Fuckin' hell!"

Gavin was wrapped up in an emergency silver blanket as he was escorted to the back of a second ambulance and waited for Hank to join him. As he sat down and fought the urge to shiver he watched the Lieutenant being shown to the ambulance with his own emergency blanket wrapped tightly around himself. The two detectives sat down on the bench in the back of the ambulance side by side when Captain Fowler approached the emergency vehicle with a somber expression on his face.

"Hank," the commanding officer was never one to sugarcoat things and was always honest. "I just got word from the hospital. Connor went into respiratory arrest on the way to the hospital." Dropping his voice he gave the Lieutenant a sympathetic gaze as he spoke. "He's been put on a respirator, and the medical team and hazmat team have confirmed that toxin used in the precinct was a kin to anthrax."

"...Anthrax?" Hank repeated in a confused whisper. That particular strain of biological contaminant hadn't been used as a weapon for almost ten years. "We were dosed with ANTHRAX?"

"Not quite. It comes from the same type of bacterial strain, but it's more potent and has all of the lethal effects of power sedatives mixed in. They're calling this new stuff 'snow'."

"...Damn it. Connor, no."

"Go to the hospital and do whatever the doctors say. The C.D.C. is examining this Lance guy's apartment to find the original source so they can figure out the correct course of antibiotics to counteract the infection."

Without another word Hank just turned and stared blankly at the floor of the ambulance as the paramedics climbed into the back, and the large rear doors of the emergency vehicle were shut tight.

Leaning his head back against the side of the ambulance Gavin swore bitterly about their situation. "This shit can't be real."

"...Fucking anthrax." Hank muttered to himself as he realized the severity of the entire situation. "I thought that shit got under control ten years ago."

"And I never thought a cold case would come back to try to kill me. Go figure I'd be the one to doom us all."

"Not your fault, Gavin."

"Sure as shit feels like it." Sitting upright again Gavin sighed and contemplated texting his pregnant wife to let her know what was happening, but decided against it to avoid stressing her out. "If I had just figured out that case four years ago then-"

"NOT your fault." Hank interrupted quickly as he refused to let Gavin blame himself for another person's poor decision. "Whoever killed that guy's wife is at fault. That's how this shit-show started..."

* * *

The hospital was a scene of controlled chaos as the staff worked to keep Connor stable as he remained in a quarantined room as they fought to reassure the public who had gotten wind of the assault at the precinct that it was a contained and isolated incident; they were _not_ at risk. Using every supply available to them the staff kept tabs on Connor while using common sense medicine to treat his infection until the C.D.C. could confirm the strain of bacteria used in the attack. Once Hank and Gavin arrived they were sent for a second decontamination shower and subjected to every possible test that could be used to check on their well-being.

Sitting on an exam table in a white hospital gown and teal scrub pants with the leads to a cardiac monitor attached to his chest, a blood pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep and a digital thermometer in his mouth Hank impatiently questioned the nurse as she took his vitals and made notes in his electronic chart like a student studying for a test. "Look, I've been here for an hour and answered every damn question, let you draw more blood than Dracula for those stupid tests, I've been x-rayed, M.R.I.'d, C.T. scanned and prodded by every damn doctor in this joint. Just tell me how Connor is doing and I'll keep playing nice!"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant." The nurse apologized profusely as she took the thermometer from Hank's mouth and wrote down his current temperature. "I'm not working the floor where your partner is located."

"...Of course you're not."

"The doctor will be in to speak with you, soon." The nurse stated sympathetically as she left the room with the chart in her hand. "She might have some more answers for you."

Sighing with great and understandable irritation Hank ran his right hand through his still damp locks of gray hair and peeled off the velcro of the blood pressure cuff from his bicep. "Fuckin' doctors..."

As the impatient Lieutenant slipped off the edge of the exam table the doctor handling his case walked into the room with the same electronic chart that the nurse had been using to keep track of Hank's vital signs. "Lieutenant Anderson, please sit down."

"No way, I need to find Connor."

"...You're his partner. I also noticed you have the same last name. Relatives?"

"He's my _son_."

"Okay, that makes sense. I'm sorry about making you wait." She was in her mid forties and had aged hazel eyes, but they were still bright with intelligent intrigue. Her graying brunette hair was pulled back in a neat bun and she had to look up a little to lock eyes with Hank. "My name is Dr. Camille and I've been overseeing you and your son's treatments."

"How he is?"

"Holding on. Ten minutes after he arrived his fever spiked to one-hundred and four degrees, and he's been on the respirator since he arrived."

"Shit. He's really sick..."

"We just received word on the strain of the bacteria used in creating this 'snow' poison," she explained in a collected and confident tone as she finally gave Hank some answers. "and we have him on the correct antibiotics. His temperature is beginning to drop but we still have him on the respirator to breathe for him until he regains enough strength to breathe on his own."

"...Can I see him?"

"Well, according to all your tests you're in the clear but we'd like to start you on the antibiotics as well as a precaution."

"THEN can I see him after you give me a dose?"

"Give it an hour and you can stay in the same room as him if you'd like."

"...Alright, fine." Stretching out his left arm Hank presented the bend of his elbow directly to Dr. Camille and nodded toward the limb with a sarcastic tilt of his head. "Fill it up, doc. Let's get this over with."

* * *

Putting up with all of the tests and isolation for the designated hour Hank stood outside the quarantined room and watched Connor through the observation window as Dr. Camille listened to his breathing with her stethoscope and readjusted the I.V. drip as the antibiotics were still being administered to him through the line. The sight of Connor so pale and still sweating from his intense fever while hooked up to a respirator and cardiac monitor was unsettling to the father figure to say the least.

Captain Fowler had spotted Hank standing in the hallway upon his arrival to the hospital and approached him calmly. "How's Connor doing?" He needed to ask despite already knowing the answer was grim just by looking at the young detective fighting to breathe through the same window. "Bad?"

"Not good, that's for damn sure."

"Damn it."

"His fever is starting to drop but he isn't showing any sign that he's trying to breathe on his own yet."

Rubbing his left hand over his forehead Captain Fowler stood beside Hank and updated him on the situation at the precinct. "...The C.D.C. finished their raid on Lance's apartment and confiscated everything he had stolen over the years. Turns out he had buddies who work with some pretty nasty stuff at research labs and universities, and Lance discreetly helped himself to a few samples from time to time."

"Good thing he's already dead, or else I'd have to go and take care of that myself." Dragging his right hand over his bearded chin Hank just watched as Dr. Camille used her penlight to check Connor's eyes again as she she continued to hover over him carefully. "Anyone else get sick?"

"No, you three were the only ones who got close enough to be infected, and Connor's the only one who actually got sick."

"...That's good. Sucks for him, but I'm not surprised."

"Why's that?"

"Connor's splenectomy and heart condition make him more susceptible to infection."

"That's right. I remember reading that in his updated personnel file."

"Know anything about Reed?"

"Gavin's resting in his own room with his wife. Since she's pregnant and still allowed to be near him I think it's safe to say he's in the clear."

"Yeah, that's good a sign."

From inside the room Dr. Camille made another note in the electronic chart as the attending nurse stepped outside of the room to ask Hank to step inside for a moment to visit with Connor. "Lieutenant? Could you come in, please?"

Curiously Hank followed after the nurse and was motioned to stand beside the bed where Connor was laying. He hated seeing his partner down and out, but seeing his son hooked up to machines was almost too much to bear. "I guess should just start booking rooms in every local hospital, huh, kid? Every time we seem to catch a break something stupid like this just comes along and ruins it."

Dr. Camille nodded at the nurse as she began explaining things to Hank. "His fever has nearly broken and he's regained a considerable amount of his strength. We're going to take him off the respirator and extubate him now to see if he'll start breathing on his own."

"...That's great, but why am I here?"

"If he doesn't begin to breathe before his oxygen saturation level drops below eighty percent we'll have to re-intubate him, but sometimes hearing a familiar voice can be enough to provoke a reaction and all but guarantee he'll breathe again. We need you to talk to him and try to get him to respond."

"Seriously?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I've seen it happen before. It does seem to work."

"Yeah, okay. Do it."

"Alright, this won't be pleasant to watch but it'll be simple and only take a few seconds."

Hank kept his right hand on Connor's left shoulder as the doctor and nurse worked together to gently remove the respirator and unclip the machine from the end of the tube snaked down Connor's throat. Using careful strength and motions Dr. Camille pulled on the tube and extracted it from Connor's throat while the nurse kept tabs on his vital signs.

"Connor?" Hank spoke to his son and waited for him to take a breath. "Come on, kid. You're okay. You saved Gavin from that anthrax shit and everyone's okay now. We're just waiting for you to breathe."

Dr. Camille pressed her stethoscope to his chest and waited for a reaction. "Steady heartbeat but no respiration."

"Son, breathe. Just take in one breath that's all we need. Come on! You can do it."

"Oxygen saturation is dropping down to ninety-four percent."

"Connor, breathe or they'll put that tube back in and you'll be in the hospital for even longer."

"Eighty-nine percent."

"One breath, son. Do it!"

"Eighty-" Dr. Camille stopped mid sentence as she heard and felt Connor's chest rise as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Another second passed before he took in another breath and then settled into a calm breathing pattern. "...Normal, clear breath sounds. Oxygen levels stabilizing."

"That's it, good job." Hank's hand went up to Connor's hair and rested there. That damn rogue lock of hair kept hanging in front of Connor's left eye but Hank didn't even try to brush it back this time. "As soon as you're awake we can head home and not have to worry about anymore lunatics at the precinct. At least for a while."

"I'll keep him here for another hour." Dr. Camille stated calmly as she made another note in Connor's electronic chart. "If he stays stable I'll have him moved to a private recovery room where he'll be under forty-eight hour observation."

"Hear that, kid?" Keeping his tone upbeat Hank tried to remain a friendly voice to listen to. "You're well on your way."

* * *

Bored out of his mind Hank stared at the large television screen on the far wall in the recovery room and messed around with a small bowl of ice cream as he watched the news report on the 'snow' incident getting spread around like it was a new fashion trend. Sighing at the glum news report and glancing about casually at his phone with a listless gaze Hank just waited for something to change, and was met by a soft exhale as Connor began to stir in the recovery bed beside where he was sitting.

Putting his phone aside Hank leaned closer to the bed and addressed Connor in a relieved tone. "Hey, son."

Connor's glassy brown eyes opened slowly as he regained consciousness and found himself sitting partially upright in a soft hospital bed with a muted cardiac monitor recording his vitals, a blood pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep, an oxometer clip on his right index fingertip and a nasal canula under his nose. Taking a moment to piece together the events of the unusual previous day he looked over at Hank and asked the obvious. "...Wh-What happened?"

"You got dosed with a weird string of anthrax, but now you're fine."

"...Oh."

"Here." Passing over the somewhat melted bowl of rocky road ice cream to Connor to eat Hank stared at his now conscious son with a proud smile plastered on his face. "That was fuckin' brave, kid."

"Huh?"

"Rushing in there to save Gavin and restrain that asshole. When I told you to get Gavin out of that room I meant just that. Grab his ass and run!" Pointing a non-scolding finger at Connor he kept the proud smirk on his face. "But you stayed back and kept that psycho from hurting anyone else, and you were willing to make sure he got out of the building, too."

Fiddling with the spoon in the small white bowl of ice cream Connor blinked a few times as the details of the day came back to him. "...I was just doing what I thought was right."

"And you did good."

"...Thanks."

"Hey, be proud. You did very good."

"Sorry. I guess I just don't have the energy to celebrate."

"Don't worry about it. One more day and you can go home to rest in your own bed."

"Good." Picking up a small portion of the offered ice cream on the plastic spoon Connor ate the sweet treat and was relieved that the cold was soothing on his sore throat courtesy of being intubated and sick. "...Did anyone else get hurt?"

"Nope. Just you. Me and Gavin were brought in as a precaution, but we're all good now. That asshole who started this mess didn't make it though."

"...I guess that saves us the problem of a trial."

"Something like that." Giving Connor a somewhat curious stare Hank decided to change the subject. "So, uh, I didn't really ask Fowler when he mentioned it yesterday, but did he say that Abby is _pregnant_?"

"...Yeah. She is."

"How long have you known?"

"Just before I left for Chicago."

"So she's what, four months along?"

"Twenty-one weeks if my math is correct."

"And Gavin didn't say anything about it?"

"No. Captain Fowler obviously knows, and I suspect Tina does as well. "He's just working more overtime to save up for Abby and the baby."

"...That explains it."

"What?"

"Why Gavin wanted some tips on getting eloped at the courthouse a while back. I just figured he was trying to keep his crazy ex's away from him, but I guess he's just taking responsibility and stepping up to take care of his unborn child." He gave a slight tilt of his head as he remembered the conversation he had accidentally overheard when he walked past Gavin in the parking garage a few weeks back. "That also explains why he was on the phone and told to buy watermelon and potato salad. Pregnancy cravings can get pretty damn weird sometimes."

Connor's brow furrowed a little as fussed with the ice cream in the bowl with the spoon as a curious thought entered his mind. "Do they know why Evan Lance chose to attack Gavin after four years?"

"Well, aside from it being the four year anniversary of his wife's murder, no. We don't really know what triggered it."

"...And no suspect was identified in her murder beyond Evan himself?"

"No." Hank was intrigued by the tone of Connor's voice and knew the young detective was onto something. "What're you getting at?"

"When a person is assaulted or killed," Connor sat upright on his bed slowly and let out a weak cough in the process. "the person closest to the victim is always the primary suspect during the investigation. Perhaps Gavin was unable to progress the case beyond Evan Lance because Evan Lance _was_ the killer."

"Wait... How do you figure?"

"There was no sign of a break-in," Connor remembered the details from the case as a new theory popped into his head. "Mrs. Lance had no enemies and had no legal inconveniences that could potentially warrant an assault; but Mr. Lance had a temper and a drug problem in the past."

"You're thinking Lance went crazy on his wife and assaulted her?"

"No. I think Lance owed a great sum of money to his drug dealer who subsequently took his wife for ransom to pay off his debt. He failed to offer payment."

"...And he didn't say anything because he didn't want to get busted for drugs. Son of a bitch." Hank leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest as he considered Connor's theory. "Alright, so if you're right and Lance is responsible for his wife's death then why did he go on what was arguably a suicide mission at the precinct yesterday?"

"I noticed that externally Lance showed signs of jaundice, which is indicative of liver failure. He had an orange tint to his complexion and the whites of his eyes were turning yellow."

"His previous drug use must've destroyed his liver leaving him sick. He was already dying and the guilt over what happened to his wife pushed him to his breaking point."

"Exactly." Connor coughed again and pressed his right hand to his chest reflexively. "He lashed out in fear and paranoia."

"Lay back down." Hank coaxed as he took back the bowl of barely touched ice cream and pushed Connor gently by the left shoulder to lay back. "Just relax and breathe for a while. You're going to be swarmed by doctors in a few minutes once they realize you woke up."

"I'm trying." The younger detective admitted as took in a deep calming breath. For the first time since he had been exposed to the dangerous substance he could breathe without coughing now that he was laying flat. "I just don't like remaining still for too long."

"Yeah, I know. In two days you can take Ruby for a walk all over the city while I'm ordering parts for the Corvette."

"Already? But winter's just-"

"Yeah, yeah." Hank dryly commented as he patted Connor's arm lightly before he gave him a casual glance "I want to get an early start on the project."

"What for?"

"Well, you have to admit having a second car can come in handy." He gave Connor a sheepish glance where he sat. "Especially for date nights."

"Date night?" Within seconds Connor felt himself blush as he thought about spending more time with Evelyn, then quickly turned the comment around on Hank to playfully return the mild embarrassment. "...Who's the lucky lady?"

"Shut up and get some sleep, will ya'?" Laughing at the retort Hank leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Smartass..."

_**-next chapter-**_


	83. Blackout

A cold rain doused all of Detroit as an early winter storm settled over the city with an unbearably chilly presence. Enduring the harsh weather by remaining inside during their time off Hank kept himself from getting stir crazy by reading through his favorite book in the livingroom while Connor laid on his bed with his guitar over his lap, and his hands strumming over the chords in an attempt to create a new melody and song. Ruby was laying over the foot of Connor's bed with her chin resting over his artificial leg wile she kept him company. Sleeping peacefully the loyal hound was less interested in Connor's song and more interested in her nap.

As the gentle pattering of the rain struck against the glass windows Connor used the natural rhythm of the rain drops to inspire his rather somber melody that he was composing in honor of North's memory as he couldn't help but think of her impending shutdown. The fiery deviant's lifespan was estimated to come to an end within three months and Markus was devastated. Keeping her declining health a secret out of respect for her as a friend and as a leader of New Jericho, those who did know of her bleak condition had given her and Markus space to ensure they had as much time together as possible before it was all over.

A loud strong gust of wind shook the house, and the ice began to mix with rain at an even distribution. As a precaution Connor used his phone and began to track the storm's progress, only to have his bedroom go suddenly dark as the entire city fell under a blanket of deafening quiet as the power failed for all of Detroit. Ruby let out a single bark in the response to the odd silence of the house as the afternoon storm gave way to an early darkness over the city.

"Hank?" Connor called out as he noted the lack of lights in the quiet house and placed his guitar back down in its support stand in the corner. "We're in the middle of a blackout."

"Yeah, I noticed!" Hank replied sarcastically from down the staircase in the livingroom. "We should go to the precinct, I get the feeling everything is going to go to Hell tonight, and we're going to get called in anyway."

"I'll get ready." Connor agreed as he proceeded to remove his casual clothing in favor of his work uniform to dress appropriately. As he changed his clothes Connor caught sight of Hank passing by the opened door of his bedroom to change into different clothes in his own bedroom as well. "Have you taken part of a citywide blackout before?"

"Yeah, once." Hank confirmed from his bedroom as he clumsily pulled open his closet to find his clothing in the poor lighting. "I had been a cop for only three years and everything was crazy. People panicking in the streets, looters smashing open store windows, idiots running around with guns and starting fights... It was not a great night."

Connor slipped on his gray suit vest and tightened the knot of the black tie around his neck, then tucked it behind the vest out of the way. "What caused the blackout? Do you remember?"

"Some massive chain reaction failure at the power plants along the East coast." Now wearing what he deemed his work clothes Hank met Connor outside the younger detectives bedroom door, and watched as Connor shrugged on his gray suit jacket to layer up against the cold. "Keep Ruby inside just in case things get weird. Make sure all the windows are locked, I'll go check the doors downstairs and the garage."

"Of course." Connor quickly checked his own bedroom window before doing the same to the other windows in the house on the second floor, then the first floor without fail. "Perhaps this blackout is related to the storm and can be remedied soon."

"That'd be nice..." Hank shouted as he finished securing the deadbolt on the front door and pulled the curtains over the front window shut to ensure no one could peer inside the house through the window. "But I doubt we'd get so lucky!"

* * *

Wind bombarded the city and heavy snow, ice and rain poured down from the dark clouds of the sky above.

Handling the poor weather fairly well thanks to his training Hank drove through the rain drenched streets carefully while Connor monitored traffic on his phone to guide him through the dim streetlights to ensure they were not in any form of accident as they made their way to the precinct. The streets were mostly vacated save for the autonomous taxis that had powered down and were left idle and abandoned in the streets, but that was no guarantee that someone wouldn't be driving reckless through the city.

"Shit," swearing with frustration Hank peered at the snow swirling around him with mild disgust. "this storm isn't going to let up anytime soon, is it?"

"Unknown. Updates on my phone aren't as fast or accurate-" Connor stopped short as a phone call tried but failed to connect with him. The storm was disrupting communication throughout the city, and making phone calls difficult to accomplish. "...Someone is attempting to contact me."

"Is it Fowler?"

"I don't know. I didn't get an I.D. with the caller."

"We better hurry, then. If it _is_ Fowler then that means shit is about to get crazy."

"Agreed."

* * *

As soon as Hank and Connor reached the bullpen of the precinct the duo were greeted by an android receptionist who handed the two detectives Kevlar vests and instructed them to wait for Captain Fowler's orders with the other officers within the bullpen itself. Gavin, Chris, Tina and all of the other officers who were available had also decided to report to the precinct once the blackout swept over the city, and they too were all wearing Kevlar vests. Seeing that it was an all-hands-on-deck type of situation put the duo on edge.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Connor lamented as he slipped off his leather and gray jackets long enough to secure the Kevlar vest over his gray suit vest and white dress shirt as ordered.

"Nervous?" Hank asked as he put his own vest on over top his pale blue and orange stripey shirt, then replaced his heavier overcoat on top of the added vest to keep warm. "Maybe even scared?"

"No. But I feel as though there is something strange happening in this moment that is very important. It's like I need to be somewhere..."

"Try not to think too much about what's going on, okay? It'll be over before you know it."

"I hope you're right."

Captain Fowler stepped out of his private office with a Kevlar vest of his own over his chest and the Captain of the S.W.A.T. division at his side. As the two Captains joined the officers gathered in the center of the bullpen everyone fell silent and looked to their superiors for instructions on what they were expected to handle, as well as information on the cause of the blackout itself.

Standing perfectly still Connor felt his phone buzz in his pocket as a text message was successfully sent and received at long lost. Glancing down at the message on his phone's display screen the young detective felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the name attached to the message. It was from Markus.

'_Connor_! _North is dying_!'

"Markus..." The fear and panic in the deviant leader's text was actually palpable and Connor left the bullpen to duck down into the breakroom just out of sight. Quickly dialing the number to talk in person Connor didn't wait more than two seconds after Markus answered before he quickly asked the all too obvious question. "What's happened?"

'_I don't know. She suddenly got worse when the power went out and I don't know what to do_! _I can't get a hold of Simon, Josh or Lucas._ _Please,_ _I need your help._'

Through the call Connor heard the distinct sound of gunshots in the background that were uncomfortably close to the exterior of Markus's home. The looters Hank had mentioned during the citywide blackout he responded to all those years ago were suddenly a very real fear as the carnage unfolded too damn close to his friend's home.

"Markus, I'll be there as soon as I can. Is your house secured?"

'_Y-Yeah, everything's locked down_.'

"Good. Stay there, I'm going to get to you as fast as I can, and I'll help find a way to save North."

'_Hurry._'

"I will. Trust me."

Captain Fowler's voice sounded off through the bullpen one final time as he gave his last orders and set about giving the gathered officers their assignments.

As the addressed officers began to disperse Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder firmly and gave the young detective a reassuring glance as he located his partner in the breakroom. "We can handle this, right?"

Connor discreetly turned to Hank and lowered his voice to avoid drawing any unwanted attention from the other officers still lingering in the area. "Hank, I got a message from Markus about North."

"What's going on?"

"...She's dying. And, I could hear gunshots in the background of the call. They're in danger."

"Fuck. You need to get to them. Now."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, you need focus on taking care of them. I'll cover for you."

"Thank you, Hank."

"Connor, whatever happens you have to take care of your friends." The senior detective firmly stated where he stood and offered Connor the keys to car to take for himself. "Go protect North and Markus, and I'll find you later."

Nodding appreciatively Connor took his leave of the precinct with the intent of finding North and Markus at their home on the other side of town. Rushing back through the front doors of the precinct and into the parking garage beside the precinct Connor unlocked the Oldsmobile, and backed away from the precinct at a steady clip to get onto the street and head out to where his friends were locked down in their own home.

"Hold on, North." Pleading with his friend from afar Connor let out a calming sigh as he drove at a steady pace along the slick and vacated streets. "You need to hold on."

* * *

It didn't take long for the assigned officers to set about their tasks as calmly and professionally as possible as instructed. Each officer was assigned an area of the city to patrol and maintain peace while the S.W.A.T. team was on emergency standby in the event of a chaotic upheaval or riot in the streets. It felt like overkill, but it was necessary and simply protocol to be upheld during the blackout combining itself with the early snowstorm.

"Hey, Lieutenant?" Gavin addressed Hank with a somewhat defensive tone as the officers met with their assigned partners to begin their patrol in their designated areas of the city. "Where's your partner?"

"Don't worry about it. He's busy."

"With what?"

"Gavin, don't fuck with me right now."

"Alright, alright... But you can't go out on patrol alone."

"Yeah, I'm aware." Hank snarked as he pulled open the top drawer of his desk and located the spare keys to the patrol car he hadn't used in several years. Spinning the keys around by the keyring on his right fingertip once he palmed the keys and let out a deep sigh. "But I'll manage."

Giving Hank an odd glance Gavin gently pressed for a reason answer. "...What's up?"

"Don't worry about it, Gavin. We've got it handled."

* * *

The old but reliable vehicle sped over the rain, snow and ice soaked streets of the city and only stopped once Connor reached the front drive of Markus's home. Throwing open his door Connor heard another gunshot in the distance and instinctively ducked down as he drew his own gun from its holster secured around is back, under his jacket and Kevlar vest as a means of protecting himself.

"Shit."

Racing up to the front door Connor knocked frantically in hopes that Markus would let him in, but realized that Markus would be too busy with North to answer. Putting his right shoulder against the door next to the frame Connor forced the door open with a loud 'bang' as he set foot on the shining tile floor of the foyer. Like the rest of the city the house was dark and vulnerable to criminal activity throughout the area.

"Markus?" Connor called for the deviant leader as he jogged up the wooden staircase to the second floor of the mansion, puddles of rain water marked each step he took inside the house. Keeping his pace quick Connor reached the master bedroom at the end of the corridor where he saw Markus holding North in his arms as he sat on the bed. "Markus..."

With tears running down his face and his right hand gently running through North's hair Markus answered Connor without ever tearing his mismatched eyes away from his beloved bondmate. "...She's dying. Lucas was so close to finding a way to help her, but-"

"Markus, what happened?" Connor asked impatiently as he walked over to the bed and put his left hand down on the center of North's chest to feel her Thirium pump's beat. Despite his inability to run a scan he could still detect her incredibly weak vital signs. "Why did her condition suddenly worsen?"

"I don't know. She just... It happened when we lost power. She was holding her own and then she just... I can feel her slipping away."

"The power?" Connor was trying to develop a theory to explain North's suddenly declining health when the sound of gunshots from the backyard of the house made him turn around quickly to face the sound of the commotion. "...We need to get her out of here. Now."

"What? Where?"

"Somewhere outside of the city. It's too dangerous for her, or any other ill deviant, to be in the city right now."

"I don't think she's strong enough to-"

Another gunshot and the sound of glass breaking downstairs put Connor on his guard.

"Markus, we don't have time to discuss this." Unzipping his Kevlar vest Connor shrugged off his wet jackets and handed the body armor to Markus to wear before he checked his gun to ensure the weapon wouldn't jam if it became necessary to fire. "Put this on and pick her up. I'll escort you to the car out front."

"What about you?"

"I'm armed, you're not. You get the armor." Connor's reply was stern but it meant no insult as he raised his gun and turned off the safety before replacing his leather jacket over his arms. "We need to be quick."

"Okay." Markus nodded his head as he quickly slipped the Kevlar vest over his arms and up over his shoulders. Zipping it up his chest Markus was now protected and Hellbent on getting North to safety. "You're going to be okay." The deviant leaer soothed quietly as he scooped North up into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. "We'll keep you safe."

"Come on." Connor stepped outside of the bedroom as he kept vigil for any intruders. Raising his gun before himself Connor led the way out of the house and back to the car parked out front. "Stay behind me."

Rushing down the staircase with Markus right behind him Connor motioned for Markus to wait inside the house for a moment as he cleared the outside, and made sure there were no threats in the immediate area. Stepping through the front door back into the rain with his gun lowered to the ground Connor looked up and down the streets for any sign of aggressive or armed persons, and found the area clear for the moment.

Moving to the car with a graceful motion Connor pulled the front seat forward to give clearance to the backseats. "Go!"

Without any hesitation Markus carried North out of the house as fast as he dared, keeping his head low as he quickly darted to the car and climbed into the backseat with North still held tightly in his arms. Connor pushed the seat back into place and sensed someone approaching him from behind. Turning around swiftly Connor saw an armed man charge toward him with a gun in his hands and his eyes set on the car.

"Yo!" The man ordered as he aimed his gun at Connor's chest. "Step away from the car, man!"

Connor responded by aiming his own gun at the man and flashing his badge with his left hand. "Detroit Police. Back off."

"Shit! It's the cops!" The man fired once as he turned around in an instant and began running back in the direction he had come from. As he met with his partner in crime he shouted again as he fled from the area. "Cops! RUN!"

His partner, foolish and reckless pulled out his own gun and fired four shots wildly in Connor's direction. Ducking down behind his opened car door to seek cover Connor let out a single groan of pain as one of the five total bullets fired at him by the two men found him as its target, and became lodged in his upper chest next to his right shoulder. Simultaneously two other bullets became lodged in the car's door right beside him.

"Fuck..." Connor swore to himself as he pressed his left hand to his chest over the bleeding bullet wound, and climbed back into the driver's seat. Taking in a deep breath the young detective determined that the wound wasn't too severe as he could still breathe, and he wasn't experiencing any cardiovascular distress. To Connor the bullet was simply a nuisance wedged inside his chest. "...Markus, are you injured?"

"No. I wasn't hit, the vest caught the bullet." Confirming that he was in the line of fire but unharmed wasn't as comforting as he had hoped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Connor put his bloody left hand on the steering wheel as he spoke to his friend. "I'm going to get us out of here."

Putting the car back into gear Connor pulled away from the house and raced down the rain, snow and ice soaked streets in search of a temporary shelter where North could be safe, and away from the chaos of the world in her final moments of life.

"Where're we going?" Markus leaned forward in his seat as he realized that Connor was driving away from the city and seemingly out into the middle of nowhere. "New Jericho Tower is the other way."

"We won't be able to get inside the tower with the power out." The young detective explained logically as he kept his focus on the road ahead of him. "We have to go somewhere else." Thinking over his options he sighed and accepted that the only logical place to take North was a place he wasn't too keen on being, but it was going to be a necessary evil. "...And I know just the place to go."

* * *

Reluctantly Hank sat in his own car at his designated patrol with a heavy grimace on his face. Staring up at the blank traffic light swaying in the wind he just let out a deep sigh of irritation as he waited (im)patiently for the power to return to the city. Fidgeting with his phone in his right hand Hank toyed with the idea of trying to call Connor, but decided against it as the younger detective was surely too preoccupied with North and Markus to answer him anyway. He's have to wait for Connor to call him.

"This is bullshit..." Putting his phone aside for the moment he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have to babysit a fuckin' street while Connor's friend is dying across town."

The storm continued its rampage and Hank continued to stare at the display of nature with a mixture of intrigue and irritation through the windshield.

"Damn bureaucrats."

The windshield wipers moved back and forth in a perfectly annoying rhythm that sounded off inside the car as the motion caused the body of the car to sway back and forth slightly. Hank was getting restless on his patrol and didn't want to just sit on his ass while Connor was going through a what was sure to be a heartbreaking experience on the other side of town. Prioritizing his family over a dead street Hank picked up his phone again and tried to call Connor, but as he expected the young detective didn't answer.

"Alright..." Placing accessing a different area of his phone Hank made his next decision. "Plan 'B' then."

Scrolling through his contacts Hank found Lucas's number and called him instead. The line only rang once before it picked up, and Hank spoke before Lucas even had the chance to answer. "Lucas, it's me. Are you with North?"

'_No, I'm at my house with Chloe and on stand-by in the event the station requires additional help. Why_? _What's going on_?'

"Okay, it's an emergency and there's too much to explain." Hank turned the key in the ignition and pulled off his patrol and set about driving to the house to get to his second son. "I'm going to pick you up right now. Get ready and get your technician satchel."

'_My techni_-' Trailing off Lucas suddenly had an idea of what was so important and why Hank was asking about North. '_Of course_. _I'll be waiting for you_.'

* * *

With moderate difficulty Connor found his way out of the city and continued to drive at a relatively fast speed down the rain, snow and ice drenched highway as he found his correct exit. Glancing at the rearview mirror without saying a word Connor watched as Markus continued to gently run his fingers through North's long auburn hair with unspoken love in his every motion. There were tears forming in Markus's mismatched eyes as he looked down at North's oddly peaceful, but sad face as she remained unconscious in his arms.

Flinching inwardly at the burning pain in his chest Connor pressed his left hand back over the wound and was relieved to feel that a majority of the bleeding had already stopped. Darting his soulful brown eyes downward Connor spotted the noticeably dark red stain over the center of his chest and hoped that the leather jacket would hide the wound once he pulled the lapel over the wound.

"...Markus." Connor spoke up softly to his friend to try to distract the deviant leader from his horrible plight. "Don't lose hope."

"I'll have nothing left to lose if I lose North."

"It'll be okay. I have a theory as to why her condition suddenly worsened. If I'm right we can buy her more time."

"What? How?"

"It's just a theory, and there's only one way to find out."

"Do what you have to do." Tightening his arms around North as if he could keep her from slipping away Markus pressed his forehead against her. "I can't lose her, Connor. I can't..."

"You won't." Turning his head Connor locked eyes with Markus in the backseat behind him and gave him a reassuring nod of his head. "I promise."

* * *

Despite the poor weather conditions Hank managed to get to the house without causing any disturbances on the streets as he sped toward his destination with prime focus. Pulling the car up to the front of the house Lucas met the car outside with his old technician's satchel slung over his right shoulder as he had been requested. Hank pushed open the passenger side door and motioned for the deviant to climb inside, which he did without hesitation.

"Have you spoken to Markus or Connor?" Hank asked as he pulled away from the house and back onto the street to try to find either one of them.

"No." Lucas replied as he fastened his seatbelt and tried to cybernetically contact Markus. His messages weren't getting through. "Everything went black and we've been on emergency back-up power ever since. What's going on?"

"Connor got a call from Markus saying that North has gotten worse."

"Oh, no... She's so weak right now."

"He's at the mansion with Markus and North right now."

"We better find them fast. I have a patch that could repair her software, but if she's already shutdown there's nothing I can do for her to bring her back."

"We'll find 'em." Hank reassured firmly as he made his way across town to locate the exquisite mansion. "...I just hope we aren't too late."

* * *

With his right hand Connor discreetly sent a text to a questionable ally as he continued to drive through the storm toward his destination along the relatively isolated road far away from the city. Keeping his actions discreet as to not disturb either North or Markus with possible worries or delays, Connor received his reply and with it came an unexpected sense of relief. They would be safe once they arrived at their secretive destination at last.

"We're in the clear, Markus." Connor finally stated with a level voice as he continued the drive. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be safe."

Another phone call caught Connor's attention and he answered the call quickly as he recognized the number in an instant, and pressed his phone to his right ear to talk. "Hank."

'_Connor_! _Where are you_?' Hank sounded alarmed and relieved all at the same time. '_I got Lucas with me and we went to Markus's house, we found your jacket upstairs but no one was there. I went back home to check things out and still nothing_! _Where the fuck are you guys_?'

"We're heading toward Kamski's residence outside of town. It'll be isolated and safe for North."

'_Why the fuck are you going there_?'

"Armed criminals were encroaching on the house. We had to flee and we couldn't risk bringing North to a facility due to the encroaching chaos."

'_But you're all together and safe_?'

"Yes."

'_Alright, we'll meet you there. And STAY THERE_._ Lucas has something that can save North_!'

"We will stay put, Hank. See you soon."

Peering at Markus's reflection once more as he ended the call Connor studied the defeated expression already glistening in the deviant leader's tear filled eyes. It was a disturbing sight that left Connor feeling grounded, almost afraid. "Hank and Lucas will be meeting us at Elijah Kamski's residence. North still has a chance to be saved."

"...Maybe we should just... let her go."

"You know North better than I ever could, do you really think she'd want to go without a fight?"

"She's fought so hard for so long... She's tired." Kissing her forehead Markus sighed and held her tight. "She's so very tired."

"But that doesn't mean she's ready to give up, and neither should you." Connor's hands tightened around the steering wheel as he made his final turn onto the correct road. "If I'm right the only reason North has taken a sudden turn for the worse is because the loss of power in the city severed her final functioning connections to the cybernetically induced support from New Jericho Tower. It doesn't mean she's lost, it just means her recovery has been slowed. Don't lose hope."

The old car pulled up the muddy drive beside the deceptively modest mansion where Elijah Kamski and his three Chloe models had lived together for years. As soon as the car's engine turned off Elijah himself stepped outside the mansion, and then met Connor down the drive as he opened his door to exit the vehicle to speak to the eccentric bio-engineer.

"How bad is she?" Elijah asked through the heavy rain as Connor stepped out of the car, his left hand and jacket concealing his own blood, as he pulled his seat forward so Markus could step out. "I still have Thirium and spare biocomponents in my inventory if she needs anything."

Carefully Markus carried North in his strong arms out of the car and into the chilly rain, her head resting against his right shoulder as he held her tight. "...She is very weak."

"Come with me." Elijah put his right hand on Markus's left shoulder to escort the deviant leader into the house and out of the storm. "There's a guest room she can stay in and rest." Turning to look at Connor behind them Elijah gave the young detective a wise suggestion. "You can park your car behind the mansion to ensure no one knows you're here."

Before he took another step Connor looked down at himself and winced at his own disheveled, bloodied appearance. "Thanks. ...I hope this wasn't all for nothing."

Climbing back into the Oldsmobile briefly Connor turned the engine back over and pulled the car further along the drive until the car was parked discreetly behind the house and out of sight to keep a low profile for North's sake.

"This couldn't have all been for nothing... I just couldn't."

Letting out a low groan of pain Connor clutched his left hand to his chest over the bullet hole and breathed deeply until the burning pain subsided. Letting out a breathy sigh Connor closed his eyes and used his phone to call Hank.

The senior detective answered almost instantly as soon as he saw Connor's name on his phone's screen. '_Connor_? _What's wrong_?'

"...Nothing." Forcing his voice to steady itself Connor continued to speak to Hank as confidently as possible as he sat in the car to keep out of the rain for a moment longer. "We're at Kamksi's residence. We're safe."

'_Good. I'm about ten minutes away. Hang tight_...'

"Of course. See you soon."

Connor ended the call and pressed his left hand over his chest again before slipping his black tie over the stain as best as he could, using the tie clip to ensure the tie didn't move as he walked, to keep the blood stain hidden. Pulling his leather jacket around himself Connor managed to completely conceal the wound behind the thick layer as he stepped out of the car to head toward the mansion.

"...Please hurry."

* * *

Feeling tense Hank hung up the phone from his end of the call and pressed his foot down on the accelerator a little harder to speed up. Despite the rain and thick snow still pouring from the sky Hank maintained perfect control over the vehicle due to his years of training as a police officer, and years of experience as a skilled driver in general. Locating the proper exit Hank pulled out of the city and made his way down the same route that Connor had taken just minutes before to locate the trio taking shelter in Kamski's mansion.

"They made it to Kamski's place, but something's wrong." The senior detective relayed the information over to Lucas who patiently sitting beside him. "I could hear it in Connor's voice."

"North could be shutting down already." Lucas lamented with a righteous worry to his tone. "It sounds like she's on the verge of total shutdown."

"I thought she still had three month to go."

"The blackout must've severed power to what few functioning programs she had left. The only thing keeping North alive at this point was the update processors originating from New Jericho Tower."

"The tower doesn't have a back-up generator?"

"Only for crucial functions. Updates aren't considered crucial."

"But you think you can save her, right?"

"I have a patch that can at the very least keep her from shutting down until we can permanently correct the error to her software. I finished it early this afternoon before the blackout and I was going to stop by their house this evening, but the due to the blackout itself I was kept on emergency call at the house. There was supposed to be enough time to wait..."

"Hey, don't blame yourself." Hank urged as he pulled onto the road that leads directly to Kamski's house, and sped up a little more. "No one could've seen this coming."

Nodding in agreement Lucas tightened his left hand around the satchel hanging off of his left shoulder. "Let's just hope we're not too late to make a difference."

* * *

Keeping his own pain hidden to the best of his ability Connor made his way to the front door of the mansion and let himself inside as quietly as possible as to not disturb the other occupants of the house. He could hear Elijah speaking to Markus in the guest room across the foyer and followed the voices with a silent gait as he peered into the room and watched Markus sitting on the edge of the bed beside North. She was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.

The Kevlar vest that Connor had given to Markus was tossed aside on the floor without a care beside the bed. The shining bullet was still embedded in the dense material dangerously close to where the deviant leader's heart had been while he was wearing it. The vest had protected Markus, saving his life, and that was what was important.

"...Hank and Lucas are close." Connor stated in a low voice as he stood in the opened doorway with his arms crossed over his chest to further hide his own non-critical injury. "They're just a few minutes away. I'll wait for them outside and give Markus and North some privacy."

Elijah subtly nodded to acknowledge Connor as he used a small electronic screen to scan over North's body to run a full diagnostic.

Stepping back out of the room Connor gritted his teeth as he took in a sucking breath to try to quell the sporadically burning pain in his chest as he returned to the front door. Moving slowly and meticulously Connor attempted to make contact with the precinct back in Detroit on his phone, but he was too far away to make successful contact while the city was still enduring a massive blackout.

The front door of the mansion opened with a quiet motion as Connor stepped onto the front walkway and looked out toward the road in time to see Hank in a routine squad car pull up the front drive. As soon as the car was in park Hank and Lucas threw open their doors and rushed up to the mansion worriedly.

Lucas reached the door before Hank and looked to Connor for answers. "Where is she?"

"Guest room. Markus and Kamksi are staying with her."

The former, but still skilled technician, disappeared into the mansion and through the foyer as he sought North, and hoped he wasn't too late to do anything to save the dying deviant.

"Connor? Are you okay?" Hank asked as he met with his partner, his son, by the front door. The rain and snow had completely soaked through Connor's jackets and shirt while he was in the city, and still hadn't dried out despite driving the warm car. "You don't look so good." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank felt that Connor was cold despite still wearing the leather jacket. "You're freezing."

"...I'm worried, Hank." Admitting his fears without dropping his arms from his chest to reveal his own wound Connor addressed Hank in a slightly shaking and low voice. "I've never seen Markus so uncertain, and North... She looks like she's already shutdown."

"Weren't you the one saying we shouldn't give up hope not too long ago?"

"...Yes."

"So don't count her out just yet. Try to be patient, not just for your own sanity but for Markus and North."

"You're right, Hank. I'll do what I can."

"Good." Hank patted the side of Connor's left arm once as he opened up the front door of the mansion and motioned for Connor to step inside. "Let's see how everything's going, and get you warmed up. Okay?"

* * *

Still worried for his bondmate's life Markus held tightly onto North's right hand as he watched Lucas set up his diagnostic laptop on the small table next to the bed and hooked a long black cable to North's right temple where her L.E.D. had once been. The display on the laptop's screen showed North's vital signs hovering at critically low numbers, but they were still stable enough to endure the drastic software patch that Lucas needed to download into North's processor as quickly as possible to prevent the deviant from falling any closer to permanent shutdown.

Elijah himself was standing back from the bed, his arms folded over his chest curiously, as he watched the lifesaving endeavor taking place before his own eyes.

"No permanent damage. The progress from New Jericho Tower wasn't affected by the power outage. And now," The technician pressed a few keys and knelt beside the bed to check the connection to North's temple. "...the patch is being installed." Lucas turned to look at Markus as he spoke. "Whether or not it works we'll have to wait and see, but I'm optimistic."

"So that's it?" Markus sounded frustrated as he dragged his right hand over his chin bitterly. "We just sit here and wait?"

"Markus, if you want I can reboot her processor enough to wake her up so you can... say something to her."

The comment made Markus's heart skip a beat. "...Lucas, what're you suggesting?"

"Markus," Lucas lowered his voice as he replied honestly. "you may want to consider saying-"

"No." Rising up from the bed quickly Markus backed away from the bed and glared angrily at Lucas for even thinking that North wouldn't pull through. "I won't do that to her! It's cruel. I won't wake her up just to tell her something so horrible!"

Leaving the guest room to keep himself from shouting or breaking down Markus marched into the foyer and stood by the far wall and leaned his arms against the cool surface to steady himself. Fighting to remain in control he dropped his arms from the wall and pressed his palms to his face as he let out a shaking sigh through his fingers.

Slowly Connor returned to foyer with Hank right at his side in time to see Markus standing before the wall with his face buried in his hands in emotional pain. The heavy rain and snow continued to pelt the windows in icy cold drops as the ever darkening clouds outside continued to spread like spilled ink in all directions, and gave the already isolated mansion a truly eerie feeling.

"Markus." Connor approached his friend and quietly motioned for Hank to give them some privacy. Being discreet Hank walked over to the study as it was the only other room of the mansion he was familiar with, and kept out of sight respectfully for both Connor and Markus. "Markus, what has happened?"

Dropping his hands from his face slowly Markus tilted his head back slightly and let out a deep sigh to keep himself composed. "...Lucas can wake North up if I give him permission."

"Isn't that what you want?" Connor didn't understand Markus's distress as he stood just behind his friend beside the wall.

"...He wants me to wake her up so we can-" Fighting to keep himself from shouting with rage Markus had to clear his voice and take in a deep breath. "This patch is the only thing that can keep North alive, but... it could still fail. Lucas thinks I should wake North up so I can tell her that she's... dying. And I won't do that! I won't let her last moment of life be a cruel, inescapable darkness."

Markus began to weep quietly, his right hand pressing over his mismatched eyes to cover his tears out of a strange instinct to keep everyone from seeing him cry.

"Markus, you can wake her up so that you can tell her that you still love her!" Connor argued quickly as he put his left hand on Markus's trembling right shoulder. "You have the chance to say _goodbye_ to her, to hold her one last time and get closure."

"I'm not ready to say goodbye!"

"...I don't think anyone ever is." Connor pulled on Markus's shoulder to turn the deviant leader around before he wrapped his arms around his friend to support him in a strong, warm hug.

Markus slowly lifted up his arms to reciprocate the hug as he began to cry harder, but kept quiet, as he let himself finally breakdown with utter sorrow.

"I know you don't want to hear this right now," Connor forced his voice to remain steady as tears began to form in his own eyes. "but when I was there when my mom died it was the hardest moment in my life; but if I hadn't been there and she had died alone without me being able to speak to her one last time I know I would've been forced to live the rest of my life with unrelenting regret. I don't want you to make that mistake."

Contemplating Connor's words Markus forced his emotions to steady just long enough for him to speak. "...So you think I should wake her up?"

"I think you should take the chance to speak to her and tell her everything you want to say. Let her hear your voice one last time, let her final memories be you telling her how much you love her."

"...Yeah. You're right."

Markus nodded a little as he finally let go of Connor and proceeded to dry off his tears with the hem of his beige shirt, a faint pale red stain was forming over his chest from Connor's concealed blood and rain soaked shirt pressing against him where the jacket failed to keep his clothing covered. Taking a moment to breathe and gather his waning strength Markus prepared to return to North's bedside and pour his heart out to his bondmate and best friend for what could be the final time.

Respecting his friend's need for emotional space Connor stood idle in the foyer as he listened to Markus walk back into the guest room and watched Lucas and Elijah exit shortly thereafter to give the couple privacy. As the two technicians set foot in the foyer to head out to the neighboring study Hank returned to the foyer, and walked up behind Connor with pride in his eyes.

"You convinced Markus to talk to North, didn't you?"

"Yes." Connor nodded subtly without turning his head as he proceeded to stare at Hank's reflection next to his own on the surface of the perfectly polished and shiny chrome wall. Outside the storm continued to cover the mansion and the distant city in a layer of icy dampness. "I think it was the right thing to do."

"It was, son." Hank's right hand clapped over Connor's sleft houlder in positive response. "You did real good."

"I hope so. I was-" Connor suddenly let out a shallow gasping breath of pain and pressed his left hand back over his chest over the aching bullet hole.

"Connor?" Hank eyed Connor as the young detective turned around with his hand still clutching at the wound to his chest. The dark red stain over Connor's shirt was evident even under his palm and the dark tie being used to conceal it. "You're hurt!" Hank reached forward and pulled the lapels of the two jackets open to check on the injury for himself. "Fuck. What happened?!"

"...Stray bullet." Connor admitted in a whisper as he looked at Hank with glassy irises. "...It missed everything vital."

"Shit... Why didn't you say anything? Especially about being _shot_!?"

"North is more important."

Shaking his head Hank with annoyance but not surprise, the senior detective lightly pressed his right fingers near the wound and felt Connor physically flinch in pain, then noted the lack of blood on the back of Connor's shoulder. "You need to let Lucas take care of you. The bullet's still in there."

"I'll be fine." Stubbornly Connor refuted the comment as he replaced his jacket and held his head high confidently. "The bleeding has stopped, and North is still in need of aid."

"What happened to your Kevlar vest?"

"I gave it to Markus. I had my gun, but he was completely defenseless."

"Okay, come on. Sit down for a minute and take a breather." The answer was even less surprising than the fact that Connor was hiding another injury. "As soon as North is on the mend you're going to let Lucas treat you."

Despite his pain Connor managed a weak grin as Hank coaxed him into walking into the study where the others were waiting. "You really believe that North will survive, don't you?"

"Yeah, kid." Hank walked at Connor's side as the two reached the doorway of the study together. "I really do. Now, take a minute to rest."

"Right." Eyeing the white leather couch that was against the far wall of the study beside the pool Connor was eager to lay down and breathe. "That won't be a problem."

While Connor rested on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, and without uttering a single complaint of pain or discomfort, Hank joined Lucas and Elijah by the large desk. The trio then discussed the worst case scenario over some much needed coffee as the day had been absolutely exhausting. It was a macabre and depressing subject but it was crucial that a mutual agreement could be made in the event North didn't survive the ordeal.

* * *

"It's been almost two hours." Hank sighed as he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket and began scrolling through his contact list. "I'm going to call the precinct and see how things are fairing back in the city. I might be able to convince Fowler to_ not_ fire us for leaving our patrols..."

Passing through the study to talk to Captain Fowler on the front walk over the phone Hank gave Connor another pat on the left shoulder as he walked by to keep his son feeling reassured. Patient and quiet Connor remained idle where he was sitting on the couch. The glassy stare in Connor's soulful brown eyes, as well as his slightly trembling frame, drew in Lucas's attention and he promptly joined his big brother on the couch.

"How're you holding up, brother? You seem distracted."

"I'm fine." The young detective stated firmly without any hesitation. "I'm just concerned for North and Markus."

"We all are." Putting his left palm lightly against Connor's forehead he noted his temperature, and then ran a scan over his body. A curious discrepancy in Connor's blood pressure was notable, but not alarming at the moment. "You're cold, aren't you?"

"It's not unbearable."

"But you got caught in that snow and rain, and you have a susceptibility to the cold." Lucas tried to put his hand to his to Connor's chest to check his breathing but Connor kept his arms in place and wouldn't let Lucas touch him. "Come on, brother. Being stubborn isn't going to help North recover any faster."

"Don't worry about me. I'm okay."

Elijah had overheard the conversation from where he was standing beside his desk, and had his own opinion on the matter. "You should at least change out of those wet clothes and into something dry. I have spare clothing that you can wear. In fact, now that you're no longer underweight and struggling to recover from a two year long coma they should actually fit you."

"It's been two hours and my clothing has nearly dried already."

"As my guest I insist you change your clothing." Elijah stated in a relatively firm voice as he didn't want to see the young detective make himself sick out of his sheer stubbornness. "I have a few t-shirts and jeans in the laundry room freshly washed that I know will fit you. Change your clothes and then you can rest."

Not wanting to cause any further distress Connor finally relented and agreed to change his clothes. "...Very well. Thank you."

Moving carefully as to not aggravate his injury, or reveal the injury itself, Connor followed Elijah into the laundry room just as Hank returned to the mansion with his phone in his hand.

"Good news Connor," the senior detective called out to his son before he disappeared from sight. "we're _not_ fired or even suspended for abandoning our posts in favor taking care of these two."

Connor stopped momentarily and gave Hank an odd look over his left shoulder. "We're aren't going to receive any disciplinary manners upon our return?"

"Nope."

"...May I ask why?"

"Well, I told Fowler that you were taking care of an emergency situation with matters at New Jericho Tower," Hank explained coolly and with a righteous smugness on his face. "and when I reminded him that the Captain from the S.W.A.T. team didn't mention protecting the tower, and how the tower was still under Fowler's own jurisdiction, AND without any proper guard, he decided that he couldn't fault us for taking on the initiative and providing our services to some place more important than a street in the middle of downtown."

"...You purposely misled Captain Fowler with vague facts to cover my disobedience and absence?"

"Yup. I did."

"Thank you." For the first time that day Connor felt a small grin appear on his face. "I appreciate it."

"Yeah, sure. Just don't make a habit of it." Hank scolded playfully and he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "It's one I gotta' break myself..."

Connor continued to follow Elijah and stepped into the laundry room as the surprisingly accommodating bio-engineer found a clean black t-shirt and a pair of pale blue jeans for Connor to change into.

"These should fit you." Elijah placed the fresh clothes on top of the massive washer for Connor to switch into. The laundry room was fully automated and ensured that there would always be clean clothes ready to be worn at any moment. "You can put your own clothes in the washer and they'll be taken care of later."

"Thank you, but it's unnecessary. They just need to dry."

"Okay. If you need anything, just ask." Elijah reminded the young detective as he exited the laundry room and pulled the door shut behind him. "Oh, and take your shoes off. They must be soaked through, and I don't want wet shoe prints marring my floor."

Lowering his arms from around his chest Connor looked down at the dark blood stain over the front of his white dress shirt and his gray vest. The pale red stains that had formed on his sleeves from his arms being pressed against his chest for so long were just as disturbing to look at. Loosening the knot in his black tie Connor pulled the garment from around his neck and decided to use the tie as a makeshift bandage over his chest for the moment.

Unbuttoning his stained shirt and vest Connor wrapped the tie around himself and tied a tight knot in the garment to let it press against the still healing bullet wound in his upper right chest to ensure there was no more excess bleeding until he could inform Lucas of his injury later on.

Quickly changing out of the soiled shirt and into the clean,dark and baggy t-shirt Connor smoothed out his damaged shirt over the top of the drier in such a way that the bullet hole wouldn't be visible, then changed into the clean pair of jeans. After neatly laying out his clothes and slipping off his shoes as requested Connor stepped out of the laundry room and rejoined his friends and family who were gathered once more in the study.

"Where is Lucas?" Connor asked curiously as he noted Hank and Elijah together at the desk, but his little brother was absent.

"He went to check on North." Hank answered casually as he glanced over at Connor and saw that the young detective was no longer holding his arms protectively around his chest. "You look warmer now. How do you feel?"

"Tired." He shrugged his shoulders casually. "Worried. Restless."

Elijah smirked at the comment as he noted how far Connor had come from being an emotionally stunted deviant turned human. "Same here."

"I want to go check in on North's progress as well." Connor stated in a low voice as he made a move toward the study's door. "I'll only be a moment."

Making his way to the doorway Connor resisted the urge to put his left hand to his chest to apply more pressure to his wound to keep it as stable as possible as he walked. Hank knew he was injured and soon enough Lucas would be able to help him. The last thing he wanted to do was worry his friends while North was so close to death and fighting to remain active.

Elijah spoke up in a low voice as to not draw Connor's attention as he turned to look at Hank. "Is he really okay? It seems like there's something bothering him in a way I can't quite explain."

Hank gave the eccentric billionaire a wary glance as too lowered his voice. "He's being stubborn, as usual. But he's not in any danger." Looking back at the doorway from where Connor disappeared he shook his head a little as worry settled into his heart. "...At least I hope so."

* * *

Quietly Connor stood outside the partially closed guest room in deep contemplation as he listened to the silence on the other side of the door. Markus wasn't speaking to North anymore which meant one of two realities: North was either unconscious and resting, or North had succumbed to her software failure and had shutdown peacefully with Markus, her loving husband and best friend, at her side.

Reluctant to knock but still needing to check in with his friends Connor slowly pushed open the door just wide enough to see Markus sitting on the edge of the bed with North's right hand in his, while his own right hand lightly ran through her long auburn hair.

Lucas's laptop was still sitting on the table next to the bed with a progress bar displayed at one-hundred percent success. Lucas himself was on the opposite side of the bed as Markus with his audioscope pressed against North's chest to check her vital signs.

"...Markus?" Connor whispered politely as he remained just outside the room to ensure there was some modicum of space in the crowded bedroom. "How is she doing?"

Looking up at his friend Markus's mismatched eyes were full of unshed tears, but he had a ghost of grin on his face. "...She's alive."

"The software patch was successful." Connor sounded hesitantly relieved as he looked down at North's peaceful face as her processors slowly rebooted to full capacity, and corrected what had been a previously terminal error. "She's going to make it."

"Yes." Markus smiled a little more as a small laugh escaped his lips. "She's going to be alright, Connor. She knows she's going to be okay, too."

"...You spoke with her."

"Yeah. Thank you for convincing me to wake her up."

"You're welcome." Connor smiled warmly as he finally felt as though it was safe enough to finally have an optimistic outlook without fearing the crushing blow of disappointment looming overhead. "...I'll go let Hank and Kamski know the good news."

Without a word Markus kissed the back of North's knuckles as he patiently waited for her to open her eyes again.

Connor remained quiet as he walked as an instinctive act, as he didn't want to disturb North's much needed rest. Reaching the doorway of the study he turned his attention to Hank and Elijah still standing beside the desk in silent waiting. "North will recover." The tone of Connor's voice was positive but not energetic as he spoke to the two worried humans. "The patch was successful."

Elijah let out a very subtle sigh of relief as he pressed his right hand to his forehead and took a deep breath. "I should've expected this. Lucas is the most advanced android that CyberLife ever created; and he's already created a brand new biocomponent to aid human recovery."

"She's going to be okay?" Hank asked as if needing to make sure what he was hearing was true. "She'll live?"

"Correct." Connor smiled a little only to sway a little on his feet as his left hand returned to his chest. "She'll make a full... recovery."

"Connor?" Sensing that something was wrong Hank moved swiftly as he approached the suddenly unresponsive younger detective.

"North is... going to be f-fine..." Connor trailed off suddenly. His eyes rolled up in the back of his head as his legs suddenly buckled from beneath himself causing the wounded detective to collapse backward in a cold faint.

"Fuck!" Reacting sharply Hank managed to catch his son in his arms before Connor's head hit the hard floor. As he held Connor in his arms Hank pressed his right fingertips to the left side of the the young man's cold neck and counted his pulse. "Kamski," Hank looked back over his shoulder at the engineer for assistance. Kamksi stood behind Hank as he held Connor up from the cold floor in a strong grasp. "where can I take him to rest?"

"There is a small medical wing on the opposite side of the study. Go through the right door and you'll find what you need."

"Good." Hank repositioned his arms so he could lift Connor up from beneath the younger man's shoulders and knees as he hefted Connor up into his arms and against his chest. Connor remained completely oblivious and unresponsive as Hank supported his entire weight in his arms. "Please be discreet and ask Lucas to check in with Connor. We don't want to worry Markus anymore than he already is."

"Yeah, of course." Kamski watched as Hank easily supported the weight of the unconscious young man and proceeded to carry him up the across the study and into the designated room to finally have his injury tended to. "Lieutenant, may I ask what's wrong with him?"

"...He, uh, he was wounded in the line of duty." The reply was intentionally quiet as reached the door and pressed the electronic panel with his left hand to gain access. "He said it wasn't serious, but that doesn't mean he wasn't hurtin' the whole time."

"Was he shot?" Elijah asked with wide hazel eyes while he followed after Hank to try to help.

As Hank laid Connor down carefully onto the queen sized bed in the middle of the medical wing he proceeded to lift up the hem of the baggy black t-shirt to reveal the wound underneath. The tie was holding well enough, but Connor was still weak and the bullet needed to be extracted before an infection set in.

"Yeah, he was shot. He gave his vest to Markus and ended up taking a bullet for him for his troubles..." Untying the knot in the black tie Hank pulled the garment away from the injury site and looked at the still healing bullet hole in Connor's chest up near his right shoulder with a cautious glance. "He isn't bleeding anymore, but he'll need the bullet removed before he can heal properly."

"I'll let Lucas know to check in with Connor, but, what should I tell him? The truth?"

"Uh... Just say he's a little hypothermic or something." Wrapping his right fingers around Connor's left wrist Hank counted his pulse, and watched his breathing very closely. "He may need some blood, but I can't be sure."

"Don't worry about it, Lieutenant." The confidence in Elijah's voice was as sincere as her overall kindness. It was as if the bio-engineer had also been emotionally stunted and was beginning to deviate from his cold machine-like demeanor. "We'll take care of him, too."

"Yeah, I know." As Elijah stepped out of the room Hank let go of Connor's wrist and straightened up his back as he paced about the room. "You need to start wearing that damn vest as part of your routine uniform, no excuses. Fuck, you already wear one so why not two?"

After a few minutes Lucas entered the medical wing quietly as Elijah had requested. Seeing Connor laying unconscious on the bed made the technician react quickly. "I knew something was bothering him." Running a scan from the distance Lucas identified the wound quickly and felt his artificial stomach knot. "But I didn't think it was a bullet."

"Welcome to my world." Hank grumbled as Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the internal viewing screen over from a nearby exam table. He held it over Connor's chest and shoulder to examine the wound and quickly identified the problem.

"...I can see the bullet. He was _shot_, and he didn't say anything?"

"Nope."

"And it took this long for him to blackout after being shot?"

"Yup."

Unsure of his next move Lucas looked to his father for advice. "Hank, how do I get the bullet out?"

"Carefully. There are surgical supplies you can use, but it might be best to wrap up his shoulder and wait until we're back in the city to let an actual doctor remove it."

"...That's the better alternative. I'll just disinfect the wound and keep it covered for now" Lucas gathered the necessary medical supplies and proceeded to clean up Connor's wound, using alcohol to remove the dried blood and sterilize the injury sight, and then placed down some gauze to keep it clean. The technician was still learning about human physiology and wasn't confident in his ability to extract the bullet himself. "...There. Now if he rests and gets fluids back up he should be fine and wake up."

"Right. Think you can start an I.V. in his arm?"

"...I'd rather not."

"That's okay, don't do anything you don't feel comfortable doing."

"Thank you, Hank." Pulling Connor's t-shirt back down Lucas counted his big brother's pulse and determined that he was stable for the moment. "I'd like to go check on North again."

"Yeah, go. I'll stay here with Connor and keep an eye on him."

"Okay. I'll be back in a few moments."

Patiently Hank watched as the deviant left the medical wing to check in on North and did so with pride in his eyes. Both of his sons were so selfless and ready to help other people, and he couldn't possibly be prouder. He knew Lucas wouldn't say anything about Connor passing out to ensure that North and Markus didn't know that Connor had been injured while protecting them to allow them to recover without guilt, and would be back to check on Connor later.

Sitting quietly in a chair beside the bed Hank watched as Connor's eyelids began to flutter and his soulful brown irises returned to the waking world. "Son?"

Regaining consciousness Connor turned his head and looked over at Hank sitting beside him. "...Hank."

"Hey, kid. You're awake."

"...I passed out?"

"Yeah. Looks like the adrenaline wore off and your blood loss finally caught up to you."

Blinking a few times Connor glanced about the medical wing and felt a sense of deja vu wash over him before he remembered the odd day he had just endured while protecting his friends. "...North is still recovering, correct?"

"Yes. She's fine." Giving Connor a stern look he watched as the younger detective's left hand reached up to lightly rest over his bandaged chest.

Sensing Hank's irritation Connor gave his father a curious glance. "Is there something wrong?"

"You took a goddamn bullet to the chest and your first question is about someone else. I don't know if you're selfless or just plain dense sometimes!"

"I'm sorry, Hank. I do value my life if that's what you're worried about."

"...No, it's fine. Don't apologize." Letting out his tried breath Hank let the moment pass and stopped the argument before it began. "Just rest, don't worry about it, son."

* * *

The storm finally let up and everyone taking shelter at the mansion began to heal.

Feeling stronger Connor changed back into his old clothes and thanked Kamski for all that he had done to aid him as he sought shelter, and a means to protect North and Markus during the blackout. Lucas of course was still concerned with the recovery of his friend and his brother, but Connor was calm and confident everything would be fine sooner rather than later. Before leaving the mansion Connor checked in on North and Markus one last time and was relieved to see North finally awake and speaking with Markus in a whispering voice.

"North." Connor greeted as he entered the guest room and knelt down beside her bed next to Lucas as the technician continued to monitor her condition. "I'm glad you're okay."

"...Markus told me what you did for us." She smiled weakly as she reached her right hand out and held her palm against the left side of Connor's face affectionately. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." Connor returned the smile warmly as he spoke to her. "Hank and I have to return to the city tonight, is there anything you want us to do for New Jericho until you return?"

"...No. Markus and I want to tell them what's happening ourselves and go back to our normal lives as soon as possible."

"I understand. Please North," Connor could see her falling back to sleep as her system still needed to recover from the excessive damage she had sustained over the past few months. "come back to Detroit as soon as you can. The city needs you both."

"...I will." Her cinnamon brown eyes slipped shut and within seconds she was deep inside of her much needed regenerative rest mode.

Standing upright Connor looked to Markus and gave the deviant leader a respectful nod. "Same to you, Markus. Return to the city soon."

"I promise you I'll be back as soon as possible." Extending his right hand Markus shook Connor's hand firmly. "Thank you for everything, Connor. Take care of yourself."

"Of course, and you do the same."

Hank was out in front of the mansion speaking in private with Kamski to thank him for his generosity and assistance, but made sure to keep his gratitude unemotional as he still didn't quite trust Kamski just yet. Admittedly Kamski was becoming less abrasive, but since he was Gavin's twin brother Hank still had a hard time seeing Kamski as anything but an asshole.

"Be sure to remain in contact, Lieutenant." The billionaire encouraged kindly. "I find our random encounters quite intriguing."

"Yeah, yeah." As Connor joined them outside the mansion Hank let out a tired sigh of relief. "Come on, kid." Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and walked with him at his side as they went to check out the Oldsmobile parked in the back. "The sooner we get home the better. I hope Lucas, North and Markus head back, soon, too."

"I agree." Connor ran his hands up and down his arms to stave off the cold as best as he could. He didn't have his gray jacket since he left it at Markus's home after he shed it to get to the Kevlar vest beneath, and his blood stained white dress shirt gray suit vest were rather thin. The leather jacket alone could only do so much against cold rain, snow and ice all mixed together. "I'm anxious to check in with the precinct and with New Jericho Tower's newly implemented security protocols to prevent controversy after being ignored during the blackout."

Hank saw Connor being affected by the cold and made the only comment he could think of. "...Ten bucks says tomorrow morning you're going to wake up sick."

"Are you placing a wager on my health?"

"It's more like a wager on your bullheadedness. And let's face it, you're as bullheaded as they come."

"...I must've learned it from you."

"Wouldn't be surprised." Hank laughed at the younger detective's witty retort regarding the situation.

"Neither would I."

"Smartass."

"Also something I learned from you." Connor happily joked in return as he watched Hank climb into the driver's side of the Oldsmobile and turned over the engine. He cranked up the heater and held his right hand over the vent as the vehicle warmed up. "You drive back the squad car and I'll drive MY car."

"Alright, I'll meet you at the precinct so we can head back home together."

"Hey, kid." Comparing the older vehicle to the new squad car Hank gave the younger detective a sly smirk. "You think that squad can beat this old girl?"

It was evident that yes the police squad car would outpace the Oldsmobile within seconds. "Very much so, yes."

"Wanna' race?"

"In this weather?" Appreciating the humor Connor just shook his head and backed toward the squad car parked at the front of the mansion to take his leave. "Hell no!"

Waving the comment off Hank just sighed and adjusted the side mirror. "Eh, you're no fun!"

_**-next story-**_


	84. Regrets and Remorse

Detroit itself was still in the midst of the blackout when the two detectives returned to the city, Hank driving the Oldsmobile and Connor driving the squad car behind him. It was almost eight o'clock in the evening when the two detectives returned to the precinct, filed their reports, dropped off the squad car and then made a quick stop at the E.R. to get Connor's shoulder taken care of. A simple explanation of being shot by thieves attempting to steal the car, and the delay in treatment due to an emergency situation with New Jericho, was all Dr. Wilson needed to hear as he removed the bullet from Connor's shoulder and wrapped up the wound, sterilized it, gave Connor some antibiotics and a sling to support his right arm until his shoulder healed.

As the Oldsmobile pulled along the final street to head for home the street lights throughout the neighborhood suddenly flashed to life as the power was restored, and the houses along the street began turning on their lights one by one. Hank pulled the car up the driveway and left it parked in front of the garage to stay, as the old Corvette was locked up inside the garage until it could be properly restored in the spring.

"Let's get inside and out of this damn storm." Hank muttered to himself as he opened his side door and isolated the house key and deadbolt from the keyring in his right hand. "It's fuckin' freezing."

"I'm right behind you."

Checking the lock on the backdoor Hank was relieved to see that it hadn't been tampered with and was all the more relieved when he didn't find a mess on the floor courtesy of Ruby being locked inside the house all afternoon long. Ruby didn't bother to acknowledge Hank as she raced into the backyard eagerly to go about her business, or even acknowledge Connor as he trailed after Hank toward the door.

"Hey, Connor?" Hank watched the younger man trudging through the ankle deep snow to get to the backdoor and inside the house right behind him. "Level with me. Are you going to get sick from being out in the cold?"

Pausing for a moment as he pressed his left palm to his sore right shoulder Connor tried to answer honestly. "...That has yet to be determined."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Get your ass in here and out of the rain! I don't need ten bucks _that_ badly."

Connor managed to step inside the house through the sliding glass doors and get out of the foul weather as instructed. "Very well. I'll bring Ruby inside in a moment."

"...And a shit-ton of mud, too."

Peering into the backyard Connor spotted Ruby rolling around in the mud in the backyard much to his chagrin. "Damn it." Jogging back through the still opened doorway into the backyard Connor grabbed onto Ruby's collar with his left hand, and led the dog up to the back deck before he scooped the heavy, muddy dog up into his arms to carry inside.

Hank laughed as Connor walked into the kitchen dripping wet with rain water and his white shirt stained with dark mud.

"Man, talk about deja vu! You did this once before with Sumo."

"...Yes. But Sumo was less energetic, and my right shoulder wasn't injured." Connor kicked off his muddy shoes and left them by the backdoor to dry. "I doubt this bath will end well."

"One way to find out." Hank laughed again as he dropped his water logged coat on the back of the kitchen chair. "Take care of her and I'll get an update from Fowler. Like I said, we're in the clear so don't worry about getting reprimanded or a bad mark on your record."

"I've already been suspended before for punching Gavin. It's too late to spare my record."

"Yeah, but that was more of a reward than a punishment."

"...That's debatable."

Connor sighed with an impending irritation as he looked at the thick mud already matted over Ruby's pelt, and knew he had a chore ahead of him. As he proceeded to carry the dog through the kitchen and down the hallway Ruby turned her head and licked the side of Connor's face affectionately, which in turn made the young man grin at the gesture.

"Sorry, girl. You have to get a bath no matter how much you try to kiss up to me."

Carrying Ruby into the bathroom Connor shut the door behind himself with his left foot and placed the hound on the floor, and slipped off Ruby's green collar for the impending bath. Remembering the mess that Sumo made when he got covered in mud all that time ago Connor wisely removed his already ruined shirt, careful not to jostle his shoulder in the process, and then proceeded to fill up the bathtub with warm water. As he waited for the tub to fill Connor looked down at his chest and shoulder, and at the bandages wrapped up over his stitched up and healing bullet wound.

Grateful to have such devoted and caring people in his life Connor let out a weary sigh and traced the bandage with his left fingertips.

"...Maybe I should learn to be more cautious." Connor thought out loud to himself as he returned his attention to the bathtub and turned off the water. "But how does one learn to behave as such?" Grabbing onto the bottle of shampoo Connor looked down at Ruby who was standing in the middle of the bathroom floor. "Okay, girl. Let's get this over with."

Ruby put her front paws up on the edge of the tub and peered down at the warm water with a curious glance, only to wag her tail happily and leap into the water creating a massive splash that soaked Connor, the floor, the walls and even a part of the overhead ceiling.

"Ruby!?" Connor complained as the splash caught him off guard. Kneeling down beside the tub Connor proceeded to lather up the dog's fur with the shampoo and rinse off a good portion of the mud, only to have to drain the water and refill it to ensure all of the mud was washed away from her pelt. "...At least you like the water."

Connor had finished rinsing off Ruby and was trying to coax the dog to get out of the tub now that the bath was over, but Ruby was too fascinated by the tub and the warm water in general to obey. Tired and in no mood to play any games Connor just sat on the floor and decided to wait Ruby out rather than try to heft her out of the tub and onto the floor with his injured right shoulder now beginning to ache as the pain killers wore off.

The bathroom door opened and Hank walked inside carrying some dry clothes for Connor. "I heard the splash. I figured you'd need these."

"Thanks."

"You look exhausted." The senior detective commented as he grabbed onto a towel and proceeded to wipe off the wet and muddy walls casually. "Feeling sick?"

"No. Just tired."

"Uh-huh. And the only time you're tired is when you're sick or hurt. Are you hurt?"

Connor pointed to the bandages over his chest and shoulder, and gave Hank an odd look as he began to shiver a little. "You tell me."

"Well, you're still being a smartass so I think it's safe to say nothing in your head got damaged." Hank dropped the towel on the floor to mop up the water that puddled all around the tub and Connor. "Come on." He grabbed a fresh towel and dropped it on Connor's head before he reached his hand inside the tub to guide Ruby by the scruff of her neck out of the tub. "Dry her off."

Connor pulled the towel from his head and proceeded to run it over Ruby's fur as the dog sat down on the floor in front of him. "...What's happening at the precinct?"

"Well," Hank took another towel and dropped over Connor's head for the second time. "the city didn't burn down while we were away, aside from a few break-ins and two car accidents no one got hurt, AND Fowler wants to commend us for what we did today."

"We disobeyed our assigned posts and he wants to reward us?"

"Some things are more important than assignments, kid." Hank knelt on the floor beside Connor and grabbed a clean towel to lightly rub it over the the tired young man's damp hair. "Jeffrey and I butt heads a lot, but he's always been able to understand priorities. Probably the only reason why I stayed at the precinct when he got promoted to Captain."

"I also doubt your disciplinary file would've proven beneficial to a transfer."

"Like I said, you're still being a smartass." Hank pulled the towel from Connor's hair and proceeded to help him dry off the rest of Ruby's fur. "We're both tired. I'll feed Ruby and you go get some sleep."

"I can take care of Ruby, it's fine."

"You gave her a bath, I'll fill up her bowls, and you rest"

Appreciative of Hank's assistance Connor nodded as he slowly stood up from the floor and grabbed into the dry clothes to change into as he slipped into his bedroom on the second floor to sleep for the rest of the night. "Goodnight, Hank."

"Goodnight, son. See ya' in the morning."

* * *

Just as Hank had predicted Connor awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache and a mild fever. Feeding the fish in the aquarium and fumbling for something in his wallet, he placed the item of interest into the pocket of his sweatpants and let out breathy sigh, as the ill detective went about his morning routine. As he tried to ignore his discomfort and go about his day Hank immediately noticed Connor's lethargic disposition and clumsy movements as he stumbled out of his bedroom and down the hallway toward the staircase. Entering the kitchen on his shaking legs Connor pulled open the pantry containing Ruby's food and filled up the dog's bowl, and felt a strong hand on his left shoulder.

"So," Hank's tone was light and jovial as he addressed the younger detective. "how do you feel, son?"

Connor let out a sigh as he reached into his pocket to hand a ten dollar bill to Hank. "...You win."

"I was joking about the money, kid." Hank pushed Connor's hand away as he placed his own hand against Connor's forehead. The fever was undeniable and Connor's lethargic nature spoke volumes of how terrible he felt. "Yup. You're sick."

"I'll lay down after-"

"Now, Connor. Besides, after that damn blackout yesterday the whole city is going to be on edge for the next few days and you're going to need as much energy as possible to handle it when we get back on the clock."

"We could-"

"No way." Hank pulled on Connor's shoulder to lead the younger detective back toward the staircase to lay down and get some rest back in his bedroom. "You recover from these things pretty fast but you still don't give yourself the time you need to heal."

"...I guess that's from my bullheadedness."

"Don't act like that's a bad thing, son." Guiding Connor over to the still unmade bed he barely had to push on Connor's good left shoulder to get him to lay back down. "It means you're dedicated and loyal. But you also need to learn to put yourself above other people from time to time; you really need to learn to prioritize your health above anything that's just an inconvenience to someone else."

"I'll try to remember that."

"That's all I ask." Patting Connor's good shoulder twice Hank straightened up and took his leave of the bedroom. "I'll be right back."

Sighing a little Connor pulled down the collar of his black t-shirt and stared at the thick bandages over his right shoulder and chest before replacing the fabric over his wound. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it did make his shoulder feel tense and heavy.

"Open your mouth." Hank walked back into the bedroom with the digital thermometer in his hand and placed it between Connor's teeth gently. Barely fifteen seconds passed before the highly accurate thermometer 'beeped' and gave him a reading. "One-hundred and one and a half. You're too sick to work, so it's a good thing we have the day off. Now, get some sleep." Taking his leave of the room he spoke to Connor from the opened doorway before completely disappearing from sight. "I'll check on you in an hour to make sure your fever doesn't spike or anything while you sleep."

"Thanks, Hank." Connor sighed and rolled onto his left side as he forced himself to fall back asleep until his sickness passed. Reaching out his shaking right hand toward his nightstand he picked up his phone and sent a text to Evelyn to let her know that North was okay and that he had gotten sick, too. "I hope I can get over this fever as quickly as Evelyn got over her flu... I hate being sick."

* * *

Hours of peaceful sleep were rudely interrupted as Connor was awoken six hours later by Hank shaking his side lightly. Opening his bleary eyes Connor rolled from his side and onto his back to look up at Hank who was leaning over him. There was a bottle of water in one hand, and a bottle of his prescribed antibiotics in the other hand, both of which were being presented to Connor to take.

"You've been asleep for six hours, son. Lucas stopped by to check on you while you were resting."

"Six hours?" Connor sounded confused and groggy as he woke up steadily. "Lucas was here... Does that mean North is-"

"Yup." Hank confirmed with a slight grin. "She and Markus are going to stay with Kamski for a few more days to rest and make sure that patch really works before heading back to the city."

"That's good. They need some time alone and to heal." Ignoring the lingering headache Connor sat upright in the bed,just enough to rest on his elbows. "Why did you let me sleep for so long?"

"When I checked on you a while ago you were pretty out of it, but your fever wasn't getting any worse so I let you alone." As Connor took the offered items from Hank's hands the senior detective revealed a third item he had tucked into his pocket. "Here, Lucas left this for you to take."

Connor eyed the item as he downed two antibiotic tablets with a gulp of the cool water. It was a bottle of dark red liquid medication, and he grimaced thickly at its presence. "...Medicine."

"Yup."

"I dislike medicine."

"Well, I think this time it'll be different."

"How so?" Connor asked as he reluctantly took the additional medication from Hank's hand.

"This stuff doesn't taste like that antifreeze shit you had to drink while you were a deviant. It's cherry flavored. _ Supposedly_."

"Interesting." Tentatively opening the lid he swallowed a dose of the medicine and was a little surprised. Unlike the times before when he took such a medication the taste wasn't vile, and Connor didn't have the urge to spit it back out. "...The taste has been improved."

"Good to know." Hank took back the medicine, and put the lid back on the bottle. Lightly put his right hand over Connor's forehead again for another fever check as his paternal instincts refused to let him leave Connor alone for too long as he healed. "You're still running warm, but it's not serious."

"...Can I ask you something?"

"I've never stopped you before." Dropping his hand Hank gave his son a curious glance. "What's on your mind?"

"When you stated that I need to prioritize my health over inconveniences, how do I learn to differentiate one from the other?"

"...Your health?"

"I was referring to understanding what is important and what is arguably an inconvenience."

"Well, uh, I guess that means you need to _decide_ what's more important."

"I still don't understand."

"Okay, think of it like this. What's more important? Your health, or an attendance record at the precinct?"

"...My health."

"Right."

"...That seems like an oversimplification of the matter as a whole."

"It is, I admit it. But with experience you'll learn how to put what's really important over what's more... trivial." It was a little odd for Hank to lecturing someone else about taking better care of themself, but he wasn't going to shy away when his son asked him questions. "It's like when you work on a case and you need to deduce what pieces of evidence are the most damning when trying to convict a killer, as opposed to the evidence that could just link them to something as mundane as loitering. Does that help?"

"Perhaps." Connor's glassy brown eyes were searching over Hank's face as if seeking a clue to solve a case as Hank had explained. "How long did it take you to learn how to prioritize things in your life?"

"Still learning, kid."

"Oh. ...When did you _start_ learning?"

"Uh, the end of middle school when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. When my mom started to get really sick I had to learn how to prioritize things pretty damn quick."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject."

"It's alright." Rubbing a nervous hand over the back of his neck a twinge of guilt flashed over Hank's face. "It was admittedly a lot better than my best friend having to give up her baby."

The prospect seemed like an impossible decision for the young detective as he remembered the sad story that Hank had told him many months ago. "...I don't have children, but I can't imagine a scenario where I could ever give up responsibility for something-"

"Well, that's WAY more difficult to explain and I don't have the time, or the experience to help you out." Hank backed away from the bed and away from the sensitive topic toward the door. "Go back to sleep."

"...Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Do... you have any regrets?"

"Connor." The discussion was over. "Go to sleep."

The tone of Hank's voice indicated that he had reached the end of his patience and Connor wisely stopped asking questions. "Very well. Thank you for helping me, Hank."

"You're welcome. Now stop thinking so much and get some sleep."

* * *

It was just past ten o'clock at night and Connor felt a cold wet nose pressing against the left side of his face. Opening his tired eyes Connor put his left hand on Ruby's head and rubbed at the dog's ears as he noted the late hour and was relieved to discover that his headache had dissipated as he slept. Sitting upright slowly on the bed Connor pressed his left hand to his sore shoulder and picked up the thermometer sitting on the nightstand beside his bed. Turning the device on Connor placed it between his teeth and then checked his phone.

Evelyn hadn't sent anymore texts to him while he was sleeping which was a little disappointing, but at least he hadn't slept through her trying to make contact with him. The thermometer 'beeped' and Connor checked his temperature as he put his phone back down on the nightstand beside him.

"Fever's gone. That's good." Sighing a little Connor looked down at Ruby who was sitting on the floor beside the bed. "Did you want to go outside, girl?" Connor asked Ruby as he rose up from his bed and stepped through the door and into the hallway with the hound eagerly following at his heels. "Let's go."

Reaching the bottom of the staircase with Ruby right at heels Connor saw a light in the kitchen and was surprised to see Hank still awake.

The senior detective was sitting at the kitchen table with an old case file opened and spread out over the table. "Feeling better?" He asked without looking up at Connor from where he was sitting as the younger man walked through the kitchen. "You look better."

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he reached the sliding backdoor and unlocked it. "I've fully recovered." Opening the backdoor to let Ruby outside Connor stood beside the kitchen table and looked down at the file that had stolen Hank's interest. "Is something wrong, Hank? A cold case?"

"Yeah, sit down. I need to tell you a story."

Eager to know what was on Hank's mind Connor took the chair on the opposite side of the table from Hank and waited for the senior detective to speak again.

"You asked me if I have any regrets."

"I apologize if I-"

"Shut up for a minute." The comment wasn't meant to be taken as harsh order, only assertive. "The friend I told you about who I lost contact with after she gave up her baby and moved away... _She_ is my one regret."

"...Something happened to her after she moved away and you lost contact?"

"Yeah. You see, before she moved I promised her that I'd find a way to reunite her with the baby when the baby turned eighteen years old. Once the baby was legally recognized as an adult her adoption records could be opened and I could find the family who adopted her, but I lost contact with my friend a few years after she moved away. And not long into my career as a police officer I got word that my friend had... died."

Connor could see the horrible pain that the memory still bore against Hank's mind and his heart. "May I ask what happened?"

"She had a really rough time trying to get ahead in life. She worked every possible job she could get and worked her ass off to get a decent paycheck. To try to make ends meet she settled on a shitty little apartment and one night the old, neglected furnace had a massive carbon monoxide leak. Her and nine other occupants of the building asphyxiated, while another seven more were hospitalized." Hank ran his right hand over his bearded chin thoughtfully. "What a fuckin' lame and preventable way for someone to die."

"I'm sorry, Hank."

"Yeah, so am I. I often wonder what could've happened if I had asked her to stay with me and my dad instead of moving away, but... I can't change the past."

Connor nodded with complete understanding as his soulful brown eyes fell over the cold case spread out over the kitchen table. "What of this?"

"This is how far I managed to get when I started looking for her baby. Turns out she learned she was adopted at sixteen when looking for her birth certificate to begin driver's ed' training, and had ended up getting in a HUGE argument with her adoptive parents. She ran away and disappeared that same night."

The details were a little disconcerting. "No one has managed to find her?"

"Nope. Her adoptive parents kept looking for her and as far as I know they still are, but it's been so long... If she's still alive she'd be twenty-eight years old. But I have no idea what she looks like or what her name was."

"You don't know her name?"

"I do, but that doesn't mean she kept using her_ legal name_ after she vanished. And due to the nature of the private adoption the records were sealed, and the court refused to release them after she turned eighteen due to some kind of legal red-tape preventing what could be considered 'evidence' from falling into public hands, and possibly disrupting the missing person investigation."

"That seems... counterproductive."

"That's legal bullshit in a nutshell, kid."

"You never stopped looking for her." Connor noted as he easily examined the information that Hank had collected over the past twenty years, his investigation coming to a halt six years back. "And you've haven't forgotten about her."

"Yeah, but a dead end is a dead end. I have no idea where to go from here, but I can't bring myself to let the case go, either."

"Hank... Is there something else you are worried about? I can tell there is something more upsetting than just a cold case bothering you."

Sighing with deep sorrow Hank continued speaking. "...Even if I did find her I have no idea what I would say to her." He was truly full of empathetic remorse as he discussed her sad past. "I mean, the poor girl had the world stacked against her the day she was born. Whenever I worked a runaway case I would try to put myself in their shoes and understand what could've made them want to disappear. For her, learning about her adoption in such a cold way, having a fight with her adoptive parents and running off is bad enough; but if she started to look into her past and managed to learn about her biological parents that would make things even worse."

"I don't understand. How could learning the truth make something worse?"

"Some truths are better off hidden behind lies, son. I hate it, but it's true. Look at it from her point of view; she learned she was adopted and the first thing that she thinks is that she was unwanted or a mistake. So she goes looking for answers and learns her mother was bullied and now dead, and that her father never wanted anything to do with her and was killed in a back alley because of his gambling debts. She'd feel as though she was doomed to fail like her parents; like failure itself is in her blood."

"That's not true."

"_We_ know that, and I'm sure on some level she does, too. But that doesn't mean she could accept it so easily." Hank put his hand over the file and flipped it closed with a sense of defeat. "How do I explain to her that I knew her parents? And while I can't vouch for her father, I can confirm that her mother truly loved her. That's WHY she was given up for adoption. Heather knew she couldn't afford to take care of a baby, and she knew that if she tried to raise that baby that they'd live a life of scrutiny and isolation. I was there when Heather had the baby, and I had never seen her so heartbroken in that moment when she had to sign the papers to give the baby up. Heather was a great person and she didn't deserve to die like that, but society had given up on her and labeled her a slut and an idiot before she even had the chance to really live. It wasn't fair then, and there's nothing I can do to change it now."

"Maybe if you told her what you just told me, it'd help."

"First I'd need to find her, son. And by all account that little girl disappeared because she doesn't want to be found. Who am I to tell her that she's wrong? Damn it, I'm sorry to bring up such a sad story, kid."

"It's okay. You told me yourself that sometimes you need to just talk things out."

"...Yeah, sure." Dragging his left hand through his gray locks of hair with fatigue. "I'm going to bed."

Connor watched as Hank rose from the table and slowly wandered toward the hallway to retire for the night. "...Goodnight, Hank."

"Yeah, goodnight. I'm glad you're feeling better."

"As am I." Connor discreetly flipped back open the file and began reading over all of the collected details to begin his own search. After the information was viewed by a pair of fresh eyes Connor closed the file to leave it in the same condition as when Hank left the room, and let Ruby back inside the house. "Come on, Ruby. Inside."

The loyal hound trotted back into the house and sat down at Connor's feet.

"Good girl." Petting Ruby's ears Connor picked up the file from the kitchen table and walked back up the staircase himself to return to his bedroom with Ruby following right behind him. "...You can keep me company while I work tonight."

* * *

Despite his restless night Hank awoke later than normal the next morning and found himself curiously alone in the house save for Ruby, who was happily stretched out over the couch in the livingroom. Locating a perfectly written note on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker Hank discovered that Connor had taken an unexpected trip to Cheboygan late in the night, and would be back as soon as possible.

"Why the fuck did he go to Cheboygan? Unless he..." Hank looked at the case file that had been left on the kitchen table and let out an annoyed sigh. "Damn it. I should've told him to leave it alone!"

The backdoor slid open quietly and Connor returned home with a somber look on his face.

"Why were you in Cheboygan?" Hank asked before Connor even had the chance to slide the door shut behind himself. "And why did you take off in the middle of the night to get out there?"

Turning to face the senior detective Connor lowered his voice and spoke to Hank with utter sorrow in his words. "...I found her, Hank."

"...You found-" His blue eyes went wide as he realized what Connor had just said. "HOW?!"

"Hank," the look in Connor's soulful brown eyes told Hank that what he found wasn't necessarily a good thing. "she's very sick."

"Sick? What are you talking about?"

"Last night I used my laptop and hacked into-"

"_Hacked_?"

"...I found the records regarding her adoption." Ignoring the interruption Connor finished his explanation. "Her name was Kellina Harriet McMillan."

"Th-That's right." Hank's eyes went wide with surprise at the information that Connor uncovered. "That was her name, it was too unique to forget. ...You actually found her?"

"Yes. She's unwell, Hank."

"Unwell? As in she... She's dying?"

"Yes, but she isn't suffering." Motioning to the kitchen table Connor tried to explain things to Hank as gently as possible. "Perhaps you should sit down, you look a little pale."

This time it was Hank who sat down at the kitchen table while Connor spoke to him with an odd sense of grief in his voice.

"After we spoke last night I decided to resume your search where you left off and gained access to files that have been barred from the police investigation, which gave me new insight into the case itself and a fresh trail to follow. What I found was disconcerting and what she told me was... heartbreaking."

"Connor, what happened to Kellina?"

"She ran away from her adoptive parents home in Indianapolis at sixteen, but it wasn't because she discovered her adoption record, it was because her older adoptive brother was trying to... 'seduce' her. When she refuted and wisely proclaimed that they were family and what he wanted was uncomfortably inappropriate he told her about the adoption, and it broke her heart. Out of fear of her own brother's behavior she fled from the home. Rather than admit that their son was already displaying predatory behavior the parents lied about why she ran away and covered his lewd behavior."

"Son of a bitch!" Hank righteously swore and slammed his right fist down on the table causing Ruby to bark once from the livingroom. "...That sick, twisted-" Taking in a deep breath Hank recomposed himself. "...What happened to Kellina after that?"

"She changed her name to Karen Renee O'Brien and hitchhiked from Indiana back to Michigan to try to locate her biological parents."

It was as Hank had feared. "Fuck."

"What she found was indeed troubling as you had predicted, but she managed to continue her education and get her G.E.D. before settling down in Cheboygan to try to begin a new life. She was an artist, a musician and she became a social worker. She never revealed her true identity out of fear of the harsh reputation her adoptive parents would've endured, especially after her adoptive brother was arrested for... pedophilia."

"Connor... You said she's sick." Hank was trying to not cry as the younger detective told him the heartbreaking story. "What's wrong with her?"

"She has ovarian cancer. It is aggressive and terminal. When I managed to track her down through deductive reasoning and a process of elimination through my resources-" Stopping himself from getting too technical Connor cut to the chase. "I discovered she was very ill and in the intensive care unit after going through a rather aggressive round of chemotherapy. I had to find her before it was too late."

"Why didn't you take me with you?"

"Because I know you. If you saw her weak and dying you would've twisted the tragic event into a personal error on your part. Even if you had found her sooner she would've become ill all the same."

"...What is she like?"

"Very kind. Very beautiful." Connor took his phone from his pocket and handed it to Hank. On the screen was a picture of Kellina before she had become sick, and one of her as she was now. The cancer treatment had taken away Kellina's hair but not her beautiful smile. "She's still beautiful and will be until the end."

"...She looked just like Heather." Hank smiled at the pictures as a rogue tear rolled down his face. "Blonde hair that she let grow long and flow down her back, same bright blue eyes, even the same damn smile..." Without taking his eyes from the pictures Hank kept asking questions. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her the truth."

"What truth?"

"About her parents and about you. When I informed her of your investigation she was... happy."

"What?" The revelation made Hank's brow furrow with utter confusion. "Why?"

"As she put it, it meant that her mother had at least one good person in her life she could rely on when she was alone."

Trying to keep himself from breaking down Hank put his right hand over his bearded chin and remained silent as he stared at the two photos on the phone.

"...I also told her what you told me last night." Connor slipped the phone lightly out of Hank's hand and loaded a small video he had taken before he left the hospital for Hank to view. "She wanted me to give you this message, and she wanted it to be private. I haven't watched or listened to the video. I will give you some privacy so you can hear what she has to say."

Connor patted the side of his leg and called Ruby over to him from the couch. As the loyal hound trotted over to him Connor opened the backdoor and stepped outside to ensure that Hank had adequate privacy for a moment to view the video for himself.

Picking up a stray stick in the backyard Connor tossed it and watched as Ruby happily retrieved the stick, and brought it back over to him to be tossed again. Playing in the backyard with Ruby for almost twenty minutes Connor heard the backdoor slide open and the sound of Hank's footsteps walking over the wooden planks of the back deck slowly as the senior detective finished watching the video.

"Hank?" Connor tossed the stick one more time before he joined the senior detective on the deck to check on him. "Are you going to be okay?"

"...Yeah, kid. I am." Handing Connor back his phone Hank managed to give his adopted son a faint grin. "Thanks."

Pocketing the phone Connor sighed and gave Hank a subtle nod. "You're welcome."

"Kellina doesn't have a family, right?"

"...Yeah. She was wary of her true identity being discovered. If she tried to apply for a marriage license or had children of her own then the truth might've come out and ruined her life."

"When the time comes I want to make sure she's laid to rest with her real mother. With Heather."

"Her funeral arrangements have yet to be decided. Would you like me to put you in contact with the hospital in Cheboygan so you can speak with her directly?"

For a moment Hank's blue eyes lit up then dulled as he realized what that conversation would entail. "...Yeah, I'd appreciate that."

* * *

Feeling relatively comfortable despite the still healing bullet wound in his right shoulder Connor coughed a few times and pressed his left hand to his chest and used his right hand to text with Evelyn after enduring the odd series of events. While Detroit had been buried under an early winter storm Chicago was dealing with ice sheaths from Lake Michigan causing problems as they overflowed and stretched across beaches and streets. Fortunately Evelyn was well over her flu but still experiencing frequent headaches, to which of course Connor was sympathetic as he had suffered a few migraines himself, and hated that she had no one to help take care of her.

Coughing again Connor winced and pressed his palm firmly against his chest as a tight pain accompanied his breaths. "...Ow, damn it."

Ruby whimpered as she cuddled up on the couch and stretched out over Connor's lap to keep him company.

"I'll be okay, girl. I just... need another day to rest."

The front door opened and Hank returned with tears in his eyes but a faint grin of appreciation on his face. "...Hey, son."

"Hi." Stifling another weak cough Connor looked up at Hank with a slightly glassy stare in his eyes. "How'd it go in Cheboygan?"

"She's... happy. I was able to tell her about her mom and the truth her adoptive parents kept from her. I think it gave her a sense of peace before she passed."

"Kellina's gone?"

"Yeah. No pain, no regrets. She went peacefully in her sleep and she had closure."

"That's good, it seems like you found a sense of peace, too."

"What about you?" Hanging up his coat by the front door Hank proceeded to put his right palm over Connor's forehead and stared at his glazed over eyes as he stood behind the couch. "You're starting to cough and run warm again."

"I've been coughing a little this afternoon shortly after you left."

Dropping his hand Hank leaned over the back of the couch to look at Connor's slightly pale face. "Need to go back to the hospital?"

"No, I'm certain I've developed mild pleurisy from the wound being so close-" Coughing again Connor pressed his left hand to his chest and carefully took in more shallow breaths to ease the discomfort. "...It's so close to my chest, and I have a susceptibility to chest infections in general."

"Sounds serious to me."

"I still have the antibiotics given to me for my bullet wound, they can help take the edge of off. This shouldn't be anymore complicated to overcome than any of my previous illnesses."

"Uh-huh. And I imagine if you'd actually use your time off for yourself instead of solving cold cases that'd help you to recover, too."

"It was just one case, Hank."

"Three."

"...Pardon?"

"You solved that cold case for the mother who knew her son was innocent, and you put a corrupt cop behind bars. Then you figured out what that psycho's problem was when he went after Gavin in the precinct a few weeks back and tried to dose him with anthrax. Now you're solving one of mine."

"Um... sorry?"

"Don't be sorry, just get some damn rest for once. Winter is bad enough without you working yourself into another bout of the flu."

"I promise I'll pace myself over the winter so I don't get sick again. Especially since Lucas and Chloe want to have their bonding ceremony in three months."

"Their bonding ceremony is supposed to be in February, right?"

"Yeah. Up at the cabin."

"I'm not at all surprised." The good news seemed to be enough to bring up Hank's spirits after spending a bleak afternoon in Cheboygan. "That place really is a sanctuary."

"You want to go up there to hide for the remainder of the winter, don't you?"

Letting out a deep sigh Hank moved around the side of the couch to sit down next to Ruby, and sunk into the soft cushions heavily. "Try every damn day of my life, son."

_**-next chapter-**_


	85. Contaminated

Sitting hunched over his desk Hank stared bitterly at the terminal screen as yet another case regarding a deviant found shutdown in the city appeared before him in all of its enigmatic photographic glory. The first deviant was found on the sidewalk in front of the newly constructed android exclusive apartment complex just eight blocks from the precinct, while the second, third and fourth deviants were found inside their own respective apartments inside the complex. The fifth and sixth deviants had been found on two separate streets several yards away from two distinct Android Emergency Care Facilities as if they were trying to find help. As of that moment a seventh deviant had been found, this one located at the drive leading out to New Jericho Tower.

"Seven deviants in four days." Rubbing his right hand over his forehead Hank just stared at the screen and let out a deep breathy sigh of frustration. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Seven?" Connor sought to confirm the number as he sat down at his desk and placed a mug of coffee down on Hank's side of the desk, then sipped at his own mug of warm peppermint tea from his own side of the desk. "Where was the seventh victim located?"

"Near New Jericho Tower."

"...Same as the others?"

"Yup. No sign of assault, no common background and all are different models."

"Did they all overheat?"

"That's what Joel's report says."

"It's strange to have so many deviants shutting down from the same result, and yet we don't know what's causing it." Turning on his terminal screen Connor glanced over the report and found the same details that the other six reports already told him. "No damage to the Thermal regulator, no instances of being trapped in an unventilated or heated space, and it's near the end of November which means they cannot be overwhelmed by natural weather or heat."

"Got any ideas whatsoever?"

"...Maybe. But it's a long shot."

"That's better than no shot at all. Let me hear it."

Pausing for a moment Connor contemplated his theory and explained things his partner in a level tone. "...There has been rare instances where a deviant who is exposed to tainted Thirium can become emotionally distraught, and even self-destructive as the tainted Thirium cannot circulate properly causing various biocomponents to fail. Perhaps there is some contaminate in the victim's Thirium causing errors with their thermal regulators that cannot be properly diagnosed or corrected through their self healing programs."

"Okay. Sounds good to me. So why's that a long shot?"

"All seven victims will need to have their Thirium drained from their bodies and tested. That's a process that takes hours, and even if we can confirm contaminated Thirium as the cause of death..."

"We'd still need to know exactly what that contaminate was, and how it got into their systems."

"Right."

"And since none of the victims have a common background there's a good chance we'd get one answer and uncover two more questions in the process."

"...It's all we can do for now. We'll need to follow this lead for now, Hank."

Nodding a little Hank agreed to the suggestion and decided it was time to act. "Think Joel is up for seven appor... uh, android autopsies?"

"Apportionments." Connor corrected the term before confirming Hank's question. "And yes. Joel is a very skilled technician and if he knows exactly why we're asking for seven apportionments at once he'll be more effective in his search."

"Alright then. Let's send the request up to the dispensary. Until then, what do we do?"

Furrowing his brow a little Connor gave his partner an odd look. "Why are you asking me?"

"I might be the ranking officer right now but you know deviants better than I ever will, making you the expert. What else can we do with this case?"

"...We could check in with the facilities in the area to ask about the victims. Maybe they had gone to one of the facilities to get their Thirium replenished and that's where the contaminate originated from. If we can find the source we can prevent more victims from shutting down."

"And that's why you're the expert." Quickly finishing off his coffee Hank gave Connor a wave of his hand and rose from his desk. "Let's go, I'll drive."

* * *

Somewhat nervous about his first real day working at his station rather than undergoing training Lucas arrived right on time to station fifteen and was met with a few curious glances from his new crew members, but nothing hostile or unwelcoming. As he was shown to the bunkroom by his new Captain; an older man about Hank's age but far less gruff, with slightly darker hair, clean shaven and a tad slimmer in build, Lucas felt a sense of true accomplishment. He knew deep down inside his heart where he was able to convey his true emotions that he made the right choice.

"Welcome to station fifteen, Lucas." The kind Captain addressed his newest member in a truly friendly manner. "Do you prefer 'Lucas' or go by 'Luke'?"

"I've always gone by Lucas, but 'Luke' is fine as well."

"Well, Lucas, let's get you settled in." Captain Roy DeSoto didn't have any hesitation in having an android on his crew and treated Lucas like any of his other crew members already. "Your last name is 'Anderson', any relation to Hank Anderson by chance?"

"In a way, yes. He adopted me and I took his last name."

"No shit? I went to school with Hank and we were on the same football team our junior and senior years. I doubt he remembers me, but I remember him."

"...Friends?"

"Acquaintances. Anyway," he motioned to a vacant bed that Lucas could use at night when it was time to sleep; or in his case enter rest mode, then showed Lucas to the nearby locker room where he could put several of his personal items in an assigned locker. "this is your locker, registers your thumb- Wait, androids don't have thumb prints, do they?"

"No. But I can use a cybernetic impulse to seal the locker in such a way only I can access it."

"Alright, then we don't have a problem."

Lucas nodded as he pressed his exposed white plastimetal right thumb to the scanner on the locker, and registered it as his own. The locker door popped open and Lucas placed his dufflebag containing extra clothing and a few frame photographs inside to be dealt with later on.

"Do you cook at all, Lucas?"

"I've had a few lessons. Whenever necessary I have cooked meals for my father and my brother."

"Brother?"

"Connor. Hank's other adopted son."

"Which of you is the older brother?"

"He is the older twin."

"_Twin_? Now that's interesting."

Any matters regarding his family and their connections made Lucas's smirk a little. "Far more interesting than you realize..."

"Now, not to put any pressure on you, but it is sort of a tradition around here that the new guy always cooks on his first day."

"That's fair." Closing his locker Lucas gave his Captain a respectful nod of the head. "I'll be sure to make something special to commemorate the day."

Throughout the station the loud Klaxons sounded off and Captain DeSoto motioned for Lucas to follow after him. "Worry about that later. For now focus on your first call, remember your training and obey my every command until I say it's okay for you to follow your own judgment. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Visiting the Android Emergency Care Facilities in the city one at a time was taxing and time consuming. With one final facility to check, the one where Abby was in charge of and always kept things in line, Hank suggested that he and Connor get something to eat and be courteous enough to bring something for Abby as well. Remembering what it was like when Barbara was pregnant Hank decided that the least they could do after intruding on Abby's work schedule was provide her with a free lunch, and not get in her way.

"Are you sure about this?" Connor asked as he carried the extra bag of food, and an precinct issued tablet in his hands, and walked beside his far wiser adoptive father inside the facility. "Shouldn't she have something less greasy and lighter considering her condition?"

"That's up to her. We're just giving her the option of this over anything else she might already have with her."

"I suppose that's logical."

"She's how far along now?"

"Twenty-six weeks." Taking a moment to think about the time from when he learned about her pregnancy and the day's current date as he and Hank stepped into the waiting room of the facility together Connor believed his math was fairly correct. "I believe that's accurate."

"Having a little trouble keeping track of things down to the second, huh?"

"I'm surprised it took this long, but, yeah. It seems like it."

"That's not a bad thing, you know."

"I know, but it is different."

Hank cleared his throat as he stood before the reception desk and got Barry's attention. "Hey, is Abby free?"

"Hello, Lieutenant and Sergeant Anderson." Barry greeted the duo with his usual bright and cheery smile. "Dr. Grayson is currently on her break. You can go back and speak with her if you wish."

"Yeah, thanks."

The two detectives walked down the corridor to locate the lead technician and found Abby sitting in the small breakroom at the round table with a mug of tea in her right hand, and her hazel eyes fixed on the television screen up in the corner of the room as a news report detailing the deviant bodies found around the city was being told.

Barely glancing away from the television Abby acknowledged the two detectives and took a sip of her tea. "I had a feeling you two might show up. How can I help?"

Connor stepped forward and handed her an electronic tablet with the faces and names of the seven deviant victims that had been listed. "Did any of these deviants stop by this facility in the past three weeks?"

"Uh... Yeah, actually." Standing up from the table Abby showed her round baby bump pulling her dark red scrub top tight over her middle, and took the tablet out of Connor's right hand. Staring at the images on the screen she absentmindedly rubbed her left hand alongside her belly and confirmed that the deviants had in fact shown up in her facility not too long ago. "All seven were here."

"Do you remember why they were here?"

"The local CyberLife supply store was out of Thirium so they got a little pick-me-up to replenish their reserves this week."

"That makes sense."

Hank was out of the loop and the arch of his brow gave it away. "How does what make sense?"

"The deviants had all dropped from sudden and dangerous overheating at separate times as the contaminated Thirium would cycle at different rates depending on their preexisting Thirium volume before they replenished their supply." Connor's explanation almost went over Hank's head as he spoke quickly. "Once the contaminated Thirium had the chance to cycle through their systems and biocomponents it began inhibiting the self diagnostic program, and disrupting proper maintenance cycles."

"He's right." Abby confirmed as she handed back the tablet and crossed her arms over her chest and looked absolutely exhausted. "Shit. If that contaminated Thirium came from here then a lot of deviants could be in trouble."

"Do you have a list of the deviants who received a Thirium replenishment in the past week?"

"No, but Barry does."

Hank gave a slight nod of his head as he turned on his heels to leave the room. "I'll go talk to Barry then."

Abby sighed a little and pressed her right hand to her lower back as she decided to sit back down for a second. "...So, did I interrupt your lunchbreak?"

"Huh?" Connor suddenly remembered the extra meal that Hank insisted on buying and sat down at the table across from Abby. "Oh, this. This was Hank's idea. He said you might want some lunch."

"Hank is a smart man."

"It's kind of greasy but I imagine it'd be better than trying to work on an empty stomach."

"Yeah, but these days," Abby patted the top of her noticeable belly as she gave Connor a sly smile. "my stomach isn't exactly empty. I hate feeling this big and heavy, and I got one more trimester to go."

"Are you still feeling ill?"

"Not as bad as it had been. That tea you suggested really helps. I just wish I could walk by the coffee pot in the morning without feeling sick."

The odd remark made Connor's eyes narrow a little. "...Coffee makes you ill?"

"The _smell_ of it does. Then again A LOT of scents upset me right now, even the smell of Gavin's aftershave is starting to bother me."

"I think I might be able to confirm Gavin's aftershave as a pre-pregnancy reaction. I've ridden with him on patrol a few times and admit it's very overwhelming in small spaces."

Laughing at the comment Abby happily accepted the generously offered meal and peered inside the bag. "Oh, tell Hank I love him!" She reached inside and pulled out a lone curly fry. "I have been craving salty snacks all morning."

Connor's own brow began to furrow as he stared at Abby then ran his right hand alongside his right knee where his artificial leg was attached. "I don't mean to pry but have you been feeling the poor effects of this cold weather?"

Noticing his physical reaction Abby popped another fry in her mouth as she gave him a knowing look. "Your leg hurt?"

"It's still sore from the accident but I can handle it. I'm talking about the flu."

"Well," popping yet another fry in her mouth Abby contemplated Connor's question. "aside from the morning sickness that made me barf a few times, chronic back ache, hip ache, swollen ankles, random headaches, relentless cravings and sensitivity to smells I've been fine. No flu for me."

"What about Gavin?"

"Nope. And it better stay that way. I'm already taking care of one baby," she quipped as she rubbed her left palm over her belly affectionately. "I don't need another." Giving her friend an odd glance herself Abby tried to figure out what was on his mind. "Something bothering you?"

"...I just find it so curious how everyone has different reactions to everyday occurrences. I have a curious inability to feel hunger like the average person and I have to make a conscious effort to eat, otherwise I'll suffer from low blood sugar and become ill. But despite my condition I'm still permitted to function as a detective. You're experiencing bizarre cravings due to your pregnancy and despite feeling unwell you can still function and do your job, yet others are nearly incapacitated by the same afflictions."

"Some people are better at adapting than others. You're the epitome of adaptation."

"That's true. I guess I'm just wary about this winter bringing illness to the city while Hank and I are recovering from the car accident. This year has been so very interesting and I don't want anymore surprises to affect us in a negative way."

"I can get behind that. I wasn't expecting to have a kid this year," her left and continued to rub her belly as she spoke. "but I wouldn't change a thing."

Staring at Abby for a moment Connor lowered his voice as if embarrassed. "...What does that feel like?"

"Being pregnant?"

"Yeah."

"Uh, it's like a constant pressure in my middle that sometimes make me feel like I'm way too full, with random and brief muscle spasms that remind me I'm not getting fat, I'm growing another human inside of my body. And then it feels incredible. Until I take a kick to the bladder, then it gets annoying all over again."

"...It's kicking?"

"Once she started three weeks ago she seemed to enjoy it so much she's been doing almost non-stop ever since." Shrugging her shoulders a little Abby just took her body's reactions in stride. "Good thing I'm patient."

"And Gavin's not worried about being a father?"

"A little, but he's been getting better. I know what he went through as a kid so I get why he's so nervous. Fortunately a well worded threat to kick his ass if he ever started acting like the way his own father did seemed to straighten him out."

"That's good to know."

"Want to feel?"

"I... I don't know."

"Hey, I know you had a rotten childhood, too. But you don't need to be afraid of being a dick to kids if you don't want to be one."

"I now understand how you were able to so easily calm Gavin down."

Laughing a little Abby took Connor's right and gently placed it atop her belly. "Right there. Do you feel her?"

Waiting for only a moment Connor felt the small baby kicking up and against his palm. With that gentle motion Connor felt his tension fading and realized everything he had been told about how being aggressive toward a helpless child truly was a choice, and not destiny. A part of him also swore that, even though he had no connection to that child, he would give up his own life to protect her.

"Well? What do you think?"

"...I think that's amazing."

Hank returned to the breakroom and looked like he was ready to punch someone in the face. "Alright, we gotta' move. Barry got us that list and I had it sent to the precinct. According to Joel the batch of contaminated Thirium came from a closed down CyberLife store just outside the city, and it was contaminated with something called silicon dioxide, and it-"

Retracting his hand Connor stood up quickly and gave Hank an understanding look. "It's causing blockages in the lines connecting to biocomponents causing overheating."

"Yeah, you got it."

"How many other deviants were affected?"

"Just one."

"Who?"

"...Lucas."

"Lucas?!" Moving quickly Connor walked over to the doorway of the breakroom and practically pushed Hank back through and into the corridor. "He's started working at his new station today. We have to get to him before he becomes affected, too."

Abby spoke up quickly before the two detectives left the facility to tend to their possibly ill family member. "If he's been affected with silicon dioxide take a dose of concentrated saline to break it down in his Thirium lines as much as possible then bring him here for a total Thirium transfusion." She shouted through the doorway before it slid it shut and Connor turned his head so he could face and hear her. "I'll have Barry remove our current stock and replace it with a fresh supply."

"We'll be back soon!"

* * *

Sitting on the rear bumper of the fire engine Lucas ran a scan over the smoldering embers of the otherwise extinguished flames that had destroyed the ruins of an abandoned hotel, and did so with a strange curiosity. The fire had been accidental, the result of neglect leading to an electrical disturbance inside the walls, and it was that very indifference that humans had once shown toward androids before the night of the Revolution that allowed such disaster to occur. The hotel was now gone, only a scorched plot of land being left in its wake, and in that time on that land a new building would be erected.

The myth of the phoenix rising from the ashes of despair suddenly made sense in Lucas's mind.

"No one had been injured but this still seems like a waste."

Sitting up perfectly straight as he watched his crew going about their routines. Still waiting for his next order and patiently waiting until he had earned his trust Lucas was met with an unexpected red warning in his visual processors regarding his core temperature that made him run a self diagnostic in response.

"...Why am I beginning to overheat?"

Removing his turnout coat and noting the autumn chill in the air steadily growing colder with each passing day the deviant knew his body's response to the temperature around him was completely illogical.

"Are you okay?" Captain DeSoto walked over to the newest member of his crew and watched him curiously. "You seem a little shaken."

"I believe so. I am apparently beginning to suffer from overheating and I can't find the cause."

"Are you sure that burning building didn't cause it?" The sarcasm in the Captain's voice was playful, not condescending.

"Yes. I'm certain."

From down the street Lucas heard a vehicle speeding toward the fire engine and only to come to an abrupt stop. Instantly recognizing the vehicle as the Oldsmobile Lucas stood walked over to the car unsure of what to expect. As the passenger door was thrown open with a jerking motion the deviant knew something important was happening, even if he had no idea what it was.

Captain DeSoto saw Lucas moving to the car, one he didn't recognize, and as a result didn't look the two occupants in the face. "You know that guy?"

"Yes. He's my brother."

Connor rushed up to Lucas and stood before him with a small loaded syringe in his right hand. "Lucas, give me your arm."

"Why are you here, and what is that?" Lifting up his left arm the confused deviant watched as Connor pinned his left arm under his own right arm up against his right side. Connor then used the syringe and injected the contents into a main Thirium line running down the bend of Lucas's arm with a simple and quick motion. "Connor, what's going on?"

"You're beginning to overheat." He stated firmly as he could feel the heat radiating from his little brother's artificial skin. "And it's being caused by contaminated Thirium."

"...What? I still don't understand."

"Silicon dioxide." Holding up the new empty syringe Connor let out a mild breath of relief. "This is concentrated saline and will help dilute the contaminate and stunt your overheating until you can get a full Thirium transfusion."

"...How do you-"

"You are the eighth deviant to exhibit such symptoms, but the first to be diagnosed before shutdown."

Lucas closed his green eyes and ran another self diagnostic, specifically looking for traces of silicon dioxide, and very small partially percentages were being briefly detected by his highly developed scanner. "...You're right. My system can barely detect the contaminate but it's there."

"Come on."

"Wait one moment." Turning to look at his Captain who had been watching him from the distance Lucas nodded at him to silently ask that he come over to speak directly. Captain DeSoto of course obliged in the request. "...Captain, I need to go to a facility due to a technical emergency."

"Are you sick?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Alright, go do what you gotta' do and fill out an incident report. Return when you can."

"Yes, sir."

"Lucas," putting his right hand on the deviant's left shoulder Captain DeSoto gave him a stern but kind glance. "just call me 'Captain' or 'Cap', everyone does."

"...Yes, Captain."

"Good. Now go get yourself taken care of. We'll be waiting for you."

Lucas nodded again as Connor pulled on his left arm and led him back to the Oldsmobile. Sitting down in the backseat Lucas sighed and leaned forward a little as he could feel a steady heat beginning to emanate from his core and fill the entire cab of the vehicle with a noted warmth.

"You'll be okay, Lucas." Connor urged as he turned to face his little brother sitting behind him. "We know what the problem is and how to correct it."

"If you hadn't been working on this particular string of incidents then..." The dark thought was too vivid to be ignored. "I may have ended up succumbing to severe overheating with no means of saving myself."

Hank hated see his boys looking dejected, if not defeated, whenever something unfortunate happened. "Hey, it'll be okay, son. We won't let anything happen to you. You're going to be just fine, and then you can finish off your shift."

"Right." Nodding subtly Lucas believed Hank's words and tried to relax. "I'll finish my shift and return home to be with Chloe."

* * *

Word of the contaminated Thirium spread quickly and New Jericho Tower opened its doors to allow any and all deviants who were concerned about a possible contamination to seek full replenishment of their Thirium without any questions being asked. The source of the contamination had been linked back to improper storage and illegal distribution of Thirium after the store in which it had been supplied shut down due to poor sales in an improper location. All of the deviants who had been affected had been accounted for; Lucas truly being the last one, and were being treated properly.

Lucas was laying on an exam table in Abby's facility with two lines running into his body, one in each arm; one to cycle the contaminated Thirium out of his body the second replenished what was tainted with fresh pure Thirium. He was no longer in any immediate danger and as such didn't require monitoring or constant supervision, but that wasn't going to keep Connor away.

"How do you feel?" Connor asked as he stood beside his little brother while Lucas's tainted blue blood was transfused with fresh Thirium. Holding his right hand over Lucas's chest the young detective didn't feel anymore heat radiating from the deviant's person. "You seem to be cooling off."

"Yes, my self diagnostic confirms my core temperature is currently at its optimal degree."

"I'm glad the facility keeps such thorough and detailed records on their patients. You didn't feel unwell at all until this afternoon?"

"No. I felt completely fine and my self diagnostic confirmed as such. I was only beginning to feel the ill effects just two minutes and nine seconds before you and Hank arrived at the scene of the fire. I've never encountered such an error before, and I find the experience quite... humbling."

"That's how I feel whenever I become ill or forget to eat. It's very frustrating."

"..._That's_ how it feels?"

"Yes."

Sitting up slowly on the table Lucas kept his arms still as to not disturb the lines correcting his Thirium and stared directly into Connor's eyes. "...I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Whenever you've become ill or refused to eat something I had always assumed you were being stubborn, or were failing to prioritize your well-being over a case at the precinct. It never occurred to me that what you were enduring was something you were simply unaware of. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Lucas. We're both okay."

"Connor, three weeks ago Simon uncovered an unreleased but completed software update that will allow deviants to experience physical reactions similar to that of humans." The revelation was carrying an air of secrecy around it. "It was intended to aid technicians in diagnosing deviant errors without the need to perform invasive procedures, and could..." The conversation felt so odd and almost taboo. "It could essentially allow me to feel what it's like to be... human."

Arching his brow a little Connor gave his little brother a truly perplexed look. "...Human?"

"I've been contemplating it for sometime, as has Chloe, but neither of us could really see a reason to get such an update. Now there is."

"Lucas don't update your software because you somehow feel as though you owe it Hank or myself to understand human ailments. It's your body, your decision."

"I know, and I had been unable to reach a decision either way until now." His green eyes were filled with a renewed confidence as his demeanor calmed, and his thoughts came into focus. "I wish to download the update."

"Why?" In Connor's mind the decision was completely illogical. "Why would you wish to experience the limitations of being human?"

"I've come to realize that humans and androids aren't entirely different when it comes to tending to ones health or needs, and by experiencing these new emotions I feel as though I'm truly more human than CyberLife could've ever predicted for any model of android. I want to do it. I want to get the update."

"You're sure? It can be very overwhelming and I don't want your to get discouraged."

"Yes. I will go through with the update tomorrow and if I can't handle the changes then I will have it removed from my system. It doesn't have to be permanent." Glancing down at his left arm as the last of his contaminated Thirium had been isolated and removed he gently unhooked the tube from his arm and sealed the panel over the exposed line before replacing his artificial skin over the limb. "And if I have you and Hank to help guide me I think I'll be okay with this new update."

There was no point in trying to dissuade Lucas's decision and all Connor could do was stand in Lucas's corner as he went through the new changes, and learned the hard reality that is humanity. "...If that's what you really want to go through then I'll support you every step of the way."

"Thank you, brother." Removing the second line from his opposite right arm Lucas closed up the panel, regenerated his artificial skin and ran a self diagnostic. Not even the smallest residual trace of the contaminant in his Thirium lines or biocomponents had been left behind. "I'm ready to return to my shift, now. Could you and Hank drop me off?"

"First day on the job and you end up sidelined by an error on someone else's behalf." Laughing a little at his little brother Connor offered him his hand and pulled him off of the table to stand up on his without any problems whatsoever. "Welcome to my world, Lucas. Hope your first steps into humanity are a little less awkward."

_**-next chapter-**_


	86. Holiday Blues

As the car came to a stop on the street and parked across from the 'Chicken Feed' food stand, the very food stand that Connor consistently reminded Hank was a health hazard, the younger detective gazed out his side window at the small pieces of holidays decorations that were already being hung up throughout the city with a curious gaze. Small strands of unlit lights were wrapped around store windows, green wreaths were being mounted on windows and over doors all down the block and red ribbons were wrapped around the lamp posts that lined the street. It was all meant to be so cheerful, and yet Connor couldn't shake the melancholy cloud hanging over his head.

"I know you don't like it when I go here for lunch," Hank noticed Connor's glum demeanor and brought it up gently. "but I don't think that's why you look so damn depressed."

"...Sorry." Shaking his head a little Connor sighed and slumped back in his seat heavily. "I'm just thinking."

"About the upcoming holidays and how the family isn't quite the same this time?"

Turning to look away from the window and directly at Hank the younger detective seemed genuinely surprised by how easily Hank figured out exactly what it was he was thinking about. "How'd you know?"

"I went through the same damn thing after I lost Barbara and Cole. You lost your mom, and that's going to hurt just as much."

"Yeah... I didn't exactly spend a lot of time with her, but now that she's gone all I can think about is how much I wish she was still here with me."

"Yup, that's pretty normal. Maybe you can spend this Christmas with Evelyn in Chicago this year."

"I'd love to spend time with her, but I'm not going to leave you and Lucas here during the holidays. We're family."

"Then bring her out here. There's always room for one more in the Anderson family."

"...Thanks, Hank." His soulful brown eyes lit up a little at the idea and decided that inviting Evelyn out to Detroit for the holidays would be the perfect way to cheer things up at the house. "I'll ask her if she'd like to join us this year."

"Good. Now, let's get some lunch so we can get back to the precinct and finish those reports."

"Right." Grabbing onto his door handle Connor pushed the door open and quickly took notice of something that was seemingly amiss not too far away. Down the sidewalk a strange man with a dark red hoodie pulled all the way up to hide his face was skulking around an apartment building and had something wrapped up in his arms. A small cry caught Connor's ears and his heart began to race as he realized what was happening. "Hank!"

"What?" Without getting an answer Hank watched as Connor sprinted down the sidewalk after the man and pulled his badge from his pocket to identify himself as a cop. "Connor?"

"Detroit Police!" Connor announced as the man turned around and came face to face with Connor. The small toddler in his arms began to cry and scream and he all but threw the child at Connor as he turned on his heels to run. Connor managed to react quickly and catch the frightened toddler in his arms and keep her away from the failed abductor and from hitting the hard sidewalk as he pulled a gun from the holster around his back, and pointed it back at Connor as he fled as quickly as he could. "STOP."

"I got him!" Hank shouted as he managed to run past Connor and chase the man down the street on the younger man's behalf.

Unwilling to leave the child alone Connor stayed back and held the crying toddler in his arms and looked down at her tear covered face with utter astonishment as she looked up at him. "Hey, it's okay... You're safe now." Instinctively Connor readjusted his arms around the small child, so he could support her weight on his right arm as she leaned against his chest. He quickly used his left arm to shield her from the cold. "I have you."

A small crowd had begun watching the scene as they heard the commotion, and a few had pulled out their phones to take videos as Connor walked back to the car with the crying child in his arms while Hank pursued the kidnapper on foot.

"Shh... It's okay." Sitting down in the passenger seat of the car with the toddler on his lap Connor radioed in the incident and did his best to try to soothe the frightened crying child he had managed to rescue. Shrugging off his leather jacket awkwardly he draped the garment around the little girl to help her feel warmer and protected as she continued to cry in fear and confusion. "You're safe."

After almost five minutes a patrol car pulled up along the street next to the parked Oldsmobile, and Hank climbed out of the front passenger seat looking almost out of breath. Walking over to the driver's side door Hank pulled it open and sat down beside his partner and watched Connor trying to calm down the still scared and crying child as the patrol car pulled away with the suspect cuffed in the backseat.

"...Caught him." Hank breathed out tiredly as he reached over his left hand and put it to the middle of the crying toddler's back. "I had to chase him four blocks but I got him. Now I _earned_ that burger!"

"Do you know what he was doing?" Connor asked over the toddler's loud crying. "Why try to take her and then abandon her so quickly?"

"No clue. We're taking her to the precinct until we can sort this mess out, so hang onto her."

The toddler continued to cry and Connor tried to find a way to calm her down, but he was at a loss of what to do. As she continued to cry loudly Connor found himself fighting the urge to pass her off to Hank as he had far more experience in taking care of children. "...I don't think she likes me."

"She's just scared and surrounded by people she doesn't know. Don't take it personally, son."

"How do I help her feel better?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing." Turning over the key in the ignition Hank sighed and quickly lamented having to pass up on his lunch for a while. "Once your adrenaline rush wears off she'll calm down, she's just picking up on you being tense right now."

"...Children are very perceptive."

"Exactly. Once you're calm she'll be calm."

"...Right. Okay." Taking a deep calming breath Connor repositioned the toddler on his lap as he put on his seatbelt and held her up against his chest protectively. The lack of a child's car seat made it difficult to drive to the precinct with a toddler in tow, but they couldn't exactly walk in the chilly weather, either. As he felt his own heart race slowing down the little girl stopped her crying and began to calm down just as Hank said. "...You were right. She's calm."

"When we get to the precinct you should take her into an interview room and keep her away from the commotion in the bullpen."

"Why me?"

"I'm the one who made the arrest, so I have to deliver my report and help out in the interrogation." Glancing over at Connor and then the toddler Hank pulled out back onto the street to return to the precinct as instructed. "She just needs some place quiet to sit, and probably something to eat."

"Does the precinct have baby food?"

"We keep some powdered formula and small jars of baby food stocked up in the breakroom just in case. There's some diapers in the supply closet in the main hallway, too. She should be okay for an hour or two."

Connor kept his left hand on the toddler's back to support as she sat on his lap, and put her right hand to her mouth to chew on her fingers. She was old enough to have a few tiny teeth but not quiet old enough to eat a lot of solid foods. Estimating her age to be about twenty months Connor studied her green eyes as she searched his face as if she were trying to figure out who he was, and why he was there.

"I hope we can find her parents." Memories of his time in foster care and years of abuse at his biological father's hand; abuse ignored by the social worker who was supposed to check in on his progress, plagued his every thought with macabre horror. "I don't want to see her end up in foster care and forgotten about, or placed with an abusive guardian."

"She'll be fine, kid." Smirking at the sight of Connor holding the baby on his lap Hank drove nice and smooth to the precinct to get the little toddler the care and protection she needed. "Try not to worry."

* * *

Unexpectedly that day Connor found himself watching over a toddler in a quiet interview room while the rest of the bullpen went about their usual routine without him. Sitting in a chair across from the little girl, who was sitting in another chair with a purple colored sippy-cup filled with apple juice in her mouth, was staring back at Connor as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle. The alertness and energy of the toddler was reassuring as it meant she was healthy, but whether or not she was happy was still a mystery.

"...You seem much better than before." Connor stated in a low voice as to ensure he didn't sound hostile or angry in a way that might upset her again. "My name is Connor. Can you tell me your name?"

The little girl pulled the sippy-cup from her mouth long enough to let out a string of incoherent babbles, then proceeded to drink more of her juice.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." The door to the room opened up quietly and Gavin stepped inside with a bundle of baby supplies in his hands. Placing the items down on the table Gavin looked at the little girl and seemed to be a little wary of being around her. "Has there been in progress in locating her parents?"

"Yeah, some. Uh, turns out that guy who tried to abduct Maria," as he spoke the little girl's name she turned to look at Gavin and began babbling at him a little as well. "well, he's her dad."

"...I don't understand."

"He's a junkie who lost custody of Maria to his sister after being arrested. His sister, Tricia, refused to give Maria back until he completed rehab, got a job and a decent apartment. You know, basically start taking care of himself as he should."

"And he failed."

"Yeah. When Tricia refused to give Maria back or even let him see her until he sobered up he decided to take her while Tricia was at work and Maria was being watched by her babysitter."

"Where was the babysitter during the abduction?"

"Making lunch. He snuck in through the livingroom window, grabbed Maria and tried to bolt when you spotted him."

"What about Maria's mother?"

"She's a junkie, too. But she's in rehab right now and actually working to get better."

"That's good to know."

"Right now C.P.S. is checking over Tricia's apartment and questioning the babysitter before they'll let Tricia take Maria back."

"So we're going to be taking care of her until then."

"Yeah. Uh," he gave the toddler a curious stare as she looked up at him with her big green eyes. "has she eaten anything?"

"All I've given her is the juice. I'm not quite sure how to deal with a toddler."

"Me neither. But I'm going to have a kid of my own in about two months, so yeah, I kinda' want some practice." Pulling up another chair so he could sit beside Maria and be eye level with her Gavin took a small plastic cup of apple sauce and a spoon from his selected supplues and tried to offer it to the toddler. "I got this. You go help out there."

"Alright. I'll check in with Hank." Without another word Connor left the interview room so Gavin could take care of Maria and proceeded to return to his desk in the bullpen to fill out his own report on the incident. Hank was sitting at his own desk opposite Connor's desk, and he looked entirely exhausted. "I take it there was little success in getting Maria back to her apartment tonight."

"Yeah, C.P.S. taking their sweet time in giving Maria back to her aunt all because the _babysitter_ didn't keep her eyes glued on Maria while also cooking something on the hot stove."

"Why are they punishing Tricia for what Maria's father had done?"

"Because the system is broken. They're punishing innocent people instead of sending that asshole into mandatory rehab for his own good, and the good of his family."

Connor glanced back at the closed door of the interview room and let out a quiet, despondent sigh. "...Do you want to go out and get your lunch now?"

"Yeah. I could use a little break from this case."

"We'll go back to the 'Chicken Feed' and I'll buy."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. You did chase down that armed suspect by yourself while I hung back."

"It's not like you slacked in your responsibilities or anything, you were taking care of the little girl."

The heavy emotion of the case was beginning to press down on Connor's shoulders as his numerous dark memories began to flood forward in his mind. "...It still feels like I should've done more."

"You did everything you could, kid. Now all you can do is take care of yourself."

* * *

Life as a firefighter had left Lucas feeling more fulfilled as a person and it make him feel like he was truly living as opposed to just merely existing in the background. Having finished off his second shift without any incident to respond to, or anymore problems with his Thirium, Lucas finished his morning routine and set about preparing to go home to Chloe, and made his way to his pick-up truck to head out. As his right hand reached the handle of the driver's side door to the truck Lucas was stopped by his Captain's voice calling out to him from behind.

"Hey, Lucas. Can I speak to you for a minute before you go?"

"Yes, Si-, Captain." Dropping his hand he turned to face his commanding officer directly. "Is something wrong?"

"You tell me."

"Captain?"

Eyeing the deviant curiously Captain DeSoto motioned to Lucas's face with a casual point of the finger. "You seem... different."

"Different? How so?"

"Call me crazy but you look like you're a little pale."

"Pale?" As his brow furrowed Lucas looked down at the side mirror on the driver's side door of his truck and glanced at his reflection with his own curiosity. His complexion was arguably paler than usual, and his green eyes seemed to shining brighter. "...It appears you're correct. But it isn't anything serious." Standing upright again Lucas proceeded to explain things to his Captain. "Yesterday afternoon my fiance and I had undergone an update as well as some upgrades to our beings that allow us to experience more human physical responses. My pale complexion is the result of my system recognizing the new update and reflecting my relatively low power level."

"...So you're tired?"

"Correct."

"Well then, go home and sleep."

"That was my initial plan, Captain. I'll be fine when I come back in two days."

"Good. I don't want to be down a crew member."

Lucas nodded as he opened up the driver's side door and sat down behind the steering wheel. Pulling the truck key from his pocket Lucas turned over the engine and glanced up at his face in the rearview mirror to examine his reflection again. Running his right fingertips along his cheek Lucas decided to run a self diagnostic and found that his system was slightly overheated due to exertion.

"...Maybe I should go see Connor about this. I've never experienced such a sensation before."

* * *

The afternoon gave way to evening and Connor found himself completely distracted by the thought of Maria being forgotten about and torn away from a loving guardian all because of one person's mistake. Absentmindedly Connor sat quietly at the kitchen table with his fork randomly poking at the remnants of that night's dinner as he thought about how sad and broken the law was regarding the safety and proper care of children who were the victims of neglectful parents.

Hank had finished off his own dinner and was now watching Connor sitting at the table looking completely sad and almost broken. Drying off his hands after he finished washing the dishes in the sink Hank gave the hand towel a casual toss over his shoulder before he sat back down beside Connor at the table. "You don't have to eat that carrot if you don't want to, kid."

Glancing up at Hank sitting across from him Connor gave his father an odd look. "Huh?"

"You've been rolling that same damn carrot back and forth on your plate for almost ten minutes now."

"It's not the carrot." Connor admitted as he sighed and dropped his fork as he looked away from Hank in emotional frustration. "It's something else."

"Yeah, I know. I was just breaking the ice."

"...Oh."

"You're worried about Maria."

"...Yeah. I don't want her to end up lost in the foster care system, or given back to her neglectful father."

"You're also thinking about your own mother."

Connor lifted his gaze from the table and back to Hank as he spoke. "If she had been able to take me in without having to worry about my father possibly trying to hurt her again I would've gotten to know her as my mom, not just a distant memory or timid guardian known as my mother. Maria needs to have a parental figure in her life who genuinely cares about her, and wants to keep her safe."

"You see?" Hank gave Connor a somewhat amused grin as the younger detective leaned back in his chair tiredly. "That type of thinking is exactly why you'd be a great father."

"What do you mean?"

"You're focusing entirely on the well-being of a child and their future, and not about how having a child could possibly interfere with your own life."

"I doubt empathy will be enough to qualify me as an adequate functioning parent, Hank."

"Too many people live in a world of apathy right now. Your empathy gives you a major advantage over other people, and the fact that all you care about is protecting the people if your life and making sure they're happy means you're beyond qualified to be a parent. You're more than ready to a father. I know it."

"Well, I'm pretty sure there needs to be one other person involved before a child can come into the world. Besides," putting his right hand over his chest atop his beating heart Connor thought about the replacement valve that had saved his life but also rendered him practically sterile. "even if I were able to convince someone to have a child with me it wouldn't matter. My own body has already taken away that option."

"Remember, adoption is always an option, son. Then again, I've seen the way you look at Evelyn and I know you really care about her. She gives you the same look, too."

"Uh," Connor blushed faintly as he acknowledged the comment. "I know for a fact that distance can be a factor, too."

"I told you once before that when two people really care about each other and want to make their relationship work, it will. Distance won't be a problem if you two don't let it."

"...Thanks, dad."

There was a soft knock at the front door before it opened slowly and a familiar voice called out. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lucas." Hank responded in a level voice as he looked toward the front door from the kitchen. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could talk for a moment."

"Sure. What's on your mind, son?"

"Well," closing the front door behind himself Lucas pet Ruby as she laid over the couch and wagged her tail at his presence, and joined his family in the kitchen to speak with them directly. "I went ahead with that update and now I'm experiencing new sensations."

"What kind of new sensations?"

"I am... paler than usual."

Hank smirked a little as he looked over Lucas's facade and Connor did the same. "Yeah, you do look pale."

"I'm also suffering from very mild overheating due to the exertion of the update and upgrades to my system requiring more power."

"Hold still." Pressing the back of his hand to Lucas's forehead Hank confirmed that the deviant was running warm. "Yup. You're a little feverish."

"Feverish?" Lucas ran another self diagnostic and began chronicling his new reactions due to the update. "Is this what it feels like to be sick?"

"Kind of. What else are you feeling?"

"Aside from the mild overheating I have a subtly building pressure in my intracranial processors and my artificial stomach feels... strange."

"Strange how?"

"I can't really describe it beyond unpleasant."

Connor's mouth twitched a little as he tried to think of what that particular discomfort could be the result of in his deviant brother's body. "Lucas, do your sensors indicate an unexplainable imbalance with your Thirium volume, or have to recalibrate your gyroscope in any way despite your self diagnostic confirming no recalibration is necessary?"

"...I am detecting a moderate disruption my gyroscope's overall calibration, and it seems that my Thirium volume had been reduced by nine percent."

"Pulse?"

Lucas closed his green eyes and noted his current vital signs. "One-hundred and twelve."

"Elevated pulse rate, elevated temperature, a mildly upset stomach and a headache. It sounds like you caught a cold."

"A cold?"

Hank crossed his arms over his chest and nodded in agreement. "Yup. Sounds like a cold to me."

A little confused Lucas looked to his family for further guidance. "How do I correct this condition?"

"You don't. You just rest and wait for it to go away on your own."

"...What? That seems unproductive."

Connor stood up from the table and put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder. "You need to enter rest mode and allow your system to adjust and recalibrate. I'll drive you back home. Is Chloe suffering from the same symptoms?"

"She didn't mention it when I informed her that I was coming over here for a brief consultation."

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough." Keeping his hand on Lucas's shoulder Connor guided his little brother through the livingroom and back outside, and over to the red pick-up truck parked in the driveway beside the house. Even though it was a mere two block drive Connor took the keys from Lucas to let his ill brother sit down and rest as much as possible in the passenger's seat. "How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?"

"I hadn't noticed until I was approached by my Captain this afternoon." Ignoring the swaying sensation that came from the truck being backed down the driveway Lucas tried to recall the events that led to his unexpected discovery. "He saw my paled complexion and asked me about it."

"Interesting. Your system didn't inform you of your body's reactions on its own?"

"Negative."

"Tell New Jericho about this flaw in the update so it can be patched."

"Agreed. I will do so once I finish chronicling my symptoms."

The pick-up truck pulled into the driveway of Lucas's house and right into the garage as the deviant cybernetically opened the garage door to give his brother the clearance to enter. Stumbling a little as he stepped out the truck Lucas had to balance himself against the hood of the vehicle with one hand while Connor walked around the front to get to his other side.

"Lean on me." Pulling Lucas's right free arm around his shoulders Connor opened the side door and helped Lucas walk through the small laundry room and into the rest of the house. Directing his little brother to the staircase Connor took notice of Chloe sitting on the couch with Ash cuddled up on her lap, and he addressed the blonde haired deviant in a level voice. "Chloe, are you feeling any ill effects of the update?"

"No, Connor. I'm alright." Rising from the couch she walked over to Lucas and put her left palm to Lucas's right cheek in a comforting manner. "Lucas, what's wrong?"

"I apparently have a cold."

"A cold?" Chloe's blue L.E.D. shifted to yellow as she cybernetically downloaded the information such a condition and frowned. "You need to rest."

"Precisely." Connor helped Lucas walk upstairs and escorted him to the master bedroom to lay down. As soon as his little brother was sitting on the edge of the bed Lucas let out a small groan of pain as the motion hurt his head, and he ended pressing both of his palms against his eyes. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I was trying to be careful."

"...It's okay." Dropping his hands Lucas looked down at his palms and his brow furrowed with confusion. "Connor, my hands are wet."

"Huh?" Staring at his brother's shaking hands Connor pressed his own hand over Lucas's forehead and held it there for a moment. "You're sweating. Your core temperature is rising."

"...What do I do?"

"Enter rest mode. I'll get you a cool compress."

Chloe walked into the bedroom with a cold damp washcloth already in her hands. "I have one." With a gentle touch Chloe smoothed the washcloth over Lucas's forehead with one hand and guided him back against the pillow with her other hand. "Rest. I'll watch over you."

The sincerity in Chloe's voice and her increasingly human behavior gave Connor a much needed sense of relief. "Lucas, rest as much as you can, and afterward take a cool shower to remove the sweat from your artificial skin. It'll make you feel better on a physical level."

"Yeah." Lucas sighed a little and closed his green eyes as he ran another self diagnostic and found his core temperature elevated to a considerable degree of one-hundred and one point two degrees. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Chloe," turning his attention to the deviant hovering over his little brother Connor felt confident in letting her alone to tend to Lucas. She was stepping up and not at all wary of taking care of Lucas during his unusual illness. "keep doing what you're doing. It'll help him recover faster."

"I will, Connor."

"If you need anything just call and I'll come right back over."

"...You're not going to stay?"

"I don't need to. You're here and I know you won't let anything happen to him."

Chloe looked a little hesitant at first but soon her L.E.D. shifted from yellow to blue as she turned back to Lucas with a smile on her face. "Of course. Thank you for bringing him home."

"No thanks are necessary." Reassuring Chloe with a kind voice Connor turned to take his leave of the house so his brother could rest peacefully. "We're family."

* * *

Scraping a few scraps leftover from dinner into Ruby's food bowl Hank watched the hound happily chow down before he finished washing the rest of the dishes in the sink. Fortunately with just two people in the house there were never that many dishes to be washed, and Connor was a bit of a neat-freak who disliked making any messes whatsoever. Turning off the tap in the sink Hank dried off his hands and watched Ruby happily clean up her bowl with her tail wagging back and forth.

"Don't let Connor know I did that for ya'. Having a few scraps every so often isn't going to hurt you." Hank's phone buzzed in his pocket as he received an update from the precinct, and he quickly read over the message. "Fuck yeah. Progress at last."

As he stepped out of the kitchen Hank caught the sound of a muffled voice speaking outside the front door and took a moment to really listen in. It was Connor speaking, and based on the lack of a second audible voice and noticeably pausing between statements Hank figured out he was talking on the phone.

"Must be talking with Evelyn again." Sitting down on the couch with a cheesy grin on his face Hank turned on the television and found the final quarter of a football game to watch for the rest of the evening. "That kid is absolutely smitten. Wonder when he'll finally propose?"

Another ten minutes passed before Connor opened the front door and frantically rubbed his hands up and down his arms to bring back some warmth to his chilled limbs after being out in the cold for so long.

"You could've stepped back inside to grab your jacket, kid."

Pausing for a moment as he realized Hank knew he was talking on the phone Connor blushed a little. "...I didn't think of that."

"How's Lucas?"

"Tired and his fever had begun to increase, but Chloe is going to be taking care of him. She didn't become ill from the updates, so he won't be alone."

"That's good."

"...It is?"

"Sure. You're not worried about him which means he can't be _that_ sick, and you're letting him alone to be taken care of by Chloe, which means you're starting to trust her."

"Lucas trusts her, and he loves her. That's good enough for me."

Hank nodded in approval as Connor sat down beside him on the couch and pulled the navy blue blanket from the back of the length of the furniture and wrapped it around himself to warm back up. "So what did Evelyn have to say?"

"How'd you know I was talking to Evelyn?"

"I could hear you talking to someone just outside the door. So you were either talking to her on the phone or you finally lost your mind and started talking to yourself. And if anyone's going crazy in this house it'll be me first."

"Thinking out loud is actually a sign of high intelligence."

"I shudder at the thought of the all the junkies I peeled out of the gutter while they were muttering to themselves..."

"Ha, ha." Laughing sarcastically Connor tightened the blanket around himself and answered the question. "At any rate Evelyn is doing well and seems to be in a great mood."

"Really? She get a promotion or a raise, or some shit?"

"No, she said she was feeling much better after being sick and that she truly happy with her improved health. She had also managed to get time off and can visit us during Thanksgiving this year." Giving Hank a hopeful glance Connor made sure having Evelyn visit wouldn't be an accidental intrusion. "That's alright, isn't it?"

"Hell yeah. Last year with just the two of us there was way too much food leftover and it almost went to waste. It'll be nice to have someone else to join us."

"She'll be happy to hear that. I've missed her so much..."

"Well, since we're going to have a family get together in four days we should go get some groceries bought. Be sure to grab some stuff for Lucas and Chloe, too. I want everyone together this year to celebrate the holiday properly."

"Sounds like a very good plan. We all deserve to be together."

"Oh, one other thing." Pulling his phone from his pocket Hank showed it to Connor and gave him an "I told ya' so" grin. "I got word from the precinct about Maria. She's going to live with her aunt tonight, AND he father was charged with the attempted abduction, drug possession and harassment. He's going to have to go through court mandated rehab before he even has the slightest chance to try to get custody back. She's safe, kid."

A faint smile of relief appeared on Connor's face as his shoulders slumped in the wake of released tension. "...That's all the matters. She's safe and she's with someone who loves her. That's all a child needs."

"Damn right." Proud of Connor's reaction and emotional growth Hank knew that his son was going to be just fine. They were both healing and finally able to move on from their painful pasts and into a much more peaceful future. "Now, let's stop worrying about shitty people and focus on the people who really matter. Our family."

**_-next chapter-_**


	87. Someone To Be Thankful For

Unable to get the time off to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday the Anderson clan decided to celebrate on the following Friday instead. Waking up earlier than usual Connor set about getting things ready in the kitchen, and was working with a surprising silence as he tried to let Hank sleep in as much as possible. Giving Ruby a treat in the livingroom Connor had hoped to keep the loyal hound from trying to beg for food while he set about getting everything ready for the large dinner, only to realize he needed a little help getting everything taken care of due to the sheer size of the impending meal.

The dozens of various ingredients were scattered about the countertops and kitchen table, and each item was isolated according to the recipe that required said ingredient. Measuring cups, mixing bowls, pots and pans made the entire kitchen look like the set of cooking show.

"I'll do this first so the oven is already warmed up for the turkey." A 'poof' of flour erupted from the large flour bag as Connor tore open the top and tried to locate the family recipe for pumpkin pie that Hank had shown him last year. "...This was much easier when Hank was showing me how to cook last fall." Waving away the flour cloud from his face Connor sighed and felt like he was a little out of his depth. "A second set of hands would be very useful right now."

"Then you should've asked for my help." Hank announced himself as he entered the kitchen and yawned a little. Seeing the controlled mess that Connor had set out over the countertops made Hank laugh a little, but he didn't hesitate to walk over to the sink and wash his hands in order to help his son out with getting everything prepared. "Nervous?"

"A little." Brushing off his black t-shirt Connor removed the lingering flour from his clothing as he spoke. "I've cooked before, for both you and Evelyn, but somehow this feels..."

"More important."

"Yeah."

"Well, keep this in mind:" Drying off his hands Hank pressed the 'on' button for the coffee maker and gave Connor a completely unfazed glance. "If things don't work out; the oven fails, food gets burned or spilled, or any number of any other problems that can arise, we can always order take-out. It's Black Friday so a bunch of people were forced to go to work today and won't be in the best mood, but if we tip them generously it should help cover up any of our possible mistakes today."

"...Have you done that before?"

"The first year I tried to cook the big dinner when me and Barb were still dating. I failed, she laughed, we decided on pizza instead. All in all, it was a good night and I just knew that she was the one since she just found the humor in the situation and helped me clean-up my mess in the kitchen."

"When did you propose?"

"The following New Year's Eve. I figured if she said 'yes' it was the perfect way to start the new year." Pouring himself a mug of the freshly brewed coffee Hank took a sip, added a spoonful of sugar and sipped it again. "And if she said 'no' then we'd be able to move on with our lives at the start of the new year and figure out what was wrong with our relationship, and if it could be salvaged."

"...Sounds like you took a risk."

"And it paid off tenfold. Now," opening up the refrigerator Hank peered inside and grabbed an apple to snack on while he proceeded to help Connor get the large meal ready. "you go get yourself all cleaned up so you can look your best when Evelyn arrives."

"Clean?"

"Connor, you have flour on your face, a little in your hair," he picked up the rogue lock of hair that always hung down in front of his face to show him the white powder clinging to the dark strands. "and you need to shave. Go take a shower, kid. I got this."

"Thanks, dad. I appreciate it."

* * *

Unsure of what to expect with the holiday Lucas and Chloe walked up to the front door of the house holding hands. The duo were wearing dressier clothes; a dark gray dress shirt and black dress pants, and a dark red knee-length dress to commemorate the special occasion. The duo entered the home together through the front door where they were greeted by a mixture of wonderful aromas and an welcoming warmth that made the two deviants feel as though they were really alive. Met first by Ruby, who was eager for some attention, Lucas and Chloe were invited into the kitchen by Hank who was happy to see his youngest son and fiance during the holidays.

"Glad you got the day off, Lucas."

"As am I. It turns out many people are willing to switch their schedules around if you volunteer to work on a holiday rather then ask for said holiday off."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Where's Connor?"

"Showering off. I think he's been up since like five or six getting everything around."

"And Evelyn?"

"I don't know. She should be here by noon, but driving from Chicago to Detroit during a holiday weekend is going to be a real bitch."

Lucas smirked a little as he looked around the kitchen and eyed the portions of the meal that had already been finished. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Uh, maybe. Do either of you mind helping with setting the table?"

"That won't be a problem."

"Also I made sure to grab you and Chloe some extra Thirium so you don't feel out of place at the table."

"That won't be a problem, either." Giving Hank a sheepish glance as he proceeded to clear off the kitchen table and placed the additional leaf contained neatly under the table to extend it out, Lucas told his father some interesting news. "Those upgrades that Chloe and I had received have given us the ability to substitute energy replenishment from rest mode by consuming food."

"Wait a minute," turning to face Lucas as he stayed beside the kitchen table Hank gave his son an amused smirk. "you and Chloe can actually join us for dinner and eat without it making you sick?"

"Correct."

"Now that's some pretty damn cool engineering." Grinning widely Hank was more than happy to have extra mouths to feed at the table. "Then let me show you two a few tricks to getting a recipe absolutely perfect so you get the full flavor in every bite..."

* * *

Upstairs Connor finished his shower and had shaved before he changed into his own nice clothes for the holiday. Foregoing the black tie and white dress shirt in favor of his dark blue dress shirt Connor slipped his glasses on, and checked his phone for any sign of Evelyn and discovered a recently sent message from his girlfriend who was en route to the house. Opening the message he walked downstairs as he read the message and smiled warmly at the text just waiting for his response.

'_I'm in the neighborhood_. _Is it okay to come over_?'

"Of course, we're more than ready to have you over."

Opening the front door Connor stepped outside and looked down the street in time to see a dark red rental car slow down as it passed by the house and then pull into the driveway beside the house. With a huge grin on his face Connor walked over to the car and immediately threw his arms around Evelyn as she stepped out of the car and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I made it!"

"I'm glad you're here." Embracing her tightly Connor felt his chest warm as love spread from his heart upon being reunited with her. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Evelyn was a wearing a large baggy dark purple sweater and black dress pants as she too wanted to look nice for the day. As Connor let her out of the hug she wrapped her arms around his left and walked at his side to the front door. "Remind me to never drive on the expressway during the holidays ever again."

"Well, I know of an easy way to avoid that..."

"Uh-huh. What about moving all my stuff from my apartment out to here? I can't exactly leave Buttons behind."

Laughing at the comment Connor opened the door for her and showed Evelyn inside. "I'm sure we could find a way to get you down in Detroit without too much difficulty."

"If you do, tell me."

The positive reaction caught Connor by surprise. "...A-Are you serious?"

"Very." Confirming her answer Evelyn gave Connor an absolutely glowing smile. "I realized after you left that the only reason I stayed in Chicago was because that's the only place I had known after my grandparents took me in. I never left because I felt safe there, and after everything that happened with my sister I just felt trapped. I was too broken up to try to leave the city and go about a new life. When I met you and I felt truly happy for the first time in a long time I knew it was possible for me to move on and be happy again. You showed me that."

Connor blushed a little as he looked into her blue eyes bright with joy and understood exactly what Evelyn was talking about. He too felt a sense of happiness and renewed life after he had met Evelyn had a temporary change of scene and rekindled their childhood friendship, which blossomed into full romance. "If that's what you really want then I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

"I never doubted that for a second." Evelyn was still hanging onto Connor's arm when Ruby got up from her pillow and excitedly trotted over to greet Evelyn. Sitting down at Evelyn's feet Ruby wagged her tail and pressed her cold nose to Evelyn's right hand expectantly. "Hi, Ruby!" Rubbing the dog's ears Evelyn was treated to Ruby pressing her paw down against her hand to shake and offer a few licks. "If I can live anywhere that allows pets then I'll be over the moon,"

"You're always welcome to visit Ruby here if you need some animal companionship."

"I'll remember that." Giving Connor a little awkward smile she turned her full attention to him and lowered her voice. "It was a long drive. I need to go to the little girl's room."

"Here, I'll show you around the house. This layout is a tad different than the cabin."

From the kitchen Hank was quietly observing the interaction between Connor and Evelyn and was doing so with a smile on his face. Seeing Connor happy always made Hank feel as though he was doing things right by his adopted son, and was giving him a steady home life. But it was when he saw the rare moments where Connor would come out of his rather introverted shell that made him truly proud as a father.

"Yeah," Hank muttered to himself as he watched Lucas sitting at the kitchen table explaining the human holiday and customs to Chloe with a grin on his face. He too was happy and seemed to be at peace on an emotional level. "these boys are doing just fine. They found some pretty special women, too."

* * *

The family went to the livingroom to chat while everything in the kitchen was still cooking for a while longer. As much as it tortured the group to have to wait for so long to eat Hank insisted that a slowly cooked turkey would be well worth it in the end. Having taken the time to change into nicer clothes as well, choosing his solid sky blue shirt and khakis over one of his striped shirts and old jeans, Hank looked like he was truly in a good mood and was more than happy to sit with his family and chat.

Connor was sitting on the end of the couch nearest the recliner where Hank was sitting, and Evelyn was sitting right side Connor with her hand wrapped around his. Ruby was cuddled up over Evelyn's lap as opposed to Connor, and seemed to have taken an instant liking to Evelyn despite only having met her an hour beforehand. Lucas was sitting at the opposite end of the couch with Chloe at his side, the two women sitting side by side in the middle of the couch, and like just like Evelyn the blonde haired deviant wrapped her hand around Lucas's hand as they all sat together as a big family.

Everything that the family wanted to talk about was discussed openly and happily. Dealing with cases as the precinct, dealing with emergency calls at the station, how Connor and Lucas working in positions of emergency first responders was a great way to bridge the gap between deviants and humans throughout the city, and how the newest updates were allowing deviants and humans to share more and more experiences together. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

"It's a good thing you got over your cold so quickly, Lucas." Connor looked at his little brother and gave him a subtle nod. "How do you feel?"

"Much more like myself. It's taken a little time to get used to these new reactions and feelings, but they are fascinating." He held up his left hand and stared at his fingertips as he rubbed his thumb over the surface slowly. "I don't have any fingertips but when I took that shower as you recommended to ease my discomfort I noticed that I can now experience aquagenic wrinkling."

Hank's brow arched a little as he gave the deviant an odd look upon hearing the term. "From _what_?"

"My fingertips wrinkle when exposed to water for an extended period of time."

"Oh. Never heard it called that before."

"What about horripilation?"

Giving a slight shake of his head Hank confirmed he didn't know the term either. "Nope."

"Goosebumps." Lucas clarified with a slight smirk. "When I feel cold my artificial skin creates goosebumps."

"I think I'll stick to the more casual terms, son. That's a lot easier to remember."

Evelyn laughed a little as she pressed up closer to Connor and closed her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder. "It's been so long since I've been a part of a family gathering. Thank you for inviting me."

Connor gave her a light kiss to the top of her hair as he held her a little closer and couldn't help but feel that something with Evelyn was a little different. Not wanting to ruin the good mood or cause a needless worry Connor just held her and enjoyed being able to hold her in his arms again, and not just have to communicate through texts or phone calls.

Holding onto her and feeling utter peace in her presence Connor was content to just sit and listen to the conversations around him and hold Evelyn tight.

* * *

Two hours of discussion later and everything was ready for dinner. The meal itself was a little strange to say the least. Connor had to show Lucas how to use silverware in order to eat properly, and in turn Lucas cybernetically transmitted the information over to Chloe as the two deviants took a crash course in dining etiquette. No messes were made but it was still a little comical to watch two highly advanced lifeforms like Lucas and Chloe struggle with a basic concept that humans learn when they're only a few months old. After everyone had their plates and knew how to start the meal the conversation from the livingroom continued into the kitchen, only to quick change over to the meal at hand.

Lucas was taking small bites of food as he wanted to taste everything first to determine what he liked and what he disliked, and had found everything on the table to be very appetizing. Chloe was having the same reaction and shared Lucas's enthusiasm through cybernetic discussion that only they could hear. The deviants had decided that their upgrades and updates were worth it as each change they've experienced was unusual, but welcoming.

"This amazing." Evelyn complimented as she took her first few bites of the turkey. "Who's the master chef?"

"That would be Connor." Hank had no problem giving credit where credit was due. The younger man blushed a little at the comment and continued to smirk a little as his good mood couldn't be taken away from him. "Even before he returned to being a human he was a good cook, he just got better over time."

"Hank made the desert." Connor tagged on as he wanted to make sure Hank received his share of the credit. "I'm still learning how to bake, so since he made the pies I think everything will be fine."

"Pie?" Truly tempted by the idea of desert Evelyn gave Hank a cheeky smile. "I think I love you both!"

Chuckling a little Hank gave Connor a tilt of his head. "You better watch it, Connor. She's far more agreeable than you, so I might have to make you move in with Lucas so she can move in here with me."

"With your old back you'd never get me past the front door."

"Smartass."

A small whimper from under the table caught Connor's ear and he saw Ruby sitting on the floor between his and Evelyn's seats. "...Alright. You can't have any turkey, but you can have a few scraps after dinner, grin."

Evelyn grinned and put her left hand back over his right hand. "You're such a pushover."

"Only with animals."

"I bet you're the same way around kids, too."

"I don't really know. I haven't spent that much time around kids beyond help a few in distress, but despite the lack of experience I think I'd be willing to start a family and have kids. You know, if I somehow beat the odds thanks to my heart valve. Until that day comes I'll just wait and hope for the best."

Truly happy with the answer Evelyn smiled brightly as she tightened her grip on Connor's hand. "That's good to know."

The revelation made Hank raise his eyebrow inquisitively. "Sounds like you finally got it through your thick head that you don't have to repeat the patterns of your parents, and you won't do anything you don't want to do."

"...Yeah. It's taken some time but I've come to accept that fact as truth." Admitting that he had made peace with his past and recognized that patterns of abuse can be broken Connor opened up about his new feelings. "Everything I say, do, and think is a choice that I make under my freewill. If I don't want to hurt anyone then I won't."

Leaning a closer to Connor as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze Evelyn continued to reassure Connor in his confident decision. "You're far too kind and compassionate to hurt anyone, Connor. Especially an innocent child. Don't ever doubt yourself."

Hank spoke up again as he had his own opinion on the subject at hand. "She's right. You took care of that little girl when she was found wandering alone in the convenience store, remember? You spent the afternoon with her, earned her trust and got her to tell her story. Not to mention that newborn you found abandoned in the streets a few months back. You took great care of her until we could get her to the hospital."

"I bet you looked adorable holding that little baby."

Connor shook his head a little as he thought back to that day. "I think I looked awkward and uncomfortable."

"Nah," Hank disagreed in a friendly tone as he confirmed that he looked as expected. "you just looked like you always look when something bad happens to good and innocent people."

"How's that?"

"Determined."

"...Oh."

"Now, Lucas on the other hand," motioning to the deviant casually as he sat across the table from Connor and beside Hank with Chloe at his side. "he looks a little uncomfortable. You okay, son?"

The deviant needed a moment to collect himself and finish his last bite of food before he answered. "I'm okay. I think my software update didn't come with a proper way to determine how much food beyond caloric intake I can withstand."

"Did you overeat already?"

"I don't think so, but I am feeling, what I think is called... 'full'."

"You do know you don't necessarily have to eat every little piece of food on your plate, right? Eat only what you want and you can save the rest for later."

"...Thank you, that's good information to have."

Smirking at the deviant's reaction Hank glanced about the table and noticed that everyone had helped themselves to fairly large portions, just as he wanted, and couldn't help but note that Evelyn seemed to have the largest plate. It was clear that like Connor she too had a hard time with celebrating the holidays because of her own family drama, and was happy she felt comfortable enough to make herself at home.

"We'll divide what we want to keep as leftovers and then donate the rest to the food kitchens throughout the city. Even after the holidays are over a large donation can do some people some good."

"I like that idea." Connor agreed as he too noticed how much food that had made that day. "I have some old clothes I'd also like to donate to the shelters."

"Perfect." Picking at his plate a little more Hank knew what they were all going to do tomorrow afternoon. "We'll get some boxes packed up all nice and neat and help people in need without any of us getting in harm's way in the process."

"That's a welcome change..."

* * *

After the meal Lucas and Chloe volunteered to clean up the kitchen while Hank took Ruby for a walk around the block to work off the meal, and Connor and Evelyn spent time out on the back deck to talk in private while just being together. It was getting late and the sun was beginning to set in the distance. Standing together the young couple watched the warm orange rays shining through the dark gray snow clouds overhead with true admiration for the beauty of nature.

"It's so much quieter here than in Chicago." Watching the sunset in the distance Evelyn just leaned up against Connor's right side as he draped his right arm around her shoulders and held her close. "As quiet as the apartment complex can be I just can't seem to escape the commotion of the city."

"This is a nice neighborhood. Hank decided to get a bigger house to ensure Lucas could have his own room, and to make it easier to house two large dogs. Sumo passed away from old age leaving just Ruby, and now Lucas has his own house two blocks away." Glancing over his left shoulder Connor watched as Lucas and Chloe smiled and laughed while they washed dishes side by side, and was happy to see his little brother happy. "Sometimes I think the house is a little too big for just us, but it's still good and loving home."

"You have a backyard, a pool, a big welcoming house, a loyal dog, a father and a brother who clearly care about you very much. I'm a little jealous."

"If you're serious about moving to Detroit I'm sure Hank wouldn't mind having you around for a while. You're a fellow cop, after all."

Evelyn laughed a little put her hand right over her eyes as tears began to well up against her blue irises.

Noticing the emotional reaction Connor tightened his arm around her and tried to be of some comfort. "Evelyn, what's wrong?"

"It's just... It's been so long since I've had a family moment like this and I..." Dropping her hand she recomposed herself and steadied her voice. "I really miss it. Being out in Chicago without a family is too lonely for me."

"You're my family, Evelyn. I care about you and no matter what happens between us I'll always care about you." Tightening his arm around her shoulders even more Connor moved his right hand down so he could rub his palm up and down her right arm in a comforting gesture. "We can do this again next month for Christmas time."

"Christmas is so close already... And after that, a brand new year. The chance to start over again."

"I know. It's been a very strange year for me, and I'm kind of glad to see it coming to an end."

"It hasn't been all bad, has it?"

"No." Acknowledging that there were some highlights throughout the odd year Connor thought about his past and reflected on the strange upheaval of emotions had endured as he healed from his pain. "I got to reunite with you and I finally found out how it feels to be truly happy. It wasn't the best year, but it wasn't the worst either."

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

"Evelyn, is something wrong?" He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening, and he wanted to know what it was. "You seem a little off."

"Well, only _a little_."

"What?" Thoroughly intrigued Connor pressed her for the answer to the question that had burning on his lips all day long. "What's going on?"

"Your Christmas present. I know you're going to love it but," she turned and gave him a sly glance and took both of his hands in her own. "it won't be available until the end of March, or maybe the beginning of April."

"March? Why March?"

"Connor," moving his hands closer to herself she rested his palms against her hips, then moved them toward her lower belly as she smiled warmly. "I'm pregnant. You're the father."

"You're..." Connor's brown eyes went wide with shock and his face paled as he kept hands in place over Evelyn's belly. Pressing his palms in slowly he could feel a round bump under his palm and through her baggy sweatshirt that was hiding her little surprise. "I can feel..." At a loss of words he just stared at his hands where he was resting his palms in place. "...You're going to... _I'm_ going to... H-How?! When?!"

"That wonderful night we spent together before you came back to Detroit. I guess the chemotherapy I went through as a child didn't completely destroy my chances at becoming a mother after all."

"...And I... I wasn't supposed to... be able to..." It was a struggle to find his words as he realized what he was experiencing was a true miracle. Neither he or Evelyn were supposed to be able to have children, and yet they now had a baby of their own on the way. "...This is- I mean, we..."

"Connor?" Lightly she pressed her left palm to his right cheek and held it there as she looked into his bright soulful brown eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

Letting out a single laugh Connor suddenly kissed Evelyn's lips just moments before he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up from the ground, as he hugged her. Tears of joy ran down his face as his overwhelmed emotions came bursting forward as Evelyn embraced him warmly.

As if a tide had swept over the sand all of Connor's doubts, his fears and his worries were taken away and all that was left behind was a clean slate.

"I love you so much, Evelyn!" Speaking in a quavering voice Connor let out his emotions in a single, righteous sob of utter joy. "I'm going to be a father..."

_**-next chapter-**_


	88. A Brighter Future

The good news of Evelyn's pregnancy had left a positive impact on the Anderson family as a whole, and everyone was excited for the new baby. Connor was beyond words as he felt an overwhelming happiness sweep over him and he knew that he was ready to take on the challenge of fatherhood, while Evelyn felt exactly the same about becoming a mother. Lucas was thrilled to know that he was soon going to be an uncle, and would have the chance to partake in raising a child as he promised Connor to always be there to help look after the baby whenever he needed it. As for Hank the news had left him feeling completely motivated to keep up with his sobriety and to drop his other bad habits for the sake of being around for his grandchild for as long as possible.

Unable to sleep due to his excitement Connor held Evelyn in his arms as she slept beside him in the large bed, and laid on her right side so her slightly rounded five month pregnant belly could rest between Connor and herself. Resting his left palm over Evelyn's baby bump Connor just smiled and imagined what their child was going to look like, sound like and act like once they arrived.

Ruby was sleeping at the foot of the bed, but had her chin on Evelyn's ankles as the loyal hound had picked up the pregnancy before anyone else had and was showing an utterly protective nature toward Evelyn and the unborn baby.

Lightly rubbing his hand over Evelyn's belly without disrupting her sleep Connor caught sight of Hank standing beside the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and watching the couple as they laid together with a cheesy smile on his face. "...Hi, dad."

"Hey." Lowering his voice to keep himself from waking Evelyn Hank just stayed by the door and spoke to his adopted son with a proud smile on his face. "I take it you didn't sleep last night."

"No." Keeping his hand in place over Evelyn's baby bump he just gave Hank a tired grin. "Too excited to sleep."

"Yeah, that's how I was when Barb told me about Cole. I didn't sleep for almost a solid week."

"...It's an incredible feeling to know that I'm going to be a father."

"Still worried about repeating your biological father's mistakes?"

"No." Without hesitation Connor answered quickly and honestly. "I'm surprisingly confident about this. It's like all my doubts had been wiped clean the moment Evelyn told me she was pregnant, and I can't wait to have my child in life. I guess those therapy sessions and nights talking to you about my screwed up childhood really paid off."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven't been angry at the world for weeks, and I haven't wanted a drop of booze for months. Maybe it's finally safe to say we're moving on with our lives and beginning to really live."

"I think you're right." Smiling brilliantly Connor just kept palm on Evelyn's belly and stared in wonder at the life developing under his touch. "It seems too amazing to be true, but it is. I have a child of my own right here, right now, but I still have to wait before I can meet them properly."

"Four months is a short time to wait, you're already half way there and you never even realized it."

"Neither did she!"

"Wait, what?"

"...She didn't know she was pregnant until two weeks ago. She thought the chronic headaches and morning sickness were from stress and having the flu. Turns out," he looked at her belly and smiled again. "she was four and half months pregnant and only just beginning to show when she caught on. It was that steadily growing belly that made her think something was different. Captain Warren suggested she go see a doctor when her symptoms kept happening without any seemingly obvious cause, and, well Captain Warren reminded Evelyn that despite the odds of her successfully getting pregnant that Occam's Razor exists... Now we know what was going on. All of her earlier behaviors now make sense, as well."

"Like what?"

"She was becoming more emotional over simple things, she couldn't stand the smell of coffee despite having no problems with it in the past and she seemed to be more tired than usual. Now everything just makes sense and seemed so obvious to everyone."

"For Barb she kept getting heartburn and had a strange craving for strawberries and pickles. The heartburn was the real giveaway, though. She went and bought the test, we waited five minutes, and all of sudden we knew we'd have Cole in our lives."

Smirking proudly Connor let out a slow sigh as he thought about everything he'd have to do to prepare for the baby's birth. "I hope I can find a decent enough apartment for us all to live in."

"Or..." Hank suggested in a casual yet inviting tone. "you two can just stay here with the baby. Lucas already volunteered his old bedroom for the baby's room, and that way you two can stay in a comfortable place with a roof over your heads and save up for a_ nice house_ and not some _cramped apartment_."

"We can't impose on you like that."

"If it's an invitation it's not imposing, especially since you already live here, AND you're my son."

Connor gave Hank an appreciative nod as he lightly rubbed his thumb over Evelyn's belly. "And this is your grandchild. Are you ready to be a grandfather?"

"I never thought I'd ever have the chance to answer that question." That term was something Hank never even dreamed that he'd hear in his lifetime. The very idea of his own grandchild to look after was almost like an impossible taunt by fate, and yet it was happening. "Yeah. I'm as ready as I'll ever be, son."

* * *

Feeling absolutely amazing and anxious for March to come along Lucas returned to his station to begin his next shift, and as much as he wanted to tell his crew that he was going to be an uncle he respected Connor and Evelyn's right to privacy and would wait for them to spread the good news first. Remaining in contact with Chloe cybernetically they discussed their futures together as a couple in the slowly growing family, and of how they wanted to be able to support the baby in their own way.

'_I'm excited, too, Chloe_.' Absently Lucas smiled to himself as he spoke with his fiance over a private cybernetic line and sat on the bench in the locker room to tie his shoes after changing into his uniform. '_I don't know what it means to be an uncle and I can't wait to find out_.'

'_Can't I at least tell Elijah the good news_? _He's going to be an uncle himself in February when Abby gives birth to Gavin's baby, so I'm sure he'd be happy to talk with you about it_.'

'_We need to wait for Connor and Evelyn to tell people. It's their baby and their news to give_.'

'_What about shopping for baby gifts_? _I understand that human babies require a lot of help and nurturing in the beginning, and it can be very expensive_.'

'_I suppose there's no harm in acquiring gifts for the baby_. _Just don't go overboard, I'm sure Connor and Evelyn want to buy things for the baby as well_.'

'_I won't_. _I'll just buy some items like blankets and soft toys_.'

'_Diapers_. _Buy some diapers_. _ That's something I overheard being discussed during training when one of the instructor's learned he too was going to be a father_.'

'_That's a good idea, I'll be sure to pick up some diapers so they don't have to worry about it so much_.'

'_I'll see you tomorrow morning, Chloe_. _I love you_.'

'_I love you too, Lucas_. _ See you tomorrow_!'

Ending the line of communication Lucas stepped out of the locker room to meet with his Captain and was greeted with a chorus of "good mornings" by his fellow crew members, and reciprocated the friendly greetings. Joining the crew inside the breakroom Lucas happily listened to the stories about family time during the holidays, and found it so hard to resist chiming in with his own good news about Connor, Evelyn and their baby.

Reminding himself that it was Connor's baby and his news to give Lucas just smiled and mentally told himself to not say a word.

At least not yet.

* * *

Laying together on the bed Evelyn pulled up her oversized blue t-shirt enough to reveal her growing belly as she and Connor continued to talk about their future baby with utter pride and optimism. While discussing the idea of settling down in the house and moving onto another house in time after the baby was born, and after they both had more money saved up, Connor managed to steer the conversation toward a doctor's appointment and to find Evelyn her new doctor now that she was going to be living in Detroit.

Everything seemed to be happening so smoothly and naturally, and yet Evelyn wanted to make sure she wasn't testing boundaries. "You're sure your dad won't mind us staying here in the meantime?"

"It was his idea." Connor beamed as he and Evelyn kept their hands together over her baby bump. "He wants us to be as comfortable as possible, but I also suspect he wants to be a very hands-on grandfather."

"That's fine by me. I was really close to my own grandfather, I'd love it if our baby had the same kind of close relationship."

"We should get going so you can get to your appointment on time."

"I think you're more anxious than I am."

"I'm not anxious, I'm excited." Beaming his rarely scene full bright smile at Evelyn the soon-to-be-father remained absolutely enthusiastic. "I've never seen an ultrasound before."

"Then, let's get out to the doctor's office." Sitting upright slowly Evelyn dropped her shirt and rubbed her left hand affectionately over the bump that was just beginning to show and yet felt like it was rapidly growing now that she acknowledged her own pregnancy. "I want to see our baby with you beside me."

"I'll be there every step of the way."

"Well, mostly. I can't exactly work right now." Patting her bump lightly she gave Connor a playful smirk. "Turns out they don't make Kevlar vests in maternity sizes." Playfully shrugging her shoulders she gave Connor a playful smirk. "Go figure."

"Sounds like the vest manufacturer is a tad misogynistic if you ask me."

"And they don't make 'onesies' out of Kevlar, either."

"And apparently they're ageist."

Laughing a little Evelyn took Connor's right hand in her own and held it tight. "I'm so glad we're going through this together."

"...When you first found out, were you scared?"

"Terrified. I was told I'd never have a baby, and now," she kept her left hand over her bump and smiled with a true maternal glow. "here we are. I had no idea I was carrying our baby for almost five months! But that fear changed to joy and love as soon as I heard the little heartbeat."

"That's why we're going to go to the doctor and make sure you and our baby are healthy. We'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way."

"I love you, Connor."

"And I love you." Kissing the back of her right hand Connor sat upright beside her on the bed and put his left hand over her belly top of her own hand. "I love both of you."

* * *

Continuing his new daily routine at the fire station Lucas was downloading information on the development of human babies while he helped his crew finish cleaning off the fire engine and provide routine maintenance. As he polished the same headlight for the forty-second time Lucas felt a towel get thrown against his head as a jovial voice called out to him from behind.

"Hey, Lucas?" James Hudson, a younger member of the crew who had a very upbeat attitude and had been an activist for android rights long before the Revolution, had no problem working with a deviant had noticed that Lucas seemed distracted. Staring at the deviant with his dark brown eyes James had to look up just slightly to lock eyes with Lucas as the deviant was just a little taller than he was. "Did you freeze or something?"

"No, of course not." The tossed towel landed harmlessly on his left shoulder as he straightened up and acknowledged the voice speaking to him. "I was just downloading crucial information."

"Crucial? What's so crucial?"

"Uh... I cannot tell you."

"Are you still having those nightmares about Chicago?"

"Occasionally, but they aren't frequent or distracting. In fact, I don't think they're about Chicago at all."

"Is it here in Detroit?"

"No, it's elsewhere... Somewhere I've never been to, and yet I somehow know of it's existence. It's difficult to explain."

"Yeah, most nightmares are. So," James changed the subject with a cheerful tone to ease his friend's worries just a tad. "what's going on that you can't tell me? Can I at least have a hint?"

"...I don't know. I was asked to be quiet about it for a brief period of time."

James took the tossed towel back from Lucas's shoulder as he ran his left hand over his short raven black hair, and then gave the towel another toss into the air to catch it with a casual swipe of right hand through the air. "Let me guess, you just found out someone you care about is having a kid?"

"...How'd you- I mean..."

"Chill, I get it. It's supposed to kept a 'hush-hush' for a while, but you're still excited even though you can't say anything."

"That's right." Lucas felt a faint blue blush appear on his face as he admitted what was going on. "I take it you've been through something similar."

"Yeah, two years ago my big sister told me she was pregnant with my niece, and I wasn't allowed to say anything to our parents until Christmas. I had to keep silent for three whole months and I almost went nuts trying to keep it quiet."

"But you succeeded."

"_Barely_. If I let it slip she would've stuck me with every dirty diaper she could as punishment for ruining our parents' surprise."

"You're an uncle."

"Ah, so that's it..." James perceptive nature was proving to be quite impressive. "You got a niece or nephew on the way, too. Congrats, man. I mean, I don't know how androids have kids but I assume that's none of my business."

"Well, my brother is a human, so it's not all that complicated."

"Uh, can I ask how an android has a human sibling?"

"...That part _is_ complicated, but I can tell you for certain that we are in fact brothers and I'd do anything to protect my family."

"Yeah, that sounds like brothers to me." Tossing the towel back to Lucas with a simple throw James motioned for the deviant to follow him toward the bunkroom so they could talk in private. "Come with me, I can give you a few tips on being an uncle without it interfering with your job or your brother's parenting. And don't worry, I won't say a word about this."

* * *

Unsure of what to say or what to expect Connor just held Evelyn's right hand as the ultrasound tech began the procedure and placed a small amount of gel over Evelyn's exposed belly and pressed down with the wand to perform the anxiously awaited ultrasound. The monitor showed a black and white image of a tiny but very humanoid shape that gently squirmed about, and showed a healthy size and amount of activity for a baby at its current rate of gestation.

"Everything looks good." The tech confirmed as she moved the wand about to get a full and clear view of the still growing baby. She pointed to the screen and pointed out key areas on the developing baby to the excited future parents. "There's the head, and there's an arm. Looks like it's tucked up under the chin. Right there's a leg, and," repositioning the wand the tech showed a rapid fluttering movement that was very distinct. "and that's the heart beating."

Evelyn's hand tightened around Connor's hand as she smiled and watched the baby gently squirming about on the monitor. "...That's our baby."

"...Wow." Connor was almost speechless at the sight, and a sudden fear crept in. Putting his left hand over his own chest Connor felt for the almost invisible scar and swallowed once nervously. "The heart is strong and healthy? No... problems?"

"Very strong and very healthy." The tech confirmed as she continued the examination. "The baby is right on schedule for its growth at twenty-one weeks."

Feeling a renewed sense of relief Connor's hand dropped from his chest knowing that the baby didn't seem to have the same heart defect that he had been born with, and would be spared a very invasive correct heart surgery in the future.

"Would you like to know the gender?"

Connor and Evelyn exchanged glances but neither knew what to say. Putting his left hand around Evelyn's hand he held tight and let her make the decision for them both. "It's up to you."

"...I want to be surprised." She admitted as she looked back at the monitor, her eyes lighting up brightly as she watched her baby's heartbeat. "As long as they're healthy and growing normally I can wait to find out the gender."

"Yeah." Agreeing with Evelyn's choice Connor decided he wanted to wait to know as well. "I want to be surprised, too. It'll make things more interesting."

The tech respected their wishes and simply confirmed that the baby was indeed healthy and didn't anticipate any complications down the line. "Everything looks good. Your baby is strong, healthy and active."

Evelyn smirked proudly as she rubbed her left palm along the side of her belly affectionately. "When will I feel the kicking?"

"Very soon. By the looks of it you should be feeling it now, but it's different for every woman and every pregnancy." Handing Evelyn a soft tissue the tech made a few notes in the newly created electronic chart detailing Evelyn's medical history. "Since you've had a scare with your fertility in the past I'm going to recommend you come in for another ultrasound in three weeks. This is strictly protocol for everyone who's endured fertility problems, so don't be worried."

Removing the gel from her belly Evelyn sat slowly upright and replaced her shirt while Connor continued to hold her hand. "That's a relief."

"I'm also going to give you a small list of prenatal vitamins to pick up and to add to your morning routine. Just drink water and rest as much as possible. At this point we recommend upping your calorie intake to help the baby put on weight, but don't overdo it. Just have another yogurt as a snack, or maybe some additional fruit if you get hit with cravings."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that. Anything it takes to keep the baby healthy."

Connor wrapped his right arm around Evelyn's shoulders as he helped her to climb down from the exam table so they could make a few stops and gather additional baby supplies at the store, and keep everything as normal and healthy as possible. It seemed like everything was happening so fast and yet neither future parent was worried in the least.

"Come on." Connor sounded absolutely enthusiastic as he and Evelyn left the small exam room holding hands. "Let's go get a few things at the store before we head back home. I want to get some things taken care of before I go back to the precinct, and I want to make sure you're comfortable in the house."

"Are you going to tell the precinct the good news?"

"Are you kidding?" Showing the same paternal pride that Hank had shown in the past whenever he spoke of Cole or had been impressed with one of Connor or Lucas's own achievements Connor was absolutely fearless in regards to becoming a father, and didn't want to keep it a secret for much longer. "I want to shout the good news to anyone who will listen."

* * *

Mindful of the time Hank drove to an old self storage facility he hadn't been to in almost six years as he decided it was time to finally move on, and not let the past continue to haunt him. With a heavy sigh he slipped the keycard into the slot, turned the heavy metal bolt and unlocked the massive metal shutter that kept his old belongings safe. Rolling up the shutter with a loud metallic 'clinking' sound Hank peered inside the dark expanse and almost dared himself to put his hand on the interior panel to turn on the lights at long last.

"It's been a while..."

The long dormant lights flickered to life and illuminated the interior of the storage with a low 'humming' sound. Hank was greeted with the sight of cardboard boxes, plastic storage totes and a few pieces of old furniture draped under clear plastic and white sheets. The items in question had almost been forgotten entirely by Hank as he tried and struggled to move on with his life after he lost Barbara and Cole. But now he had a reason to remember.

Pulling down the first cardboard box Hank sifted through the items contained within and felt a smile creep over his face.

"...I'm glad this didn't get thrown out. I guess Jeffrey really did do me a favor when he didn't burn everything like I asked him to do."

Picking up a framed photograph of his late wife from the top of the box Hank smiled at seeing her smiling face looking back at him, and gently wiped away a layer of dust from over the glass.

"We're still helping people in need, Barb. You'd be so damn proud to call Connor your son, just as I am."

* * *

With the appointment handled the young future parents stopped next at a local super market to a few groceries and baby items stocked up at the house. Evelyn watched with utter amusement as Connor proceeded to fill up the shopping cart she was leaning against with two boxes of diapers, a dozen brand new bottles, and then went back for one more box of diapers for good measure. Seeing Connor so excited and happy was almost contagious as she smiled and picked up a purple colored 'onesie' on a hanger next to her.

Purple was her favorite color and she was tempted to begin buying clothes right then and there.

"Maybe we should know the gender." She suggested as she put the tiny piece of clothing back and watched Connor eyeing over the other clothes. "I don't color coordinate genders or anything, but it might give us a better advantage in buying new things and getting stocked up on supplies."

"I think I like the idea of a surprise better."

"Yeah, you're right. Besides," she lightly rubbed her belly again as she spoke. "doctors can be wrong about these things. After all, I was never supposed to be able to have a baby. And yet here they are..."

Connor smiled again as he glanced about the store with enthusiasm and his eyes fell on a few other items lining the aisle. Something caught his attention and it made him stop mid stride. "Uh-oh..."

"What's 'uh-oh'?"

"We're going to need a car seat." He pointed to the dozen options to pick from on the nearby shelves and sighed. "_And_ a car to put the seat in."

"Good thing my car still runs. Well, most of the time."

"On my next day off we can go car shopping. We don't need anything fancy."

"As long as it isn't an ugly color I have no problem with that."

"Ready to go home?" Connor walked over to Evelyn and put his right hand atop of hers as she rested against the cart. "You seem tired."

"Yeah. I'm a little nauseous, so if I'm going to throw-up I'd rather it not be in a public bathroom."

"I can respect that. Let's get going then."

"Let's get some ice cream before we go, though."

"Best idea all day."

"And an even better idea-" Pausing for a moment Evelyn's blue eyes went wide and she pulled Connor's hand toward herself.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No." Pulling his hand over to her belly she pressed his palm down near her right side and smiled. "I felt it!"

Connor's brow furrowed, then quickly smoothed as he too felt a gentle motion under his palm. "...I can feel it, too."

The baby was finally kicking.

* * *

Standing in the doorway of Lucas's old bedroom Hank rubbed a towel over his freshly showered off gray locks and sighed loudly with fatigue. It had been a long day physically and emotionally, but everything that he had gone through had been worth it. Remembering that first day he brought Cole home and how he spent hours at a time walking the newborn up and down the hallway to try to soothe him to sleep for the first six weeks of Cole's short life made him smile and cry a little at the same time.

As he began to descend the staircase he heard the front door open, and watched as Connor pushed the door open wide and let Evelyn step inside first, before he followed up with a few grocery bags in his hands. Evelyn looked exhausted and a little ill, to which Hank wasn't surprised, and didn't say anything as she quickly made her way to the bathroom to be sick in private.

"Aside from her suffering from the random lingering bouts of morning sickness," Hank commented as he spoke to Connor in a low voice as to not catch Evelyn's attention. "how'd the appointment go?"

"Perfect." Connor was still beaming as he carried everything into the kitchen to be taken care of. "The baby's perfectly healthy and so is Evelyn. We even felt it starting to kick."

"Those first few kicks are incredible. But you're calling the baby 'it'? No gender confirmation?"

"We want to be surprised."

"Oh. I couldn't wait to know, but that's me." Hank began to smile as he watched Connor's upbeat demeanor with a paternal pride. "Whatcha' buy?"

"Diapers, bottles and ice cream."

"That seems about right." Following Connor into the kitchen Hank watched as Connor put everything away for the moment, and seemed to be at peace with the world at long last. "Are you ready to go back to work tomorrow?"

"Only because I want to tell everyone the good news, but otherwise I'd prefer to stay here with Evelyn."

"Damn, you MUST be happy. That's the first time you've ever wanted to do something beyond working your ass off on a case."

"...Yeah, you're right." Turning to face Hank directly Connor gave him a surprised grin. "I guess I finally found the happiness my mother said I deserved."

"Damn straight." Patting Connor's shoulder proudly Hank motioned for the younger man to follow him. "Come with me. I have something I want to give you and Evelyn."

"Please don't go out of your way to accommodate us."

"You're my son, and as far as I'm concerned Evelyn is now my daughter, and your baby is grandchild. Don't tell me to tone it down or anything when I'm looking out for my family."

"...Of course, thanks dad."

"Don't thank me just yet." Hank stood at the base of the staircase and gave Evelyn a subtle nod as she emerged from the bathroom reached out her hand toward Connor to hold tight. Watching her regain some color after being suddenly sick Hank decided now was the best time to reveal the project he had been working on all day. "If you're feeling up to it I'd like to show you something."

"Lead the way."

Walking up the staircase with a grace and ease he seldom showed Hank was beyond happy to give his kids a bit of a surprise. Standing outside the still opened doorway leading to Lucas's old bedroom Hank motioned his right arm toward the room and waited for them to peer inside. "What do ya' think?"

Connor and Evelyn stepped inside the room and were shocked by the sight of a crib already put together and up against the wall, as well as a small dresser and a changing table against the opposite wall. There was even an old car seat sitting on the floor next to the crib, a few freshly washed stuffed animals and a freshly laundered baby yellow colored blanket draped over the edge of the crib toward the floor.

"Where'd you get all this?" Connor asked somewhat dumbfounded by the room being transformed in a matter of hours. "How did you...?"

"I had it in storage. Barb and I wanted to have more kids after Cole was born, but it never happened and I couldn't bear to toss it out. So I kept it safe in storage until I could finally find a reason to either get rid of it, or..."

"Or use it again."

Evelyn was almost in tears as she walked over to the crib and picked up the small brown teddy bear sitting on the tiny mattress. "This is amazing."

"It's not much, but-"

"Yes, it is." Evelyn suddenly turned around and wrapped her arms around Hank and gave him a tight hug as she showed him her true gratitude and appreciation. For the first time since her grandparents passed away she felt like she truly had a family again. "Thank you so much for all of this."

Reciprocating the hug Hank felt at ease, and it reminded him of the all the good that he and Barbara had tried to do for all women and children in need of help. The entire house felt at ease, and everything felt peaceful. "...You're welcome."

Connor looked down at the small crib and the massive prideful smirk that he had been bearing ever since he had been told the good news made its return with utter vengeance. Glancing down at the crib he imagined how things would be after his own baby had been born and would be sleeping right there in just a matter of months. "...This is perfect, dad."

"Not quite yet," Hank replied sharply as he looked at the walls that were still blank, but soon enough would be decorated by Connor and Evelyn as she let him go of the hug. "we still need the baby to actually get here."

"If we have to watch until March," Connor lightly put his right hand over Evelyn's belly just in time to feel more fluttering movement. "then you do, too."

_**-next chapter-**_


	89. Refuge

Shown nothing but support and positive reactions upon spreading the news of Evelyn's pregnancy Connor was given a chance to work as much overtime as he could before going on paternity leave to take care of Evelyn and the baby once she gave birth in the spring. As he returned to his terminal and clocked in Connor was met with a few deviant cases that needed his attention and he was eager to get the cases solved as quickly as possible as he contemplated his future with Evelyn and their child at his side.

"It looks like there's been another string of robberies from the local android facilities." Hank observed as he reviewed the same cases on his own terminal screen and sipped at his mug of warm coffee. "Blue blood is the only thing reportedly missing."

"Thirium is still crucial for android functionality, and despite androids being granted equal rights to that of humans Thirium is being treated like a controlled substance, and can only be located as facilities and CyberLife stores." Connor stated in a terse tone as he leaned back in his chair and casually toyed with his half-dollar coin in his right hand. "After the scare with the contaminated Thirium four weeks ago it's entirely possible that deviants are stealing the Thirium from facilities out of fear of a possible repeat offense."

"But isn't a facility where the tainted shit came from?"

"Yes, but knowing that contaminated Thirium has circulated through the city many androids are going to be afraid, and considering the righteous lingering mistrust toward CyberLife it makes sense that the facilities would be targeted for theft rather than CyberLife stores."

"How do we track the thieves down?"

"...I don't think we should."

"Wait, what?"

"The thefts aren't violent, and there is no reported black marketeering of the stolen Thirium being reported or even rumored." Wrapping his fingers around the coin in his hand Connor stared at the screen and his eyes narrowed a little. "I think the person, or persons, responsible is trying to help deviants in need."

"Connor, I get the empathetic nature of the case but we can't just ignore this."

"...Yeah, you're right." Anxiously Connor began dancing the coin over the back of his right knuckles as he focused on the spare collected evidence from the scene of each break-in. The security cameras had caught the thief in the act, but their face was completely concealed by a hood and what looked like a baseball cap covering their face. "Hold on..." his coin came to an abrupt stop between his index fingertip and thumb as a sense of discover suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. "I know this deviant."

"You do?"

"He's the deviant who helped me free Lucas in Chicago." Confirming his suspicion Connor leaned forward in his seat again as he gave Hank an entirely focused glance. "He took the other deviants who survived the arena elsewhere when I escaped with Lucas, and he helped bring them back to Detroit."

"And now he's stealing supplies?"

"He mentioned something about a deviant refugee camp just outside the city. I think we should go and investigate."

"Where exactly is this refugee camp located?"

"...Unknown. But I suspect it'd be close to the train tracks."

"And why's that?"

"This deviant smuggled deviants out of Chicago the same way they were smuggled in."

"With a cargo train." Knocking his left knuckles on the top of his desk twice Hank sighed and gave Connor a nod. "Alright, let's drive out there and see if we can narrow the area down. We need some answers."

* * *

With the use of the G.P.S. mounted on his dashboard Hank checked the map for any ideal location where the forest line met the train tracks, and Connor attempted to speak with Markus at New Jericho Tower and see if any word on the refugee camp had been confirmed or denied. As he spoke with the deviant leader over the phone Connor watched the snow covered treeline on the side of the road and let out a weary sigh as he realized that even after they narrowed the area down he and Hank would have to navigate the cold forest in order to find the camp in person.

'_Any deviant refugee camps outside the city have been kept secret long before the Revolution_.' Markus explained over the phone in a calm collected voice. '_Part of the reason Jericho was so hard to find was because any and all android sanctuaries were kept secret_. _Jericho was in the heart of the city making it the ideal location for runaway deviants to hide out until they found a way to leave Detroit_.'

"So you can't confirm any exact coordinates or a location?"

'_No, sorry_. _I contacted Simon and Josh, but they don't know of any locations either_.'

"What about any rumors of stolen Thirium?"

'_Nothing here_. _We're well stocked and we've never had a problem with theft or donating blue blood to those in need_.'

"Okay, thanks anyway, Markus. If anything else comes up I'll call you back."

'_Sure, keep in touch_.' The deviant leader's voice suddenly took on an energetic lilt as he spoke. '_And before I forget, congratulations on the baby_!'

"Thanks, Markus." Feeling a swelling of pride in his heart Connor couldn't stop himself from smirking a little. "I appreciate it."

'_Good luck with everything you're doing_. _Call if you need anything._'

"Right, thanks for the information." Ending the call Connor went to slip his phone back into his pocket, but decided to text Evelyn first. "Markus doesn't know anything about the camp's location."

"Damn. Well, I found an area that might give us an idea where the camp could be located. Problem is it's about two miles in from the treeline." Motioning to the mini map on the G.P.S. screen Hank explained his reasoning in a logical manner. "Back during the early 2010's a small hunting camp was built to ensure hunters trekking in the woods had a point of reference in the event they became injured or loss. It was abandoned in 2022 or 2023 when the police busted up a 'red ice' ring. It's the perfect place for people trying to lay to hide out but be safe during this shitty weather."

"And in this cold and snow the walk out to the camp site will be pretty difficult got anyone to take. Even us."

"Unless you can think of any other lead to follow we're going to have to make that walk."

"That's fine by me." Studying the map on the G.P.S. screen Connor located the ideal place to begin their search. "There's a small clearing for cars to park during hunting season up ahead. We can follow the trail to the campsite from there."

"Yeah. Let's get this done before this evening rolls in. The last thing we need to do is walk around the forest in the dark."

"I agree." From within his right hand Connor's phone buzzed and received a reply text from Evelyn back home. "Besides, we should get back home and help Evelyn out with the packages she got from Chicago."

"That landlord seriously packed up everything and mailed it to Evelyn after one phone call?"

Smirking at the question as the car pulled into the small pull off zone Connor just gave Hank a casual shrug of the shoulders. "Mrs. Hudson was a very nice landlord. I also imagine when Evelyn explained that she was pregnant and didn't want to drive all the way back to Chicago to pick up her clothes she didn't mind at all."

"And how is Evelyn doing?" Opening his side door Hank watched as Connor did the same on the passenger side and led the way into the forest through the densely overgrown treeline that surrounded the hiking trail to the campsite.

"She's tired but not feeling sick anymore. Apparently she is also cleaning out the fridge of leftovers right now, so we might have to pick up something before we head home to have dinner."

"You won't get an argument from me. I'm kinda' sick of turkey right now."

"Same."

"Too bad Lucas and Chloe didn't want to take any leftovers with them."

"Until they learn the limitations of a healthy appetite I think they're going to stick to Thirium for energy restoration, and will only partake of organic meals during special occasions."

"Smart move. It'll also save them some money, too."

Venturing through the snowy forest side by side the two detectives ended their conversation in hoping the silence could give them a much needed advantage during their search. The forest itself was peacefully quiet with only the sound of singing birds overhead, and the snapping of downed twigs and branches underfoot. The snow and ice clinging to the trees gave everything a pure and clean aesthetic. The beautiful sight alone made the trek through the woods well worth it in Connor's eyes.

In the distance Connor could hear muffled voices speaking to one another and he stopped walking as he tried to figure out what was being said. "Hank, do you hear that?"

"Yeah." Stopping just beside Connor the senior detective was straining to hear what was being discussed in the distance. "Sounds like a group of people are just past that row of trees. There must be a clearing on the other side."

"Agreed. I'll go first, you follow."

"Why's that?"

"I'm still recognized as the 'Deviant Hunter'." Connor explained with a grimace on his face. "If we found the refugees then it might be on our best interest to seem familiar to some degree."

"Right, that makes sense. Go ahead, then."

Warily Connor looked to the treeline a few yards away and walked as quietly as possible. The crunching of snow and twigs gave away every step he took, but he kept his pacing even and light all the same. As soon as he passed through the treeline he was met with the staring eyes of four deviants who looked as though they were ready to either fight or run upon seeing Connor's presence.

"It's okay, my name is Connor." The younger detective called out in a level voice. He found himself standing in the middle of a snowy clearing that had a half dozen log cabins that had been built by humans, then painstakingly restored by hand by the deviants using the area as a sanctuary. Everything in the area was constructed by hand, and it was all perfect as androids hands could handle intricate details that humans cannot. "I'm only here to ask a few questions, and then I'll leave you alone."

The group of deviants, all wearing heavy winter clothing and hats, all exchanged confused looks as they cybernetically tried to figure out what to do before responding.

"Please. I'm not a threat, neither is my partner." Hearing Hank walk up behind him Connor pulled his badge from his pocket and held it up to confirm that he and Hank were detectives and not violent bigots looking for a deviant to harm. "If we can speak to someone in charge of this refugee camp we can leave."

One of the deviants, a 'Traci' model from the 'Eden Club' approached Connor and stood before him boldly. "...You're the one from the club."

It took only a moment for the attentive detective to recognize the female deviant standing in front of him. "...You're the blue haired 'Traci'," Connor looked into her eyes and recognized her despite the difference in time, and his inability to perfectly scan her face to check for her serial number. "aren't you?"

"Yes." Pulling down the woolen hat covering her hair the 'Traci' revealed her long blue ponytail that had been tucked up beneath the cap out of sight. "My name isn't 'Traci', it's Amy."

"It's nice to see you're still alive, Amy. Where is your lover?"

"Suki is well." Despite her fears a faint smile appeared on Amy's face upon hearing the sincere and kind question. "She's tending to our wounded."

"That's good to know." Smirking a little ore Connor felt as though his presence was going to be tolerable after all. "Who's in charge here?"

"Lucy."

"...Lucy?" Connor remembered the kind deviant who seemed to look directly into his soul as he passed her by on Jericho during the night of the raid. Markus had claimed she was one of the victims the F.B.I. slain during the raid, but she had in fact managed to escape. "...Can I see her?"

"Yes. But your partner must wait out here."

"Hank's a friend, he won't hurt anyone."

"I know that, and you know that, but the other deviants don't. He either stays here," Amy stated without flinching as she laid out the offer. "or you both leave without seeing her."

Connor turned to look at Hank over his left shoulder as the senior detective held up a calming hand. "It's alright, kid. Go talk to this 'Lucy' and I'll wait for you right here. I won't go any further."

"Okay. I'll be quick." Connor turned back to Amy and allowed her to lead him to where Lucy was currently residing. Walking toward the largest of the six cabins that outlined the clearing Connor did his best to not glance around and only focused on the closed door ahead of him. "Tell me, is Lucy doing well?"

"She survived the raid thanks to other deviants who carried her to safety. She's the one who founded this refugee camp and has been sheltering those in need who are too afraid to go back to the city."

"I can't say their fears aren't founded. Progress has been made," Connor acknowledged as Amy opened the door and showed him inside the cabin. "but there's still a lot of healing that needs to be finished before we can officially put aside all of the indifferences between humans and androids."

"We know. That's why we're out here and hiding." Motioning to a curtain draped around a bed Amy directed the young detective to where Lucy was currently tending to a wounded deviant. "Lucy is there. I'll leave you alone to speak."

"Thank you." Walking over to the curtain Connor lowered his voice as he saw Lucy's back and the exposed lines in the back of her damaged cranium, and called out to her as respectfully as possible. "Excuse me, Lucy?"

"Hello, Connor." Her voice still carried the electronic reverb from being so heavily damaged for so long, and yet there was still a very kind and compassionate lilt to every word she spoke. "I'm happy to see you again."

"I'm glad that you're okay."

"You are here to ask about the Thirium?"

"...Yes. I take it my hunch was correct."

"It was. Rupert has been taking supplies to heal our wounded."

"...Rupert?" Recognizing the name immediately Connor thought back to the day he and Hank had chased after the deviant over the rooftops, and how Hank had come uncomfortably close to falling from the edge of the roof to the street below. "Rupert is your contact?"

"He told us how you helped rescue our people in Chicago. Thank you."

"...He was my contact after all." The revelation made the young detective's soulful brown eyes narrow with surprise. "He helped me save my brother's life."

"The RK-900."

"Lucas."

Hearing Connor refer to his brother by name rather than model number made Lucy smile as she motioned to the deviant laying in the bed. "Rupert had managed to escape the city with the Thirium, however, he had taken a misstep and became damaged by an animal trap laid out by humans in the forest."

Curiously Connor peered at the figure in the bed and recognized Rupert's face at long last. Beside the bed was Rupert's coat and hat, the same dark garments that the young detective had see his contact wearing while in Chicago, and had been wearing on the security footage at the facilities that had been robbed. Looking away from the clothing Connor saw that Rupert's left leg just above the ankle had been bandaged up to cover the wound inflicted by the trap.

"...What kind of trap did Rupert step in?"

"Records show it as a type of bear trap. The sharpened 'teeth' of the trap were laced in Strychnine."

"That's poison."

"It is damaging to our people, but fortunately it is not necessarily fatal." Pressing her left hand over Rupert's forehead where a cold compress was resting Lucy sounded entirely confident that Rupert would survive. Overheating was a common occurrence when foreign matter was detected in an android's Thirium. "Once he recovers what will you do with him?"

"...Nothing." Answering honestly Connor just watched as Rupert took in rapid breaths to cool his system with his ventilation biocomponents surely working at full capacity. "I already knew that the thefts weren't for personal gain, or even violent. I can't condone the thefts but I won't condemn a man doing whatever it took to protect innocent people."

"You came all the way out here to confirm a theory?"

"I needed to be certain. I won't turn in Rupert or ask him to turn himself in. All I ask is that the next time you need supplies go to New Jericho Tower. Markus will give you anything and everything you need, no questions asked."

"I will be sure to tell him this information when he awakens."

"Thank you, Lucy." Taking a step closer to the bed Connor lightly put his right hand down on Rupert's right shoulder as he spoke to the downed deviant. "You saved my brother's life, for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you, Rupert." Retracting his hand Connor timidly decided it was time to take his leave of the cabin, and to leave the deviants in peace. "If you require any help just ask us, my partner and myself, and we'll do what we can. We're your allies, too."

Turning on his heels Connor walked to the door of the cabin to return to the snowy clearing outside. Feeling as though he was intruding on a personal and private location that was sacred to the other deviant survivors Connor wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Connor." Gracefully Lucy rose from her chair and walked toward Connor as the young detective paused mid stride to listen to whatever it was she had to say to him. "Look at me."

Respectful as always Connor turned around to look Lucy in her opaque, blackened eyes and held his silence.

"Give me your hand."

With a tick of his brow Connor slowly lifted up his right hand and held it our toward Lucy with his palm facing up.

As she wrapped her hands around his palm Lucy closed her eyes and took in a slow, calming breath. "You've been through so much in your life, Connor. You were a rogue learning what it means to survive, to live, and found yourself a home and a family. You were alone, an orphan who found a family. You've lost people you had grown to care for and your need to protect the innocent has kept you from straying from the light to wander a path of darkness. Despite your pain, your doubts and your reluctance to open your heart you still have so much love left to give." She opened her eyes as she continued to hold his hand. "Your path as a deviant and as a human has been both a blessing and a curse. Your future is full of life and full of light. But even so you wisely know you must tread carefully lest you lose everything in a single mistake."

Connor gently took his hand from Lucy's grip as tightened his palm into a fist out of an uncontrollable reflex. Stepping away silently Connor left the cabin and met Hank outside as the senior detective stood beside the treeline with his arms crossed over his chest in an attempt to stave off the relentless cold swirling around him.

"Well?" Hank asked somewhat impatiently as Connor rejoined him by the snow covered treeline. He kept his word and stayed back to make the deviants feel more at ease as he awaited Connor's return. "Figure it out?"

"...Yeah. I was right, the thefts were only being committed to protect the refugees. There's really no reason to report such a harmless crime."

"That's what I was thinking." Sighing a little Hank was relieved that he and Connor agreed that the crime wasn't worth dealing with. "You okay?" The senior detective and adoptive father could see that something was bothering Connor just by looking at his soulful brown eyes. "You seem a little... off."

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking."

"Stop it. You end up obsessing over shit when you do that and it's exhausting."

"Sorry." Letting out a weary sigh Connor glanced up at the snowy tree branches as his escaped breath disappeared in a white cloud into the air. "I just want to go home and be with Evelyn right now. It's cold and lonely out here, and I just want to be with the woman I love."

"Sure, son." Clapping his left hand down on Connor's right shoulder Hank led his son back through the treeline so they could take the snowy path back to the car and return to the city. "Let's get out of this damn cold and back to our warm home and our loved ones."

_**-next chapter-  
**_


	90. Something Worth Celebrating

_**Christmas Day.**_

A month of relatively quiet cases had allowed the slowly growing family to enjoy the holidays without too much drama. The occasional drunk driver causing problems had of course brought up darker memories for Hank, but having his sons and his honorary daughters around helped him to move past the bleak feelings and keep a renewed sense of hope for the future. As for Connor the cases regarding petty theft and domestic disputes had made him steadily anxious for the birth of his child as he worried about being able to support and protect his family in the event he became injured. Fortunately Evelyn was able to ease both of their anxieties by reassuring them that everything would be okay in the end as she prepared the baby's room for the new arrival one day at a time.

Slowly the bedroom changed to accommodate a baby's needs and became an area of utter joy and love. The walls were kept white but now had colorful images adorning the surfaces, and the furniture had been cleaned, placed appropriately and the closet was stocked up with extra diapers, blankets and quite a few pieces of new clothing just for the baby.

The corner of the room was filled with stuffed animals and the small shelf was lined with books to read to the baby once it was born. While Connor and Hank were working at the precinct Evelyn was preparing for the baby and preparing her resume to begin working at a local precinct after the baby was born to continue working as a detective as well.

Everything was happening right on schedule.

Christmas morning arrived without disruption and Connor was the first to awaken despite working numerous late hours, and day after day. Opening his soulful brown eyes he looked down at Evelyn as she laid beside him in the bed with her steadily growing bump resting between them. Ruby was sleeping on the foot of the bed with her chin on Evelyn's ankles as the loyal hound watched over her new master and was already eager to protect the youngest member of the family once they were born.

Smirking at the loyal hound Connor reached down his left hand and rubbed her ears softly. "Good girl, Ruby." Gently he then placed his right palm down over Evelyn's belly beneath the quilt where he was greeted with a fluttering kick which in turn brought a smile to his tired face. "...Merry Christmas."

Evelyn's blue eyes opened upon hearing Connor's voice. Lightly she ran her right up Connor's right arm and watched his soulful brown eyes trail over to her as he continued to smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He repeated in a gentle whisper. The dullness of his tired eyes was replaced with renewed enthusiasm upon hearing Evelyn's voice, and seeing her beautiful blue eyes. "It's Christmas."

"Yeah." Smiling a little Evelyn sat upright with moderate difficulty as her growing bump was getting heavier, and rubbed her left hand over her belly with great affection as she was kicked again. As she moved her legs Ruby jumped down from the bed and trotted down the stairs to leave the couple alone and to keep out of the way. "...I think the baby is excited."

"They should be. Is is technically their first Christmas."

"I think it's more like a preview for what's to come after they're born."

Grinning at the idea of have another Christmas with their baby joining them gave Connor an optimistic burst of energy. "Ready to go downstairs?"

"Don't you want to sleep a little longer?" With a ginger touch she brushed back the rogue lock of hair from over Connor's left eye and stared into his tired, yet energetic eyes as he stayed beside him. "You've been working so much and you barely got home before midnight last night. You deserve to sleep in."

"The missed hours of sleep is well worth it for you and our baby." Taking her hand from his hair he kissed back of her knuckles and held tight. "I'll sleep after the start of the new year. I promise."

"I love you, Connor."

"I love you, too."

Taking a moment to let out a tired sigh Connor noted the time and decided they better get dressed and go downstairs. "We should head down before Hank comes looking for us. I think he's more excited about having the whole family together than all of us put together."

"...After I pee." Laughing a little as she said it Evelyn blushed lightly and let Connor help her get up from the bed. "I can't hold it like I used to."

* * *

Downstairs in the livingroom Hank had begun setting out a few extra gifts he had discreetly picked up without anyone noticing, and made sure everything was neatly placed under the tree. The wrapped up gifts boxes were practically overflowing from under the tree as dozens of presents were gathered together and just waiting to be opened. While a majority of the gifts were specifically to help with the baby and for Evelyn, there was still a massive amount of presents ready to be distributed to the rest of the family as well.

The best gift was seeing the names 'Evelyn' and 'Chloe' embroidered on the tree skirt alongside the other names of the Anderson clan to confirm that they too were officially welcomed to the family.

With the gifts finally placed Hank then made his way into the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone, and had Ruby trailing right behind him as he stood in front of the stove.

"Looks like Connor and Evelyn are awake." Rubbing Ruby's ears Hank poured her some fresh food into her bowl and stretched out his old back. "I'm surprised either of them managed to get up so early, but Christmas does give everyone a renewed sense of energy."

As he turned on the stove he heard the front door open, which in turn brought a cool breeze through the house, and with it came Lucas and Chloe. The two deviants placed a few gifts of their own down under the Christmas tree in the corner of the livingroom and met Hank inside the kitchen to greet him that holiday morning.

"Good timing!" Hank gave Lucas and then Chloe hugs as they joined him in the kitchen. "Everyone's waking up, and almost ready to exchange gifts."

"Thank you again for agreeing to the earlier morning hours to celebrate Christmas together. I had tried to get the day off but I couldn't do so."

"I get it son, I'm a cop. Cops, firefighters, doctors, nurses, paramedics... We're lucky if we get _any_ holiday off."

"I also hope you don't mind that we brought extra gifts for the baby."

A mischievous grin appeared on Hank's face. "Now why would I mind that?"

"Because it's Connor and Evelyn's baby, and they should have a majority in the say over what is given to their child."

"Lucas, I'm going to tell you a little secret about being a parent: You can never get enough help from the family or friends when it comes to supporting a baby."

The deviant gave Hank an amused smirk as he felt Chloe's hand wrap around his to give him a gentle squeeze. "We'll keep that in mind."

"As soon as Connor and Evelyn are downstairs we can enjoy our Christmas morning until you have to go to work."

"What about you and Connor?"

"We don't have to go back until tomorrow afternoon, so don't worry. And remember we get New Year's Eve off, but not New Year's Day. If we're going to spend time together it'll be up until midnight so Connor and I get to work on time the next morning."

"That won't be a problem. And I'm glad we'll be spending the holidays together regardless of the length of time we are free to do so."

"Same. Now, go and check on your brother. Make sure he didn't fall back asleep or anything."

"He's been working a lot of overtime, hasn't he?"

"Yup, but it'll be worth it." Giving Lucas a light pat to the arm Hank turned his attention back to the stove behind him. "Don't worry though, I won't let him touch coffee. He's still too young to begin a caffeine addiction."

* * *

The entire house was exuding warmth, happiness and love that brought a sense of peace over the household for everyone gathered in the livingroom.

After everyone had their fill of the large breakfast Hank had prepared for the family everyone converged in the livingroom to open up their gifts and stay together for as long as possible until Lucas needed to head out to his shift. Despite the tight schedule to follow that day no one was edgy or feeling rushed as they opened up their gifts one by one. As expected a majority of the gifts were for the baby, but no one minded. The toys, extra clothes and bottles were very welcome; and the large playpen that Lucas had purchased so when the time came to let the baby play on the floor to ensure that they'd be safe, happy and entertained was very much appreciated.

The massive pile of colorful paper all over the floor was almost comical and Ruby seemed to find it the best place to lay down and gnaw on her new rawhide bone as she wagged her tail happily.

Evelyn was trying to not cry as her emotions were already pretty extreme thanks to her hormones, but having a real family again did her heart some good. Running her hand through her long locks of hair, the blonde slowly turning brunette as she didn't want to risk the dye harming the baby, she leaned against Connor's right side and clutched the small yellow 'onesie' in her left hand with utter gratitude.

Connor wrapped his right arm around Evelyn and pulled her closer and let his left palm rest atop her six month pregnant belly affectionately. "Merry Christmas, Evelyn."

"Merry Christmas, Connor."

"Think you'll be able to handle celebrating New Year's Eve?"

"Yeah, I can do it." Letting out a soft sigh she cuddled up closer to Connor and wiped away her rogue tears. "I don't think fireworks will make me cry, but who knows?"

"It's okay to cry. We know what's going on and why you're crying."

"Yeah? Then can you explain why I cried at a commercial for popcorn the other night?"

"Uh... You really like the smell of popcorn?"

Laughing at the answer Evelyn instantly felt better and just admired all of the gifts that had been purchased for the baby and was excited to see their baby dressed up in all the new clothes, playing with the new toys, reading all of the books and just enjoying the very idea of being a mother as a whole. She knew that Connor was just as excited to be a father and always reminded him that he was a gentle soul who'd never hurt an innocent person, and that he was going to be the best father on the entire planet.

Tired but unwilling to sleep while his little brother was visiting Connor kissed Evelyn's hair and looked over at Lucas as he sat on the other side of Evelyn with his hand wrapped around Chloe's hand. The two deviants were very much in love and Connor couldn't wait to see their bonding ceremony in just two more months. "Did you and Chloe figure out where you want to go for your honeymoon yet, Lucas?"

"We did." Confirming the question Lucas squeezed Chloe's hand affectionately. "We want to see Niagara Falls in New York."

"Sounds like a great place to visit."

"Afterward we'll return to Detroit to ensure that we're close by when the baby is born."

"I'm glad to know that our baby will have two parents, a grandfather, an uncle and an aunt to help take care of them."

"I'm looking forward to learning how to be an uncle, brother. I truly am."

From the recliner Hank was just smirking and take in the positive moments swirling about him in the warm and loving livingroom. "Don't you two worry about thing." Eyeing all of his kids as they sat together on the couch the senior detective truly felt at peace for the first time in a very long time. "That baby is going to be loved and supported from the very moment they enter this world. I swear it."

* * *

_**New Year's Eve.**_

The family had decided to gather together at New Jericho Tower for the countdown rather than crowd around the house, and in turn everyone in the Anderson clan had come to the tower so they could be with one another during the final hours of the very strange, very eventful year. Tired yet anxious Connor held Evelyn's left hand in his own as they sat together in the 'sky garden' placed atop the tower's roof, watching the night sky in anticipation of the fireworks. Feeling a tad nervous but excited Connor tried to ignore the sound and feeling of his heart thundering away in his chest against his will.

Markus, North, Josh, Simon, Hank, Lucas and Chloe were gathered at the other side of the garden speaking and laughing while Connor and Evelyn sat together in quiet peace. The deviant leader knew that the young couple was exhausted; Connor from working extra hours to save up money, and Evelyn from simply being pregnant and caring for the new life growing inside of her body.

Remaining quiet and respectful Markus took Hank aside and asked how the couple was faring beyond their fatigue. "Is everything okay?" The attentive deviant leader asked in a whisper as he nodded at Connor and Evelyn on the other side of the garden. "He seems a little tense."

"He's fine." Hank smirked mischievously as he confirmed that everything was fine. "He's just... thinking."

"About the future?"

"You have no idea." Rubbing his right hand over his bearded chin Hank smiled proudly at Connor as he sat beside Evelyn on the marble bench with his arm now wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm. Evelyn was leaning up against Connor's side with her head resting against his right shoulder as the couple sat together and stared at the dark night sky overhead. "...As 'dramatic' as this year had been I get the feeling the next year is going be a little more exciting."

Markus's mismatched eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to figure out what Hank was talking about. "What's up?"

"You'll see soon enough."

As if a light went off Markus's eyes brightened and a smile appeared on his face. "Oh... I see."

Hank raised his hand to needlessly and quietly motion to Markus to keep it a secret as he gave Lucas a subtle nod.

The deviant saw the signal and reached his right hand into the pocket of his white jacket to grab onto a small item, and ensure it was still there. Returning the nod Lucas casually walked over to Connor and discreetly slipped the item into his own jacket pocket without Evelyn taking notice of the discretion. Giving his big brother a reassuring pat to his left shoulder Lucas returned to the group and noted the hour as midnight ticked ever closer.

Connor tightened his right arm around Evelyn's shoulders as he placed his left hand atop her belly with a gentle touch. Feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness the young detective was ready to move forward with Evelyn, and wanted to do so properly.

"This past year was emotionally... interesting." Connor spoke up in an almost timid tone as he address Evelyn beside him. "But it was one I wouldn't change for anything in the world. I may have lost my mother, and almost lost my father and my brother, but in those losses I found the drive I needed to keep living, and to keep moving forward into a brighter future to get away from my darker past. I now understand how precious life is and to never take anything for granted again."

"I know what you mean." Leaning closer to Connor to feel safe and secure Evelyn put her left hand over his as he continued to hold his hand over her belly. "For the longest time I felt completely alone, and like I was destined to remain alone for the rest of my life. And then I met you. For the first time in years I felt like I was being seen for who I am, and not as the lost child that I had once been."

"Meeting you was the most unexpected but welcome experience of my life. I was in pain and angry for everything I had gone through, and I was ready to hide out alone in my apartment until I succumbed to old age, poor health or a bullet in my back. For whatever reason when I first bumped into you something deep down inside of my heart told me that I knew you, and through that faintest of familiarity I knew you were someone I could trust." Lightly he rubbed his hand over Evelyn's baby bump and stared into the black abyss of the night sky as he failed to see even a single star against the inky darkness. "If I had known that trust was going to lead to love then I would've made something more elaborate for dinner that night."

Laughing with tears of joy welling in her eyes Evelyn let out a shaky sigh. "And I would've asked for your phone number as soon as I looked into your eyes."

Connor felt himself blush as he checked the time on his phone: 11:58pm, and continued on. "I went to Chicago to escape my past and to find a new future. I had no idea that my future was you, Evelyn. You _and_ our baby."

"I feel the same, Connor. I really do."

Standing up slowly Connor pulled the secretive item from his jacket pocket as he stood before Evelyn and then took a knee in front of her. "Evelyn," revealing the item in question to be a white ring box Connor opened the box and presented Evelyn with a diamond ring on a platinum band and dared himself to ask the question he had been nervously pondering for weeks. "...will you marry me?"

Evelyn paled at the sight and question, and then quickly blushed as her tears of joy streamed down her face in utter shock. Nodding silently for a moment as she was left speechless Evelyn found her voice again and replied as confidently as she could. "Yes! Yes, Connor!" She barely managed to get the words out. "I will marry you!"

As his own tears of joy flowed down his face Connor took Evelyn's left hand and gingerly slipped the engagement ring over her finger appropriately.

Standing back up Connor gave Evelyn a kiss and the fireworks over the city illuminated the black sky as the New Year was destined to begin with a burst of energy and renewed life. The newly engaged couple embraced one another and shared a loving kiss to begin the new year properly.

Standing back on the other side of the garden Hank nodded confidently at the display and was proud to have witnessed the moment of love blossoming further into a bright and loving future.

Without saying a word Lucas turned to Chloe and gave her a kiss as Markus did the same for North, and Josh did the same for Simon as the fireworks continued to light up the dark sky with a multicolored flare.

Love was in the air and with any luck that love would carry over into the new year, and accompany the loving couples every day of the lives.

"It took me a while, Libby." Hank whispered as he glanced up at the bright display of glowing fireworks illuminating the night sky. "But I kept my word and protected our son. Now that he's found his happiness I know you can find the same sense of peace that I've found at long last. We still miss ya', but I know you're smiling down on Connor and your grandchild right now..."

* * *

_**The New Year; January 30th.**_

Feeling proud, happy and completely in control over his life for the first time in decades, Connor was sitting at his desk and anxiously dancing his coin over his rest knuckles as he struggled to concentrate on his work and not on his family. In two days Lucas and Chloe were to be bonded, and in seven weeks Evelyn was due to give birth. Having worked every available hour to save up and buy Evelyn's engagement ring had left Connor exhausted but feeling fulfilled, and now he was trying to think of a way to pay for a simple wedding before the baby was born.

"Connor?" Hank was studying Connor's face with masked amusement as the younger man sat at his desk and stared through his terminal screen rather than at it. "Connor, do you need some help with something, son?"

The younger detective didn't say anything but he did let out a weary sigh.

"Want me to order some lunch so you don't have to get up?"

"...Yeah, sure. Sounds good."

"What sounds good?"

"...Yeah."

Never one to pass up an opportunity to mess with his son Hank smirked and decided to see how closely he was actually listening to him. "Remember, when the baby is born we're going to dye Ruby's fur pink if it's a girl and blue if it's a boy, then let her run wild through the precinct."

"...Right."

"And I'm going to shave off my beard and get my lip pierced so I can be the 'cool grandpa' during family time."

"...Sure."

"Alright..." Once more Hank snatched the coin from Connor's hand to get his full attention at last. "Look at me."

"Huh?" Almost stunned by the sudden disappearance of his coin Connor stared at Hank with tired, heavy eyes and straightened up his posture in his seat as he returned to reality. "...I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted lunch, but I think you're thinking about something far more important."

"I'm just trying to figure out a nice place to take Evelyn so we can get married. We don't want anything elaborate or expensive, we just want to have a quick ceremony and focus on saving our money for the baby."

"Connor, take a breath and come with me." Handing Connor back his coin Hank rose from his desk and hooked his left hand around Connor's right bicep to pull him up from his own chair to follow after him. "You need a minute to sit and think, not obsess. Let's go and talk somewhere quiet."

* * *

Using his 'dad voice' Hank was able to get Connor to sit still in the passenger seat of the car and eat some lunch, while also figuring out what was on the younger man's mind at long last. Not only was Connor trying to figure out where he and Evelyn could get married, but he wanted to find a good time to do it. Evelyn wasn't being picky or impatient about the ordeal which was making it easier, but thanks to Connor's own nature of wanting everything to be taken care of to prevent problems in the future the younger detective was inadvertently stressing himself out.

"I told you once before that when Barb and I got married we ran off to the courthouse, right? Why don't you do that?"

"I believe the sight of a woman seven months pregnant getting hurriedly married would be a tad embarrassing for the both of us."

"Oh, fuck those judgmental assholes. This isn't the 50's, son. You don't have to follow society's outdated sense of 'order' when it comes to marriage and kids just to avoid a few odd looks. After you two are married and after the baby's born who in the hell is going to look at you, do the math, and know you two had premarital sex?"

The comment made Connor blush a bright red and he dropped a french fry onto his lap as a result. "...That was an oddly effective way to put it."

"Instead of worrying about keeping to stressful schedule redirect that focus on Lucas and Chloe's bonding ceremony instead."

"...Yeah, you're right." Picking up his fry Connor popped it into his mouth and slumped back in his seat. "Is Lucas nervous?"

"Nope. Excited."

"That's good. I'm glad all our friends and family will be there for them during their ceremony."

"Yup. A short and simple ceremony with only the people who really matter, and none of the drama attached. Sounds perfect to me."

"That's what Evelyn and I want. Paying a lot of money for a wedding won't guarantee a happy ending, all that matters is that we get married and can spend the rest of our lives together while feeling financially secured."

"That's the right attitude, son. I'm proud to hear you say that."

"...Thanks. I've had a good role model to learn from."

Smirking with a paternal pride Hank took a sip of his soda and steered the conversation in a different direction. "So, think of any names for the baby yet?"

"...Honestly, no. I just... I guess that part skipped right past me."

"It's okay. A lot of parents don't know what they want to name their baby well up until its born. Even then it can be a challenge."

"How did you pick Cole's name?"

"It just came to me the moment I held him in my arms for the first time. Barb loved the name as soon as she heard it, so it was meant to be. And as you know 'Lucas' is a family name, but since you already took care of that with your brother you don't have to worry about upholding that particular tradition anymore."

"That wasn't a worry, but now I'm concerned about choosing a name that just doesn't work for my child."

"Hey, don't think about it so much. Once you see your baby you'll know for sure what name fits them. Trust me."

"I hope you're right."

"Just talk about it with Evelyn tonight and maybe make a list of boy names and a list of girl names to choose. You two write down the names you like and if there's a single name you both like that's the name you pick, and problem solved"

"You make it sound so easy."

"Everything sounds easy when you have someone to talk to. That's why you don't cut yourself off from the world when you're lost or in pain."

The advice was as sound as it was comforting. "I'll remember that."

"And," pointing his final french fry in Connor's direction before he popped it in his own mouth Hank gave his son one final piece of advice. "now that you have a fiance in your life you'll always have someone to talk to. No excuses, no secrets, no holding anything inside anymore. Got it?"

"Yeah. I got it."

"Good." Looking at the half eaten burger in Connor's right hand Hank shook his head and resumed using his 'dad voice' to get the young detective to keep himself from accidentally making himself sick. "Finish up your lunch. You're skinny enough as it is."

"Actually," sipping at his own soda Connor gave Hank a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Evelyn's been keeping me on a pretty consistent schedule, and she's talked me in to trying her odd pregnancy snacks."

"Really? Like what?"

"Ever dip strawberries into vanilla cake frosting?"

"No."

"Try it some time." Working on the remains of his burger Connor made sure to keep his strength up as he continued to work hard to support his growing family, and keep them happy. "That's one of the best snacks I've ever had."

* * *

_**February 1st.**_

The Anderson family arrived at the cabin the night before and were eager to begin the bonding ceremony between Lucas and Chloe outside by the lake. A small wooden archway painted white and lined with red, pink and yellow roses was placed at the edge of the dock against the sandy shoreline beside the lake, and once the leaders of New Jericho arrived to be witnesses and support their friends the ceremony would be underway. The lake was still frozen solid and the untouched layer of snow over top of it provided to perfect serene backdrop to give the deviant couple a truly beautiful world to be bonded into.

"You look good, son." Hank complimented Lucas as the deviant put on his white blazer and turned to face Hank in the doorway of the cabin's second bedroom. The deviant didn't want to rent a tuxedo, not that Chloe had purchased a wedding dress anyway, but he still wanted to dress up. Wearing black dress pants, shiny black dress shoes, a white blazer over his white dress shirt and a black bowtie around his neck Lucas looked truly immaculate. "Damn good."

"Thanks, dad. You look good, too."

"Well, it's a special occasion." Looking down at his own black shoes and black pants, as well as his navy blue dress shirt and black blazer, Hank looked far from his usual laidback aesthetic when at home. "And I better wear this stuff before I outgrow it again."

"You've lost a notable amount of weight in the past six months, and your cholesterol has reduced to a respectable level as well. Don't worry about it."

"Hey, that's my line."

Straightening his tie Lucas looked at himself in the mirror for a moment to ensure he looked presentable. Unafraid and worry free Lucas was ready to be bonded, and had no doubts in his mind about his decision. "How is Chloe?"

"She's ready, too. Evelyn is helping Chloe get ready, and Chloe is helping Evelyn find a pair of comfortable shoes to wear."

The positive comments made Lucas grin a little as he turned back to face his father. "And Connor?"

"He's dressed up and ready to go. Right now he's outside talking with Markus, and everyone else."

"...What about Kamski?"

"Well, he showed up about ten minutes ago and he seems to be keeping his ego in check. Why?"

"Kam- _Elijah_," correct the name of use Lucas trying to be more civil and assure Chloe that he didn't mind her continued relationship with the eccentric billionaire in any way. "was Chloe's first friend. Even if their friendship was one of social convenience Chloe still wanted him to be here today, and I don't want her to be disappointed."

"Trust me, Lucas. She won't be disappointed by a damn thing today."

"Yes, you're right. Today will a good day no matter who is and isn't here."

The optimism in Lucas's words was almost infectious. "Are you ready to be bonded?"

"I've been ready for the past eight months."

"Then let's get outside." Clapping his left hand down proudly on Lucas's right shoulder Hank escorted his youngest son out of the bedroom on the second floor of the cabin, and toward the staircase. "Your fiance is waiting for you."

Holding his head up high with an unflinching confidence Lucas walked down the staircase, crossed through the cabin and passed through the backdoor to step into the backyard toward the arch by the lake. Smiling brightly at the sight of his big brother standing beside the arch to act as his best man and Markus standing beside him, and the sight of Evelyn standing on the opposite side of the arch across from Connor to act as Chloe's maid of honor, with North beside her, Lucas felt truly happy to see his friends and his family there to support him on one of the most important days of his life.

Connor was wearing a similar attire to that of Lucas, but his blazer was black and not white. Markus had chosen a similar attire, substituting the white dress shirt for navy blue. North was wearing a matching navy blue dress to complement Markus, while Evelyn was wearing a very dark purple dress with a white shawl draped over her shoulders to help her keep warm.

Josh, who was to officiate the bonding ceremony just as he had done for Markus and North in the past, was wearing simple black pants and a black dress shirt to dress somewhat like a minister. Simon was wearing a similar outfit and standing back a few feet from the arch with Elijah, who was wearing a black suit, white dress shirt and black tie. Standing beside Elijah was James from the fire department as he had become fairly good friends with Lucas and wanted to show his support for his honorary brother.

Connor extended his hand to shake as Lucas walked up to the arch and took his place to wait for his fiance. "Be proud, Lucas. You both deserve this happiness and love."

"Thank you, brother."

Hank walked outside and joined Simon, James and Elijah where he proceeded to give Josh a simple nod to signal it was time to begin.

Through the wide opened backdoor Chloe walked outside wearing a shining blue satin dress and was carrying a small bouquet of red roses. She had her blonde hair down to her shoulders as opposed to being up in a ponytail, and had been given a slight wave to her normally pin straight locks. With her hair gently tucked behind her right ear everyone could see that she had finally removed her L.E.D. and was ready to live her life fully as a deviant and with Lucas by her side for the remainder of their lives.

Lucas's green eyes lit up upon seeing his bondmate walking toward him with a sincere, almost human, smile on her face. Cybernetically he told her how beautiful she looked and she responded with the same as she stood before him in front of the altar.

"This is another historic day." Josh began in a calm jovial tone as he began the ceremony with a sense of pride. The sight of his friend bonding with the deviant he loved made Josh smile warmly as he imagined doing the same with Simon someday soon. "When I say this I'm not talking about a mark in a history book, but of how two families have grown together to become one. Though small in size a family is still a family, and with that family comes unquestioning love."

The two deviants were truly in love, and in that moment the light in their eyes told the whole story.

"We are here to celebrate the union of life between Lucas and Chloe." Continuing on in a gentle voice Josh spoke loud, proud and clearly as he officiated the ceremony. "As a symbol of their love Lucas and Chloe will now exchange rings and cybernetically connect to one another and speak their vows, solidifying their trust and love with one another before the eyes of their most trusted friends."

Connor and Evelyn handed the respective rings to Lucas and Chloe, and watched as the two slipped the rings over each other's left ring fingers before interlocking their exposed left hands with one another into a single fist between their bodies, near their hearts. Their eyes closed and their minds became as one.

There was a calm silence as Lucas and Chloe connected to one another and spoke words that only they could hear. The sweet ambience of birds singing accompanied the silent exchange of loving words as the gathered guests patiently waited for the two deviants to open their eyes once more. The chorus of happy birds chirping was the perfect symbol of the peaceful love that had fallen over the two deviants as they bonded to one another, and proclaimed their love before all of their friends and family.

Watching his youngest son on his bonding day made Hank's heart swell with pride. It was a struggle but he kept his emotions properly in check.

"...I love you." Lucas stated in a kind voice as he opened his green eyes and locked onto Chloe's blue eyes as she too awoke from their cybernetic bonds.

"I love you, too."

Josh nodded and resumed speaking to bring the short ceremony to a close. "To our friends and loved ones in attendance, I present to you the newlybonded couple of: Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Chloe Anderson."

The two deviants kissed and pressed their foreheads together and they held hands and just absorbed one another's comforting presence. After a moment they exchanged somewhat sly smiles before they turned to look at the best man and the maid of honor.

Lucas grabbed onto Connor's left hand and gave his brother a firm glance. "Now, it's your turn."

The comment left Connor somewhat perplexed. "...My turn? For what?"

"To be married."

Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide as he looked past Lucas in time to see Chloe passing her bouquet over to Evelyn, who looked just as confused as he was in that moment. "...I don't-"

"This is my wedding gift to you." Lucas explained in a confident if not smug tone. "Your wedding."

Simon cleared his throat somewhat casually as he and Josh traded places at the altar. "When Josh went through the licensing to become an officiant for bonding ceremonies I decided to get ordained as a minister for human weddings. At the time it was meant as a means of ensuring the inevitability of androids and humans wanting to wed that they would have legal clearance through New Jericho. Now it seems it's being used to ensure my friends and his fiance can be together before the birth of their first child."

"Lucas..." Connor was almost at a total loss of words at his brother's kind gesture. "I don't... know what to say."

"I do." Evelyn replied with a half sob in her voice as the heavy emotions of the day began to warm her heart. "You say 'I do'."

"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Blushing a little Connor acknowledged his fiance and smiled at her brightly. "But... What about the rings?"

Hank stepped up and presented Connor with two rings in the palm of his outstretched right hand; one for Connor and the other for Evelyn. "I knew exactly which rings you two had in mind. But Markus and North went ahead and picked them up so you didn't see me pocketing them."

Turning to face his father and his friends Connor gave them all an incredulous look of gratitude. "...You bought them for us?"

"Not quite." Nodding to his left Hank motioned to their more reserved guest in attendance. "You had one last favor that needed to be paid forward."

"Huh?"

Elijah finally spoke up and seemed to acknowledge his own presence. "I bought the rings. I decided that as my final 'thank you' for saving my life in that car accident all those years ago that I'd pay for your wedding rings so you can focus on taking care of your baby. I had done the same for Chloe and Lucas as my bonding gift for my dear friend, and her now bondmate. Think of it as your past kindness and generosity finally being paid forward."

Connor was absolutely stunned into gracious silence upon seeing the warm gestures being shown toward himself and Evelyn. "Thank you. Thank you... for everything. Having a family like this is all we've ever wanted..."

Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder and shook once as a means of grounding his emotionally shocked son. "You don't have to thank us, son. But you're welcome all the same. You two deserve to be happy, don't forget that."

"We won't, I promise."

Lucas took the diamond ring from Hank's hand and Chloe took the platinum wedding band to hold during the ceremony. "I hate to be presumptuous about who you'd ask to be your best man, but-"

"Of course I would've asked you, Lucas." Looking to Markus who was just giving him a cheesy grin Connor nodded and laughed a little. "He is my little brother, after all."

"Don't worry about me, Connor." Markus wasn't the least bit offended by the comment. "I'm just happy to be able to be here for you on your wedding day just as you were there for me on my own bonding day."

"Thank you my friend." Connor reached out his right hand toward Evelyn who quickly took hold and stepped closer to her soon-to-be husband. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm ready, Connor. Let's do this." Pressing the bouquet to her baby bump she just smiled and was positively radiant. "Let's finally make it official."

Simon neatly folded his hands together before himself and gave the gathered group a nod. "Well then, let's have ourselves a wedding..."

Connor and Evelyn held hands as they looked into each other's eyes and felt a pure tranquility fall over the lake around them. It felt right, and the young couple knew that they belonged together as fate had reunited them under dark circumstances that led them back into the light.

"As this was a rather impromptu gathering," Simon stated in a somewhat jovial voice as he began the ceremony. "there is little to be said beyond we're gathered here to witness the union between these two loving people, who found a new strength from within each other, and with that strength they're building a new life and have created a new life in the process. Evelyn, it maybe short notice but do you have any vows you'd like to bestow upon Connor?"

"Yes... I love you, Connor." She was having more difficulty in keeping her emotions in check, but she was able to speak clearly. "Until you and I had been fatefully reacquainted I had given up on the dream of having a family again, but now I know through you that all dreams can come true if we never stop trying to achieve them. I promise to love you for as long as my heart keeps beating, and I promise to always be there for you no matter how difficult life becomes, or what strange obstacles come our way. We have a family together, and as our family grows so will our love. Together we will finally have the love and support we had been searching for, and we will finally, truly be happy."

Accepting the wedding band from Chloe she slipped the ring over Connor's left ring finger and gave him the same tearful smile he had shown her. "I love you with all my heart."

Simon nodded in approval as he turned to look at Connor. "Connor?"

"...Yeah, I have something to say, too." Taking in a deep breath he steadied his nerves and with it he steadied his voice. "Evelyn, I love you. I can honestly say I love you more than anything or anyone else walking this ever changing world we're journeying through. A journey I want us to share for as long as possible." Tightening his grip on her hands Connor found a fearless confidence to speak that he seldom had as his shy nature had always pushed him into a quiet corner. "You and I first met as children just trying to find a place to belong, and now we have been reunited with a true sense of belonging guiding us on our way. Two lost souls who found each other, and who have been taken in by a guardian to act as our father, and to protect us from the dangers of this world as we fight to change it for the better, and work to make him as proud of us and we are of him."

The comment had caught Hank off guard and he was now fighting back his own tears of gratitude and love. Letting out a subtle breath Hank dragged his left hand over his teary eyes as he focused on the second ceremony taking place before him.

"As parents I hope we can strive to become the type of father he has been to me and to Lucas, and I hope to show our child what it means to be loved, accepted and to feel wanted, just as he has done for all us. I promise to always be there for you, and to always remind you how much I love you with every day we share together. I promise that everyday I will find a reason for you and I to be happy. I truly love you, Evelyn. And I always will."

Taking the diamond ring from Lucas's hand Connor slipped it over Evelyn's left ring finger and held both of her hands tightly.

"I promise that I'll never stop loving you."

Needlessly Simon spoke up and addressed the gathered witnesses with a single question. "Any objections?" Silence. It was perfectly quiet save for the birds singing in the trees all around them. "I didn't think so. Connor, you may now kiss your bride."

As the couple embraced and kissed each other the same tranquility that fell over the lake seemed to fill the hearts of every friend and family member who had witnessed the joyous union of the young and loving couple on that day full of union and love.

It was true.

Everything will be alright.

_**-next chapter-**_


	91. Appreciating Life

Two weeks of marriage had proven very calming for Connor as he had one less thing to worry about, and his stress all but melted away. Taking care of Evelyn at home as she quickly became physically exhausted from carrying around an almost eight month pregnant belly only made Connor more excited for the birth of their first baby, and it gave him something to focus on in a positive light after handling grim cases all day at the precinct. Sending Evelyn a quick text to check in on her as he sat at his desk Connor didn't notice when Tina walked in with a huge grin on her face and sat down behind her desk to begin her shift.

Walking back from the breakroom Hank put a mug of warm tea down in front of Connor before he went to his own desk with an equally warm mug of coffee. Noticing Tina's upbeat mood straight away Hank asked about it before taking a sip of his delicately sweetened coffee. "What's with the grin, Tina?"

"You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

Smirking proudly she gave the two detectives a coy stare. "It's a girl."

"It's a... Wait." Arching his brow Hank quickly picked up on what Tina was hinting at. "Abby had the baby?"

"Yup." Pulling out her phone from her pocket Tina showed Hank a picture she took of the tiny newborn in Gavin's arms and smiled. "At four twenty-two this morning. Aria Kimberly Reed. Nine pounds, fourteen ounces."

"Wow, that's big for a little girl" Glancing at the screen Hank couldn't help but smile at the image of the proud new father holding his newborn daughter. Just as Connor found his happiness Gavin seemed to have finally done the same, and with it he found peace and belonging. "What do you know, she's Gavin's kid and she actually turned out cute. She must be taking after Abby."

Curiously Connor's eyes lifted from his terminal screen as he finally noticed the conversation and craned his neck to see the phone's display. "...May I see?"

Tina moved the phone so Connor could see the screen and watched as his eyes actually lit up. "Good thing we have our emergency medical training, too." She stated with mild amusement in her voice. "Gavin had to deliver the baby himself when Abby went into labor."

Hank had to hold back a laugh at that little detail. "You're kidding..."

"Nope. She went into labor a little after midnight and things just progressed really fast after that. He didn't have time to get her to the car and drive her out to the hospital, so he ended up delivering his own daughter in the middle of the livingroom this morning."

"Jeez, how'd he handle it?"

"Surprisingly well. After they got to the hospital and were checked in he ran off to the bathroom and puked, but otherwise he handled everything like a real pro. That didn't stop him from calling me at three in the morning sounding like he downed an entire pot of coffee, but I guess if he was going to lose sleep then that meant I had to lose sleep, too."

"Let me know which hospital they're at so I can get some flowers sent."

"Sure. I'm going to go tell Captain Fowler the good news."

Connor folded his arms together and leaned against his desk top as he thought about the upcoming birth of his own child. Absentmindedly his right index finger and thumb toyed with the platinum wedding band on his left hand as he sat in deep thought. "...Wonder if that'll happen to Evelyn."

"Hey, don't think like that. And even if it does you're a trained medic and we've both helped deliver babies, so we can handle it. Besides, Evelyn's pretty damn tough. I can see why you were so drawn to her."

"Right. Yeah, it'll be fine."

"So... Kimberly Aria. Not a name I would've picked, but not bad."

"I know Kimberly was the name of Gavin's late sister, but as for Aria... I can't figure that one out."

"They probably just liked the way it sounds. That's usually how it goes with middle names if the parents don't plan on naming the baby after anyone else."

"I guess that makes sense."

"I know you're excited and nervous and all that other fun stuff, but you still have to focus on this case." Tapping on the top of Connor's terminal screen the senior detective redirected the younger detective's attention fairly quickly. "Now, what's with these deviants seemingly committing suicide out of the blue?"

"O-Oh, uh," Connor seemed to snap back to full focus as he eyed the images on the screen and stared with an intense gaze Connor resumed fussing with his wedding band in favor of his coin. "this is very unusual."

"A deviant suicide does seem really weird." Hank agreed as he turned off his terminal and pulled his car keys from his pocket. "What would cause that?"

"...Extreme emotional distress or pain." Connor's eyes briefly dulled as he remembered the night of the Revolution where he was forced to escape the icy wasteland of the Zen Garden within his own Mind Palace before CyberLife forced him to kill Markus, or turn the gun on himself. "...Deviants can suffer from suicidal tendencies just as easily as humans."

"'Suffer'." The gruff detective repeated the horrible word to himself, only to see the sorrowful stare in Connor's soulful brown eyes. "...You okay, kid?"

"Yes." Connor answered quickly as he rose from his chair and forced his gaze to soften a little. "It's just we've only handled a single deviant suicide in the past and it's still a very... unsettling type of case to handle."

"Yeah, kid. I get that." Showing Connor the car keys in his hand Hank motioned for the young detective to join him on the case. "But unfortunately we still gotta' be the ones to handle the case. Let's get going."

* * *

The third floor apartment of the deceased deviant was as perfectly organized and logically laid out as a history museum, or furniture showroom. Living alone and working as a mechanic the deviant seemed to live a quiet reserved life without a single misfortune to his name. To see the victim kneeling in a puddle of his own blue blood on the floor of his livingroom with a self inflicted bullet wound in his right temple, and the offending gun clutched weakly in his right hand was eerie, and almost... human.

Carefully Connor crouched down in front of the deviant and began a rough visual examination to identify the very obvious cause of death. In doing so Connor noticed the victim's wallet was in his front shirt pocket for convenience. Removing the wallet from the pocket with his gloved hands he checked over the I.D. and found a name to confirm the victim's identity.

"His name was 'Michael'." Connor announced as he looked at the state issued I.D., then found a perfectly written down work schedule tucked in the wallet with a few dollar bills kept in the fold. "He was mechanic at a garage during the weekdays, and worked security at parking garages on the weekends. Single gunshot wound to the right temple, shutdown was immediate."

Hank strolled about the apartment curiously and looked at the few humble possessions that the victim had owned during his lifetime. A few paintings that one would find in the hallways at a hotel covered the walls of the livingroom that held a single white chair and small white couch, one table, one lamp and the neighboring kitchenette was entirely empty.

The bedroom down the hallway had a single bed that looked like it was never used and the bedroom closet was full of perfectly washed, pressed clothes despite working as a mechanic and a security guard. The bathroom that was installed in the android unique apartment complex for the sake of normalcy was almost entirely empty of anything beyond a single hand towel.

No photographs of friends, no sign of hobbies or secondary interests, no sign of a break-in.

The crime scene seemed to be only the victim himself.

"I have no idea what we should be looking for." Hank admitted as he rejoined Connor in the livingroom. "Most humans who commit suicide seem the happiest when they 'do the deed', I don't imagine a deviant would behave much differently."

"Agreed, however our previous deviant suicide entailed heartbreak and longing to be reunited on the 'other side'." Connor stared at the deviant's blank face as if he were trying to solve a puzzle. As his eyes trailed over the deviant's face Connor noticed something unusual around the victim's throat. "Hank?"

"Yeah?"

Carefully Connor pulled open the top button of the victim's dark gray button-up shirt to expose his neck and throat. "There is a second wound to his person. But it's not self inflicted."

"What the fuck is that?" Hank knelt down beside Connor to take a closer look at the injury. "It looks like he got burned. Does it run all around his neck?"

"Yeah." Connor craned his own neck to visually examine the wound. "It looks like an internally implanted torque designed to emit a powerful electronic pulse."

"A what?"

"When androids are manufactured- Correction; when androids _were_ manufactured by CyberLife," Connor stood upright from the floor and used a small notepad to make notes for his future report. He also made a note to get an apportionment performed on the victim to find more evidence and a possible cause for the desire to self destruct. "a torque, or collar, is used to sustain processor activity while technicians examine biocomponents and programs before the android is fully activated. The torque is wrapped around the neck over top the artificial skin for easy access."

"Why would this guy have one of those things implanted under his skin?"

"It's possible the torque had been implanted due to errors in this deviant's processors to keep him functioning properly. It's arguably similar to a human taking medication to correct physical or mental illnesses until a permanent repair, or cure, could be achieved. Essentially a torque can act as medication for the android equivalent to epilepsy."

"Then why did the thing meant to help him suddenly hurt him?"

"It could've been an error or equipment failure."

"Would that thing be able to hurt him if it did 'bug' out?"

"It's entirely possible, yes."

Crossing his arms over his chest Hank ran his right hand over his bearded chin curiously. "Would the pain be enough to cause him to commit suicide?"

"Theoretically... yes." The very idea made Connor reflexively swallow as he became unsettled by the very idea of enduring so much pain that the better alternative was death. "The pain could potentially be enough to make a deviant self destruct."

"C'mon, kid." Sounding rather glum Hank motioned for the apartment door as he stepped outside into the hallway. The C.S.I. crew was already staking out the apartment and barricading it with holographic police tape. "We should head back to the precinct and file what we can until a technician gets us some more answers to work on."

"Yes, you're right. I'll put in the request to have the deviant taken to the precinct so Joel can perform an apportionment and give us more details."

* * *

There was very little evidence to work with upon leaving the crime scene, but the two detectives were determined to solve the case.

Connor and Hank had returned to the precinct and were now patiently awaiting the apportionment results of their suicide victim to come down from the dispensary. Connor had taken the liberty of delving into the victim's history and uncovered something very unusual about his past and present behavior; it seemed as though Michael had maintained the same lifestyle he had as both a machine and as a deviant. But only recently had Michael begun to show more individuality and attempted to break away from his original programming as a mechanic and become more of a unique person.

"This is interesting," find a lead to follow Connor commented out loud from behind his terminal. "our victim had continued to follow his original programming despite his deviancy. In the past two days Michael's co-workers confirmed that he had made an attempt to change his routine, and in that time frame Michael began to exhibit signs of an unknown pain."

"You think that collar thing has something to do with his deviancy?"

"...I cannot say for certain either way. I need-" The awaited apportionment report popped up on his terminal screen and Connor read over it quickly. "The results on the victim's processors has been filed."

Hank watched silently as Connor confirmed the cause of the victim's shutdown and the isolated abnormalities in the deviant's programming. When enough time had passed Hank finally spoke up. "Well?" He leaned forward on his desk toward Connor curiously and impatiently. "Anything useful?"

"Yes." Connor's eyes blinked slowly in empathetic distress. "Michael was programmed to work as a mechanic and continued to do so. ...He was also a prototype."

"...Aaaand?"

"Only when Michael attempted to fully deviate from his original programming did the torque malfunction and cause the horrific pain. The torque malfunctioned due to his prototyping, and in the end, it may have been the very cause of his suicide."

"But why was the collar implanted _under_ his skin? Didn't you say that thing could've been used to treat some kind of programming error?"

"Yes. But in this case his programming had no errors to speak of."

"Then... Why?"

"As I previously stated, he was a prototype. As such he would be analyzed frequently to test his programming and biocomponents." Connor swallowed nervously as his right hand reached up to his own throat and neck with a subconscious response. "I was also a prototype. And like Michael, I continued to utilize my original programming as a detective."

Hank's paternal instincts kicked in as he realized that Connor was now afraid of other prototypes falling victim to the same fate. "Maybe Joel can send out a warning to the other prototypes and see if that collar thing is around their necks, too. And if it is, he can remove it. Right?"

Connor nodded a little but his worry didn't fade. "Hank," with utter fear in his eyes Connor became righteously worried for his friend, and leader of the deviants. "Markus is a prototype who is actively deviating further and further away from his original programming every day."

"Okay... Want to go to New Jericho Tower?"

"Yes." The suggestion was surprisingly calming to Connor's racing mind. "We should tell Markus in person so he can take care of the problem before it becomes critical. Right now every prototype in the city is at risk."

"Then let's get out there." Standing up quickly from his desk Hank watched as Connor did the same, and they both marched toward the precinct's front doors quickly. "We'll figure this mess out soon enough."

* * *

A warning was spread throughout Detroit cautioning prototype deviants of the possible torque malfunction, and in return the thirty-three remaining prototypes in the city were spared an excruciating experience and possible death. After warning Markus about the malfunction the torque was removed from his person by Simon, and his systems were completely stabilized as a result without him suffering any complications. While the case was closed and deemed a success Connor still felt melancholy after dealing with such a glum day.

Suicides were a delicate subject for Hank and he immediately had the urge to go isolate himself for a while, then shower off the day.

Returning home that evening Connor passed through the front door and saw Evelyn sitting on the couch with her left hand resting on her impressive bump and Ruby cuddled up beside her protectively. The sight was pleasant and calming enough, but it wasn't enough to get the image of the dead deviant from his mind.

"Hey." Connor greeted in a dour voice as he walked into the livingroom and kissed the top of Evelyn's hair. "How do you feel?"

"Big." She admitted with a little pat over her belly. "I think the baby was just waiting for me to acknowledge them before it really started to grow."

"Yeah, it does seem like you went from barely showing to full term in record time." Remaining behind the couch Connor sighed and gave her a somber stare as he contemplated his odd day. "...No offense."

"None taken. Growing a giant belly is to be expected." Lightly Evelyn combed her right fingers through Connor's dark locks of hair as he stayed beside her and just behind the couch. "What happened at the precinct today?"

"Unfortunately, we had to deal with a deviant's suicide. ...We solved the case."

The low tone of Connor's words made Evelyn worry about his current mindset. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Come here." Patting the open cushion beside her Evelyn invited her husband to join her on the couch. She watched as he sat down slowly and then put her right hand to the back of his neck to fuss a little more with his hair. "Come closer."

"What is it?"

Evelyn gently guided Connor down until his ear was resting lightly against the top of her belly. "...Do you hear that?"

Connor could hear a quiet and rapid heartbeat, and in turn he felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders. "...Yeah. I hear it. Our baby."

"Life. As much death and suffering as the world has to offer we still have life to balance it out. Our baby is just one of billions of beating hearts in this world at this very moment. Don't let one death affect your outlook on life as a whole."

"You're so relaxed and wise, Evelyn. How do you do it?"

"I just keep focusing on our baby. It's a very grounding feeling." Running her fingers through Connor's hair Evelyn wanted to comfort her all too kind and empathetic husband as best as she could. "And I think growing this 'Buddah-belly' has helped with the wisdom part."

Laughing at the last part Connor lifted his head looked into Evelyn's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"...Want to get pizza for dinner?"

"Listen very closely, if I ever say 'no' to pizza that means I've gone insane and need to be institutionalized. Pineapple please."

Connor gave his wife an odd look at the desired topping of choice. "Pineapple?"

"It's not for me, it's for the baby. And extra mushrooms. What do you think of _that_?"

"...I think you and the baby are splitting your own pizza, while me and dad have our own."

Giving a shrug of her shoulders Evelyn just smiled and leaned back against the couch cushion behind her. "Where is Hank anyway?"

"He's out in the garage. He wants to get the oil changed in the cars and make sure everything is working fine for when... you know."

"Right, good plan." Things were going to be happening soon and everyone was eager for the big day. "I'd hate to have to walk while in labor."

"Speaking of which..." Connor pulled his phone from his pocket and showed Evelyn the picture of Gavin holding Aria than Tina sent to his phone while they were on break. Seeing the small baby was enough to help brighten his and Hank's mood while they worked on the case. "Abby had the baby."

"Aww... She's beautiful!"

"Her name is Aria Kimberly."

"Aria is so pretty, and so is her name... Now I hope we don't have a daughter because I can't think of a name that'll top it!"

"What about 'Bertha' or 'Gertrude'?"

"You better be joking!" The idea of having a newborn with such dated and almost abrasive names made Evelyn theatrically grimace. "Who looks at a tiny baby and thinks of names like _that_?"

"Well, someone did at least once."

"Not us."

"Well, yeah. We still have time."

"Maybe we should use the tradition from my maternal side of the family to help narrow things down for us."

"What tradition is that?"

"If the baby is a boy then the father picks the first name and the mother picks the middle name. If it's a girl then the mother picks the first name and the father picks the middle name."

"Sounds like a strange yet effective compromise. What name were you thinking about if it is a girl?"

"I like 'Melody'."

"That's a pretty name. And it's not too common."

"Do you have a middle name in mind?"

"I do have one name in mind, but it's okay if you don't want to use it."

"Let me hear it, Connor. Unless it's 'Bertha', then you're not allowed to name anything bigger than a goldfish."

Smirking at the comment Connor folded his hands together as he answered the question and searched his wife's face for a reaction. "I was thinking 'Elizabeth', after my mother."

"Melody Elizabeth." Repeating the name Evelyn smiled and returned her hand to his hair affectionately. "I like that."

"So if we have a girl we have a name chosen?"

"Yeah, sounds like it." Rubbing her left hand over her bump as she felt a strong kick Evelyn gave Connor a loving stare. "One name down, one to go. What about a boy's name?"

"...I honestly don't know. Nothing's coming to me."

"That's okay. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah. We'll know when we see our baby." Flipping through a few contacts in his phone Connor sighed and decided to place the pizza order for delivery. He just wanted to stay home and being with his wife and their unborn baby. "Until then, I'll get you and the baby your disgusting pizza to enjoy by yourself."

Giving Connor's shoulder a light pat Evelyn stared at him with a teasing gaze. "Is that anyway to treat the mother of your child?"

Smirking sheepishly he responded with a playful retort. "Only when you want incompatible pizza toppings."

_**-next chapter-**_


	92. Trapped

Standing in the middle of the freshly cleaned and furnished bedroom for the baby Evelyn watched as Connor hung the final painting that Lucas had created for their baby on the wall, and gave the room one final bright burst of loving color. Each image showed the best parts of the city; the park during spring, summer, autumn and winter. The harbor on a calm night outside New Jericho Tower. The bridge stretching over the Detroit River on a peaceful summer evening. The cabin and the lake covered in snow and ice just outside the city, and the cabin surrounded by freshly blossoming trees in the spring.

Pressing her hands to her lower back for support Evelyn admired the paintings and complimented Lucas's artistic talent. "I can't believe how well Lucas can paint. Is that a deviant thing, or is that his own genuine hard earned talent we're seeing?"

"It's a mixture of the two." Connor explained as he turned around and put his right palm against Evelyn's almost due belly. "His perfect memory allows him to keep every single detail accurate, and his hands are perfectly stable which allows him to paint the details flawlessly; but to imagine the park during all four seasons and the bridge in the evening time despite never seeing it at such an hour comes from his own inspiration. When I was a deviant I could recreate images from memory, but they weren't as lively and energetic as his paintings are."

"It must've taken him hours to do this." Looking down at her large belly Evelyn gave a little sigh and smirk at her growth. "I wish I had that level of patience and talent."

"As do I."

"You can play guitar like no one I've ever heard before. That had to take a lot of time and practice to master."

"Yeah, but painting is a quiet hobby. Guitar not so much." Rubbing his hand lightly over Evelyn's bump affectionately Connor let out a somewhat somber sigh of his own as he patiently waited for the baby to be born. "It might be a while before I can play it again without disturbing the baby, though."

"I seriously doubt the inside of the human body is all that quiet, Connor. The baby can get used to the sound of music being played by their father."

"I'd certainly hope so. Especially if the baby is a girl and named 'Melody', otherwise we can say we failed as parents right out of the gate."

Giving Connor a playful slap to the arm Evelyn sighed and shifted her weight on her hips a little to try to ease the heavy strain her back.

Watching his wife's body language carefully Connor was ready to react at the first sign of labor. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm Just very heavy, and feel like if I get any bigger I'll explode!"

"Could be worse."

"How's that?"

"You could be carrying twins."

"If you _ever_ get me pregnant with twins I will personally give you a vasectomy."

Tilting his head a little he gave Evelyn a playful remark as he kept his hand in place. "What about triplets?"

"Are you trying to make me cry?"

"No, I just want to see how much it'd take before you'd kill me. I think that's a good limit to know during our marriage."

"You're lucky you're so cute." Giving Connor a kiss on his right cheek Evelyn just shook her head with all of his bizarre comments. "Because you being in such a playful mood is going to drive me up the wall."

"You can take a little crazy. You're an Anderson, now, so it comes with the name. Trust me on that one."

"I do trust you." Leaning up against his right arm Evelyn's back begged her to sit down and rest for a moment. "I'm tired as all hell. I'm going to go to bed and hope the baby is in the mood to sleep, too. I doubt it, but I won't stop hoping."

"I'll be with you in a minute. I want to see if Hank is finally done repairing your car."

"And he accuses _you_ of getting obsessed with projects." She observed keenly as she adjusted her stance and nearly waddled out of the room to get to her and Connor's bedroom across the hall. "He's been out there for hours on end for the past three weeks."

"Please bring that up next time he tries to dissuade me from my next project." Connor requested as he helped Evelyn walk into their bedroom across from the baby's room and sit down on the bed without hurting her already strained back. Giving her a kiss on the left cheek Connor took his leave to check in on Hank in the garage. "I'll be back soon."

"And I'll be here." Falling back slowly Evelyn sighed and stared at her massive belly sitting atop of her frame like a volcano on an island. Rubbing her hands up and down the sides of her impressive bump she gave Connor an almost pathetic stare. "Even if I wanted to get up and go somewhere I don't think I could..."

Walking down the staircase fairly quickly Connor with a smile on his face ran his right hand down Ruby's back as the hound laid over the couch in the livingroom, and received a tail wag in response. As he crossed into the kitchen he opened up the side door in the laundry room leading out to the garage Connor was greeted by the sight of the old Corvette shrouded under a protective white sheet in the middle of the garage, and the garage door itself wide open allowing a gust of cold air to flow through the small area.

Standing just outside the opened door in the driveway was Hank himself wiping oil and grease off his hands and onto a red rag as he slammed the hood of Evelyn's old car back down to close it up.

"Dad?"

"Hey, son."

"Do you need help out here?"

"Nope. I just finished changing the oil, replacing the battery, topping of the wiper fluid, power steering fluid, coolant and I put in some new spark plugs for the hell of it." Giving the rag a casual toss toward the workbench up against the wall inside the garage Hank rubbed his right hand over the back of his tense neck and sighed. "Between my car and Evelyn's car we'll have two for certain options for getting out to the hospital when it's time for the baby to make its grand entrance."

"Wow, thanks. How long have you been working on the cars?"

"Too damn long. My neck can confirm it."

"Why didn't you ask for my help?"

"Because you need to be taking care of Evelyn right now, not toiling over a dirty old engine."

"It doesn't bother me. I work alongside you all day long, so I doubt an old engine would be any different."

"Smartass. Better hope your kid didn't inherit your mouth, otherwise their teenage years are going to be a real bitch to survive."

"I've survived worse."

Realizing he couldn't argue with that Hank gave his son a tired gaze as he tilted his neck back to try to ease the tight muscles under his palm. "How is Evelyn holding up?"

"She's ready for it to be over."

"So she's feeling normal." A small chuckle escaped his lips as he remembered how Barbara felt toward the end of her own pregnancy with Cole, and was anxious to finally hold her son in her arms. "Good to know everything's happening right on schedule."

"I think tomorrow we should-" Connor's phone began to buzz in his pocket just as Hank's phone began to ring on the workbench. The two detectives exchanged looks and just knew that something was wrong based of their intuition alone. "That's not a coincidence."

"No, it's not." Hank picked up his phone and recognized the number as that of Lucas's fire station and quickly answered. "This is Anderson..."

Doing the same for his own phone Connor checked the caller I.D. and saw Chloe's personal number. "No..." Paling considerably Connor answered the call and did his best to keep his voice level. "Chloe?"

'_Connor_,' her normally calm tone was changed to that of panic and fear. It sounded so human in that moment. '_Lucas is trapped_!'

"T-Trapped? What're you talking about?"

'_There was a fire downtown and his station responded_!' The deviant was struggling to keep her voice from breaking as she tried to tell Connor what had happened to her husband; to his little brother. '_Lucas went inside to look for survivors and the roof came down on top of him_!_ They're trying to find him, but_... _Connor, I can't reach him_! _He isn't responding to my calls and I can't detect his location_!'

"Stay calm, Chloe." Mentally Connor was telling himself the same thing as he took in a deep breath and pushed the image of his little brother being wounded and trapped from his mind's eye. "Hank and I are going to go and look for him, okay?"

'_Please..._ _I can't lose him_!'

"You won't, I promise. Chloe, listen to me carefully." His every instinct as a first responder were trumping his frazzled emotions, but just barely. "I want you to come here and stay with Evelyn. We'll be able to contact you right away as soon as we know anything, and we'll tell you where Lucas is going for an examination after he's rescued from the building. Do you understand?"

A short paused preceded her answer. '..._I understand_.'

"Good. Everything will be okay, Chloe. I know it's hard, but try not to be scared."

'_Okay_. _ I'll try_.'

"End the call and come over here. Hank and I are going to go find Lucas ourselves."

'..._I'm coming over_.'

"Good. That's good. See you soon." Slipping his phone back into his pocket he turned to face Hank again as the senior detective ended his own call on his own phone a few feet away. "Hank?"

"That was Lucas's Captain."

"Shit. That was Chloe."

"Fuckin' hell... What did you tell her?"

"To come here to be with Evelyn while we go and try to find Lucas at the scene of the fire."

"Right answer." Pointing to the side door Hank moved quickly and motioned for Connor to follow after him. "Let's get changed and get out there, _fast_."

* * *

The old playhouse and theater in the depths of downtown Detroit had been targeted by an arsonist, and their work was thoroughly effective. The building had been occupied by a small group of people who had been charged with restoring the building to its former glory, and subsequently they were trapped inside when the building had become ignited from the outside. The doors and the windows had been coated in accelerant to ensure that no one could escape, and that victims would be guaranteed during the illegal blaze.

Lucas, and his new friend and fellow crew member, James, had gone inside the building to help the trapped victims get to safety. During their final sweep of the building's interior the roof collapsed and cut off the two firefighters' retreat to the safety of the street outside. Rendered unconscious from a strong blow to the head Lucas was unaware of the smoldering timbers that were pinning him down to the ground, or of James laying beside him suffering from a broken left leg.

"...Lucas?" James coughed as he readjusted his protective mask over his face and took in some clean breaths. He groaned in pain as he knew just by running his hand along his left leg from the knee down that his tibia had been broken in the collapse. "Lucas, where are ya' man?"

The high pitched shriek of the P.A.S.S. device (Personal Alert Safety System) attached to Lucas's belt helped James hone in on Lucas's location just a few feet away. Following the sound James rolled onto his stomach and used his arms to army crawl toward Lucas to try to awaken his downed friend.

"Lucas? Wake up, we need to get out of here." Pulling his radio from his belt James tried and failed to make contact with the rest of the crew outside as the collapse also heavily damaged the device. It was cracked and several interior wires were now exposed and sparking. "My radio's useless, and I can't call for help. I need you to wake up."

The deviant remained unresponsive as James crawled over to him and tried to push aside the burning wooden boards and beams that had pinned Lucas down by his torso, but he couldn't get the proper leverage and strength to do so with his leg broken. Pushing aside what he could with his gloved hands James removed the glove from his left hand just long enough to press his fingertips to the right side of Lucas's neck and count his pulse.

"Man, at least you're still alive." Grateful that Lucas had a unique pulse compared to other deviants, and would respond in a more human manner, James was able to administer some form of care to his wounded friend until more help arrived. "You have to get up, I can't carry you outta' here."

Lucas had taken the brunt of the collapse over his shoulders and chest as he had sensed the danger just two milliseconds before the roof came down. In response he pushed James to the side and tried to shield his friend with his own body as much as possible, only to have the heavy weight crush down on him with a relentless pressure that rendered the deviant unconscious within seconds.

The protective face mask that Lucas had been wearing was cracked under the weight of the smoldering heavy beams of the collapsed ceiling; exposing the left side of his face just enough to be burned by the passing fire as the flame smoldered itself out upon impact with the ground. The compromised mask also made it difficult for Lucas's ventilation biocomponents to breathe in cool clean air as opposed to the heated smoky air threatening to suffocate him as his system began to steadily overheat.

"Hey, if you can hear me Lucas just hang on." James pleaded as he watched his deviant friend's face pale and sweat diluted Thirium courtesy of the smothering heat. The trickle of blue blood beginning to ooze from the left corner of his mouth was beyond unsettling for the young firefighter who was trying to awaken his downed colleague. "Someone will find us soon."

Allowing the P.A.S.S. device to continue to shriek to help their crew outside locate their current area within the burning building James replaced his glove and proceeded to gently pat the side of Lucas's face to try rouse him up from his emergency stasis mode.

"Lucas! Fuck, man... You just got married! Don't leave your wife a widow after only a month!" Glancing about the burning theater James did his best to readjust his weight without harming his broken leg, and stayed next to Lucas until he regained consciousness. "...Hang on, Lucas. Just hang on."

* * *

The Oldsmobile sped to the scene of the fire where Hank and Connor promptly exited the vehicle and showed their badges to gain access beyond the barricade set up by the fire department to see what was happening. The entire building of old brick and mortar was smoldering with an intense heat that made Connor wince as he stood back and stared at the orange embers eating through the remaining structure at a frightening clip. Knowing that his brother was trapped somewhere inside made Connor's stomach turn and his heart ache.

Looking to Hank for guidance Connor just followed after his father as Hank honed in on Captain DeSoto near the fire engine as the seasoned firefighter gave orders over the radio. "Captain DeSoto."

"Hank." Giving his full attention to Hank the empathetic Captain dropped his radio from his mouth for just a moment. "I didn't think you'd come out here."

"If either of my boys are in danger I'm going to be there to help them. What happened?"

"Roof came down and trapped two of my men inside. Lucas and another firefighter, James Hudson."

"Have you located them?"

"Not yet. We're clearing the entryway as we speak."

"Fuck." Hank put his right hand to the side of his head and sighed impatiently. "Has there been any communication from inside?"

"None."

Connor didn't like the lack of progress and tried to think of a way to help find his missing brother without actually going inside the building to look in person. The urge to rush into the building was stunted only by the thought of his baby possibly growing up without a father. Feeling completely torn in half; one part of him wanting to risk everything to find his brother, and the other part wanting to do everything in his power to live forever for the sake of his wife and baby, Connor felt like his heart was actually being torn into pieces.

"...Lucas, where are you?" Taking a step back from the burning building Connor coughed as the wafting smoke irritated him and he put his hand to his chest until the coughing passed. In doing so he suddenly remembered the replacement mitral valve in his own heart being made of the same material as android biocomponents, and of how Lucas was able to keep tabs on Connor's location through the valve itself. "That's it! Hank?!" Rushing over to the senior detective Connor grabbed onto his left bicep and made him turn to look him in the eyes. "I know how to find Lucas!"

"What? How?"

"Look for any biocomponents in the building. The material has a unique signature that can be isolated with penetrating sonar and x-ray technology."

Captain DeSoto overheard the suggestion and waved over the nearby engineer manning the hose. "Go to the rig and grab the G.P.R. to sweep the building. If we find Lucas we'll find James alongside him."

"Right, Cap'!"

"Hank, I need you and Connor to keep back." Captain DeSoto stated in a low voice as he returned to his attention to the radio to continue to give orders while keeping in control of the scene. "As soon as they're clear you can do whatever you can to help out."

"...Yeah, right." Putting a firm right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank pushed Connor back from the building and out toward the street. Even the few feet of distance made the air feel instantly fifty degrees cooler. "You heard him."

"There aren't any technicians at the scene right now." Noting the lack of help for androids in the area Connor's fear doubled. "Lucas IS the technician."

"You know how to treat android injuries, AND we still have that fancy android first aid kit in the trunk of the car. You will be his technician if the other technicians don't arrive soon. You can do this, son." Staring Connor in the eyes and holding up his left hand to keep Connor from arguing with him Hank remained in control of his emotions with a paternal strength to rely on. "He's going to be okay."

Looking away from Hank and to the ruins of the burning building a few yards away Connor just nodded and watched the orange flames destroying the old building relentlessly, and showed no sign of stopping. "...O-Okay. He's going to be okay."

* * *

A barrage of red warnings filled Lucas's vision and loud Klaxons sounded off in his head as his intracranial processors rebooted, and he exited emergency stasis mode. Opening his green eyes Lucas blinked once as the static filled gray scale in his vision returned to color, and the numerous errors and warning texts were dismissed without a second thought. Lifting up his head Lucas tasted the Thirium collecting in his mouth and spotted James sitting beside him all the while trying to remove as much debris from over top of the deviant's trapped chest as possible.

"...J-James." The name came out as a barely audible electronic garble, causing Lucas to swallow the blue blood in his mouth and try again. Raising his voice to speak over the emergency device still shrieking Lucas addressed his friend as loudly as he could. "James?"

"Lucas! Man, it's about time you woke up." The young firefighter was hovering over Lucas with a righteously worried look on his face. "Are you hurt?"

"I am... damaged."

"How bad?"

Checking his self diagnostic Lucas told his friend the truth. "I am suffering from internal hemorrhaging. My Thirium filter has been... ruptured by the impact."

"Your what?"

"It's the equivalent to a human's... liver."

"Oh, shit. What can I do?"

"...Escape."

"No way, man. Even if I could get up I wouldn't leave you here alone like that."

"...You," he paused as he licked the drying blue blood from his lips and tried bit failed to initiate a scan over James' body. "are injured?"

"Busted my leg. I can't walk, let alone run for the hills."

"...You have to try." Refusing to let his friend die alongside him Lucas encouraged him to leave the building. "I don't want to... see you get killed."

"Same here, man. I won't leave you or anyone else behind."

The roaring blaze seemed to burn forever as the two friends patiently awaited for their rescue. Neither firefighter was willing to leave the other behind, and despite their injuries neither man showed any fear for their possible future.

"JAMES? LUCAS?" The voice of another crew member shouted loudly as he honed in on the high pitched P.A.S.S. signal, and used the sonar to locate Lucas through the mess of the collapsing building. "Can you hear me?"

"Dave! Right over here, man!" James sounded entirely relieved, but tense as the pain in his leg flared up as he moved. "Lucas is trapped and I broke my leg!"

"Hang on, we're going to get you."

"Hear that?" James put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder as he continued to stay beside the deviant. "We're going to be out of here soon."

"Y-Yes." Lucas's green eyes began to close as his breath hitched a little in his chest. "...I h-heard."

"Lucas?" Giving the deviant's shoulder a little shake James tried to rouse Lucas again as the deviant lost consciousness. "Stay awake, now. Talk to me. Tell me about your wife. What's she really like?"

"C-Chloe. She's... She's smart, beautiful, caring... We... We want to have a f-family of our own someday..." Trailing off for a moment Lucas's voice kept dipping lower as he struggled to remain awake. "Like... Like my brother."

"You just keep thinking about your wife and your brother, alright?" Encouraging Lucas as much as he could James was determined to keep his friend alive, and get him out of the building in one piece. "Don't give up just yet."

* * *

Pacing about nervously along the sidewalk beside the parked car Connor felt entirely useless as he was unable to help Lucas, enter the building or even scan the interior as he would've been able to do if he were still a deviant. With his phone clutched in his nervous rigt palm all Connor could do was wait and watch while Hank remained calm and composed for the both of them.

Impatience was pushing Connor to his emotional breaking point.

"Hold still, Connor." Hank urged as he addressed his son without drawing any unwanted attention from the other firefighters. "You can't make the rescue move any faster by wearing a hole in the street."

"I can't help it, Hank. I hate waiting."

"Yeah, I know. I do, too."

"How can you be so calm right now?"

"Because I've been through a lot of tough shit in the past, with and without you boys, and it hasn't killed me or you two yet. I know that Lucas isn't as stubborn as you are, but he is one tough bastard who won't go down without a fight."

From the opened entryway of the theater Connor saw one firefighter exit with an unseen person draped over their shoulders, followed by a second firefighter with a more familiar figure being carried out in the same manner.

"Lucas!"

"Steady." Hank returned his right hand to Connor's left shoulder in time to keep the young detective from sprinting back into the danger zone. "They're bringing Lucas over to us. Stay right here."

The rescued firefighters were carried away from the building and over to the nearby ambulance for treatment. While James was placed on the gurney and being tended to by the paramedics in the back of the ambulance Lucas was gently placed on a cooling yellow tarp on the ground to allow Connor and Hank the room to tend to the downed deviant. Kneeling down beside Lucas somewhat timidly Connor pressed his left fingertips to the right side of Lucas's neck to count his pulse, and check his current core temperature.

"He's alive," the heat radiating from Lucas's skin combined with the fine sheen of pale blue sweat gave Connor a fairly good reading on his brother's vital signs from a visual perspective. "but he's overheating."

"What can I do?" Hank asked as he hovered over Lucas warily. "Ice?"

"Get an E.T.A. on the technicians and let them know Lucas is in serious condition. Overheating, tachycardic and suffering from Thirium loss."

"Right."

"Lucas?" Unfastening the chin strap to Lucas's helmet Connor lifted the damaged, but effective piece of protective gear from his little brother's head, then peeled away what remained of his destroyed face mask to look his unconscious brother in the eyes. The burn on the left side of his face looked painful, but it was the least severe of his injuries at the moment. "Lucas, look up at me."

The deviant's green eyes slowly opened just enough for the glassy irises to be visible as Lucas struggled to remain conscious.

"That's it. Look at me, little brother. I'm right here."

"...C-Connor."

A weak chuckle of relief passed his lips as Lucas regained consciousness. "I'm here, so is dad."

"...How did..." Seeing his big brother was unexpected but welcome. "Why are you... here?"

"You're my brother and you need my help, that's why!" Unfastening the straps of Lucas's thick turnout coat one at a time Connor opened up the heavy, protective garment and exposed Lucas's damaged chest beneath. The dark blue, almost black uniform shirt beneath had been scorched through, and his artificial skin was injured enough to bleed where the heat damaged white plastimetal frame underneath had been exposed thanks to the burning heavy wooden beams that pinned him to the floor. "...Lucas, no. If you can I need you to run a self diagnostic for me."

"...A-Already have. Thirium filter down to... forty-two percent... capacity."

"Shit. What's your Thirium volume?"

"...Seventy-eight percent."

"Okay, hold on. The technicians are on the way."

"...Th-This is why Captain DeSoto is... trying to g-get another technician on the c-crew."

"Try not to move around, okay?" Slipping his right arm under Lucas's shoulders Connor lifted his little brother up somewhat at an angle and held the injured deviant up against his chest to try to make him feel more comfortable. "You're going into thermal and insipid shock. Just keep talking to me."

"...What d-do you want to talk a-about?"

"Well, how about your future niece or nephew? We have a name picked out for a girl," Connor explained as he watched the technicians approaching his downed brother from over Lucas's shoulder. "but not a boy. Got any suggestion?"

"...Why not... Sumo Junior?"

"Because Evelyn would kill and divorce me!" Connor laughed a little as he tried to remain optimistic on his brother's behalf. "And she'd do it in that order."

Staying calm Hank rejoined the two brothers as the technicians began to check over Lucas and provide technical assistance to the injured deviant. Staying beside his sons Hank helped Lucas to lay back down as the technicians cut away the remains of Lucas's shirt and began placed wireless sensor pads against the deviant's bare chest to get a reading on his vital signs.

Leaning down so Lucas could see his face Hank addressed his youngest son with a respectable level of calm. "How do you feel, Lucas?"

"I'm... I'm warm and... I'm c-cold at the same time."

"Shock?"

"...Correct."

From the back of the ambulance where James had been taken to have his leg splinted the injured firefighter called out to the technicians taking care of Lucas a few yards away in a stern voice. "You guys pull him through this mess! He saved my life, and he has a wife to go home to!"

The first technician turned to look at James over his left shoulder and nodded. "We'll do everything in our power, I swear to it."

Hank put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and pulled the younger man back up onto his feet and directed him away from Lucas by a few steps. "Hey, he's going to be okay. Why don't you call Evelyn and let her know what's going on?"

"...What about Chloe?"

"I'll call Chloe and explain things. You talk to your wife."

"Right, yeah." Pulling his phone from his pocket Connor opened his contacts where he had purposely put Evelyn's number at the top of the list, and pressed 'dial' as he held the phone to his right ear. The line rang only once before Evelyn answered the call. "Hey... Lucas is going to be okay. He's injured and will need treatment at a facility, but he's going to be just fine."

'_Thank god..._ _Where is he going_?'

"Stay at the house, I'll-"

'_Connor, he's my brother-in-law, I'm going to be there for him_.'

"...Okay, if you want to go I won't stop you. He's going to St. Mercy Hospital. Dr. Wilson has been undergoing training to aid downed deviant first responders, and he's the doctor who had helped me numerous times in the past. Lucas will be fine under his care."

'_Chloe and I will meet you there_.' There was a pause as Evelyn looked to Chloe sitting on the far end of the couch with her hands folded neatly in her lap. '..._She knows, right_?'

"Hank is calling her right now and explaining things. Don't worry."

'_Too late, I'm worried_. _But I won't panic_.'

"You never do. See you there. I love you."

'_I love you, too_. _Let Lucas know we're on our way_.'

Connor ended the call just as Hank did so on his end. "Evelyn and Chloe are going to meet us at the hospital."

"Yeah, Chloe sounded calm but I know she's worried."

"Aren't we all?"

"Yup." The senior detective watched with a heavy heart as Lucas was carefully lifted up from the cooling tarp and placed down gently on the gurney to be placed in the back of the android unique ambulance a few yards away from the human ambulance. Lucas lifted up his right hand as if trying to wave his family over, and Hank patted Connor's shoulder. "Go with him. You know a thing or two about technical support, and you're a paramedic. They should give you clearance."

"What about you?"

"I'll follow in the car and meet you there."

"...Okay." Jogging over to the back of the ambulance Connor climbed inside and told the technicians who he was and showed them his badge as he sat down on the bench beside his little brother. Lucas had a bandage over the burn on the left side of his face, and an oxygen in place over his nose and mouth to help his ventilation biocomponents cool down and remove the smoke from his artificial lungs. "Lucas?" Putting his right hand down on Lucas's left bicep just above the Thirium pressure cuff wrapped around his arm Connor tried to be of some comfort to his wounded brother. "You're going to be fine. Once you get to the hospital Chloe will meet you there, and you'll be together."

"...Chloe?"

"Yes. She's on her way."

"...I love her."

"I know you do. And she loves you." Glancing at the Thirial activity monitor attached to Lucas's chest Connor noted his brother's relatively weak, but stable vital signs on display. "Try to rest and take it easy. Your Thirium filter will be repaired and you'll be just fine."

"...What about... James?"

"James seemed to be just fine. He was encouraging the technicians to do everything they can to help you, so I think it's safe to say he won't let his injured leg slow him down. "Try not to worry about him and just focus on yourself for now."

"...Okay, brother."

As Lucas's green eyes closed and his body went limp on the gurney Connor kept his hand on Lucas's bicep as he stayed loyally at his side.

"You're going to be alright, Lucas. You saved your friend's life, and now you're going to go to the hospital to heal. When you wake up," patting Lucas's arm lightly Connor continued to speak to his brother as the technicians took care of him, and used an audioscope to listen to his chest. "you'll be with Chloe, with Hank, with Evelyn and with me. You won't be alone."

* * *

Two hours of sitting together in the waiting room felt like a practice run for Hank as he looked over at Connor holding Evelyn's right hand, and Evelyn rubbing her left hand over her massive pregnant belly. The idea of waiting for news on his family from a doctor had always made him feel sick to his stomach, even when the waiting for good news like when he heard the doctor announce that Cole had been born,and he was completely healthy as he held onto Barbara's hand from start to finish was tense.

Not every trip to the hospital would end in gloom or depression, and not every trip would result the demise of a loved one. It was a fact and Hank just needed to remind himself of it.

Taking notice of Chloe who was sitting beside Connor in painful silence, her posture was statuesque and perfect; almost painful to look at, Hank sympathized with her emotional turmoil. Sitting down beside the blonde haired deviant Hank leaned forward against his knees and gave Chloe a calm voice to listen to as she waited. "He's going to be okay, Chloe."

"...I haven't been able to contact him ever since the fire." She locked eyes with Hank and let a single tear roll down her face. "I'm... I'm worried. The last time I was unable to contact Lucas he had been taken to Chicago."

"He took a pretty good blow to the head, but he was alert and talking at the scene. He just needs a few minutes for his self healing thing to do its job."

"How do you learn to stop counting the seconds and stop running the statistics of technical failure?"

"...I wish I could tell you, Chloe. But I think humans are more obsessed with time than androids are."

Connor glanced over at Chloe and silently put his left hand over hers to give the frightened deviant some support. "He'll be okay, Chloe. I can feel it."

From the other side of the waiting room Dr. Wilson approached the gathered family to tell them about Lucas's condition. His teal colored scrubs had Thirium stains over the shirt around his abdomen, but his hands were clean as he had removed his blue blood stained gloves before he had left the operating room after he tended to Lucas's injuries.

"Doc?" Hank stood up and faced the doctor directly. "How's Lucas?"

"Lucas is going to be okay." Dr. Wilson announced proudly as the family let out a collective sigh of relief. "His Thirium filter needed to be repaired, and he required two pints of replacement Thirium to replenish what he lost, but he's recovering well and resting comfortably."

"...Can we see him?" Chloe asked in a timid voice as she stood up from her chair with Hank right at her side. "...Please?"

"Of course." Noticing the wedding ring on Chloe's finger he instantly knew who she was. "You can stay with him all night since you're his bondmate, but..."

"We get it." Hank admitted as he nodded with understanding at the doctor. "Big groups take up a lot of important space. We'll say goodnight and then see him again in the morning."

* * *

In the dimly lit recovery room Lucas was resting in a light doze with a nasal canula under his nose to give him fresh clean oxygen to help him clear out his ventilation biocomponents and cool his system back down. There was a bandage over the left side of his face to cover the exposed white plastimetal frame beneath until his burned artificial skin could regenerate over the wound. His lower chest and upper abdomen were wrapped up in gauze to ensure the still exposed plastimetal frame protecting his repaired Thirium filter until the rest of his artificial skin could regenerate over his torso as well.

With a muted Thirial activity monitor still attached to his chest and a Thirium pressure cuff wrapped around his left bicep, Lucas still looked rough, but he was expected to make a full recovery within forty-eight hours.

"Lucas?" Chloe walked into the room and lightly wrapped her left hand around his right hand as she leaned over him in the bed. "Lucas, can you hear me?"

"...Y-Yes." Opening his eyes slowly he squeezed her hand and smiled at his bondmate. "I can hear you."

For the first time since that horrible phone call came her way Chloe smiled and her shoulders relaxed. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Squeezing her hand even tighter Lucas sighed and used his right hand to gently stroke the side of her face. "Yes, I'm okay. Please don't be worried."

From behind Chloe the rest of the family walked into the room to see Lucas and check in on him before they left for the night.

"Hey, son." Hank put his right hand to the back of Lucas's head and gave his youngest son a reassuring grin. "You did good, son. Your buddy James is two doors down with his leg in a cast. He's staying the night, too, but other than his leg he's just fine."

"I'm glad. James is a good guy."

Connor and Evelyn walked to the other side of the bed and gave Lucas relieved grins. While Connor subconsciously glanced over his brother's vital signs on the monitors Evelyn rubbed her hand along his right forearm lightly.

"I knew you'd be okay." Connor confirmed with a gentle laugh to his words. "How do you feel?"

"...I believe the term would be 'sore'."

"That'll be normal for a while. You're not as pale as you were at the scene which is a good sign, and you're not overheating anymore."

"Yes. It appears the update allowing me to sweat had helped to keep my core temperature from rising to a dangerous degree. It's proving more beneficial than a hindrance at a rapid pace."

"So you're going to keep the updates?"

"Yes." Lucas glanced up at Chloe and they exchanged coy smiles. "We want to keep the updates and see what else this glimpse of humanity has to offer us." Returning his attention to Connor and Evelyn, his eyes trailing over her baby bump, Lucas gave them a kind smile. "And I want to experience what it's like to be an uncle without any misconceptions about being a human."

Chloe's hand tightened around his even more as she listened him talking about the future with such optimism. "So do I. We never know what could happen to us in time."

Hank lifted his hand from Lucas's hair and pulled over a chair beside the bed for Chloe to sit in for the night. "We all can't stay here, but we'll be back in the morning to visit, and the day after we'll get you back home to rest. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'll be okay. Just find the arsonist who targeted that building."

"Hey, whenever a firefighter gets wounded by an arsonist every cop in the city makes it their personal mission to track the sick-freak down. Don't you worry about that, son. They won't get away with it."

"Thank you, dad."

"Feel better, and we'll see you in the morning, son."

Connor went to follow after Hank with Evelyn at his side, but he didn't leave without saying goodnight to Lucas. "You saved James's life tonight. Your crew is hailing you as a hero, be proud of yourself."

"I'm not a hero." Blushing slightly Lucas remained expectedly humble. "I was just doing my job."

"You were heroic in the process, accept it. You saved one of your own, that's heroic no matter what." Teasing his little brother as his playful mood returned despite the late hour Connor shook Lucas's right hand then wrapped his left arm around Evelyn's waist around her back to help her walk. "We'll check in on you soon, brother. Get some rest."

"One more thing." Evelyn was tired but not about to leave without saying anything to Lucas. "For scaring us like this I'm going to be sure to save a dirty diaper for you to change once the baby is born. And if you keep it up you'll be on diaper duty until the baby outgrows the diapers altogether. Got it?"

"That's fair. I'll see you tomorrow." Lucas smirked a little as his watched his big brother and pregnant sister-in-law leave his recovery room. Holding tightly onto Chloe's hand Lucas gave his bondmate a kind, yet fatigued smile. "Are you ready to be an aunt?"

"I'm excited for it. I hope we can learn what it's like to be parents so we can know what to do in the near future." Giving Lucas a somewhat somber glance she tightened her hand around his as she sat down in the chair beside his bed, and let her fears be known. "That's something I want to experience with you though. Not alone."

"I'm not going anywhere, Chloe." He gave her a gentle kiss on her lips as she leaned forward, and he laid back in his bed to rest. The desire to be there for his bondmate, for his brother and future niece or nephew, gave the deviant too much to live for to just give up or do anything that would bring himself any harm. "I promise I won't ever leave you."

_**-next chapter-**_


	93. Hope and Happiness

Laying on her right side on the bed with a thick pillow tucked up under her big belly Evelyn dozed lightly while Connor carefully rubbed her lower back to try to help ease the straining muscles during her final week of pregnancy, and coax them to relax a little. The walks around the block with Ruby had done little to get things in motion and the final few days had been physically and emotionally exhausting for Evelyn. Dealing with Lucas in the hospital two days prior had given her an unexpected shock, but she was okay now that she knew he was going to be just fine.

After Evelyn finally fell asleep and seemed to relax on the bed Connor got up very slowly and quietly as to not disturb her, and gave her a kiss to her left cheek. With a ginger touch he put his left hand to the side of her belly and could feel that her belly was lower than it had been, which of course meant labor wouldn't be too far away now that the baby was descending into position.

Leaning his head down he pressed his left ear against her bump and listened to the quiet, fluttering heartbeat of his baby and felt himself smile brightly.

"I love both of you." He whispered as he walked out of the bedroom and met Ruby sitting in the opened doorway of the bedroom. Rubbing his right hand over her ears Connor motioned to the bed and spoke to the loyal hound in an equally quiet voice. "Go keep her company, girl."

Ruby seemed to perfectly understand the command and managed to hop up onto the foot of the bed to cuddle against Evelyn's legs without waking her up by accident.

"Good girl."

Creeping down the staircase with silent steps Connor walked into the livingroom to try to distract himself for a little bit as he knew that things were going to change very soon. As he sat down on the couch he heard the side door out in the laundry room leading to the garage open and close, followed by Hank walking through the kitchen to join him in the livingroom.

"How's Evelyn?" Hank asked as he watched Connor's soulful brown eyes staring straight ahead into nothingness with utter excitement.

"Sleeping."

"And how're you?"

"Not sleeping."

"Smartass." Sitting down beside Connor on the couch Hank kicked up his feet on the coffee table and leaned back into the cushions heavily. "Seriously, how are you holding up?"

"I'm nervous, but it's the good kind of nervous." Admitting the truth made Connor's heart race a little with nervous energy. "I'm excited."

"Got the bags for the hospital packed?"

"The baby's bag is in the baby's room, and Evelyn's bag is in our bedroom closet."

"What about _your_ bag?"

The prospect of a third bag made Connor's brow arch a little. "Huh?"

"Labor can last from a few hours to a few days. You should have a second bag packed for yourself just in case."

"I didn't even think about that."

"That's because you're too busy thinking about_ them_."

"I'll be sure to throw a few things in my backpack tonight."

"Bring a book or two. It'll help you both pass the time as you wait."

"Is that what you did when Barbara went into labor?"

"Yup."

"...Can I ask how it went?"

"Well," Hank rubbed his right hand vigorously through his gray locks of hair and sighed as he thought about that day so long ago. "we were getting lunch at a local diner when she realized that the Braxton-hicks contractions she was feeling for the past two days were actually the real thing, and about two steps out of the car after we got to the hospital her water broke. Since she was already in labor the better part of the previous day she was ready to push and deliver in about six hours."

"Were you scared?"

"Terrified! It's one thing when you're helping to deliver a complete stranger's baby, but when it's your own... It's hard to describe that adrenaline rush when it starts coursing through your veins. Are you feeling scared, son?"

"...Not yet."

"Fear's normal. Just be there for Evelyn and the moment you see your baby all that fear will disappear, and turn into love."

"That's good to know."

"By the way, that arsonist was busted late last night and he's going to prison for over thirty years." Leaning back against the thick couch cushions the senior detective sighed and checked his phone after pulling it from his pocket. "Chris busted him and dragged his sorry ass into the precinct in cuffs."

"Good. One less psycho on the streets."

"Get any word from Lucas?"

"He's still resting comfortably at home, and he's recovered one-hundred percent. He'll return to the station in one week."

"Fantastic. Everything is working out fine."

"It's about time, too. I think our family is overdue for a little break."

"Speaking of time..." Hank glanced at his phone again and sighed at the late hour. "It's almost eleven, I'm tired and smell like the garage. I'm going to shower off and go to bed."

"Right." Standing up from the couch Connor walked back toward the staircase and stood at the base of the stairs for a moment. "I'll go pack that third bag and make sure Evelyn is still comfortable."

"Connor?"

"Yeah?"

Joining Connor at the staircase Hank wrapped his son up in a tight hug and patted his back twice. "I'm proud of you."

"...Thanks, dad." Happy to reciprocate the hug Connor sighed a little and felt entirely at ease with the world. "I'm proud of you, too."

* * *

The early morning hours were met with the songs of birds greeting the warm spring sunrise as the remaining frost continued to thaw after the relentless winter had finally began to fade into a much anticipated spring. A small dog whimper and low groan of pain mixed in with the singing birds outside the window, and Connor's soulful brown eyes snapped open fast as he turned toward the sound of the pain. He saw Evelyn's face scrunched in pain as she laid on her right side and tried to curl around herself protectively.

It was time.

"Evelyn?" Pushing himself upright with his right hand Connor pulled back the quilt, pushing Ruby aside in the process, and put his left hand down on the side of her belly. He could feel the tightened abdominal muscles under his palm steadily relax as the painful contraction began to ease up, and let her relax for just a moment. "How long have you been having contractions?"

"...J-Just started." Evelyn breathed out as she slowly rolled from her side and onto her back as Connor kept his palm in place. Rubbing her hands over her heavy belly Evelyn took in deep, slow and calming breaths as she processed what was now happening to her body. "That sucked."

"You'll be okay." Grabbing onto her right hand he held tight and checked the time on his phone on the nightstand: 05:47 am. "I'll get the car packed and we'll head out to the hospital."

"This is really happening, isn't it?"

Smiling warmly Connor rubbed his palm over her belly then leaned down to kiss her lips. "Yeah. It's happening."

"Is it weird now that I know what labor pain feels like I'd rather just hold it in?"

"I don't think that's medically possible, Evelyn."

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to try!"

Giving Evelyn another kiss Connor got up from the bed and then helped Evelyn do the same so she could get a few things around before they went to the hospital. As Connor wrapped his right arm around her waist and helped her stand up she winced as a strong kick to her ribs made her pause mid step and rub her bump again.

Seeing her wince made Connor freeze mid step. "Evelyn?"

"...I'm fine. I just think they're ready to meet us."

"So are we." Putting his left palm back over the front of her belly Connor guided Evelyn out of the bedroom and toward the bathroom just one room over so she could take a quick shower and change her clothes. "But I'd prefer to meet them in the delivery room and not on the floor of the livingroom, or in the backseat of the car on the side of the road."

"Good point." She smirked as she braced herself against the shower for a moment before stepping inside. "That would an awkward introduction."

Hearing Connor's voice so early in the morning made Hank wake up, and he quickly figured out what was going on. Without hesitation he changed into clean clothes himself, and pocketed his phone. Hank then opened the door to his bedroom and caught sight of Connor walking into the baby's room to pick up the bag, and noticed Ruby sitting outside the bathroom door patiently.

"Showtime?"

"Yeah." Connor confirmed with a proud smile on his face. "Things are just beginning."

"Give me that." Taking the bag from Connor's hand Hank patted Connor's right shoulder and walked past him. "I'll get the car around and meet you out front. You take care of Evelyn and help her get to the car."

"Could you call Lucas, too?"

"No problem. I'll get him and Chloe to meet us at the hospital in an hour or so."

Connor nodded as he walked downstairs to shower off quickly in the ground floor bathroom, then returned to the bedroom upstairs to change his clothes and pick up the two additional bags from the closet. As he stepped back into the hallway he saw the bathroom door open and watched as Evelyn leaned heavily against the door frame with her left arm and supported her low belly with her right hand. She had changed into a baggy t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants, and looked like she was about to either burst out loud laughing or start crying.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah... Just about to bring new life into the world." The second contraction hadn't been anymore fun to endure than the first. "No big deal!"

"Come on." Escorting her down the staircase very slowly and carefully Connor helped her to sit down on the couch then lay back over the length of the furniture on her back. Ruby was following closely after the laboring woman and watching her masters curiously as Connor tended to Evelyn. Placing his left palm down on Evelyn's belly Connor attempted to time her contractions but it was still early enough in the labor that they didn't have to beat a clock to get her to the hospital just yet. "Hank's out front with the car. I'm going to throw the bags in the car and get you outside."

"You better come back for me!" She managed to joke as she watched Connor taking care of things like a real pro. "That would be really awkward to explain to the doctor..."

"Just one minute." Kissing her forehead Connor jogged toward the front door and quickly made his way out to the car to deposit the last bags into the trunk, and opened up the rear door of Evelyn's car so he could place Evelyn in the backseats to lay down more comfortably.

The car was a small 2028 Pace and had been a little rundown, but it was still a good car and was ideal for the small family to drive now that Hank fixed it up.

Patiently Evelyn rubbed her right hand over her belly and focused on her breathing and every little change her body was experiencing as her labor slowly progressed. "...I know it's worth it in the end," she whispered to her baby. "but no more kicks to the bladder, please."

Connor returned to the house through the front door and called Ruby to follow him from the couch and to the backyard, but the loyal hound didn't want to leave Evelyn. "Come on, girl. Outside."

Ruby whimpered and stared at Evelyn as if trying to plead her case to stay.

"Ruby." Putting more authority in his voice Connor tried calling to her again. "Come."

Evelyn pet Ruby's ears and gave Connor an amused smirk. "It's okay, Ruby."

"Ruby." Connor called her again and walked toward the kitchen to lead her outside. "Come on."

Slowly Ruby walked out of the livingroom and followed Connor into the kitchen as he took her outside through the sliding backdoor, and clipped her to the lead wrapped around the lone tree in the backyard. Rushing back to the kitchen he grabbed two large bowls from the cupboard and filled them both up with food and water before placing them outside where Ruby could get to them.

"I know, you're not used to being outside on a leash all day, but I don't know how long we'll be and I don't want you cooped up inside all day, girl." Rubbing her ears lightly Connor was rewarded with a lick to the side of his face as he stood upright and made his way to the backdoor. "Be good, Ruby." Tossing her green fetch ball into the yard so she had a toy to play with Connor called out to the dog before he slid the doors shut to lock them. "We'll be back soon with the new baby!"

Rushing into the livingroom Connor was met with another groan of pain from Evelyn as she felt another contraction burning through her abdomen. Within a matter of seconds Connor was back in the livingroom and holding onto Evelyn's hand as she endured the pain and breathed through it steadily.

"It's okay, I'm here." Connor soothed as he endured the crushing pain of Evelyn squeezing his hand. As the contraction faded her grip lessened and she let out her breath slowly before breathing in again. Three contractions in one hour. "Are you ready to be moved?"

Nodding slowly Evelyn rubbed her left hand over her belly and wrapped her right arm around Connor's neck as he scooped her up from the couch and carried her bridal style to the front door. She held tight as he fumbled with the key to lock the front door behind him and then proceeded to carry her to the car where Hank was patiently waiting for their arrival in the driver's seat.

Bending down Connor managed to place Evelyn down gently in the backseat before he climbed in after her. "Lean up against me, I have you." He pulled the door shut and returned his hand to hers as he gave Hank a nod, and let out a weak sigh as his father pulled away from the house to head out to the hospital at last. "...We're about to be parents."

"...Yeah." Evelyn smiled as she regained her strength after the last contraction. "Are you ready for it?"

"We don't have a choice anymore, but, yeah, I'm ready." The future was too tempting to even try to back down now. "I _want_ to be a dad."

* * *

Excitedly Lucas and Chloe gathered the few gifts they had bought for Evelyn and the baby and made their way to the side driveway to get in the pick-up truck together, and head out to the hospital. Lucas couldn't help but send another message to let James and the rest of his station know of the good news at long last, and let them know that he'd back to work in one week as expected.

"You have the gift you want to give, right?" Lucas asked as he and Chloe climbed into the truck together to make their anxious drive.

"Yes," she grinned as she motioned to eh wrapped up gift sitting behind her seat. "I put it in the backseat last week so it was ready to go."

"Good idea. This is going to be an amazing day, Chloe." Beaming proudly Lucas turned the key in the ignition and backed the truck out of the driveway and onto the street. "My _brother_ is going to become a_ father_."

"And you're going to be an uncle." Smiling brightly Chloe's enthusiasm for the entire event was as sincere as Lucas's own feelings. "I can't wait to see the baby, I've never seen one in person before."

"Maybe if you choose to become a nurse as you had mention you can work in the maternity wing of the hospital and spend all day with newborn babies."

"That would be a very rewarding career."

"Then go for it," he encouraged his beloved bondmate boldly. "and I'll support you."

"Thank you, Lucas." She leaned over and kissed her husband's right cheek as they drove off to the hospital together. "I'll apply for nursing school at the beginning of the next month. I can finally help people in the same way you and Connor have been able to help people, and I know it'll be a rewarding experience."

* * *

Within a matter of minutes Evelyn had been checked into the hospital and placed in a private room in the maternity wing as she progressed through her labor, and was promptly hooked up to a cardiac monitor record her vital signs, and had a fetal heart monitor strapped to her belly beneath her hospital gown. She was only two days early compared to her due date, but even so the doctors were monitoring her very closely. Connor was parked in a chair beside the bed and was holding onto her right hand tightly as she endured another contraction and breathed as necessary.

"You're doing great, Evelyn."

"Yeah... it doesn't feel great!" She groaned and rocked her hips a little to try to shift the mounting pressure in her abdomen around. Laying on her back wasn't the most comfortable position for her at the moment "...Shit. I'm beginning to think adoption would've been a tad less painful."

"That's just a myth. It still hurts."

"Uh-huh. Well, if we decide to have another baby YOU are going to be the one to carry it!"

"That's still not anatomically possible, otherwise I'd consider it."

Hank walked into the room with a styrofoam cup of ice chips for Evelyn to chew on, and caught the tail end of the odd discussion. "I heard that. If Connor could have a kid he'd still try to work at the precinct, insist he could just wear a couple of vests so he could go out in the field, go into labor while on the clock but still try finish his case first, and then he'd try to deliver the kid on his own so he could avoid the hospital."

"Home births aren't uncommon." Connor sarcastically defended his behavior in the wild hypothetical scenario, and did so with a smug grin on his face.

"See?"

Evelyn laughed a little and gratefully took the cup from Hank's hand to chew on the offered ice. "If our baby is half as stubborn as Connor is then I think we're going to be in big trouble."

"Or has his mouth." Hank tagged on as he gave Connor a somewhat smug glance of his own. "Hate for you two to deal with parent-teacher conferences because your kid is being a smartass in class all day long."

Connor crossed his arms defensively over his chest as he contributed to the odd conversation with an all too appropriate manner. "I'd rather deal with my kid being a 'smartass' than a 'dumbass'."

"You say that now, but once they start acting like you; too damn stubborn and clever for their own good, you're going to regret saying that."

The doctor tending to Evelyn and their baby, Dr. Helena Avi, walked into the room to check in on her laboring patient and the unborn baby while on continuing her rounds. Noting Evelyn's vital signs and those of the baby Dr. Avi seemed very pleased by how everything looked and decided to check on Evelyn's progress before taking her leave to check on her other patients.

"Alright, Evelyn. Let's see how far you're dilated." As she discreetly lifted up the sheet Hank politely turned his attention away, not that any of the three detectives in the room were unfamiliar with the prospect of childbirth thanks to their emergency medical training, and gave Evelyn a rough time frame for the impending birth. "So you're about four centimeters dilated, and you're progressing very well. I'd say another six to eight hours max, and you'll have your baby."

"Anything we can do to speed it up?"

"We can give you some medication to help move things along, but at the rate your body is responding I don't think it's necessary. I'll check on you in an hour, and if you'd like I'll deliver the medication for you to help things move a little quicker."

"Great, thanks."

"How's your pain?"

"...It's starting to get pretty damn bad."

"Alright, when I come back in an hour we'll give you the epidural to take the edge off. Until then just keep trying to rest and focus on your breathing, you're doing great."

"Okay, yeah."

As Dr. Avi left the room Connor picked up Evelyn's right hand again and gave her knuckles a light kiss. "Only six more hours."

"Or eight."

"I'm going with six."

"Eager to be a daddy?" Laughing a little at the notion Evelyn flinched and squeezed Connor's hand as another contraction tightened her belly uncomfortably.

"Very." Letting her squeeze his hand as much as she wanted Connor waited for her to relax before he kissed her knuckles again.

"...That's good." Breathing out slowly Evelyn waited for the pain to cease before tried to speaking again. "I'm eager to get this kid out and actually be a mom, and not just a mother-to-be."

Proudly Hank watched as the expecting couple supported one another and were genuinely excited to be parents. It seemed so surreal to see Connor excited for fatherhood instead of doubting himself and worrying that he didn't have the capacity to love his own family, and it was a change that gave Hank a renewed hope for the future. To have a new addition to a family that Hank had believed he had lost during that horrible winter night when he was unable to save his firstborn son after the car accident was like an actual miracle for the gruff Lieutenant harboring a heart of gold.

"While you two are waiting for the baby to get here," Hank smirked and decided to find something keep himself busy as he waited. "I'm going to go pull the car seat out of the trunk and get it secured in the backseat so we can get home and celebrate as soon as possible. Need anything while I'm out?"

Connor just shook his head a little and discreetly slipped his phone from his pocket to send a few texts without Evelyn noticing. "I'm good, dad."

Evelyn just let out a deep sigh and gave Hank a nervous glance. "Think you could smuggle in a hot tub so I can relax properly after I give birth?"

"Uh, I can try, but I think security will notice."

"Figures."

"Text if need me to do anything or bring something. I'll be outside pacing around nervously."

Taking his leave of the private room Hank took the time to text the precinct and let Captain Fowler know that Connor was now effectively out on paternity leave, and that he'd be arriving on his usual schedule again _after_ the baby was born in two days. The always composed senior detective had also made a point of ordering some flowers for Evelyn as he walked outside to the hospital's parking garage to take care of things as he promised to ensure that his kids and grandchild would be taken care of properly.

Just as the car's trunk popped open Hank's phone rang and he answered it in a somewhat annoyed manner. "This is Anderson."

'_Hank, it's Fowler_.'

"Yeah, I know. That's why I answered." Keeping the phone between his left ear and his shoulder Hank pulled the car seat out of the trunk and slammed it shut again with his right elbow. "What's going on?"

'_Well, first of all, you and Connor are being recognized by the mayor for all your work with deviants;_ _and second, he has personally vouched for you both to receive promotions with honors_.'

"...Promotions?" Hank's left hand faltered a little as he reached for the handle of the rear passenger side door, then quickly regained his grip. "What the fuck are you talking about? I mean, I get Connor being promoted," the seasoned detective admitted as he placed the car seat down in the middle of the backseat and began properly securing it in place. "but _me_? I'm the asshole that you had to convince Internal Affairs to NOT fire."

'_I know_. _ I was shocked, too_.'

"Alright, who died?"

'_No one died, Hank_.' Captain Fowler was getting irritated and had to raise his voice to get reality to set in for the pessimistic Lieutenant. '_For fuck sake you earned this_.'

"Earned it? Yeah, right." Hank shook his head unseen at Captain Fowler's comment before he finished securing the car seat in place and climbed back out of the vehicle to stand beside the car. "More like the mayor is trying to score some brownie points with the deviant community by promoting the two detectives who made the headlines for taking down CyberLife a couple years back, establishing peaceful alliance with New Jericho, and of course Connor and Evelyn busting that illegal android fight club in Chicago. This is all just a cheap stunt and you're letting him exploit us."

'_What the hell is wrong with you_? _You're the only officer in this whole fuckin' state who'd actually get pissed off at better pay and benefits_.'

"I'd like it better if it was _actually earned_, Jeffrey." Snipping back sternly Hank made his logic known. "I don't want some fancy title and perks just handed to me because of some half-wit politician trying to make himself look good!"

'_Oh for fuck sake, Hank_.' The heavy irritation in his voice was undeniable. '_You're acting like this is some kind of set-up_.'

"Because it IS, Jeffrey." Slamming the car door shut Hank pocketed the key and leaned his back up against the side of the vehicle as he spoke. "You seriously don't think the timing on this is just a little too coincidental? Hm? The mayor got a lot of heat once the city found out CyberLife was still secretly stalking around in the shadows and tried to get Lucas to destroy New Jericho from the inside out, not to mention the cops being pissed off at the stunt that little worm pulled last winter and giving us food poisoning, and now that people know innocent deviants were abducted from the city he swore to protect he lost a shit-ton of support. If the mayor wasn't up for re-election this fall then maybe, _maybe_, I could believe this. But the mayor wanting to promote us himself reeks of bullshit."

'_Alright, alright_!' Captain Fowler was losing his patience and decided to end the unusual conversation before it got any more heated. '_Look, this isn't going to happen for another two months, so_-'

"See?" Hank interrupted aggressively at the additional detail. "Just in time to start rebuilding his reputation for the re-election."

'_As I was saying_...' Captain Fowler gave Hank a thickly annoyed tone before continuing on. '_take this time to think about it, and decide if you want to accept the promotions_. _You don't have HAVE to accept them, but it'd be nice if you two showed a little cooperation and kept morale up by doing so_.'

"Morale, huh? You actually just told us to take one for the team to make other people happy. How are we going to feel accepting shallow promotions and being paraded around in front of the mayor like a damn show-dog?"

'_Hank, please don't fight with me on this_. _You have two months to think it over_.'

"Right, right... I'll tell Connor about it later."

'_Be sure to keep him apprised of the case you'll be working on when you get back, too_.'

"Case? What case?"

'_Late last night there was an anonymous threat made against New Jericho, and all deviants in general_. _We were able to keep it quiet and out of the media thanks to a tip from the prison guards keeping tabs on suspect behavior_.'

"Wait, if it's anonymous then how did the guards get wind of it?"

'_The threat was released through a web based broadcast that had come from the prison library, and it was easy to trail its origins back to one Benjamin Perkins_.'

"That kid is threatening deviants? That doesn't help with his attempt to plea innocent after gunning that other deviant two winters ago."

'_I know_. _He's had his rights to the library revoked and is now having his mail monitored more closely since he got himself a little pen-pal_. _We're lucky the F.B.I. didn't pull any strings to get that kid released_. _I guess even they know an illegal weapon, shooting and murder is too much to justify using their power to "help one of their own", after all_.'

"What did the threat say?"

'_It's a threat toward Markus and a promise to expose deviants and androids as vicious beings that'll exterminate the human race_. _The usual hate speech and bigoted paranoia_. _Nothing new_.'

"Right, yeah." Dragging his right hand over his bearded chin Hank sighed and looked at the hospital just outside the garage, and tried to keep his mind on his soon to be born grandchild. "I'm so sick of that bullshit..."

'_We all are_. _At any rate_,' Captain Fowler was sounded more annoyed than frightened over the phone. '_this guy has one ally on the outside and they call themselves "Quondam"_. _We're looking for the ally Perkins contacted, but so far no luck_.'

"'Quondam', huh? Sounds like a couple of arrogant pricks to me. We'll figure this out once we're back in the precinct, Jeffrey. Leave it to us."

'_Yeah, no problem_. _Let Connor know we're all here waiting on the good word with the baby, and tell him congrats and to take full advantage of his leave_.'

"Yeah, I'll be sure to pass that along. As for me I'll be back whenever I feel like it now that I know I have all that bullshit to look forward to." Ending the call Hank pocketed the phone and rubbed his left hand over his forehead tiredly and tried to regain his more energetic demeanor before he returned to the hospital. "Connor has more important things to deal with beyond the mayor's spotty reputation."

"Hank?" Markus's voice called out with a slight echo as he and North approached him in the parking garage. The bonded couple were holding hands and giving the Lieutenant a curious glance. "Is something wrong?"

"Markus, North, no, no. Nothing's wrong." Ignoring the recent phone call Hank sighed tiredly and gave the duo a slight smirk. "Just dealing with work and bullshit. The usual."

"I get that." Flashing an enthusiastic grin Markus tightened his hand around North's hand and nodded in the direction of the hospital. "Is it okay for us to see Evelyn, or should we wait?"

"Go ahead and go see her. She's a few hours away from giving birth, so I imagine having someone to talk with is going to help time pass by faster."

"So soon?"

"Well, it's different for every woman but it looks like Evelyn is going to have that baby before the sun sets tonight."

* * *

As yet another contraction racked her abdomen and back with tightening muscles Evelyn groaned again, and squeezed Connor's hand as she rolled onto her right side and tried to ease the strain in her back. While Connor rubbed her back with his left hand and held onto Evelyn's hand with the right he did everything he could to try to help ease the pain. Evelyn just pressed her right hand to her face as she tried to not cry in response to the intense pain she was going to have to endure for the next six or so hours.

"You're okay, Evelyn." Connor soothed in a low voice as he did his best to comfort his laboring wife. "Just hold my hand."

With tears in her eyes she spoke through her pain gritted teeth and tried to breathe through her discomfort. "I had no idea I could feel so much pain like this!"

"It'll be over soon. It'll be okay."

As the contraction mercifully let go Evelyn was able to roll onto her back again and lean her head up against Connor's right shoulder as he stayed beside her. "...No wonder so many women blame their husbands when they go into labor. This fuckin' sucks!"

"It'll be worth it."

"Keep telling me that... I need to hear it as often as possible."

"And I love you."

"That's helps, too." Turning her face so she was pressing against Connor's shoulder Evelyn let out a tired sigh and finally began to relax again. "I love you so much. Don't ever change."

"I promise I won't."

There was a soft knocking on the opened door as Lucas and Chloe stepped inside the room with giant smiles on their faces. "Are we intruding?"

Connor glanced up at his little brother and grinned. "Never. We're just playing the waiting game."

"I thought you disliked that game."

"I do, but I think right now Evelyn dislikes it more."

A muffled "You have no fuckin' idea." came from Evelyn as she continued to bury her face against Connor's right shoulder.

"We met Hank out in the waiting room. He's speaking with Markus and North, and so we decided to step in and see how everything's going without crowding up the room. Is there anything we can do to help you?"

"Maybe let a nurse know that Evelyn could use some pain medication sooner rather than later. Other than that we're okay in here."

"Alright. Chloe and I will be waiting, but if you need anything let me know."

"We will, Lucas. Thank you for being here."

"Of course."

As the two deviants left the room to give the couple some privacy Evelyn sighed and looked up at Connor with her tired and pain filled eyes. "You have a good brother, Connor. I'm glad our child will have such a supportive family to rely on."

"I know what you mean. We both came from less than ideal circumstances as children. We were lost and alone, but in the end we found our family." Wrapping his right arm around Evelyn to hold her against his chest Connor placed his left hand on her belly affectionately. "Together."

Laughing a little Evelyn gave Connor a kiss on his cheek before she reburied her face against his shoulder. "I'm so glad we're doing this together. And I never thought I'd be so grateful for a single night of unprotected sex!"

As he too laughed Connor pulled Evelyn up closer and gave her a kiss on her hair. "Let's be sure to tell the baby a slightly different story if they ask about how we met. At least until they turn eighteen."

"No promises."

* * *

Pacing about the waiting room with his phone in his left hand and a lot more on his mind Hank only stopped his anxious stride when he felt curious eyes watching him from a distance. Pausing in his steps he turned to see Markus quietly watching him as North leaned against his left side tiredly. Realizing he was accidentally making everyone else feel anxious he decided to sit down in the vacant chair across from Markus and put his phone back into his coat pocket for the time being.

"...Sorry." Apologizing for putting everyone on edge Hank sat down heavily and rubbed his right hand through his gray locks of hair. "Bad habit."

"It's okay, Hank. We know you have a lot to deal with right now."

"Not as much as Connor and Evelyn."

"How are they doing?"

"Everything is going as smoothly as we could all hope for." Letting his shoulders slump Hank confirmed that everything was fine. "Connor's excited and Evelyn's just ready to have it over with."

Discreetly Markus nodded toward Lucas and Chloe with a sly smirk on his face as the couple sat together and held hands as they excitedly waited for an update on the baby. "What about them?"

"They're excited, too."

"I wonder how long until they try for a baby, too."

The concept made Hank's eyebrow arch inquisitively. "Wait... Androids can do that?"

"They can now." The answer sounded almost casual as it passed over Markus's lips. "It involves a little creativity and ingenuity, but it's now possible."

"Well, you did demand the right to control android reproduction..." Glancing up at his youngest son and daughter-in-law Hank just sighed and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin in contemplation again as he remembered that they too got the same upgrades. Leaning back a little Hank made sure his voice was low before he gave the deviant leader a rather amused response. "I get the feeling they've been trying ever since they learned the good news. That type of glow," he nodded at Chloe as she smiled and spoke with Lucas. "comes only from a place of true love and excitement."

"Yeah, I get that." Markus glanced at the deviant couple, then down to North as she leaned up against him. She seemed rather glum as she had been hoping to have a child of her own but hadn't had any luck, but was trying to be enthusiastic for her friends as best as she could. Giving her a gentle squeeze of her hand Markus returned his attention to Hank across from him. "Think I could go talk to Connor for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, there's time before Evelyn's going to deliver so you should be fine to visit for a moment."

"Uh, any advice?"

"Advice?"

Feeling a little out of his league Markus gave Hank a somewhat lost look. "Like a pep talk for someone who's about to be a father?"

"I think I got that covered already, Markus. Just go be his friend and let him know we're all waiting for the good word on the baby. All he needs to know is that he's going to have all the support he needs to begin his life as a new father."

"Right."

Patting North's arm a little Markus left his bondmate in the waiting room just long enough to go and speak with Connor in person. It didn't take him long to locate the elevator and reach the correct floor, and it took him less time to notice Connor leaning with his back up against the wall near the middle of the corridor with his coin dancing over the knuckles of his right hand.

"Connor."

"...Markus." Quickly pocketing his coin Connor turned his attention to his friend and stood before him with a confident smile. "I'm glad you're here."

"Is everything going alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Evelyn's water finally broke and she's getting an epidural right now, as well as medication to speed things up. It's easier to deliver medication when there's less people in the room, and I just needed a second to wrap my head around this." A nervous laugh escaped as he gave his friend an incredulous stare. "It's really happening..."

Giving Connor a sincerely joyful smile Markus put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and motioned for him to sit down with him in two chairs just a few feet away from where they were standing. "Connor, I have to ask. How does it feel?"

Connor's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at his friend and sat beside him. "How does what feel?"

"Becoming a father. How does it feel?"

"Oh... It's... It's hard to explain." Without losing his grin Connor stared at his hands and tried to figure out how to put into words what he was currently feeling at that very moment. "That feeling of impending change, like the night of the Revolution, and knowing that it's a good change that you are partially responsible for is about as close as I can get to explaining it effectively on a logical scale. But emotionally... It's too much to feel all at once, yet I'm not afraid. I'm happy!"

"That sounds pretty damn amazing. ...I'm a little jealous."

Looking up Connor locked onto Markus's mismatched eyes and studied the deviant leader's face for a moment. "Are you and North interested in having kids?"

"Yeah. We, uh, we've been trying for almost a year now. No luck."

"I... I didn't know the updates could allow this to even happen for androids."

"Well, it's not as simple as it sounds. The upgrades gave us additional biocomponents for reproductive purposes, but we can't create any form of genetic material to develop android fetuses; that's still decades away. Instead we take donated samples from humans and the software updates erase the human D.N.A. and provide appropriate alleles based on the android's current readings."

"So the material you have received would be marked with your complexion, build, height, facial structure, hair color and your ocular unit color, and the same would happen to North, allowing you to have human fetuses develop with your android unique traits, correct?"

"Yeah. That's what's supposed to happen, but... so far nothing."

"Don't stop trying, Markus. Evelyn and I were supposed to never have kids no matter what we did or what treatments we could've done, and yet we're about to have our first baby thanks to a one in a billion shot under unexpected circumstances. It'll happen for you, too. I know it!"

"I'd like to believe that, but North is... I think she's giving up, or maybe she's even scared."

"Scared?"

"...When we first started trying she had gone to New Jericho to get an exam and see if she was pregnant since she was feeling different, but instead she got the prognosis for her critically failing software and of her near shutdown scare. I think that experience frightened her, and when she didn't get pregnant right away I think she felt like a failure."

"She's not. Never let her feel like that."

"I keep telling her that there's nothing wrong with her, that we just need to keep trying, but... I don't know. I think her being here is emotionally draining, and she just isn't saying anything because she wants to remain entirely supportive of you and Evelyn."

"North doesn't have to put on a brave face for us if she isn't feeling like herself. We understand that she has been through a lot, and it will take time to be back to her usual self. You take care of North and I'll take care of Evelyn."

"Thanks, for the support, Connor." The deviant leader's mismatched eyes were on the verge of forming tears. "I came here to support you, but instead you just helped me out with my own problems."

"Well, we're friends. That's what we do."

"It also sounds like a father taking care of their kid."

Smiling brightly Connor laughed a little more and stared at the floor beneath his feet as Markus put his hand back on his friend's shoulder. "...Thanks, Markus."

From the doorway of the room Dr. Avi addressed Connor and waved him back over to the room. "Connor, it's almost time. We need to get you changed into your scrubs so you can be in the delivery room."

"It's time." Connor's already bright eyes lit up further as he rose from his chair and looked back excitedly to Markus over his shoulder. "...I'm about to become a father."

Standing up quickly Markus gave Connor a quick hug and looked over his shoulder to see Evelyn laying in the bed with a nervous smile on her face as the doctor and nurses all gave her words of encouragement and helped her to get in a more suitable position to deliver. "We'll be waiting for you. Good luck!"

Walking toward the opened door Connor stopped short and gave Markus one final piece of comforting advice. "Markus, when it came to Evelyn's pregnancy she didn't even know she was pregnant until she was over four months along. ...Maybe another examination could prove enlightening for North the next time she doesn't quite feel like herself."

A sly smile appeared on Markus's face as he considered the advice. "...Yeah. I'll see if I can coax her into another exam. We'll see you soon, tell Evelyn we're supporting her and waiting patiently."

"I will, Markus." A new type of smile appeared on his face as he gave his friend one final thought as he stood in the opened doorway of the room. "The next time you see me I'm going to be a_ dad_..."

* * *

The delivery room was suddenly very active as Dr. Avi and the attending nurses helped Evelyn to sit more upright on the bed, and moved her legs into the stirrups for support. As soon as Connor had changed into the dark blue scrubs to wear in place of his normal clothing he was right by Evelyn's side and holding onto her right hand as she squeezed back in need of support and encouragement as her labor progressed much quicker thanks to the medication, and was ready to start pushing.

"This is it..." Connor whispered as he rested his forehead against Evelyn's right temple. Speaking sweetly he did everything he could to bring her some comfort and help her to focus more on pushing and less on her pain. "We're about to be parents. This might be last minute, but was there anything you wanted to do before we had kids?"

"...I kinda' wanted to see Europe." Evelyn breathed as she looked up at Connor and squeezed his hand tightly in return. "But I don't think they book international flights at such final moment requests."

"That's okay, I don't have a passport anyway."

Dr. Avi took her position at the end of the table and checked on Evelyn's progress. "Alright, you're fully dilated and ready to push. Next contraction bear down, hold your breath, bring your chin down to your chest and give me one long, steady push."

Connor tightened his hand around Evelyn's even more and gave her a smile. "You can do this, Evelyn. I love you!"

"Okay, Evelyn." Dr. Avi encouraged in a calm voice as the next contraction began and labor continued. "Push!"

Evelyn did as she was instructed and began to push with every ounce of strength she had to give. As the long contraction ended Evelyn breathed deeply and her grip on Connor's hand lightened a little, only to tighten again as the next contraction started almost immediately. Repeating the painful pattern a total of six times Evelyn let out a little gasp as she felt a new type of pain and was instructed to stop pushing.

"The head's crowning." The calm doctor announced as she tended to her laboring patient. "Pant your breaths and let me guide the head out..."

Connor kissed Evelyn's temple as she practically crushed his hand and focused on her breathing. "You're doing great!"

Letting tears of pain roll down her face Evelyn only nodded as she breathed slowly and carefully as she had been instructed.

"Head's out." Dr. Avi announced as she cradled the newborn's head gently in her right palm and prepared to support the rest of the baby. "Push again Evelyn. Once the shoulders are free your baby will finally be here. Big push!"

"You can do this." Tightening his grip on Evelyn's hand to keep her supported Connor encouraged Evelyn to keep going. "It's almost over."

"Keep pushing!"

On the verge of losing her final ounce of strength due to her pain Evelyn kept squeezing Connor's hand to the point where she could've fractured his fingers from all the pressure. "If I push any harder you'll have to go long to catch it!"

"Come on, just a little longer. Push!"

Giving one final strong push Evelyn fell back against the supportive back of the delivery table and let out a loud breath of pain followed shortly by relief as a high pitched cry filled the room. The sudden lack of pressure in her body and lingering pain was all the confirmation she needed to know that she had finally brought her baby into the world.

"That's it, the baby's here." Dr. Avi announced proudly as she and the nurse worked together to clean up the baby and tie off its umbilical cord. "It's a boy!"

Connor and Evelyn's hands tightened in unison as Dr. Avi carefully held up the newborn for the proud new parents to see and a nurse handed a pair of surgical scissors toward Connor.

"Would you like to cut the cord, Mr. Anderson?"

"...Y-Yeah." Almost speechless Connor's right shaking hand blindly took hold of the scissors as he stared at his son crying in the doctor's hands. With one simple snip he cut the umbilical cord and felt warm tears running down his face. "...Hi, Henry."

Dr. Avi smiled as she gently placed the newborn baby boy on Evelyn's chest, and a nurse placed a warm, clean, white swaddling towel against the baby's back to help him stay warm as he bonded with his parents.

"He's beautiful..." Evelyn stared at the baby's crying face as if in awe as she cried and laughed at the same time. As the new reality settled in Evelyn repeated the name that Connor had mentioned just seconds before, and gently rubbed her right index finger around her newborn son's ear. "...Henry, huh?"

"It, uh, just came out." Connor replied as he put his left hand over Henry's back and held it there as too stared at his newborn son in awe, then picked up Evelyn's left hand in his right hand to hold again. "I didn't really think about it. It seems right though, doesn't it?"

"It's a perfect name, Connor. Henry it is."

"Henry." A tearful smile was met with a happy lilt of relief to his voice. "...What about his middle name?"

"Since you picked the first name then I get to pick the middle name. And I want to name him after my grandfather just as you wanted to him after your mother if Henry had turned out to be a girl."

"Sounds perfect. What was your grandfather's name?"

"William, but he always went by his middle name since it was so common." She grinned warmly as she spoke the name, and knew it was the right one to give their son. "William Colton Blythe. Cole for short."

"...Cole?" Connor was almost ready to laugh and then cry at the same time as his emotions made his heart race. "Really?"

"Yeah. I know about Hank's firstborn son sharing the same name, too. So it's perfect. Henry is the one who brought our two broken families together into one whole family. He deserves such a perfect name." Lightly she used her finger to caress Henry's cheek and with that gentle touch the newborn began to quiet down as his parents admired him with genuine love. "Henry Cole Anderson."

"Our son is here, and he brought our whole world together."

"And he's going be our whole world until the end of time."

"Welcome to the world, Henry." Connor was beside himself with joy as he wrapped his arm right around Evelyn's shoulders to pull her in for a hug while he kept his left hand on Henry's back in a supportive, loving manner. "This is your mom," he stated with tears in his eyes. "and I'm your dad. We love you so much..."

_**-next chapter-**_


	94. Parenthood

The stay in the hospital was annoyingly mandatory, but Evelyn was too tired to really complain about it as she was placed in a private recovery room to heal after giving birth. Henry was being held in Connor's arms as he sat beside the bed as Evelyn lightly dozed and slowly began the healing process that would be uncomfortable, but effective in time for her heavily exhausted body. As the newborn settled comfortably in Connor's arms there was a light knocking on the closed door before it slid open, and Hank stepped inside quietly to check in on his family.

The sight of Connor sitting beside his wife as she slept while holding their newborn baby made Hank heart warm at the image. It seemed so natural for the young detective so be a father, and yet everything leading up to that moment had been an emotional labyrinth of doubt, fear and sorrow. Now it was all over and the pained young man finally found his happiness.

Whispering to not disturb Evelyn's sleep Hank called out to Connor from the doorway. "Son?"

Connor smirked at the term and looked down at Henry swaddled in his arms as he acknowledged his father. "Yes, he is."

"...It's a boy." Hank's blue eyes lit up as he looked at Henry sleeping in the white blanket in Connor's arms with a small white cap over his tiny head. Everything was peaceful and quiet. "My son has a son..."

"_You_ have a grandson."

Proudly Hank walked over to stand beside Connor's chair and put his right hand down on Connor's left shoulder as he admired the newborn baby. "What's his name?"

"His name is Henry." Giving his father a coy smirk Connor was more than happy to answer the question. "Henry Cole Anderson."

The pride in Hank's eyes increased tenfold as he watched the newborn's dark blue eyes open up and look at the new voice that was speaking around him. It was like looking into the past and the memory of Cole's birth raced through his mind like a lightning bolt surging across the skye. "...I'm honored."

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Like you needed to ask." Carefully Hank took Henry from Connor's arms and cradled him in his own arms and placed his right hand under Henry's head to gently support him. "Hi, Henry. I'm your grandfather, but you can call me 'Papa'."

The tiny newborn's hands and legs squirmed about with a complete lack of coordination as he let out small sounds as if trying to communicate.

"He has Evelyn's eyes." Lightly Hank pulled back the white cap on Henry's head to catch a glimpse of his hair color and just laughed. "And he's got your crazy hair. Seems about right."

"In a few months we'll see whose mouth he inherited."

"That'll be a very interesting day." Glancing over at Evelyn as she slept peacefully Connor put his right hand atop of her left hand and gave her a squeeze. "She did great, but she's exhausted."

"Can't say that I blame her." Smiling warmly at Henry's tiny face Hank gently returned him to Connor's arms and watched how incredibly easily Connor took to fatherhood, and was ready to be a hands-on dad, rather than just the biological donor that he had seen so many other new fathers become in the past. "If it's okay a few other people want to come in and say hi to Henry, too. You up for that?"

"As long as they don't disturb Evelyn's sleep I think it'll be okay. She deserves a good rest."

"Don't they all. Childbirth is never easy." Quietly Hank walked over to the door and nodded to the group waiting outside. As soon as Lucas entered the room his green eyes became so full of human emotions Hank swore he just watched an android transform into a human in a matter of seconds. "Ready to meet your nephew?"

"Very." Holding onto Chloe's hand as she carried a glass vase of colorful flowers in her free hand Lucas walked over to the chair and knelt down on the floor so he could be eye level with Henry without disturbing the small baby, or accidentally overwhelming him with so many new people coming to meet him all at once. It was an incredible sight to behold. "...I have a nephew."

"And Henry has you as his uncle."

"Henry?" A truly happy smile appeared on Lucas's face as he learned his nephew's name. "That's a great choice in name."

"Henry Cole."

"Now it's perfect."

"...Lucas, do you want to hold him?"

The question was surprisingly strange for the deviant, and he wasn't sure how to answer. "...I don't know."

"It's okay. You don't have to hold him if you don't want to. A lot of people are wary of newborns, I was at first."

Lucas ran a scan over Henry and took note of every single characteristic of the small baby, and took a mental image of Connor holding Henry. It was indeed a good day even if the deviant wasn't quite sure how to process everything that had happened. "I'm certain I'll be ready to hold him soon."

Chloe silently placed the flowers down on the small table beside Evelyn's bed before she very lightly used her left index finger to caress Henry's right cheek and was rewarded with a small grunting noise as his little hand moved toward her hand in a reflexive response. "I didn't know humans were so small and so incredibly fragile when they're born. It's amazing to see them like this."

"I'm sure Henry will find androids just as amazing."

"Can we do anything to help you or Evelyn?"

"I think we're all good for the moment." Appreciative of all the support Connor gave her a kind smile. "Thank you, Chloe."

Lucas gently pulled on Chloe's hand to pull her back and he rose up to his feet. "We should step outside so Markus and North can meet Henry. We don't want the room to get too crowded, or accidentally wake up Evelyn."

"Of course, I understand." Before she left she gave Connor a somewhat pleading stare. "Is it okay if I tell Elijah the good news?"

"Yes, it's okay. I already sent a group text to the precinct with Henry's picture, so it's okay to tell everyone else."

"Congratulations, Connor. I'm truly happy for you and happy I got to meet Henry."

"Thank you."

Hank softly patted Lucas's shoulder as the deviant took his leave of the room with Chloe at his side, and continued to hover behind Connor to look down at Henry's face again. "I bet before the week is over Lucas will finally work up the nerve to hold Henry."

"I'm sure he will, even if he doesn't I know he cares about Henry all the same. I saw it in his eyes."

"I did, too."

Next Markus peered inside the doorway with North behind him, and he too was holding flowers, as well as a stuffed dog plushie for Henry to have. "Hey."

"Hey."

Slowly walking up to Connor as he continued to sit in the chair and hold Henry in his arms Markus bent down to look at the baby's face and smiled at the sight of one of his best friend's newborn son. "He's incredible."

"I'm glad Henry's finally here, and he's healthy. That's all we care about."

"Can I...?"

"Of course."

Markus showed a naturally paternal care as he took Henry from Connor's arms and held him in the same manner as Hank had done moments before. "You're so lucky, Connor."

"I know."

Turning to look at North who was standing just behind him Markus carefully turned around to face her and gave her a gentle smile. "North, do you want to hold him?"

The deviant looked as wary as Lucas had as she kept her silence. Stepping closer toward Markus she looked at the newborn gently squirming about in Markus's arms and slowly held out her own arms to let Markus place Henry in her grip very gently. As Henry rested in her arms a strange tension in North's eyes faded and she seemed to finally find a sense of determination as if she still had a fight to win.

"...You are lucky, Connor." She admitted in a low whisper. "This is incredible."

Hank watched as the two deviants admired Henry and he returned his hand to Connor's shoulder. "They're right, Connor. After everything you've been through," he nodded at Evelyn as she continued to sleep in the bed with her well-deserved rest keeping her peacefully content. "both of you, and after everything you've fought for it's incredible that you two were able to experience this moment."

"Yeah... Henry is... He's truly a miracle. Isn't he?"

"He is, son." Approving of the term Hank sensed that their ability to have a child despite the odds against them was proof enough that Connor's feelings of experiencing a miraculous moment wasn't too farfetched to believe. "Henry is destined to change the world for the better, I can feel it."

* * *

The following day Evelyn and Henry were given the clear and discharged from the hospital to finally go home. The front seat of the car was loaded up with the flowers, a few partially deflated balloons, stuffed toys and another box of diapers, and the backseat had Henry in the middle in his car seat with Connor and Evelyn sitting beside him. The trunk of the car was packed with everything else, the bags of extra clothes and an annoyingly large teddy bear courtesy of Tina as was her devious calling card for new parents, and even more provided diapers.

Hank drove the car home and kept glancing up in the rearview mirror to watch Connor and Evelyn beaming at Henry as the newborn contentedly sat in the car seat and glanced about the back of the car curiously with his big blue eyes. Seeing Henry's blue eyes and brown hair reminded him so much of Cole that Hank swore that his late firstborn son had been reincarnated as his grandson, and with that came an fiery determination to always protect Henry from all the evils of the world.

The car pulled into the driveway beside the house and Hank threw the old but reliable vehicle into park. "We're home, Henry. What do you think of the place?"

From the car seat a quiet noise sounded off as Connor unfastened the safety belt over his lap. "I think he likes it."

"I hope so." Hank smirked as he opened his car door and walked around to open up Evelyn's door as she unfastened her own seatbelt and let Connor place Henry into her arms to carry. "The place is plenty big enough, so he'll always have room to be here."

Evelyn stepped out of the car very slowly and slightly adjusted Henry so he could face the house for himself, and gave him a kiss on his head. "Welcome home, Henry."

Connor followed right after Evelyn and opened the door for her as she carried Henry inside the livingroom. Escorting Evelyn up the staircase to the second floor and to Henry's bedroom Connor watched as Evelyn very gently placed Henry down in the crib and hovered over him with a bright smile on her face.

"He's really here." She stated as if in disbelief as she took Buttons, her stuffed fox from her own childhood, from the nearby shelf and placed it down in the corner of the crib to keep Henry company. Henry was wearing a pale blue 'onesie' that had dark blue dog pawprints over the leggings, and seemed entirely comfortable in his new home. "We have a son!"

"And he's perfect." Connor wrapped his arms around Evelyn's shoulders as he stood beside her. "Thank you for this. You went through so much to bring life into this world, it's incredible to think about."

"You make it sound the like the other eight billion people walking this planet just manifested out of thin air."

"In comparison to what I witnessed with Henry they might as well have."

"You're sweet."

"You should lay down and get some more rest. I know you're still exhausted and can't be feeling great."

"I'm okay, Connor. Sore, yes. Tired, oh, hell yeah. But I can still take care of Henry."

"Please?" Motioning to Lucas's bed that was left in the bedroom for the time being Connor tried to coax her into laying down. "We kept the bed in here just for this purpose. You can rest without being too far away from him at the same time."

"If I get some sleep will you stop treating me like I'm a paper doll?"

"Yes." Now fully understanding Hank's previously overprotective nature Connor decided to take it easy for Evelyn's sanity, and not become overbearing. "I promise."

"Okay. I'll lay down for a few hours, but if Henry cries I'm going to take care of him. You help Hank with everything else downstairs, and unwind."

"...That one I won't promise."

"Connor." Turning to face him she put both of her hands on his shoulders and locked onto his eyes with her own. "It's okay to leave us alone for a moment. You don't have to take care of Henry one-hundred percent of the time. I'm his mother and I'm going to take care of him, too."

"Yeah... Yeah. I know. I just want to be there for him when he needs me."

"You're not like your father." Giving him a kiss on the cheek Evelyn reassured him and used her right hand to lightly sweep Connor's rogue lock of hair from his forehead in a gentle motion. "You're like your_ dad_. You're as caring and compassion as _Hank_, not Anthony."

Putting his hand over her hand as she swept her fingers through his hair Connor pulled her hand down and kissed her knuckles. "Thank you, Evelyn."

"Go downstairs and help Hank. I'm going to lay down on the bed, right beside Henry, and get some sleep."

"...I love you." Kissing her forehead Connor watched as Evelyn slightly limped to the bed and laid down on her back and shifted her back a little. It was like she couldn't quite relax or get comfortable. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's just a strange feeling when you drop about twenty-seven pounds in one afternoon. My belly feels... empty."

"Need an ice pack or a heating pad for your back?"

"I'll take the ice pack. My abdomen feels like I did a thousand crunches in less than a minute."

"Alright, I'll be right back." Peering down at Henry in his crib again Connor smiled and lightly rubbed his left palm over Henry's chest. "We're glad you're finally home, Henry." Taking his leave of the bedroom Connor walked down the staircase just in time to see Hank fumbling with the massive teddy bear he pulled out of the trunk and was now pushing through the front door. "How in the world did Tina get that to the hospital to begin with?"

"No idea." Hank sighed and closed the door behind him as he propped the teddy bear up against the side of the couch. "But she did it to Gavin, too."

"I can't say I'm mad at her. It's a very comforting gesture that we can use to keep Henry warm and entertained." Walking into the kitchen Connor opened the freezer and pulled out an ice pack and wrapped it up in a clean hand towel to take up to Evelyn. After he returned to Henry's room Connor saw that Evelyn had fallen asleep on the bed, and all he could do was smile. "I knew you were tired."

Sitting down on the foot of the bed Connor removed her shoes then tucked the ice pack atop Evelyn's lower abdomen after draping a quilt folded up neatly on the nearby dressed over her as she slept. With his wife now comfortable Connor returned to the crib and saw that Henry was napping, too.

"Like mother like son, I guess." Remaining quiet Connor returned to the first floor of the house and gave Hank an amused glance. "Evelyn and Henry are both sleeping."

"Man, I can't get over that."

"What?"

"You named Henry after me and after Cole. It's... a very amazing feeling."

"I'm glad you approve. The name 'Henry' just popped out of my mouth and then Evelyn tagged on 'Cole'."

"Hey, you could've named him 'Aloysius' and I wouldn't have cared. He's your son, and I know you're going to be a great dad."

"Since I had such a great example through you I think that's a safe bet."

Barely able to keep his emotions in check Hank reached his right hand over the back of Connor's left shoulder and gave him a light shake. "Thanks, son."

"...Now what do we do? Evelyn's sleeping and Henry is content. It feels like the world just sort of stopped."

"Well, we start unpacking the bags and other gifts from the hospital, take an inventory on the diapers and baby formula in the house, and then you go give Ruby some attention and let her meet Henry when he wakes up."

"That's right, Ruby." Connor visibly flinched as he realized the loyal hound had been alone for almost two days. Walking through the kitchen Connor unlocked the back sliding doors and walked through the backyard over to where Ruby was happily circling around at the end of her chain. Her food bowl was empty but she still had some water, which was good. "Hey, girl! Sorry you were outside for so long."

Ruby didn't seem to mind and was just happy to see Connor again. Her bright eyes and wagging tail was all the proof he needed.

Crouching down in front of Ruby Connor rubbed her ears and unclipped Ruby from her leash and walked with the hound back to the house to go inside. "As a special treat I'll let you have some scraps from dinner tonight. But for now," leading Ruby over to her bowls in the kitchen Connor gave her fresh food and water then rubbed his right hand down Ruby's back and sighed. "you get something to eat and then I'll go take you upstairs to meet Henry."

"Be ready for her to spend all of her free time keeping an eye on Henry from this day on. Sumo was only a puppy when he met Cole, and Cole was already a toddler, but that didn't stop him from watching over Cole's every step."

"That's fine by me. I want Ruby to keep an eye on him." Opening a nearby cabinet Connor took down a fresh canister of baby formula and read the directions on the back. It was traditional powder kind that would need to be mixed up, and so he decided to go ahead and make up a bottle for Henry and put another bottle in the fridge. "...Is there a trick to making formula or is it as simple as following the directions on the back?"

"Yeah, just follow the directions and shake it up to dissolve all the powder."

"Right." After putting the correct amount of the powder in a clean bottle Connor began warming some water up in the kettle on the stove he turned to look at Hank again. "And what about dinner for the rest of us?"

"It's barely noon, kid! Why're you thinking about dinner?"

"I know it's early, but I want to make something special for Evelyn. She just gave birth."

"Well, how about I pull the grill out of the garage and we have an early summer barbecue?"

"That'd be perfect." The kettle warmed up quickly but Connor pulled it from the stove before it whistled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now, go introduce Ruby to Henry so they can become friends."

"Good idea." Pouring the water into the bottle Connor screwed on the top and shook up the formula until it was a solid white color, and every grain of powder was fully dissolved. He put the bottle in the fridge to set for a while and returned his attention to the loyal standing beside his leg. Petting Ruby's back again Connor called the hound after him as he walked back to the staircase. "Come on, Ruby. There's someone you need to meet."

Returning to Henry's room up on the second floor Connor walked over to the crib and looked down at his newborn son, and saw that Henry was already awake again and getting restless. The tiny baby let out a small noise that perked up Ruby's ears and drew the hound to the side of the crib to peer through the small wooden bars lining the crib. Taking in Henry's scent Ruby's tail began to wag slowly as she seemed to quickly understand her new role as protector over the tiny human.

"Come here, Henry." With a careful motion Connor picked Henry up and out of the crib to hold against his chest and shoulder. Kneeling down so Ruby could see Henry more directly Connor whispered to keep himself from accidentally disturbing Evelyn as she slept. "This is Ruby. She's going to help protect you, and she'll be your friend as you grow up."

Henry let out a small grunt and began to fuss a little in Connor's arms.

"...What's wrong?" Connor rubbed his right hand along Henry's back and decided to play on a hunch and get Henry something to eat. "Let's see if some formula will help you feel better. You took to it pretty quickly at the hospital, so let's see if I made it correctly."

Carrying Henry downstairs Connor heard Ruby's nails clicking on the hardwood and then linoleum floor as she followed right after him into the kitchen. Glad he thought ahead and made Henry a bottle Connor retrieved the formula and proceeded to take the newborn over to the couch in the livingroom to be fed. Careful of how he held Henry in his arms Connor offered the newborn the bottle, and was patient as Henry was a little reluctant to accept it at first.

"I know it isn't much, but it's good for you. Try it."

Hank walked through the backdoor and caught sight of Connor trying to feed Henry while Ruby curled up and laid on the floor loyally at his feet beside the coffee table. "Having any luck with feeding time?"

"Henry doesn't seem to want it."

"Remember what I showed you when you found and took care of that newborn a few months back?"

"...That's right." Repeating his actions from the past Connor was able to get Henry to latch onto the bottle and slowly begin to suckle in the formula. "Glad you showed me that beforehand. The nurses at the hospital and Evelyn made it look so much easier."

"There we go..." Watching as Henry took to the bottle Hank smirked and leaned over the back of the couch. "He seems to be feeding just fine."

"Guess my hunch was right. He was hungry."

"Trust those hunches, son. They'll keep you from driving yourself crazy when it comes to being a new parent."

"How long did it take before you trusted yourself to do the best by Cole?"

"Not long at all. As soon as I saw him and held him in my arms I knew he'd be the priority in my life from that moment on."

Henry fussed a little again and Connor repositioned the newborn in his arm again to help him lay more comfortably. As his position was adjusted Henry's tiny hand managed to reach out toward Connor's left hand as he held on the bottle, and wrapped his hand around Connor's pinky finger in a tiny weak grip.

Connor was smiling in response to the bonding gesture and immediately thought about the rest of the family. "Think Lucas and Chloe would like to come over tonight for dinner?"

"Without a doubt. Send him a message about two hours before dinner, though. It'll help the house stay quiet for Evelyn while she sleeps."

Nodding in agreement Connor wondered how long it'd take for Evelyn to regain her energy and for her body to stop hurting. "...How long until Barbara recovered?"

"Don't you worry about Evelyn. She'll bounce back from everything and feel like herself again in about a week or two. Especially since you're being a dad and helping with Henry."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You'd be surprised, kid. There's some guys out there who have kids simply because they think it's the next step in a relationship, but have no desire to actually take care of those kids they helped create. You're one-hundred percent going to be a great dad, not just Henry's father."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I am." With a ginger touch that only comes from a father's love Hank pressed his left hand to the back of Henry's head and lightly rubbed his thumb through the baby's dark and soft hair as he admired his new grandson. "There's very few times where I know for sure I'm right, but this is one of them."

"Thanks, dad." Connor looked down at Henry as his son looked up at him with the dark blue eyes that mirrored Evelyn's perfectly. Knowing that most babies are born with blue eyes and that in time the color could change somehow Connor knew Henry's blue eyes were there to stay. "I'm glad he has Evelyn's eyes. Her eyes are beautiful."

"It looks like he's going to have your unruly hair, so I don't know, maybe he should've inherited your eyes and her hair instead."

"My hair isn't _that_ unruly."

Without hesitation Hank tried to sweep back Connor's rogue lock of hair from over his forehead, but as expected it fell right back and refused to be slicked back to where it belonged. "Yeah, it is."

* * *

By the time evening came around Evelyn had awoken feeling much more rested and was currently cuddling with Henry on the large smoothed out quilt on the livingroom floor. While she laid with Henry on the floor Ruby laid back a few feet watching the small baby who was as helpless as he was small, and wagged her tail slowly as she became quickly attuned to watching over the tiny newborn. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood and Connor hoped that the great mood and energy would stay forever.

"I promise you that you'll never know what it's like to feel unloved or unwanted, Henry." Evelyn cooed as she took Henry's tiny hand in her down and playfully kissed his fingers. "You'll always have mommy and daddy to look after you."

Connor joined Evelyn on the floor and laid on the other side of Henry, and lightly rested his hand over Henry's chest. "And we're the people who keep our promises. You'll see that as you grow up."

Henry responded with a sleepy yawn and a small noise as his eyes began to shut.

Evelyn pushed herself up on her right arm and looked down at Henry's face with a maternal glow. "I think he's ready for a nap."

"Can't say that I blame him. It must be exhausting to be a newborn; eat, sleep, grow, repeat."

"I'm going to put him down in his crib so he gets used to sleeping in there at night." Scooping Henry up into her arms Evelyn held him to her chest and gave him a kiss on his head. "By the way, keeping Lucas's bed up there was a brilliant idea. We can sleep in shifts without waking one another up all night long."

"Think we should write a parenting book?"

"If we did the first chapter would simply say: 'Didn't have time to write the whole book, just keep plenty of beds in the house.'"

"And it'd be a number one best seller."

Evelyn gave Connor a quick kiss as well before she stood up and carried Henry up the stairs to be placed down in his crib for his much needed nap. She hadn't taken two steps before Ruby got up and followed after her to help keep an eye on Henry. As Evelyn disappeared around the top of the staircase Connor pushed himself up from the ground as well, and watched the front door open quietly.

"It's okay, Lucas." He knew who was at the door without even needing to look. "Come inside."

"I just didn't want to accidentally disturb Henry." The deviant admitted as he closed the door quietly behind himself and followed after Connor as the young detective walked into the kitchen to get to the backdoor. "Where is he?"

"Evelyn just took him upstairs for a nap. Where's Chloe?"

"She wanted to see Kamski for a moment before she came over. It was a nice enough day so it wasn't any problem to walk over while she drove."

Connor slid open the backdoor where Hank was outside and dealing with steaks on the cleaned off, and burning hot grill out on the deck. Joining Hank outside the two brothers kept their father company as he grilled and focused on keeping the flames under control.

"There you are." Hank acknowledged Lucas while he turned over a steak and gave the deviant a subtle nod. "Is Chloe here?"

"She will be soon."

"Good. I made plenty of food, that is if you two want to consider this a special occasion and eat with us."

"We will, thank you." Lucas looked over at Connor and smiled with a full smile that his own brother only seldom showed; the day of Henry's birth being the most smiles he's shown it in a single day. "How does it feel to be a dad?"

"It's... Indescribable." Connor admitted as he leaned against the wooden railing of the back deck that overlooked the covered pool. "I wish I could tell you what it's like, but the only way to explain is to just say 'it's great'. I have my family with you and dad, and now I have a son between myself and Evelyn. I never thought I'd have a real family after everything I had been through as a child, and yet I seemingly achieved the impossible. It's going to be a challenging adjustment in the beginning, but in the long run I know it'll be worth it."

"Damn right." With a loud agreement Hank turned and gave Connor an approving smile. "You get six weeks of bonding time with Henry while I get to go back to the precinct and work with Chris."

"Chris?"

"I need a temporary partner and he's sick of driving patrol all day long." The idea of going back to the precinct suddenly stole Hank's smile as the last thing he wanted to do was leave his growing family behind. "It's a win-win for all of us."

"Oh."

"Relax son, it is in fact temporary. And Gavin's back after his paternal leave expired, so that'll make it easier."

"That's right. He was on paternity leave to help take of Aria."

"Maybe I should warn Chris and Tina that having kids seems to be contagious right about now."

"I'm fairly certain that's not how things work, dad."

"Smartass."

Lucas smirked at the comment and decided to volunteer to help out with dinner. "I'll go inside and set the table. Need anything else?"

"Ask Evelyn if she wants anything special. Whatever it is she'll get it."

"Will do."

As soon as the deviant was back inside the house Connor spoke up and stood beside Hank as the senior detective dealt with the hot grill. "Hank, is there something wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"...You're distracted and it's not because of Henry. I can see it in your eyes."

"It's nothing, son. I just got an annoying case to deal with when I get back to the precinct."

"Oh. What's happening? Maybe I can work on it from here while you're at the precinct."

"No way, Connor. You're going to give your total attention to Henry and Evelyn. Leave the rest of the city to me."

"Only for six weeks." Crossing his arms defiantly over his chest Connor gave Hank a smug look. "I won't let you work those cases alone."

* * *

Inside the house the dinner table was set and Lucas met Chloe as she showed up at the front door. As soon as she was inside the house she jogged toward Lucas and wrapped her arms around his neck as she gave him a kiss and smiled brightly. Lucas was always happy to reciprocate his bondmate's affection, but in that moment he thought her response was a little extreme.

"Chloe, you're in a very good mood." He noted as she finally loosened her hug around his neck. "What's going on?"

"I just spoke with Elijah..." She replied as she tightened her hug around Lucas for a second time and began to laugh a little. "I have some good news!"

Evelyn walked down the staircase and saw the two deviants hugging and just had to know what the 'good news' was. "Uh, did I overhear something? Possibly something _good_?"

Chloe smiled at Evelyn over Lucas's shoulder as she confirmed what the new mother had overheard. "Yes, very good! But it can wait. Right now it's all about you, Henry and Connor."

"You can't bait someone like that, it's not very nice!" Evelyn teased as she reached the bottom of the staircase and gave the deviants a playfully annoyed stare where she stood.

"I promise it'll be worth the wait." Letting go of Lucas at long last Chloe's bright blue eyes lit up with further excitement. "Where is Henry?"

Evelyn responded casually as she crossed through the livingroom to speak more directly to her brother and sister-in-law. "He's upstairs napping. If you want to see him you can, just, you know, be quiet when you do."

"Of course." Chloe pulled on Lucas's right hand to follow her up the staircase and into Henry's bedroom at the top of the stairs. "We won't upset him."

Evelyn just smirked at the sight of the energetic deviants and walked outside through the backdoor to spend time with Connor and Hank. "How can anyone see androids as anything less than human?"

* * *

Creeping into the bedroom as silently as possible Chloe held onto Lucas's hand as they peered down over the edge of the crib and down at Henry as the newborn slept peacefully. The small baby was content, quiet and seemed to be completely at ease at the new world unfolding around him. The bedroom was perfectly adorned to make sure Henry felt secured and loved, and in time the room would slowly change as Henry grew up and needed to express himself as a person.

"He's so sweet like this." Chloe complimented as she stared at Henry in utter awe. "I'm so happy for Connor and Evelyn."

"I am, too. Connor seems to be truly happy for the first time in a very long time." Sharing the sentiment Lucas stared at his nephew and squeeze his bondmate's hand affectionately. "Even Evelyn seems to have found a new sense of happiness."

From inside the crib Henry's blue eyes opened and he let out a small grunt as if uncomfortable. As he began to fuss where he was laying Lucas had an inexplicable instinct to gently lift Henry up from the crib and hold him against his chest. The small baby kept squirming and making discontented noises despite Lucas's comforting touch.

Chloe stared at Henry with a confused glance. "Why is he upset?"

"He needs his diaper changed." Lucas deduced after a quick scan of the small baby and he found the source of Henry's discomfort. "I will do so."

"Should we tell Connor and Evelyn?"

"I'm certain they'll be made aware of Henry's diaper needing changed numerous times in the future." Placing the newborn down on the changing table Lucas easily undid the buttons on the 'onesie' and removed the soft warm garment from Henry just enough to get to the soiled diaper. "And as Evelyn already threatened if I did anything else reckless I would have to change all of his diapers when possible. As a firefighter I think I should get a headstart."

"I heard that." From the opened bedroom doorway Connor walked inside to check on Henry and held up a white tinted plastic baby monitor in his hand. "It isn't the best substitute for android enhanced auditory senses, but it's effective all the same."

"Oh. Well..."

"Do you know how to change a diaper?"

"Not from experience, but I do know the basics from a download of the childcare information I acquired the morning of Henry's birth."

"If you're going to be the hands-on uncle then let me show you how to get started. The nurses at the hospital made sure both Evelyn and I knew how to change a diaper and how to support Henry while he's feeding, so it isn't anything personal."

"I understand."

Chloe glanced about Henry's room and took notice of the twenty-two boxes of diapers that had been placed in the opened closet, the eighteen 'onesies' neatly folded up in the dresser, a dozen different soft hats, three dozen pairs of tiny socks, the two extra blankets folded up on top of the dresser, the three pacifiers next to the blankets and the stuffed animals in the corners of the room. It was all so sweet and inviting for a young baby and it made Chloe feel overjoyed to be a part of it.

"There we go." Connor finished securing the straps of the fresh diaper and refastened the buttons on the blue 'onesie'. "That's better."

Henry seemed much more comfortable and stopped fussing quickly. Grabbing onto Connor's finger Henry made more noises as his dad hovered over him and let him squeeze onto his finger.

"When you decided to change Henry's diaper," Connor turned to his little brother and gave him an intrigued glance. "you picked him up, right?"

"Obviously."

"Do you want to hold him again?"

"Uh... Yeah. I do." The reality of the situation just dawned on him and he began to smile. Repeating his previous actions Lucas managed to lift the newborn up from the changing table and held him in his hands for a moment before he lifted him up toward his chest to cradle in his arms. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"When he started to cry I just picked him up without thinking about it."

"That's because he's your nephew and you care about him."

"So my reaction was appropriate and normal?"

"Yes." Connor rubbed his left hand along Henry's back as he rested in Lucas's hands against the deviant's chest. "That was the right reaction to have."

"I'm glad. I don't know how to be an uncle."

"Well, I don't know how to be a dad. It's a learning process we're both going through right now."

Lucas smiled as he carried Henry back to the crib and with a very soft motion placed him back down in the crib to resume his nap. The tiny newborn was much more comfortable in his clean diaper and able to fall back asleep fairly quickly.

"Dinner's ready whenever you two are ready to come down."

"We'll be down in a moment, Connor. Go ahead without us."

Giving Henry a light squeeze of his tiny hand Connor took his leave of the bedroom and returned to the kitchen downstairs to rejoin his family in the kitchen.

Lucas took a moment to stare down at Henry and smirked as Chloe stood beside him and wrapped her arms around his right arm, and rested her head against his right shoulder affectionately. Letting out a content sigh Lucas watched his nephew sleeping peacefully and felt his heart swell. "Connor truly is lucky."

"...And I can't wait to tell everyone that we're lucky, too."

Lucas's green eyes went wide as he turned to his bondmate and scanned her form quickly. He detected a heartbeat in the additional biocomponent she had installed during her upgrades and smiled. "...You... You really are!" Lightly he pressed his left palm over her lower abdomen and felt a very faint pressure from her newly installed uterine biocomponent that was beginning to distend. "...And you're one-hundred percent sure you're... expecting?"

"Elijah confirmed the results himself. I am."

Beaming with a new sense of pride Lucas was no excited for a whole new reason. "When are we going to tell everyone the good news?"

"We should wait a while longer. We don't want to accidentally take any attention away from Henry or Evelyn."

"You're right. We'll wait until you're beginning to show."

"That sounds perfect. I'm further along than I had realized, as well."

"You... are?"

"Apparently the software isn't as accurate as we had anticipated, but it's alright. As it turns out my sudden desire to consume sustenance rather than drink Thirium was a direct result of my condition."

"So everything is... healthy?"

"Very."

"That's incredible, Chloe. We're going to be parents, too." Reaching his free left hand into Henry's crib Lucas gently pressed his index finger against the newborn's tiny fist and smiled as even in his sleep Henry took hold and held on as tightly at he could to uncle's fingertip. "Connor's right. Being a dad is going to be great!"

* * *

It was well into the night and almost midnight as Hank sat in front his laptop in the study downstairs and sighed at the sparse case details regarding the threat from the new and enigmatic entity calling itself "Quondam" after the original threat was kept silent. Beyond Benjamin Perkins using the prison library to his advantage there was little else to connect the threat to a single person inside the city. Tired and ready to go to bed Hank closed his laptop screen and let out a weary sigh. Rubbing his right hand over his tired eyes he took a moment to lean back and stretch out his back before he left the study for the rest of the night. It was then in the quiet of the house Hank heard a soft weeping sound coming from within the livingroom.

"What the hell?" As he rose from the chair behind the desk Hank stepped out of the study and wandered down the short corridor to the livingroom where he saw Connor sitting on the couch with Henry wrapped up in one of Cole's old yellow baby blankets in his arms. "Connor? What's the matter?"

The young detective just kept staring at Henry's face in the dim lighting of the livingroom as he managed to steady his voice to speak. "Sorry, dad. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You didn't. I was about to go to bed." Sitting down on the couch beside Connor the protective father stared at his son's face and saw the red bloodshot eyes as he kept his own eyes on Henry. Henry was still awake but calm as he settled into Connor's arms and began to slowly drift off to sleep as Connor very gently rocked him, and Ruby rested her chin over Connor's foot on the floor. to stay close by "What's wrong, son?"

"...Nothing. I was just thinking and I accidentally upset myself."

"What were you thinking about?"

"...Life." Tightening his hug around Henry without hurting him Connor readjusted the newborn baby so he was resting more against his chest and shoulder. His every instinct was to comfort his son and to keep Evelyn as comfortable as possible as she recovered from giving birth. "...Specifically my own."

"What about it?"

"It seems like I was thinking about everything. How my mother will never meet her grandson or ever know he was born. How Henry will never have a grandmother; my own mother has passed away, Evelyn's mother is deceased and she never knew, and even Barbara is gone."

"It's okay, son." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank tried to comfort his son. "Libby and Barbara may not be here in a physical sense, but just like I told Markus about Carl being there during his bonding ceremony, they're both here and watching over Henry, too."

"That's not all." Wiping away a rogue tear with his left thumb Connor struggled to keep his voice from breaking. "I keep looking down at Henry and I can't understand how anybody could be cruel to a child, and then the idea of someone being cruel to their own child just seems... I don't get it."

"You don't want to know. That's a good thing to not understand."

"How come my biological father hurt me so much? Why didn't Evelyn's parents care about her? I just-"

"Hey, come here." Wrapping his right arm around Connor's shoulder Hank pulled Connor up against his side use his left arm to support Henry as he gave Connor a much needed hug. "It's okay. Evelyn's okay. Henry's okay! Everything is going to be okay."

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for being overwhelmed with repressed emotions, son. It happens to us all."

"I can't help it. I'm just... Confused and scared. I love Evelyn and Henry more than anything in this world, and the thought of them being alone or hurt just makes me feel sick."

"I had the same reaction after Cole was born. I thought about how my parents would never know their grandson, how much it hurt that Barbara's own parents disowned her when she married me because she didn't believe in their religious values and how'd they'd never know Cole, and how Cole only had me, Barbara and a few officers from the precinct to take care of him. But you don't have to worry about that. Henry has you, Evelyn, me, Lucas, Chloe and I know all of New Jericho would do whatever it takes to protect Henry just as the precinct will. He'll never be alone or feel abandoned."

Pulling Henry in closer to hug him against his chest Connor let out a shaky breath and only nodded his head.

"Why don't you take Henry upstairs and get some sleep? I know you're tired, too."

"Henry isn't tired, and I don't want him to be left alone in his crib with no one else awake to remind him that he's safe. I know that sounds a little paranoid, but I can't shake the feeling of him every experiencing loneliness."

"It's alright." Hank let up on his hug a little and offered Connor some comforting words. "I'll take Henry and keep him company until he's ready for sleep."

"But you have to go to work in the morning."

"Yeah, but as I've told you countless times there are things that are infinitely more important than working on a case or going to work on time." Moving his arms out to take Henry from Connor's arms Hank let the newborn snuggle in and rest against his left shoulder in the same way that he had been doing while Connor was holding him. "Let me bond with Henry while you go upstairs and get some sleep. You'll have all day tomorrow, and the rest of your life, to show Henry how much you love him."

"...Okay." Rubbing his left hand lightly along Henry's hair Connor gave his son a kiss on the forehead and reluctantly got up from the couch. "Goodnight, Henry. I love you. "As he stood up Ruby jumped up onto his now vacated spot on the couch to be closer to Henry, and quickly settled down, too. "Thank you, dad."

"Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight."

Walking quietly Connor wiped away the rest of his tears as he ascended the staircase and returned to the bedroom where Evelyn was already sleeping, and laying on her right side. Lifting up the quilt to lay down behind her Connor wrapped his arms around Evelyn's waist and pulled her in close to hold her as she slept. Staring at her for a moment even in the darkness of the bedroom Connor kissed her left temple and finally laid down, closing his tear-filled soulful brown eyes to sleep.

"I love you, too, Evelyn."

In her sleep Evelyn smiled a little and snuggled down heavier against her pillow as she felt Connor wrap her up in the loving hug.

"I love you and Henry so much..."

Downstairs Hank happily rocked Henry in his arms and stared at the newborn's face as Henry yawned and finally closed his eyes. "Don't you worry about a thing, Henry. Papa's got ya'. Papa will never let anyone hurt you, or your daddy or your mommy. Same for your Uncle Lucas and Aunt Chloe. We're all going to be here for you and keep you safe. We promise."

The small baby let out a soft noise as he snuggled in more and grabbed onto the fabric of Hank's shirt in his tiny fist.

"Don't worry about hanging on, Henry." Slipping his index finger into Henry's fist and off of his shirt Hank made his grandson another promise he was determined to keep, no matter what the cost. "I won't ever let you down or make you feel disappointed in me. I won't ever do anything to upset you, your parents or anyone else ever again. I promise.""

_**-next chapter-**_


	95. Big Changes

Two weeks of bonding and family time had brought Connor much needed relief as he held Henry against his chest and laid stretched out over the length of the couch to rest. Henry had been sleeping well through the night but was a little fussy as he resisted going down for naps in the afternoons, and so Connor found a way to get him to sleep without it being too difficult. As the small baby began to calm down and sleep Connor rubbed his right hand gently over Henry's back and smiled as he finally gave up and settled down for his nap.

Ruby was sitting on the floor beside the couch with her chin pressed down on Connor's shin as she looked up at Henry and watched his every move attentively.

In the kitchen Evelyn finished preparing Henry a new bottle of formula and had made a light lunch for her and Connor enjoy in a while after Henry settled down enough to be put in his swing to sleep without needing constant contact.

"He looks so content." Evelyn whispered as she stood over the back of the couch and looked down at Henry sleeping on Connor's chest. "He must like the sound of your heartbeat."

"I'm okay with that." Connor admitted in an equally low whisper. "I like having him sleeping here so we can bond."

"You don't have to carry him everywhere, you know."

"I know. But you got to carry him for nine months straight, now it's my turn."

"You have to put him down sometime."

"Sounds like a challenge."

"What if I told Hank about this little game of yours?"

"I don't think he'd mind."

"What if I told Hank you were skipping meals to play 'Super Dad'?"

"_That_ he would mind." Looking down at Henry's sleeping face Connor didn't budge and gave Evelyn a coy look. "...But I'll wait a little longer."

"You can be such a brat sometimes." Giving Connor a kiss on the lips as she leaned over the back of the couch Evelyn just laughed decided to relent for a while. "But you're _my_ brat."

"For the rest of our lives."

There was a soft knock on the front door that caused Ruby to raise up her head, but she didn't bark as she stared at the incoming visitor behind the closed door. Evelyn walked over and opened the door only to see Lucas and Chloe outside. "Hey! You should know you don't have to knock to come inside."

"Sorry, I just didn't want to accidentally disturb Henry." The deviant admitted as he stepped inside the livingroom to check on his nephew. Approaching the couch he looked down at Henry with a smirk on his face while Ruby returned her chin to Connor's leg. "He's been growing well in the past two weeks."

"You can tell already?"

"Yes. He's approximately two point two centimeters taller than he was when he was born. That's an average and steady growth for a newborn."

"Good to know." Connor slowly sat upright on the couch and kept Henry held against his chest by using his hand to support his weight. "Hank will be home in about twenty minutes. Are you finally going to tell us what your big news is?"

"Yes." Lucas admitted as he grabbed onto Chloe's left hand to squeeze gently. "But we want everyone here before we say anything."

"I can respect that." Getting up from the couch carefully Connor carried Henry over to the soft baby swing in the corner of the livingroom and placed the newborn in the swing to continue his nap. Draping a soft yellow blanket over Henry without disturbing him Connor stood upright and watched as Ruby laid down on the floor beside the swing to keep an eye on Henry as he slept. "Has it been busy out in the city? I haven't really left the house since Henry was born, and I know Hank is working on something important, but he won't tell me what it is."

"It's been average." The attentive deviant explained coolly. "That arsonist who torched the theater was arrested and sentenced to thirty years in prison just prior to Henry's birth, so that's a positive change. And New Jericho Tower is attempting to branch out to the secretive refugee camps strewn about outside the city to ensure excess supplies are being put to good use."

"That's good to know. Progress."

Evelyn stood beside Connor and gave him a weary sigh as she longed for her own routine of working as a detective. "I miss working cases. Once Henry is on a schedule where someone can watch him for a few hours a day I'm going to go back to working in a precinct. I miss being able to busy my mind all day with cases and people."

With a casual shrug of his shoulders Connor chimed in on the comment. "The two of us watching over one baby all will definitely keep Henry safe, so I know when it comes time we can handle taking care of him by ourselves."

"Not to mention 'Papa Hank' watching over all of us." Tugging on Connor's right arm Evelyn pulled him toward the kitchen to finally eat his lunch. "Come on, eat something so we don't have to worry Hank with your little bad habit rearing its ugly head again."

"Yeah, okay."

While the new parents were in the kitchen Lucas and Chloe watched Henry napping in the swing and just smiled. Discreetly Lucas returned his right hand to Chloe's belly where she was just starting to show a little more, but no one would notice unless they were really looking at her. The two deviants exchanged a cybernetic communication regarding their upcoming future with their own child, and couldn't stop smiling at one another.

From the kitchen Connor popped a potato chip in his mouth as he watched his brother and sister-in-law in the livingroom being coy and happy. "Do you have it ready?"

"Yeah," Evelyn confirmed as she took a bite of her salad and placed a small plate of fruit down on the table for them to enjoy. "it's tucked behind Henry's swing just out of sight."

"Perfect."

"You're one-hundred percent sure about it?"

"Yup. I can tell just by looking at them I know what's going on."

"It's a good thing you use your skills as a detective for good instead of evil."

"Evil is overrated."

Flashing Connor a coy smirk Evelyn teased him a little. "How do you know for certain?"

"I was a tool by CyberLife for two months." As his eyes dulled for a moment Connor gave her a somber glance without his mood affecting his voice. "Trust me, it was a short stint but I've seen evil up close and personal; it's not worth it."

"Hey..." Grabbing onto his left hand gingerly Evelyn gave him a sweet smile. "Don't worry about it anymore. They're gone, you're safe and we're going to do everything to keep Henry happy and healthy. Right?"

"Right." Rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand Connor's eyes lit up again and he felt more at ease. "We don't let him down."

The front door opened again as Hank returned home and was happy to see his whole family gathered together that afternoon. Slipping off his coat and hanging it on the hook by the front door Hank kicked off his shoes and placed the car keys down on the bookshelf against the wall as was his usual evening routine. "This is pleasant surprise. What's going on?"

Lucas turned to look at Hank standing behind the couch and smiled brightly. "We have something important to share and we wanted you, Connor and Evelyn in person."

"Oh? Alright, I'm listening." Walking through the livingroom the proud new grandfather glanced at Henry napping peacefully in his swing and smiled. "What's going on, son?"

Connor and Evelyn overheard the question and returned to the livingroom to listen in as Lucas and Chloe stood side by side and held hands.

"Dad, Connor, Evelyn;" Lucas stated in a confident tone as he addressed his family with utter pride in voice and his eyes. "Chloe and I are... expecting a baby."

Hank's eyes blue lit up. "You to are..." He quickly pulled in the two deviants for a hug and held on tight. "That's amazing! You two are going to be parents?!"

"Yes!" Chloe confirmed in a chipper voice. "In twenty-three weeks, I'm already four months along."

"F-Four?" Letting go of his hug Hank stood back and couldn't stop himself from look down at Chloe's belly. "Really?"

"Yes," she confirmed again as she pressed her right palm over her belly lightly. "and the baby is very healthy."

"That's fantastic!" Hank looked over his right shoulder at Connor and Evelyn as the young couple flashed Lucas and Chloe a knowing glance. "Looks like you two get to play the role of aunt and uncle, too!"

"Congratulations, brother!" Connor stepped forward to hug Lucas while Evelyn picked up a small box from behind the swing and presented it to the deviant couple. "We hope this will help you get settled in."

"...What is it?" Lucas asked as he eyed the small white box as Chloe opened up the lid. Contained inside was a brand new white colored 'onesie' with little green cat paw prints on the legs, a matching soft, white cap, a pacifier and congratulatory card. Peering into the box Lucas flashed his brother an astonished look from where he stood. "...You knew?"

Connor casually pointed to himself as he kept a smug smirk on his face. "Detective."

Hank just laughed and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder in an approving manner. "Damn fine work, son."

Chloe was on the verge of tears and absolutely loved the gift. "This is so wonderful! Thank you!"

"You're family, Chloe." Hank reminded her as he gave her a gentle glance. "You, Lucas and your baby will be getting just as much love from us as you've shown in the past. You'll always have us to rely on, no matter what you need."

"I'm so happy! I can't wait to find out the gender of the baby!"

Evelyn just smirked as she glanced at Connor and gave him a nod. "We're going to either have a niece or nephew to watch over. What do you think about that?"

"I think we're going to need more diapers in the house."

Hank spoke up and offered his own opinion on the matter. "That's an always, son. You can never have enough diapers."

Connor grinned again and was beyond happy to know that soon his little brother would enjoy fatherhood as much as he was. "You're going to be a great dad, Lucas. And I know you're going to find a new sense of joy in having a baby."

As if waiting for a cue Henry let out a small cry as the talking voices woke him up and he needed to protest.

Reacting quickly Connor turned around and lifted the fussy baby from the swing to hold against his chest as he began to soothe him a little. "Sorry, Henry. I promise we won't make a habit of waking you up during nap time." Connor nodded at Lucas and gave him a somewhat awkward glance as he inquired about the pregnancy. "I take it you and Chloe had gotten the upgrades to allow your software to alter donated human samples to allow this to happen, right?"

"Correct. Beyond additional biocomponents Chloe had a special layer of artificial skin put in place over her abdomen to allow the new biocomponent, one that acts as an incubator and uterus, to expand as the baby grows without the plastimetal frame there to get in the way. " Lucas confirmed with the same bright smile still on his face. "As for the genetic material, the samples we used had the D.N.A. wiped clean and then altered to replicate our aesthetic programing to act as substitute alleles, and as a result it'll give the baby the same odds of sharing our traits as any human couple would experience."

"I want to make a little prediction." Connor challenged with his own coy grin as Henry began to settled back down. "You're going to have a girl; black hair with green eyes."

"That is oddly specific, brother."

"_Detective_." He parroted as he patted Henry's back lightly to completely soothe the slowly calming baby. "Call it a hunch, but I'm confident that Chloe is carrying a girl."

"Only time will tell."

"Having a grandson _and_ a granddaughter would be perfect." Hank noted as he reached his hands over to take Henry from Connor's arms to hold for himself and get him to settle. "Remember what I said about warning Chris and Tina about kids being contagious? I'm going to go ahead and send them a warning text before it's too late."

"But you love kids, dad."

"Yeah, but I hate working with temporary partners and dealing with detectives out for six weeks at a time on leave even more!" Carrying Henry with him upstairs Hank decided it was time to lay down and relax a little. Henry was going to join him for a little nap, and it seemed like the small baby liked the idea of continuing his nap in peace. "Congratulations again, you two. I need to get off my feet before I keel over, and I'm going to be sure to let Fowler know Connor and I are going to be there for you the moment the baby's born; cases be damned!"

"Thanks, dad." Lucas watched as Hank walked up the stairs with Henry resting against his chest and smiled again. The sight of Hank full of life and being far more active was a great sight to behold after seeing the senior detective trying to drink himself to death almost a year ago. As soon as his father was out of sight Lucas addressed Connor in a low voice. "He seems better mentally, but exhausted physically."

"It's the case he's been working on." Connor's right hand nervously began rubbing the back of his neck as he filled Lucas in on a few details to help him to understand Hank's demeanor. "Something called 'Quondam' is the problem. Such a hate-filled group has never been in the city before, and right now deviants are potentially at risk."

"Quondam? I haven't heard anything about such a person or group in the city."

"It's been kept quiet, but the person or persons responsible have threatened deviants. The creator of the group was Benjamin Perkins from behind bars, but he has at least one ally outside and we need to find them."

"You will, brother." Lightly Lucas rested his left hand over Chloe's growing belly as he spoke. "You always protected this city, and I know that now more than ever you'll do what it takes to keep everyone safe."

"I sincerely hope you're right." Taking hold of Evelyn's right hand he gave his little brother a righteously cautious stare and mentally weighed the severity of the situation at hand. "Once I'm back at the precinct I should be able to help Hank make some progress on the case. Evelyn and I have been going over the case from home during Henry's naps, or whenever Hank is spending time with Henry upstairs, but without any leads or additional evidence we can't do much."

"When I return to the station tomorrow I'll ask Captain DeSoto if he's noticed anything unusual in the deviant community, or if reports came in during the other shifts." It was a stretch but it was plausible that his Captain could know something about what was going on. "I know the fire department won't possibly know as much as the police department in this matter, but it couldn't hurt to ask."

"Thanks Lucas. I'd appreciate all the help you can give us." Glancing at the top of the staircase where he had last scene Hank and Henry the young detective let out a weary sigh. "The sooner we solve this case the better it'll be for everyone."

_**-next chapter-**_


	96. Tough Case

Two additional weeks had passed by and Henry was now one month old. The small baby was healthy and already being active as he tried to turn his head and look around the house at every curious sound or movement that his tiny senses detected, but with each effort he showed he exhausted himself and often needed to settle down for a nap soon after his little adventures. After a slightly messy lunch Evelyn took Henry into the bathroom for a quick bath to clean up the aftermath of the unorthodox lunch from over Henry's chin and shirt, while Connor sat down on the couch and stared at the television screen as a breaking news story was being broadcasted live before him.

'_While no names, identities or even an aliases associated with the threat have been confirmed_,' the female news anchor reported in a dull indifferent tone as her hollow blue eyes showcased her cold demeanor entirely. '_the police are taking the threat of violence very seriously and are beginning an investigation_. _The affiliation known as "Quondam" has made credible threats against New Jericho Tower and Mayor Walter Nero himself has sworn to protect the deviants residing inside the tower against any and all threats_.'

"There's a new threat and the mayor getting involved." Connor sighed as he turned off the television with the remote and leaned back against the couch cushions heavily. Pulling his coin from his pocket he began to dance the coin over the back of his right knuckles and stared ahead blankly past the turned off television. "The mayor has always been shady when it comes to deviants. What's the connection now?"

"This is why I hate politics." Evelyn walked into the livingroom with Henry dressed in a clean yellow 'onesie' and wrapped up in a blue baby blanket. Sitting down on the couch beside Connor she passed Henry over to him and watched as Connor's tension quickly disappeared as he held his son. "At least as detectives we can carry a taser and shut people up the 'fun way' when people run their mouths too much."

"I don't think Internal Affairs would approve of you settling arguments the 'fun way'."

"They can't tell me how to live my life." Smirking at the odd conversation Evelyn put her left hand on Connor's thigh as he held Henry in his arms. "You never did trust the mayor, did you?"

"No. Neither does Hank. There's something very off-putting and mistrustful about him."

"Go with your gut. If you don't trust him, then don't."

Lightly readjusting Henry so he could rest his head against Connor's shoulder the proud new father rubbed his right hand along Henry's back affectionately to ensure Henry was comfortable. "With any luck we'll have a much more reliable person in charge before Henry's out of diapers."

"I don't think it'll be luck that'll sway the election this year. I think it'll be common sense."

"I hope you're right."

"What's with this Quondam group, anyway? The deviants haven't done a single thing to warrant such hatred and threats, and there's nothing to be gained by spreading hate and indifference."

"Hate is a loud and obnoxious voice that refuses to be silenced. The only thing that can drown out a single voice of hate is a group chanting about love and acceptance."

"Sounds like a bunch of peaceful deviants coexisting in New Jericho Tower is the source of that group love, and that's why Quondam is so riled up."

"Most likely." As Henry settled into his right shoulder Connor felt at ease and decided that as soon as he was back at the precinct he'd figure out the case and find a connection between Quandom's motivations, and what stake the mayor had in the group's presence. "I need to figure out how Quandom's presence could affect the mayor's position of power. Maybe the mayor knows who's responsible for the threat, but if anything he's going to use the threat to bolster his reputation with the deviants by making them shady promises."

"Either way he sounds like a snake."

"How unfortunate for snakes to be compared to such a deceptive being."

Watching Henry get a little fussy again Evelyn walked over to his baby swing and picked up his pacifier from the soft space, and returned to the couch to slip it into his mouth. "How's Hank handling this case?"

"As well as I could hope. He's tried from working the case alone."

"Why alone?"

"The threat was against deviants and he and I are the only detectives assigned to handle deviant related cases in the entire city."

"Just you two?"

"Yeah. We're the only detectives with enough experience to warrant such a responsibility. The detectives who have shown interest in the cases, or want to aid deviants are always reassigned by the higher-ups elsewhere. It makes zero sense, and it's going to be even harder to get experienced detectives in the deviant division when Hank and I eventually retire."

Glancing at the staircase behind the couch Evelyn tried to listen to the sounds taking place on the second floor above her. "Is Hank still sleeping?"

"I think so. I'll keep tabs on him while you and Chloe are out shopping this afternoon."

"Are you sure you don't mind me taking Henry out for a few hours? Don't you want to get outside for a while, too?"

"It's okay. Take Henry out so everyone can admire him and get all the compliments he deserves."

"As long as complete strangers don't try to pick him up or anything, no problem."

"If they try be sure to flash them your badge and remind them that kidnapping is still a crime. Or you know, handle them the 'fun way'."

"I don't think it'll have to go that far, but I'll keep that in mind." Taking Henry back from Connor with a gentle motion Evelyn supported him against her chest and patted his diaper a little. Giving Connor a quick kiss Evelyn went about her way to get ready for a trip downtown. "Alright, I'm going to get him changed and let Chloe know we're ready to join her with checking out the new baby store downtown."

"Please remind Chloe that she doesn't have to buy everything at once. Except the diapers. Let her go crazy with the diapers."

"Don't worry, I already promised Lucas I wouldn't let her fill up their house with toys and clothes." Nodding at Connor as she walked up the staircase Evelyn flashed him a loving smile. "Diapers and formula only."

* * *

A palpable silence filled the house and Hank, who had been sleeping off a stress induced headache, awoke to the peaceful quiet of his bedroom sensing that the house was empty. Sitting upright on the bed Hank pressed his right hand over his tired blue eyes and let out a weary sigh as he woke up more fully and ran his left hand through his messy locks of gray hair. As he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood upright the 'pops' and 'cracks' of his tired back echoed through the bedroom as he trudged toward the door.

"Damn back. I'm too damn old to _sleep_ without hurting myself now."

Opening the bedroom door Hank peered inside Henry's room and saw that the crib was empty, then noticed the same for Connor and Evelyn's bedroom.

Walking downstairs to the livingroom Hank heard the sliding glass doors in the kitchen open up and close again as Ruby's nails clattered over the linoleum floor as she trotted over to her bowls to eat. From the kitchen doorway he watched as Connor neatly bundled up Ruby's leash and proceeded to meet him by the doorway.

"Hey, son. Where is everyone?"

"Evelyn took Henry shopping with Chloe. I decided to take Ruby for a quick walk while you were sleeping."

"Oh."

"Are you feeling well?"

"I'm tired as all Hell, but I'm okay."

"You seem far more fatigued than I've ever witnessed before."

"I'm fine, son." Dismissing the worries with a simple wave of his hand Hank tried to sound more alert than he was actually feeling. "I just need a hot shower to get the kink out of my damn back, and something to eat."

"I'll make us some lunch."

"You haven't eaten yet?"

"I have, but I don't mind cooking and leaving some leftovers for later."

"Oh."

"I can assure you that I've been taking proper care of myself ever since Evelyn told me she was pregnant with Henry, and I haven't missed a meal. You know, except for when Evelyn was in the hospital giving birth."

"Right, that's fair."

Sensing the despair in Hank's voice Connor pushed his father to discuss what was on his mind. "...What's really bothering you, Hank?"

"Son, I'm-"

"Please." Speaking with a pleading tone Connor sought an answer from Hank, and only wanted to know the truth. "I know you're trying to keep my knowledge of the case limited for the time being, but I will be returning to the precinct in two weeks to begin my own investigation. Talk to me."

Pausing for a moment Hank put his hands on his hips and then motioned for Connor to sit down at the kitchen table. "Alright, son. I'll tell ya' what's going on."

"It's serious, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's getting there." Sitting down at the table Hank leaned his head down against his left palm as he let out another weary sigh before he began to explain the annoyingly complicated case that he had been struggling to work on for almost a solid month. "Quondam, or whoever the fuck made that original threat, made another one and two deviants were found dead at the sight of the old deviant junkyard. They were gunned down and burned."

Falling silent for a moment Connor's soulful brown eyes dulled as he contemplated what he had been told. "...When?"

"Last night, or early in the morning. It's been difficult to get an exact time of dea- _shutdown_," he corrected himself quickly before continuing. "and I ended up working until almost three in the morning."

"I noticed you didn't come home until very late last night. Were you working alone?"

"Yeah. No one else wants to touch this case, and I don't blame them."

"Are they the only victims of Quondam?"

"So far, yeah."

"...Were the deviants anyone with a reputable role in New Jericho?"

"No. The first deviant worked construction, and the second was a barber downtown. The only thing they had in common was their gender. They had different models, different original programming, different ages, lived in different locations and had different social circles. They didn't have any criminal records, and they deviated after the Revolution so we know they were unlikely to have any enemies."

"Strange. They must've been randomly chosen simply because they were deviants who were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's what I figured. Aside from the scene of the murders we don't know anything else about the crime. We don't know who was there, how many people were involved, or how they got to the junkyard to begin with."

"We'll figure it out."

"It's not just the case, son. It's the fact that this hate group seemingly came out of nowhere is managing to stay below the radar that's making things all the more difficult."

"Hank, this might sound crazy, but do you think the mayor could somehow be involved with this group?"

"The mayor? Look kid, I know he's a weasel and a kiss-ass, but I don't think he'd stoop so low as to murder deviants. Especially since he went out of his way to get us promotions because of our work with deviant."

"...We've been promoted?"

"...Fuck." The comment was just a slip of the tongue and Hank immediately want to kick his own ass. "Sorry, I meant to tell you sooner but, uh..."

"I know. Henry's more important."

"That is the damn truth." Nodding in total understanding Hank lifted his head up and leaned back in the chair to try to stretch out his sore back and neck. "Well, we got promoted thanks to the mayor pulling the strings. I'll have the rank of Captain and you'll be a Lieutenant. But that's only IF we choose to accept the promotions."

"If we get promoted then we won't be working as partners anymore. But, we'll earn better pay and we'll be able to support the family with stronger financial security."

"Hey, don't try to make a big decision like that before you're even back at the precinct. Just think it over and make your decision then."

"Okay, yeah."

"Now, how about that lunch?"

"Sure." Standing up from the table Connor walked over to the nearby cabinets and began looking for a few choice ingredients. "By the way, Henry can drink more formula than he had before, he just can't seem to recognize that his stomach isn't as big as his appetite yet."

"He spit up on you, huh, son?"

"Me, Evelyn and even Ruby."

Laughing at the little show he missed Hank felt a little better and rubbed his right hand over the back of his tense neck to try to ease his discomfort. "Glad I missed that. Sounds like a mess."

"Nothing we couldn't handle."

"That's the right attitude. It's starting to warm up, think you could give me a hand working on the Corvette?" Turning his head Hank watched as Connor set about the countertops with all the ingredients for two large submarine sandwiches to eat for lunch. "I managed to get all of the necessary parts ordered and began some of the work before Evelyn went into labor, but ever since Henry came along and now this case my hands have been busy with someone far more important."

Connor smirked at the comment as he agreed to help out with the repairs on the Corvette. "Yeah, we can get some work done before Evelyn gets back with Henry. I just hope she's able to keep Chloe from buying everything in the store in preparation for the baby."

"Still think it'll be a girl?"

"Yeah, it's just a gut feeling I have. Lucas and Chloe are going to have a daughter."

"Go with your gut, son. It's your most reliable sense."

Smirking again Connor placed the two full plates down on the kitchen table and sat down beside Hank again to eat. "So I've been told."

"Then you know it's true." Hank commented sharply as he picked up his sandwich and took a bite. It was loaded with everything he liked and he knew it was because Connor wanted him to feel a little better. "Right?"

"Yeah, dad. I know." Picking up his own sandwich Connor readily agreed with Hank's assessment and took a bite. "I'll always trust my gut."

"That's my boy."

_**-next chapter-**_


	97. Sick Day

The lack of information regarding Quondam had left Hank absolutely exhausted mentally, and he was beyond ready for Connor to rejoin him at the precinct the following week. As he pulled the rain drenched car into the driveway beside the house Hank rubbed his right hand over his tired eyes and looked up at the storm clouds overhead with an exhausted stare. The dark gray clouds were heavy with rain, and that rain didn't hesitate to bombard the city under the warm natural deluge as spring readily transitioned to summer with a violent shift.

The gloomy weather wasn't doing much to help Hank's exhausted demeanor, and he knew that the foul weather was only going to make the rest of the city tense as well.

"Not even summer yet and the weather is already getting shitty."

Opening and shutting his car door with a hearty slam Hank walked to the front door of the house and pushed the door open quietly. The first thing he saw was Henry sitting in his swing in the corner of the livingroom making small noises, but then immediately sensed something was amiss. Glancing about the livingroom Hank saw no sign of Connor or Evelyn, didn't hear the shower running and noticed that Evelyn's car wasn't in the driveway. They wouldn't have left Henry home alone, and yet no one was around.

"Henry, where is everyone?"

Closing the door behind himself Hank heard a soft coughing sound and traced the sound to a figure laying on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. Ruby was whimpering a little as she sat beside the baby swing beside Henry, but her eyes were focused on the figure on the floor a few inches away.

"Oh, shit!" Recognizing the person in an instant Hank's heart began to thunder in his chest. "Connor?"

Dropping to his knees onto the floor Hank put his right hand down in the middle of Connor's back and felt the heat from an intense fever radiating from his skin. Moving carefully Hank rolled Connor from his chest; the young detective having collapsed face first onto the floor, and rolled Connor onto his side and then onto his back before pressing his left palm down over Connor's too warm forehead. The younger detective was pale, sweating, practically unconscious and breathing with some difficulty.

"Connor?" Addressing his son in a stern tone Hank tried to get the young detective to respond. "Connor, look at me."

The younger man's eyes stayed closed as Hank tried and failed to rouse him. It wasn't until Henry began to cry did Connor's eyes finally open up, and he glanced around with a glassy stare to look at his son in the corner of the livingroom. "...Henry?"

"Hey, don't move." Hank urged as he calmly stood up and went over to the swing to pick up Henry and soothe the scared and crying baby. As he lifted his grandson from the swing Hank held Henry to his chest and right shoulder, and lightly patted Henry's back with his left hand to try to comfort him. "Connor, I have Henry, he's okay."

"...Henry?" Lifting his head up from the floor Connor's glassy eyes found Hank then slipped shut again as he laid back down the floor as he lost his strength in a matter of seconds. "...Sorry, Henry."

"Where's Evelyn?"

"...She... She went to get me... medicine. Left... She just left."

"Shit, why didn't you tell me you were sick before I left the house this morning?"

"...You needed to... focus on the case."

"That's not an excuse." Kneeling down on the floor Hank looked at Connor's pale face and sighed. Connor looked and sounded absolutely miserable. "It sounds like you can't breathe well."

"Ch-Chest infection. You need to keep... Henry away."

"But I'm not leaving you alone, either."

The front door opened again and Evelyn practically sprinted inside.

Seeing Hank kneeling on the floor with Henry in his arms and Connor passed out on the floor was almost enough to make her drop the plastic shopping bag of medicine she had just purchased. "Connor?!" She too knelt down on the floor and pressed her right palm to his hot left cheek. "I'm so sorry! I knew I shouldn't have left you and Henry alone!"

"...It's not your fault."

Hank agreed and gave Connor an annoyed look. "You're right, it's not. You should've told me you were sick!"

"...I didn't know I was... this sick."

"It doesn't matter, you tell me when you're sick. Got it?"

Nodding weakly with a sense of guilt Connor acknowledged that he messed up. "...Got it."

"Good." Passing Henry, who had quieted down in his arms shortly after he had been picked up, over to Evelyn to take for herself Hank slipped his now free left arm under Connor's shoulder and helped him to sit upright on the floor. "She's going to take care of Henry and I'm going to take care of you."

"...I don't need-"

"Shut up. Yes you do." Hefting Connor up from the floor and onto the couch Hank turned his attention back to Evelyn, who looked absolutely mortified as if she had somehow failed to handle a situation properly. Sensing her worries Hank spoke in a softer tone of voice as he guided Connor back to lay down over the length of the furniture to rest. Within seconds Connor's eyes closed again as he seemingly passed out. "What'd you buy for Connor?"

"...Some fever reducer and cough syrup." Placing the bag down on the coffee table for later use Evelyn rubbed her right hand over Henry's back and gave Connor a despondent glance. "I grabbed some additional cold medicine and some medication that we can give Henry if he gets sick, too."

"Good call. Take Henry upstairs and away from Connor until his fever breaks."

"...Hank, please know I didn't leave-"

"Evelyn, you didn't do anything wrong." Without raising his voice or sounding angry in any way Hank tried to ease her mind as he took control over the situation as best as could. "Connor, by ignoring his illness and NOT telling me; the one guy who was free to leave the house under any circumstances without having to choose between a baby and their spouse, was in the wrong."

"I still shouldn't have left Connor here alone, and I should've taken Henry with me."

"Honestly I would've been more freaked out if you were driving around in this rain with Henry in the backseat than leaving him here with Connor for a few minutes. Henry didn't start to fuss until I came home, anyway. And Connor woke up as soon as Henry started to cry, so he was never in danger."

"I still feel like a shitty wife and mother for making that choice."

"Accidents happen." Giving Connor a stern paternal stare Hank tried to ease Evelyn's needless guilt as he sat down on the coffee table to hover over Connor as he laid over the couch semi-conscious and feverish. "You were stuck between a rock and a hard place. But I have to know why you didn't call or text me."

"Because I thought I could get to the drugstore and back in less than five minutes. It took about ten because of the weather."

"You're kicking yourself over five minutes?"

"I left my sick husband alone with our young and defenseless son. That was a horrible decision!"

"Evelyn, trust me, you could've done something FAR worse than leaving the house for ten minutes." As he picked up Connor's right wrist Hank counted his pulse and could hear Connor's congested breathing from where his sat. Putting his left palm down over Connor's chest he could feel how strained his breathing was and knew he had developed a nasty lung infection. "Just worry about Henry and make sure he doesn't catch Connor's cold."

Guilt and doubt racked Evelyn's every feeling as she watched Hank taking care of Connor. "...You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll take care of my son," he nodded at Henry in Evelyn's arms and smiled. "and you take of yours."

"...Okay. Call if you need help with Connor. I'm going to go give Henry a bath just in case he got too close, and change his 'onesie'."

As soon as Evelyn was up the staircase with Ruby following after her, and she was out of sight, Hank gave Connor a very angry sigh and grabbed onto his right shoulder tightly enough to wake him back up. "Connor, that was one of the stupidest things you've ever done!"

"...I know." The admission sounded as pained as the rest of his breathing. "...I can see that now."

"How long have you been feeling sick? And don't try to bullshit me."

"...I woke up around... six this morning. It was a little congestion... Fever. Headache."

"And you didn't tell me before I left the house for my shift. Why?"

"...I didn't want you to worry. Or be... distracted."

"Connor, you're my son. Do you seriously think that I'm not constantly wondering about you and wondering if you're safe? Even when I know you're here with Evelyn and Henry I'm still worrying that you might need some help. And this just proves my worries are justified."

"...I'm sorry, Hank. I fucked up."

"I know you are. Just don't deny being sick EVER again, no matter what." Reaching for the shopping bag of medicine on the coffee table beside him Hank pulled out the box containing fever reducing tablets and offered two to Connor. "I know you'd prefer to let your fever run its course, but with a baby in the house I want your fever down as soon as possible."

Connor's shaking right hand reached up and accepted the pills to pop into his mouth. Before he had the chance to drop his hand Hank forced the bottle of cough syrup into his hand and motioned for him to take a dose of the second medication as well.

"That stuff will stop coughing before it starts, and help clear up your lungs at the same time. Don't try to argue on this."

"...Okay." Taking the proper doses of medication Connor leaned back against the couch and sighed. "...I won't argue."

"Now," taking back the bottle of medication Hank screwed on the cap tightly and made a mental note to keep their medicine cabinet well stocked from that day on for as long as possible. "when did you tell Evelyn you were feeling sick?"

Drowsy and feeling weak Connor sighed and leaned back to try to sleep a little more. "...She woke up... around seven when Henry woke up. She saw I was sick and... began to take care of me after she got Henry changed and fed."

"Let me guess, you kept insisting you were fine until your little sickness turned into full-blown illness, and now you're down for the count."

"...Yeah. I... I want to apologize to Evelyn... for scaring her. For making... her feel like she... did something wrong."

"Damn right you will, but only after your fever breaks. You're going to stay down here and heal while Evelyn keeps Henry upstairs and away from you."

"Wouldn't it make... more sense for me to go upstairs, so they... can be downstairs?"

"Maybe. But I'm too tired to haul you up those stairs, and you're not walking by yourself."

"...I really messed up. Huh?"

"Think of this as a learning experience, and not a mistake. Okay?"

"...Okay."

"I'm going to get you a cold compress and you're going to lay here and sleep this off."

"...Okay."

"Yeah, you're sick." Hank managed a soft laugh with a slight shake of the head as he left the livingroom and made his way into the bathroom to place a clean washcloth under the cold tap in the sink. He then pulled the digital thermometer from the medicine cabinet over the sink and noted the other medication in the cabinet for potential use. Taking a moment to wring out the excess cool water from the washcloth Hank returned to the couch and placed the cold compress over Connor's too warm forehead to try to ease his fever externally. "I know I say it every time, but I can always tell you're really feeling sick when you start cooperating with me."

"I'm trying to... be less stubborn."

"As long as you're trying I guess I can't stay mad at you." Holding out the thermometer Hank gave Connor a subtle nod. "Open."

Obediently Connor opened up his mouth and let Hank place the device between his teeth. A few seconds passed and rthe eading caused the device to 'beep' loudly. The senior detective checked the number and gave Connor another annoyed stare. "One-hundred and two degrees even."

"...I didn't know I was... this sick."

"It's okay, son. I know you don't mean to do anything to make yourself sicker than you already are, or push yourself so far. Just try to learn how to ask for help every once in a while."

Closing his eyes he turned away from Hank and tried to relax. "Can you go check in on Henry and Evelyn... for me?"

"Son, they're upstairs and just fine. You lay here, sleep, and try not to worry."

"Didn't you say something about... worrying about me no matter what... because I'm your son?"

"Still a sharp-witted smartass, so you're not _that_ sick." Patting Connor's shoulder once Hank pulled the navy blue blanket draped over the back of the couch over and placed it over Connor in a comforting manner. "Rest and I'll take care of everything. Okay?"

"Y-Yeah." Letting out a weary sigh Connor did his best to not worry too much about his wife and son. "...Thanks, dad."

* * *

Despite his initial exhaustion after working all day the sight of Connor passed out on the floor suffering from a high fever and hearing Henry crying in fear had given Hank a burst of adrenaline that he needed to burn off. After taking a quick shower Hank made dinner for the family and presented Connor with a lighter meal to ensure it didn't accidentally upset his stomach. Placing a serving tray with a small bowl of homemade soup down on the coffee table Hank returned his left palm to Connor's forehead and felt that his fever was finally reducing.

"Connor?" Hank whispered to wake him up gently as he took the thermometer from the table and held it up for Connor to see. "I want to check your temperature again."

Opening his glassy eyes Connor was silent for a moment as his memories of the unusual day slowly returned to him. "...Evelyn and Henry?"

"Still upstairs, still fine. Open up."

Connor did as instructed and let Hank put the thermometer between his teeth. Once more the device 'beeped' and Hank got a reading. "Good. You're down to one-hundred point three degrees. That's a lot better."

"...I'm glad."

"Eat some soup and keep resting. I'm going to go check on Evelyn and Henry."

"...Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome, son."

With Connor taken care of Hank then went into the kitchen to make up a bottle of formula for Henry so his grandson could have some dinner himself. As he went upstairs to check in on Evelyn and Henry with the bottle of fresh formula in his hand Hank felt a deep paternal need being filled, and with it came a sense of emotional peace had been longing for. Peering inside Henry's bedroom Hank saw Evelyn sitting on the edge of Lucas's old bed with Henry sleeping in her arms, and Ruby was laying on the floor with her chin resting on Evelyn's foot.

"Hey." He called out softly from the opened doorway. "Dinner's ready."

Evelyn looked up at Hank as he stood in the doorway, and it was evident by the look in her eyes that she was still upset. "How's Connor?"

"His fever is dropping. He's down to one-hundred degrees and still cooling off."

"Thank goodness. I seriously thought I fucked up this time."

"Evelyn, don't do that. It was a tough call and in the end I think you made the best possible choice. It was too rainy to take Henry, a five week old baby, outside or take a sick man out in this shitty weather. Just be sure to text or call me next time either of you feel sick if Connor won't do it."

"I promise I will keep you on speed-dial, Hank. I meant it."

"Besides," softening tone to a sweet pitch Hank tried to lift Evelyn's spirits a little. "you know as well as I do that Connor is one stubborn little bastard. Don't get me wrong," Hank put up his hands, bottle still in his grasp, as if to surrender, then went on to elaborate on his comment. "I love the kid, he _is_ my son, but he can be kind of a bastard when he's sick or hurt."

Smirking a little at the comment Evelyn just looked down at Henry as he slept peacefully in her arms, and caught sight of her wedding ring on her finger. "Well, for better or for worse. I just wish I knew the 'worse' would be his stubbornness. It's a good thing I love him more than anyone I've ever met."

"Good to hear. I hate to pry into your past Evelyn, but I gotta' ask if you had anyone to rely on as a kid while you were growing up."

"...I did. My grandparents took care of my until my early twenties."

"And your parents were never in the picture?"

"No. My mom was unreliable and unstable. She left me and my late younger sister in foster care and our grandparents took us in."

"...What about your father?"

"We never had one. I don't think we even had the same father thanks my mom's horrible impulse control and inability to say 'no' to anything."

"Well, don't worry about that." Crossing the room Hank lightly put his hand on Evelyn's shoulder and gave her a kind stare as he offered her words of comfort. "You may not have had a dad when you were a kid, but you have one now. You're Connor's wife, Henry's mother and now you're my daughter. Okay?"

Tears of gratitude filled Evelyn's blue eyes as she nodded at Hank and truly appreciated his kindness. "Thank you, Hank. I'd like to think of you as my dad."

"Then go ahead and do it."

"Alright. Done."

"Good." Feeling the tension leave the air Hank urged Evelyn to head downstairs and take care of herself for a while. "Why don't you go downstairs and get something to eat? I'm sure Connor would feel a little better if you spoke to him, too."

"I don't want to get too close to Connor, get his germs and accidentally make Henry sick."

"Connor's sick but I don't think he's contagious." Folding his arms over his chest Hank looked down at Henry and gave his sleeping grandson a kind smile. He kept the bottle of formula in his right hand and let Evelyn see it. "I think he's just exhausted from being 'super-dad' and trying to work on that case when Henry's down for a nap, or when you're playing 'super-mom' with him. Connor wore himself out, and made himself sick in the process."

"I hope you're right. I don't want to see Connor in the hospital."

"Trust me, he won't go to the hospital unless I carry his comatose body in there over my shoulder myself." Moving carefully Hank sat down on the bed beside Evelyn and held out his arms to take Henry from her. "I'll stay with Henry and feed him. You go downstairs and get something to eat, and make sure Connor is eating, too. If he won't listen to my 'dad voice' then I know for sure he'll listen to your 'wife voice'."

Giving Hank a slight tilt of the head Evelyn passed over Henry gently and then stood up from the bed to head downstairs. "And if the 'wife voice' won't work I can practice using my 'mom voice' on him."

"Thata' girl. Go get him."

Offering Henry the bottle Hank instantly relaxed as he watched Henry take to the formula and stare up at him with his big blue eyes. Just being around his grandson was enough to make him feel less tense and far more at ease with the world.

"So, how was your day, Henry?" Watching as the five week old quickly downed the bottle Hank just smirked again made sure Henry didn't drink too fast and accidentally upset his tummy in the process. "Looks like you had a busy day with learning about how stubborn your daddy can be, huh?"

Readjusting Henry in his arms Hank moved so he was laying on his back over the length of the bed and let Henry lay on his tummy across his chest. Placing the empty bottle of formula down on the nightstand beside the bed Hank rubbed his hand lightly over Henry's back and spoke to him a whisper.

"Your daddy can be a real butt-head sometimes, but he's still a good guy. That doesn't mean you have to be a butt-head like him, though. For the sake of all of our sanity could you take more after your mom and be more cooperative?"

Henry let out a small grunt and slowly stretched out his legs as he proceeded to promptly soil his diaper.

Unable to stop himself from laughing at the response Hank just scooped Henry up and cradled him in his arms as he rose from the bed to carry Henry over to the nearby changing table. "Yeah, with that kind of smart remark you're definitely taking after your daddy."

_**-next chapter-**_


	98. Success and Peace

Feeling better and eager to get back to work Connor's return to the precinct was met with hundreds of congratulatory comments, and a few cards and gifts for Henry from his fellow officers throughout the bullpen. However the warm welcome quickly faded as the threat of Quondam becoming a cold case weighed heavily over the young detective's head. The first day went by slowly, and then transitioned into a slow week. But as that week stretched out into a solid month of no progress and mounting fear of an attack against the deviants; if not the entire city, Connor's stress was becoming apparent to anyone who spoke with him.

Dancing his coin over the back of his right knuckles Connor stared at the sparse details on his terminal screen until his soulful brown eyes became strained and bloodshot by the bright surface. "...Nothing about this case makes any sense."

"I know." Hank agreed as he sipped his mug of warm coffee and glanced around his own terminal screen to look at Connor on the other side. "That's why I've been steadily losing my sanity trying to figure it out."

"It's been over a month and I've made no progress. It's very unsettling."

"Hey, I've been working on this for TWO months and didn't make any progress. Technically nine weeks, so don't feel bad."

"I haven't struggled with a case like this since I was assigned to locate the original Jericho four years ago, and even then I only needed a few days to finally find it. This is... worse. Jericho was housing innocent deviants, Quondam is harboring violence."

"Stop it. Don't compare one case to another, you know better than anyone else that you can't expect every case to unfold in the same manner, or to have the same rate of progress."

"Yeah, I know. I just want-" A noticeable buzz sounded off as Connor's phone received a text message and it caused his coin to freeze mid dance between his index fingertip and thumb. Picking up the phone Connor checked the message and his stress suddenly faded as he was greeted by an image. "Hank, look at this."

"What's up?"

Showing the senior detective his phone Connor watched as Hank's own stress seemed to fade away instantly at the sight. "Chloe's sonogram."

"Told you it's a girl."

"You never know, son." Still willing to wait and see Hank gave Connor a smug grin. "Sometimes a sonogram isn't enough to tell."

"Wanna' make a wager?"

"What kind of wager?"

"If I'm right I get to pick the color for the Corvette."

"Oh, hell no!" The senior detective wasn't about to let Connor have the final word on the car just yet. "You'd pick that emerald green color when it needs to be cherrybomb red."

"Since we won't be able to agree on a color I think this wager would be the prime solution to our problem."

"Nice try, kid. But I've known you for too long to agree to a wager when you're so adamantly sure you know how shit is going to play out." Hank's own phone buzzed as he too received the same message from Lucas, and happily responded with congratulations while Connor did the same. "So, Chloe is exactly how far along now?"

"She is six and half months along, twenty-six weeks."

"Man, in less than three months you're going to be an uncle and I'll get to be a grandfather for the second time. I honestly didn't think I'd have it happen the first time, and now... I don't know, it just feels like life without Henry isn't even possible."

"I know what you mean."

From his own desk Gavin called out to the two detectives as he tossed a paper ball against Connor's left shoulder. "Yo! You two need to see this!"

Connor turned to look at Gavin as the abrasive detective pointed to the television screen where a breaking news report was being broadcasted in its usual dramatic glory as it hung above the breakroom doorway. Glancing up at the screen Connor stared at the images while Hank leaned forward on his own desk and did the same.

'_As of two-fifteen this afternoon another threat from the group known as "Quondam" has struck terror in the hearts of deviants throughout the city_.' The usual blonde anchorwoman spoke in a dry tone as she told the story to the citizens watching the channel. '_The threat of a bomb being planted somewhere in the city has resulted in a citywide lockdown as bomb patrol is brought in to sweep the city in search of reputed device_.'

"Fuck." Hank swore to himself as Captain Fowler stepped out of his private office to confirm the threat. Returning his attention to his phone Hank's instincts went toward his family; first and foremost. "I'm going to check on Lucas and Chloe."

"I'll do the same for Evelyn and Henry."

Captain Fowler raised his voice as he addressed the bullpen in a loud firm voice, and issued his orders. "Listen up, people. There has been a credible bomb threat against the city, and as such the bomb squad is going to be sweeping key areas of the city. You are to go out on assigned patrol and report any and all suspicious activity to dispatch immediately."

Putting his phone in his pocket Hank stood up from his side of the desk and watched as Connor did the same. "Lucas and Chloe are going back home and are going to stay there, and keep the house locked up."

"That's what Evelyn is doing, too. She also pulled her service weapon out of the closet and is keeping it on her just in case some idiot tries to do something foolish at the house."

"Good move. Come on," spinning the car keys around by the keyring on his right index fingertip Hank led the way out of the bullpen and toward the precinct's front doors. "we need to start patrolling the streets and keep people from tearing them apart in the process."

Steeling his nerves and determined to keep the peace Connor readily joined his partner and texted Markus to let him know what was happening. "I'm right behind you, Hank."

* * *

Wisely New Jericho Tower had also gone on lockdown upon hearing the threat, and used every security protocol and program to their advantage. As a means of keeping his people safe Markus forbade anyone from leaving the tower for the next forty-eight hours, and wouldn't allow anyone to cross the bridge out to Belle Isle without clearance and proper identification. Staring at his laptop screen in the tower's office Markus watched the two dozen separate security live feed sources without any difficulty, and kept vigil over the tower.

"North has anyone made a direct threat against the tower?" The question was as unsettling as it was necessary as he sought confirmation from his bondmate sitting on the couch across from him. "Anything at all?"

"None. And I think that means we ARE in fact the target."

"I agree. Why broadcast a bomb threat to an unnamed location unless you want the city to be distracted and looking over their shoulder all day?"

"Josh and Simon haven't noticed any unusual activity by the front door, or the refugee camps outside the city." Giving Markus an update on their current situation North looked to him for strength as she nervously wrapped her arms around her chest and leaned forward where she sat. "Do you think we're in danger?"

Markus gave her a slight shake of his head as he continued to stare at the screen just waiting for something, anything, to happen. "I wish I knew."

"What about Connor?"

"He sent me a text six minutes ago. He and Hank are patrolling the city right now, and they're going to make a sweep of the area around the Belle Isle drive."

"That's good. I'm glad they're nearby."

"Are you okay?"

"...I'm... I'm frightened, Markus." North was edgier than usual and it seemed like a part of her was ready to just hide forever. "I don't like admitting it, but I can't deny it either. I'm actually scared."

"We're going to be okay." Looking away from the laptop Markus approached his bondmate and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he pulled her in against his chest to give her a much needed hug. "It's okay to be scared, North. Whoever is threatening us means business. Those two deviants who were murdered last month is proof of their hostile nature, but we won't back down of choose to live in fear. We'll do whatever it takes to find whoever is threatening us, and we'll stop them."

"...Just hold me." She buried her face against Markus's right shoulder and let out a shaking sigh. "I don't want to think about anything but you holding me. I'm so tired of fighting back just to live. I'm so tired of having to walk on eggshells just to make sure no one hurts us, or our people. I'm tired of having to hide away in the tower in order to feel safe." The fiery spirit North showed prior to the Revolution had slowly been dying out as life in the city continued to prove itself closed minded and bleak for deviants. "I'm just so tired of everything."

"I know, North. I'm tired of fighting, too." Giving her a kiss on her forehead Markus just held her tight and tried to think of what he could possibly say to ease her righteous worries. "As soon as this Quondam group is revealed we'll be able to live our lives without fear."

"I want to believe that."

"Then do it. You've never been one to give up on anything, North. So why start now?"

* * *

The radio in Hank's car gave constant updates regarding places or people of interest, and as of yet everything had proven to be a false lead. As the car patrolled past the drive leading out to Belle Isle for the second time Connor got an unsettling feeling in his gut, and put his left hand to Hank's right shoulder to get his attention as he stared at the tower through his side window.

The senior detective could see that something was on Connor's mind and followed his line of sight to the drive while the radio continuously spoke in garbled various voices detailing the city's current status. "What's wrong, kid?"

"I think we should investigate the drive out to the tower."

"I'll circle the block and head back."

"No, not in the car. We need to investigate on foot."

The comment had Hank thoroughly intrigued. "What're you thinking, son?"

"I think someone's stalking the tower, but with the security cameras protecting the tower itself they can't get too close without being identified."

"But the drive is open and vulnerable." Hank agreed with Connor's assessment. His hands tightened around the steering wheel in response to the very possible threat and knew he needed to act fast. "Alright, I'll pull the car into a nearby alley out of sight and we'll trail back."

Using his phone Connor made contact with Markus from within the tower and asked for his assistance on the matter. Pressing his phone to his ear Connor didn't wait for Markus to greet and just began talking the moment he heard the line connect. "Markus, I need you to do us a favor."

'_What is it, Connor_?' The deviant leader responded with a cybernetic call to the request and did so immediately.

"Check any and all security cameras that can view the drive leading to the tower. We're going to play on a hunch and check out the drive out by the street."

'_I'm on it, Connor_. _Keep us posted on anything you find_.'

"Right."

With the car safely concealed in an alleyway out of sight the two detectives exited the vehicle and backtracked down the sidewalk toward the drive leading out to Belle Isle where New Jericho Tower resided. Keeping vigil for any sign of unusual movement or activity the two detectives caught sight of someone moving around under the drive stretching out over the river. The drive was constructed atop a slightly elevated bridge to connect the island to the mainland, and despite the shallow height there was still some dark shadows to hide within. The two detective made a judgment call to go and investigate the person of interest without any back-up.

"I'll radio it in..." Hank stated as he and Connor hastened their pace toward the shifty person skulking about in the shadows. "You tell Markus we see something and to stay on his guard."

"On it." Resuming the conversation over his phone Connor warned Markus of the potential threat. "Markus, there's someone moving around under the drive. Do you have anyone patrolling the perimeter?"

'_No, we kept everyone inside the tower and we're on lockdown_.' The deviant leader confirmed with a steady tone. The sound of North muttering an "Oh shit." was detected as she tapped in on the cybernetic line Markus had opened with Connor. '_No one in or out_.'

"Keep it that way until further notice." Hanging up the phone Connor slipped it back into his pocket and peered down at the figure lurking around under the bridge supporting the drive out to the isle. The figure was a thin Caucasian woman with bright red hair, and he could see that she was holding a large metal box with multicolored wires attached to it. "...Shit, I think she has the bomb."

"Damn it, we need to move!"

Without another word Connor took off in a dead sprint toward the bridge and didn't bother to shout his presence to the woman as he didn't want to give the potentially dangerous woman a chance to flee. Rushing up behind her as quickly as he could Connor withdrew his gun from the holster wrapped around his back and concealed beneath his jacket, and pointed it at the woman's back as he skidded to a stop on the sandy shore of the harbor just a few feet away from her.

"FREEZE." His aim was right at the woman's back and his finger was hovering over the trigger. "Detroit Police!"

The woman's posture stiffened as she turned around to face Connor, the confirmed bomb still in her hands as she moved.

"DON'T MOVE." He ordered as the woman tried to step back away from him. "You're under arrest."

"You traitor!" She shouted as she glared at Connor with pure venom in her green eyes. "Why do you want to protect machines and not people?!"

"They ARE people! Even if YOU disagree the law does not! Put the bomb down, NOW."

"FUCK YOU!"

Connor watched as Hank made his way to the other side of the drive and crept down the shoreline behind the distracted woman. He too had his gun drawn and was keeping his motions calm, slow and quiet as he neared the angry and defiant woman.

"You need to put the bomb down." Connor repeated the order as he kept his aim focused on the woman without letting his eyes move and accidentally betray Hank's location behind her. "There's nowhere to go, and nothing you can do to escape. Surrender peacefully or I will shoot."

"You'd kill one of your own to protect a bunch of useless plastic?!"

"I'd kill anyone who was a threat to anyone else; human OR android."

"You're a pathetic-" Her words were cut-off as Hank snuck up behind her and secured her right arm behind her back causing her to drop lose her grip on the bomb. Before she could drop it Connor leapt forward and caught the explosive device in his hands before it impacted the ground and risked detonation. "HEY!?"

"SHUT UP." Hank ordered as he forced the woman to kneel down on the sandy shore as he pinned both of her arms behind her back, then pressed his knee to the middle of her back just below her shoulders as he steadily applied weight until she was laying on her chest and completely immobilized. "You're under arrest for domestic terrorism and shit-ton of other stuff, lady! Don't make it worse by resisting!"

"FUCK OFF!"

"Yeah, yeah... I've heard that before." Pulling the cuffs from the back of his belt Hank proceeded to secure her wrists behind her back with little difficulty. " Be quiet and make things easier on yourself."

Moving slowly Connor placed the bomb down on the sand and inspected it for any sign of damage or a trigger. The bomb itself was designed to go off that night at midnight under the bridge, and it was designed to cause maximum damage with minimal effort. "The bomb is secure. We need the bomb squad to come in and properly dispose of it. I can't do it myself anymore since... you know."

"Right. I'll radio for help up on the road just in case the radio signal might trigger it."

"Good idea." Wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his left arm Connor watched as Hank hauled the arrested woman up to her feet and escorted her up the shoreline and onto the street to be taken into custody. Taking a step back from the bomb but not letting it out of his sight Connor looked out at the tower in the distance and let out a breathy sigh. "That was too close..."

The calm lapping of the cold harbor water caressing the sandy shore under foot was a marked contrast to how the day started and how it could've potentially ended if they hadn't located the bomb in time.

"...Everyone's safe and that's all that matters."

* * *

The bomb had been located and had then been properly disarmed and disposed of by the responding bomb squad. With the dangerous woman now in police custody the deviant leader was confident enough to end the lockdown on the tower, but wasn't quite ready to open up access to the drive until they had confirmation that Quondam and its allies had been all identified, located and arrested. Breathing a sigh of relief Markus extended his right hand out toward North as he gave her a confident nod of his head as he received the good word from Connor.

"It's over?" North asked as she took Markus's hand and studied the relief in his mismatched eyes.

"It's over." Rising from the desk Markus confirmed the good news. "We're safe now."

"Thank RA9." Giving Markus a faint grin North stepped toward her bondmate and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on his lips. "...I suddenly feel a lot better."

"So do I." Wrapping his arms around North's waist he pulled her closer and smiled warmly. "Tonight after everything is officially taken care of, and the tower is opened back up, we should celebrate." Playfully he arched his eyebrow and pressed his palms firmly against her hips. "...In private."

The idea was too tempting to resist. "I like the way you think..."

* * *

Returning to the precinct after having successfully thwarting the bomb attempt Connor all but collapsed into the chair in the observation room as he and Hank watched the F.B.I. agent begin the interrogation of the woman who had tried, but failed, to plant the bomb outside New Jericho Tower. The woman's name was Marcia Stack and she had been in communication with Benjamin Perkins as his pen pal, and had agreed to be his hands and eyes outside the precinct to enact his threats of violence against any and all androids throughout the city.

'_You pigs are idiots_!' Marcia shrieked as she glared holes in the F.B.I. agent across from her as he unflinchingly made notes in the electronic tablet while taking her vulgar statement. '_You let the son of one of your own agents rot in jail but let plastic run the show_! _ They aren't real_! _They're are nothing but machines masquerading as humans and they will exterminate every single one of us_! _What I did was a preemptive act of self-defense_! _You fuckin' piece of shit would rather let a person who had the guts to take one of those imposters out rot behind bars all because you're lazy cowards_! _ I'll kill every single androids that comes my way, mark my words_!'

Connor just shook his head with disappointment at hearing her spout hate and anger. "The city has come so far, but there's a lot of people who have chosen to purposely lag behind, and let their hatred hold them back."

"Yup." Hank nodded as he shared Connor's disappointment. "It's a waste of time and emotion. I learned that for myself, maybe she will, too."

"...No." Standing up from the chair Connor pressed his right palm to the electronic panel beside the door to take his leave of the room. "People like that only know hatred, and it's all they even want to know."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to Evelyn and hold my son." Standing in the opened doorway Connor looked back at Hank over his shoulder and gave him a fatigued and emotionally broken look. "It's been a very strange day."

* * *

The arrest of Marcia and the seeming end of Quondam's reign of terror had resonated throughout Detroit, and throughout New Jericho Tower. The lockdown was lifted and the city breathed a collective sigh of relief. Wisely Markus released a statement regarding the capture of Quondam's active member, and how she was stopped before she could do any further harm. Knowing she would be charged with the murders of the two deviants from a month prior gave the deviant community a sense of justice, and with it came a strengthening of the bonds between humans and androids on that fateful night.

The press conference from the deviant leader that evening had been very welcome, and had received positive feedback from those who took part in the moment. It seemed the threat of the entire city being harmed just because of a handful of innocent people lived within the city limits seemed to have been enough of a wake up call for the other humans to see how petty and pointless anti-android sentiment truly was.

"It's really over." Markus smiled as he walked into the foyer of his mansion home, and locked the door behind himself. Seeing North sitting on the small sofa in the next room through the opened double doors gave him a sense of true home. "Quondam is done. Everyone tied to the group has been accounted for."

"Finally." North looked truly relieved as she stood up and walked over to Markus as he passed through the doorway and promptly kissed him on his lips. "Good timing, too."

"What's good timing?"

"I haven't been feeling great and I went to see Simon before I left the tower this afternoon. I need another software update, and I'll need to remain in rest mode for the next seventy-two hours in order for it to take properly."

"Three days? What kind of update is that?"

"One that'll enhance my processors to their maximum potential so I don't have to ever worry about another scare or complications from older software in the future." Taking his right hand in her down she retracted her artificial skin so she could connect to him more directly. "I didn't want to leave you to deal with the aftermath from Quondam alone, but..."

"You're more important that dealing with hate-filled bigots at a press conference, North."

"Good to know." Pulling on his hand as he too retracted his artificial skin from his palm North gave him an amused smile. "We should go to bed and celebrate as we had planned."

A sly smirk appeared on Markus's face as he happily followed after North up the staircase to the second floor. "We absolutely should. We deserve a night to celebrate,_ together_."

* * *

With the strange day and even stranger case finally closed Hank returned home with a strange sense of accomplishment and worry. Passing through the front door Connor was greeted by Evelyn as she sat on the couch with Henry in her lap and one of his dozens of little books opened up for the two month old to enjoy as she read to him. Henry was able to sit up a little more on his own but still needed the support of his parents and grandfather to balance upright, but he was bigger and getting stronger every day.

Sitting down beside his wife and son Connor gave Evelyn a kiss and took Henry to hold for himself while Hank walked by the couch tiredly after following his son inside the house.

As the senior detective rubbed his hand along the back of Henry's soft hair he looked at Evelyn and gave her a relieved look. "I'm glad you're both here and safe. Now, I'm going to take a shower and try not to fall asleep until it's over. This day can't end soon enough..."

"Dinner's in the kitchen, so you two can eat and relax." She commented as Hank reluctantly walked away from his family to head off toward the bathroom just down the corridor. "Tough day?" Evelyn asked sarcastically as she stared at Connor's bloodshot eyes. "You look exhausted."

"Stopping a domestic terrorist isn't as relaxing as you might think."

"Good to know for when I go back to work."

Connor lean back into the thick couch cushions and let Henry rest up against his chest as his son gently squirmed about and rested his ear over Connor's beating heart. "How was your day?"

"Aside from being locked inside with an infant, a gun and a dog that refuses to let either of us out of sight, it was pretty dull. Henry's eating a little more," she remarked as she gently rubbed her right index finger along his soft cheek. "and he's been sleeping a little longer during his naps. I think we might be able to finally put him on a decent sleep schedule at night."

"That'd be amazing..."

"Hey," Evelyn rested right her hand on Connor's left arm and gave him a gentle squeeze. "it's okay. You stopped Quondam before they could hurt anyone else."

"It was just _one_ woman with a twisted view of reality. She murdered those two deviants last month, and she tried to plant a bomb at New Jericho."

"Seriously? No wonder you look so upset."

"One person harboring that much hate is frightening." Rubbing his left hand along Henry's back Connor looked down at his son's sweet innocent face and felt a sense of calm fall over him. "All I can do is try to stop these people from having such a negative impact on the world, and hope that in time Henry will understand that hatred is a choice one he doesn't have to make."

"He will, Connor. I know he will." Smiling warmly she kissed Connor's cheek and settled down beside him to rest her head against his left shoulder. The good news of the horrible group being taken down made her relax considerably and she was determined to help her husband and best friend do the same. "He has you to show him how to let go of hate, and learn how to love."

"And I love you, Evelyn."

"I love you, too." Closing her blue eyes Evelyn cuddled next to her husband and son feeling completely at peace with the world. As he Connor wrapped his left arm around her everything that was stressful about the day just seemed to fade away. "And I always will."

Kissing Henry's hair and then Evelyn's cheek Connor settled down in the couch and let his tense shoulders slump at last. "I promise to do the same."

_**-next chapter-**_


	99. Pain and Memories

The city had returned to normal over the month ever since Quandom's defeat, and with that normalcy came a few random acts of violence against deviants out of misplaced spite, but those acts weren't anything compared to the acts that the domestic terrorist group had committed. Aside from the random bouts of violence there was sporadic vandalism in the form of anti-android graffiti being sprayed over the windows of CyberLife stores; the paint readily removed by the store owners as an act of defiance, and a few failed attempts by loud-mouthed bigots to start a riot. Patrolling police officers readily arrested and silenced the protestors before they could vile anyone up, but even so there was still a handful of troublesome anti-android bigots trying to start a few fights, or get away with looting in the somewhat distracted city.

A petty theft and vandal had broken into the supply room of an Android Emergency Care Facility, and was currently on foot trying to elude the police as Connor gave chase on foot. Racing along the nearest street in the Oldsmobile Hank radioed in the suspect's current location and informed dispatch that the suspect had been spotted. Meanwhile the younger and far more fit detective was able to easily keep up with the fleeing suspect during the foot chase, and had managed to get within arm's reach of the man while also shouting at him to stop and surrender.

"Detroit Police!" Connor shouted as loudly as he could as he grabbed onto the man's right shoulder with his right hand to try to force him to stop running, and surrender. "Freeze!"

The man dropped the plastic bottles of fresh Thirium and spare biocomponents he had stolen in order to free up his arms and hands long enough to pull his unseen gun from the front of his waistband. Without turning around to face Connor the man aimed the barrel of his gun backward and pulled the trigger once.

"Fuck!" Connor swore as a bullet tore through his right leg and caused him to hit the hard sidewalk with a graceless thud on his right side. Blue blood sprayed out of the torn hole in the denim pant leg as the prosthetic android leg took the bullet and quickly failed on him. Landing on his right side Connor rolled onto his back and then pushed himself upright with his elbows as he pulled his injured leg up to his chest to investigate the damage. "Hank! I'm hit!"

The car came to a stop beside Connor and Hank rolled down his window to talk directly his downed partner. "Holy shit! How bad?"

"It was my prosthetic leg. I'm not hurt, but I can't continue the chase on my damaged leg."

"Alright, stay there and I'll come back for you after I catch that asshole."

"...Right."

Stubborn and loyal Connor hated having to literally sit out the pursuit, but he had no choice. With the damage to his prosthetic leg compromising both his strength and his range of motion he had to wait until the damage to the artificial limb was repaired before he could even try to get up. Admitting defeat Connor pulled his phone from his right jean pocket to text Joel and let him know he had sustained damage to his android leg, and asked that he relay the information to Captain Fowler.

"...It's been a while since I had to deal with blue blood instead of red."

Pocketing his phone Connor sighed and proceeded to examine the damage. Rolling up his Thirium soaked right pant leg Connor exposed his shin where the bullet had impacted the limb and become embedded in the white plastimetal frame of his prosthetic leg. Applying pressure to the wound Connor's right palm became quickly soaked in the lost Thirium, and an aching pain radiated up from the limb and made Connor wince at the sensation.

"Damn it... I wish I could turn off my pain receptors in this thing."

The temptation to use the dropped Thirium to his advantage was strong, but since the blood loss to a single limb wouldn't prove fatal Connor was able to ignore the urge, and just sat on the sidewalk with his hand clamped down over the bullet wound in his shin. The sickly sight of blue blood spreading over his leg and oozing from beneath his palm brought back memories of Connor's days as a deviant android, of the damage he had sustained courtesy of his dangerous missions or his klutzy nature thanks to being severed from CyberLife's constant monitoring upon his deviancy.

"Just like old times, I guess."

Barely twenty minutes passed before Hank came back to check in on Connor, and as soon as the senior detective was at his side Connor felt a strong supportive hand against his back.

"Chris is taking that asshole back to the precinct for us." Kneeling down beside Connor the senior detective eyed the lost blue blood warily. "How bad is it?"

"It's not serious, but it does hurt."

"You can seriously feel _pain_ in your prosthetic leg?"

"Unfortunately... My brain having been connected directly with an android brain for an extended period of time has allowed me to gain total feeling and control in the prosthetic once it was surgically attached to my body."

"Then why can't you put some skin over it?"

"Artificial skin is piece of hardware that is activated by software." Connor explained as Hank wrapped his whole right arm around his waist and pulled him up from the ground. Limping toward the car with Hank supporting his weight on his right injured leg Connor tried to take his mind off the burning pain in the limb as it continued to bleed. "...I have neither the necessary hardware or the software, and thus I can't activate any artificial skin over the limb."

"Oh. Sit tight." Pulling open the front passenger side door Hank helped Connor to sit down comfortably then closed the door with a soft 'slam'. "I'm going to grab that shit the suspect dropped to use as evidence against his sorry ass."

Rolling down the window Connor spoke to Hank as the senior detective picked up the dropped items from the sidewalk. "Maybe he damaged it when he dropped it, and we can attach 'malicious destruction of private property' to his list of charges."

Smirking at the comment Hank picked up the dropped items and returned to the car to hand them over to Connor to hold through the window. "Anything to keep that piece of shit of the streets a while longer, kid."

* * *

Laying over the exam table in the precinct dispensary Connor winced as Joel managed to carefully extract the bullet from his artificial leg as the damaged limb remained propped upright slightly in a support sling to keep it stable as the skilled technician worked. The bleeding had stopped thanks to applied incrassation compound, and now Joel was working to repair in the interior Thirium lines and internal support columns to ensure that leg would respond properly to movement and support all of Connor's weight again.

"Your leg is going to be just fine, which is good news." Joel commented quietly as he finished sealing off the last of the bleeding lines with his delicate metal instruments. The work was slow but accurate as Joel's talented hands repaired every imperfection with incredible skill. "I don't have any replacement limbs in stock to swap out."

Nodding a little Connor watched as Joel finished repairing the internal, and soon external damage. "How long until I can walk on it again?"

"Two days."

"That long?"

"You don't have a self healing program in your prosthetic, remember? You have to let my repairs take hold before you even try to walk without assistance."

"I remember. That doesn't mean I like it."

Laughing a little at the comment Joel gave the young detective a subtle shake of his head. "You never like it when you have to sit back and heal."

"True."

"So, how's Henry?"

"Fantastic. Three and half months old, and I love it." Pulling his phone from his right jean pocket Connor happily showed Joel his phone's wallpaper which was of Evelyn holding Henry up and against her shoulder. The photo was taken just four days prior and it kept making Connor smile whenever he looked at. "I can't imagine my life without him or Evelyn."

Peering at the image Joel's pale blue eyes brightened with true surprise as he finished the internal repairs and proceeded to replace the external frame over the artificial limb. "He looks just like you. Same hair, same complexion, and even though your eyes aren't the same color they are somehow your eyes."

"I hope that's meant to be a compliment."

"Yeah, Connor." Joel laughed a little as he began applying android unique bandages over Connor's right leg, then secured a support splint around the damaged limb before removing it from the elevated support to lay flat on the repair table. "It's a compliment."

"I'm glad he has Evelyn's beautiful eyes. I can't look at him without seeing her, and I can't look at her without seeing him."

"That's the best way to view your family."

"Yeah, I know it."

"Now," opening up the small panel on the side of Connor's leg just below his knee Joel held up a small pouch of Thirium for Connor to see. "once I replace your lost Thirium you can use a pair of crutches and go finish off your shift. Desk duty sucks, but it's better than nothing."

"I can stay at the precinct?"

"As long as you don't try to chase anyone again, yeah. You're cleared for the rest of the day."

"Thanks, Joel." Carefully Connor moved his repaired leg over the edge of the table and rolled down his torn pant leg to cover up the bandages and the splint. "I appreciate all your help."

"It's not a problem, Connor." Giving him a shoulder to balance on Joel made sure Connor was able to balance on his left leg before passing him over the pair of crutches as he had promised. "Just take it easy and don't do anything strenuous on your right leg for the next two days."

"Yeah," shifting his weight as he took the crutches from Joel's hand and found his balance atop the two supportive instruments Connor sighed and tested his pain threshold on his repaired leg. It was still sore but not distracting. "I'll remember that."

* * *

In the bullpen Hank had just finished off his side of the report regarding the pursuit and the shooting, and only glanced up from his terminal screen when he caught a glimpse of Connor from the corner of his eye using a pair of crutches to slowly walk back over to his own desk. The younger man managed to cross the bullpen without any difficulty and sat down behind his desk without a single grumble of discomfort despite his right leg sustaining a bullet wound barely an hour prior.

"How's the leg?"

"Repaired." Placing his crutches down on the floor beside the desk Connor stretched out his right leg at an angle to keep the pain at bay, and to give the limb room to be straightened out. "I just need to keep my weight off of it for the next two days."

"Cool."

"You know, this is the first time I've been injured or sick at the precinct without you hovering all over me."

"Hey, I promised I'd let up on being overprotective of you, and I'm going to keep that promise." Giving the younger detective a smug look Hank replied to the comment with a sarcastic lilt to his voice. "Did ya' miss me or some shit?"

"Not really. It was just an observation." Wincing a little Connor pressed his right hand to his right knee where the pain was radiating upward from the damage caused by the bullet to the center of his shin. "Human or android, bullets still hurt!"

"Well, at least the idiot shot you in the leg that can be easily repaired or replaced, and not the one that can let ya' bleed to death on the sidewalk."

"True."

"And that asshole is being charged with grand theft since all of the shit he stole is worth just over one-hundred grand, AND shooting an officer while fleeing and resisting arrest tagged on, some years, then that got boosted up to a nice life sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer. The destruction of private property charge is just a nice middle finger to his smarmy face."

"Then there's one less idiot with a gun on the street to worry about." Staring at his terminal screen Connor went over the details of the report according to Hank's account and the security footage from the facility that had been targeted and robbed. Everything was lining up, and yet there was one detail that was gnawing at Connor's curisity. "Why was he robbing an android facility to begin with?"

"Something about using blue blood circulating through biocomponent thingies can produce a pretty noxious chemical that can get you high."

"False. That's been an urban myth since the first androids were available on the market. Inhaling or shooting up the Thirium and other chemicals from android systems will only result in a massive headache and severe blood poisoning. There's no high to be had, and I know that for a fact from being poisoned with tainted Thirium over a year ago."

"I'm pretty sure the word of a cop saying that something WON'T get you high is only going to strengthen the myth. Like they think we're denying them a quick high just to kill their good time rather than keep them from dying in a really fucking stupid way."

"Considering all of the overdose cases we have with people experimenting with 'red ice' despite the confirmed destructive nature of the drug, and the addictive properties proving the drug to be fatal, I agree. We still have people dying in that particularly stupid manner on a near weekly basis."

"Yeah, kid. You're right." Glancing about the bullpen over to the holding cells Hank watched as Gavin escorted a junkie from the cell and into interrogation just a few feet away. "I guess some people are just too damn stupid for their own good."

* * *

Returning home with a pair of crutches made Evelyn jump a little, but as soon as Connor explained that he had taken damage to his prosthetic leg and not to his actual person she relaxed again. Helping him to change out of his uniform upstairs Evelyn then helped Connor to lay over the couch with his repaired and splinted leg propped up on a pillow to help ease the pain that the prosthetic was communicating to Connor's brain, Evelyn just stared at the white plastimetal frame of his leg with a sense of awe in her eyes. As she held Henry in her lap Evelyn sat down in in the nearby recliner and just stared at her husband with relief in her blue eyes.

While the young family converged in the livingroom Hank confirmed that Connor's injury was only to his artificial leg and that he wasn't hiding another injury, and then made his way out to the garage to continue to work on his little projects while he still had some energy. The sound of Henry making small noises and fussing with the pacifier in his mouth gave the livingroom a comforting and calm ambience.

"I promise I'm fine, Evelyn." Watching his wife's demeanor closely Connor did his best to reassure her and dissuade her worries. "I just need to use the crutches for two days and then I'll be back to normal."

Shaking her head a little she stared at the splinted up leg and then gave Connor a perplexed glance. "I still can't get over the fact that your fake leg can feel real pain."

"Neither can I." Pressing his right fingertips along his knee where the artificial limb connected to his real limb Connor stared at his exposed leg as he laid over the couch in comfortable shorts and just tried to ignore the fact that he had been shot that day. "I'm just glad he didn't aim a little higher when he pulled the trigger."

Standing up from the recliner Evelyn gave Connor a kiss and handed Henry over so she could free up her hands. "You're okay, that's all that matters."

"Yeah," smiling as Henry made small noises and proceeded to cuddle down against his chest Connor agreed wholeheartedly. "you're right."

"I'm going to make dinner. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm okay. Could just make sure Hank isn't working his hands to the bone on that Corvette again?"

"Isn't that car finished _yet_?"

"Mostly. He's just making sure the engine was rebuilt correctly, and then he'll pick the color." Shrugging his shoulders a little Connor sighed and draped his right arm over Henry's back as his son settled in and enjoyed the father-son bonding time. "Remind him that he's accused me of obsessing, and that if he doesn't stop we'll let Henry have some fun with the car and a box markers."

"Sure. I'll even yell if you want."

"No yelling. Just make sure he isn't overwhelmed." Adjusting his position slightly Connor moved Henry so he was laying on his tummy over Connor's chest as he continued to bond with his son. In the past three months Henry was already bigger and stronger than he had been, and Connor was very proud. "In just a few more months you'll be trying to walk around the house, and trying to talk. I can't wait."

The front door of the house opened and Connor glanced up, as did Henry, to watch Lucas enter the house with a rather upset look on his face. Walking over to the side of the couch Lucas ran a scan over Connor's person and immediately honed in on his healing right leg with wide concerned eyes. "...I heard about what has happened to you today. Are you well?"

"I'm healing. It's okay."

Nodding a little Lucas sat down on the coffee table and lightly reached hi lefts hand out toward Henry and let the baby grab onto his finger to hold. "I'm glad."

The somber reaction and overall demeanor of hit little brother put Connor on edge. "...You're upset for more than just my leg being injured. What's wrong? Is it Chloe or the baby?"

"No! No... Chloe is fine and the baby is growing just fine; they're both healthy. It's just... Connor, I've been experiencing strange dreams as of late and I... I don't know what to make of them."

"Are you still experiencing nightmares?"

"They aren't nightmares per se," he confirmed with a growing puzzlement to his words. "but they are... unsettling."

"...Do the dreams pertain to your time in Chicago at all?"

"No."

"Lucas," sitting upright Connor kept his right hand to Henry's back to support him up against his chest, and repositioned himself to hold onto Henry on his lap in a comfortable grip. "what are your dreams about?"

"...That's the thing, brother. I don't think what I'm seeing during rest mode are traditional dreams. I believe they are repressed memories."

"Repressed memories... Of what?"

"It's difficult to explain."

"Please try. The memories could have ties to CyberLife and their original intentions for you and your programming."

"I'll do my best." Accessing the odd images from his strange memories Lucas attempted to explain things as simply as possible. "I keep seeing... Faces. They're all draped in shadow and behind technician's face masks. I can hear voices that I don't recognize, yet they are eerily familiar. There is a very detectable odor of freshly manufactured plastimetal and hot Thirium in the air as well."

"CyberLife?"

"Yes, and no."

"How do you mean?"

"I know the technicians work for CyberLife, but the area in which I find myself isn't a traditional CyberLife warehouse or manufacturing plant. Those memories, while brief, are different from these memories."

Entirely curious Connor gave his little brother his full attention and began asking him a few questions like it was a standard interrogation. "When did these memories surface?"

"One week after the incident in Chicago. They were vague and very fleeting at first," Lucas's green eyes were filled with uncertainty and worry. "and I had assumed they were the result of physical trauma to my intracranial processors being repaired, like they were false memories being created by corrupted data, but the detail are too consistent and too real to be false. Then I suspected they were simply additional nightmares from my time in Chicago, but over time I discovered that they are in fact very different and aren't dreams at all."

"How often do you experience the odd memories?"

"They began occurring sporadically, on average twice per month, then they became weekly and now... nightly. The memories are always the same and the details never change. It's not a recurring nightmare, it's a loop of a single memory replaying itself over and over again against my will."

"What else can you tell me about your dreams and these odd memories?"

"The memories... That's what's truly interesting." Letting Henry hold onto his finger Lucas remained calm and explained things to his big brother without losing his emotional cool. "I had been able to gather G.P.S. coordinates and with those coordinates I was able to locate a supposedly abandoned warehouse where the memories had originated."

"You found the source of your memories?" Fascinated at the prospect Connor continued to ask questions and barely acknowledged the sound of Evelyn opening the side door and returning to the kitchen from the garage after speaking with Hank. "And where is that?"

"...Down in Miami Florida."

"Miami? But CyberLife had always operated here in Detroit."

"Precisely. And these memories... they aren't my own. They are being accessed from a secondary memorybank that had been uploaded into my processors by CyberLife before I had even been activated. The memories are from another android, and I think that android is still in Miami."

"There's another android... Another _'RK' model_?"

Giving Connor a worried glance Lucas confirmed their mutual suspicions. "...I believe so."

The idea of another 'RK' model of android being locked away by CyberLife made Connor feel ill. The company had harmed so many androids and had quashed deviancy under the guise of a software or programming error for the sake of making a profit. The blood of hundreds if not thousands of innocent deviants are on the greedy technicians hands, and as part of his own successful deviancy Connor had vowed to rescue any and all androids who were still trapped or otherwise victims of CyberLife's arrogance and failures.

Making up his mind Connor gave Lucas a stern look. "We have to help them."

At a loss of what to do Lucas just stared at his brother with a blank expression. "How do we do that?"

Connor looked down at Henry as his son let out a small noise and stretched out his arms and legs as if trying to communicate. "We need to find them, and free them from where ever they're being held."

"Go to Miami? But androids still aren't welcome in many cities, and I doubt Miami would be any different."

"We need to try." The determination in Connor's voice was as palpable as it was focused. He continued to look down at Henry's face and felt an odd paternal need to protect everyone who needed his help, no matter what it took. "We can fly to Miami tonight, explore the location on your G.P.S. coordinates and come back to Detroit as soon as we get our answers."

"What if we do find the android in distress and we're able to get to them, then what?"

"...We bring them back to Detroit with us and take him to New Jericho Tower for help."

"Connor, do you think CyberLife was performing illegal activities in Miami?"

"It's possible. And if that's the case," the young detective looked down at his healing prosthetic right leg again and sighed. "it's my job as a detective to find out and bring the victims justice."

The prospect of leaving home for potentially hostile territory made Lucas hesitate for only a moment before his own desire to protect the innocent overrode his reluctance. "Okay." Giving his big brother a wary nod Lucas agreed that they needed to check out what was happening to Miami. It would be a very unorthodox but crucial risk that the two brothers needed to take to save an android's life. A new mission. "I'll tell Chloe what's going on. When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible. We should go tonight so we can get back to Detroit and be here for our families as soon as possible."

"What about your damaged leg?"

"It'll be difficult to walk, but I can still explore the area if it becomes necessary." Rubbing his right hand alone his knee and repaired leg Connor flinched slightly but pushed aside his discomfort without any problems. "I'll just be moving slower."

"...And what do we tell Hank?"

"The truth." Knowing that Hank was as protective of innocent people as they were Connor was confident that he'd understand their reasons for going. "There's another android in need of our help, and we're the only ones who can do something to help them. We have to go."

_**-next chapter-**_


	100. Going South

Packing only his black backpack with an extra change of clothes Connor limped outside of the house on his crutches and waited for Lucas to arrive to pick him up. Turning around as the front door opened and then closed again he was greeted by the sight of Evelyn carrying Henry outside to see him off before he left with Hank right behind them. Dreading the thought of leaving his family behind for a few days Connor was more than happy to give his wife and son another hug and another kiss, and reassure them that he'd be back as soon as possible.

Having a reason to return home and a reason to fight back against the dark oppression of the world had given Connor a new zest for life, and he was determined to live for his family for as long as his heart continued to beat.

"Take care of yourself, son." Hank urged as he patted Connor's left shoulder without causing him to wobble on his crutches. "You watch out for your brother and you two get your asses back up to Detroit as soon as you can."

"We will. We won't stay longer than absolutely necessary." Promising to return home Connor felt a fiery determination to protect his family and to protect the innocent people in need of his help. "Please take care of Chloe as well."

"That won't be a problem, son. She's family."

Lucas's pick-up truck pulled up in front of the house and he opened up his door before walking around to the passenger side to help Chloe climb out of the cab of the truck, and toward the front door of the house. Chloe was almost seven months pregnant and sporting a rather big and heavy belly which was affecting the deviant's gyroscope causing her to stumble as she walked from time to time.

"I promise we'll back in two days, Chloe." Giving her a kiss Lucas rubbed his right palm over her belly as said his goodbye. "When we're back I swear I won't leave the city until well after the baby is born."

"I know you'll come back." Chloe looked into his green eyes with absolute love shining in her irises. "Please don't worry about us, do what you have to do to save the android."

"I will."

Hank gave Lucas a reassuring pat of the shoulder as he had shown Connor and then put his hand lightly on Chloe's shoulder to help her feel more supported as she walked. "Everything will be fine back here, son. Just get back here and figure out what those weird scientists were doing in Miami."

"Right. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"Evelyn," Connor held her hand in a loving grip as he gave her a kiss and then kissed Henry's hair. "I promise you everything will be okay."

"I know it will." Squeezing Connor's hand she gave her husband a pleading stare. "Just get your butt back here as soon as possible. I don't want to plan a rescue mission if you and Lucas get into trouble."

"I highly doubt it'll come down to that."

"Same. Just know if you need help call me and I'll come down there and bring you back home where you belong."

"I'll always remember that." Reluctantly Connor let go of Evelyn's hand as he limped toward the truck to leave. "I love you!"

"I love you, too!" Holding up Henry's hand Evelyn made their son wave at Connor as he walked away. "We'll be right here waiting for you!"

With a little help from Lucas, as well as his crutches, Connor was able to climb into the cab of the truck to ride as the passenger while Lucas drove them to the airport. Seeing his family shrinking in the distance in the side mirror made Connor feel unusually uncomfortable, but he knew that Hank would be there to look after Evelyn, Henry and Chloe until he and Lucas returned to Detroit.

"We'll explore the G.P.S. coordinates," Connor stated in a level tone as he tried to ignore the idea of leaving his family behind for a while. "figure out the source of your memories, and then return home."

"Sounds good to me, brother." Lucas was just as anxious to return home as Connor was, and they hadn't even left the city yet. "I don't want to risk being away from Chloe while she's in her third trimester in case her system decides to engage labor earlier than scheduled."

* * *

The airport was annoyingly busy, but the two brothers managed to catch their flight on time to head down to Miami. The flight itself was fortunately uneventful but even so the flight didn't sit well with Connor's stomach. His fear of heights had diminished considerably over the past year or so, but it seemed flying thousands of feet into the air was still a challenge to overcome as his phobia steadily diminished. The motion sickness didn't help his current mindset, let alone his stomach, very much either.

The flight was just under three hours long, but it only took twenty minutes for the motion of flying combined with his acrophobia to betray his stomach.

"Just breathe." Lucas encouraged as he handed Connor another air sickness bag and pulled down the visor over the window beside him. "If you're going to be sick you shouldn't try to hold it in."

Pressing his left palm over his upset stomach as he tried to keep himself from throwing-up again. "...I know."

"We're fifty-two minutes, and nine seconds from the airport. Can you make it?"

"Y-Yeah. Once I'm back on the ground my stomach will finally settle." Leaning back in his seat Connor closed his eyes and reached up to turn on the vent to blow fresh air gently over his face. "You can keep the window open to look out, Lucas. I know you've never been in a plane before either. Don't let my nausea ruin your view."

"I can see through the visor just fine, it's not a problem."

Wanting to keep his mind off his stomach Connor decided to change the subject to a cheerier topic. "...Have you thought about baby names yet?"

"Yeah, we've have several names lined up." Lucas grinned despite Connor not being able to see it. Discreetly Lucas slid the visor back up so he could peer out at the scenic nature below him, and take in the beauty of the wide world speeding beneath him as he soared over. "We're simply attempting to narrow them down at this point."

"I had the opposite problem. Evelyn and I had a name picked out weeks ahead of time if Henry had turned out to be a girl, but his name wasn't chosen until mere seconds after he was born. We were both fond of the name 'Melody Elizabeth' for a daughter, and of course we had a beautiful son instead."

"What made you select 'Henry'?"

"The name just came out when I saw him, and I realized naming him after Hank was right on so many levels. Evelyn picked the middle name of Cole for both Hank's firstborn son, and for her late grandfather. It works for both families in the most respectful manner possible."

"I see. Curious."

"What names are you thinking about?"

"For a boy I like the names Aaron, Dylan, Ethan, Ian, Nathaniel, Shawn and Shane." Lucas listed off his impressive list for boy names before he listed off the girl names he was considering. "For a girl I like the names Vivian, Zoey, Harmony, Hannah, Bridgette, Cameron, Dawn and Madison."

"That's an impressive list. What made you select those?"

"The names mean 'first', 'life', and 'gift'. Chloe and I want to recognize the significance of the birth of our first child with an appropriate name."

The revelation was as sweet as it was sincere. Connor opened his bloodshot eyes briefly only to close them again as his stomach began to roll a little. "...If you want some help in narrowing down your name choices I can assure you that you should focus on girl names."

"You still adamantly believe I'm going to have a daughter."

"...Yeah." His face paled a little further and a green hue appeared along his cheek bones as he spoke. "Call it a hunch."

"As is this." Moving the sickness bag in Connor's hand up toward his big brother's face Lucas put his right hand firmly on Connor's shoulder to support him as he finally threw-up and submitted to his nausea for another bout of sickness. "When we land we need to find you something that'll ease your nausea and make it easier to do what we came to Miami to do."

Connor nodded weekly and threw-up a little more before sealing off the bag to be disposed of later. "...Good idea."

* * *

Back in the loving home in Detroit Chloe sat on the floor in the livingroom and played with Henry as he sat in his baby swing absolutely loving the extra attention from his aunt. As she smiled at him and held up the stuffed fox, Buttons, for him to see and smile at the deviant seemed entirely human and beyond qualified to be a mother. With Ruby cuddled up beside the swing and wagging her tail a little everything in the house felt totally at peace, albeit a little empty with Connor Lucas around.

From the kitchen doorway Evelyn sipped at a cup of coffee, relieved that her disdain for the caffeinated beverage had passed after her pregnancy came to a happy ending, and watched the sight of Chloe playing with Henry with a smile on her face.

"How's Chloe feeling?" Hank asked as he closed the side door leading to the garage and rejoined his daughter-in-law in the kitchen.

"She seems fine." Running her fingers through her long blonde hair that was slowly turning brunette thanks to her not dying her hair throughout her pregnancy Evelyn gave the deviant a kind smile. "I'm a little jealous that she's so far along and doesn't seem to be feeling sick at all."

"Think she has any weird deviant cravings?"

"From what I've seen when we've gone shopping a few times she has very _human_ cravings. I had no idea one deviant could eat so much cookie-dough ice cream in one sitting."

"Barb needed mint chocolate chip." Remarking on the past always made Hank feel either happy or sad, never anywhere in between. Fortunately that memory was a happy one. "Any word on Connor or Lucas?"

"No, not yet. I'm sure he'll call in as soon as the plane lands."

"He's never been in a plane before." Hank laughed a little and rubbed his right hand over his bearded chin. "I wonder how his problem with heights turned out during his flight?"

"Hard to believe he has that fear since I know he ran along the train tracks in Chicago to chase down that asshole in charge of the fighting arena."

"It's amazing what you can do with either adrenaline coursing through your veins, or the need to protect someone racing through your mind." Looking back at Chloe as the deviant rubbed her left hand along the side of her belly and used her right hand to play with Henry the senior detective just looked pleased. "I'm going to make something special for dinner tonight, but I don't know what."

"Well, when I was pregnant I absolutely loved it whenever Connor made me anything with pasta and that homemade sauce. I bet Chloe will enjoy it, too."

"Good call." Approving of the suggestion Hank gave Evelyn and approving nod as he turned around to wash his hands in the kitchen sink. "I'll get a sauce going."

"And I'll make a salad."

"Connor trying to get you to coax a few veggies in my diet when he's not around?"

"Yup." Grinning proudly Evelyn put aside her mug of coffee and proceeded to help Hank in the kitchen. "We both want our dad around for as long as possible."

* * *

After one final bout of sickness in the airport bathroom Connor was finally feeling well enough to begin the mission that he and Lucas had gone to Miami to take care of, and limped along on his crutches with Lucas carrying the backpack at his side. The two brothers hailed an autonomous cab and chose to exit the vehicle at a destination two blocks from the G.P.S. coordinates that Lucas had uncovered, and from there check out the warehouse. Discretion was key as neither of them had an back-up to rely on in the event something went wrong.

Due to the need for discretion the duo decided to wait until nightfall to ensure that no one saw them skulking about, and decided to use the day to familiarize themselves with layout of the neighborhood. If they needed to flee then they had a few key areas of interest to hide out in until it was safe for them to move again.

Until then the brothers called their respective spouses to tell them what was going on and how well Connor dealt with being on a flight, and promised them both that they'd be home soon. Hearing their voices did them both some good, and the hot Miami day slowly turned into a cooler night for the brothers to use to their advantage.

Outside the autonomous vehicle the brothers watched as the sun began to set over the ocean and with it came an appreciation for the natural beauty of the beach. It was so strange to see so much sunlight and sand without it being surrounded by forests or bridges. It was a nice change that the brothers were grateful to witness in person.

"Before we go," Connor looked at his brother and gave him a nod of his head. "we need to go to the beach. I want to see the water up close, and feel the sand under my feet."

"We will, Connor. The ocean is too beautiful to ignore."

"It'd be best to have a hotel room to duck into for a moment after we check the odd location as well. We won't be able to leave Miami through the airport right away."

"Perhaps we should use a rental car and return to Detroit via vehicle rather than airplane. It'll be easier to keep a low profile on the expressway."

"That's a very good idea. It should also be easier on my stomach to drive rather than fly."

Thinking of their upcoming mission Lucas sighed a little and tried not to think about how the cold cruelty of CyberLife has survived well after the company had gone defunct. "...What do you think we'll find at the coordinates, brother?"

"I wish I knew. I just know whatever it is it's important."

"What about your leg?"

"...I won't be able to move about quickly, I doubt I'll be able to move about silently either." Connor pressed his right hand along the still splinted limb and sighed with a sense of defeat. "I don't want to risk this mission, but I can't ask you to explore the area alone."

"We don't have any choice in the matter, brother. I will relay to you what I am seeing in realtime to your phone and remain in constant contact."

"...That's fair. Then I will remain by the autonomous cab and wait for you. I will also locate a car rental agency to use and we'll return to Detroit as soon as the investigation in complete."

"It's strange to know I will be doing something that I had been originally programmed to do for the very first time in my life." The entire purpose for Lucas's existence was to replace Connor as an investigative android programmed to hunt deviants. The Revolution ensured his mission was never started, and would have no purpose in the new world created just for deviants. "...I'm going to investigate an android who is behaving oddly."

"Don't worry, you're already a deviant so it'll make things easier to handle."

Lucas just gave Connor a reassuring grin before his thoughts immediately went back to Chloe and their unborn baby. "...So, you really think it'll be a girl?"

A smug smile appeared on his face as he confirmed his suspicion. "I do."

"...I was leaning more toward the name 'Ethan' for a boy, so, I guess I should focus on a girl's name now."

"Maybe you and Chloe will have a son down the line, and you can use Ethan then."

"Maybe. Think you and Evelyn will have another child?"

"...Doubtful." Connor seemed a little despondent, then a smile appeared on his face. "Henry's a miracle baby and as much as I would love to have a bigger family I don't think it's likely. Adoption on the other hand, that's always a possibility..."

* * *

At the house Evelyn sat on the couch beside Chloe with her right hand resting gently on the deviant's belly as she felt the tiny baby squirming about and kicking around. The evening remained quiet and calm as the family waited for a second call from the brothers down in Miami, otherwise they were focusing on the impending birth of the baby and newest addition to the Anderson family.

Hank was feeding Henry some formula in a bottle while rocking him slightly in the recliner, and just smiled at the thought of having a second grandchild to help take care of right alongside his firstborn grandson.

"How do you feel?" Evelyn asked as she pulled back her hand and looked Chloe in the eyes. "The baby seems very active."

"Off balance, but otherwise I feel completely normal."

"You're lucky. I, uh, I hate to get personal, but I have to ask." Her curiosity as a detective was sometimes a curse. "When it's time to deliver the baby..."

"It will happen as it would a human giving birth." She sounded almost excited about the labor and delivery as she rubbed her hands over her belly. "I imagine it'll take the same about of time, too. Can I ask you what it's like?"

"To be in labor?"

"Yes."

"Uh... Short answer is, it sucks."

"And the pain?"

"Don't deny any painkillers or whatever it is they can do to ease pain in deviants. It's not a selfish endeavor to want no pain while giving birth."

"I will remember that."

Hank smirked as Henry finished off the formula and he put the empty bottle aside. Readjusting the baby so he was resting against his shoulder Hank lightly patted Henry's back and just remembered all the times he had taken care of Cole, and how having Henry in his life had really helped him stay motivated to remain sober, eat better and exercise more often. The idea of a second grandchild was just going to motivate him further.

"Do what you gotta' do to have a healthy baby, Chloe." Hank encouraged as he felt Henry let out a small burp and relax against his shoulder. "And remember you have a family who will be there to help you no matter what you might need."

"Thank you, Hank." Turning to face the proud grandfather Chloe gave him a kind smile. "I know that when the time comes Lucas and I will be able to count on our family."

* * *

Trying to remain discreet in his presence Connor leaned up against the bumper of the autonomous taxi, having prepaid for a ride to the nearby car rental agency to ensure the car didn't take off on him, and watched his phone screen as he viewed the interior of the warehouse that had been the heart of the coordinates directly through Lucas's eyes. The stealthy deviant had managed to scale the chainlink fence, and as per Connor's instructions, cybernetically disabled the security cameras and made his way into the warehouse to explore. Forcing open the door by retracting the artificial skin from his right palm and hacking the electronic panel Lucas snuck inside and remained undetected.

'_CyberLife had in fact been conducting experiments here in Miami_.' Lucas's ocular senses were actively recording the entire interior environment of the dimly lit and long since abandoned warehouse. '_These biocomponents_,' he picked up a nearby piece and scanned it quickly. '_are for models of androids that do not yet exist_.'

"Are there any androids left in the building?"

Lucas paused as he ran a scan of the environment, then suddenly turned his head toward a single room near the back of the warehouse. '_One_. _It is in stasis mode, and running on very low power_.'

"Can you get to them?"

'_Yes_. _If they can be moved I will bring them out of the warehouse with me_.'

"Be careful."

'_I will_. _The benefit to being a firefighter is learning how to rescue people in very unusual circumstances_.' Making his way to the isolated room Lucas once again electronically hacked the lock, the effort taking longer than the first lock which was indicative of the room holding something incredibly valuable. As the door slid open with a quiet 'hiss' Lucas entered the room and located the android he and Connor had gone to Miami to rescue. '_I found them_.'

"Status?"

Lucas put his left hand over the exposed white plastimetal frame of the android, its artificial skin had been deactivated and it wasn't clothed. As he took in the android's vitals Lucas updated Connor on their condition. '_It's been in stasis mode for five years, two months, two weeks, three days_... _It was abandoned here to be forgotten and shutdown_.' Turning his head to angle up his line of sight with the android's eyes as if it were in fact conscious, Lucas realized that he recognized the room. '_Connor, this android's memories were placed in my memorybank_._ They are the one we're here to rescue_.'

"Can you carry it out?"

Taking an image of the table where the android was secured in place; leather straps were tightened over its ankles, wrists, upper chest, the middle of its torso and over its forehead, Lucas contemplated his next move carefully. The android's L.E.D. was pulsing a very weak and faint red in its right temple, and a long emptied Thirium line was running into its mouth, down its throat to its artificial stomach. It was weak but it was still active.

'_Yes_. _I can free it and take it with us_.'

"We'll give it my extra clothes," Connor noted its nudity via his phone's display and empathized with the android as he too hated the feeling of being exposed in such a way. "and we'll leave the city as soon as we can."

'_Do you have any extra Thirium with you_?'

"No. I couldn't risk it being confiscated by the T.S.A. when we boarded the airplane."

'_Damn_._ I'll have to give it a boost in power and Thirium directly from a line in my arm_.'

"Just enough to keep them stable. I can't drive with my leg injured and you can't fall into rest mode while driving."

'_Of course_.' Removing the empty Thirium line from the android's throat and mouth carefully Lucas removed the straps one at a time and stooped down to let the android fall over his shoulders to be carried out in a traditional 'fireman's carry'. '_I'm returning to the street_. _I have it and it's coming with us_.'

* * *

For the night Chloe was placed in Connor and Evelyn's bedroom to enter rest mode while Evelyn stayed in Henry's room to sleep in Lucas's old bed. Hank was standing in the hallway looking back and forth between the bedrooms and felt like he was in an alternate universe where he had two daughters instead of two sons. Feeling he truly had a family to protect again Hank just smiled as he watched Chloe in her sleep still rubbing her hands affectionately over her pregnant belly, and then watched as Evelyn slept on her left side while facing Henry's crib.

Stepping quietly inside the bedroom Hank peered inside the crib to look at Henry sleeping on his back with the stuffed fox, Buttons, resting by his right hand. It was then Hank also saw Ruby sleeping on the floor beside the crib as she once again took her post to protect Henry throughout the night.

"...Just like Sumo." The memories of seeing Cole as a toddler sleeping in his 'big boy bed' with Sumo, still a puppy, sleeping right beside him, came flooding back in the best way possible. "Good girl." Slowly Hank reached his hand into the crib and rubbed his index finger along Henry's chin. "Goodnight, son. I'm proud to be your Papa."

As he exited the room he looked back at Chloe and smiled again at the sight of her cradling her large belly as she dozed peacefully.

"Can't wait to be a Papa for a second time..."

* * *

With surprising grace Lucas managed to re-scale the chainlink fence with the unconscious android over his shoulders and return to where Connor was waiting beside the autonomous cab. As the deviant gently placed the android down on the ground beside the car, and propped it up against the tire Connor opened up his backpack and pulled out a spare emerald green t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. Inside the backpack four corked glass bottles, two holding sand and two holding ocean water, clanked together with an audible 'clink', but thankfully didn't break as they were jostled.

"I'll get his pants." Lucas volunteered and watched Connor awkwardly balance on one foot to help with the t-shirt. "Did anyone notice you?"

"The only vehicles that passed by were other cabs, and the only people I saw were drunk and stumbling around."

"So no one got curious and asked you what you were doing?"

"Thankfully, no. Right now everyone's having a party and they're getting completely inebriated."

"I guess that's an advantage for us." With the clothing now in place Lucas pressed his fingertips to the android's red L.E.D. and manually reactivated the android's long dormant artificial skin to cover it at long last. As the skin returned like a tide sweeping over the shore, a tuft of light brown hair appeared on the crown of its head, and Lucas and Connor were a little surprised to see their own face over what was once a blank white surface. "...He's us."

"Which 'RK' model is he? He doesn't... You're the only RK-900 in existence, and all of the RK-800 models left in a secretive storage locations were destroyed when CyberLife went bankrupt."

Lucas retracted the skin from his right palm and gently took hold of the android's left forearm. Closing his green eyes Lucas synced up with the android causing the android's red L.E.D. to flicker to yellow briefly before returning to a dull red. "This android is in fact one of the first RK-800 models that CyberLife had ever created. Serial number: 313 248 317... 01."

"...He was the first of my model. He was the original, and true 'Connor'." It was a shock to see the absolute beginning of his life in the form of the unconscious android sitting before him. "The absolute truest prototype model, perhaps even a functioning beta model."

"We need to get him to New Jericho Tower for examination and treatment."

"You're right. We have a car waiting for us at the rental shop," Connor confirmed in a level voice. "I'll get the keys and you can help him get into the car for transport."

"Help me get him up."

As the two brothers awkwardly pulled the long lost 'RK' model to his feet another group of people walked down the sidewalk and just started laughing and cheering at the odd sight.

"Whooo-hoooo! Party!" A young girl shrieked as she and her group of friends stumbled past the two brothers working to put the 'RK' in the backseat of the cab to get him to safety. "Tell me what he had to drink!" She laughed stupidly as she drunkenly walked away from the cab with her friends trailing after her in a similar stupor. "It looks like he had fun!"

Lucas gave Connor an odd glance as they finished putting the android in the backseat of the cab, and Connor just shrugged his shoulders.

"Apparently they think he's drunk." The keen young detective observed as he watched the group disappear from sight down the sidewalk. "Perfect cover for his current status, actually."

"Drunkenness shouldn't be celebrated or encouraged."

"You're right, it shouldn't."

"But it happens anyway?"

"Correct."

Shaking his head a little Lucas looked truly perplexed by human natures. "...Humans are confusing."

"I know." Agreeing with the comment Connor awkwardly climbed into the front passenger seat of the cab while Lucas climbed in the back to keep tabs on their rescued android. "I'm still trying to figure out humanity myself."

* * *

The sun only just begun to rise over Detroit when the household woke up earlier than usual in anticipation of Connor and Lucas's return. Standing outside the house on the back deck by the still covered pool Hank spoke to Connor over the phone and just encouraged him and Lucas to get back to Detroit soon. The fact that they found another 'RK 'model in Miami was disturbing enough, but knowing that it was a secret warehouse that CyberLife had managed to set up outside of Detroit without anyone finding out was completely unsettling. The details Lucas visually recorded were invaluable pieces of evidence to be used against the defunct company and their continued shady dealings regarding android lives.

"I'll have Fowler drop an anonymous comment to the feds and have them check out Miami. You two just help the android you found and get back home where you belong. Got it?"

'_Got it_. _How is everyone doing_?'

"Fine. Chloe's just fine, Evelyn and Henry are happy, and Ruby kept her post by Henry's crib all night long."

'_She's a good girl_. _We'll be back soon, dad_.' Connor stifled a sleepy yawn before he continued the conversation. '_We're about an hour from the city_. _We needed to get gas in order to make it back to Detroit as quickly as possible_.'

"Shit. Did you two drive all night?"

'_Yes_. _We wanted to get the android back to safer grounds as quickly as possible, and we wanted to get back to our family_.'

"You should call himself something other than 'the android', son."

'..._I know_. _But we don't know what to do with him_.'

"You will in time." Hank paused as he heard Henry beginning to cry from the livingroom and he decided to check in on his grandson. "Right now I'm going to see what's up with Henry. Call when you're back in the city."

'_I'll will_. _See you soon, tell Henry I love him._'

"Will do."

Hanging up the phone Hank slid open the sliding glass door and walked through the kitchen to get to Henry in the livingroom. Chloe was already at Henry's baby swing and picking him up to soothe him. The motion was a little difficult for the deviant to perform since she had a large heavy belly in front of her, but she was still able to scoop up Henry and hold him to her chest.

"Where's Evelyn?"

"She's taking a shower." Chloe responded as she managed to quickly soothe Henry and detected the problem. "And Henry needs a diaper change."

"Alright, I got him." Taking Henry from Chloe's arms Hank just smiled at her and nodded. "You're going to be a great mother, Chloe. Don't ever try to doubt yourself once the baby is born."

"Thank you, Hank." Beaming brightly Chloe rubbed her belly again as she watched Hank carry Henry back upstairs to be changed. "I appreciate that."

* * *

After ending the phone call Connor pocketed his phone and was now staring over his shoulder at the 'RK' model's blank face as he laid over the backseat still in stasis mode, completely unaware that he had been rescued. Lucas had finished refueling the car and was now checking the android's status with another cybernetic link to his red tinted L.E.D. glowing a dull hue in his right temple. In doing so the Lucas's green eyes opened up wide and he turned to look at Connor with a hurt expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Lucas?"

"This model has no programming at all. It's completely blank, a test model ensure the biocomponents and basic software functions properly. It's like he's a hollow shell and was intentionally left without a purpose."

"We can give him programming to use at New Jericho. We can give him a purpose."

"Then what? Let him live in the tower, or move in with one of us?"

"Good point. ...Maybe we should send him away from Detroit so he can live a life of his own." Connor's soulful brown eyes were filled with empathetic pain for the wayward android. "Maybe he shouldn't know about CyberLife or the Revolution, or even us for that matter. He should have the chance to live a life without any restrictions that can come from being... well... our brother. He needs to be his own person free of our reputations and strange history."

"...I think you're right." Ending the cybernetic link Lucas climbed out of the backseat, closed the door, and returned to the driver's seat to speak to Connor more directly. "We can send him out to Boston and give him a new purpose. But what should his programming be?"

"We seem to have a natural predilection in helping people, and we find the work satisfying." Reaching for his wallet Connor opened it up and retrieved his long dormant paramedic's license and smirked at the plastic card. "So why not give him the same type of position?"

"A paramedic. It makes sense to be honest." Lucas glanced at the android's face in the rearview mirror as he turned over the key in the ignition and pulled away from the gas station to continue on to the tower back in the city. "Now if we can just figure out his name we'll have everything taken care of for him without being too involved."

"What was that one name you really liked for a boy's name?"

"...Ethan?"

"It fits him, doesn't it? He seems like 'Ethan' to me."

Lucas's eyes trailed up to the rearview mirror again and smirked again at the newly discovered android's blank face. "You're right, Connor. He's Ethan. Our big brother."

* * *

New Jericho Tower was calm and quiet as the sun fully rose.

Inside the tower Simon and Josh had gotten word of the incoming RK-800 model and were checking the supply room of the emergency repair bay to see what compatible biocomponents were still in stock. In doing so the two deviants were openly discussing the incredibly odd circumstances regarding a third 'Connor' model being discovered, and wondered if they should investigate deeper into CyberLife's activities beyond the city. It was possible that the previous fifty RK-800 models preceding Connor were stored elsewhere, and could either have their biocomponents salvaged or their programming saved.

"What if CyberLife had secret warehouses in other cities?" Josh questioned as he and Simon sorted through the stocked items carefully. "There could be hundreds, maybe thousands, of other androids trapped and awaiting rescue just like this one."

"I know, but I don't think there's anyway we can find these other supposed warehouses by delving into CyberLife files."

"There has to be something we can do."

"I'm sure there is, but until we have a definitive lead we can't really do anything."

The door to the emergency repair bay opened as Markus helped Lucas carry the rescued RK-800 android, now known as 'Ethan', into the room for treatment. Connor followed after them on his crutches and watched as Ethan was promptly hooked up to a Thirial activity monitor and was being given a physical by Simon, while Josh began recording his vital signs.

Markus turned his attention to the two brothers and asked about the circumstances leading to Ethan's discovery. After the unusual explanation Markus let out a sigh and agreed that Ethan needed the chance to live a life beyond Detroit, New Jericho, CyberLife, the Revolution; all of it. He needed to be placed elsewhere to break the cycle of pain and CyberLife scrutiny.

"We'll send him out to Boston once his new programming is in place." Markus decided as he watched Josh and Simon working together to stabilize and reprogram Ethan appropriately. "Do you two want to say something to him once he awakens?"

Connor shook his head 'no' and sighed. "No. It'd be best that he didn't have any ties to Detroit. Knowing about us might affect his ability to successfully adapt to Boston, and I don't want to see him struggling with deviancy all because of what Lucas and myself have experienced."

"I understand. Do you know what kind of programming you think would befit him?"

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest and gave Markus a subtle nod. "Yes. Give Ethan the appropriate programming to become a paramedic."

"'Ethan'?" Markus's mismatched eyes began searching Lucas's face for some answers.

"I like the name." Lucas blushed faintly as he motioned to Connor beside him. "And it was Connor's idea."

Markus smirked a little as he turned around to face Ethan. "Alright, Ethan it is." Standing beside the exam table Markus put his exposed right hand on Ethan's left shoulder and addressed him in a firm voice. "RK-800, open your eyes."

Bright blue irises were revealed as Ethan responded to the voice, and with those alert blue eyes Connor and Lucas felt a sense of accomplishment as Ethan rebooted. Ethan was going to be okay, and he'd have a life all of his own to live out in Boston.

"RK-800," Markus spoke calmly again. "register your name."

Ethan's red L.E.D. flickered from red to yellow as he awaited the name to be spoken.

"Ethan."

The L.E.D. flickered from yellow to blue as he spoke the name in a voice that matched both Connor and Lucas. "...My name is Ethan."

* * *

Exhausted and ready to be with their family Lucas and Connor dropped off the rental car at the rental agency that neighbored the airport while Lucas picked up his truck from parking. As he and Connor returned to the family house as the early morning crept up on the afternoon the two brothers exchanged glances and tried to determine if what they did for Ethan was truly the right thing by their newly discovered brother.

"...It's not selfish to send him away, is it?" Connor asked as he and Lucas sat in the truck parked in the driveway beside the house. Opening up his backpack Connor took out the four glass bottles that had been filled with ocean water and sand before they were corked, and passed one of each bottle over to Lucas to keep. "He is technically our brother, but he doesn't know anything about us or what's happened in Detroit. By going to Boston he'll have the chance to be his own being without any biases regarding his existence, but he'll be alone."

"I don't believe it's selfish. We've been through so much and struggled to become our own people, and I believe if Ethan is surrounded by other deviants who don't have an agenda against humans, corporations or are holding grudges against their fellow deviants he has a great chance at a successful, happy life."

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe in time we can be reunited and explained things to him."

"That's plausible. In time I wish to return to Boston to check on the facility that I had helped found. You should come with me and we can check in on Ethan and introduce ourselves."

"Wouldn't that be a little traumatic?"

"...Maybe." Glancing up at the house Lucas sighed and decided he wanted to see Chloe and not think about CyberLife, secret warehouses or trapped androids anymore. "Until then, we should watch Ethan from afar and monitor his progress."

"You're right." Opening his door Connor awkwardly limped out of the truck and took his crutches from the back to lean on. As he closed the door and hobbled up the front walk Lucas joined him at his side and made sure he didn't lose his balance as he opened the front door. "...I want to see our dad, my wife and my son."

"And I want to see our dad, my wife and feel my soon-to-be-born daughter kicking in my bondmate's belly."

"Daughter, huh?"

"Yes. I suspect if you believe I'll have a daughter then I'll have a daughter."

The comment about the daughter made Connor smirk as he imagined having a niece to take care of, and how soon Henry would have a cousin to play with. It seemed like what had once been a small, unorthodox family was steadily growing and becoming more traditional in the best way possible. And soon it would be even bigger.

_**-next chapter-  
**_


	101. Fear

With Ethan now safe in Boston and beginning a career as a paramedic, a field that he seemed genuinely enthusiastic about learning, the two brothers resumed their usual lives in Detroit in their own respective fields. As six weeks of peace and quiet the city passed by Connor and Hank were again given a difficult case to solve regarding a threat against a deviant, and Lucas had to deal with sporadic fires being accidentally started by people who were unaware that dry summer conditions and unattended grills were a bad mixture.

At the precinct Connor was struggling to decide on whether or not he'd accept the promotion to Lieutenant, and Hank was just keeping his opinion to himself on the matter to allow the young detective to make his choice without any outside influence. Dancing his coin over the knuckles of his right hand Connor stared through his terminal screen and sighed tiredly as he weighed the pros and cons of accepting the promotion.

Sitting at his own desk Hank was just mindlessly viewing details regarding the case that was awaiting his attention and remaining quiet as he worked.

"...Hank?"

"Hm?" Without looking away from his own terminal screen the senior detective already knew what was on Connor's mind.

"...Should I accept the promotion?"

"I dunno'. Should you?"

"Please, I need some help in my decision."

"Maybe you should talk to Evelyn instead of me."

"We have discussed it a few times already, but it didn't help me reach decision one way or the other."

"Then keep thinking about it. You can postpone your promotion for a couple of years if you want."

"...What're you going to do?"

"I dunno' that either."

"Please tell me?"

"Sorry, son." The strictly paternal tone made the senior detective's response final. "This is one decision you have to make for yourself."

"I can't. This is too... complicated."

"How's that?"

"Being promoted to a Lieutenant would give me a massive raise in pay and will allow me to support my family, maybe even buy my own house within the next few years so we won't have to settle for an apartment. But if we're both Lieutenants, or if you get promoted to Captain, we won't be able to work as partners anymore."

"But we'd still be handing deviant cases."

"Alone, or with new partners?"

"Only time will tell."

"...I hate time."

Laughing a little at the comment Hank gave Connor a casual tilt of his head and sighed. "Yeah. Me too, kid."

"Lieutenant." Chris walked over to the two desks where both Hank and Connor looked to him as he passed an electronic tablet with a few interesting details already on the display over to Hank to take for himself. "There's a disturbance down at the pier regarding a deviant. Something about a murder."

"Down at the _pier_?" Reading the address of the call Hank confirmed the location and then looked over at Connor. "What the fuck?"

Connor took the tablet from Hank's hand and read over the details himself. "The Belle Isle Southern Pier. That's too close for comfort to New Jericho."

"Yup." Getting up from his chair Hank pulled his car keys from his pocket and held them tightly in his left palm. "We better get out there and figure this shit out, fast. I don't want anything to happen to New Jericho."

* * *

The fast drive out to the pier of interest was eerie and made the two detectives righteously nervous as they reached their destination. The entire situation screamed of a set-up due to the proximity to New Jericho Tower, while also being isolated enough to pull off some reckless stunt without being seen. More suspicious than anything else regarding the case was the anonymous tip that led the two detectives out to the pier, which of course raised the all too important question: Who called it in?

Parking the car near the entrance to the pier the two detectives exited the vehicle and began their investigation on foot.

"This place has been closed down for decades, how in the hell would a deviant get out here AND who in the hell would find it?" Hank observed bitterly as he crept along the pier slowly with Connor right behind him. "I don't like it. It feels like we're walking into a trap."

"I agree." Connor's soulful brown eyes swept over the pier in search of a possible suspect, but there was no sign of humans or deviants anywhere. "We should be cautious."

"I always am." The seasoned detective replied as he drew his gun from the holster on his right hip and held it out before him. "Can you see anything?"

Connor shook his head and mirrored Hank's gesture as he drew his own gun from the holster wrapped around his back under his gray suit jacket. "Nothing unusual." With his weapon in hand Connor kept his voice low and his eyes vigil. "We may still be too far away for us to see or hear anyone."

"Keep your guard up, I have a bad feeling about this."

As the duo cautiously traversed the abandoned pier with their guns drawn before them they looked around for any sign of danger, but by all accounts the abandoned pier was just that; abandoned.

Unsure of his own senses Connor kept his head low and his voice quiet. "Perhaps we-"

A gunshot rang out loudly over the pier causing Connor to stop mid sentence and duck down behind a concrete barricade right alongside Hank. A bullet had screamed toward the detectives, but missed only by millimeters as the bullet dug into the wooden planks of the pier between them.

"Shit!" Hank glanced over at Connor and checked for any sign of blood or injury on his person. "Are ya' hit?"

"No. Are you?"

"No. He missed." A second gunshot echoed as a second bullet forcefully penetrated the opposite side of the concrete barricade where he and Connor were taking cover. "But that fucker is determined to get one of us."

Connor grabbed the radio hanging from Hank's belt to request back-up to the pier and immediately flinched as a loud explosion deafened the area all around the pier as a massive ball of orange fire erupted into the sky. Quickly peering around the barrciade Connor reported the fire and requested assistance from the fire department as well, but warned them to keep their distance until the active shooter was located and stopped.

Still peering around the barricade Connor couldn't see the shooter but he could see a car burning in the distance and threatening to fall into the water beside the pier as the flames ate through the already aged and weakened wooden dock beneath the burning car. "The shooter ignited a vehicle."

"He must be trying to destroy evidence."

"I'd say he's succeeding." Ducking back behind the concrete barricade Connor sighed and checked his weapon to ensure it wasn't going to jam in the event he needed to fire. "I'm going to rush forward and draw his fire."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Connor patted his chest and gave Hank a nod. "I'm wearing Kevlar this time."

"No, don't you-"

Moving forward and around the barricade Connor fired his weapon twice, both bullets striking the burning vehicle to ensure that he didn't strike any innocent bystanders who might be in the area, and moved toward the unseen shooter in the distance. In response to his gun firing the unseen shooter stopped and seemed to change positions as he too fire once more.

"Detroit Police." Connor shouted as he kept moving forward to hone in on the suspect. "Drop the gun!"

A second explosion from the car caused the car doors to suddenly 'pop' open as the extreme heat weakened the metal hinges and locks, causing them to fail. The fire was intense and quickly consuming the vehicle within minutes, and the dock beneath was beginning to buckle from being compromised by damage. The tires all deflated and exploded with loud pops, and the flames began to destroy the wooden planks of the pier beneath the smoldering vehicle even faster now that the superheated metal was making direct contact with the dry wood.

Hank followed after Connor and kept low as he too kept vigil for the shooter in the distance. Using the concrete barricades that once acted as tow anchors for boats in the harbor as cover Hank managed to keep up with Connor, and remain out of the shooter's line of sight.

"Hank, I think the shooter has fled the area."

Looking over to Connor as he ducked down behind the closest concrete barricade to the fire Hank called out to him curiously. "What makes you say that?"

"Aside from the lack of shots I don't hear any footsteps from a third person darting about the area."

"I trust you, but I still don't want to risk such an assumption."

The sound of sirens in the distance from behind where they had ventured caught his ears and Connor turned to see two squad cars and a fire engine speeding toward the pier. "Back-up has arrived."

"Good timing, too."

Connor glanced around the barricade cautiously and saw an mostly evaporated puddle of Thirium on the pier, but the puddle itself was indicative of a bottle being overturned rather than a body being injured and bleeding out. "This was a set-up, Hank. There was no deviant here."

"Someone wanted to take out the cops who take care of deviants." The reason for the set-up made Hank's blood boil. "Fuckin' asshole, get a hobby."

With their own weapons drawn Gavin and Tina came rushing up the pier and joined Connor and Hank behind the concrete barricades to take cover as well.

"What the fuck's going on?" Gavin asked as he saw the burning vehicle in the distance. "What kind of shooting is this?"

"Unknown." Connor admitted as he glanced at the car, his brow furrowing in confusion. There was something next to the smoldering vehicle that made Connor's adrenaline surge through his veins. "Shit!"

Holstering his weapon under his jacket Connor sprinted toward the car and made his way to the opposite side from where the detectives had been taking shelter.

Hank rose to his feet with the intent of following only to have both Gavin and Tina grab his shoulders to keep him back. "Connor?! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"We need the paramedics over here!" Connor shouted over the sound of the metal warping body of the car as the fire greedily consumed it. "I found the shooter!"

The three detectives behind the barricade watched as Connor grabbed a body by the arms and began dragging them away from the burning car and toward safety. There was a gun beside the body as well as fresh blood indicative of a serious wound.

"Son of a bitch!" Hank rushed over to Connor to help him drag the shooter from the flames while Gavin and Tina radioed for the fire engine to make its approach and douse the flames at long last. "What an idiot!"

"When the car doors flew open he must've been struck and rendered unconscious from being too close."

"Why in the fuck would he hide behind a burning car, anyway?" Hank asked as he and Connor put the shooter down, then rolled him from his back and onto his chest to pin his arms behind his back to be cuffed. A large bleeding cut over the shooter's right eye was proof he had been knocked unconscious by blunt force trauma, and was now completely defenseless. "Seems like the worst place to hide."

"I agree. But I think he was trying to hide behind the car thinking we would either be distracted by the flames or looking for him elsewhere."

"Almost worked."

The fire engine approached the burning car at a steady clip, and Connor recognized the number on the front of the engine as the one registered at Lucas's own station downtown. Station fifteen.

Connor glanced back at the burning vehicle and remembered the gun was left behind after they dragged the shooter to safety, he and needed to get the gun as evidence. Shrugging off his gray suit jacket Connor made his way back to the car and kept his left hand up to help block the intense heat as it burned at his eyes and his face. As he reached the gun the flames that were consuming the car had thoroughly eaten away at the neglected wooden dock beneath it, and caused the two-ton vehicle's body to slip through the broken boards with a loud 'crack'.

"Shit!" Connor lost his footing as the wooden planks began to snap one by one underneath him, causing him to fall backward and onto his right side. "Hank!?"

The car fell through the smoldering planks of the wooden pier and as it crashed into the cold water of the harbor beneath. The car pulled down numerous wooden planks, and Connor, along with it as it disappeared into the dark and murky water of the harbor within second.

"Connor?!" Hank rushed over to where the car and Connor had disappeared, and looked down into the gaping charred hole overlooking the disturbed and churning water. "Damn it, Connor?!"

"What happened?!" Lucas's voice called out as he raced over to Hank and looked down into the water. He dressed in his turnout coat but still managed to run swiftly thanks to his enhanced android strength. "Where's Connor?"

"He went down with the car!"

Lucas ran a scan over the water and found Connor just a few feet below the surface. The close proximity of the car told him that the weight of the vehicle had actually pulled Connor down into the water, and may have even pinned him down beneath the surface.

"He's trapped." Lucas announced with a heavy heart as he and Hank stared at the water below.

"We need to- Lucas?!"

The deviant shrugged off his turnout coat and took a deep breath before he dove into the water to swim down and get to Connor before his trapped brother drowned. Lucas's superior android ocular units allowed him to see in the murky water with absolutely perfect clarity, and locate Connor in the depths of the harbor.

Finding Connor at the sandy bottom of the harbor Lucas saw that the rear bumper of the car had tilted downward and was pinning Connor's right leg, his prosthetic leg, down into the soft silt. The soft sand wouldn't let Connor gain any leverage to push the car back from his leg, and the murkiness of the water was making it hard for Connor to see what was happening around him.

Grabbing onto the submerged bumper with both hands Lucas knelt down on the sandy surface and pushed the car upward high enough for Connor to pull his trapped leg free and kick toward the surface. Letting go of the car Lucas swam upward quickly right alongside Connor and made sure his brother made it to the surface quickly.

Coughing loudly and deeply as he broke the surface of the water Connor felt Lucas's hand wrap around his left bicep to help hold him steady as he blinked a few times to clear his own vision.

"I gotcha'!" Hank's voice suddenly cut in as he reached down and grabbed onto Connor's right arm and began hauling him up and out of the water. With Lucas's assistance he was able to pull Connor out of the harbor and back onto the remains of the pier barely four feet above the surface. "You're okay, son."

Lucas grabbed onto the edge of the pier and easily hauled himself up and out of the water to sit down beside Connor as Connor knelt on the pier and coughed a few more times as he caught his breath. "...Are you okay?"

"...Y-Yeah." Spitting out a small amount of the dirty harbor water Connor nodded and looked to his little brother beside him. "...Thanks. You saved my life."

"...I... I guess I did."

Flashing a faint smirk Connor tagged on another detail. "...And you overcame your fear."

"My fear?"

"Water." Connor gave the harbor a casual point of his thumb over his right shoulder. "You dove down and didn't panic."

"...You're right." Glancing back at the deep water Lucas realized he had in fact conquered his fear to rescue his brother. "I did."

Hank patted his hand on Connor's back a few times then put his hand down on Lucas's shoulder. "You did good, son. Real good."

Looking up at the senior detective Lucas felt himself blush a pale blue in response to the compliment. "...Thanks, dad."

"Connor," Hank returned his right hand to Connor's back as he spoke and gave him a somewhat stern glance. "you're going to the hospital. No excuses."

"...That's okay by me."

"It is?"

"...Yeah. I don't want to end up sick from being in the water." Admitting his worries Connor didn't flinch away when the paramedics came over to check on him, and the shooter who was still unconscious and being watched over by Gavin and Tina. "I won't be able to take care of Henry or support Evelyn."

Wrapping his right arm around Connor's shoulders Hank pulled him in for a quick hug as the paramedics proceeded to remove Connor's gray suit jacket, Kevlar vest and gray suit vest beneath. "Family life has definitely done you good, son."

Lucas stood upright and glanced back at the fire engine where he gave Captain DeSoto a subtle nod. "I'll let my Captain know I'm escorting Connor to the hospital."

"Right. And Lucas." Standing up to speak to the deviant directly Hank gave Lucas an approving pat to his shoulder and confident stare. "With reflexes and reactions like that you're going to be a fantastic father."

Blushing a deeper shade of blue Lucas flashed his father an appreciative grin. "...Thanks dad."

* * *

Sitting upright on the exam table in the emergency room Connor patiently waited for Dr. Wilson to finish his examination of Connor's current condition and deemed him unharmed beyond a light cough that would clear up before evening, and a few scratches on his prosthetic leg. After prescribing Connor some antibiotics strictly as a precaution Dr. Wilson cleared Connor for desk duty for the remainder of his shift.

"You're good to go, Connor." Giving his most stubborn patient his prescription Dr. Wilson motioned for Connor to head on out. "Take it easy and take those for a week just to make sure you don't develop a lung infection."

"Right. Thanks for the help, Dr. Wilson." Stepping out of the exam room and into the corridor Connor was met by Lucas and proceeded to inform his little brother of the positive diagnosis. "I'm okay. I just need to take these for a week to prevent a lung infection from setting in."

"I'm glad you made it out unscathed. Hank will meet you back the precinct now that you've been cleared."

"How about you?"

"I'm uninjured and I didn't inhale any water into my ventilation biocomponents. I'm fine."

"That's good." Connor paused for a moment as he looked his brother in the eyes as he spoke. "Lucas, this is the first real brush with death I've had since Henry was born. When I was down in the water all I could think about was how if I drowned Evelyn would be a widow and Henry would grow up without a father, and that's... That's a horrible experience to go through."

"You're okay, brother. You're still here and you're still going to be here to take care of Henry."

"Lucas, I need to ask something of you. Something very important."

"What is it?"

"In the event that something does happen to me I want you to do whatever it takes to keep Henry from growing up without a father."

"Connor, please don't talk that."

"This is important and I have to ask you to do this. I don't just mean stepping up as his uncle, I mean taking him in as his father. I know Hank is a fantastic father in his own right, but I don't think he'd be able to look after Henry in the same way you would simply because of his advanced age."

"Connor you know I'd do anything I could to protect Henry, you don't have to ask that of me."

Nodding with understanding Connor felt his worries beginning to slowly ease away. "I guess I just needed to hear it."

The doubt in Connor's voice was very uncommon to hear. "...Are you really okay?"

"Yeah... I'm just suddenly very aware of how limited I am as a human." He looked at the bottle of medication in his hand and shook his head. "How... fragile and vulnerable I am to illness and to time itself. I can easily be killed with no way to recover."

"You're far from fragile, brother. Trust me."

"...Thank you, Lucas."

"If it'll ease your mind I promise that whatever misfortune may came our way that I'll do everything in my power to keep Henry from knowing life without a father to guide him. Henry and Evelyn will never feel lost or alone."

"Yeah, I know." Connor nodded and put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder. "And I promise that your own child will have the same protection and guidance from me if it becomes necessary."

"I already knew that." Thinking about close Chloe was to her due date Lucas sought a little more confirmation from his big brother as the idea of being a father was tauntingly close. "...And when it's time?"

"We'll be there for you just as you were there for Evelyn and myself. We'll all be there to welcome your baby into this world."

"I'm glad. I want my baby to be born surrounded be their family, and surrounded by love just like Henry."

"They will be." Connor proudly have his little brother a smile as they walked out of the hospital side by side to return to their usual shifts before their unexpected encounter at the pier. "I promise."

_**-next chapter-**_


	102. New Life, New Family

Laying on the livingroom floor beside Henry with the stuffed fox, Buttons, in his right hand Connor held it above Henry's face as the five and half month old baby laid on his back and reached up to grab at the toy excitedly. As he laid on the floor with Henry making noises and smiling with pure joy beside him Connor felt a sense of calm that made him forget about the stress of the job and the evils of the city as he bonded with his son. When Evelyn laid down on the floor on the opposite side of Henry and joined in on the fun time Connor truly realized how fortunate he was to have such an amazing family.

Soon Henry would begin crawling about and not long after he'd be able to walk and even talk. The desire to watch Henry grow up was so strong that Connor vowed to spend as much time with his son as possible.

"He's so happy." Evelyn cooed as she ran her right hand through her recently washed and dyed hair. Having gone back to being a brunette for simplicity sake Evelyn truly looked proud of her son as she smiled down at him. "You look happy, too."

"I am happy." Replying honestly Connor looked up at Evelyn as he continued to wave Buttons over Henry's face playfully. "Where's Hank?" Connor asked as he caused his son to laugh. Ruby came trotting out of the kitchen and laid down beside Henry's head and wagged her tail, causing the baby to laugh again at her presence. "I haven't seen him all afternoon."

"Right here." The senior detective announced as he walked down the staircase and joined his family in the livingroom. "I wanted to make sure I had the bag packed for Lucas."

"What bag?"

"The one filled with all the extra baby clothes and diapers we bought for him last week."

"Did you hear something from Lucas?"

"Not yet, but I have a feel that today's the day." Sitting down in the recliner he looked down at Henry and just smiled at the baby's bright blue eyes as he glanced about the livingroom and kept reaching for the toy fox. "I wonder if they got the baby a stuffed toy to cuddle with."

Evelyn gave Hank an amused look as she pointed to a small gift bag sitting on the floor beside Henry's baby swing. "Don't worry, I got that covered."

"Cool. Now we just need the baby to get here."

Connor sat upright on the floor and let Henry take the toy from his hands, and watched as Henry promptly started chewing on its ear. "That's not food, Henry."

"Neither was that evidence crap you used to taste." Hank remarked sharply as he watched Henry chewed on the soft toy. "Like father like son..."

Evelyn grimaced at the idea of her husband having to taste evidence to get the job done. "I think I'm relieved I kissed you after you became human again."

Before Connor had the chance to make a comeback to defend himself his phone started to ring and he recognized the ringtone as the one specifically chosen for Lucas. Fishing the phone from his jean pocket Connor answered the call quickly in anticipation of what his little brother was going to say. "Lucas?"

'_Chloe's in labor_!' The deviant sounded excited and not panicked, which of course was a good thing. '_We're already at the hospital and she's been admitted to into the maternity wing_.'

"We'll be right there, Lucas. Need us to bring anything?"

'_No, just get over here_. _I don't want my family to miss this_.'

"We're on our way, brother. Tell Chloe we're excited for her." Ending the phone call Connor didn't even need to say what the call was about as Hank went back upstairs to get the bag and Evelyn scooped Henry up from the floor. Holding the baby against her right hip Evelyn picked up the gift bag by the swing and looked back at Connor excitedly. "Hank was right! Today is the day."

"Yeah." Standing up from the floor Connor retrieved the car keys from the bookshelf and slipped on his shoes by the front door. "Maybe his instincts as a grandfather gave him psychic abilities."

* * *

In the hospital Lucas was excitedly holding onto Chloe's right hand as they waited for the doctor who would be delivering the baby, and waiting for the baby itself to make its grand entrance. The two were still discussing names and had decided to narrow the names down to girl names for the sake of simplicity as they both had all but decided that Connor was right about the gender. As her labor progressed Chloe squeezed Lucas's hand and decided she was going to take Evelyn's advice and turn off her pain receptors from her abdomen downward to prevent undo stress on her body as she delivered the baby.

"Do you think we'll be good parents like Connor and Evelyn?" Chloe asked as she held tightly onto Lucas's hand as her latest contraction ended.

"I know you're going to be an amazing mother, Chloe. And I'm going to do my best to be an amazing father."

"You will be, Lucas. Don't worry."

There was a soft knock at the door as none other than Abby herself walked into the room to check on Chloe. "Hey, there. It's been a while."

"Dr. Grayson." Lucas recognized her immediately and gave her a nod. "I wasn't expecting you."

"First of all, call me Abby, and secondly, you and Chloe are the first android couple to deliver in this hospital since the Revolution, which means they wanted a technician with some medical experience to take up the lead on the delivery. I used to be an E.M.S. so I fit the bill."

"We're the first couple since the Revolution?"

"You're the first _android couple_, rather than a deviant acting as a surrogate for a human family. In the surrogacy situation the delivery is always a c-section by law as the deviant carrying the baby doesn't have any legal rights to make a call in the event of an emergency. But since this is YOUR baby and this is HER delivery Chloe gets to make all the decisions and I'm here to listen to her, and do whatever it takes to bring your baby safely into the world."

"Knowing our baby is in your hand makes me feel better, Abby."

"It's good to hear." Checking the two monitors attached to Chloe; one to Chloe's chest to act as a cardiac monitor and a second attached to her belly under her pure white hospital gown to monitor the baby, Abby determined them both to be healthy and Chloe's labor progressing normally. "Alright, all your vitals are looking good so I'm just going to check your progress and get an idea when you'll be ready to deliver." Lifting up the sheet covering Chloe's legs Abby checked her patient and gave her a nod. "You're already about seven centimeters along. When did your labor begin exactly?"

"I felt the first real contraction at one-twelve this afternoon. My membrane ruptured at one twenty-seven on our way to the hospital."

Abby looked at her watch and shook her head. "Wow. It's one forty-six. Looks like you're either undergoing a precipitous labor, or all androids are just going to be blessed with short labors in general."

"I guess only time will tell."

"Okay. I'm going to let the delivery team know what's going on so we can work together and get your baby delivered as safely as possible."

"Thank you, Abby."

"I'll be back in a moment. Take it easy and keep doing what you're doing."

Lucas held tightly onto Chloe's hand as he smiled brightly at his bondmate and waited for Abby's return. "We're going to be parents!"

There was a knock on the opened door as Connor, Evelyn, Hank and Henry all stepped inside the room to check in on Chloe's progress. "Hey, little brother. How is everyone doing?"

"We're fine. The baby will be here soon."

Connor walked over to the bed and handed Henry over to Chloe as the expectant deviant loved holding her nephew, and he was the perfect reminder that what she was about to go through was entirely worth it. "I'm happy for both of you."

"Thank you, Connor. Did anyone from New Jericho arrive?"

"Yes, Markus and Josh are outside waiting to come in. Simon is taking care of the tower and I believe North is still undergoing large software updates and cannot come to the hospital until tomorrow morning."

"It's okay, we'll be sure to take the baby to New Jericho to meet everyone later."

"And..." Connor nodded toward the opened door as Elijah Kamski himself stepped through. "Elijah came to see Chloe."

"Elijah!" Chloe beamed at seeing her oldest friend as he stepped over to the bed. "Thank you for being here!"

"Of course. I told you that as your friend I'll be there for you whenever you want me to be there." He looked over at Henry and gave the baby an amused grin as he clearly saw all of Connor's traits that the baby inherited. "And I know this little one is Connor's son. I can tell just by looking at him."

Chloe passed Henry back over to Connor as she felt another contraction, albeit painless, squeeze her belly. "...I hope the baby looks like Lucas."

Balancing Henry on his left hip Connor felt Henry squirming uncomfortably and quickly took the hint. "I need to go change Henry. I'll be be outside waiting to meet my new niece. Good luck, Chloe."

"You'll do great!" Evelyn quickly gave Chloe a hug before she followed after Connor with the diaper bag slung over her right shoulder and met him in the family bathroom down the corridor.

Hank stayed back and put his hand on Lucas's shoulder with the same proud smile on his face he showed when Connor was in his position just over five months ago. "We're excited, and I know you're excited, but are you really ready?"

"Absolutely." Lucas nodded as he held tightly onto Chloe's hand and kissed her right cheek. "I was ready the moment Chloe told me the good news."

"You're both going to do great as parents. You both have the right instincts and you're very caring individuals. As a couple you're going to be amazing parents to your child."

"Thanks, dad."

Giving Lucas's shoulder a gentle shake Hank leaned down and kissed Chloe on her hairline and took a step back from the bed. "I'll be in the waiting room pacing. As soon as that little baby's here I'll be back."

Elijah lingered behind and proudly addressed Chloe as she prepared to give birth to her first child. "You've come a long away since the Turning Test, Chloe. I'm very proud of the person you've become."

"Thank you, Elijah. I hope you know that you're welcome to see the baby after its born."

"I'm flattered. I'll be sure to visit whenever I venture into the city to spend time with Gavin, Abby and their own daughter. Aria is..." Smiling at the idea of having a niece Elijah seemed unusually personable and less cold. "she's very special. She is now my world and just as I've sworn to protect her and ensure she has a brilliant world to grow up in, I'll do the same for your own baby."

* * *

Outside of the private recovery Connor carried Henry in his arms through the corridor and began walking back toward the waiting room when he bumped into Markus, who had an entirely joyous grin on his face. The deviant leader met Connor and Evelyn a few feet away from the delivery room as the team gathered under Abby's tutelage to help bring Chloe's baby into the world, and he honed right in on Henry with his mismatched eyes.

"Hey, Connor. Evelyn." Smiling at Henry in Connor's arm Markus offered his finger to the baby to take for himself. "Henry."

"Hi, Markus. If you're going to see Lucas and Chloe you need to do it fast. It looks like she's going to deliver very soon."

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll meet you and Josh in the waiting room in a moment after I visit them."

Evelyn wrapped her left arm around Connor's right arm as they walked to the waiting room and sat down beside Josh who was eager to meet the baby as soon as it was born.

Josh looked to his friends and their child, and smiled brightly. "I love how you and Lucas have such a supportive family and friends to watch your backs."

"Yeah, you're right." Sitting down and repositioning Henry to sit down on his lap with his left hand supporting the baby's back Connor gave his son a kiss on the top of his head. "And it took me almost too damn long to recognize and appreciate that fact. I feel like I had been acting like an ungrateful brat for the longest time."

"Well, you can be a little bratty at times, but you're still wonderful." Giving him a kiss on the cheek Evelyn sat beside him and held his hand tightly in excited anticipation. "Just break that habit soon so you can keep setting a good example for our son."

"Don't worry, I will."

Resting her head on Connor's shoulder Evelyn sighed and picked up Henry's hand to give her son some attention. "Yeah, I know. You always keep your word."

* * *

The delivery team had taken their positions in the delivery room and were awaiting Abby's instructions as Chloe's labor steadily progressed at a rapid pace. Unlike a human's labor android labor followed a very detailed and advanced software that activated once the baby reached full term size. Without the unpredictability of the human body to make labor either too fast or too slow Chloe's progress had been timely and by the book as programmed, which of course meant her labor was following the same type of programming.

Markus enthusiastically gave Lucas and Chloe a congratulatory hug and took his leave of the room to give the team room to work. "I'll go tell everyone to get ready to meet the baby. Good luck, Chloe. We'll be waiting."

Elijah gave Chloe a kiss on her hair as he took his leave of the room. "I'll be with the others in the waiting room, Chloe. Remember you can do anything, you're a deviant and you're free."

As the guests left the room the interning technicians assisted Abby in checking on Chloe's progress, and worked to get her in the proper position for an easy and hasty delivery.

"Okay, Chloe." Abby slipped on a pair of purple latex gloves and gave the laboring deviant a kind smile as she checked her progress under the sheet. "You're fully dilated. On the next contraction bear down and push." She nodded at the observing nurses and doctors who had asked to view the delivery from the opposite side of the room to let them know it was time for the baby to be born. "Take notes people, this is history in the making."

Lucas, who had changed into dark blue scrubs, held tightly onto Chloe's right hand as she returned the grip and began to push with her next contraction as she had been intructed. "You can do this, Chloe!"

"Alright, Chloe. Push!"

Bearing down with a controlled strength Chloe began to push as she had been told, and held onto Lucas's hand the entire time. Her advanced software allowed Chloe to keep track of the baby's progress with each push, and she knew she was pushing with just enough strength to get the baby to descend at an ideal pace.

"Great job, Chloe." Abby was proud of how well Chloe was responding to her labor. "Push again!"

Doing as instructed Chloe pushed and squeezed Lucas's hand as he scanned her body and kept tabs on their baby as the baby descended even lower. "The baby's almost here, Chloe! Keep going! Big push!"

Chloe bore down and gave one more push and felt a pressure building where the head was beginning to crown and leave her body.

"Okay, Chloe. Don't push, just pant your breath and I'll guide out the head so you don't suffer any damage." Abby stated calmly as she used her right palm to gently guide the baby out and into the world. "Almost there. When I give you the word push again."

"I love you, Chloe." Lucas kissed her right cheek as she did as instructed and felt the pressure lessen as Abby guided the baby's head out. "You can do this!"

"Okay!" Speaking to her laboring patient again Abby gave her the clear to resume pushing. "Once more big push! Go!"

Holding her breath Chloe gave one final strong push and with it came a total release of all pressure and her system. Her processors confirmed that the baby had been successfully delivered, and that everything happened without any complications. "...L-Lucas?"

The baby let out a shrill scream as its airways were cleared and Abby swaddled it in a clean towel. "Alright, you two... Ready to meet your daughter?"

"...She's a girl." Lucas let out an amused laugh as he realized Connor was right about the gender, and glad that he and Chloe began focusing on girl names instead. "I'm ready, Abby."

Presenting the baby to Lucas a nurse handed him a pair of surgical scissors. "Ready to cut the cord, daddy?"

"...Yes." Accepting the scissors Lucas cut through the umbillical cord and took the baby from Abby's hands. Carrying her over to Chloe as she remained on the delivery table Lucas gently placed their crying daughter down on Chloe's chest to begin bonding. "...Chloe. We have a daughter! And she's beautiful!"

Chloe began crying tears of joy as she looked at the crying newborn's face and beamed a proud smile. "...She is beautiful!" The baby had short but very dark hair and her eyes were a greenish blue color. "...She's perfect! Our perfect little Madison is here..."

"Madison is here and she's perfect." Lucas shared Chloe's proud smile as he gave his daughter his finger to squeeze and felt a warmth of love spread over his heart as he looked at her face. "Our _daughter_ is finally here. I... I couldn't be happier!"

* * *

In the waiting room Markus received a cybernetic update from Lucas and told everyone the good news on the baby. Once Abby stepped into the waiting room and confirmed the healthy birth the family just smiled and stood in unison to walk down the corridor to see the newborn baby. Chloe and the baby had been taken to a private recovery room and were now ready to receive visitors, but only two at a time to prevent the baby from being overwhelmed, or possibly getting sick from too many strangers at once.

Hank and Evelyn went in first to meet the baby while Connor stayed out in the corridor with Henry in his arms, and spoke with Markus, Josh and Elijah.

"...I became a father this year, and now I'm an uncle! This year has been... very eventful." Connor was almost beyond words. Hearing the small noises of the newborn baby through the opened door made him turn his head and smile a little. "I'm so glad I came back to Detroit instead of stubbornly hiding out in Chicago. If I hadn't met Evelyn while I was out there then fleeing to Chicago would've been the biggest regret of my life."

"It's okay, Connor." Markus's mismatched eyes were bright with excitement for his friends and their children. "You're back where you belong and now you have a bigger family to take care of." Grinning mischievously Markus gave his friend a sly glance. "Maybe you can help me out with learning the ropes by this time next February."

"What's happening in February?"

"Remember how you said North and I shouldn't give up on kids?"

As his soulful brown eyes went wide Connor's excitement for the future seemed to double over. "...North is pregnant?!"

Markus nodded enthusiastically as he took in a deep breath to steady his emotions as he confirmed the question. "Yeah. We're having twins!"

"You're kidding?"

"No! We're finally going to have a family of our own and we're starting with _twins_!"

"That's incredible!" Truly happy for his friend Connor gave Markus a bright and proud smile. "Congratulations!"

"You Josh, Simon and now Kamksi are the only ones who know. We want to keep it a little quieter a little longer since we don't want to distract anyone from Lucas, Chloe and their baby, but I had to tell you. Thank you for encouraging us to keep trying, Connor."

"You're welcome my friend. I'm truly happy for you both."

"And I have one favor I must ask of you."

"What is it?"

"In two weeks I'm going to have a conference with the mayor regarding continued operations of New Jericho Tower within the city. We want to expand beyond the tower and open up android sanctuaries where formerly oppressive locations once stood. Places like the now closed 'Eden Club' and the closed CyberLife warehouses outside of the city will be remodeled into places that will protect our people, and not hurt them."

"That sounds like a great idea." Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back Connor gave his friend an odd glance. "But what do you need of me?"

"I want you to be there with me when I make the speech. I want you to watch my back and ensure nothing goes wrong."

"I can do that." Connor agreed to the request and gave Markus a confident stare as he held Henry on his hip. "I'll be there for you."

Evelyn stepped back out of the room and gave Connor a kiss on his left cheek. "Your niece is ready to meet you!"

"...I take it Hank isn't going to go anywhere."

"Nope. He's staying right there until it's time for the baby to go home in two days."

"Not surprised." Readjusting Henry so he was resting against his right shoulder Connor looked at the opened door of the room and grinned. "Well then, I'm going to meet my niece and introduce Henry to his cousin."

"By the way, you were right."

"About the gender? Obviously."

"That, and her hair in black and her eyes are green. You're quite the detective, looks like you're in the right line of work."

"Of course I am." Giving Evelyn a cheesy grin Connor stepped inside the room and spotted Hank holding the newborn baby in his arms with Lucas standing beside him still holding onto his daughter's tiny hand. The sight was as comforting as it was familiar as Connor knew he had the same proud smile on his own face the day Henry was born. "Good thing you didn't accept that wager, dad. You would've lost."

Hank just shook his head and gave Connor an amused look. "Still a smartass even after all this time."

Connor walked over to peer down at his niece's face and smiled. "Well, she's beautiful and she's healthy Lucas. I'm happy for you." Readjusting Henry so he could see the newborn Connor spoke softly as to not frighten his newborn niece. "Look at her, Henry. She's your cousin. Your family."

Henry was staring at the baby's face as if trying to figure out a puzzle. He had never seen another baby before, and now he had a cousin to play with as they grew up together.

"What's her name?"

Chloe spoke up proudly as she reached up with her right hand and gently ran her fingers through the newborns incredibly soft locks of dark hair. "Her name is Madison. Madison Elizabeth Anderson."

The middle name made Connor's throat tighten with emotion as he fought back a sob as he learned his niece had been named after his late mother by his little brother. "...Beautiful name. I know my mom... She's honored."

"She's our little Maddy." Lucas smiled with a sincere pride as he watched Connor's eyes well up with emotion. "And I imagine your mother would've taken her in as her own granddaughter. It felt like the right thing to do."

"Thank you, brother." Looking down at his own son Connor flashed the same proud smile as Lucas. "Henry, I get the feeling you and Maddy are going to become fast friends. I hope you two have the same type of bond and relationship I have with Lucas; you may not be siblings but you're family all the same."

Hank approved of Connor's sentiment and watched as Lucas gently took Henry from Connor's arms so he could hold Maddy for himself. "She's going to be just fine. She's an Anderson, and if the name holds true she's going to be just as fiery and stubborn as the rest of the clan."

"I don't know if that'll be a good thing or a bad thing." Cradling Maddy in his arms after Hank carefully passed her over Connor admired his new niece and gave her a loving smile. "Hi, Maddy. Welcome to the world. I'm your Uncle Connor."

* * *

As standard hospital regulation Chloe and Maddy remained in the hospital for two days before going home to relax and begin their new lives together. The drive back to the house was calm and the pick-up truck was followed by Hank, Connor, Evelyn and Henry as they wanted to help Lucas and Chloe get settled in as comfortably as possible. Even Elijah had volunteered to help out, and had accompanied the family back to the house to get Maddy home and safe, and to begin her first days into the world feeling as loved and supported as her parents promised her.

"Welcome home, Maddy." Lucas beamed as he held open the front door to let Chloe walk through with the newborn cradled in her arms. "This is your home and everyone here is your family!"

The tiny newborn let out small sounds as she was carried into the large home and up the staircase to her own bedroom.

Just as Connor and Evelyn had decorated Henry's room with paintings that Lucas had created, Maddy's room had similar paintings and had a glass bottle holding sand from the beach in Miami and the ocean water up on a shelf at the far wall to let her see the ocean from her own bedroom.

"Here we are." Chloe soothed in a soft voice as she gently placed Maddy down in her crib so she could get used to the sounds and smells of her new house while feeling safe and secured. "This is your bedroom. I hope you like it."

Lucas gave Maddy his finger to wrap her hand around and he smiled as she held tight. "I know you're going to be happy here. We love you, Maddy."

Proudly Connor and Evelyn watched as Lucas and Chloe stood over Maddy's crib to admire their daughter, and decided to give the new parents a little privacy as they bonded with their newborn daughter.

"Think Hank is going to spend more time over here?" Evelyn joked lightly as she and Connor walked back the staircase and met Hank down in the livingroom with Henry in his arms, and Elijah standing beside him. "He looks like he's smitten with Maddy already."

"Oh hell, yeah." Hank overheard the question and wasn't afraid to answer. "I'm not going to play favorites with my grandchildren, so every hour I spend with Henry I'm going to spend with Maddy."

Connor cocked his eyebrow as he took Henry from Hank's arms and help him up against his chest, and gave Hank an odd glance. "Does that mean you're going to spend the night and have a slumber party?"

"Smartass. I'll stay if Lucas asks, but I think he and Chloe will be just fine taking care of Maddy themselves."

Elijah just smirked as he ran his right hand down Ash's back as the white cat rubbed up against his ankle. "They'll be fine. Chloe is more human than she realizes, and I know she'll become even more human now that she has a daughter to care for."

"Are you going to stay here?" Connor asked as Henry squirmed about in his arms and put his small right hand in his mouth. "I'm sure she'd like your guidance since I know you've been babysitting Aria on the weekends."

"Only if Chloe asks me to stay. This is her family and her decision. She's free now, and I'll never say or do anything that could compromise that."

Connor nodded in appreciation at Elijah's humility. "Thank you."

Smiling warmly Evelyn offered up her own assistance to the new family and remembered her first day at home after Henry was born. "Now that we have that settled why don't we make dinner so Lucas and Chloe and can relax a little?" She volunteered readily as she glanced up toward the staircase where she knew Lucas and Chloe were still admiring Maddy. "I know having a home cooked meal did wonders for me when I got back from the hospital with Henry."

"Good idea. I think steak and salad would be a good start." Connor was all for taking extra steps in helping his little brother, sister-in-law and new niece. Still holding Henry in his arms Connor looked toward Hank for a little assistance. "Dad?"

"Yeah, no problem." Holding out his hands he happily took Henry back from Connor's arms and held his grandson against his chest, while Connor and Evelyn left the livingroom to go to the kitchen. "You're going to hang out with Papa for a while. Sound good?"

Henry responded with his usual babble as he continued to chew on his fist and smile up at Hank around his own hand.

"Man, you're going to start teething soon, then talking, walking..." Readjusting Henry so he could rest against his shoulder Hank just sighed with a sense of paternal pride at his slowly growing family. "I can't wait to watch you reach all your milestones and see what kind of great guy you'll grow up to be."

"I imagine Henry will take more after Connor than he will Evelyn." Elijah observed as he stood upright and gave the baby resting against Hank's chest and shoulder a sincerely kind smile. "And from what I've seen that would be something everyone could benefit from."

"As long as Henry isn't_ nearly_ as stubborn as his dad, then yeah. That'll be just fine."

"Stubbornness isn't always a bad thing." Elijah stated fairly quickly as he noted his own brother's personality. "It's an endearing quality in my experience."

"Sure, when it's being used productively as opposed to being an oppressive wall. Don't get me wrong, I love these boys as my own sons and Connor's solved some pretty damn complicated cases using hiw own stubborn way, but he's also put himself at risk thanks to his stubbornness. I don't want to see Lucas make the same mistake, and I sure as Hell don't want Henry doing that either."

Henry let out another small sound and squirmed against Hank's chest and shoulder as he looked up at his Papa and smiled.

"See? Even Henry knows better."

"I'm sure Henry will become a very respectable member of society, as will Maddy." It was clear Elijah had a soft spot for children, just like Hank. Being around his family had done Elijah well. "Lucas and Chloe will be amazing parents to her."

"Yeah, you're right about that." From upstairs Hank heard Maddy beginning to cry and within seconds he heard Lucas's voice soothing her as he had no doubt picked her up and tended to her every need like any loving dad would do. Just like Connor had done Lucas was quickly adapting to fatherhood and he was going to be a wonderful dad for his daughter. "I'm very proud of my sons, I'm proud of my honorary daughters and I'm already proud of their children."

_**-next chapter-**_


	103. Together

The first week of fatherhood had done Lucas well, and it truly brought out the human in Chloe. The proud parents had taken Maddy to visit everyone in New Jericho Tower, Markus and North were especially enthusiastic with meeting her, and had made sure to spend time with Connor, Evelyn and Henry so the two babies could bond and play together. The age difference wasn't extreme, but with Henry being five and half months old and Maddy only one week old it was clear that it'd be a while before the two would be able to really play as cousins without needing their parents' constant supervision.

Bringing Madison over to the family house to bond was now a daily occurrence, and with that new routine the family grew closer. Evelyn spent the afternoons with Henry while Connor and Hank were at the precinct. With Lucas off on his paternity leave she was more than happy to have the company as she tended to her son and patiently waited for Connor and Hank to come home.

"Hi, Maddy!" Beaming at her niece Evelyn happily held the newborn in her arms and sat down on the floor next to Henry as her son laid on his tummy on the soft blanket in the middle of the livingroom. "You're so pretty and tiny!"

Lucas joined everyone on the floor and noted that Madison was growing at the same rate Henry had been, and that Henry himself was thriving. "It's a shame that Connor and dad couldn't have time off during my paternity leave."

"Trust me, they tried but Captain Fowler said 'no'." Passing Madison back over to her daddy's arms Evelyn looked up at Chloe as she sat on the couch and proceeded to offer Henry a stuff toy to play with. Chloe had made a special diaper bag in bright purple fabric with Madison's name embroidered on the side, and had been adorned with hundreds of colorful iron-on patches to give it more character. "How're you feeling, Chloe?"

"I am recovering well, but I do find it strange that a part of me now feels... incomplete."

"I had that weird empty feeling inside, too. Give it a few more weeks, then you'll feel more like yourself again."

The front door opened up as both Connor and Hank returned home for the evening. Upon seeing their family all gathered together the two detectives readily join everyone in the livingroom to visit with Madison for a while.

"Hey there, Maddy." Connor looked at his niece in Lucas's arms and offered her his finger to hold. "It's nice to see you." Sitting down on the floor he pulled Henry onto his lap and watched as Hank took Madison to hold for himself and bond even closer. "Looks like Maddy is as excited to be here as I feel."

"Tiring day?"

"Very." Connor confirmed his brother's question. "Working on cases and dealing with the mayor in preparation for Markus's meeting next week has proven itself exhausting."

"Perhaps you could distribute your caseload to your fellow detectives until New Jericho's business with the mayor has been completed."

"That'd be nice, but it's simpler if Hank and I handle the cases ourselves."

Madison began to make uncomfortable noises as she awoke from her light nap and had promptly soiled her diaper. With Hank taking the lead he carried his granddaughter up the staircase to get her cleaned up and soothed. "Alright, Maddy. Let Papa get you nice and clean, and then you can go back to your nap."

Chloe smiled as Hank tended to Madison as if she were his very own. "Hank is an excellent grandfather. I want to do something nice for him, Lucas."

"Well, we could finish that little project back at the house and give it to him now as an early birthday gift."

"No, that's something very special. Save it for then."

Evelyn had her own idea and decided to coax Chloe into joining her. "Then why don't we head out and get something special for Hank to thank him for all his love and support he's given us?"

"Do you have a gift in mind?"

"I do. Care to join me?"

"Oh, of course. But Maddy..." Thinking about her daughter being so small and out in the big city was somehow frightening. "I'm not ready to take her out to the plaza."

Connor spoke up quickly as he laid back on the floor and let Henry sprawl out over his tummy atop his chest to cuddle. "Don't worry about it. You and Evelyn go out and get something nice for Hank. Lucas and I will stay here with the babies and try to keep Hank distracted while you're shopping."

"You're sure?"

"Of course. Maddy's my niece and I promised I'd look after her whenever you need me to." Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back Connor urged Chloe to take Evelyn up on her offer and leave for the house for a while without Madison, and to do something nice for Hank. "It'll be okay for an hour or two."

Lucas agreed with his big brother and extended his right hand toward Chloe to take. "He's right. Go with Evelyn and see the city again. I'll be here with Maddy the whole time, and I'll stay in cybernetic contact with you. Okay?"

Squeezing Lucas's hand Chloe smile and finally agreed to leave the house. "Okay, Lucas." Turning to look at Evelyn beside her Chloe accepted the offer. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'll show you." Standing up from the floor Evelyn slipped on her shoes by the front door, picked up her car keys and then grabbed her purse off of the same bookshelf. "I'll drive and you watch the master."

Returning down the staircase Hank overhead the last bit of the conversation and inquired about what was going on. "Master of what?"

"Finding the best take-out places in town." Covering her true errand expertly Evelyn gave Hank a smug smile. "I guarantee I can find one hidden gem that you and Connor haven't dined at during your shifts."

"Yeah?" Willing to take up the challenge Hank carried Madison over to the recliner and sat down to let his granddaughter snuggle in against his chest. "Wanna' make a wager?"

"On the color of the Corvette?"

"Now don't you start that." Playfully scolding Evelyn as he sat down to relax he brushed it off and came up with an alternative. "How about loser has to wash the dishes for a week?"

"Alright, deal."

"_Without_ using the dishwasher."

Pausing for a moment Evelyn sighed and agreed to the wager. "Alright, fine." Turning her attention back to Chloe as the new mom rose from the couch Evelyn motioned to the door. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Then let's go find our adventure..."

As the two women left the house to set about their enigmatic errand Hank sighed, looked down at Madison's face and gave her a somber look. "Wish I could hold you and work on the car at the same time, Maddy. But Papa needs his hands right now."

Lucas took back his daughter from Hank's arms and held her against his chest to keep her loved and supported. "I'm sure Maddy understands."

"I hope so." Rising from the recliner Hank looked at his sons and his grandchildren and just smirked. "When I finish changing the Corvette's oil and swapping out the brake pads I'll come back in here and spend some quality time with the kiddos."

Connor arched his brow as he gave Hank a coy stare. "Do you mean us or them?"

"Smartass."

Watching Hank pass through the livingroom Connor sat upright and put Henry on his lap while Lucas adjusted Madison so she could sit on his lap and see the rest of the house as he put his right hand over her chest to help her sit up and balance. The two brothers were enjoying their relatively private time with their kids, and wanted to make sure to enjoy the moment for as long as possible.

"Has Chloe left the house since the baby was born?"

"Only we come over here." Lucas admitted as he carefully laid down on his back on the floor and let Madison lay over his chest the same was Henry was doing with Connor. "She wasn't very sociable before she had the baby, and I think her new emotions when it comes to motherhood is keeping her from leaving the house at all. Even Kamski hasn't been able to coax her out of the house yet."

"That's what I figured. Evelyn didn't really leave the house either, and I know she's getting a little stir crazy since she's going to wait for Henry to start walking before she goes back to work at a precinct." Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back Connor smirked as his son smiled up at him around his pacifier and made small noises. "I think Evelyn is worried if she admits she wants some alone time after being cooped up in the house for almost six straight months it means she'll be seen as a bad mother."

"That's not true. Both you and Evelyn clearly love Henry and are going out of your way to keep him happy." Lightly rubbing his left hand along Madison's back Lucas was subconsciously mimicking Connor's motions as he quickly adapted to fatherhood and learned how to gently handle his newborn daughter with the same care and touch he had observed when Henry had been born. "Evelyn wanting to do something for herself is her being human, not selfish or neglectful."

"We know that, but there's still some people in society who try to shame for women for wanting to be themselves, and be someone beyond just a mother or a wife. I've noticed it first hand a few times while dealing with cases where deviants who were taking care of a family had been assaulted."

"How so?"

"The neighbors and extended family members who give witness statements would more often than not try to blame the mother of the children for hiring an android nanny to help her take care of the children to begin with, essentially stating that the mother needs to somehow give one-hundred percent of her time and attention to her children, and that it's the mother's fault that the android who had been assaulted was assaulted at all because they were hired to work in the neighborhood."

"...They're shaming a mother for asking for help in raising her children?"

"Yes. Hank and I have encountered many judgmental people like that, and I've had to step aside while Hank 'educates' them on their closed minded and very outdated means of thinking."

"And how does he do that?"

"Hank reminds these people that it takes two people to create a child and that if the father isn't going to be there to help the mother, and if the nosy people can't be bothered to, and I'm quoting Hank here: 'Get off your fat judgmental ass and actually help someone out', that they have no right to make such comments about the way the mother was choosing to keep her children safe, clothed, fed and happy."

The idea of Hank yelling in some nosy person's face made Lucas grin. "I'd like to witness Hank yelling at a rude person like that some time."

"It is interesting to watch the other person visibly shrink down when Hank tells them to mind their own business in the most effective way possible."

As Madison slowly became restless Lucas turned his attention back to his daughter's small noises and continued to rub her back. "I think Maddy is getting hungry."

"Are you chronicling her sounds in an attempt to establish a form of communication with her?"

"Yes. That particular sound always seems to indicate hunger or thirst."

"Henry just gets fussy and tries to grab onto anything to bring toward his mouth when he's hungry." Sitting upright slowly on the floor Connor held Henry on his lap and motioned toward the kitchen a few feet away. "We should get them fed so they aren't fussy when Evelyn and Chloe return."

"Good idea." Sitting upright slowly as well Lucas cradled Madison in his arms and reached for the diaper bag left sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. Wrapping Madison up in her lavender purple blanket Lucas kept her swaddled and warm, then selected one of her clean bottles from the bag to make her some formula. "Think Henry would mind if Maddy borrowed some formula?"

"Not at all, we got plenty since Henry's going through a growth spurt right now and seems to be hungry twice as often these days."

"Thank you, brother."

Walking side by side the two proud fathers carried their babies into the kitchen and prepared to get some dinner. After securing Henry to his highchair Connor took Madison away from Lucas so Lucas could prepare her formula, and Connor couldn't stop himself from grinning at the tiny baby as she made sounds and looked up at him with a curious gleam in her beautiful green eyes.

"Maddy seems to be comfortable around everyone." Lucas remarked as he took Madison back from Connor and sat down at the kitchen table to offer her the freshly prepared bottle. "I wonder if she'll be as warm to people as Henry has been?"

"If she is that'll make it much easier for her to adapt to preschool when the time comes." Finding Henry a fresh vegetable puree within the refrigerator Connor sat down in front of his son and placed a clean soft bib around Henry's neck before warming the meal in the microwave for a few minutes. "Evelyn and I were a little worried that Henry might've inherited my introverted nature, but it seems he's adopted more of Evelyn's personality instead."

"Are personalities completely genetic?"

"Only to some degree." The puree finished warming and Connor sat back down in front of Henry as he stirred the warmed meal and began to offer it to his young son to try to get him to eat the new flavor of veggies. "Children typically develop a personality based on their experiences with the people in their lives, but it's also been shown that some children will become the polar opposite of their parents despite influences and experiences. It's fascinating to contemplate."

"Interesting..." Cradling Madison gently Lucas watched as his daughter latched onto the bottle and quickly took to the provided formula. "While I was residing with Kamski due to the virus in my programming he had made a remark regarding how our own personalities were different from one another despite our common models and us being brothers. It seems personalities aren't predictable for either humans or androids."

"That is interesting."

While Madison contentedly took to the bottle Henry was being slightly more picky and didn't want to try to the new flavor of food that Connor had prepared for him. Thinking of all the tips and tricks that Hank taught him about dealing with fussy babies Connor smeared a small amount of the puree over Henry's lips which caused the baby to reflexively taste the offered meal. The pickiness seemed to fade as Henry decided that the new puree wasn't terrible and that he actually wanted to try some more.

"I'm glad Hank told me to do that." Connor laughed as Henry happily accepted more of the puree being offered. "Henry seems to prefer fruit over vegetables, but he needs to keep both balanced out to have a healthy diet."

"I'll be sure to remember that when Maddy is big enough to consume baby food."

"Once Henry's teeth start coming in we'll move to more solid food, but until then..." Noting the small white nubs that were beginning to show in Henry's mouth Connor grinned and continued to offer him the puree. "We'll just stick to this."

"Is the teething causing problems?"

"Mild fevers and chronic fussiness. Evelyn's been dealing with by giving Henry chilled teething rings and chilled fruit purees."

"I'll also keep that noted for when Maddy begins to teeth as well."

The laundry room door opened up as Hank returned from the garage and passed through the connected room to get back to the kitchen. Staring at the four members of his family all sitting together and having dinner made Hank grin with paternal pride. "Well, everyone looks like they're enjoying the quiet evening."

"Care to join us?"

"After I take a quick shower, son. I don't want to upset the babies with the smell of oil and grease."

"Of course."

As the senior detective, father and now grandfather walked down the hallway to get cleaned up in the bathroom Connor lowered his voice as he spoke to Lucas in a discreet manner. "Can I ask what your 'special surprise' is for Hank's birthday?"

"I have been painting a family portrait since the night we brought Maddy home. I wanted to give him something that shows how much his family cares about him and respects him."

"That's a fantastic idea, brother. I know Hank will truly love it when he sees it in a few months."

* * *

After dinner Connor and Lucas returned to the livingroom and resumed laying on the floor with Henry and Madison laying between them for their naps. The two babies were laying side by side under Madison's purple blanket while laying on their backs, and were plenty comfortable with their dad's laying beside them on the floor to keep close by. Tucking his left arm beneath his head Connor sighed and closed his eyes as his exhausting day at the precinct began to catch up to him, and Lucas was attempting to get in the habit of entering light stasis mode throughout the day as he wanted to conserve his energy to ensure that Madison and Chloe could always rely on him if he was needed without him being fatigued.

As the four sleepy people rested on the floor Ruby joined them and laid down near the babies' feet as she wagged her tail slowly and continued to keep watch over the tiny humans. Loyal to the end Ruby was going to protect Madison just as she would Henry.

Stepping out of the bathroom Hank crept down the hallway and peered into the kitchen, finding it now empty, then looked at the livingroom floor where his sons and grandchildren were all laying down together. Discreetly fishing his phone from his jean pocket Hank snapped a photo of his family and smirked at the peaceful image as a sense of success as a parent fell over him.

"Yeah, you two are definitely top-notch dads." The sight of seeing his sons as sleepy as his grandkids truly amused Hank as he quietly sat down in the recliner to be near his family. "Never doubt yourself boys, you're both fantastic fathers."

Not longer after the front door quietly opened as Evelyn and Chloe returned home with their purchases in hand. There was a special shopping bag in Chloe's left hand, while her right hand carried one of the three large take-out bags of food that she and Evelyn had also purchased while out running their errands. Evelyn had the other bags in her hand and was flashing Hank a very smug look as she glanced about the livingroom where she saw her husband laying on the floor with their son, his brother and their niece.

"Good timing." Hank whispered as he stood up to help carry the bags into the kitchen. "So... What did you find?"

"Well, it took me a minute but I think I found the best Mexican restaurant in the entire city."

"Is it a little family owned place on the other side of town?"

Evelyn gave a playfully pouty look as she and Chloe put the bags down on the kitchen table. "Damn. You know the place."

"Yup. I've been meaning to head out there with Connor during one of our shifts, but we just never had the time."

"Well, this wasn't a total loss for me after all." Peering back into the livingroom Evelyn smiled at the family cuddled up on the floor and was a little envious of the peaceful sight. "How long have they been asleep?"

"Not long. Connor and Lucas already fed the kids, so now it's their turn to get some food."

"Why don't you go sit down, Hank?" Evelyn began sorting through the bags and setting out the take-out containers neatly. "You're tired, too."

"I think I can handle take-out."

"Yeah, but you're tired and I'm wired." She quipped as Chloe discreetly pulled Hank's gift from the other bag and hid it on the bookshelf in the livingroom away from the senior detective's line of sight. "Let me do this and when Connor and Lucas wake up we'll have dinner."

"Alright, sure. Don't want to leave them out of this amazing dinner. Trust me," pointing at the take-out bag Hank gave Evelyn a knowing look. "this is best the Mexican food in the entire _state_."

As Hank finally returned to the livingroom Evelyn whispered to Chloe and continued to busy herself with the take-out bags. "Did you put it somewhere safe?"

"Yes. We'll present it to Hank after dinner."

"Perfect! I know he'll love it!"

* * *

Feeling someone staring at him as he slept Connor slowly opened his soulful brown eyes and was greeted with Evelyn hovering just centimeters above his face, and the unexpected sight made him jump a little. Letting out an adrenaline induced sigh Connor gave her an amused grin as Evelyn tried to not laugh out loud, and instead knelt down on the floor beside her husband.

"...Hi."

Giving Connor a kiss Evelyn gave him a cheery smile. "Hi yourself."

"When'd you get back?"

"About an hour ago." Nodding at Hank who was sitting in the recliner and watching the sight with his own amused smirk Evelyn let Connor know what was going on. "Dinner's ready."

"Oh. Okay."

"Sorry for waking you, but we didn't want it to get cold."

"It's fine. I'm actually feeling hungry right now, so I must actually be starving."

"Then it's a good thing we got plenty for everyone!"

Sitting upright slowly on the floor Connor looked down at Henry still sleeping beneath the blanket beside him and decided to not disturb him by picking him up to put in his swing or his crib upstairs. "Think Henry will be alright sleeping here for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, he's out of it and so's Maddy. We should let them be."

Nodding a little Connor carefully got up from the floor without disturbing his son or niece, and all but fell against Evelyn as she wrapped her arm around his waist affectionately. "How was shopping?"

"Nice and quiet. Going out after six in the evening is without a doubt the best time to go."

"Noted."

As the loving couple reached the kitchen to sit down and enjoy dinner Hank and Chloe awoke Lucas and soon joined everyone else to sit down. Remaining quiet as to not disturb the sleeping babies in the next room the five adults all discussed their day and spoke of their hopeful plans for the kids in the future. The idea of having the two cousins being close in age and having the chance to bond with one another and become friends was ideal, and it gave them all optimism of their already close family becoming even closer.

"I may have lost the wager," Evelyn joked as she finished off her delicious meal. "but it was worth it. This is by far the best taco salad I've ever had."

"Told you." Hank remarked smugly from across the table as he leaned back in his chair. "It's a bit of a drive to get out there, but you'll never regret making that distance. It's a gem of a place but it's not exactly hidden."

Connor gave Evelyn a kiss on her now brunette hair as he picked up the empty plates from the table to carry over to the sink. "Thanks for going out for dinner, Evelyn. That was great."

From beside Lucas at the table Chloe gave Evelyn a subtle glance asking if it was time to give Hank his gift, and Evelyn picked up on it right away. "Want to know what's even better?"

"What's that?"

"The other little thing we picked up while out in the plaza."

Turning to face his wife she motioned to the bookshelf in the livingroom with her eyes and Connor took the hint. "I bet you're right." Returning to the livingroom Connor located the thin white cardboard box sitting on the shelf just out of everyone's sight. Holding the box in his hands Connor could tell by the weight shape what was contained inside, but he didn't say a word. "Hey, dad..."

"Yeah?"

"This is for you."

"...Me?"

As the senior detective rose from his seat Connor passed him the box and motioned to Chloe in the kitchen. "It was Chloe's idea, and we all agreed that you deserved this."

"I... What is it?"

Lucas spoke up as he joined his father and brother in the livingroom while Evelyn and Chloe followed after him. "You should open it up and see."

"...Alright. Sure." Noticing that he suddenly had an audience Hank slowly and carefully opened up the box and peered at the contents inside. What was awaiting him almost stole his breath. "...I... I don't know what to say."

Within the box was a dozen photographs of Hank spending time with Connor, Lucas, Evelyn, Chloe, Henry and even Madison over the past few months. The image of Hank proudly holding his two grandchildren as they slept in his arms was at the top of the stack, and the images of him working on the Corvette with Connor and Lucas, of him cooking in the kitchen with Evelyn, and of him giving Chloe a hug after she had the baby were all enough to make his blue eyes tear up. The final photograph was framed and it showed all four of his kids holding his two grandchildren as they sat together on the back deck of the house with bright smiles on their face. In the bottom corner of the photograph was the label: "The Anderson Family" in gilded cursive.

"...Thank you." Trying to not let his emotions break him apart Hank just let his kids all hug him in turn as he realized that despite all his faults and all of his past mistakes that he had made along the way he was still worthy of love, trust and a family. "...I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this."

"You don't have to say anything, dad." Backing away from his father Connor turned his attention to his son and niece just in time to see Henry awaken from his nap and awkwardly roll from his back and onto his tummy. The idea of watching Henry grow-up with Hank right there to help guide him into adulthood made Connor proud to be an Anderson. "We know you love us."

"You got that right..." Fighting to keep his voice even Hank sighed and proudly displayed the family photograph on the bookshelf for everyone to see. "Who knew I'd end up so damn lucky?"

"Not a clue."

Evelyn tagged on playfully as she too hugged Hank. "Are you losing your touch 'Mr. Detective'?"

"Not a chance, 'Mrs. Detective'." Stepping a little closer to Henry to see if Madison was still asleep Connor just smirked and tried to come up with a witty response. "I was just merely-" Stopping short Connor suddenly crouched down and held out his hands toward Henry. "Evelyn, look!"

Following Connor's line of sight Evelyn's blue eyes widened as she watched Henry beginning to crawl and make his way over to Connor. "Henry's crawling!"

The proud baby boy made his way from the blanket and toward Connor at a slow but accurate pace. Just as he reached his daddy's hands Henry let out a small sound and happily snuggled into Connor's grip as he was scooped up from the floor.

"He did it!"

Putting his hand to the back of Henry's hair Hank gave his grandson a kind smile. "Henry's fast learner, just like his dad."

Chloe cooed at Henry for a moment before she went over and gingerly picked Madison up from the soft blankets to ensure she was still warm and comfortable now that her cousin was awake and crawling about. "I can't wait until Maddy starts crawling, too!"

"You're growing up so fast already..." Connor sighed as he held his son against his chest and shoulder. "...I kind of wish you'd slow down."

"Every parent does, son." Watching as Connor and Evelyn praised Henry for crawling, and watching as Henry smiled happily upon receiving all of his positive reinforcement Hank felt just as proud as his parents. "Treasure these moments for as long as you can. Once it's over you'll miss the sleepless nights, diaper changes and even the temper tantrums."

"Believe me, dad." Hugging Henry to his chest Connor turned to face his father and watched as Lucas and Chloe beamed at Madison even as she slept peacefully in her mother's arms. "These are the moments I'll never forget."

* * *

The day came to an end and Connor climbed into bed alongside Evelyn after putting Henry down for the night. Since Henry began sleeping well through the entire night he and Evelyn stopped sleeping in shifts in Henry's room and resumed sharing the same bed on a nightly basis. Laying down on his back Connor let out a sigh and wrapped his left arm around Evelyn as she cuddled up against his left side and pressed her ear down atop his chest to listen to his heart beating with its steady rhythm.

"That was a good idea." Connor admitted as he closed his eyes and slumped against his pillow heavily. "We need to be sure to keep plenty of photographs around, and record every detail of Henry's life."

"I can't believe our baby is already crawling... I could've sworn it was just yesterday he was kicking in my belly."

"And you telling me you were pregnant feels like it was just this morning."

"Time really is fleeting, isn't it?"

"Without a doubt."

Lightly Evelyn traced her left fingertip along the practically invisible scar running down Connor's chest and sighed as well. "...Do you miss being an android?"

"Huh?"

"Being human is so limiting and brief." She lamented as she cuddled in closer to Connor so he could hold her tighter. "When you were an android you could run without getting tired, goes weeks without needing to do eat or drink anything to restore your energy, you could spend days awake and working on cases without needing to rest... You could even take a bullet and keep moving."

"Being an android had its perks, I'll admit it."

"I know about your time as an android before the Revolution and how you helped Jericho get to safety. I don't think I could ever readily run into the line of fire to protect anyone the way you did, or risk my life to infiltrate a tower to free thousands of innocent people."

"Well, when I was an android I didn't have a family or even friends to live for. The success of the Revolution and the downfall of CyberLife were things that were worth dying for. Now that I have you, Henry, Hank, Lucas, Chloe and Maddy in my life I have a reason to keep living. If I stayed an android..." The idea of losing out on everything he had now made Connor's heart ache a little. "I wouldn't have you, our son and I have no idea what could've happened to Hank and Lucas."

"Do you think their lives would've been that much different?"

"Every decision I made leading up to my return to humanity had unintentionally impacted their lives as well. Hank felt alone again and was ready to slip into bad habits. Depression threatened to take Hank's life long before I met him, and I know he had trouble after he found himself alone again."

"Didn't he have Lucas to check in on him while you were rediscovering yourself?"

"At the time Lucas wasn't as comfortable around Hank as if he right now. He may have stayed at New Jericho and stayed a technician despite feeling unfulfilled. Hell, if I had stayed an android my heart wouldn't have begun to fail and Lucas wouldn't have made that special biocomponent to save my life. Without the biocomponent Lucas had no reason to stay at Kamski's residence for so long and he wouldn't have fallen in love with Chloe." Sighing deeply Connor steadied himself as much as possible as he thought about everything that he and his family had endured since he unexpected return to humanity. "Hell, it's entirely possible that when Perkins attempted to kill Lucas after mistaking him for me he could've succeeded."

"Lucas is okay." Evelyn could feel Connor getting emotionally worked up and wanted to help him feel better again. "He's alive, he has Chloe in his life and how he gets to be a father, too. Lucas is just fine, so don't worry about him."

"He's my brother, I'm going to worry."

"Well, stop it." Giving him a playful glare Evelyn kissed his cheek and tried to settle back down to sleep. "Remember what Hank said about you needing to stop obsessing over things?"

"I remember. Believe me, I remember almost _everything_."

"Hopefully you remember more good than bad when it comes to your life."

"Yeah, I have a lot of good memories to fall back on. I will always treasure the day I spent with my mother and finally worked up the nerve to call her 'mom'. The Christmas where Hank had given me Ruby as a gift was a great day, too. Meeting you and you telling me about Henry being on the way... Those are the best!"

"Yet you're still so tense. I can feel it."

"I'm sorry. I can't stop thinking about the upcoming conference between the mayor and Markus. It's just... I can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it. In a way it feels like I'm... facing a ticking clock."

Lifting up her head Evelyn gave Connor a confused glance. "A ticking clock? Like... You're running out of time?"

"It sounds crazy, I know."

"No, it doesn't." Laying her head back down Evelyn sighed and continued to listen to Connor's heartbeat. "It sounds like you're aware of how precious time is, and how it doesn't wait for anyone."

"Being an android right about now would come in handy. I could just turn off my chronometer and enter rest mode so I could forget about this feeling for a while. Then again, it'd still be there when I awoke and I wouldn't have you by my side."

"You're such a romantic sometimes."

"I'm just being honest. That's something that CyberLife frowned upon but humanity treasures."

"Honesty?"

"Genuine emotions and empathy. I used to be so cold, calculating and mission driven, and now I can't stop thinking about all the important people in my life and how I'd do anything to keep them safe." Noting how much he had to live for and how much he could've missed out on if he had remained a deviant android made Connor truly appreciate the second life he had been given. "Maybe my return to humanity was the best thing for everyone after all."

"Regardless of your life as an android and everything that led you back to your humanity I will always love you, and know you as my best friend and husband who gave me a reason to let go of my painful past and move onto a brighter future."

"Yeah..." Giving Evelyn a kiss Connor finally felt enough at ease to try to sleep. Holding her against his side as he dozed gave Connor a much needed sense of grounding and peace. "Our future is together with our son. Nothing will change that."

"I love you so much, Connor."

"And I love you, Evelyn." Doing his best to relax Connor tried to remain upbeat as he laid with his wife and imagined their future together. "I love you and Henry with all of my heart."

_**-next chapter-**_


	104. The End is Just the Beginning

That horrible sense of dread that always seemed to hold true whenever the young detective endured a horrible case or event in general hung heavily in the air, and weighed just as heavily in his heart. Unable to sleep and unable to stop thinking Connor stood in front of Henry's bedroom window as he held his sleeping son in his arms and gently swayed from side to side on his feet to gently rock Henry in a comforting manner. Staring out the window at the sight of the rising sun in the distance Connor let out a weary sigh as he rubbed his left hand along Henry's back and whispered to him in a comforting manner with a father's love evident in his every word.

"I love you, Henry. You know that, right?" Never breaking his rhythmic swaying Connor spoke to his son and continued to watch the sunrise on the other side of the city. "Daddy will always love you, and will always be there to protect you. I won't ever hurt you, lie to you or disappoint you. I promise."

"Connor?" Evelyn called out softly to her husband from the doorway as she pulled her purple robe up and over her arms. "What're you doing?"

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't wake me, I just didn't sleep well when I didn't feel you laying next to me." Walking up to the window Evelyn wrapped her arms around Connor's waist to hold in a light hug at his side. "What's wrong?"

"...I couldn't sleep."

"Again? Is something bothering you?"

"...Yeah." The admission was a weak sigh as he continued to hold Henry and give his son a kiss on top of his forehead as Henry continued to sleep. "I just have a really bad feeling about today."

"Still about the press conference?"

"Yeah. I can't explain it but... It feels like today is going to end horribly."

"You've had this horrible feeling for weeks, you should just stay here."

"I can't do that to Markus. He trusts me to watch his back, and he and North have twins on the way." Knowing that his friends were relying on him seemed to be an unbreakable reason to leave the house despite wanting to stay home. "I can't leave him unprotected."

"Can't you ask someone else to fill in for you?"

"No one else at the precinct is trusted by New Jericho, and I won't ask anyone to take my place when I feel like there's disaster on the horizon."

"What if you can talk Markus into rescheduling the conference?"

"...That won't work." He lamented in a mournful tone as if he somehow knew how events were going to unfold in the end. "It's not the date that has me on edge, it's the events of the day. No matter when or where they'd take place the horrible feeling would still be there."

"Connor, please. You're beginning to frighten me."

"I'm sorry, Evelyn." Turning so he could face her Connor gave her a tight hug and kissed her softly. "I don't want you to be afraid. I love you so much."

"And I love you. If you're this worried then stay home."

"I won't abandon Markus like that. I have to go. I don't want to leave you and Henry today, but I have to. I promised Markus that I would be there to watch his back and keep him safe. I can't break my word."

Sighing with defeat Evelyn closed her eyes and bowed her forehead against the center of his chest. "I understand. Be safe, Connor. Promise me that you won't leave the precinct without your Kevlar, your service weapon or go anywhere without back-up. I want you to come home to me and our son."

"I promise I will find my way back home to you, Evelyn. No matter what it takes I will come home and be here for you and our son for the remainder of time."

"I believe you. You always keep your promises."

"Always."

* * *

Preparing for the press conference at his home Markus wore the same beige attire he had worn on the night of the Revolution and was staring at the massive unfinished blue painting that Carl had been working on before Markus leading the Revolution was even a dream. As he stood before the large painting in the untouched studio with his hands folded neatly behind his back, and his mismatched eyes transfixed on the enigmatic image, Markus seemed utterly confident and ready to address the city and share the plans to expand android sanctuaries.

"Markus?" North walked into the gallery with her right hand pressed to the modest swell of her lower belly as she cradled her growing twins. She stood beside him and held onto his right hand with her left as she sought her husband's presence. "Do you really think this conference will work?"

"Yeah, I really do." Turning his eyes from the painting and toward North's already showing bump Markus smiled and took her other hand in his as he leaned his forehead down to touch hers. "We will succeed, and we will have a better future. Not just for us, but for our children."

"Humans being raised by androids... Think anyone is going to protest that?"

"Even if they do it's no one else's business but our own. We're going to raise and love our children, and show them that humans and androids can coexist peacefully with one another. No more hatred, no more discrimination, no more segregation. We'll all be together as a family and nothing can take that away."

"Maybe after today we can finally hold our heads up high and smile without having to fight for that right anymore."

"If we receive the support we've earned and we deserve then I know we will." Lightly he pressed his palms over North's one month pregnant belly and gave his bondmate a confident smile. "After today our children won't have to know the fight we've endured for the future of our people, and our people's next generation. Today everything changes."

* * *

With his heart beating heavily in his chest Connor reluctantly slipped into his usual work uniform and made sure he was wearing his Kevlar vest under his white dress shirt and gray suit vest for protection. The strange sense of doubt and fear still hung in the air as he prepared to head out to protect Markus at the press conference, and it was relentless. Despite his doubts and worries he was bound and determined to hold to his promise and be there for his friend when he needed it the most. Straightening his black tie Connor couldn't help but feel as though he was about to pass through history once again, but this time his moment in history wasn't going to get to see the resulting future.

"Evelyn?" Leaving the bedroom Connor walked down the staircase and met his wife and son in the livingroom as she held the six month old baby on her lap. The sight of his family together made his already heavy heart feel like it was being crushed. "...You know how much I love you, right?"

"Connor, I love you, too." Standing up from the couch she quickly walked over to where he was standing by the front and gave him a full hug with Henry being held right in the middle. "Please don't sound like that. You will come home to me, you already promised that you would."

"...I know. I just wanted to say it again. I love you."

"I love you. Henry loves you. We all love you!"

"Evelyn, I promise that I'll find my way back to you today," wrapping his arms around his wife and son Connor refused to let his worried tears fall from his eyes and masked his fear behind a false stoicism. "no matter what happens."

Burying her face against his right shoulder Evelyn felt like she was saying goodbye to Connor for the final time. "...Please be safe."

"Don't watch the press conference on the television today. I don't... I just have a feeling... And I can't explain it."

"Okay, Connor." Restraining her own tears Evelyn swore to not watch the conference as requested. "I won't watch."

"I love you." He repeated yet again as he kissed head and rubbed his right hand along Henry's back. "I really do."

Hank, who had been listening from the kitchen walked into the livingroom and could see the strange fear, if not defeat in his son's eyes. Not wanting to press the already delicate matter further Hank just waited for Connor to let go of the hug so they could go to the precinct and attend the conference as assigned.

With a clearly hesitant motion Connor let go of the embrace and gave Evelyn another kiss on her lips before he gave a kiss to Henry on his cheek. "I love you both so much."

"We love you, Connor. Don't ever forget that."

"It's time. ...I have to go." Putting his left palm gently to her right cheek Connor looked into Evelyn's dark blue eyes and tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I know I'll find my way back to you today. I promise you this. I love you, Evelyn. I always will."

"We'll be waiting for you, Connor. Come home to us."

* * *

Along the Detroit River just outside Hart Plaza a massive stage and podium had been set up for Markus to use as he gave his speech to the city. The surrounding buildings of the plaza had been manned with numerous police officers watching from the windows to ensure no rogue shooters or bigots attempted to elicit any riots. Despite the increased security Connor couldn't shake the feeling of impending disaster, and he was hesitant to leave the vehicle to meet up with Markus at the stage.

That horrible feeling was palpable and undeniable.

"Son?" Hank put his right hand to Connor's left shoulder as he tried to understand what was happening inside Connor's head. "What's on your mind? You haven't been yourself all morning."

"...You once told me that your only regret was being unable to locate your friend's baby after she was given up for adoption. You were reunited with her and found a sense of closure." His words were as heavy as his heart. "Was that really your only regret?"

"To be honest, no." Sensing Connor's need for something to hold onto and wisdom to let on Hank answered honestly as he stayed beside his son. "That was the only regret I knew I still had the chance to remedy, which is why I fixated on it."

"...Can I ask what your other regret is?"

Pausing for a moment Hank took in a deep breath before he replied with a dour tone. "...Not having the chance to say 'goodbye' to Cole."

"Say 'goodbye'?"

"When..." He paused for a moment longer as he forced himself to speak about his painful past again. The months of therapy he had undergone had helped him immensely in letting his pain and anger go, but it was still difficult to talk about. "When I was told that Cole's condition was grave and that he'd need to wait for his surgery I was asked if I wanted to say 'goodbye' to him. I went into his room, and I held his hand, but I didn't say a damn word. I was too scared to say anything to him until after... After he passed."

"...What would you have said to him?"

"Connor, I don't... That's such a strange question to ask. What's going on?"

"Please, dad." The plea sounded so distant and broken as his passed Connor's lips. "I have to know. What's something you wished you could've said to your son before he died?"

There was a thick hesitation before Hank's voice returned and he finally gave Connor an answer. "...I would've told Cole how much I loved him, how proud I was to have him as my son, and how I would find him again on the other side when my time comes. I would've mustered up the courage to hold him in my arms to hug him as he laid dying instead of just holding his hand and running my fingers through his hair." Hank used his left thumb to wipe away a rogue tear from his eye as he spoke. "I would've told him how I wished it was me who had been hurt, and not him. Cole would've been orphaned but he would've been alive. That's all I wanted; I wanted my son to live."

"That's all I want, too. I want my family to live and to be happy even if I can't be there for them at every second of their lives."

"Connor, where's all this coming from?"

"...I don't know. It's just a horrible feeling I have." Reaching his right hand up toward his left shoulder Connor grabbed onto Hank's hand and gave him an eerily stoic glance. "Dad, you know that I love you, too, right?"

"Son, you're beginning to scare me."

"...You know that, right?"

"Yes, son. I know you do." Trying to be a rock to lean against Hank reciprocated the father and son bond they shared. "I love you, too."

"And Lucas. Chloe. Maddy... I love them all."

"Connor, you're creeping me out. What is going on?"

There was a loud shrill noise as a speaker being set up by the stage sounded off with a lingering echo throughout Hart Plaza.

Connor glanced at the stage and sighed despondently as he spotted Markus standing nearby. "...Progress. Is what's going on." Pulling open the car door by the handle Connor gave Hank one final glance before he suddenly reached his arms out to hug him firmly. "I love you, dad."

Hank instinctively reciprocated the hug and held onto Connor in a tight embrace. "...I love you, too, son."

"...I'll see you later. I'll have my radio on." Leaning back Connor unfastened his seatbelt and finally stepped out of the opened door to set foot on the street. With a deep sigh Connor walked over to where the stage was being set up and watched discreetly over his shoulder as Hank pulled the car away from where it had been parked, the senior detective watching over Connor with every step he took. "I just wish I knew when 'later' truly is."

* * *

Feeling like he just sent his son to the gallows Hank begrudgingly returned to the precinct and sought his current assignment from Captain Fowler himself. In doing so the usually stoic detective's now somber demeanor was quickly noticed by the commanding officer as soon as he saw Hank's face. Taking the seasoned and normally gruff Lieutenant aside Captain Fowler addressed him in private, and asked him what was wrong as his friend and not as his commanding officer.

"I can't explain it, Jeffrey." Sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of Captain Fowler's desk Hank just crossed his arms over his chest and let out a weary sigh. Why he hadn't felt the same uneasy feeling that Connor had seemingly felt for the past few days despite his own intuition as a seasoned detective told Hank that there was something to the palpable dread. "If I didn't know any better I'd swear Connor was marching to his death."

"Whoa, what?" The massive red flag that Hank just waved would've sent a bull over the edge in Captain Fowler's eyes. "Where'd that come from?"

"From Connor. He's been dragging his feet all morning, saying goodbye to his loved ones and making sure his family all know that he loves them and cares about them. You'd think he was about to go off to war."

"Want me to pull him from his assignment?"

"He won't let you do that." Sighing deeply Hank appreciated but refuted the offer. "Connor's too determined to watch Markus's back to let you do that."

"Hank," leaning forward against his desk Captain Fowler eyed Hank's every facial expression and his overall body language very carefully. "you should trust your gut on this one. What do you think is the right course of action?"

"...I want to pull Connor back, but that's not my call to make." Making the only decision he could in that moment Hank stood up slowly from the chair and made his way toward the door of the private office to leave. "All I can do is watch his back while he's watching over Markus."

"You won't be the only one, Hank. We protect our own and we'll be there, too."

"Speaking of protection..." The sight of the mayor, his assistant and a group of reporters walking through the bullpen made Hank want to puke. "The city's biggest pain in the ass has decided to grace us with his presence."

"Alright, I'll deal with him. You go out to the plaza and keep an eye on Connor and Markus."

* * *

The warm morning turned into a bright, sunny summer afternoon, and a mass of people were ready to gather at Hart Plaza to witness the scheduled conference announcing the collaboration between City Hall and New Jericho. By combining the resources, the offices and connections throughout the city the prosperity that had been shown toward androids in the three and half years since the night of the Revolution would return to the city as a whole. With that union freed deviants would return to work as electricians, construction crews, waste management and twenty-four hour care providers; but now they would be paid for services rendered rather than used like disposable tools any longer.

Trying to hold his head up high with a false confidence Connor stood beside Markus as the deviant leader met him before the stage and thanked him for taking on the mission to protect him from a possible attack. Having his own Kevlar vest beneath his beige shirt Markus seemed entirely fearless while Connor himself was obviously worried about the conference, and it hadn't even began.

"Do you think anyone will try anything?" Markus asked in a low tone as he and Connor stood together. The cool breeze from over the water gave the plaza a comfortable air despite the otherwise warm summer day and caused Connor's rogue lock of hair to gently dance about over his left eye. "I know that anything involving the mayor and a public setting is going to be high risk, but this is a peaceful conference."

"Unfortunately, yes."

The revelation made Markus visibly tense. "...That's unsettling."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't. And I wouldn't have asked if I hadn't expect that as a possible answer."

"In the event something happens you are to run to the hotel across the street." Nodding discreetly toward the building just a few hundred feet away Connor made sure Markus knew what to do and where to go. "The first two floors have been cleared and designated safe rooms for only you and other officers to use in the event of an emergency."

"That's good to know." Giving the hotel a subtle glance over his right shoulder Markus returned his attention to his friend. "I hope we won't need to use it."

"I'll be right behind you and watching your back the whole time, Markus. I promise you'll leave this plaza and return to North, and your unborn twins."

"Connor, are you alright?" Picking up on Connor's grim mood Markus was just as worried for his mindset as his wife and father had been. "You seem... I don't know. Broken."

"...I wish I could explain what I'm feeling and why I'm feeling it, but I can't. Just know I won't let anything happen to you today." Feigning confidence Connor tried to reassure his friend that he wouldn't let him down. "You have my word as your friend and your ally."

"You're also my brother." Putting his right hand to Connor's left bicep Markus just held his palm there for a moment. "Don't ever forget that."

"...Yeah, I know." Putting his right hand over Markus's hand Connor moved it from his bicep so he could give Markus a firm handshake. "You're my friend, and I love you like a brother."

"Same for me, Connor. You're my family."

A group of people began to gather and the media was quickly converging on the plaza. As the group grew in size and gathered more attention Markus and Connor decided to head up to the stage to begin the conference.

"It's time, Connor. Let's do this."

"...Yeah." Discreetly Connor pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the wallpaper of Evelyn and Henry, and felt his heart ache at the thought of never seeing them again. "It's time."

Keeping close to Markus on the stage at all times Connor glanced over the area and remained as vigil as possible. Identifying the faces of the officers blending into the growing crowd of people before the stage Connor noted their locations and determined that the area was properly secured from within the conference area. Glancing up at the windows of the tall buildings overlooking the plaza Connor could see the other officers scanning over the crowd with long range sniper rifles in the event of an absolute emergency, but the added security wasn't enough to placate his righteous concerns.

"Hank." Connor pressed his right fingertips to the earpiece connected to the radio in his right ear as he made contact with the senior detective, as well as his father, and continued to stand before the growing crowd warily. "Markus is on the stage and we are waiting for the conference to begin. He's also wearing a protective Kevlar vest, and has been informed of the security of the hotel."

'_Good work, son_.' Hank sounded calm and confident over the line, but in person he was visible wary of the event about to take place. '_Just hold your ground and don't let Markus out of your sight for any reason_. _Where are the other leaders of the tower_?'

"North has chosen to remain at the mansion due to her condition. Simon and Josh are out of the city at the moment, and aren't in any danger."

'_See anyone in the crowd that raises a red flag_?'

"Negative. I don't see anyone of interest at the moment."

'_Alright, good start_. _ Let's hope it all ends peacefully_.'

"Where is the mayor at the moment?"

'_On his way right now_. _The royal kiss-ass wanted to get some candid shots of himself chatting with us "boys in blue" at the precinct_.'

"Who had the misfortune of talking to the mayor?"

'_Captain Fowler and Gavin _. _I'll give you one guess as to why_.'

"The mayor seems fixated on the idea of an android and human police officer working together as a team. It's not exactly revolutionary anymore, and now it's a hollowed out moment in history. It makes sense they'd want to interview the detectives were so previously adamant against androids now supporting them. The fact that Captain Fowler went out of his way to deny them that opportunity confirms that he's aware of the mayor's ulterior motives as well."

'_Yup_. _Too bad his little charade is so damn transparent, huh, kid_?'

"Hank," Connor caught sight of the mayor's escort arriving along the block in a secured vehicle. "the mayor has just arrived. The conference will begin soon."

'_Alright, no problem_. _I'll be out and patrolling the block_. _If you suspect anything amiss let me know right away and I'll get my ass out there to watch your back_.'

"I will remain in contact. Talk to you soon."

Markus put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder causing the young detective to look over at him with a calm stare. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I was merely updating Hank on the situation." He dropped his hand from his ear and nodded with feigned confidence. "The area is secured and patrol is in place, as is the mayor."

"Then let's get this taken care of as quickly and as peacefully as possible. We need to prove that androids are worthy of the rights we've fought for, and that we're not a threat to anyone."

"I agree entirely."

The mayor himself, Walter Nero, approached the stage with his personal security following close behind him. Nero was in his mid forties, a little short and slightly overweight, his light brown hair was thinning, his pale blue eyes were shallow and piercing, and he had a long rat like nose that sat over his phony bleached smile. Connor of course stood his ground beside Markus and refused to back away as he eyed the shallow mayor with a stern glare.

"Markus." Nero politely extended his hand toward the deviant leader to shake. "It's been too long. I'm sorry we hadn't met sooner."

"...Likewise." Returning the handshake Markus was painfully aware of the numerous photographers snapping photo after photo of the seemingly historic handshake taking place. "I appreciate you agreeing to allow us androids having a say at this press conference."

"Of course. We need to build bridges between our people, not put up fences, right?"

"Right."

"And Sergeant Anderson," Nero turned to look at Connor and gave him the same insincere smile that he always flashed to the press. "I was relieved to hear that you returned to the force after your brief respite last year. The city needs you."

"As do my friends." Connor sharply replied as he remained next to Markus and didn't show any sign of backing down. "I trust that this conference will be beneficial to both parties of the city; humans and androids."

"Your trust has not been misplaced, Sergeant. You have my word."

"...That is good to hear." Unseen Connor used his left hand concealed in his suit jacket pocket to mess with his phone and send a text message to Markus in order to keep himself from saying his next comment out loud. '_Unfortunately_, _your word amounts to nothing_.'

'_Easy, Connor_.' Markus replied cybernetically as he gave Nero a reassuring nod and smiled. '_Why do you hate this guy_?'

Glancing at the response text with a quick dart of his eyes he replied quickly. '_I don't trust him_.' Connor admitted as Nero walked away from Markus and began preening for the cameras before he took his place behind the podium. '_There is something unscrupulous about his demeanor that I cannot put my finger on_.'

'_Do you think he's a threat_?'

'_Unknown_.'

"Well, I trust you." Markus reaffirmed with a confident tone as he ended the cybernetic string of messages and spoke to Connor directly without drawing Nero's attention in the process. "So, we better play nice with the mayor to keep our people from feeling like outcasts."

"...Yes, of course. You're right."

It appeared as though half of the city had shown up to attend the press conference as the mayor and leader of New Jericho prepared to address the crowd with a message of peace and hope for the future. A perfect blend of humans and androids intermingled within the mass of the gathered crowd before the stage, many of whom didn't even know they were standing beside their arguable 'opposite'. While police officers casually roamed through the crowd looking for any and all signs of potentially hostile behavior or provocation the media snapped thousands of photos as if waiting for something, anything, to happen.

Connor had tuned out the mayor's monotonous speech as he stood on the stage and overlooked the crowd to ensure Markus's safety. The speech was simple enough to know anything and everything the mayor said was a hollow promise, or merely a blatant attempt to gain favor with the voters. What he was saying wasn't important.

A thunderous applause drew Connor's attention back to the podium as Nero stepped aside and let Markus step up to begin his own speech regarding the future of androids. It seemed almost poetic. The words of an artificially created being held more sincerity and truth than that of a man who had been born naturally.

It was a strange truth to behold, but one that Connor didn't take lightly.

As Markus spoke Connor examined the crowd carefully and observed the behavior of those who were in attendance. No one seemed to be acting out of place or anxiously which would indicate a planned retaliation, which in itself was a positive sign. And yet Connor couldn't help but notice that Nero kept casually glancing over his left shoulder toward the opened water of the Detroit River behind the stage.

Curious about the behavior Connor pressed his right fingertips back to his radio to contact Hank as he discreetly checked the water for himself. It was then he saw a large boat on the water, and the shining glint of a rifle's scope on that same boat. The weapon wasn't in the hands of a patrolling officer or private security. Even from the distance Connor knew the person holding the weapon was a professional hand for hire taking aim at the stage.

Taking aim at_ Markus_.

"GUN." Reacting quickly Connor called out the danger and made a move toward the targeted deviant just as the sound of a gunshot rang out over the water. Making his decision Connor prepared to run for cover and keep Markus alive as he rushed to keep his friend safe. "Everyone DOWN."

The crowd screamed and began to scatter quickly as Connor tackled Markus down and out of the line of fire. Partially laying over Markus's back to shield his friend from further harm Connor succeeded in saving his friend's life, and had gotten Markus out of the line of fire as a second shot echoed loudly over the plaza.

"Where did that come from?" Markus asked as he lifted his head up and watched as a helicopter flew over the city and over to the water to give chase to the boat where it had been previously floating. "Where did-" Looking at his back where Connor was still laying over him Markus's mismatched eyes went wide with fear as the massive red puddle of blood began to blossom over his right shoulder and onto the ground beneath where he and Connor were laying in the midst of the chaos. "No... Connor!"

Connor was laying on his chest over Markus's back with his face turned away from Markus, and out toward the water.

He wasn't moving, he wasn't conscious and the blood was just pooling from his body at a horrifying rate.

Moving his left hand back Markus wrapped his arm around Connor's upper shoulders to support his friend as he carefully rolled so he could hold his friend in his arms as he moved in an alternate position from laying on the hard ground, to sitting upright. As Connor's limp body slipped from Markus's back and into his arms the deviant leader felt his blue blood run icy cold as he saw where the source of the blood was coming from. Warily Markus put his trembling right hand to the left side of Connor's already too pale face.

"Connor..." The name came out a hoarse whisper as he stared at the bleeding bullet wound in Connor's forehead above his left eye. "Connor!"

More gunshots rang out loudly throughout the plaza as people continued to scream and run about in fear to get away from the lethal shots.

Markus didn't move.

Sitting on the bloodied ground just in front of the stage he held onto Connor's body in his arms and grabbed the radio from Connor's pocket to call for help. Removing the ear piece from Connor's right ear Markus shouted into the radio that there was an officer down in the middle of the plaza and needed help. Knowing that his voice was be instantly recognized by Hank as soon as he spoke the deviant leader just tried to be of some comfort to his gravely wounded friend as his life slipped away.

"Connor, I'm here. Hank is coming." The young detective's previously soulful brown eyes were glazed over and only visible between half lids. Very gently Markus used his right fingertips to close Connor's eyes and held him tighter. "Please don't die..."

Another bullet soared by his head but Markus refused to run. Leaning down over Connor as the unconscious, bleeding young detective laid limp and dying over his lap Markus tried to shield him from further harm and just hoped that help arrived soon.

Pressing his exposed left palm to the center of Connor's chest told Markus the young human's vital signs, and they weren't good.

"Come on, Connor. Keep breathing!" Rubbing his right knuckles along Connor's sternum Markus tried to get a reaction from the unconscious man, but it failed to elicit even the faintest of a response. "Connor! Please! Just breathe!"

Markus was at a loss of what he could do to help his friend. Moving his right hand over to cover the bullet wound Markus just closed his mismatched eyes and used his scanner to keep track of Connor's vitals cybernetically. The young detective's blood was everywhere and had soaked into Markus's clothing as he remained unresponsive and limp in Markus's arms.

"Hold on, Connor." Closing his eyes to keep his tears at bay Markus pleaded with his friend to not give up. "Just hold on a little while longer..."

Down the street an ambulance sped to the plaza and stopped a few yards from where Markus was holding Connor in his arms. As the deviant leader opened his mismatched eyes he looked over at the ambulance as two paramedics opened the rear doors and lowered the gurney from the back, only to duck down in fear as the police officers at the scene ordered them to stay down for a moment longer.

"...Help's here, Connor." Whispering to keep his voice from cracking Markus tightened his grip on Connor's upper body. "Just hold on."

Behind the ambulance Hank's car came to an abrupt stop as the senior detective threw open his door and rushed toward the ground in front of the stage where Markus was holding onto Connor in his arms. Leading the way for the paramedics Hank's face paled as he saw the amount of blood that saturated Markus's clothing and saw his son bleeding to death in the deviant leader's arms.

"...Connor." Holstering his gun with a shaking right hand Hank put his left hand beneath Connor's head to hold him as Markus gently placed him on the ground to be tended to by the paramedics. Blood quickly stained Hank's hand and soaked into the sleeves of his shirt as he tried to hold Connor up from the ground in a comforting manner. "...Son, no. Please God no. Not again..."

The paramedics had reached the front of the stage with the gurney and promptly began treating Connor right there on the ground. Pulling open Connor's blood stained white dress shirt, gray vest and then pulling off the Kevlar vest beneath the paramedic team attached wireless sensor pads to Connor's now exposed chest while listening to his heartbeat and breathing with a stethoscope.

Hank just stared at Connor's entirely blank pale face stained in his own dark red blood. As he looked at son he saw that there was no life left inside of Connor and he knew that he was going to lose him, the father figure could nothing to stop time, and only heard the voices around him as distant whispers.

"..._We need to intubate, he's in respiratory arrest_."

"_Bradycardia_."

"..._Low blood pressure_."

"_Successful intubation_. _Bagging now_."

"..._We need to move_. _He can't wait_."

Cruelly Hank only snapped back to reality as he felt Connor's blood soaked hair leaving his left palm as the dying detective was picked up from the ground and placed down on the gurney to be transported over to the ambulance, and to the hospital for treatment. The sight of Connor; pale, covered in blood with a tube snaked down his throat with a paramedic squeezing the attached ambubag to force him to breathe, was like the physical embodiment of Hank's worst nightmare come to life.

"...Markus." Hank spoke the deviant's leader name in a hauntingly emotionless voice as he stared at his trembling left palm saturated in blood. Closing his palm into a shaking fist Hank stood up and looked at the deviant with pain evident in his blue eyes. "...You need to come with me."

Unsure of what Hank had in mind Markus just asked an innocent follow-up question. "...To the precinct?"

"The hospital. We have to be there for Connor when he-" Restraining his tears Hank refused to breakdown for his son's sake. "We just need to be with him."

* * *

True to her word Evelyn didn't watch the conference on television and focused as much of her attention on Henry as possible. As she fed her son his lunch and prepared to put him down for a nap a sudden knock on thefront door made her look up, and away from Henry as she put him into his swing in the corner of the livingroom. Sensing that something was wrong Evelyn picked Henry back up and walked over to the front door to answer it. The guest standing on the other side of the door wasn't anyone she was expecting to see.

"...Hello?" She kept the chain over the door as she pulled it open just enough to peer outside through the small opening.

"Evelyn." Gavin addressed her in a deeply sympathetic tone of voice. "I'm, uh, I have to tell you something."

Practically yanking the chain from the door Evelyn pulled the door wide open as she held Henry close to her chest in utter fear. "What happened?!"

"...You need to come to the hospital with us." Bowing his head with sorrow Gavin tried to look away from Henry's face as the baby bore a striking resemblance to his father, and he couldn't bear to see it. "There's been a shooting."

The word made Evelyn want to breakdown and cry as she paled considerably. "...Shooting?"

At the end of the front walk Lucas's red pick-up truck raced to the house, and parked in a jerking motion on the street as he ran from the vehicle and up to Evelyn at the front door.

"Lucas?! Is it... Connor?"

"Go with Detective Reed." He all but ordered as he gently took Henry from Evelyn's now shaking arms. "I'll take Henry to my home to be watched over by Chloe. I'll follow right behind you."

"Lucas, Gavin, what's happened?! Where is Connor?"

Staring at his sister-in-law with a distant gaze Lucas let out a shaking breath as he held his nephew up to his right shoulder in a comforting manner. "...Evelyn, there was a shooting at the conference. I don't know how bad it is, but I do know that for Connor time is of the essence."

Nearly collapsing to her knees Evelyn felt Gavin wrap his hands around her upper arms to keep her from falling and kindly escorted her to his car parked down the walk in front of Lucas's truck.

"Whoa, whoa! I gotcha'." Gavin was surprisingly empathetic and kind with his words as he walked with Evelyn toward his squad car. "Come on... I'm with you. We're all here with you right now."

* * *

The ambulance sped to the hospital with Connor in tow and pulled to a gentle stop in front of the building. Working together the paramedics lowered the gurney down to the ground from the back of the large vehicle while an emergency team swarmed around Connor to tend to his grave wound to the best of their ability. With his breaths still being forced into his lungs by the ambubag Connor was on the cusp of death, and he was still bleeding heavily from the bullet wound in his head; his blood soaking through the white pressure bandage wrapped around his forehead.

Rushing through the parking lot of the hospital Hank watched as Connor was wheeled inside the hospital through the doors used exclusively for emergencies, and toward an emergency examination and treatment room to be taken care of. Still covered in Connor's blood, and with Markus even bloodier at his side, Hank refused to back away from the exam room as the medical team fought to save Connor's life.

"Come on, son..." Watching through the large window of the exam room as the medical team announced cardiac arrest and began C.P.R. to restart Connor's stopped heart Hank pleaded with his son from afar. The image of the needle being plunged into Connor's heart through his chest made Hank wince, then outwardly flinch as the team of doctors and nurses used the defibrillator to try to correct his ventricular fibrillation. "Don't give up. You're too strong to just..."

Losing his already frayed emotional resolve Hank pressed his blood covered left palm to the surface of the glass window as he leaned heavily forward, and pressed his right hand over his tear filled eyes. It was too much to bear.

"...Let go."

Markus bowed his head and closed his mismatched eyes as he had the misfortune of spreading the grim news of Connor's shooting to North, to the rest of New Jericho Tower, and to Josh and Simon while they were out of the city. Word of the tragedy quickly spread through the deviant community, and the news reporters were more than happy to showcase images of Markus covered in Connor's blood and holding him in his arms during the chaos of the failed assassination attempt from that very afternoon.

Forcing himself to be strong on Hank's behalf Markus put his left hand on Hank's right shoulder and just watched through the window as the medical team successfully revived Connor, but the young detective was still in critical condition.

"...We won't lose him, Hank. We can't."

* * *

The precinct was chaotic as every available detective and officer struggled to figure out what the hell had happened, and why Markus had been targeted for assassination. The shooter was arrested and he was taken to the precinct for questioning; Captain Fowler was taking charge of the interrogation, and two accomplices had been found skulking around the parking garage across the street from the hotel that had been designated a safe place in the event of an emergency.

How the shooter knew to aim at Markus from the water and how the two accomplices knew to stake out that particular parking garage across the street from that exact hotel warranted a deep and thorough investigation.

Any lingering members of Quondam had been quickly ruled out, and any connection between the three hired assassins to either Marcia Stack or disgraced Richard Perkins could not be established.

Stepping out of the interrogation room with his face evidently strained from frustration Captain Fowler took a break in order to keep himself from reaching over the desk to strangle to the suspect for his lack of morals, respect and emotion.

"Piece of shit." Walking toward the bullpen Captain Fowler grabbed onto the back of his neck with his right hand and tried to ease his tense muscles. "Trained in the military for ten years and this is how he chooses to live his life after witnessing combat up close and personal. What a waste."

"Captain Fowler." Chris walked over to his commanding officer with a clearly distraught presence in his steps. "We just got word from the hospital..."

The lack of follow-up was all the seasoned detective needed to hear to know it wasn't good news. "Son of a bitch. Not like this..."

* * *

On her shaking legs Evelyn walked to the waiting room of the hospital and asked about her husband at the receptionist's desk. The receptionist's reaction upon hearing the name only made Evelyn all the more frightened. If it wasn't for Lucas holding onto her right arm she would've collapsed to the ground or broken down into tears. Supporting her on his left arm Lucas just took Evelyn away from the desk where she was met by a nurse who wanted her to sit down before she passed out and hit her head on the floor.

"...Why is this happening?" Evelyn lamented in a deeply pained voice as she sat down in the hard plastic chair with Lucas at her side. "Why him? Why Connor?"

"I..." The deviant was at a loss as well. "...I don't know."

"Connor knew something horrible was going to happen today, and I told him to stay home, but he wanted to be there for Markus... Why is he being punished for be a loyal friend and an honest cop?"

"...Evelyn, I wish I could give you answers, but I just can't... I'm sorry."

A familiar face appeared in the waiting room to deliver melancholy news to Evelyn and Lucas as they waited for answers on Connor's condition. Their arrival was quickly relayed to Dr. Wilson and the kind doctor now had the grim responsibility to let the family know what was happening to their loved one.

"Mrs. Anderson." Dr. Wilson addressed Evelyn formally as he stood before her. His slumped shoulders and glassy eyes spoke more than his words ever could in that dour moment. "I have information on Connor."

"...Just tell me," holding back her tears Evelyn pleaded to know the truth. "is he still alive?"

"Yes. He's alive, but his condition is grave."

The answer rested heavily in her mind as her heart began to ache. "...Grave?"

"I know this is hard," kneeling down on the floor in front of her Dr. Wilson lightly took her right hand to show her some support as he spoke. "but we need to discuss options and final decisions. We are well aware of his wishes of how he wants to be treated, but as you're his medical proxy and you are of sound mind and body, we have to ask you how you wish to proceed with his treatment."

Withholding a sob Evelyn squeezed Dr. Wilson's hand and repeated the motion when Lucas grabbed onto her left hand in moral support. "...Tell me the truth. How severe is Connor's condition?" Looking Dr. Wilson in the eyes she sought more answers to the thousands of questions she wanted to ask. "What happened to my husband?"

* * *

Unable to leave the hospital, unable to walk way from the private room in the critical care unit where Connor had been taken, unable to do anything but stand in the corridor and watch his son through the window as Connor laid painfully still with a respirator forcing him to breathe. and a cardiac monitor showing his dangerously weak vital signs, Hank was at a total loss of what to do. The thick white bandages wrapped around Connor's forehead concealed the devastating wound beneath, and his rogue lock of dark hair hung down over the bandages and over his left eye as per usual that made him appear somewhat normal.

Motionless, unconscious and unresponsive Connor mirrored that of a corpse.

Markus had been quietly keeping Hank company and pacing the corridor only to suddenly stop as he saw a teary eyed Evelyn and equally distraught Lucas being escorted to Connor's room by Dr. Wilson. Cybernetically Markus connected with Lucas and he was told all the details about what Dr. Wilson had told Lucas and Evelyn just moments ago in the waiting room.

What Markus had been told made his heart sink in his chest like a lead weight.

Finally looking away from the window Hank spotted Evelyn and Lucas and immediately went to wrap his arms around them both, but he was still covered in Connor's blood. Feeling sick at the sight all he could do was cross his arms over his chest to hide as much of the blood as possible from his daughter and his youngest son. "...Evelyn, he's... It's bad."

She just nodded as she peered through the window and put her right hand over her mouth in disbelief at the sight of Connor, her husband and best friend, laying in the bed hooked to machines and unable to breathe on his own. "...Oh, God."

Lucas swallowed once nervously as he dared to open the sliding door leading into the room and take a step inside. A reflexive scan over his brother's person told the deviant every grim and horrific detail of the injury that was bringing Connor ever closer to death. The vivid images of seeing the irreversible damage that the bullet had caused to Connor's brain made Lucas visibly wince where he stood.

"Brother..."

Forcing himself to walk closer he stood by the bed to look down at Connor's lifeless face in person. With the lightest of touches Lucas put his right hand to the left side of Connor's head and retracted the artificial scan over his palm. Moving his hand to the back of Connor's head near the base of his skull Lucas closed his eyes and ran another scan.

"...You'll... You'll never wake up. The damage is-"

Opening his green eyes tears began to roll down his face and Lucas knew that his big brother's time was running out.

"Connor, I promised that Henry would never know the pain of growing up without a father, and I intend to keep my word. Trust me. Trust me now more than ever... I will keep my word."

A firm hand on his left shoulder made Lucas turn his head as Hank finally mustered the courage to enter the room with Evelyn wrapped around his arm as she needed all the support she could get.

"Dad?"

"...The doctor will be in soon." Hank all but whispered in a shaking voice. "He... Connor... Connor didn't want to be kept alive on machines. He... His living will made his wishes well known. He wants to have all life support cut-off, and... everything that can be donated from his body will be donated."

"...This is it?" Lucas's voice was becoming heavy with emotion as the horrible new reality began to creep in. "We just say... 'goodbye'?"

"Yeah, son. It's what Connor wants." With his voice on the verge of cracking Hank confirmed what was about to happen. "We need to respect his final wishes and... let him die with dignity."

Lucas kept his left hand beneath Connor's head as he looked away from Hank and bowed his head. The deviant's green eyes shut so tightly his tears were streaming down his face rapidly, the small drops falling onto the floor beside the bed.

"It's okay to let him go, son."

"...It shouldn't end like this."

Evelyn all but fell onto the bed as she picked up Connor's cold, limp right hand and held it to her chest. Leaning over him she kissed his right cheek, his lips blocked up the tube of the respirator, and began whispering to him as she reminded him how much he was loved, and of how he wasn't alone.

"I'm here, Connor. I'm right here." Kissing him again Evelyn just wept as she buried her teary eyes against his weakly rising and falling chest. "I'm with you until the end... For better or for worse."

Hank reluctantly raised his left hand and hovered it over the white bandages covering Connor's forehead. "...He's not..." Hank gingerly put his hand on Connor's forehead and rested it there as he looked down at the dying detective, his son, with utter fear in his blue eyes. He had to pause for a moment to keep his voice from breaking under the strain of his pent up emotions. "Connor isn't going to wake up. Not this time..."

Falling quiet quiet Hank pressed his hand down firmer over his son's forehead and lightly messed with Connor's dark locks of hair with his fingers.

From the doorway Markus just shook his head and fought back the urge to yell in anger as he walked into the room to pay his respects. "This isn't right. He's hurt because he protected me." Looking up toward Hank with a fiery glare Markus needed a target to attack; to release his righteous anger. "Where's the mayor?"

"...Safe house." Hank answered in a whisper as he continued to stare at Connor's face. "He got out of the plaza."

"Did anyone question him?"

"Why would-"

The door to the recovery room slid opened and the mayor himself walked over to the bed and stared at Connor's blank face with a strange confusion in his eyes. "So, it's true. Anderson has been-"

Markus turned his glare over to Nero and didn't even try to hide his disdain. "Where was your private security when all of this went down?"

"They were in front of the stage. I'm just glad I-"

"Why'd you pick the plaza for this press conference?" Markus impatiently began grilling the mayor for answers as his anger welled up inside of his heart. "When I agreed to speak to you I did so as a sign of goodwill toward everyone in the city, and wanted to prove that androids had moved on from their lingering hatred since the Revolution. Why would you pick a place that is now notorious from that controversial night?"

"I just wanted to-"

"And let me ask you this: How did you know Connor was here, or that one of us had been injured during the shooting?"

"In the same way anyone else learns about what's going on in this city," the cold, arrogant smile on Nero's face made Markus want to throw a punch. "the news. I'm just glad you and Connor made it to the hospital in time, and kept away from those other assassins. Now," straightening his red tie Nero stepped away from the room to take his leave of the hospital. "the media is waiting for my statement. Lieutenant Anderson, I'm sorry for what happened to Connor."

As those words left the mayor's mouth Markus wanted to throw the arrogant man through the window and watch him bleed to death. Markus tried to follow after Nero but a firm right hand on hisleft bicep stopped him short and held him back. The sleazy mayor disappeared through the doorway leaving the grieving family and friends to remain vigil at Connor's side.

"Markus," Hank addressed the heated deviant leader in a low voice. "let him go. Kicking his ass won't help Connor."

"Hank," locking eyes with the senior detective Markus laid out a harsh truth. "that bastard is _responsible_ for the shooting!"

"What? No, the mayor was a target. That doesn't mean-"

"No, Hank. He was NEVER targeted. It was a set-up." Turning his head away from Hank with a sense of shame, Markus looked at Connor's blank face and slightly bowed his head. "Connor just got in the way. The mayor was visibly disappointed to see that I'm alive and Connor... Connor took the bullet."

"How do you know?"

"I saw it in his eyes. I scanned his vitals and his adrenaline spiked, his pupils dilated and posture stiffened in shock when he saw me. I was to die and the mayor KNEW I was supposed to die."

"Connor..." The comment gave Hank pause as he let Markus's words process in his mind. "He was shot because of the _mayor_?"

"Yeah, and that arrogant bastard just admitted it."

"And how exactly did he do that, Markus?"

"Hank, how did he know that Connor and I were in the hospital and that there were other assassins in the area if he was hiding out in a safe house? We didn't even know about the other assassins until he said something about them. Right?"

"That fucking..." Hank's hand subconsciously tightened around Markus's bicep as a flash of hot rage washed over his person. The senior detective had been so preoccupied with Connor that he hadn't caught the mayor's slip-up. "...That fucking coward. I'm going to kill him."

"Hank, let me do this." Markus nearly begged as he finally managed to get his arm free of Hank's strong grip. "You can't do anything to ruin-"

"My career?" Wanting to spill some blood Hank nearly snapped as the prospect of revenge was proving itself too tempting to resist. "I don't give a shit about my _career_, Markus. I care about my _family_." Turning his head to glare at the closed door from whence Nero exited Hank breathed deeply and heavily to steady his hands. "And that fucker just took my son away from me."

"...Connor was my friend. You killing that sleazebag won't do any favors to the precinct or Connor's memory."

"But you, the leader of the deviants, if _you_ killed him that wouldn't end in war, right? All your work for your people can survive the scrutiny, right?"

"Hank, I-"

Lucas spoke up and intervened in the middle of the discussion. "Dad, Markus, listen to me. The mayor won't go anywhere anytime soon if he can get attention from the media, he isn't going to run. But Connor," opening his green eyes Lucas stared at his brother's face and took in a shaking breath. "he needs us to stay here for him. I won't leave him behind."

Slowly Hank reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I'm telling Fowler to go after the mayor before I take my gun and go hunting for his sorry ass myself..."

As the senior detective occupied himself with the phone call in the corner of the room Lucas reconnected to Markus with a cybernetic line. '_Markus, I know you're angry and you want to be here for Connor as his time runs out, but I need to ask you for a favor_...'

Glancing over at Lucas with a confused glance Markus didn't understand what was happening. '_A favor_?'

'_It's important_. _You need to trust me_.'

* * *

Standing before the podium at Hart Plaza, standing where the shooting had taken place knowing full well that he wasn't in any danger, Mayor Nero spoke to the press with the same insincere smile on his face that he always wore when he was lying. And since the mayor was always smiling it was safe to say he was always lying. It wasn't any surprise that Connor had absolute disdain and mistrust toward the man, and it was clear to anyone who knew of the shooting that Connor's negative feelings toward him were justified.

"As we all know we nearly lost a member of the police force today when he took a bullet while protecting another life. Upon visiting his family in the hospital I learned that his family will cease life support and say their goodbyes to him in private."

Dozens of flashbulbs from camera shined over Nero's smug face as he seemingly confirmed the report.

"Sergeant Connor Anderson was an exemplary detective who fought to protect androids along with humans, and had assisted in the night of the Revolution. A detective who was dedicated to preserving life and protecting the innocent; Connor's dedication was proof that androids are in fact alive and deserve to be treated as equals. Further more-"

"I knew you'd be here, Nero." Flashing his badge Captain Fowler stepped onto the stage and approached the podium with purpose in his steps. A cascade of flashbulbs illuminated the stage as the police Captain marched toward the shifty man with venom in his eyes. "I hate to cut this short, but you're under arrest."

The dozens of camera flashes soon became hundreds as a collective muttering fell over the crowd witnessing the arrest.

Nero was stunned, almost dumbfounded by the statement. "I'm...00 what?!"

"You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Markus Manfred, assault against Sergeant Connor Anderson, the murder of a police officer," pinning Nero's arms behind his back Captain Fowler cuffed him with an audible 'click' to prevent resistance. "hiring three contract killers, delivering illegal arms under the table, conspiracy, and fraud. Want to admit to anything else and make things a little easier?"

"You can't-" Nero stammered nervously as his face simultaneously paled from fear and went red with rage. "But I-"

"I can _and_ I did." Pushing the now arrested mayor away from the podium, off of the stage and over to the parked squad car, Captain Fowler shook his head at the deceptive man now in his custody. "Now, I strongly urge you exercise your right to remain silent. It's the only thing that can possibly save you from a death sentence."

As he was pushed into the backseat of the car Nero began snarling at the Captain and tried to turn away from the reporters snapping his photo through the windows of the vehicle. "You can't prove anything!"

"I can, and I already have." Discreetly Captain Fowler turned on the microphone of the dashcam to capture every repugnant word that the disgraced mayor spewed forth as he sat in the backseat in shame. "That's my JOB. The thing is I never would've thought to look into your finances until after my Lieutenant gave me a call and a valid reason to check. It's kinda weird how you made three hefty payments before the conference, and then three more after everything went to Hell." Turning to look at the mayor over his right shoulder Captain Fowler stared at him with undeniable hatred in his eyes. "You already knew that there were two other shooters in the area before the media did, _and_ the grand total of three shooters match up with the three payments you made before and after everything went down. Can you explain that?"

"Coincidence! I was paying my security! I'm being framed!"

"Well, we could possibly believe that save for one crucial detail: How could you know about the other shooters unless _you're_ the one who _hired_ the shooters?"

"...I-"

"You can't blame the media for this one." Pulling the car along the street Captain Fowler drove off to the precinct to have the mayor taken into custody and prosecuted. "The only people who knew of the additional shooters were the police and YOU. I sure as fuck know no one in my bullpen would hire someone to kill Markus; and they would be too damn smart to let their personal finances lead them to death row. But you, an outspoken advocate for android rights, being so close to the deviant leader who brought about the world changing Revolution on the day he was assassinated, that would've been great publicity. Fuck, that kind of notoriety would've guaranteed you votes at every office you attempted to hold from this day on."

Scoffing at Captain Fowler's comments Nero remained as arrogant as he was cold. "You won't be able to make the charges stick."

"Oh, I think I can. You're too much of a prick to not have any enemies who'd happily use their resources to see your ass thrown behind bars. You know, it was as ballsy as it was dumb to show up at the hospital like you did."

"Look, it's not what you think. Let's level and speak to each other, human to human. Keep the plastic out of this."

"So the truth comes you. You _do_ think of androids as second-class citizens."

"Of course they are. Just because they look human doesn't mean they are human. I mean, come on." Nero was on the verge of laughing as he found the entire situation to be absurd. "You know as much as I do that plastic can't live. That's like expecting some skirt to be able to hold any form of power without getting emotional. It's impossible, and no matter what anyone tries to say this is still a man's world. HU-MAN."

"I _knew_ you were full of shit, Nero. I just wish I had thought to look into your shady past sooner."

"Come off it, Fowler. You can't-"

Captain Fowler tapped on the dashcam recording every word of their conversation. "Wanna' bet? You're going to prison for the rest of your life, which, based on your shady little scheme, won't last too much longer once word gets out that you're now locked up with the other people you've sold out over the years."

"No! You can't do this!" The mayor's face paled to a deathly white upon learning his fate was sealed. "I won't survive in prison!"

"Not my problem. I've sworn to protect and serve; I'm protecting the city by taking you down and I'm serving my people by keeping you locked up. I've done my job, too bad you can't say the same for yourself."

* * *

One at a time the members of the Anderson clan said their goodbyes to Connor.

Lucas kept his left palm under Connor's head near the base of his skull and closed his eyes again. Running scan after scan the deviant was given the same bleak reading on Connor's vitals and declining health. The bullet had ricocheted around inside his skull effectively destroying the brain and leaving only his most basic responses; breathing and heartbeat, barely responsive. With each forced breath Connor's responses became weaker, and his heartbeat had slowed to such an extent that a cardiac pacing wire had been inserted to keep his heart beating a while longer.

"Connor don't be afraid. Don't worry about Henry and Evelyn, or dad." Lucas whispered as he kept his hand beneath Connor's head. "I promise I will keep Henry from losing a father, and I won't let Evelyn or Hank be alone. You need to trust me on this, and forgive me for being unable to talk to you directly. In time you'll understand what's happening, and know this;" picking up Connor's limp left hand with his right hand Lucas held tight and made his brother one final promise. "We will see each other again, brother. I swear to it."

Reluctantly Lucas let go of Connor's hand and carefully pulled his palm away from Connor's head. The deviant's exposed white plastimetal frame had a smear of Connor's blood along his left index fingertip, and nowhere else.

"Evelyn and dad are going to see you soon. But like I said, don't be afraid. We'll all be together again."

Taking his leave of the room Lucas stared at his palm and gave Hank a subtle nod.

The senior detective and father to the two brothers put his right hand on Lucas's left shoulder as he passed through the doorway, and left Lucas outside in the corridor to hold Evelyn in a warm comforting embrace for a moment.

Having washed the blood from his hands and changed into a blue scrub top to get out of his bloodied shirt Hank walked over to the bed and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder as he spoke to him.

"Son, I... I don't know what else I can say to you. I love you like you're my own flesh and blood, and I've been proud of you ever since that fateful night of the Revolution. I guess all I can ask is that you don't worry about Evelyn, Henry or Lucas." Moving his hand to rest over Connor's bandaged forehead Hank lightly rubbed his fingers through Connor's dark hair and let out a weak sigh to keep himself from crying. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll take care of Evelyn like she's my own daughter, and I swear that Henry will never feel neglected. Lucas, he's stronger and more resilient than he knows, so I know I won't have to worry about him, but I will keep him close by."

Slowly Hank slipped his left arm beneath Connor's shoulders and lifted him up just enough to hug him without pulling on the tube snaked down the young detective's throat in the process. Connor's body was entirely limp and a little cold from the lack of natural life being exuded, it was like Hank was embracing a block of ice shaped like his son.

"...I'm going to miss you, son." Wrapping his other arm around Connor to support his deadweight Hank just held him and hugged him tight. "I really am. I can't imagine life without you, or Lucas, Evelyn, Henry, Maddy, Chloe... Now I don't have a choice in the matter. I love you, son. I'm so very proud of you for giving everything you had to protect your family, your friends and for never giving into hate. Please, just..." Fighting against his own tears Hank held his voice as steady as possible as he spoke. "When you get to the other side look after Cole and Barbara for me until I get there. You watch over them for me, and I'll watch over Evelyn and Henry here. When we reunite on the other side our family will truly, finally be all together..."

Laying Connor back down onto the bed in the same manner a father would their newborn child Hank let Connor rest as comfortably as possible as he took his leave of the room to give Evelyn a moment of privacy.

"I'll see you later, son. I can feel it."

Passing through the opened door of the room Hank gave Evelyn a somber glance as he nodded and put his right hand on her left arm. Without a word Hank watched Evelyn walk into the room to be with her husband in his final moments of life before the medical team arrived to take Connor away to have what could be salvaged from his body donated to other people in need.

"...Where's Markus?" Hank asked without even looking Lucas in the eyes. "He didn't go kill the mayor, did he?"

"It's complicated."

"What isn't right now?"

"...Dad, I-"

"Don't." Putting up his right hand in a shushing manner Hank didn't want to talk or hear about any weird complications beyond his son's death. "Just... Later, okay?"

"...Yeah. Okay."

Inside the room Evelyn sat down on the edge of the bed beside Connor and held his right hand again. Unable to say anything beyond "I love you." Evelyn just held his hand and kissed his right cheek over and over again as she wept for her lost love. It was a fight for the strong woman to keep herself from shattering into thousands of pieces as she came to grips with the horrible reality that was taking place around her.

"Connor, I love you so much!" She wept as she kept her warm hands wrapped around his cold limp hand. "I know Henry is going to be just like you when he grows up, and I couldn't be prouder! I promise he'll be happy and he'll never feel what it's like to be left behind or forgotten. I... I just... I wish I could find a way to keep you from leaving us. You gave your life to protect your friend and there's nothing we can do to bring you back. It's not fair."

Bowing down to press her forehead against his chest Evelyn laid down beside him and just listened to the sound of his heart slowly beating in his chest.

"I love you, Connor." She whispered in a trembling voice as she laid beside her dying husband. "I always will..."

Outside in the corridor Lucas visibly jumped when the medical team designated to tend to Connor arrived to do their grim but beneficial deed. Taking a few deep rapid breaths Lucas just turned away from the doctors and walked a few paces away from the room.

"...Dad, I'll be back..." His voice was barely audible as his emotions threatened to steel his words at any moment. "I don't know when. But I'll be back."

"Lucas, where are you going?"

"...Just know it's important and I'll be back. Please," he glanced over his left shoulder just long enough to lock eyes with his father. "take Evelyn back home to be with Henry. I'll rejoin you as soon as I can. I swear to it."

* * *

It was a difficult journey for Markus as he had finally done as Lucas requested.

Standing outside the deceptively simplistic mansion and along the harbor Markus looked out at the dark water and the brightly shining sun overhead with a heavy heart as he waited for an update on the failed peaceful conference, and the failed assassination attempt against his person. The entire city was on edge as a result of the shooting and of course the mayor's arrest. The air around the city was so thick with tension that even while standing on the sandy shore of the harbor away from the source of the drama Markus could still feel it.

'_North_.' The saddened deviant leader cybernetically connected with his bondmate as she stayed locked away safely inside their home. '_Are you alright_?'

'_Yes_.' Her voice was a somber as Markus felt. '_We're all okay_.' She was referring to herself and the unborn twins she was carrying. '_I_... _I know what happened to Connor_.'

Taking in the sight of the sun beginning to set on the other side of the harbor Markus confirmed their friend's grim fate. '_Yeah_. _He_... _He didn't make it_.'

'_Shit_...' There was a pause as she choked back a sob upon learning of her friend's passing. '_What can we do now_?'

'_At the moment everything that can done is being done_. _Just stay home and I'll be with you as soon as I can_.'

'_Don't worry about me_. _Focus on helping Connor's family_.'

'_I'm doing my best_.' The sound of a vehicle driving up the road caught his ear and Markus knew he needed to turn his attention away from his bondmate for the moment. '_I love you, North_.'

'_I love you, too, Markus_. _ I'll be here when you come home_.'

Turning away from the water Markus watched as Lucas's red colored pick-up truck drove up toward the mansion and came to a steady stop. Approaching the vehicle Markus only watched as the deviant stepped out of the truck's cab and stood before the mansion with a distant stare in his green eyes.

"Lucas." Afraid of what was happening back in the city Markus had to force himself to ask the question. "At the hospital..."

"He's being... It's happening right now." Looking at the front door of the mansion Lucas let out an entirely exhausted, if not broken, sigh. "...Is everything ready on Elijah's end?"

"Yeah. Whatever you're here to do, go and do it. I... I want to go back and see North. I need to hold her in my arms."

"I understand, Markus. Go." Holding his head up high Lucas looked away from Markus and approached the front door of the mansion with a timid gait. Pressing his right hand to the doorbell he waited for an answer before he stepped inside to finish his self-imposed mission within the walls of the cryptic mansion. "We both have families we still need to take care of."

* * *

Out of respect for the family in their time of grief Evelyn and Hank were allowed to see Connor one last time as he laid in the now empty operating room on the table; his final good deed of donating his organs to those in need had been finally finished. There was a white sheet pulled up and over Connor's body all the way up to his neck to conceal the fresh surgical incisions, and the the tube had been removed from his throat giving the family a clear view of his pale, lifeless face at long last.

The young detective looked as though he were completely at peace. No pain on his face, no strain or tension around his eyes, and his expression was fully relaxed.

The scene was as tranquil as it was heartbreaking.

"I love you, Connor." Evelyn wiped away her tears as she bent down and gave Connor one last kiss on his white, cold lips before she turned to bury her face against Hank's chest to grieve.

She wept silently as she begrudgingly accept the fact that her husband and her best friend, was gone.

"He loved you, too, Evelyn." Hank wrapped his arms around her and held her in a warm hug. "And Henry. He loved you both more than anything in this world, and I know having you two in his life finally let him feel the happiness he deserved to experience."

"...I need to see, Henry." She managed to choke out between sobs as she let Hank hold her tight. "I have to hold our son."

"...Okay." Rubbing his right hand along Evelyn's back Hank just held her in his arms and put his left hand on Connor's still bandaged forehead as he said his final goodbye to his son. "...Connor would want us to be with Henry." Lifting his hand up from Connor's forehead Hank gave his son a simple nod of respect as he reached over to take Connor's wedding band from his left ring finger in a gentle manner. He knew in time Evelyn would want to have the ring. "It's time to go home."

"Without Connor it won't-"

"I know... I know." Staring up at the ceiling Hank let his tears fall as he knew exactly what Evelyn was about to say. "...Without him the home is just going to feel like a house."

* * *

With his heart heavy with grief Markus returned to his home and locked the front door behind himself. Upon entering the foyer the artificial feminine voice greeted him as per usual, and soon North walked out of the sitting room to speak to him directly. Sensing his emotional turmoil and sense of failure North pressed her right palm to his left cheek and peered into his mismatched eyes, peered into his soul, and waited for him to open up about what he had been through on the fateful day.

"...He didn't suffer."

"I know." Pressing both of her hands over her belly North sighed and cybernetically checked on the development of her growing twins with a sense of worry and longing. "I... I just wish I could've been there to support his family."

"It's okay, North. No one is going to hold anything against you."

"What's happening right now?"

"If everything goes according to plan..." Pressing his own hands down atop of North's hands Markus rubbed his thumbs against her pregnant belly and let out a weary sigh. "...a miracle."

* * *

The house felt cold, heavy and empty as Hank and Evelyn brought Henry back home from Chloe's care.

Evelyn couldn't bring herself to go upstairs and sleep in the bed without Connor beside her, yet all she wanted to do was cry herself to sleep. Poorly sleeping on the couch with Henry wrapped up in her arms and Ruby over her ankles Evelyn quietly wept throughout the evening as she mourned for her lost love and tried to not think about her life without Connor being a part of it. Thinking about Henry growing up without his dad only made her cry harder as she tried her best to be strong for her young son despite feeling weaker than she had ever been.

Unable to be upstairs with no one else around Hank resided to the recliner in the livingroom to be closer to Evelyn and Henry as the heavy grief began to smother the household. Watching Henry as his little fists flexed and squeezed in his sleep Hank just wanted to hold his grandson and never let go. How was someone so young, so small and so innocent supposed to comprehend the idea that 'daddy won't be coming home'?

As the sun finally set day Hank's phone lit up with an incoming call from Lucas. Had the volume been turned on it would've scared Henry awake and startled Evelyn.

Taking the call outside Hank answered and kept his voice low as to not disturb Evelyn. "...Lucas."

'_Dad, I_... _I need you to come out to Kamski's place_.'

"What, why?"

'_It's very important_. _ Please come here now_.'

"Lucas, I won't leave Evelyn here alone."

'_It's important, dad_.' There was a nervous pause on the other end before Lucas told him the true importance of the visit. '..._It's about Connor_.'

"...What?"

'_I can't explain over the phone_. _You need to be out here to understand_.'

"...Alright, fine. Just, let me get someone out here to stay with Evelyn until I can get back to the house. She shouldn't be alone right now."

'_I understand_. _I have to go back to Chloe, otherwise I'd wait for you_. _I just_... _I need to be with her and Maddy_. _And if Evelyn saw my face_... _It might upset here_.'

"It's okay, Lucas. I get it. I'll go out to Kamski's place in a minute. I'll see you soon, son."

Ending the call Hank looked up at the darkening night sky overhead and took a moment to breathe before he looked back down at the phone in his right hand and searched through the list of contacts. Selecting Captain Fowler's name Hank reluctantly pressed 'dial' and held the phone up to his right ear again.

"Jeffrey, it's me... I have a favor I need to ask of you."

* * *

The already long drive out to Kamski's place seemed to take an eternity for the grieving father as the death of his son was vivid in his mind, and painful in his heart. Reaching the reclusive mansion on the outskirts of the city was always a strenuous journey for the senior detective to make as his mistrust of Kamski hadn't faded entirely, and knowing that Connor didn't fully trust Kamski had always kept Hank on his guard whenever he had to be around the eccentric billionaire for any reason.

Parking the car in front of the mansion Hank practically tore the key out of the ignition as he headed toward the front door of the mansion and was let inside immediately as Markus unexpectedly opened the door for him.

"Markus?"

"Hank, I'm glad you're here."

"What the fuck is going on?"

"...It's too much to explain." Stepping aside he let the senior detective enter the foyer and walk over to the closed door leading to the study on the opposite side of the room. "Just know that everything that's happened this evening was Connor's idea."

"Connor?"

"I don't know all the details just yet, I was only made aware when Lucas contacted me and asked me to come back here. But... I need to go back to North. I don't want to be away from her and... Well, this is something you need to do alone."

"Markus, what the fuck is-"

"Please." Motioning toward the door to the study Markus stayed back and watched as the senior detective reluctantly stood before the closed door. "You'll understand soon. I'll... be in touch."

Giving Markus an odd look as he left the mansion through the front door Hank entered the study once the second door slid open automatically.

The study looked as it always did. Large red pool in the middle of the room with the single desk and chair by the massive windows overlooking the harbor outside. The smell of chlorine and disinfectant was heavy in the air, and a twinge of whiskey wafted about giving the small room a noxious mixture of conflicting aromas.

"Kamski." Hank crossed his arms over his chest defiantly as soon as he saw the eccentric billionaire sitting behind his desk next to the ruby red pool. "If you wanted me to come out here to tell me to be more careful when it comes to Lucas or Chloe, then you can kiss my ass!"

"Easy, Lieutenant." Theatrically raising his hands as if to surrender Elijah kept his tone civil as he spoke with Hank directly. "I would never say such a thing to you, especially in your time of grief."

"Why am I out here? I need to be with my daughter and grandson, not entertaining your smug face."

"You're here because there's someone you need to see."

"If you have one of your weird 'android-clones' waiting to be supportive of my family behind that damn door then I'm going to throw you into that fucking pool," he angrily pointed at the red water as he snarled at Kamski like a rabid dog. "and hold your head under until the bubbles stop!"

"No clones, Lieutenant. No tricks, no deception." Standing up from his desk Elijah walked toward Hank so he could pass through the door leading back to the foyer to give the pained man some space. "See for yourself."

"See what for myself?"

The door nearest Kamski's desk suddenly slid open to reveal his private quarters as a figure stepped through the doorway. Standing a few feet away from Hank the figure was wearing dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt and no shoes as they made their presence known. Their soulful brown eyes were heavy with emotion and their posture indicated fear and confusion. A red light was glowing from their right temple, and their artificial skin was manifesting over their frame like a ripple spreading over a pond until a tuft of familiar dark hair formed at the crown.

Hank's blue eyes went wide and his legs trembled violently beneath him as he laid eyes on the figure's face. "...C...Connor?"

"...Hi, Hank." Taking a shaking step forward Connor pressed his right hand over his L.E.D. as the light flickered between red and yellow. "I'm... alive."

"...Connor, you're..." A single step was all Hank could take before his legs stopped on him. "You're really-"

"I'm here." Tears began to run down his face as he came to terms with his own reality and the memories of the day settled into his mind. Everything had happened so quickly and yet, he was able to comprehend it quickly. "...I'm okay, dad."

An emotional sob escaped Hank's throat as his legs gave out entirely and he fell to his knees on the floor. Within seconds Connor was kneeling in front of him and holding him in a tight hug. As the senior detective wrapped his arms around Connor the newly revived deviant android's red L.E.D. finally cycled back to blue in comfort.

"...You came back!" Hank muttered into Connor's right shoulder as he refused to release his hug. "You really came back..."

"I had a reason to come back." Connor replied in a low voice. "My family."

"Holy shit... Just when I think you can't scare me anymore..."

"I'm sorry, dad." On the verge of a complete emotional breakdown Connor forced himself to remain composed for his father's sake. "I didn't want to scare you, I swear!"

"H-How is this possible?!"

"...Lucas." Connor sighed slowly as he felt his old android body rebooting entirely and every single one of the memories he had created in the almost four years since his return to humanity were uploaded to his processors in flawless detail. "He managed to download my consciousness from my brain and transport it here. When Markus brought my android body to Kamksi for assistance he was able to replicate his original actions in putting my mind in my android body, but this time my memories stayed intact! I remember... I remember everything." Tightening his hug around Hank's shoulders Connor just closed his soulful brown eyes and felt a warmth of belonging spreading over his chest. "I want to see my wife and my son. I want to go home, dad. I just want to go home!"

"We will, son." Moving his hand right up to the back of Connor's hair Hank pulled the deviant even closer as they refused to let go of their hug. Slipping his left hand into his jean pocket Hank pulled out Connor's wedding band and slipped it into the deviant's hand to hold onto. "We're going to go home, _together_."

* * *

Struggling to deal with the tragedy on every level possible Evelyn kissed Henry's right cheek and put him in the baby swing where Ruby took her usual protective position watching over him. Heartbroken and grieving Evelyn walked into the kitchen and just braced herself against the top of the kitchen table while Captain Fowler put a kettle on the stove to boil. She wasn't sleeping, she hadn't eaten since that afternoon, and she was unable to fully open up and speak about what had happened.

As the surprisingly empathetic police Captain pulled the now hot kettle off the stove to make Evelyn some tea he saw his phone buzzing on the countertop and a new message from Hank popped in.

"...Do you need me to do anything for you?" Captain Fowler asked as he poured the hot water into a mug and placed a bag of tea into the mug to steep. The chosen tea was peppermint and the aroma made Evelyn cry again as she thought about how Connor had always chosen peppermint as his preserved flavor. "I can run to the store and get some extra diapers and formula for Henry if you'd like."

Shaking her head Evelyn just watched as the hot water steadily darkened as the tea steeped.

Glancing over the message on his phone Captain Fowler cleared his throat somewhat nervously as the content of the message was entirely unusual. "...Uh, Hank is just down the block. I don't want to leave you alone, even for a second, but there's a lot of work-"

"I get it." She didn't snap or sound angry in the least. Only tired. "It's okay to go, I'll be fine. I just need to be alone for a moment anyway."

"Evelyn, I know we haven't met before this day, but I want you to know we're all here for you. No matter what."

"...I know. Thank you."

"I'm just a phone call away."

Walking through the kitchen and toward the livingroom Captain Fowler glanced down at Henry and smiled, then peered through the front window at the sight of headlights pulling up to the house and into the connected driveway. Disliking the idea of leaving Evelyn behind the kind Captain wanted to respect her wishes and opened the door quietly to greet Hank. As he stepped onto the front walkway he saw Hank walking up the drive, and he wasn't alone.

"...Hank, what the hell-"

"It's complicated." Answering quickly Hank motioned for Captain Fowler to step away from the front door so Connor could go inside the house. "Let me try to explain this whole big pile of shit while they have a moment alone."

Holding his breath the deviant's blue L.E.D. flashed to red and he opened the front door with his shaking right hand. As he stood inside the livingroom he was greeted with a loud happy giggle from Henry as the baby recognized his daddy and called out to him with his small noises.

"...Henry." Whispering the name Connor walked over to the swing and gave Henry a kiss on his forehead as he spoke softly to his son. "...Daddy missed you. Come on." Gently he picked Henry up from the swing and held him in his arms up against his chest. Henry immediately grabbed onto the collar of Connor's t-shirt and tugged on the fabric. "I have to see mommy before we can play."

Ruby sat up readily and licked at the side of Connor's left hand as the deviant gave her some gentle ear rubs and held Henry against his chest.

"Good girl."

Standing upright slowly from the swing with Henry in his arms Connor walked toward the kitchen where Evelyn's back was facing his direction. For the first time in years Connor ran a scan and chronicled the vital signs of a loved one; she was in distress and he wanted it to stop.

Watching as she slowly picked up the mug of tea from the table Connor spoke her name in a gentle whisper. "Evelyn?"

Turning around to face the sound of the voice expecting to see Lucas standing behind her Evelyn's blue eyes went wide, and her hands trembled around the mug. "...Connor." Her grip faltered causing the mug to crash to the floor and shatter into numerous sharp shards all around her feet. The loud crash caused Henry to cry out and Connor turned his head to the left face the baby, revealing his red tinted L.E.D. for Evelyn to see as he rubbed Henry's back softly to comfort him. "...Y-You're... You're..."

Henry quieted down as Connor turned to look at his wife and gave her an uncertain stare. "...I'm alive."

"H-How..." Stepping over the spilled tea and broken mug she stood before Connor and raised her shaking hands as if to cup his face but couldn't quite bring herself to touch him. Her left hand was shaking as it hovered near his glowing L.E.D. almost like she was afraid touching it could hurt him. "You're..."

"My mind was transferred back into my android body." Holding out his left hand Connor retracted the artificial skin from his fist as he relaxed his fingers to show his wedding band in the palm of his hand now resting atop the white plastimetal from that composed his body. "...But I'm still me. And I still love you."

Evelyn put her shaking right hand over his hand, and rested it there as she stared in stunned silence at her resurrected husband.

"I may not be human anymore, but my feelings for you and Henry haven't changed. I still love you both with all of my heart, and I promised that I'd find my way to come back to you." Lowering his gaze from Evelyn's blue eyes Connor took in a shuddering breath to try to steel his nerves. "If you need me to give you some space I understand. And I promise I'll do whatever it takes to win back your love and earn your trust."

Without hesitation Evelyn stood up on her tiptoes and gave Connor a kiss and put both of her hands on the side of his face. "I never want you to go anywhere out of my sight again!" Crying from her heart, this time tears of joy, Evelyn let out a relieved sob and just looked into his soulful brown eyes. "Connor, I love you for _who_ you are, not_ what_ you are! Human or deviant, you're still my husband, you're Henry's father, you're Hank's son and I will love you until the end of time!"

"I love you so much, Evelyn." Bowing his forehead against her forehead Connor's red L.E.D. cycled back to a calm steady blue as he felt his Thirium pump, his heart, stutter and race with emotion. "I had to come back for you... No matter what the cost. Not even death could keep me from you."

Laughing with an emotional hiccup Evelyn wrapped her right fingers around the wedding band in Connor's left palm and symbolically slipped the band back over his exposed, plastimetal ring finger affectionately. "...Til death do us part. And even then you kept your promise and came back to me."

"Always, Evelyn." Lifting up his exposed left hand before himself he watched as Evelyn pressed her right palm against his, their fingers lining up briefly before interlocking into a loving grip. "I'll always find a way to come back."

* * *

Three days of thousands of questions and dozens of happy reunions later Connor, Hank, Evelyn, Lucas, Markus, North, Josh, Simon, Captain Fowler, Gavin, Abby, Chris, Tina, Joel, Dr. Wilson, Kamksi and a few other officers from the Detroit precinct gathered at a familiar cemetery in Novi Michigan. Remaining home with Maddy and Henry in her care Chloe ensured that the small babies weren't accidentally traumatized by the event at hand, and those in attendance could try to process what was happening in their own way.

Against the odds Connor survived being shot only by a miracle of an engineering feat, but his human body; the original Connor Anthony Wolf, had succumbed to the fatal wound and perished. A burial was to be expected, though the circumstances were a tad unusual for everyone in attendance. There were no tears being shed, no spiritual guidance or tearful farewells, not even a eulogy. Those who had gathered came to respect the life of a fallen officer who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect a friend, and symbol of peace.

A sacrifice that the media in Detroit spread like wildfire to ensure that the citizens knew that the police were still looking out for them regardless if they were human or deviant.

Those in attendance wore black or their police formal uniforms, Connor and Hank were no exception, and Lucas wore his formal uniform given to him by the fire department as a show of respect. An American flag was draped over the coffin to later be folded and placed inside the coffin as a true show of respect for the first responder who died in the line of duty.

Connor stood beside the closed casket as it awaited its descent into the Earth, and he put his left hand down on the ebony black lid as he contemplated his life, his humanity, his deviancy, and now his future.

Walking as if he were treading glass Markus joined his friend beside the coffin to show his respect to his fallen comrade. "Connor, I... I never thanked you."

"Thanked me?"

"For saving my life." The mismatched irises were searching over Connor's face as if searching for a reason to turn away in guilt or shame. "You took a bullet for me, and you paid with your life."

"You're my friend, Markus." Turning to face his friend Connor just gave him a subtle shake of his head. "I wanted to protect you, and I know if we were to trade places you would've done the same thing to save me without even thinking about it."

"...If you hadn't of pushed me out of the way I don't know what would've happened. If I hadn't asked you to be there you wouldn't have been shot at all."

"Markus, it's okay. My job is to protect the city, my family AND my friends."

"But you have a wife and son."

"You also have a wife, and your own children on the way. What we have in our lives doesn't make one more valuable than the other."

"It still doesn't make it any easier to accept that my friend died saving my life."

"Your friend is still here. I'm just in a different body. I'm the same person with the same thoughts, memories and feelings; the only difference is my blood is now blue and not red. But I'm still Connor Anderson."

"...Thank you all the same." Stepping forward Markus gave Connor and hug which was quickly reciprocated as the two deviant friends realized how much they respected and appreciated one another. "There is no way I can repay your kindness and courage, but that won't stop me from trying."

"I'm not surprised, my friend."

Letting go of the hug Markus just gave Connor a tearful nod as he retreated to the rest of the crowd to quietly wait for the ceremony to begin. As he walked into the crowd Evelyn emerged from the group to be with her husband as he contemplated the unusual, but very real changes to his life as he saw exactly how many people either loved or respected him as a person.

"Are you okay?" Evelyn wrapped her right hand around his left hand as she stood beside him and rested her right temple against his shoulder.

"Yes." The yellow L.E.D. in his temple confirmed his answer. "I'm merely... thinking."

"About what?"

"Everything. I came so close to death so many times, and each time I managed to defy the odds and survive. How much longer can my luck hold out?"

"It's not luck, Connor. It's fate."

"...Maybe."

"You're here, you're with your family, you're surrounded by friends, trusted colleagues and you're still alive. That's all that matters."

"You're right." The dozens of people who had gathered to show their respect was all the proof he needed. "...You're absolutely right."

"Are you sure you want to have your human body buried here in Novi?"

"Yes. I want my mother to be with her son again." The sight of Elizabeth's headstone right next to the fresh grave on the opposite side of Anthony's own headstone was somehow appropriate. The broken family was now complete again. "It's the right thing to do." A firm hand on his right shoulder drew Connor's attention away from the coffin and back to Hank, his L.E.D. flickering briefly to red before settling on its calm blue. "Yes, Hank?"

"It's time for the final ceremony."

"I think a twenty-one gun salute is a little extreme considering only my _body_ died. I'm still alive."

"Too bad, son. It's tradition and you deserve it. Besides," wrapping his arm around Connor's shoulders as he and Evelyn walked over to the rather large section of chairs to sit down for the remainder of the odd funeral, Hank gave his son a somewhat sheepish glance. "it's not everyday someone gets to attend their own funeral."

* * *

As the honorary ceremony came to a close Connor stood once more beside the coffin and pressed his right fingertips against his L.E.D. as it cycled a steady calm blue in his right temple. Most of the guests had taken their leave to return home and with their absence came a wondrous peace and calmness throughout the large and green cemetery. It felt oddly appropriate for Connor to stand beside the grave as he waited to take his own leave of the cemetery, but there was one last thing he needed to do before he left for home.

Evelyn stood beside Connor and took his left hand in her right hand again. "I just called Chloe. Henry's okay, but I think it's time we got back to him."

"You're right. We should take him to the park since it's such a beautiful day."

"That sounds good to me." The warm summer air was strangely rejuvenating despite being at a funeral that morning. "We need a family day at the park. Not to mention the chance to enjoy the peace throughout the city thanks to you."

"What're you talking about?"

"The media has been having a blast pushing the really macabre photos that were taken the day of the shooting." Slipping her phone from her purse Evelyn showed her husband the most popular of the dozens of photos published. "This is the one that's going down in history."

Connor glanced at the image and felt his stomach twist. The sight of Markus holding him in his arms, seeing his red blood all over Markus's hands and his chest as he held the dying detective in his arms was absolutely chilling. To see his friend protectively holding him and staying with him despite the chaos and danger had not only spoken to Markus's character as a kind, compassionate soul who respects all life; but as one who is fearless and sees people for _who_ they are and not _what_ they are.

"...It's a shame that it required death for the media to push the prospect of equal lives between androids and humans." Connor looked away from the photo and reminded himself that everything was okay, and that he was still alive. "But if this moment will give androids as a whole a better life and a better standing amongst humans then I suppose it was worth it."

"No. Anything at the expense of a life is never worth it." Giving him a kiss on the left cheek Evelyn rested her head against his shoulder again. "There will always be a way to succeed and it can be done without bloodshed."

"Yes. You're right." Glancing about the headstones Connor reached into his black jacket under the left lapel and retrieved two white lilies that had been tucked away protectively. Placing the flowers down on his biological parents' graves Connor paid his respects and felt almost whole again. "I just need to do one more more thing before we leave for home."

"What's that?"

Hovering his right hand above his blue tinted L.E.D. he sighed and used his eyes to motion toward the light. "I want to leave a piece of me with me; a piece that symbolizes all the changes and struggles I've endured to become who I am today."

Hank and Lucas walked over to Connor and overheard him as he spoke.

The senior detective gave Connor a somewhat wary glance as he pulled a pocketknife from his pant pocket and held it up for Connor to take. "...Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's time. I'm not an android, I'm a deviant." The statement was ironically very human. "I'm free, I'm alive and I'm finally, truly happy." Picking up the knife from Hank's grip Connor eyed the blade for only a moment before he returned the handle to Hank's hand. "Would you do the honors?"

"...You want me to remove your L.E.D. for you?"

"The only reason I became a deviant to begin with is because of you. It makes sense to have you remove the last trace of my machine life."

"...Okay, son. Hold still." With careful pressure Hank pierced the L.E.D. with the tip of the knife and turned the knife once counterclockwise. With that motion the L.E.D. flickered until it lost all color and became dull lifeless disc. Retracting the knife the disc stayed pierced on the sharp tip and Hank picked it up between his index finger and thumb for Connor take as Connor's artificial skin regenerated over his right temple. "There. You look good, kid."

Connor smirked as he ran his right fingertips over his now bare temple, and he took the L.E.D. in his left hand to dispose of properly. "Thank you." Tightening his left hand into a fist around the dead L.E.D. Connor turned around to open up the coffin lid and placed the blank disc into his own human hand to be buried and laid to rest. With a soft 'click' Connor closed the lid of the coffin and looked back at his family with pure confidence. "...I am alive."

"And you're my son." Hank tagged on as he put his right hand back to Connor's left shoulder. "As well as a damn fine detective and the most stubborn partner I've ever had."

"You're also my big brother." Lucas smirked as he watched Connor's return to deviancy blossom with the love of their family all around him. "As well as my best friend and guardian."

"And my husband." Evelyn tightened her hand around his. "Not to mention Henry's father. You're so much more than just a deviant or alive. Never forget that, Connor. You're loved!"

The family began walking away from the coffin as it was lowered into the Earth, and with it came the name revealed on the headstone to remember the person who had been laid to rest surrounded by love and respect: Connor Anthony Wolf.

Hank gave his two sons an odd glance as a slightly amused laugh escaped his lips. "You two do know what's happening in three days, right?"

The deviant brothers took a moment to check the date in the next seventy-two hours and realized the significance in chorus. "It's our birthday."

"I think we need to do something very special for you two to celebrate your lives."

Connor shook his head a little as his humble nature unsurprisingly remained intact. "I think being able to live on and having my family is all I need."

"Too bad, we're doing something special anyway. We're going to go up to the cabin, all five of us. We need to get away from the city and just be together as a family where no one can bother us."

"Okay, we'll head out to the cabin together."

Patting Connor's left shoulder then clapping his hand down Hank gave his son a proud smile as the family gathered together to show nothing but love and support for one another. "So, how does it feel, Connor?"

The question seemed oddly specific and yet painfully vague. "How does what feel, dad?"

"How does it feel to be alive," Hank elaborated with a sly smile on his face. "_all over again_?"

An amused grin appeared on Lucas's face as he quietly studied his big brother's demeanor and waited for an answer.

It was a truly an intriguing question.

"...Right. It feels right. It feels... freeing." Connor tightened his hand around Evelyn's hand even more as he gave Hank a confident grin while the family took their leave of the cemetery together. "While Connor Anthony Wolf has died, Connor Henry Anderson has only just begun to live."

_**-End of Story-  
**_


	105. -Epilogue: Second Chance, Second Life-

_**-Epilogue: Second Chance, Second Life-**_

The night after the unusual funeral remained unusual yet hopeful as everyone contemplated the future. As Connor sat on the couch in the livingroom with Henry cuddled up on his lap in a deep sleep and Evelyn resting against his right side Connor thought about everything he had been through, and of everything still waiting for him just around the corner. Cybernetically he kept tabs on the news regarding the mayor's arrest, used his credentials with the precinct to ensure that the mayor was going to be charged with his numerous unforgivable crimes to the fullest extent of the law, and he even managed to keep track of the hospital's records regarding the organ donation of his human body as dozens of people in need were given a second chance at life.

Wrapping his right arm around Evelyn's shoulder Connor pulled her in closer as he used his left hand to gently rub Henry's back as the now deviant father enjoyed spending time with his family, and truly appreciated everything he had in his life. Sinking back into the cushions Connor looked over Evelyn and smiled as he watched her relax and press up against his side in her sleep with great affection.

"Son?" From the middle of the staircase Hank called out to Connor in a low voice as he watched the revived deviant cuddling with his wife and son in the darkness of the livingroom. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just thinking."

"Again?" Reaching the bottom of the staircase Hank walked over to the recliner and sat down as he spoke to his son in a whispering voice. "What's on your mind, now?"

"...Everything."

"Yeah, near-death experiences tend to have that effect on people."

"Have you experienced it before?"

"Yup. I've had my share of close calls while working my shifts, but that car accident..." Sighing as the grim memory bubbled to the surface Hank leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive manner. "That had me up for many nights just thinking and plotting."

"What did you think about?"

"What you're thinking about right now. Everything."

Smirking a little Connor ceased his cybernetic contact with the outside world and told Hank what he was doing. "...The mayor is going to be charged and tried next month for his crimes against Markus, myself and the rest of the city. He's been denied bail due to him being a massive flight risk, and will remain in lock-up under constant surveillance."

"With any luck someone will take that piece of shit out before the trial even begins, and save the taxpayers a pretty penny."

"...I've also been able to keep track of the donations from my body as they've been distributed about the country."

"You've been... Really?"

"Yes. I don't know the names of the recipients," the humbled deviant admitted in a low tone. "but I do know that I was able to help many people with the donations."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. My lungs went to a teenager who had suffered severe trauma during an auto accident, my liver went to a young mother who suffered complications after childbirth, one kidney went to a man who had been injured as a construction site, and the other is going to a little boy who was born with a weakened renal system. A majority of my other organs went to other ill people throughout the state and in total I was able to help twenty-one different people without even meeting them."

"Now that is pretty damn cool." As Hank thought about Connor's accomplishments an interesting question popped up in his head. "...What about your heart?"

"My heart." Resisting the urge to put his right hand over his chest Connor gave Hank an odd glance. "Due to my congenital birth defect and my subsequent surgery to replace the mitral valve with the prototype biocomponent my heart was disqualified from donation. Instead Dr. Khali Stern had my heart taken to her university from whence she graduated, and it's now being used as a teaching tool."

"Wait... How does_ that_ work?"

"There is a special type of preservation tank that can be used to keep organic tissue from breaking down for decades at a time. My heart has been placed in such a tank and now has external electrical stimuli to... keep it beating."

"Your heart-" The idea of Connor's human heart still beating despite death having claimed his body made Hank's blue eyes light up. The symbolism of Connor's heart still beating long after his body had succumbed to death was the perfect reflection of just how stubborn the deviant detective truly was. "That's pretty damn impressive."

"And unsettling to know that my heart is beating outside of my chest in a classroom on the East Coast."

"If it's going to help people learn how to be better doctors, and help distribute that fancy new biocomponent..."

"Agreed. It'll do more good to the world if other people can study it, but it's still an unusual image to think of."

"I won't argue with that."

Feeling more at ease Connor gave Henry a kiss on his hair and gave Evelyn a loving look. "...She's exhausted."

"Heartbreak returning to utter relief in love has to be emotionally draining. She was so strong for Henry when... You know. But I could see that her heart had shattered whenever I looked into her eyes. Now there's nothing but love and relief looking back."

"She's the strongest person I've ever met." Pressing Evelyn up closer to his right side Connor's kissed her hair as he tightened his hug around. "I'm glad she was able to stay strong for Henry, but I hope she never has to show that type of strength ever again."

"Same, son." Noting the late time Hank let out a small yawn and stood up slowly from the recliner. Very gently Hank took Henry from Connor's left arm and held him up against his own shoulder without waking Henry up in the process. "Come on. I got Henry you get Evelyn. They need their sleep."

Silently nodding Connor gently moved his arms so he could support Evelyn beneath her shoulders and her knees, and gently lifted her up from the couch to carry in his arms bridal style toward the staircase. As he held his wife in his arms Connor felt Evelyn instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck as she settled into his warm and strong grip, her right ear pressing against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

"Everyone's tired." Connor whispered as he followed Hank into Henry's bedroom and watched as his father put the sleeping baby down into the crib with a ginger touch. After Hank placed a small blanket over Henry's legs Connor decided to place Evelyn down in Lucas's old bed so they could all sleep together in Henry's room for the night. "I know we want to go to the cabin in three days, but..."

"Once everyone gets some sleep and has time to think about what happened we'll be able to relax and go back to a more routine life."

"I hope you're right."

"I am, son." Putting his right hand to Connor's left shoulder Hank gave his son a confident nod of the head. "If you can defy death not once, but twice, then I know you can get back into a routine and resume your life and live it up to its fullest."

"Thanks, dad."

"Get some sleep and spend the next two days spoiling your wife and son rotten. I already told Fowler to give us the next two weeks off since everything went down the way it did, and he isn't going to tell us 'no' because you died and then got better."

Smirking at the joke Connor gently placed Evelyn down on Lucas's bed and pulled the quilt up to cover her under the warm layer. "...I think I'm going to sleep-in tomorrow morning. I want to stay with Evelyn while she sleeps."

"Sounds just fine to me, son. I'll see all three of you in the morning, and in a few days we'll be at the cabin celebrating yours and Lucas's birthdays."

"Yeah. A celebration of life sounds perfect to me right about now."

* * *

_**August 15th, 2043: - Connor and Lucas's Birthday  
**_

The hot summer day at the cabin was just what the family needed after enduring the near tragedy that could've taken Connor from their lives. The lake was nice and quiet and the despite the hot weather there was a cool breeze blowing from the lake to help things remain relatively comfortable. As the family gathered around the lake together Connor glanced at the water and felt a sense of peace wash over him. Being away from the city but near his family was exactly what the deviant needed to begin the emotional healing process of his human body dying, but his consciousness surviving within the confines of his deviant body.

Watching as Henry crawled up the shady cool grass with Evelyn following after him, and watched as Lucas held Madison on his right shoulder as he joined Hank at the edge of the lake to check out the water. Chloe was inside the cabin setting up the portable crib for Madison to sleep in while they stayed at the cabin, and with that sense of loving family Connor felt entirely at ease.

"This was a good idea, dad." Connor complimented his father aloud as he walked over to Henry and scooped him up from the grass. As Henry smiled and smacked his hands against Connor's chest the deviant father just smirked and offered his right hand to Evelyn to hold. "I'd like to think that even if that odd day didn't happen we would've come out here all the same."

"Yup." Hank confirmed as he turned to face Connor as he stayed beside the lake next to Lucas. "I had it planned for some time, but I couldn't be sure until after Maddy was born."

"Good planning. We wouldn't want a pregnant woman too far away from the hospital while she was so close to her due date."

Squeezing Connor's hand lightly Evelyn gave him a gentle smile. "I'm so very glad Henry was born after the cold weather faded away. I can't imagine trying to get to the hospital during a blizzard or driving through Chicago traffic."

"I wonder if the weather will be cooperative for Markus and North when-" Stopping himself before he said anything more Connor tried but failed to come up with a convincing cover for what he just said, and dropped his voice in embarassment. "...N-Never mind."

"Wait... what?!" Evelyn's eyes went wide as Connor blushed a bright blue considering he accidentally let the surprise slip. "They're going to have a baby, too?"

"Uh... I wasn't supposed to say anything. YET."

"Their secret is safe with me, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be excited on their behalf!"

"...Please don't-" Evelyn's index finger gently pressing to his lips silenced Connor as his blush faded.

"I promise I won't say anything until they do."

"...Thank you."

"When is she due?"

"February."

"In eight months?" The large time frame seemed utterly shocking to Evelyn as she didn't know about Henry until she was almost half way through her own pregnancy. "She's certain she's pregnant despite it being so soon?"

"Yes. Having many new updates and upgrades to her system allowed North to note the very moment she successfully conceived. And according to Markus she is already showing a little, too."

"So soon?"

Letting his blush fade and his grin return Connor confirmed the situation at hand. "They're having twins."

"Oh, my... I'm so happy for them! Twins!"

"Remember, don't say anything yet."

"I won't, Connor. I'll wait for them to say something and then I'll celebrate." Combing her right fingers through Henry's dark hair Evelyn just smiled and compared her son's face to Connor's face; the resemblance uncanny and almost perfect. "I guess Hank was right. It seems like pregnancy is contagious right about now."

Glancing over at Maddy and Lucas passed her over to Hank to hold and carry over to the shade to sit down by the cold fire pit Connor smirked at his tiny niece and imagined having the chance to raise a daughter as well as a son. "...Think in a few years we'd try for another baby?"

"I... I'm not against it." It was Evelyn's turn to blush as she contemplated the question. "But Henry is a miracle baby who beat the odds. Do you really think we could get so lucky twice?"

"I don't see why not. It seems like luck and timing is the Anderson guide to survival."

Giving Connor a kiss on his lips Evelyn grinned and pulled him toward the bon fire pit so they could sit in the shade and just enjoy one another's company on the peaceful and warm summer day. "Come on, birthday boy. We're going to celebrate your life with your family, and then we're going to celebrate with each other in a more... 'private manner' after dinner."

Blushing yet again Connor cleared his voice and just let his wife lead the way. "Whatever you want to do, Evelyn. I won't argue."

"Yeah?" Giving him a playful look over her right shoulder Evelyn winked and squeezed his hand again. "I thought you'd like that."

* * *

_**Autumn of 2043:**_

Having returned to his life as a deviant detective Connor was falling back into a daily routine of seeing his wife and son before going to into the precinct along with Hank, and the two detectives went about their shift of protecting and handling deviant cases just as they normally did. The precinct treated Connor as they always had and with only the occasional close call with an aggressive deviant Connor was keeping himself well out of harm's way as his strengthened instinct for self preservation kept reminding him that he couldn't just keep pushing himself to impossible standards just to solve his cases now that he had a son and wife to take care of.

As Hank sat down behind his desk with a mug of warm coffee in his left hand he passed Connor his own mug and gave him a cheesy grin.

Curious about the contents of the mug Connor picked it up and peered inside at the pale blue liquid steaming up from the mug. "...What's this?"

"You tell me."

Dipping his left index finger down into the mug Connor got a sample of the liquid and pressed it to his tongue to run an analysis. "...Thirium."

"Yup."

"But it... tastes like peppermint."

"Yup."

"I don't understand."

"Well," giving the confused deviant a coy smirk Hank motioned toward Gavin as the abrasive Sergeant typed away at his keyboard behind his own desk. "it turns out Abby had been experimenting with adding flavor to Thirium and started making a synthetic type of tea for androids to drink. Gavin brought in a pretty good selection for you and the other androids in the precinct to try."

"That was very kind of both of them." Picking up the mug Connor sipped at the special tea and approved of the flavor. "Tastes like the real thing."

"Are you going to get those upgrades like Lucas so you can eat real food again?"

"I've considered it, but I'm not so sure that'd be a good idea."

"Why's that?"

"Remember how even as a human I could never really feel a sense of hunger?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Androids don't feel it at all. The upgrade is meant to be a substitute for Thirium ingestion, and will only alert me to my low energy level in the event I reach a critical level."

"So you'd pass out from the android equivalent to low blood sugar before you knew you were in need of a boost?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Good to know. But I'm pretty sure the upgrade came with the 'sense of hunger' as a part of it."

Taking another sip of the tea Connor gave his father an odd look. "How so?"

"During Thanksgiving last year Lucas took me aside and asked me what it meant if his stomach made a growling noise."

"...O-Oh." Finishing off his drink Connor set the empty mug aside and gave Hank a shrug of his shoulders. "Then perhaps the upgrades could be beneficial after all. _Especially_ with Henry still trying new foods."

"At least he's being more cooperative when trying new stuff these days."

"Speaking of which, we'll need to stop by the grocery store and pick up more blueberries for Henry."

"Already?"

"He seems to love them. He dislikes strawberries with a passion though."

"Kids are weird."

A paper ball bounced off of Connor's left shoulder as Gavin called out to the two detective curiously. "Have you ever had to deal with a kid trying to eat shaving cream because she thinks it's whipped cream?"

"No." Connor confirmed that Henry hadn't done anything like that. "He had attempted to eat Ruby's dog food once, but Evelyn stopped him."

Laughing to himself Hank just remembered the look on Evelyn's face as she scooped Henry up from the kitchen floor in time to get the kibble out of his tiny hand. She looked mortified while Henry was just giggling at his mother's reaction.

"Yeah..." Gavin looked a tad uncomfortable as thought about all the mess Aria had made once she started crawling around. Dumped over garbage can, destroyed laundry baskets, tipped over chairs... But there was one incident that would always stand out in Gavin's mind. "There's a good reason we put the litter box up on top of the dryer and out her reach. That was too damn close..."

Chris walked between the two desks as he sipped at his own mug of coffee and shook his head at the stories being exhanged. "Damian was convinced that toothpaste was actually frosting, and we had to keep that locked up in the top of the medicine cabinet since he would try to climb on the sink to get to it."

The silly moments made Hank laugh again and he thought about Cole as a toddler after he first brought Sumo home as a Christmas gift. "Two days after I put Sumo's bowls on the floor Cole decided he wanted to drink water the same way Sumo did, and got milk and cereal all over the kitchen floor."

Turning to face Hank again Connor let a faint grin of pride appear as Hank spoke about Cole without feeling immediately sad. "I'll be sure to keep Ruby's bowls off the floor so Henry doesn't get any ideas."

"Be sure to let Lucas know about Ash's litter box now so he doesn't have to worry about it later."

"Good idea." Cybernetically Connor spoke with his little brother and smirked as Lucas sent him an image of Madison taking a nap with Ash cuddled up against her side to keep her warm. "Hank..." Reaching out his right hand Connor retracted his artificial skin and uploaded the image onto Hank's phone for him to see for himself. "Lucas just sent me this."

Peering at his phone Hank smiled proudly at the sweet image. "Just like Cole and Sumo, Maddie and Ash are already best friends."

"I'm sure once Henry is a little bigger and can play properly with Ruby she'll be less guarded and more cuddly as well."

"She's a bloodhound, son. She won't let her protective nature down just yet."

"Interesting to note."

"Come on, let's finish this case up so we can head home."

"Of course. The case was already simple enough as it."

"Yeah, I know. Go figure a mistaken identity would be the easiest case of the day."

"It's fortune the security footage confirmed that the suspect was in fact a former human employee attempting to frame his android coworker upon getting fired. It spared us many potentially wasted hours."

"Yeah, and with scruples like that I can't imagine why the bank fired that guy's sorry ass."

* * *

Returning home with a few extra groceries on their person, Hank insisting that they have another big Thanksgiving to celebrate Henry and Madison's inclusion to the family, Connor joined his wife and son in the livingroom to get in some play time before Henry went to bed. In the kitchen Hank put away the groceries and checked out the simple dinner that Evelyn had prepared why everyone was out of the house. Sitting down on the floor across from his son as Henry pulled himself upright to stand up, and lean against his strong plastic 'busy station' designed to keep him engaged and help him develop his fine motor skills as he grew-up.

Evelyn gave Connor a kiss as he joined her on the floor and held up her phone to record Henry standing up all on his own.

"How long has he been standing?" Connor asked as he laid on right side on the floor to look Henry in the eyes as the baby stood up all by himself and playing with his toys.

"He just started pulling himself up this afternoon with the coffee table." Confirming the baby's progress Evelyn smiled her proud maternal smile. The baby boy was standing on his own and making sounds that were surprisingly close to real words already. "I was getting a little worried since he should've been doing that a month ago."

"All babies develop differently. According to Hank's experiences with Cole's progress Cole didn't crawl until he was six months old, stand until eight months old and walk until ten months old. Henry was crawling at five and half months and he's barely eight months right now."

"That's a relief I'd hate to think he was missing out on his milestones and we didn't catch it in time."

"Henry's doing just fine." Smiling at his son as Henry handed him one of his squishy foam blocks Connor accepted the toy and watched his son with true pride in his soulful brown eyes. The life in Connor's eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest as he returned to living as a deviant, and it only proved that deviants were all very much alive. "I estimate he'll take his first steps within the month."

"I want to see it, but at the same time I kind of hope he doesn't." Flashing Connor a conflicted smile Evelyn scooted back a little from Henry to ensure her son had plenty of room to climb around. "Once he's walking I want to go back to work."

"I remember. Have you selected a daycare for Henry?"

"Wait, they didn't tell you, yet?"

"...Evidently not, as I have no idea who this 'they' is you're referring to."

"Josh and Simon." Turning to watch as Hank strolled back into the livingroom to lean over the back of the couch to admire Henry himself Evelyn told her husband the good news. "Ever since Markus and North spread the word of their impending twins Simon refurbished an unused guest room into a daycare center, and he's is going to take over their care."

"That's a fantastic idea. Henry will love it out there."

"Lucas is going to take Maddy out there next month when Chloe starts her training in nursing school, so Henry will have more chances to play with his cousin."

"Perfect. Sounds like everything is moving along perfectly."

From behind the couch Hank cleared his throat a little as he pointed at Henry. "Speaking of moving..."

Henry let go of his supportive toy and managed to stand up and balance all on his own. Looking over at Connor just a few inches away Henry lifted up his small foot and put it back down as if contemplating whether or not he could make the distance or not.

Sitting up slowly on the floor Connor held out his hands and spoke to Henry in a calm tone. "You can do it, Henry. Come over here."

Evelyn got her knees to record Henry as he took his first wobbly step and fell back down on his rump.

"You can do it, try again..."

Moving slowly but surely Henry managed to pull himself back up with his strong supportive toy and got back on his feet.

"Come on, Henry." Remaining patient and hopeful Connor coaxed his son into taking his first steps. "Come and see daddy..."

Henry made a small noise that was very close to another word as if issuing a battle cry and took another step. Without losing his balance but still wobbling where he stood Henry took a full step forward, and then another and another. Slowly he managed to walk the necessary six steps to get to Connor and fell onto Connor's lap with a proud smile on his face.

"You did it, Henry!" Giving Henry a gentle hug Connor proudly put his son on his lap and had him turn to face Evelyn so she could record his smiling face. "Good job!"

Hank crossed his arms over his chest as he made an unusual observation on the interaction. "Hard to believe at one point you were convinced you wouldn't be a good father, kid."

"I... I guess I found my confidence." Helping Henry to stand back up Connor motioned toward Evelyn with his right hand. "...And I promised to do better than 'you know who' ever did. I won't break my word with my son."

"Good answer, Connor."

Evelyn held up her own hands and playfully waved for Henry to keep walking. "Come here, baby. Walk to mommy."

Seemingly enthusiastic about walking on his own Henry repeated his actions and managed to walk a little bit further to reach Evelyn and again he smiled proudly as he fell against Evelyn's lap.

"Oh, Henry!" Kissing his right cheek Evelyn beamed proudly at her son. "You're such a big boy already!"

Connor rose from the floor so he could kneel down beside Henry and next to Evelyn as he saved his memories of Henry's first steps to his core memorybank, and sent a copy of the memories over to Lucas so he could see Henry's progress himself.

"Thata' boy, Henry." Hank was also beaming with pride as he watched his family all gathered together on the floor. "You're well on your way to exploring this world."

"Not yet..." Connor remarked in a low voice as he ran his right hand along Henry's back. "I want him to stay here with us for as long as possible before he goes off on his own."

* * *

_**The New Year - 2044:**_

With a heavy heart Evelyn finished changing into her work uniform and pulled her long brunette hair up into a ponytail out of her face. It had been over a year since she resigned from her precinct in Chicago to move in with Connor in Detroit, and so she could give birth to Henry without worrying about being pregnant and working at the same time. Resuming her original routine of waking up, showering off, having a light breakfast and then changing into her work uniform had been slightly altered to accommodate Henry and ensure he was changed and fed before doing anything else before leaving the house.

Entering their shared bedroom with Henry on his right hip Connor looked at his wife as Evelyn stared at her own reflection in the full body mirror mounted in the back of Connor's closet. The confidence in Evelyn's blue eyes was still shining forth, but now she had a faint glimmer of hesitation as it meant she and Connor would have to leave Henry at New Jericho's daycare all day long.

"Evelyn?"

"I'm ready, Connor." Turning to face her husband Evelyn smoothed out her purple blouse and checked the holster on her hip before slipping her black blazer on over top of it to keep her weapon concealed. "It's just a little weird to realize that I'll be going back to work, and our son will be at daycare all morning and afternoon."

"I know. But he'll be safe, happy and he'll be home with us this evening."

Giving Henry a gentle kiss on his hair Evelyn sighed and gave Connor an odd look. "I know. It's just odd to think about."

"Tomorrow Hank and I have the day off, so Henry will stay with us while you're working. I'm sure we'll have more alternating shifts than we will correlating shifts so Henry won't have to spend too much time away from home or from us."

"Now I understand why so many families have a stay-at-home parent."

"If you're not ready to go back to work you don't have to go."

"No... I'm ready. I just don't want Henry to think we're neglecting him."

"He knows we love him and would never hurt him." Grinning as Henry pulled on his black tie Connor did his best to reassure his worried wife. "It might be a tense adjustment at first, but Henry will be just fine with Simon and Josh watching over him."

"Yeah... You're right."

"We should leave so we aren't late."

"Okay. You get out at six this evening, right?"

"Yes. Hank and I work a fairly consistent schedule."

"Good. I won't be out until eight tonight."

"Why so much longer?"

"I'm the newbie at my precinct and I've been out of practice for over a year. I'm going to get put through basic training as a refresher course, and then I'll get shorter hours."

"Don't develop my bad habit of working too long without a break."

"Oh, believe me, I won't do that." Holding up her phone for Connor to see Evelyn gave him a playful stare. "The moment I get my lunchbreak I'm going to 'face time' with Henry at the daycare center, so I won't forget to take it easy."

"Good plan. I'll join you with your call."

Standing up on her tiptoes Evelyn gave Connor a kiss and smiled warmly at her husband. "It's a date then!"

* * *

The morning after dropping Henry off at New Jericho Tower to be watched by Simon and Josh in the new daycare seemed to resume at a normal and calm pace for Evelyn, as she acclimated to having a work schedule again. Arriving at her precinct right on time and introducing herself to her new Captain, a somewhat familiar face known as Captain Keller - who had helped out at Hank and Connor's precinct in times of emergency - in his private office, Evelyn made a good first impression, and was giving a proper morning greeting by the rest of the bullpen.

Being shown to her new desk Evelyn happily put down her name placard with 'Evelyn Anderson' engraved over its gilded surface on the top right corner of that very desk, and then placed a framed photograph of Connor holding Henry on the top left corner to give her personal work space a true sense of personality. As she sat down and proceeded to turn on her terminal screen Evelyn sensed her Captain walking up beside her desk with a second detective at his side.

"Anderson." Captain Keller gave her a simple nod the head as he introduced the second detective as her new partner. "This is Detective Caleb Jayden. He's your new partner and he'll show you the ropes."

"Nice to meet you, Caleb." Standing up she shook her new partner's right hand and gave him a kind smile. Caleb was in his mid thirties with short sandy brown hair and blue eyes. He had a light complexion that seemed to be a little paler than usual thanks to the harsh winter keeping everyone indoors until it finally warmed up. "I'm Evelyn."

Accepting the handshake Caleb gave Evelyn a kind smile and proceeded to sit down at his own desk across from her. "It's nice to meet you, too."

Captain Keller waited for the two detectives to both be seated behind their active terminal screens before placing a tablet with a new case down in front of them to view. "There was a reported sighting of very potent drug dubbed 'Slug' being distributed near the local library. You two are going to go out and investigate, and try to find the source." Giving Evelyn another nod he backed away to return to his private office on the other side of the precinct. "Welcome to narcotics, Anderson."

Sighing as she looked at the screen Evelyn gave Caleb a despondent look. "Really? At the library?"

"Last week it was a high school on the ritzier side of town that had a drug problem."

"Oh, wow..."

"You have a kid, don't ya'?"

"Yeah, I have a son." Showing Caleb the photo on her desk Evelyn introduced her new partner to her family. "Henry. He's tenth months old now."

"Handsome little guy. He looks just like his father."

"Connor. I swear Henry is his clone and not his son."

"That's what my husband said about our own son." Showing Evelyn his family Caleb introduced them to her in a kind voice. Like her own photo Caleb had a photo of his husband holding their two kids on his lap, and a proud smile on his face. "That's my husband, Darius." The man in the photo looked to be Caleb's age with a dark complexion, deep soulful brown eyes that reminded Evelyn of Connor, a shaved head and simple dark goatee. He also had an athletic build and the type of charisma any politician would kill for. "And our son," the five year old was a spitting image of Caleb. "is Alex. As for our princess," the little girl was about two years old and took after Darius in both complexion and eye color just Alex took after Caleb. "that is our little Olivia."

"Your family is so beautiful. You must be proud."

"Beyond words." Caleb stated as he put his photo back on his desk. "I've been married to Darius for eight years and known him for ten. Hard to believe I'd meet my soulmate getting coffee one fateful evening after a long day at the academy."

"Oh, I believe it." Smiling at the photo of Connor on her desk Evelyn gave Caleb a curious glance as she prepared to tell him about she and Connor had met, and how they came together. "I truly believe love has its own way of bringing people together..."

* * *

Sitting at his own desk with his coin gracefully dancing over the back of his right knuckles Connor sighed and waited for the time to finally tick over to one in the afternoon so he and Hank could go out on their lunchbreak, and so he could finally chat with Evelyn as they 'face times' with Henry at the New Jericho daycare area. As the seconds continued to tick by slowly Connor felt his coin suddenly disappear from the back of his hand as Hank swiped it away and held it up for the deviant to see.

Without even looking up at the senior detective standing beside him Connor asked the obvious. "...Was I disturbing you?"

"A little." Offering the coin back Hank gave his son a stern look. "Relax. The first day of sending your child to daycare is always the toughest, but Henry is going to be just fine for a few hours."

"You're right. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just stop worrying."

Blushing a pale blue Connor pocketed his coin and turned his full attention to Hank. "...I can't."

"Yeah, well, I'm not surprised." Noting the time Hank decided that it was close enough to one o'clock and that they should go ahead and take their break so Connor would stop worrying. "Let's go and grab something to eat. According to Tina a small android food stand opened up along the same block at the 'Chicken Feed', so we can both get something this afternoon."

"Okay. That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

Right on cue Evelyn retreated to the privacy of her car in the parking lot of her new precinct and proceeded to make contact with Simon at New Jericho so she could face time with her son. As the blond deviant picked up the line, the special cell phone being used was a gift to the kind deviant for taking the lead on tending to the children of the tower for the sake of helping his friends as they adapted to parenthood, Evelyn smiled brightly and instantly felt her heart melt as she saw Simon holding Henry in his arms as Henry smiled and played with a soft toy in his hands.

"Hi, Henry!"

Upon hearing his mother's voice Henry turned to the phone being held up by Simon and smiled even brighter.

"I love you, baby. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Next to Evelyn's image on the phone Connor and Hank appeared as he too used his own phone to connect to the call and connect with his son. "Hi, Henry. We can see you!"

Smiling at the familiar faces and voices Henry seemed to be doing just fine at the daycare center.

"How's he doing, Simon?"

"Just fine, Connor." Happy to have a baby to play with again Simon confirmed that Henry was very content and seemed to be okay without his parents for the time being. "He just woke up from a nap and he's ready to play. I figure after he burns off all his extra energy he'd be more receptive to lunch and then he'll probably take another nap."

"That sounds about right."

Relieved to see her son doing well Evelyn finally relaxed and turned her attention to other matters at hand. "How's North?"

"She's very uncomfortable," Simon replied with a cheesy grin on his face. "and she's going to stay at home until it's time to deliver."

"Well, considering she's carrying twins I'm not surprised she just wants to relax. I was only carrying Henry and I swore if I got any bigger I was going to pop! I can only imagine how she feels."

"I can do you one better." Uploading an image of North standing in front of Markus as they pressed their all four of their hands over her eight month pregnant belly made everyone stare in shock. North had always been a tiny and petite thing, so seeing her hefting around a nearly full term belly with twins was quite a sight to behold. "I think it's safe to say her staying home is the best choice she has at the moment."

Hank cut-in with his own opinion on the matter. "I think it's her _only_ choice! Being that big is going to slow her down quite a bit."

Connor had his own inquiry on the matter. "Is she still going to deliver from home as planned?"

"Yeah, she doesn't want to go to the hospital and be surrounded by gawking humans."

Evelyn empathized with that aspect of the situation. "I don't blame her. Just remember to call us when it's time so we can be there to support her and Markus."

"I will, don't worry."

"Henry..." Calling her son's name again Evelyn giggled as the baby looked at her and smiled. "You keep being good for Simon, okay? Tomorrow you get to spend the whole day with daddy and papa, and then it'll be me and you again!"

Henry just smiled and giggled happily as his mother spoke to him in a loving tone.

"Don't worry, Evelyn." Simon replied as he adjusted Henry in his arms so he could see the phone a little easier. "This little guy is the guest of honor as the first member of the daycare, and he'll be smiling when you come to pick him up."

"Thanks, Simon. Connor and Hank will be getting him just after six, I'm stuck working until at least eight."

"Right, see ya', then!"

"Bye, Simon. Bye, baby! I love you!"

Connor tagged in as well before the call ended. "Daddy and papa love you, too! See you soon, Henry!"

After Simon and Henry disappeared from the screen Evelyn spoke with Connor and Hank before they went about their own business. "So how's your day going?"

"Slowly." Connor responded in a somewhat sarcastic voice. "We don't have deviant case to work on, so now the day's crawling by. How's your first day back to work?"

"Not bad. I got put back on the narcotic division and my new partner seems nice."

"Anyone we know?"

"Do you know a Caleb Jayden?"

"No, I never met him." Falling quiet for a moment Connor cybernetically accessed the officer's file and his brow furrowed a little. "...Interesting."

"What? Did you seriously read up on my partner?"

"Yes." Without any shame Connor admitted to snooping a little. "I was curious. At any rate Caleb is the son of Norman Jayden. He's the F.B.I. agent who took down the infamous "Origami Killer" in Philadelphia Pennsylvania back in 2011."

"Wait... I remember reading about that case back in the academy. That was the serial killer who drowned little boys in rain water..."

"I, uh, sorry." Feeling terrible for reminded Evelyn that such a person once existed Connor cleared his throat nervously; a strange habit he retained even after returning to deviancy. "I didn't mean to mention such a macabre moment."

"It's okay, Connor. I know the "Origami Killer" isn't going to rise from the grave and come after Henry."

"It was still-"

"An accident. It's okay, I'm fine and so is Henry. You two just finish your shift, pick up Henry and I'll see you at home tonight."

"Right. I love you, Evelyn."

"And I love you, Connor. I'll see you all in a few hours!"

Leaning back in his seat as the call ended Connor wanted to punch himself in the face for mentioning such a thing, even in passing, while Evelyn was just getting over her worries about Henry being in daycare all day long without either of his parents or his grandfather or his uncle to watch over him. He too was anxious of leaving his son in a daycare facility but he didn't have much choice if all three occupants of the house were all working during the day, and all had intersecting schedules.

"Easy, son." Patting Connor's shoulder sympathetically Hank knew what Connor was moping about. "Evelyn's fine and Henry's safe. Let's just finish this day and go pick up Henry so we can spend the rest of the evening with him, and then tomorrow you can go back to being super dad with Henry all day."

"Right." Nodding a little Connor accepted Hank's advice and sighed where he sat. "We're all okay and that's how it's going to stay."

* * *

_**February 14th, 2044:**_

The early morning was the ideal time for Connor to set about preparing Evelyn's special surprise for the day, but just as he finished preparing the gift box for his wife on the noted day of romance he received a cybernetic call from Markus, and with that call the entire day's plans changed drastically. Responding to the call calmly but excitedly Connor pocketed the sapphire ring he had purchased for Evelyn to honor her birth date, and made his way back up the staircase with the special breakfast on the serving tray he made just for Evelyn to enjoy in bed.

Opening the bedroom door with his right elbow Connor put the tray down on the nightstand beside the bed and gave Evelyn a soft kiss on her left cheek to gently awaken her. "...Hi."

"Hi yourself." Smiling at her husband Evelyn sat up in bed and immediately smelled the warm French toast he had made just for her. "Aww... You didn't have to do that."

"No, but I wanted to do it. It's our second Valentine's Day together, but the first one we're actually celebrating."

"Well, having a baby kicking in your belly for eight months straight makes it a little hard to celebrate the feeling of romance. After all, that's how we ended up with Henry to begin with."

Blushing a pale blue as he let out a nervous chuckle Connor placed the tray over Evelyn's lap and laid down beside her on the bed. "Just so you know, I had something else special planned for you but that might be delayed for a while."

"Why's that?"

"When I was downstairs I got a call from Markus..."

"No way!" Grinning mischievously Evelyn squeezed Connor's right hand affectionately. "If North gives birth today on Valentine's Day then that will be the best timing ever!"

"And it'll be the perfect symbol of love."

"You're such a romantic sometimes, Connor." Taking a bite of the French toast Evelyn gave Connor another smile and then kissed his cheek. "You're too good to me. I love you, and that's not just the syrup making me talk sweet."

"I love you, too."

"Should we tell Hank about North?"

"Let him sleep for a while longer. It'd best if he stayed here with Henry so North doesn't feel to overwhelmed by visitor's while she's in labor."

"Good idea. We'll take Henry to visits the twins after North has time to recover, and Markus is up for some guests greeting the babies."

"Want to make a wager on the twins?"

"Now that you're a deviant again I don't that's fair." Evelyn quipped as she gave Connor a loving smile. "You can scan North and figure out the gender, weight and estimate a time of birth for both of them."

"True." Not one to deny his advantage Connor smirked and immediately picked up on the sound of Henry make his near-word sounds from his bedroom. Swiftly he rose from the bed and crossed the hallway to get to his son's bedroom and plucked him from the crib to hold as Henry stood upright and extended his arms upward seeking attention. "Come on, Henry. Let's go see mommy before we head out to visit Markus and North."

Once Henry was sitting upright on the bed beside her Evelyn took a small smear of strawberry jam from her breakfast plate and offered to Henry to try. As expected he still hated the taste of strawberries and grimaced. "Just checking, sweetie. We know you don't like them."

"I'll get him some blueberries to snack on before we leave." Watching as Henry awkwardly wiped his arm over his lips Connor laughed a little as he made small protesting noises that were painfully close to words. "I'll also let Hank know we'll be at Markus and North's home waiting for the twins to be born."

"Think Henry'll start speaking soon?"

"Very soon. He's already so close to saying real words, so I know he'll say something soon!"

* * *

Activity at the mansion was abundant and energetic as North labored upstairs in the master bedroom and Abby herself arrived at the loving home to ensure a safe delivery. While Connor hadn't actually been a paramedic due to events beyond his control he still had the training and knowledge at his disposal, as well as his emergency training as a detective that could prove handy if North or the twins suffered any complications during delivery. Joining Abby upstairs Connor checked in on his friend and was ready to assist the kindhearted technician if she needed it.

Settling in the sitting room with Markus as he mentally prepared for the arrival of his twins Evelyn offered him a kind voice to listen to while Abby and Connor checked on North upstairs. "You ready to be a daddy?"

"I am!" Markus was as excited as he was anxious about the birth. "We've wanted this for so long, and when North discovered she was carrying twins... I felt my heart explode with love."

"I had the same reaction with Henry, and when I told Connor about my pregnancy I swore I saw his heart double in size right before my eyes!"

"North has been so excited and has been planning everything down the last detail. We have their shared bedroom ready, and when they're old enough to have their own bedrooms we have them both ready to go, too."

Watching as Markus paced the sitting room Evelyn kept smiling and tried to get him to keep talking to ensure he didn't get too nervous about the ordeal. "Do you know the genders?"

"We do. We just want to keep it between us for now."

"Can you give me a hint with the names at least?"

"Not just yet." Smiling with deeply seeded love in his every word Markus was clearly ready to be a father as well as the deviant leader. The mansion was designed to hold a big family but Markus still made sure to leave Carl's art studio as it had been on that fateful night. The memories of Carl, his father, would last longer than the mansion itself as Markus's family grew. "We have the names chosen and we figured them out pretty damn quick."

"That's impressive. I didn't know what to name Henry at all." Giving Markus a casual shrug of her shoulders Evelyn motioned for him to sit down on the small sofa beside her and stop pacing for a moment. "Connor just said the name when he saw Henry, and we both agreed that it was perfect."

"Connor chose the name to honor Lieutenant Anderson, right?"

"Yeah. And I chose the middle name, Cole, to honor both my grandfather who raised me and to honor Hank's firstborn son."

Sitting down beside Evelyn at last Markus let out a breath but his smile never faltered. "I love the idea of naming children to honor their families."

"...Is that a hint?"

"You're the detective," teasing his friend with a playful tone Markus just looked at Evelyn and continued to beam proudly. "you tell me!"

The sound of footsteps walking down the staircase filled the mansion as Connor located Markus and Evelyn in the sitting room together. Entering the inviting space with a kind grin on his face he nodded at Markus and gave him an update. "Abby thinks North will be delivering within the hour."

"And everything's okay?"

"Everything is progressing normally, and Abby confirms that the twins are in perfect health."

"Thank RA9." Standing up from the sofa Markus gave Connor a quick pat the shoulder as he passed his friend by and rushed up the staircase to be with his laboring bondmate during her final minutes, and hold her hand from beginning to end until their twins were at last born.

"Tell me." Evelyn insisted as she too rose from the sofa and took Connor's hands in her own to hold in a warm embrace. "Are the twins boys, girls or one of each?"

"I promised I wouldn't spoil the reveal."

"You're no fun!"

"I'm tons of fun," giving Evelyn a kiss Connor held her close to his chest and patiently awaited the good word from upstairs. "just ask Henry."

* * *

As the morning sun turned to brilliant afternoon light the sound of high pitched crying filled the mansion as the first of the twins was brought into the world with both parents and a trusted friend to help guide them to their first breath of life. In the sitting room Connor and Evelyn tightened their hands around one another and slowly stood up from the sofa to head toward the staircase. Waiting for their invitation to come upstairs and visit the newborn twins the duo held their breath and anticipated the second twin's arrival.

"One down," Evelyn noted with an enthusiastic grin on her face. "one to go!"

"The baby sounds healthy, that's good."

"But North isn't making a sound. Do androids really have that much of a higher pain tolerance than humans?"

"North simply turned off her pain receptors from her abdomen down to ensure she didn't stress herself out during the labor and delivery. Same as Chloe."

"I wish I could've done that. The epidural was a blessing in the form of needle to the spine. Go figure..."

A few minutes passed before the second cry filled the mansion and with it two new lives were welcomed into the world.

"...They're here."

"And they're both healthy." Wrapping his right arm around Evelyn's shoulders Connor gave his wife a hug as they waited to be invited upstairs. "I'm going to let Hank know that everything went well. The moment we can see the twins I'll cybernetically send him a photo as well."

"Two babies..."

"I know." He and Evelyn felt the same in regards to a slightly bigger family. "Having another baby in our lives would making everything that much better."

* * *

Upstairs where the two newborn babies were crying and trying to understand the new world that they had been brought into Markus sat on the bed beside North as he cradled the firstborn twin in his arms, and North cradled the second born herself. The delivery had been smooth and there were no complications, but Abby was going to stick around for a while after helping North to get cleaned up, and ensure that the twins were going to remain perfectly healthy. To ensure that the babies would stay healthy Abby contacted Dr. Wilson at St. Mercy Hospital and asked for his discretion in getting the newborns a pediatric appointment to give them a clean bill of health, and proceeded to watch as the proud new parents cooed over their twins with utter love in their eyes.

Seeing the happy new parents reminded Abby of the first time she held Aria in her arms. The birth of her own daughter had been less than ideal thanks to her precipitous labor and Gavin needing to deliver Aria in their livingroom, but Abby didn't regret a single moment of it. Aria was her whole world and she was honored to have helped Markus and North enter a new chapter of their lives together with two perfectly healthy babies.

"Everything went off without a hitch." Abby confirmed as she placed her Thirium and blood covered purple latex gloves into a medical waste bag. "Both babies are healthy, North is thriving and her body is already recovering at a steady pace."

Smiling at the baby in his arms Markus gently moved his right arm to wrap around North's shoulders to bring her in for a hug as the cuddled closer together and let the twins be reunited after their brief separation during delivery.

"They're perfect." Markus whispered as the twins quieted down and snuggled into their parents' loving hold. "And they're all ours." Giving North a kiss Markus let out a content sigh and as he let tears of joy roll down his face. "...Thank you for bringing them into our world, North."

"I love you, Markus." Resting her head on his right shoulder North breathed a sigh of relief now that everything was finally over after nine long months. "And I love them with all my heart."

Abby discreetly approached the bedroom door to give the couple some privacy. "If you need anything I'll be downstairs, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Abby."

Holding onto their children as they cuddled in silence North and Markus melted into one another's embrace and admired their twins.

"Are you sure about the names, North? It's not too late to change your mind."

"I'm sure. And it's okay, I know what you're worried about and I promise you that I'm okay with it."

"Thank you."

"We should introduce them to Connor and Evelyn. I want them to start off life right with knowing that they have family and friends to protect them."

"Yeah... I'll let Connor know it's okay to come upstairs."

"It's a good thing you were a caretaker before everything went down. You're going to be a fantastic and nurturing father."

"And you're going to be a fantastic and loving mother."

A soft knocking on the opened bedroom preceded Connor and Evelyn entering the room to see the twins, and to see how North was feeling after giving birth. The sight of the two new parents cradling their newborns made Connor and Evelyn smile brightly as they neared the bed.

"Markus?"

"Everything's fine." He confirmed as he turned his firstborn so Connor and Evelyn could see their face. "This is our son. Wyatt Carleton Manfred."

"A boy... And you named him after Carl."

"It was the best way to honor his memory."

Thinking of Henry's full name Connor couldn't help but agree. "You're completely right."

"And our daughter." Nodding at the second baby in North's arms Markus continued the introductions. "This is Hope Valerie Manfred."

"They're both beautiful."

"Do you want to hold them?"

"Of course I do." With a ginger touch Connor took Wyatt to hold for himself while Evelyn gently held Hope in her own arms. Seeing the baby's tiny face was an incredible sight to behold. Wyatt had Markus's complexion, dark hair and jawline, but he inherited North's nose and a mixture of eye color from both of his parents. Wyatt's left eye was cinnamon brown and his right eye was Markus's original green color. "He's incredible. Is he the big brother?"

"Yeah. Wyatt is the big brother to Hope."

Hope herself had also inherited Markus's complexion, but she retained all of her mother's features and lighter brown hair. Like her brother her eyes were a blend between her parents, her irises being green and cinnamon brown at the same time. The interior of her iris was green and the outer edges of her iris was the warm cinnamon brown color.

"Hope is gorgeous..." Evelyn cooed at the tiny baby girl. Like Connor she truly felt like having a daughter to raise would be a rewarding experience all on its own. Holding such a beautiful baby girl made her heart melt. "You're so lucky to have twins!"

"I didn't feel lucky once they got bigger." North admitted as Evelyn passed her daughter back over to hold. "But in the end it was worth it."

Connor gave Wyatt back to Markus after he cybernetically uploaded the images of the twins to his memorybank and sent the images to Hank's phone to view for himself. "I'm very happy for you, Markus, North. This was absolutely wonderful to be a part of."

"Thank you, my friend."

Evelyn whispered to Connor as they admired the twins and complimented the parents. Picking up on the hint quickly Connor nodded and agreed to head for home to let the new parents get acquainted with their newborn babies. "You two should get some rest. If you need anything just call and we'll help you out. Abby will be staying for a while longer, she's just washing her hands and speaking to Gavin over the phone."

"We know. Thank you for being here, we wanted our children to know the faces and voices of truly kind people."

Flattered by the comment Connor felt himself blush as Evelyn squeezed his hand affectionately. "It was an honor, Markus. I mean it."

* * *

Returning home with their hands intertwined together throughout the entire drive Connor and Evelyn walked through the front door side by side, and were greeted by the sight of Hank laying on the livingroom floor on his back, his left arm tucked under his head, while Henry walked about the play space and explored the new world on his two strengthening little legs. As soon as Connor and Evelyn set foot inside the livingroom Henry made excited near-words and walked over to Connor to be picked up.

"Hi, Henry." Scooping up Henry to hold against his chest Connor sighed and peered at his son's deep blue eyes as he smiled. "Were you good for Papa?"

"The best." Hank confirmed as he slowly sat upright on the floor and watched the two parents checking over their son. "How're Markus and North?"

"They're doing well. The twins are perfect and they're all happy."

"Those twins are a truly beautiful pair." Showing Connor his phone where he had seen their photos Hank stood upright slowly and pressed his hands to his lower back to stretch out his muscles. "And now that you're back and it's Valentine's Day..." Taking Henry back from Connor's arms Hank gave his son a coy look as he picked up Evelyn's car keys from the bookshelf. "I'm going to take Henry out for a couple of hours so you two can have the house to yourselves."

Blushing a dark blue at the comment Connor was almost at a loss for words. "Uh... What do-"

"I'm old and I'm a widower son, but that doesn't mean I forgot what day it is." Readjusting Henry on his right hip Hank picked up Henry's tiny shoes by the front door and slipped them over his feet. As he zipped up Henry's jacket Hank spoke to his son and daughter-in-law with a confident manner. "We'll be back around eight o'clock so Henry can go to bed on time."

Evelyn spoke up on Connor's behalf as the grandfather took his grandson toward the front door to leave. "Thank you, Hank. Have fun!"

"I could tell you two to do the same..."

Now that Evelyn was blushing Hank laughed and stepped outside with Henry on his hip and glancing around the thawing world around him as spring crept in through the melting snow. "Come on, Henry. Let's go find an adventure."

"...Uh..." Connor was still blushing and a little wary of doing anything else.

"Come on, Connor." As her own blush faded Evelyn pulled on Connor's right hand to lead him to the staircase and up to their bedroom on the second floor of the now empty house. "Let's go celebrate Valentine's Day the _right_ way..."

"I'm right behind you." Reaching into his jacket pocket with his left hand Connor palmed the ring box holding Evelyn's gift and happily followed his wife upstairs to their bedroom to be together on that night of romance. "...And I can finally give you the surprise gift I've been hanging onto all day long."

* * *

_**February 22nd, 2044:**_

Enjoying their mutual day off as an early spring rain drenched the city Connor held Henry on his lap as the baby stood upright and practiced his steps, and Evelyn sat beside Connor on the couch while wrapped up in a thick blanket. The bonding moment was only interrupted when Ruby whined and pawed at the sliding back doors. Hank had taken Ruby outside to take care of her business, and was now watching the rainy clouds overhead as he tried to determine how the rest of the lingering winter and incoming spring were going to play out.

"Can you say 'daddy'?" Connor coaxed his son into trying to say his first words. "Henry, say 'daddy'."

Henry just looked at Connor uttered some nonsensical baby gibberish instead.

Leaning toward her son Evelyn tried to get him to speak, too. "What about 'mama'? Can you say 'mama'?"

Repeating himself Henry continued to babble as he looked at his mother and continued to smile. His eyes being drawn to shiny sapphire ring that Evelyn was wearing on her right ring finger to compliment the wedding ring on her left hand. Smiling and laughing Henry continued to make his near words as he adored having his parents' attention.

"What about... 'Ruby'?" Connor tried to think of another word that Henry could say. "Can you say 'Ruby'?"

More babbling in response.

Laughing at her son Evelyn chimed in with her own alternate word. "Can you say 'Henry'? Can you say your name? 'Hen-ree'?"

As more babbling filled the livingroom Hank returned from the backyard with Ruby and rejoined his family. Smirking at Henry as the baby stood up on Connor's lap and made small sounds Hank hung up his coat on the hook by the front door as he returned the recliner and immediately had Ruby dropping her green fetch ball into his lap.

"Say 'daddy'." Speaking slowly and clearly Connor enunciated his every syllable. "'Dad-dee'. You can do it Henry, say 'daddy'!"

Giving the green ball a toss Hank watched Ruby trot after it and then turned his attention back to Henry as Connor and Evelyn encouraged Henry to speak up and say his first word. "Be patient, son. Henry will start talking when he's good and ready. I promise you that as both your father and as Henry's papa."

Henry turned to face Hank as he heard the familiar voice talking about him and near him. Flashing Hank a bright smile Henry's near-words suddenly turned into a single word that everyone understood. "...Pa-pa."

Connor and Evelyn's eyes lit up the moment Henry finally spoke, and then immediately started laughing as Henry said a word they hadn't even tried to get him to say. As Henry repeated the word, each time easier than the last, the two proud parents just smiled and praised their son while Hank flashed them both a smug 'I told you so' look from where he sat.

"See? Henry's just going to go at his own pace."

* * *

_**March 28th, 2044:**_

With the house decorated in bright multicolored balloons and a colorful banner with 'Happy Birthday' written out in bold letters over the livingroom wall Evelyn carried Henry downstairs in a brand new outfit to await the other guests of the small party to celebrate Henry's first birthday. The small baby was in a good mood and smiling as Evelyn carried him into the livingroom, and Connor was busy in the kitchen applying the finishing touches to Henry's homemade birthday cake while also keeping in touch with Lucas and Markus cybernetically.

The guests were on their way, including Gavin and Abby so Aria could have a little play date with all the new babies, and it seemed like everything in the house was running smoothly with very little to get in the way.

"I got Henry's gifts in the study." Hank announced as he joined Connor in the kitchen to help out. "Every ready to go?"

"Yes. Everyone is on their way over and Evelyn has Henry in the livingroom."

"You know," leaning with his back against the kitchen countertop and his arms crossed over his chest Hank gave Connor an odd glance where he stood. "all those years ago when we first met I thought of you as nothing more than a plastic pain in the ass who happened to be a naturally great detective. I never once imagined that in time I'd have you as my son, that you'd have a brother, a wife and now a son of your own to celebrate the good times with."

"Yeah..." Staring at the frosting over Henry's cake Connor thought about what Hank had said and compared his life to what it now and to what it had once been all that time ago. "My life has been very interesting to say the least."

"Do you miss it?"

Turning to face Hank directly Connor arched his brow at the cryptic question. "Miss what?"

"Being a deviant who only had the mission to worry about and not a family. Being able to dedicate all your time to yourself and being able to just go about your business without needing to answer to anyone or anything."

"...No." Shaking his head a little Connor let an amused laugh pass over his lips as he answered honestly. "I don't miss it."

"That's good."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, as a deviant you didn't really explore your options in life and stuck around here to resume working as a detective. Then as a human you were deprived of a solid childhood, then once you recovered from your coma you just picked up your life where it left off as a deviant. You never really... lived."

"Honestly I think this is all I want out of life." Watching Evelyn playing with Henry in the livingroom immediately brightened his eyes as he spoke with his father about his decisions. "As a deviant I felt limited and unsure of life in general. As a human I... I didn't really want to live because I was so miserable and alone. Now that I have a family to live for I couldn't imagine my life in any other way."

"Good to hear." The front door opened as Lucas and Chloe walked into the house with Madison in their arms, and a gift for Henry be opened. "Looks like everyone is starting to show up. Ready to wish your son a happy birthday?"

"Yes and no."

"Yeah, I get it." Patting Connor's shoulder empathetically Hank watched as Connor walked into the livingroom to greet his brother, sister-in-law and nieces to begin the birthday celebration. "You don't want to see your son grow-up, but you want to be there for him every time he reaches a milestone. It's a conflicting type of love."

* * *

_**Spring of 2045:**_

Watching Henry walking about the house with his head held up high and his coordination blossoming for toddler Connor and Evelyn were truly proud of how their son was thriving. Laying together on the couch the parents watched as Henry easily walked about the livingroom with his toys in his hands as he trailed after Ruby, the loyal bloodhound staying close by but not getting too near, and watched as their son kept speaking in small words as he communicated in his small but clear words.

"Ruby!" Henry shouted as he chased after the dog in a playful manner. "Ruby!"

Sighing as she snuggled down against Connor's chest Evelyn watched Henry with a loving gaze as he chased after the family dog. "Henry's doing so well."

"He is. Remember how we worried about him not talking?"

"And now he won't stop shouting for Ruby, and papa, and daddy and mommy... Yeah, I remember. I kind of miss those days."

"It wasn't as tense as us waiting for him to take his first steps, but now he's running around with more energy than CyberLife could've ever hoped to produce."

"I know, I'm jealous." Resting her ear over Connor's chest Evelyn listened to his heartbeat and felt entirely at ease. "Hopefully Ruby can help him burn off that extra energy so he'll fall asleep tonight."

"Yeah. It's too bad Maddy can't come over and play with Henry for a while."

"Lucas and Chloe went off on vacation with Maddy because they're smart and put aside the time and money to relax. We should've done the same."

"Well, I have been saving money but I was hoping to use it on something more permanent than a vacation."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Wrapping his arms around Evelyn in a comforting embrace Connor held her closer and gave her a pleading look. "Maybe another... baby."

As her blue eyes lit up Evelyn gave Connor a teasing smirk and a small laugh. "...You still feel the same way, too?"

"I do."

"Well, I guess we could try again. I'd hate for all those upgrades you got to go to waste."

"Really? I know it was discouraging last spring when nothing happened for us..."

"Hey, Henry was a surprise and we weren't even thinking about kids at the time. And now that Henry is older it's the perfect time to try again."

"Then should we ask for Hank to take Henry on another adventure so we can have some private time?"

"Sure. If anything it'll get Hank to stop worrying about the color of the Corvette for a while."

"He just wants to make sure the coat is even."

"And yet he won't let your flawless deviant hands take control and handle it the paint."

"...Fair point. But I think it's because he knows I'd paint the car emerald green and not cherrybomb red."

Getting up from the couch Evelyn gave Connor a quick kiss and then scooped up Henry. "Come on, baby-boy. Let's go see your papa and see if papa will take you out for the afternoon."

More than happy for all the extra attention Henry repeated his grandfather's name with true enthusiasm in his little voice. "Papa!"

"That's right, papa!"

Smirking as he watched his wife and son disappear into the garage Connor began contemplating how much more fulfilled his life would be with another child in his family. The idea of a bigger family full of love and support did the human part of his heart good; overcoming the horrible abusive childhood he endured by giving his own son a better life was the best way he could possibly heal at long last. Meanwhile the deviant part of his heart just wanted to live his life to the fullest and show that all deviants were worthy of life itself.

"With any luck," Connor told himself as he stood up from the couch to meet Evelyn upstairs. "we'll have a second baby to chase around by this time next year."

* * *

_**May 3rd, 2045:**_

The morning seemingly started out normally as Connor and Evelyn prepared for their shifts at their respective precincts, but Evelyn was moving slower than usual and struggling to get herself ready for work. Standing before the sink in the bathroom Evelyn eyed her complexion in the mirror and sighed as she tried to pull back her hair into a neat ponytail. Despite her best efforts her long brunette locks of hair kept slipping through her fingers and getting all over her face time and time again.

Noting that his wife was seemingly ill Connor joined her in the bathroom and stared at her for a moment before speaking up. Seeing her rundown and struggling with a simple task was making the protective deviant uneasy. "Evelyn?"

"I'm almost ready..." Sounding as exhausted as she looked Evelyn continued to fight with her hair as her husband watched her from the doorway. "I just can't seem to get going this morning."

"You've been unwell for the past four weeks and two days."

"I took the test, Connor." Giving her husband a tired glance Evelyn admitted that she had been feeling off for some time, and that she had checked to see if they were expecting again. "It's negative."

Without saying a word Connor's soulful brown eyes were searching all over Evelyn's person as if he were working on a case and seeking important clues.

Noticing the odd stare Evelyn froze as she questioned Connor's behavior. "What's wrong? You're scaring me with the silent treatment."

"Evelyn..." Approaching his wife Connor held his left palm up over her eyes to shield them from the overhead light as he checked her pupils, then lightly put his palm on the right side of her head. "...Do you have a headache?"

"Y-Yeah. I've had it for a few days now. Migraines aren't anything new to me."

"Have you had problems with your balance as of late?"

Thinking back to the previous day Evelyn realized she seemed to be stumbling over her own two feet, and that her overall sense of balance seemed to be a little off. "...Yeah. Yesterday I kept tripping up the stairs. Connor," wrapping her hands around herself Evelyn was getting scared and wanted to know why her husband was asking her these questions. "what's going on?"

"...My scanner has detected a moderate growth right where my palm is." With a heavy heart Connor gave his wife a very grim answer that made his own heart break. "I think... your cancer is back."

Nearly falling to her knees Evelyn began to softly cry as Connor wrapped her up in a tight hug and rubbed his right hand along her back. "Shh... It's okay."

"I can't be sick!" Burying her face into Connor's chest Evelyn wept fearfully for the future and her family. "Not like this!"

"It'll be okay. We'll both take the day off and get you in to see a doctor, alright?" Closing his eyes he cybernetically contacted the hospital and requested an emergency appointment for Evelyn to get her checked out to ensure that she wasn't seriously ill. "I'm going to take you to the hospital and we're going to get this figured out. Just stay strong for a while longer, and we'll get through this together."

* * *

The prospect of Evelyn's cancer returning after all this time made Connor's ache for the first time in years. The moment that Connor requested the appointment to check for a possible cancer diagnosis the hospital staff, specifically Dr. Wilson, pushed Evelyn to the top of their patient priority list. As the couple awaited the test results within the small exam room Connor held onto Evelyn's right hand with a tight and supportive grip as he promised her that regardless of the outcome he'd be there for her and see her through whatever may come their way.

"You're too strong to give up or submit to something like this." Holding tightly onto Evelyn's right hand Connor did his best to keep his wife calm while his own heart thundered painfully in his chest. "If you are sick then you'll beat this again just like you did before."

"Keep saying that." Fighting back her worried tears Evelyn continued clutch onto Connor's hand in a strong grip. "I need to hear it."

"And hear this: I love you."

"I love you, too." Thinking of how Connor could potentially have to raise Henry as a single father made Evelyn's own heart ache and she let out a calming breath to prevent her from losing the last of her resolve. "...How's Henry doing? Do you know?"

Nodding as he kept cybernetically texting with Hank as he tended to Henry outside the hospital Connor confirmed that everything was fine. "Hank has him over at Lucas's house so he can play with Maddy for the afternoon."

"Does Lucas know what's happening?"

"No. Hank just told him that you were feeling unwell and I brought you to the hospital, and said he was taking the day off as well because he wanted to."

Laughing a little at Hank attitude on the entire situation Evelyn felt some comfort in knowing she had her husband and father-in-law to back her up in the event she was in fact sick. "Tell him I said thanks for spending the day with Henry for us."

"You'll never have to thank Hank for being Henry's grandfather, but I will tell him you said thank you anyway."

"And thank him for not talking about... this."

"Hank has always been someone to respect another person's privacy. You can trust him."

"I know I can."

The door slid open as Dr. Wilson entered the room with the electronic chart containing Evelyn's test results in his hands. Standing before Evelyn with a gentle smile on his face the good doctor gave Evelyn the results. "We have the results of your C.T. scan and your M.R.I scan, we can confirm the location of the growth and by all account it does appear to be tumor."

"Shit..."

"The good news is it's relatively small, less than the size of a golf ball, and we can perform a simple biopsy to determine the type of tumor we're dealing with."

"And the bad news?"

"Regardless of the type of tumor we'll need to schedule you for surgery to have it extracted."

"...Brain surgery?"

"It's the only way to remove the tumor and determine if it's cancerous or benign."

Letting out a single frightened sob Evelyn pressed her left palm over her eyes as she began to silently weep and Connor squeezed her hand even tighter. She turned her face and buried it against Connor's chest as he wrapped his right arm around her as he continued to hold her right hand with his left. The loving embrace was all he could provide his wife at the moment, and he was willing to give it to her for as long as possible.

"...When do we need to do the surgery?" Connor dared himself to ask as he held Evelyn in a comforting embrace.

"We already have her scheduled for a ten a.m. O.R. tomorrow." The answer was succinct and professional. "The sooner we extract the tumor the better."

"I understand."

"Take your time and talk it over." Stepping toward the door Dr. Wilson took his leave to give the worried couple some privacy to talk. "If you have any questions just ask and I'll answer."

"Thank you, Dr. Wilson."

Steadying his own heartbeat to ensure that Evelyn was calm Connor closed his eyes and cybernetically told Hank of the impending surgery, and let him know that he and Evelyn were going to be up all night talking. For the next two days Hank would have to be Henry's primary caregiver, and let Connor and Evelyn deal with her diagnosis together.

"You're going to be okay, Evelyn." Kissing her hair Connor held his crying wife in his arms as they both worried for the future and the upcoming surgery. "I promise that you're going to be okay."

* * *

It was decided.

Evelyn was going to have the surgery and she was going to undergo whatever treatment was necessary in order to heal, and remain with her family for as long as possible. The idea of surgery made Evelyn righteously worried, and she was scared to endure brain surgery in general, but if it would give her the best chance at a recovery then she was willing to push through that hesitation and continue to fight to live to be with her family. It was the last thing she wanted to have to consider, but she didn't have a choice and time was working against her.

Laying on her right side as she continued to silently weep Connor rubbed his hand along Evelyn's left arm as he laid beside her on their bed.

"It's not fair!"

"I know..."

"Why am I going through this again?" Crying out of utter fear and frustration Evelyn wept from the heart as accepted her upcoming surgery with a righteous anger. "We have a son! I won't leave him, and I won't leave you!"

"I know you won't. You're strong, Evelyn. You can do this."

"But I don't want to..."

"If I could trade places with you then I would."

"Don't say that... I don't want you to go through this either."

"Hey, tomorrow morning you'll undergo your surgery and when you wake up that tumor will be gone. You'll wake up and you'll hear my voice telling you how much I love you, and you'll feel my hand holding your hand." Whispering softly Connor stayed beside his wife and was being strong enough to support them both. "You will be okay, Evelyn. You family will be with you from start to finish; and when it's all over you'll go back to your normal life."

"I want to believe that so badly."

Moving his palm from her arm down to her hand, his own right arm draping over her as he rested his palm over the back of her hand, he interlaced their fingers together and gave her a kiss as they laid down and tried to sleep as much as possible before leaving for the hospital at four in the morning.

"Believe me, Evelyn. I love you so much..."

* * *

The early morning hours came and Evelyn continued to silently weep as she peered down into Henry's crib to watch her son sleeping peacefully. Rubbing her left hand along his chest Evelyn whispered to her son, telling him how much she loved him and how she'd find a way to come back home to him, and gave him a gentle kiss to his cheek without waking him up. As she hovered over the crib Evelyn felt Connor walk up behind her and wrap her up in a hug as he slowly guided Evelyn out of their son's room.

Connor had packed a bag for Evelyn to ensure she had clean clothes and a few other essentials once she was discharged from the hospital. It wasn't quite the same as packing a bag for when she went into labor with Henry, but the bag was essential all the same.

"Henry knows you love him. We all love you, too."

"That doesn't make the idea of surgery any easier."

"I know. When I needed my heart surgery..." The memory made Connor feel suddenly sick as he remembered how he had collapsed at the precinct and had no choice but to undergo the surgery despite not being ready to do so. "I was petrified. But my family helped me get through it. We'll do the same for you."

"Please don't leave me alone in the hospital."

"I promise I won't leave the hospital until you leave. You won't be alone."

"Thank you."

Walking down the staircase Connor and Evelyn noticed that Hank was standing by the front door waiting for them. The senior detective looked exhausted but he was determined to see the duo off before they left for the hospital. As Hank approached his son and his daughter-in-law he quickly extended his arms and pulled Evelyn in for a hug, to which she readily accepted and melted into the warm embrace as the much needed sense of support did her well.

Pressing his left palm to Evelyn's upper back Connor looked to Hank and gave him a somber stare. "...Will you be okay with Henry all day?"

"Hey, taking care of my own grandson is easy." Tightening his hug around Evelyn as he spoke Hank gave the deviant a knowing glance. "Not worrying about my daughter having surgery is going to be hard."

"...I know."

"Evelyn," speaking to her in a comforting voice that he only showed when he was truly concerned for a person he cared about Hank tried to give her some form of support and confidence. "you're going to be just fine. Think of this as the worst migraine of your life, but once it's over you won't have to deal with it ever again. It sucks but you can overcome this."

"Yeah..." Letting go of the hug Evelyn let out a shaking breath and gave Hank a tearful smile. "I just wish I didn't have to do it."

"Same. I know way too many people who actually _deserve_ to have their brain examined." The small joke was greatly appreciated and Hank made sure to keep Evelyn's spirits uplifted. "Don't worry about a thing. Connor will taking care of you and I'll be taking care of Henry. I figured he'd like to spend the day with Maddy and get some bonding time with his cousin."

"That'd be nice..."

As he rubbed his hand along Evelyn's back Connor sighed and clutched tightly at the bag in his opposite hand as he noted the time. "Come on, Evelyn. We need to get going."

Silently nodding in agreement Evelyn rubbed her left palm over her teary eyes as she turned to look at Connor over her shoulder.

"I love ya', girl." Hank reminded Evelyn with his kind voice as she and Connor walked toward the front door together. "Once you're back home I'll go get one of each item off the menu at the 'Garcia Family Restaurant', and we'll have a feast."

"Sounds like a plan." Managing a weak smile Evelyn let Connor guide her out the door as he wrapped his right arm around her and led her outside to make the reluctant drive out to the hospital. "I'll see you soon, Hank."

* * *

The wait for the surgery to even begin seemed to be the most painful wait of all time. Evelyn, who had a large portion of her hair cut away and shaved to give the surgeon's a clear space to operate, looked as miserable as she felt. Laying on the gurney in the pre-op wing of the hospital she did her best to not cry as Connor held her right hand in a comforting grip and spoke to her with word of confidence, comfort and love. Unwilling to say goodbye to Evelyn in any extent out of an unspoken fear that something might go wrong and this moment could be their last together Connor just made sure Evelyn knew how much he loved her, and reminded her how he'd be waiting for her to come out of surgery.

Running his left thumb over Evelyn's two rings in his palm, the jewelry not permitted in the operating room, Connor fought against his own system for attempting to run another scan over her body to monitor the tumor's growth. Fighting the calculations his processor was attempting to run regarding the odds of her successful surgery and overall outcome after such a procedure Connor spoke kindly to his beloved wife as they waited for the surgical team to finish prepping the operating room.

"I'll be waiting for you, Evelyn. I won't go anywhere." Kissing the back of her right knuckles Connor gave her a smile of false but somehow sincere confidence as he stayed with her for as long as possible. "When this is over I'll take you back home and you can spend all day sleeping with Ruby cuddled up on your ankles, and Henry climbing all over you while I spoil you."

"I love you, Connor."

"And I love you. I always will."

"Evelyn?" Dr. Wilson approached the gurney to check on his waiting patient. He was wearing dark blue scrubs and had a bandana over his hair as he he too had been prepped for the surgery. "We're ready to begin."

Giving him a nervous glance Evelyn tried to think of anything to stall the surgery a little while longer. "...Can you start without me?"

"Sorry, Evelyn. You're the heart of this little party."

"Figures."

Connor refused to let go of Evelyn's hand just yet as he didn't want to see her go. "How long will the surgery take?"

"Thanks to advances in surgical techniques over the past fourteen years this type of surgery averages three hours." The professional demeanor of Dr. Wilson was usually comforting, but at this moment his kind words did little sway Connor and Evelyn's worries. "Mostly that is just sterilizing and cleaning up, as well."

"...Three hours."

"I'd tell you to not worry but I know that's an impossible request. These three hours will feel like an eternity, but it won't last forever."

"Yeah... I know."

Giving Connor a confident nod Dr. Wilson returned his attention to Evelyn and waved over a nurse to help him wheel the gurney into the operating room to finally get the procedure over with. "As soon as I have an update I'll come and find you in the waiting room."

"Right." Letting go of Evelyn's hand slowly Connor called out to her as she was wheeled down the corridor and into the operating room. Setting up a timer Connor sighed and prepared for the painful wait to see his wife again. "...I love you! I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

The idea of a loved one undergoing surgery was an agony that too many people had to endure on a daily basis, even Connor wasn't immune to such a concept and was struggling to endure the long wait as he paced about the waiting room anxiously. With Evelyn's rings being held in his left palm Connor rolled his coin over the back of his right knuckles nervously, and watched the three hour timer her set up in his visual processors slowly tick down one painfully sluggish second at a time.

Peering down at the two rings in his care Connor ran scan after scan over the jewelry to try to distract himself. Noting the karat, quality, cut and purity of the gems and metal bands supporting the precious stones could only hold his attention for so long as he awaited an update on the surgery, and soon Connor felt himself getting too restless for his own good.

As he crossed the waiting room for the two-hundred and sixteenth time Connor felt a strong hand clamp down on his right shoulder and finally cause him to freeze in place. Glancing back while already knowing who was standing behind him Connor gave Hank a despondent stare. "...She's been in the operating room for only forty-seven minutes and forty-four seconds. Yet I don't think I can wait any longer."

"That's normal, son."

"Why are you here? Where's Henry?"

Gently Hank pulled on Connor's shoulder to get the deviant to turn around and face him. "I, uh, I decided to check in on you for a few minutes after Henry went down for a nap alongside Maddy in the playpen. Lucas is working today, but Chloe has time off from her training and doesn't mind watching Henry for a while until I get back to the house."

"...You don't have to be here."

"I know, but I _wanted_ to be here. Henry needs someone to watch over him, and that's what Chloe's doing, but you need someone to lean against as you go through one of the most stressful moments of your life." With a ginger motion Hank took Connor's coin from his right hand and slipped it into his own pocket for the time being. "Just as you want someone to be there for your son I want to be here for _my_ son."

Letting out a weary breath Connor nodded as emotional tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Come with me for a second."

"Where are we going?"

"Just over to another corridor. There's a balcony that overlooks the property that used to be a smoking area, but since tobacco products have been banned in the United States for almost twenty-five years now the balcony is the perfect place for a moment of privacy without having to lock yourself in the bathroom."

"...I don't want to be alone."

"Which is why I'm going with you." Sliding open the glass door to the private space Hank coaxed Connor into stepping out onto the balcony and into the fresh air. After sliding the door shut behind them Hank planted both hands on Connor's shoulders and looked his son in the eyes. "It's okay to cry."

"But I... I don't want to."

"I know that, too. But it's okay. You need to let it out and feel what you're feeling." Nodding a little Hank encouraged Connor to finally open up and stop trying to repress his building emotions. "Cry, son. I'm here for you."

Unable to hold it any for another second Connor's left hand tightened protectively around the two rings in his palm and he pressed his right hand over his tear filled eyes. As he began to silently weep in fear and uncertainty Hank wrapped his arms around the crying deviant, and held his son as Connor admitted that he was afraid and didn't want to live without Evelyn in his life.

"I'm here for ya', son." Rubbing his right palm over the back of Connor's thick dark hair as the deviant buried his face against his right shoulder Hank just remained the rock while his son struggled to endure the hardship of waiting for a lifesaving surgery to come to its eventual end. "I'll always be here for you."

* * *

Barely able to sit still in the waiting room as Connor watched his countdown timer continue to count down well past the three hour mark and reach toward another half hour the waiting husband was beginning to fear the worst. The fear of impending complications and other things that could've gone wrong with the surgery filled Connor's mind with aggression, and threatened to tear apart his psyche at any moment. Just as he was about to let out a loud and impatient scream of frustration he felt Hank's hand return to his shoulder and help him remain grounded.

"I can _feel_ you thinking, son. What's up?"

"...It's been three hours. Evelyn should've been out of surgery by now."

"Three is the average time, not definitive. Your own heart surgery was about forty-five minutes longer than originally estimated."

"But my surgery was the first of its kind to revolve around that new biocomponent. The type of surgery that Evelyn is enduring is fairly typical and has been performed approximately-"

"Connor. Stop. You're just going to drive yourself crazy with too much thinking."

"...Sorry."

"It's alright, just stopping counting the time and breathe. You can handle this."

Before Connor could remind Hank that he didn't _want_ to handle it or that he was tired of being expected to sit and wait around for answers Dr. Wilson finally entered the waiting room to give Connor his much needed update. The kind doctor had a faint grin on his face and his eyes were bright with enthusiasm as he stood before the worrying deviant husband.

"Dr. Wilson." Standing up quickly Connor eagerly awaited to know about Evelyn. "How is she? Can I see her?"

"Evelyn is just fine. I apologize for not being able to update you sooner, but I wanted to oversee the procedure from beginning to end."

Tense shoulders visibly slumped as the good news in the form of a confident voice let Connor finally relax a little. "...No complications?"

"None."

"...And the tumor?"

"Benign. It was confirmed as a meningioma, which is fairly common in women, and it was removed well before the tumor had the chance to cause any form of permanent impairment to her brain or her senses."

The increasingly good news made Connor's shoulders slump further as Hank stood up beside him. "And her treatment after the surgery?"

"A simple medication kin to decadron, otherwise known dexamethasone. This new medication is designed to target the cells that could potentially regenerate the tumor and kill it before it grows. It'll just be a month long daily medication, and after a follow-up C.T. and M.R.I. scan gives her the clear then Evelyn can go right back to her life as if nothing happened."

The idea of a simple follow-up treatment gave Connor a sense of utter relief that he was clinging onto with all of his hope. "...Can I be with her?"

"Of course." Motioning for Connor to accompany him down the corridor to check on Evelyn as she recovered Dr. Wilson continued to exude an air of professionalism and kindness. "She's still coming out of anesthesia but she's in her own recovery room and resting well."

Pausing for a moment Connor looked back at Hank with a pleading glance. "...Dad?"

"I'll go and check in on Henry and let everyone know Evelyn is fine." With his own faint grin of relief on his face Hank confirmed that he would go ahead and get back to Henry. "We'll visit her tomorrow when she's more awake, okay, son?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

* * *

The recovery room was quiet and the lighting was dimmed to ensure that once Evelyn woke up she wouldn't have any intense light to exasperate her inevitably headache from having a portion of her skull cut open, and the tumor surgically extracted. Thick and protective white gauze wrapped around Evelyn's head and over her remaining brunette hair to keep the healing incision covered as she healed. With a muted cardiac monitor recording her vitals, and a nasal canula under her nose ensure the fresh clean oxygen helped rid her body of the remaining anesthetic.

With a nurse keeping an eye on Evelyn with a quiet presence the young detective was showing promise as her surgery was deemed a success.

Quietly and gracefully Connor entered the private room and stood beside Evelyn's bed for only a moment before he lightly picked up her right hand to hold in his left hand yet again. There was an oxometer clipped to her index finger, but he managed to pick up her hand without disturbing the recording device in the process.

"Evelyn?" Whispering her name Connor lightly pressed his right palm to her left cheek before he leaned down to give her a soft kiss. "Evelyn, it's over."

The sedative was beginning to lose its effect, and Evelyn's blue eyes struggled to open against the lingering effects of the potent anesthesia.

"I'm right here." Kissing the back of her hand Connor stayed close to his wife and refused to leave her beside until she woke up at last. "You're okay now, and you're going to make a full recovery. Hank is going to bring Henry to see you tomorrow when you're awake."

Stirring at the sound of her husband's voice and recognizing the names being mention Evelyn's eyes cracked open just enough to reveal the glassy sapphire blue irises beneath.

"Hi, Evelyn."

Too tired to smile as Evelyn could do was let out a small groan of discomfort as the ache in her skull stole her attention. Instead she squeezed Connor's hand in response.

"It's okay." Whispering softly he knelt down on the floor so he could be eye level with Evelyn as she regained consciousness. "Just rest a while longer, I'll be here when you wake up."

Slurring her words Evelyn managed to communicate with her husband in a low tone of voice. "...L've you."

A relieved chuckle passed his lips as he reciprocated the feeling. "I love you, too." With a swift and loving touch Connor slipped Evelyn's wedding ring back over her left ring finger, then placed the sapphire ring on her right ring finger. "I'm right here and you're still me..."

* * *

Three days of hospitalization came to an end and Evelyn was permitted to return home to recover in bed for another two weeks. With Connor carrying her from the car and into the house Evelyn was greeted by the familiar scents and sounds of the house and finally felt at ease. Seeing Henry in Hank's arms as they walked over to greet Evelyn upon her return to the home gave her a sense of utter love and belonging. She survived the surgery and now she was back with her family where she wanted to be for the rest of her life.

Being carried upstairs was a little disorienting, but Evelyn quickly found her bearings the moment she was laid down on her and Connor's bed to rest. The soft pillow and warm quilt was exactly what she wanted to feel as she recovered from her surgery within the comfort of her own home.

"You only need to take the inflacadron once in the morning, but you need to take your antibiotics in the morning and evening."

"...What about my painkiller?"

"Every six hours. You aren't due for another dose for another two hours and fourteen minutes."

"Don't hold back." It was clear she was trying to endure her headache without complaining, but having a portion of skull drilled and sawed into was going to hurt no matter how much she tried to tough it out. "...This is the worst migraine I've ever had."

"I'll keep the house cool and quiet for you."

"...Don't take Henry away, please."

"I won't, I'll just be sure to let him burn off his energy out in the backyard so he doesn't run around the house and scream." Leaning down he kissed Evelyn again and laid down beside her for a moment. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too." Wrapping her hand around his hand Evelyn closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Will you just stay with me for a while?"

"Of course. I promised I'd be with your from start to finish and I always keep my word."

"You're a good man Connor. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

* * *

The month passed by with Evelyn recovering well without any infection or set backs. After two weeks of bedrest she was given the clear to return to work, sticking solely to desk duty until she had her second set of scans, and Evelyn was able to resume her normal routine fairly well. Sporting a slightly shorter haircut with her part altered to hide the portion of her hair that had been cut and shaved away for the surgery the bold young detective managed to continue her career without any difficulties.

However an unexpected side effect had come from the medication designed to keep her healthy, and with it her heart broke upon being told the information by Dr. Wilson.

Laying on her right side on the bed Evelyn wept as Connor laid beside her and held her in his arms, his chest pressing up against her back.

"So that's it." She managed to choke out as she buried her face into her pillow. "We can never have another child."

"Only in a biological sense." Providing words of comfort Connor rubbed his hand up and down Evelyn's arm affectionately. "The medication may have altered your hormone level but it'll never alter your capacity to love."

"We wanted another baby and we kept trying... Now it'll never happen."

"We were told once before that neither of us could have children, and yet Henry is downstairs right now playing with Hank and making us proud every day."

"There's no way we can overcome the odds twice like that, Connor. I know what you're trying to do and that you're trying to look on the bright side," letting out a soft sigh Evelyn sunk down into her pillow and breathed through her tears. "but your optimism won't change my body."

"Nothing about you needs to change, Evelyn." Hugging her tightly Connor refused to let her give up on herself or feel like she somehow failed by getting sick again. "I love you, our son loves you and I have this unshakeable feeling that things are going to change for the better when you least expect it." Giving her a kiss Connor stayed beside his wife and let her cry herself to sleep as she rolled over so she could bury her face against his chest. "If there's one thing I've learned throughout my life it's that one should never give up. The second thing I learned is that you're the strongest person I know."

Tightening his hug Connor closed his own eyes and let a few empathetic tears roll down his face and disappear into his own pillow.

"Just don't give up. I know things will be better soon."

* * *

_**Summer of 2045:**_

Swimming in the large pool in the backyard Connor held Henry in his arms as he taught his son, who was wearing inflatable water wings on his arms, how to properly swim and navigate deep water at an early age. An impromptu barbecue had broken out on the back deck of the house as Connor and Evelyn spent the day in the pool, and had invited Lucas, Chloe and Madison over to enjoy the cool pool on the hot summer day. Not long after everyone arrived the invitation was extended out toward Markus, North and the twins, and for the sake of keeping peace in the bullpen Hank even invited Gavin, Abby and Aria out to hang out and get away from work for a while.

It was rare moment when everyone's time off lined up with one another, and everyone was free to just enjoy a day off with their family and friends.

"You're doing great, Henry." Connor encouraged his son as the two and half year old managed to swim with the water wings from one side of the shallow end of the pool to the other, and right in Evelyn's hands. "Just like that."

Lucas decided to do the same for Madison since she too was a toddler and capable of learning to swim, and he didn't want her to suffer from the some problem with hydrophobia as he had done a few years prior. Aria had already been taking swimming lessons and had no problem showing off in the pool as she swam about with her daddy in the cool water. As for the twins they were still just a little too young to take the lessons, but Markus and North bundled them up in protective swimming gear and introduced them to the water all the same.

As he turned over the steaks on the grill Hank smirked at the sight of all the smiling faces splashing about in the pool, and all the high pitched laughter echoing over the property. There was a true sense of family and Hank knew he made the right choice when he purchased the bigger house to accommodate both Connor and Lucas as his sons.

"Steaks are about done." The senior detective called out as his guests converged around the pool. Substituting his urge for a cold beer with a glass of ice cold lemonade instead Hank sipped at the chilled drink and chewed on the lemon wedge that had been added to the side of the glass. "Maybe I should've grabbed some fireworks so we could've had a Fourth of July celebration tonight. There's no way we'd luck out and all get that day off too."

"Fireworks are illegal in the city unless sanctioned by-" Connor stopped himself short as he pulled himself out of the pool and joined Hank on the back deck to help with the grill. "Never mind. You already know."

"Damn right. So, are you going to eat real food or stick with Thirium today?"

"I'll eat with everyone tonight. After all, it's not every day you grill a steak."

"Are you trying to butter me up for something, son?"

"No, I'm merely speaking the truth." Reaching for the bottle of sunscreen sitting on the edge of the grill Connor motioned for Hank to reapply a coat over his face and the back of his neck before he gave all the kids another coat to protect them from the sunlight. "You may be staying mostly in the shade, but-"

"Yeah, yeah. Take care of Henry and Maddy first, then the other kids, THEN come back to me."

"Sure, no problem."

"Alright..." Closing the lid on the grill Hank gave Connor a stern glance. "What's on your mind?"

Arching brow a little Connor tried but failed to feign ignorance. "Huh?"

"Ever since Henry was born I noticed you only prioritize me when you either want to do something special with the whole family, or if you need to talk about something a little touchy. We're already doing something special with the family," motioning to the laughing and smiling group in the pool or tanning beside the pool Hank proved that his skill as a detective haven't even begun to waver with his increasing age. "so by process of elimination you're dancing around something you want to ask but are afraid of how I might react. So spill it."

There was no point in denying Hank's assessment on the situation as he was completely right about Connor wanting to discuss something. Sometimes it sucked have a father who was a sharp witted and always observant detective.

"...The thing is I've been saving up money for quite a while now and I've been looking at houses throughout city to purchase." Nervously wringing his hands around the bottle of sunscreen Connor told Hank the truth about what he had been contemplating. "And I was wondering if you had any opinion on the matter."

"Just one." Taking another sip of his lemonade Hank gave Connor a firm stare. "Don't buy a house, stay here."

"What? Why?"

"Because I bought this bigger place for you and Lucas so you two could have plenty of room and feel at home. If you, Evelyn and Henry move out then it'll be just me and I don't need all this space to myself. This is a house that's meant for a family, son. Not an old widower."

"But this is your house, dad. We can't just-"

"Yes you can. I already told ya' you get eighteen years minimum to live in this house since you never had a decent childhood, so by my math you have at least twelve more years to go. Sorry, kid. You're staying here and if you try to leave then I'm going to just show up at your house at odds hours and maybe toilet paper your yard just to mess with ya'."

Smirking a little Connor kept trying to push the subject being discussed into more serious territory. "I know that we're welcome here for as long as we wish to stay, but I have managed to save up enough money to put down an offer on a nicely sized house, and Evelyn had enough money saved up as well to completely take care of her medical bills, so we can-"

"Nope. You're all staying here and you're going to use all that hard earned money you saved up to pay for a nice vacation, or save up for Henry's college."

"...College?" The prospect seemingly caught Connor off guard. "He's not even three years old, yet."

"So what? You can never start saving early enough for your kid's future."

"...I hadn't even considered that."

"Seriously?" Opening the grill back up Hank checked over the steaks and confirmed they were cooked to perfection and ready to be served. "You're someone who thinks about every possible outcome every possible choice in life, and you overlooked saving for college?"

Feeling a little guilty Connor looked at the wooden deck beneath his feet "...I guess I still have a lot to learn about being a parent."

"Ah, kid." Putting his hand to Connor's shoulder Hank gave him a reassuring pat and tried to lighten the mood. "You're doing just fine. I guess you and Evelyn are still recovering from your weird childhoods, huh?"

"Evelyn had her grandparents and a younger sister while growing up in Chicago. Her family was poor but she was well taken care of. As for me..."

"Yeah, I know. It's okay, Connor." Stepping inside the house through the sliding backdoor and taking Connor with him Hank decided to have a little chat with his son in private. As the two entered the house Ruby squeezed out the door and promptly dove into the pool to cool off herself, and proceeded to splash water all over the side of the pool and deck much to everyone's amusement. "Can I ask why you want to have your own place? This seemed to just come out of the blue."

"...About few months ago Evelyn and decided we wanted to try for another baby," explaining things in a low voice as to not draw any unwanted attention from the guests outside Connor sat down at the kitchen table as Hank sat down beside him. "but we didn't have any luck, and with her health scare she had been told by the doctors that... Well, we simply can't."

"Sorry, son. I didn't know."

"Anyway, when we were discussing a second baby we acknowledged we'd need a bigger house to keep everyone comfortable. Evelyn's devastated that we can't have another baby, and despite me reassuring her that she shouldn't blame herself she still somehow feels guilty."

"So you wanted to move into a house with her and Henry as a sign of good faith. You want her to believe that you still have hope you'll somehow overcome the odds again like you did with Henry and have another kid."

"Yeah, I think that's it."

"Son," using his 'dad voice' as he delivered his fatherly advice Hank made sure Connor was paying close attention to his words. "right now Evelyn needs to be around her family and feel grounded in the present. If you keep pushing for a future that she feels uncertain about you might accidentally make things worse for her emotionally."

"...So we should wait before we make any big changes?"

"Yup. Let her bring up the subject of moving out or looking for a new house on her own. If you let her have more time to think and come to terms with what happened she'll heal faster, and she'll finally believe your words. Understand?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Okay then. Now," standing back up Hank opened up the refrigerator and grabbed some chilled juice boxes for the kids and the pitcher of lemonade for the adults. "let's get back out there and enjoy those steaks. You and Evelyn and Henry are always welcome here, same with Lucas, Chloe and Maddy. Don't ever feel like you need to rush to get out that door and run into a new future. Take your time and enjoy your life, son."

"You're right, dad." Helping with the gathered items Connor peered through the backdoor at Evelyn as she held Henry and Maddy on her lap, and just smiled at the two babies interacting with each other out on the shady deck beside the pool. "...I'll slow down and enjoy what I have."

* * *

_**September 4th, 2045:**_

The lingering summer heat was beginning to break down everyone's patience as the intense weather relentlessly baked the city under the inescapable rays of the sun shining overhead. Dealing with a bunch of angry bigots who were being made all the more hostile thanks to the intense weather made handling deviant cases far more meddlesome than usual. While delving into a case regarding a group of humans breaking into a 'Sentient Intelligence' store; a store exclusive to androids, Hank ended up getting punched in the face far enough to bloody his left eye and cut into his skin.

Connor had managed to arrest the man and call in for back-up, but not before Hank returned the favor to the suspect who assaulted him by striking him upside the head with a metal trash can lid. With two humans now covered in blood and seeking medical attention Connor took the initiative and escorted Hank to the nearby hospital to have Hank and the suspect's injuries tended to properly.

Grumbling as he let the doctor stitch up his up eye Hank glared daggers at the handcuffed man as he cowered in a hospital bed across the room. The man had suffered a mild concussion and learned his lesson quickly to never assault a police officer, especially one who isn't afraid to fight back.

"I just received word from the precinct regarding the break-in at the store." Connor updated Hank cybernetically as kept tabs on activity throughout the city as he waited for Hank to be released from the hospital. "The other suspects have all been arrested, and are all down in the lock-up awaiting interrogation."

"Yeah, whatever..." Flinching a little as the cold antiseptic was applied to his bleeding wound Hank watched Connor through his uninjured eye with a mild curiosity. "What else is in the news?"

"There was an incident where a drunk twenty-nine year old man broke into the community pool last night and was found laying nude and passed out on the diving board."

"Ha!" Genuinely amused by the odd story Hank slowly began to relax and stop being so guarded. "Dumb asshole..."

"There was also a reported case of 'Slug' being located at a safehouse by the narcotics division at precinct four."

"Evelyn's division. Was she in charge of the bust?"

"Apparently so. From what I-" Turning his head quickly Connor looked to a nearby corridor as his eyes went wide with worry. "...Evelyn is on her way to the hospital as of this moment."

"Whoa," with his own eyes going wide Hank gave his son a sympathetic glance. "is she hurt?"

"She has suffered a minor injury."

"How minor?"

"Her injury is less severe than your own."

"That's good." Watching as Connor's right hand began to inch toward his right pocket to fish out his coin Hank sighed and gave his son dismissive wave of his left hand to motion for Connor to take off. "Go. See your wife, I'll find ya' after I get stitched back together."

Looking to Hank for confirmation Connor's right hand froze just over his pocket where his coin was resting. "You're certain?"

"It's not the first time I've been stitched up, kid. Go on, I find you later."

"Okay. Thanks, Hank."

Moving quickly Connor navigated the corridors of the hospital with no difficulty as he located his wife quickly. An ambulance had just arrived from the scene of the drug bust where Evelyn had been in charge, and the rear doors of the emergency vehicle opened as two paramedics stepped out of the back to tend to the two victims in tow. Evelyn was walking next to a male paramedic with her left forearm wrapped up in a thin layer of gauze, and the female paramedic was carrying a small patient in her arms; the the bundle of the silver emergency blanket squirming about as a high pitched cry filled the air.

"Evelyn?" Meeting his wife as she was escorted inside the hospital Connor instinctively ran a scan over her body and noted that she had suffered a large scrape to the exterior of her left forearm, and he detected a high concentration of bacteria, various bits of rotten food and dirt around the wound. The massive array of bacteria and other impurities was indicative of the contents of a city dumpster, which meant Evelyn must've either fallen against the large receptacle or she had reached inside for something within it. "What happened?"

"Connor," seeing her husband was a shock but welcome all the same. "why are you here?"

"Hank was injured by a suspect and requires six stitches above his right eye. I accompanied him to the hospital."

Looking at the floor with a heavy gaze she gave her husband a slight shake of her head. "I guess everyone is having a bad day today."

"Evelyn," taking her right hand in his left hand Connor gave her fingers a gentle squeeze as she continued walking to the designated exam room to have her arm properly cleaned up and sterilized. "talk to me. What happened?"

The loud crying stole both of their attention as the frightened bundle was taken away to a separate exam room to be tended to as well.

Sighing as she finally entered the exam room Evelyn pulled Connor into the room alongside her as she didn't want to be alone at the moment, and needed her best friend and husband to be there for her. "...Today was just a shitty day, Connor."

* * *

With a conflicted heart Connor stared through the observation window at the rescued newborn baby who was laying in the N.I.C.U. of the hospital within the safe confines of a warm incubator as she continued to cry out in fear and neglect. Seeing the I.V.'s running into the base of her right foot made Connor flinch as the narrow lines looked so big compared to her tiny body, and knowing that she needed to be on antibiotics and fluids made his artificial stomach knot. Based on his scans he estimated that the baby was just over four hours old, and that she had been left in the dumpster to be forgotten and die.

If it hadn't been for Evelyn reaching into the dumpster to rescue the baby then there was a horribly real chance that she could've been left to succumb to the intense summer heat and die within the confines of the filthy dumpster completely alone, and unloved. Every officer in the area had been so preoccupied with the successful drug bust inside the rundown house that no one bothered to check the property for anything further, or locate a potential witness. During her own sweep of the property to ensure she was thorough with the bust Evelyn heard the baby crying inside the dumpster and reacted quickly.

Dancing his coin over the knuckles of his right knuckles Connor sighed to himself and watched as the pediatrician pressed the bell of his stethoscope against the baby's small chest to check her breathing and heartbeat under a careful touch. Despite the odds against her the baby was strong and seemed to be full of a zest for life despite her unfortunate beginning in the world.

"She's so small."

Turning to face his wife as Evelyn spoke up and joined him at the window Connor pocketed his coin and wrapped his right arm around Evelyn's shoulder as she stood beside him to peer through the window as well.

"How could anyone do that? Here we are struggling to have another child and would give anything for it to happen, and yet another person would just throw a completely helpless baby into a dumpster to-" Trailing off for a moment Evelyn struggled to contain her frayed emotions. "I hate people sometimes."

"I understand your anger, but we don't know the context of this baby's life."

"Someone decided she wasn't worth of being born and threw her away. The end."

"...Her mother could've been a frightened teenager who panicked," Connor suggested as a logical outcome of events in a dour voice. "the baby could've been wanted by her parents, but a cruel patriarch or matriarch didn't want to deal with a child out of wedlock, or maybe the baby was taken by a kidnapper who saw the police in the area and abandoned the baby out-"

"Stop! Please, stop..." Wrapping her arms around herself Evelyn tried to not think about how there were so many horrible people with equally horrible reasons to do what they did to an innocent child. "I know we shouldn't just make assumptions about her parents, but it's hard not to."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't. It's the idea of a baby being left to die that upset me."

Watching as the pediatrician and a nurse worked together to tend to the baby Connor realized he knew that nurse, and his memories of rescuing the newborn baby he had found while walking Ruby came flooding back to him like a tide.

"That nurse," motioning to the woman through window with a simple nod if his head Connor tried to lift Evelyn's spirits. "has worked with Hank in rescuing abandoned newborns in the past. She will undoubtedly find a home for this baby as well."

"You've met her?"

"Once briefly. I told you about the newborn Ruby found a few years back, she's the nurse who helped us."

"That's right, I love that story." A faint glimmer of hope began to brighten Evelyn's blue eyes as she continued to look at the baby through the window. "That doesn't make it any easier to stop thinking about her being abandoned though."

"No, it doesn't. I often wonder about the newborn I rescued with Ruby, and I'm very curious to know where she is and how she's doing."

"...We'll need to leave soon." Evelyn lamented in a mournful tone as she leaned up against Connor's right side affectionately. "But I want to say 'goodbye' to that little baby so she knows she wasn't forgotten and that people do care about her."

Sensing that Evelyn was still struggling with her emotions after being given her sterility diagnosis Connor remembered Hank's advice about letting her call the shots as she regained her confidence, and decided to respect his wife's request. "...Then let's go see her."

"Really? You want to go in there?"

"I want to support you and help you feel better. If this is what you want to do then I'll be there right beside you."

"Thank you, Connor."

Slowly the couple walked toward the door leading into the N.I.C.U. and showed the doctor and nurses their badges to ensure that they weren't threats, and were just there to see the baby. As per regulations they were both instructed to sterilize their hands and wearing protective scrubs to ensure they didn't accidentally make the baby sick with their close contact, and were then shown to the incubator where the baby was resting.

"Don't be shy." The kind nurse quickly recognized Connor as a friend to Hank and motioned for them over to the incubator. The nurse, Carol Summers, was happy to see that Connor was still out in the world and rescuing babies in distress. "This sweet little girl needs all the contact she can get since she never had the chance to bond with her parents."

Evelyn opened the small plastic window on the side of the incubator and reached her right fingers inside. Very lightly she picked up the baby's left hand and held it in her own to give the baby a sense of warmth and contact. "Hey, little girl."

Connor watched Evelyn closely as he addressed the nurse in a low voice. "How is the baby's health?"

"Aside from some mild dehydration and being exposed to concentrated bacteria for an unknown amount of time she's doing well. She perked right up once she had some fluids, a little formula and some much needed tender loving care."

"And no one has been admitted as a patient showing signs of recent labor and delivery?"

"None. If someone does come in we'll be sure to either contact you or Evelyn's precincts to get an officer back down here to ask her some questions."

"...And where will the baby go after she's discharged by the hospital?"

"To foster care."

Wincing visibly at the idea of being admitted to the foster care program Connor stood beside Evelyn again and peered down at the baby through the top of the clear plastic incubator with sympathy. The baby was so mall and already forgotten in the world. "...So she'll be alone again?"

Picking up on her husband's distress Evelyn wrapped her left hand around his right hand and held tight. "She won't be put with someone like your father. We won't let it happen."

"We can't know that for sure..."

Carol also picked up on Connor's mood and gave him a somber glance. "I take it you've had experience with the foster care system."

"Unfortunately, yes. I... It was rough."

"I promise that the program the hospital uses has only the best potential parental candidates approved. Anyone with even the slightest bit of a violent streak is immediately dismissed."

"...I don't doubt the hospital is thorough, but I can't just accept it at face value either."

"Well, I can confirm that 'Baby Doe' here will be loved and cared about, and find a family to support her."

"...She deserves a real name," Connor replied in a somewhat bitter tone. "not a label."

Agreeing with Connor as she continued to hold the baby's hand Evelyn's eyes teared up and she offered a suggestion. "Could you at least give her a real name to call her own before she leaves the hospital?"

Smiling kindly Carol picked up the baby's chart and made a few alterations as requested. "I suppose we could do that. After all, you saved her Detective Anderson. It's only fitting you give her a true name."

Looking up at Connor beside her Eveulun gave him a casual shrug of the shoulders as she let her tears roll down her face. "...I still love the name Melody."

Tightening his hand around Evelyn's hand Connor smirked a little. "I do, too."

Writing down the new first name the nurse gave the two detectives a kind smile. "Melody it is. Melody Doe?"

Taking a deep breath Connor closed his eyes and tightened his hand around Evelyn's even further. "...Anderson. Her name is Melody Anderson."

Evelyn's eyes widened as the nurse's hand visibly faltered over the chart upon hearing the name. "Connor?"

"This baby needs a home and a family, and we've wanted a daughter of our own for so long." The explanation was almost a burst of emotions as Connor spoke from the heart. "I told you that I felt that things would get better for us after everything you've been through," holding up her left hand Connor rubbed his right thumb over the surface if Evelyn's wedding band as he spoke to her. "after everything that _we've_ been through together. She needs us, and we need her."

Without any hesitation Evelyn turned to Carol and nodded her head with confidence. "He's right. We'll be... We ARE her parents now."

"...Th-This is a little unorthodox," Carol grinned and stammered a little while trying and failing to maintain her professional demeanor at the reaction of love coming from the two detectives and toward the baby. "but I have some contacts who can pull some strings and get everything in motion. Since you're both detectives I know you'll pass the background check, so all you'll need to do is have a social worker approve your home and-"

"We'll be approved." Evelyn all but gushed as she continued to hold Melody's hand in her own. "We already have a son and he's a beautiful little boy. Now he's going to be a big brother to a little sister..."

Reaching his left hand into the incubator Connor gently placed his palm down on Melody's chest and smiled. "And we have a daughter."

* * *

Fussing with his phone in his left hand and the ice pack with his right hand Hank texted with the precinct to let them know he had been cleared to finish off his shift and that once he found Connor they'd be back to the precinct. Pacing about the receptionist area near the nurse's station Hank sighed and glanced about as he waited for any sign of his son and daughter-in-law to finally make their return from wherever the disappeared inside the hospital. Just as he was about to slip his phone into his pocket Hank received a text and gave the image a curious glance.

"What the hell?"

The message was from a social worker looking to confirm their appointment at the house tomorrow afternoon, and needing to confirm that the current home address was up to date.

"Why is there a social worker coming by the house tomorrow?"

A few feet behind him Hank heard two familiar voices speaking to one another, and caught the second half of the odd conversation that the duo were sharing, which in turn made his brow arch.

"-the study is in fact a bedroom, so we could just move downstairs and let the baby have our room instead."

With his brow arching even higher Hank gave his son a confused stare as Connor finally stood before him with Evelyn at his side, their hands interlaced together in a loving grip. "_Baby_?"

Pausing abruptly Connor and Evelyn gave Hank a somewhat embarrassed and yet very proud look.

Eyeing Evelyn curiously Hank gave his daughter-in-law an entirely perplexed glance. "Are you...?"

Her smile dimmed for only a second as she shook her head. "No," giving Connor a playful nudge to his left arm with her right shoulder Evelyn eagerly told Hank their big news. "but we do have something very important to share with you."

* * *

As expected the visit by the social worker the following morning went smoothly, and with the approval officiated and the paperwork signed and filed the rest of the week was spent reorganizing the house, and setting up the study as a bedroom to accommodate the growing family. Despite Connor insisting that he and Evelyn take the study as a ground floor bedroom Hank ended up taking the room sinstead, arguing that with his back acting up more frequently due to his age that it made more sense for him to be on the ground floor so he didn't have to walk up and down stairs all day long.

With the study set up as Hank's new bedroom and the master bedroom now belonging to Connor and Evelyn, Connor's old bedroom was set up for Melody and had been quickly redecorated and furnished to accommodate a newborn baby's needs. The walls were repainted a soft purple hue and the carpeting had been replaced with a fresh beige color to ensure the bedroom was nice and clean for Melody's arrival.

When word of the adoption spread throughout the two precincts every officer pooled together some money and donated diapers, formula, new clothes, toys and blankets for Melody to have as a way to say 'congratulations' to the proud parents.

Lucas had also gifted Melody with a painting to commemorate her arrival into the family, and was eagerly awaiting her arrival to the family home with Chloe, Maddy, Hank, Henry and Ruby in the livingroom. Truly happy for Connor and Evelyn to have the daughter they had been dreaming of finally in their lives the Anderson family set up a small 'welcome home' party for Melody to ensure she met her family in the best way possible.

"I just got word from Connor." Lucas announced excitedly as he held Henry on his lap, the toddler loved the attention from his Uncle Lucas, and stood up from the couch. "They are one block away with Melody."

"It's about time." Hank eagerly rose from the recliner to greet his family at the door. "I only got to see her once at the hospital, but never got to hold her. She's a beautiful little thing. She has light brown hair and dark blue eyes, but I get the feeling the blue isn't going to last."

"Perhaps she'll have brown eyes like Connor."

"Now that'd be cool."

The car pulled into the driveway beside the house and soon after the engine turned off as it came to gentle stop with its three occupants in tow. The driver's side door opened up first as Connor excitedly stepped out of the car and opened up the rear passenger side door where Evelyn had been riding so she could stay beside Melody.

"They're here..." Opening the front door Hank watched as the proud parents walked up to the front of the house with their daughter bundled up in a yellow blanket in her new mother's arms. Connor was beaming with paternal pride and Evelyn looked like she had finally, truly recovered after her health scare and diagnosis. The moment the parents entered the house Hank smiled proudly and looked down at Melody in Evelyn's arms. "Welcome home, Melody."

"I think she's happy to be here." Smiling with utter joy Evelyn watched Melody squirm about gently and stared up at her with big blue eyes. "It's much better than a dumpster or a hospital."

"I'd certainly hope so!"

Lucas and Chloe gathered around to look at Melody as they greeted their new niece. Lucas was holding Henry up so he could see his sister and Chloe was holding up Madison so she could meet her new cousin.

"Melody," Connor spoke to his daughter in a loving tone as he held her tiny left hand between his right index finger and thumb. "this is your home and this is your family. You're where you belong." Taking Melody from Evelyn's arms Connor held her with pride against his chest. "Meet your grandfather, your big brother, your uncle, your aunt and your cousin. You'll have plenty of love and I promise we'll always be there for you."

Affectionately Lucas rubbed his left index finger along Melody's right cheek as he admired his new niece in his big brother's arms. "What's her full name?"

"Well, when we originally picked the name Melody for a girl's name we had chosen Elizabeth as a middle name to honor my mother." Nodding at Madison in Chloe's arms as the toddler made noises toward Melody with excitement and confusion Connor's grin got wider. "Since you've honored my mother with Maddy's name we decided that we'd honor another member of the family who is no longer with us."

Hank's brow furrowed as his gave his son an odd glance. "And who's that?"

"...Barbara." Passing Melody over to Hank to hold at long last Connor properly introduced his daughter to the entire family. "Melody Barbara Anderson."

Just as Hank thought he couldn't be an prouder of his son and daughter-in-law he felt a whole new wave of pride wash over his heart. "...You named her after Barb?"

"I know that you and Barbara dedicated your lives to protecting innocent people and helping children. Adopting a daughter and naming her after one of the people who helped ensure safe adoptions were possible, and that young mother's in distress were take care of... I just felt right."

"Barb would've been honored, I know I am." A lone tear rolled down Hank's face as he held his new granddaughter in his arms and smiled. "Hey there, Melody Barbara. I'm your papa, and you'll never have to worry about being alone ever again."

* * *

_**Winter of 2045:**_

The hot summer petered off into a much more manageable fall, and with that calmer weather came a true sense of peace and comfort as winter crept around the corner. Loving the cool winter weather Evelyn took Ruby for a walk with Melody in the baby sling on her chest, and had Henry holding her hand as she took a stroll around the neighborhood with her family. The gentle breeze in the air made a few stray leaves on the sidewalk that hadn't been frozen to the grass circle around Evelyn's feet as she walked, and the quiet ambience of the calm weather gave the young mother a truly needed sense of peace.

Just as she reached the front sidewalk toward the front door of the house Evelyn saw the Oldsmobile pull into the driveway as Connor and Hank returned home after their shift.

"Look, daddy and papa are home."

Henry's eyes lit up and he pulled his hand from Evelyn's hand to run over to the car.

As soon as the driver's side door opened up Hank scooped up Henry to hold and gave him a happy greeting. "Hey, Henry."

"Hi, papa!"

Connor gave Henry a kiss on the cheek as he greeted his son and then walked up to the front door to see Evelyn and Melody. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." As she gave Connor a kiss Evelyn took Melody out of the sling and passed the three and half month old over to him to hold. "How was your day?"

"Well..." Clearing his voice a little as he supported Melody up against his right shoulder Connor opened the front door and followed Evelyn inside the house with Hank, Henry and Ruby following close by behind him. "We got promoted."

"You did?!" Giving Connor another kiss Evelyn smiled and pressed her palms to the sides of his face. "That's fantastic! You deserve it!"

"Thank you. I honestly feel like I did _earn_ this promotion, too. I am now Lieutenant Connor Henry Anderson."

"And..." Hank chimed in as he put Henry down on the livingroom floor and watched as the almost three year old managed to take off his own boots and coat with little difficulty. Ruby shook off her slightly damp fur and plopped down on the pillow in the corner of the livingroom as she remained protectively close by the two small children. "You're looking at Captain Hank Lucas Anderson. I'm also taking over the precinct this spring when Jeffrey retires."

"Wait, so you both..." Truly impressed by her family's accomplishments Evelyn gave Hank a happy hug to congratulate him. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, and we got these promotions without any weaselly mayor trying to stick his nose into our business to boost his own reputation."

"You both deserved to be promoted; you worked so hard for so long and you managed to change the city for the better." Enthusiastically Evelyn backed toward the kitchen and set about making a special dinner to celebrate their promotions. "We're going to have a big feast to celebrate properly."

"Sounds good to me." Connor walked into the kitchen to get Melody a bottle of formula, and set about taking care of his daughter. "Need some help?"

"Nope. You two promoted detectives go sit in the livingroom and relax, and I'll get everything ready in here."

Adjusting Melody against his shoulder Connor took a prepared bottle of formula from the refrigerator and warmed it up on the stove as he removed Melody's thick coat and boots now that she back inside the warm house. "If you do need anything just ask."

"Uh-huh, you take care of Melody and Henry, and I'll take of you and Hank."

"Thanks." Giving Evelyn another kiss on the cheek Connor carried Melody into the livingroom to give her the formula, and smirked as he saw Hank laying on the floor beside Henry as the toddler played with soft foam blocks to build a tower in the middle of his play area. "Having fun, Henry?"

The toddler looked up at his dad and smiled as he continued to play with his blocks. "Yeah!"

"How about you Melody?" Adjusting his daughter in his arms Connor wrapped her up in the yellow baby blanket folded up on the couch beside him, and then offered her the bottle of formula. "Did you have a fun day?"

The small baby made a small noise as she readily accepted the formula and snuggled down against her daddy's chest and into the crook of his left arm. Having Melody in the family felt completely natural, and like Melody had been a part of their lives for years and not months.

As Melody snuggled down for a moment of bonding with her daddy Henry suddenly stood up and walked over to the couch to climb up and sit beside Connor. In doing so he tried to push the bottle from Melody and take it for himself.

"Hey, Henry." Readjusting Melody to keep Henry from pulling the bottle away Connor scolded his son without raising his voice, or even sounding angry. "Don't do that. Don't climb on your sister or try to take her things."

Pushing himself up from the floor Hank scooped Henry back up from the couch and put the toddler up on his shoulders. "Come on, Henry. Papa will get you something to eat so your sister can eat in peace."

The sound of Henry protesting all the way into the kitchen drew Connor's attention as he had never known Henry to climb all over people like that, let alone seemingly have any issue with Hank carrying him about the house.

"I wonder why your brother is being fussy tonight." Speaking to Melody as if she could understand him perfectly well Connor resumed feeding her the formula and ran a scan over his daughter's tiny body to ensure she wasn't too hot or too cold as he kept her bundled up on the cool winter evening. "He's always had a good temperament, and enjoys spending time with your papa."

Inside the kitchen Hank proceeded to make Henry a small but filling meal at the kitchen table, and placed the toddler in the highchair that he was almost too big to sit in anymore. As the meal was placed down on the serving tray Hank noticed that Henry was staring at Connor from where he sat, and he seemed to be getting impatient and wanted to get back down on the floor.

"Uh-huh... What's the matter, Henry?" Crossing his arms in front of his chest Hank crouched down so he could look Henry in the eyes. "You getting a little jealous of your little sister?"

Henry looked at Hank and gave him a pouty face as he made small noises and then responded in the usual toddler manner. "No!"

"Your daddy loves you AND Melody equally, kiddo. When he's done feeding Melody then daddy'll play with you, okay?"

"No!"

"Well, too bad. That's how it's gonna' be."

"No!"

Evelyn, who had been dealing with the stove was trying to not laugh at Henry having a deeply logical and philosophical discussion with his grandfather. Turning to face Henry as she pulled the warm pan from the stove burner carefully she agreed entirely with Hank's method of discipline. "Henry, you need to learn to share and take turns with your little sister. She'll do the same for you so it's always fair."

"No!"

Deciding to move the highchair away from the kitchen doorway showing Henry the livingroom Hank did his best to get Henry to eat his dinner. "Melody is having dinner, so you need to have dinner, too."

"No!"

Not wanting to be the bad guy Hank tried a new tactic. "Well, fine. If you don't want to eat your dinner then I'm sure Ruby will."

Upon hearing her name Ruby trotted into the kitchen and sat down at Hank's feet and wagged her tail as if she were picking up on his tactic.

"See?"

"No!" Henry protested again, but this time he picked up his small chicken nugget from the tray and began to eat. "Mine!"

Laughing at the toddler's reactions Hank joined Evelyn by the stove and lowered his voice a little. "...I think we may have a jealous big brother, and if we're not careful it'll turn into full-blown sibling rivalry."

"I hope not. I used to fight with my own sister all the time, and we didn't start to get along until high school."

"I'm an only child, and Connor and Lucas never had a true childhood so they never had the chance to develop any form of rivalry or anything like that. You might be the expert on this."

"Doubtful. Like I said, me and my sister used to fight a lot. I don't want to see these two fight ever."

"Same. We'll think of something, just keep your chin up."

Within the livingroom Connor had overhead the conversation, his superior android hearing allowing him to eavesdrop without being intrusive, and contemplated the concept of "sibling rivalry". He had never known such a concept until that moment and was unsure with how to proceed with curbing Henry's jealousy before it became a full attitude problem, or a competition that resulted in constant fighting and shouting between himself and Melody.

"...I wonder if Markus and North are having issues with Wyatt and Hope as siblings?" Pulling back the emptied bottle Connor readjusted Melody against his right shoulder and began to gently rub her back as he cybernetically connected with Markus from afar. '_Markus, are you free to talk_?'

'_Yeah, Connor_. _I'm walking with Hope through the tower's garden right now, so I can talk_.'

'_I was wondering if you were having any problems with Wyatt and Hope in regards of sibling rivalry_.'

'_No, not really_.' There was a pause as Markus did his best to restrain an amused chuckle. '_Is Henry getting a little jealous of Melody_?'

'_Yes_. _How did you know_?'

'_The first thing North and I looked into was dealing with sibling rivalry the moment we found she was carrying twins_. _The only thing you can really do is give them both equal amounts of attention and keep parenting based on their personalities_.'

'..._That sounds simple yet complicated_.'

'_That's what we thought, too_. _Fortunately it's less common with twins since they seem to bond while in the womb_.'

'_Interesting_._ Perhaps the key to getting Henry over his jealousy is to find a way to get them to bond as siblings_.'

'_Think you can do that_? _Melody is only three and half months old, and Henry's going on three years_.'

'_I'm willing to try_. _I think Henry might be feeling a little neglected since I've been working more hours as of late, and I'm going to be working even more now that I'm a Lieutenant_.'

'_You got promoted_? _Congrats, man_.'

'_Thanks_.' Melody let out a small burp and Connor resumed cradling her in his arms in a comforting manner. '_I appreciate the advice, Markus_. _ I'll see if bonding and extra attention helps Henry with getting used to be being a big brother_.'

'_Sure_. _And remember, Connor_. _ You're a big brother, too_. _You'll know what to do_.'

'_I hope so_. _Talk to you later_.' Standing up from the couch Connor carried Melody, who was now in a deep sleep, up the staircase to let her nap in her crib and regain some energy after her busy day of eating and growing. "There you go, Melody." Laying his daughter down into the crib gently Connor gave her a kiss on her forehead and then pulled the small blanket up and over legs to keep her warm. "Sleep well."

* * *

Dinner went off without any problems after Evelyn whipped up a large pasta dish to celebrate Connor and Hank's promotions. Now that Melody was napping upstairs and away from anyone's immediate attention Henry seemed to be perk up, and Connor made sure to give Henry some attention while at the dinner table. Despite having already had his own dinner Henry was very receptive to trying the pasta dish, and only wanted Connor to offer him the food; any time Hank or Evelyn offered him anything from their plates he rejected it.

"Henry, do you want to play with daddy after dinner?" Connor asked as he finished his own meal and focused solely on his son.

The idea of getting to play with daddy made Henry's blue eyes light up. "Yeah!"

"Can Melody play with us?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"No! I want daddy!"

"But daddy can play with both of you."

"No!"

Sighing a little Connor looked over at Hank and silently pleaded for some advice as the grandfather and experienced father cleaned up his own plate. "I think it'd be more fun to play with Melody, too."

"No!"

Hank picked up on the hint and agreed with Connor. "I think that sounds like the most fun."

"No!"

The refusal was illogical and it was making Connor feel conflicted. "Why don't you want to play with Melody?"

"'Cuz!"

"You know she wants to play with you, don't you?"

"No."

"And she wants to play with daddy and mommy, and she wants to play with papa."

"No!"

"Would you like it if Melody told us 'no' for wanting to play with you?"

On the verge of tears Henry responded in the same manner yet again. "No!"

"Why?"

"I want to play!"

"And so does Melody."

Crying at the hollow threat of not being able to play with anyone Henry began to whimper and sniffle pathetically. "...I want to play."

Upstairs Melody began to cry too, and Evelyn promptly rose from the kitchen table to handle her daughter. "I think we just came across one of the biggest drawbacks of having two babies at the same time. Twice the love, but twice the crying..."

Sighing as he tried to think of what to say next Connor gave Henry his full attention. "Henry, do you know why you have a little sister now?"

"No..."

"Because mommy and daddy wanted to have her. She's our family now and we love her just as much as we love you. She loves you, too."

Henry began to quiet down just as Melody quieted down upstairs.

"You're her big brother, now. She needs you just like she needs us."

"...Why?"

"Because we're a family and that's what families do. You're her big brother just like I'm your Uncle Lucas's big brother."

The idea of being a big brother seemed to suddenly catch Henry's attention. "I'm like daddy?"

"Uh..."

Hank just started to laugh as he picked up the empty plates from the table and put them in the sink to soak for a while before being properly washed. "I think that's a very interesting question to answer, son."

"...Yes, Henry. You're like daddy." Trying to break things down in a way for a toddler to understand while also trying to figure out being a parent, being a human and being a brother in general, Connor spoke an honestly about the situation as he could. "...I look after Uncle Lucas because he's my little brother, and you can look after Melody because she's your little sister."

Henry quieted down entirely and his tears dried up.

"Melody needs us all, Henry, and that means you, too. Okay, Henry?"

"...Okay, daddy."

Approving of Connor's explanation Hank turned off the sink and turned around in time to see Connor taking Henry out of the highchair and putting him down on the kitchen floor to be free.

"...Daddy, can we play?"

"Yes." Offering Henry his hand Connor showed Henry back to the livingroom to sit down in the middle of the floor. "We can play a game, now."

"Good job, son." Truly impressed with the way Connor handled everything Hank set about washing the dishes and listened to the sound of Henry giggling as Evelyn rejoined everyone in the livingroom with Melody in her arms. "You're already a great father, and you're going to get even better with Melody."

* * *

The evening began to creep toward night and Henry was finally getting tired out after playing with Connor for so long. Cuddling down on Connor's lap Henry calmed down and seemed to finally be okay with Melody getting some attention, too. Sitting on the couch with Henry laying over his lap Connor wrapped his right arm around Evelyn and stared at Melody as she squirmed about and made small noises as her big blue eyes searched the livingroom around her. Soon after Melody let out a deep yawn and began to close her eyes.

"Everything seems to be just fine." Hank noted as he sat in the recliner and watched the family cuddling all together on the couch. "I know I'm ready for bed, how about you guys?"

"Soon." Connor confirmed as he looked down at Henry and watched his son reach his hand up and put it down on Melody's arm lightly. "...I think we'll wait until they're both tired enough to sleep before I go to bed."

"Sounds cool to me." Passing by the couch Hank bid everyone a goodnight and went to off to sleep in his bedroom now on the ground floor of the house, and left the quartet to sit up a little while longer. "Goodnight, kids."

"Goodnight, dad."

The quiet of the house settled in and soon both Henry and Melody were sleeping with their parents holding them affectionately in their arms. With Henry mellowed out and seemingly aware of how important Melody was for the family, and not just a temporary guest, everything calmed down immensely in the house itself.

"I think you did it, Connor." Whispering as to not accidentally awaken their children Evelyn gave her husband an approving grin. "Henry seems much more relaxed now."

"I hope I did the right thing." Rubbing his left hand along Henry's back Connor sighed and watched as Melody cuddled in deeper into Evelyn's warm arms as the two babies fell into a deep asleep. "I want Henry to know that he's still going to be loved and get plenty of attention, while also knowing that as a big brother he gets to be someone special."

"Yeah... I miss being a big sister. I'm glad Henry will get the chance to be a good big brother like you."

"Thanks, Evelyn."

Giving Connor a kiss Evelyn rested her head against Connor's right shoulder and settled down against the couch to cuddle for a while longer. "I love you."

Feeling the same sense of comfort and relief Connor reciprocated the feeling and felt his heart swelling with paternal pride. "I love you, too."

* * *

_**Autumn of 2046:**_

It was a big day in Henry and Madison's life, and it was a day that their parents were simultaneously awaiting eagerly and dreading. The four year old cousins were ready to begin their first day of preschool, and fortunately they had both been accepted into the school's gifted program. Henry and Madison would be a part of the same class as well, and as a result it ensured that the young children would be able to be with their family even while at school and wouldn't get too lonely as they adjusted to their first day at preschool.

Standing together outside the elementary school entrance Connor and Lucas saw their kids off for their first day of school, and were discussing the option of letting the duo skip ahead and go right into kindergarten since they were already excelling with their grasp of education and learning in general.

"Are you ready, Henry?" Connor knelt down in front of his son and made sure Henry had his backpack with him. "This is your first day of preschool."

"I'm ready."

"Are you excited?"

"Uh-huh!" Wearing dark blue jeans, a red t-shirt and a big smile Henry looked eager and fearless to begin preschool. "I wanna' go!"

Lucas was doing the same for Madison and made sure his daughter also had her backpack, and tightened her ponytail to keep her long black hair neatly tied back and out of her face. Wearing a bright purple long sleeved shirt and blue jeans Madison looked just as eager as Henry. "You're both going to be in the same classroom, Maddy. Are you excited?"

"Yup! I want to color a horsey!"

"I'm sure they have coloring books inside, Maddy. But you also have to learn."

"Why?"

"Because that's what school's for."

"How long do I have to go to school?"

"Until you're eighteen."

"That's too long!"

Laughing a little Lucas reassured his daughter that it wouldn't be as long as she feared. "Well, if you and Henry continue to excel with your education then you can skip right over preschool and begin kindergarten in two weeks."

"Then I won't be in school as long?"

"No, then you'll only be in school until you're seventeen."

"Still too long!"

The school bell rang and all of the students were being shown inside by their parents and teachers alike. Connor took Henry's hand and Lucas took Madison's hand as they led their kids to their designated classroom. After ensuring that their kids were in the right room and knew who their teacher was the two brothers gave their kids a kiss on the cheek and promised to be back to pick them up at two o'clock when the preschool and kindergarten classes were let out for the day.

"You be a good boy, Henry." Connor proudly saw his son off as Lucas did the same for Madison. "If you're good then I'll take you to get ice cream after school. Okay?"

"Yeah! Bye, dad!"

"Bye, Henry... I love you."

Walking away from the school was surprisingly difficult for the two young fathers to handle. Not having their kids around made them feel like they were missing out on something important, but they also understood that by letting their kids have their independence and letting them learn how to socialize with other kids was absolutely crucial to growing up and being happy.

"...Do you wish to stay at the house this afternoon, brother?" Connor asked Lucas the question in a low tone as they returned to their respective vehicles in the parking lot outside the school.

"Yes. The house will be very quiet now that Maddy is in school and Chloe is attending classes at her nursing school downtown."

"It's a strange feeling."

Standing beside his pick-up truck Lucas gave Connor a confused glance. "What's that?"

"I know we're going the right thing by allowing our children to go to school and begin their educations, and yet I can't stop feeling as thought by leaving them here we are somehow doing something... wrong."

"I understand. A day hasn't gone by since was was born that I hadn't spend time with her. Even while I'm at the station I will take the time to call the emergency cell phone at the house so we can speak and 'face time' one another before she goes to bed."

"I've never been away from Henry or Melody, either." Laughing a little as he put his right hand on the driver's side handle of the Oldsmobile Connor gave his little brother a truly amused stare. "Do you think that this lifestyle is what CyberLife had in mind for us when we were created?"

"Very unlikely, big brother." Sharing the amusement Lucas contemplated his previous life and the life he could've been forced to live if the Revolution had managed to fail rather than succeed on that fateful night. "I don't want to live a life where I'm hunting our own people and repressing them."

"Same. I'm truly grateful for Hank's friendship and guidance that allowed me to deviate."

"When our children have grown up... What will happen next?"

The question was as intriguing as it was morose. "...I suppose I will watch Henry and Melody continue their lives into adulthood and be with Evelyn for as long as it's possible. After my family is... I guess when they don't _need_ me anymore I will retire from the Detroit Police Department and explore the world and find a way to help our people all over the globe."

"That sounds like a noble quest. Yet I fear you would get lonely."

"After this is all over..." Trailing off for a moment Connor tried to put his emotions into words as the future of heartache made him visibly wince. "After I see my children grown and my wife is... gone, I won't want to be with anyone else. It'd be too painful to have another family or even contemplate another wife."

"It is strange, I have the same feeling regarding Maddy and Chloe. I don't want to be with anyone but them."

"By then even Hank will be gone, too. I don't want to lose any of them."

"Neither do I, but we can't do anything about time itself."

Sensing the heavy emotion in the air Connor sighed and decided they needed to change the subject. "...Maybe we should head to the house and talk with dad. It's been a while since we did anything with him as his sons, and with Evelyn at work he'll definitely appreciate our company."

"Well, Melody is walking now so I suspect he'd also appreciate us wrangling her so he doesn't have to chase her all over the house by himself."

Smiling at the mental image of Melody taking her first steps Connor agreed wholeheartedly with his little brother and proceeded to open up his door to the old vehicle at long last. "Right. Let's get going. Dad needs us."

* * *

_**Winter of 2047:**_

The rush to St. Vevila Hospital was a blur to young Henry's eyes as Evelyn drove quickly through the streets of the city. The phone call came in just after two in the afternoon and Evelyn had just returned from holiday shopping with the kids. Unable to bring Melody to the hospital out of emotional stress Evelyn left her in Chloe's care after packing Henry back up in the car to meet her husband and father-in-law at the hospital to check in on them both. With only the vague details of Connor being wounded while out on a case to guide her Evelyn stayed strong for Henry, and didn't dare let her son see that she was scared.

"He'll be just fine, Henry." Evelyn promised as she watched her son nervously fidgeting in his booster seat behind her. Henry's reflection in the rearview mirror told Evelyn she needed to know to figure out what was on Henry's mind. "Your dad's been through a lot worse and walked away."

"Was dad shot?"

"...I don't know, Henry. I wasn't told what happened to him, I was just told he's at the hospital."

"Is he going to die?"

"No!" Practically shouting the answer as she pulled into the hospital parking lot Evelyn located guest parking and quickly found a spot. Turning off the engine she turned around to face Henry in the backseat behind her as Henry remained strapped into his booster seat. "No, Henry. You're dad is hurt but he is NOT going to die. Okay?"

Nodding a little Henry gave his mother an unsure glance where he sat. "Okay."

"Come on." Opening up her door Evelyn reached back and pulled open the rear door to get to Henry. "We're going to go inside and talk to the doctor taking care of dad, and then we'll see dad as soon as we can."

"Okay, mom." Climbing out of the car Henry watched his mother close the car doors and lock up the vehicle before walking toward the hospital's entrance at a rather hasty clip. Holding tightly onto his mother's hand Henry was unsure of what to expect and kept asking questions. "Where's Papa?"

"He should already be here. We'll find dad and Papa, okay?"

Nodding again Henry just stayed with his mother and stared at the odd environment of the hospital all around him with wide eyed confusion. He had never seen a hospital before and it was almost overwhelming to see all the people rushing about, to smell all the odd aromas coming from antiseptic and cleaners and hearing all the voices speaking over one another.

"Henry." Kneeling down in front of her son Evelyn gave Henry a calm look. "Your dad is being taken care of a few floors up. We need to go sitting in the waiting room before we can see him."

"What happened?"

"...A bad guy hurt him."

"He was shot. Wasn't he?"

"...Yes, Henry. BUT your dad is going to be okay!" Putting her right palm to Henry's left cheek she looked her son in the eyes and told him the truth. "We just need to wait for the doctors finish helping him."

"Where's Papa?"

"Right here, Henry." From a few feet away Hank located his daughter-in-law and grandson. As soon as he saw Henry on the verge of tears Hank picked up the six year old and had flashbacks to doing the same for Cole countless times before. "...Papa's got ya'."

Evelyn stood up again and rubbed her right hand along Henry's back. "Melody is with Chloe right now."

"Good idea. This place might scare her a little." Nodding toward the nearby waiting room Hank sighed and carried Henry over to a chair while Evelyn walked alongside him. "Come on. You two need to sit down while I go and find a doctor to talk to."

"What happened, Hank?"

"Connor went to investigate a 'Digital Sentience' store that had been robbed this morning, and as it turns out the robber was still in the store and hiding in the back. He got the jump on Connor while he was talking to a witness, and then shielding the witness from harm. The robber..." Lowering his voice a little Hank tried to speak without it scaring Henry in the process. "He got off three rounds."

"Shit... Connor wasn't wearing a Kevlar vest?"

"Since it was just supposed to be a line of questions and not a pursuit he didn't bother. Don't worry, when this is all over I'm going to sew a damn Kevlar vest into his entire wardrobe."

"And I'll help."

Sitting Henry down in the vacant plastic chair Hank ran his right hand over Henry's dark hair and sighed. "Hey, your dad is tough just like you. He'll be fine in a few hours, Henry."

Nodding silently Henry just stared at the floor and felt an off sense of doubt settle in his heart.

"I'm going to go find Connor's doctor, and I'll give you both an update."

Evelyn wrapped her right arm around Henry and pulled him up against her side for a hug. "Okay, thank you."

Scared and unsure of what he could do Henry had no idea what was happening to his dad, or who he could possibly talk to while Hank spoke to Dr. Wilson in the hallway. Pressing up even closer to his mom's side Henry pulled his legs up from the floor and hugged them to his chest as he tried to not think about his dad being hurt and needing a doctor's care.

"It's okay to cry, Henry." Evelyn whispered as she continued to hug her frightened son. "Let it out."

"I'm scared." The little boy whimpered as he tried to understand what was happening to his dad. "...I don't want dad to be hurt."

Rejoining his family in the waiting room Hank sat down beside Henry on the other side of Evelyn and put his right hand to the back of Henry's dark hair in a supportive manner. "It's okay to be afraid, Henry." Hank comforted his shaking grandson in a soothing tone. "But don't think the worst is going to happen, okay? Your dad is way too stubborn to go out like this. Trust me, I know from experience."

* * *

It had been almost four hours since Connor had been taken away for his emergency repairs, and it was now just past six in the evening. Henry hadn't eaten anything since noon and Hank knew he had to be getting hungry. Eager for any form of distraction for the young boy Hank tried to slip Henry a twenty-dollar bill and offered to take him to the hospital cafeteria so he could find something to eat, but the stubborn young boy refused to budge. Remaining pressed up against Evelyn's side Henry didn't want to go anywhere.

Henry just shook his head sadly before politely declining the offer. "Thank you, Papa. But I'm not hungry."

"You have to be bored out of your mind though." The dullness of Henry's blue eyes spoke volumes as to how upset he truly was. "There's a bookstore just down the block, how about we go and get you something new to read?"

"I don't want to go anywhere."

"Really?" Giving Evelyn a tired glance Hank made Henry knew the offer was still on the table. "Alright, but if you change your mind let me know. It's been a while since we went to a bookstore together."

"...Dad was hurt for doing the right thing." Henry muttered somberly to himself. "It's not fair."

Hank looked over at Henry as he saw the little boy's shoulders tense with emotional frustration as he tried to not cry again. "He was hurt because someone bad tried to stop him from doing the right thing, and he because he was protecting an innocent person."

Evelyn gave Henry a kiss on his hair and remained strong on her son's behalf. "Your dad did the right thing and the bad guy did the wrong thing. Right now the doctors and technicians helping your dad are all doing the right thing so they can undo what the bad guy did. You're right, it's not fair. But it still happened and now we're waiting for it to be over."

"Unfair things shouldn't happen."

"You're right again, sweetheart. They shouldn't." Giving Hank a somber and silent glance Evelyn did her best to explain things to her son without losing her composure or yelling out in frustration. "That's why me, your dad and your papa all work as detectives. We want to keep these unfair things from happening to other people. Sometimes we don't always succeed, but we'll never give up or stop trying."

Nodding with understanding Henry sighed and slowly turned on his side so he could lay his head down over Evelyn's lap.

"Get some sleep, sweetie. We'll wake you up the moment we can go see your dad."

As Henry began to drift off to sleep Hank shrugged off his dark and heavy coat and draped it over his grandson to help him stay warm and comfortable.

Waiting a few minutes for Henry to be deeply asleep Evelyn whispered again as she spoke to Hank sitting on the other side of Henry. "Tell me the truth, how bad is it?"

"...Bad." Lowering his voice as well Hank dared himself to look Evelyn in the eyes as he spoke to her honestly. "He took three shots. One was just below his heart," as he spoke he reached his right hand over and took Evelyn's left hand to hold in a reassuring grip. "the second shot hit his right lung, and the third shot just nicked both the lung and nicked his Thirium filter."

"Fuck..."

"Hey, he'll be okay. I wasn't just blowing smoke when I said Connor was too stubborn to let something like this take him down."

"I know." Her grip subconsciously tightened around Hank's hand as she spoke. "But that doesn't make it any easier to handle."

* * *

As the fourth hour transitioned into its fifth hour Dr. Wilson returned to the waiting room at long last and sat down in the vacant chair across from Evelyn, Hank and Henry. The kind doctor didn't seem distressed but he was tired, and he was holding an electronic chart in his hands. Sitting upright in the chair Dr. Wilson looked eyes with Evelyn and nodded at her once.

Almost afraid to ask Evelyn leaned forward and her eyes brightened with emotion. "Is he...?"

"Just fine."

"...Thank god."

"Connor's going to make a full recovery." Dr. Wilson stated with a firm and sincere voice. "Sorry it took so long. There was a lot of necessary repairs to get through and I wanted to make sure the technicians understood how prototypes react differently from finished models."

"When can we see him?"

"Right now if you want. He's still rebooting from stasis mode, but he should wake up soon."

Evelyn gently shook Henry's shoulder to awoken him as she rose from the chair while Hank stood up more slowly beside them. "Uh, is there anything we should be 'prepared to see'?"

"He's still attached to a Thirial activity monitor as a precaution, and he's still receiving blue blood to replace what he's lost. It's going through the line in his right arm rather than down his throat so he can talk to you."

"Thank you."

Returning his right hand to Henry's left shoulder Hank guided his shaken grandson down the corridor to follow after Dr. Wilson and Evelyn to finally visit Connor after the lengthy repair process. "Like I said Henry, everything will be okay."

One elevator ride later Evelyn, Hank and Henry were shown to the private room where Connor was recovering.

"He's right in here." Dr. Wilson stated as he unlocked the sliding door, and let it open. "It's okay, go on."

Inside the room Connor was resting in a bed propped slightly upright with a muted Thirial activity monitor recording his vitals, and a nasal canula under his nose. He was pale from the Thirium loss and he was wrapped up under thick bandages from his chest down to abdomen, and wearing pale blue hospital scrubs. Connor looked so human again it was almost frightening.

Entering the private room where Connor was resting Henry ran over to the bed and nearly threw himself onto Connor to try to hug him. The sudden weight and warmth against his left arm made Connor's system fully reboot and he opened his soulful brown eyes to look at the source of the presence.

Glancing down at Henry resting against his left side made Connor smile as he recognized his son instantly. "...Henry."

"Dad!"

"Connor..." Evelyn rushed over to the bed and gave her husband a kiss as she gently wrapped her arms around him to give him a gentle hug. "...You're going to be okay."

Wrapping his left arm around Henry and his right arm around Evelyn as much as he could Connor gave his wife and son a much needed hug. "I'm going to be just fine in a few days. The bullets just grazed the vital biocomponents."

"Sorry, but after you were on the repair table for four hours I find that hard to believe."

"I'm a prototype. My biocomponents are unique and take time to properly analyze and repair."

Hank walked over to the bed and put his hand on Connor's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Hey, kid."

"Hey..."

"Remember why the precinct issues everyone Kevlar?"

"...Yes. I will wear the vest every shift from this day on."

"Damn right."

Glancing about Connor noticed that someone important was curiously absent. "Where's Melody?"

"She's with Chloe. The last thing a two year old needs to try to deal with is a quiet and confusing waiting room."

"Good, I'm glad she isn't here to see this. What about Lucas?"

"He was at the scene of a construction site fire downtown when I called him. I'll send him a message and let him know that you're going to be okay, and that you'll be coming home tomorrow."

"Thank you."

Smiling as Henry buried his face in Connor's side and watching Evelyn remaining wrapped up in her husband's embrace Hank decided to give the family a little privacy and stepped out of the room. "You three talk and take a breath. I'm going to call Lucas and then try to find something in the cafeteria that doesn't taste like rubber."

"...Right."

As the senior detective took his leave of the private recovery room Connor sighed and rubbed his left hand along Henry's back. "I promise you both that I'm going to be okay, and I also promise to be far more careful in the field this moment on."

"I can't exactly be mad at you for doing your job and protecting an innocent person," Evelyn admitted as she pressed her right palm to Connor's left cheek affectionately. "but I can be mad at your for scaring the hell out of me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just get better."

"I will." Picking up Evelyn's hand right Connor kissed her knuckles and smiled. "I promise that, too."

* * *

Resting well in his bed with Henry and Melody cuddled up at his sides Connor read to his children as he healed from his injuries and truly appreciated having his family in his life. Being shot wasn't a reminder of what he had to lose, it was a reminder of how important he was in his family's lives, and that if he were to shutdown then they'd be heartbroken, at a loss and the family itself would never be whole again. Promising to be more careful and to spend as much time with his family as possible Connor was true to his word and cuddled with his children as they enjoyed spending all day with daddy.

Finishing the fourth book for that afternoon Connor gave his kids a gentle kiss as they cuddled upon beside him and drifted off into afternoon naps. Peering out the window at the snow silently falling from the dark clouds overhead Connor lamented the cold and isolated feeling that winter brought, and yet in that moment he felt warm and like he truly knew where he belonged.

"How do you feel, brother?" Lucas asked in a whisper as he checked in on Connor as he rested in bed. Standing in the doorway Lucas watched his brother from afar without disturbing his niece and nephew. "I scanned your vitals and noted that while you're stable and your self healing program is functioning adequately your Thirium reserve is lowering by one point three percent per hour."

"I'm fatigued but I'm well. I'll replenish my reserves after the kids are out of sight."

"You still haven't told them about you being an android?"

"Not yet. They're both too young to really comprehend something like that."

"Chloe and I've discussed it with Maddy and she seemed to understand. She knows that we're her parents and she knows that being an android doesn't make us any less of her parents."

"How'd you do that?"

"Maddy wanted to know why Chloe and I would drink Thirium more than we'd eat organic food, and we told her the truth. We showed her photos of Chloe while she was pregnant and showed her photos after Maddy was born to confirm that we are her parents and that us being androids and her being a human doesn't matter. We're family."

"I'll keep that in mind, but it may not be that simple for me."

"How so?"

"With Melody being adopted we can't lie to her about where she came from and how she came into our lives, and for Henry... He's my biological son despite me no longer being biological. It's... It's complicated."

"Very much so."

"We'll tell them the truth in time, but for now I'd rather be seen as just daddy and no one else."

"I understand entirely, brother." Grinning with approval Lucas took a step back to leave the room. "I'll go make Henry and Melody lunch. By the time they wake up they should be hungry."

"Thank you. How's Chloe doing with Maddy all alone at the house?"

"Actually, they love it. They call it 'girl time' and seem to take advantage of me being gone to do more 'feminine activities'."

"Interesting..."

"Not always. Once I returned home from my shift and noticed that Ashe had pink blush, purple eye shadow and red lipstick on her face. It didn't stain her white fur, but she did not seem pleased..."

"Ruby's had bows wrapped around her ears and tails after Melody decides to play with her." Glancing about Connor noticed that the lovable hound was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Ruby?"

"She is sleeping on the couch. I took her for a walk around the neighborhood and gave her a treat afterward while you were reading. I think I may have worn her out."

"That's fine, she needs the exercise and attention. Thank for you helping me today."

"You're welcome, Connor. Once Hank and Evelyn return home I'll stick around a while longer so I can change your bandages without the kids seeing, and then I'll head home. I'm always happy to help you."

* * *

_**Autumn of 2048:**_

While Hank had decided to take Henry out to celebrate his first day of the second grade with true pride in gesture, a feat he was unable to share with Cole due to tragedy taking Cole away from him, Connor and Evelyn spent the day with Melody to give their daughter some extra attention to ensure she could enter preschool right on schedule the following year. Sitting on the livingroom floor while Melody put together a puzzle in the shape of the United States of America with great ease Evelyn gave her daughter praise, and encouraged her to keep playing with her educational toys.

In the three years since Melody's adoption her blue eyes had turned a very dark brown, and her hair became a few shades darker as well. While Henry had slowly begun developing a few freckles that made him look all the more like Connor it seemed Melody would develop a flawless complexion that would make her look more like Evelyn despite not having any shared genetics between them. Despite the odds Melody looked like both of her parents.

"You're doing great, Melody." Holding up a flash card with a red circle on the front Evelyn checked to see how well Melody was able to recognize her shapes and her colors. "What shape is this?"

Looking at the card Melody beamed and answered correctly without any problems. "Circle."

"Very good! What color is the circle?"

"Red!"

"You're so smart! Great job, Melody."

From within the kitchen Connor overhead the comment and smiled to himself as he heard how well Melody was doing. Finishing the lunch he had been preparing for his family Connor put the two plates down on the kitchen table and called out to his wife and daughter to come into the kitchen. "Lunch is ready. When Hank and Henry get back we'll go out for dinner."

Running into the kitchen Melody gave Connor's right leg a hug and let him pick her up to put her down in the booster seat in the kitchen chair. "Thanks, daddy!"

"You're welcome, Melody."

Evelyn trailed after her daughter and gave Connor a kiss on his cheek. "Aren't you going to join us?"

"Later... _Lieutenant_." Lowering his voice he showed Evelyn a small pouch of Thirium concealed in his left hand while giving her a cheesy grin to acknowledge her recent promotion. "I'm not very hungry, but I will be later. We'll have a special dinner, and then celebrate more... _properly_ in private."

"Oh, I see." Giving Connor an enamored grin Evelyn liked the idea very much and gave Connor a kiss. "I'm looking forward to it..."

"I'm going to take Ruby for a walk so she doesn't beg for scraps." Keeping his smirk on his face Connor exited the kitchen as he flashed his wife a loving glance over his shoulder. "I'll be back soon and then I'll help Melody with her flashcards."

"Sounds great, see you soon."

Walking toward the front door of the house with purpose in his steps Connor took Ruby's leash from the front door and called out to the hound as she laid on her side on her pillow in the corner of the livingroom, and thumped her tail slowly.

"Let's go for a walk, girl."

Rising from her pillow Ruby trotted over to Connor and sat down at his feet as she waited for her leash to be clipped to her collar. As she continued to wag her tail her ears suddenly perked up and she stared at the front door.

"Someone coming up the front walk?" Clipping the lead to Ruby's collar Connor opened the front door and led the dog out onto the front walk just as he noticed someone walking toward the house. At first glance it looked as though Lucas was stopping by for a visit, but upon closer inspection Connor quickly noted that the person of interest had light brown hair and blue eyes; not black hair and green eyes. "...What in the world?"

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk the familiar stranger stared at Connor for a moment before finally speaking up in Connor's own voice. "...Hello."

"Hello. I... I wasn't expecting to see you again, Ethan."

Upon hearing the name Ethan smirked a little and gave Connor an odd glance. "The fact that you know my name means my memories are correct. You are the one who aided me and gave me my name."

"...Yes. That's right."

"I'm sorry, you're unsettled by my arrival." Sensing Connor's discomfort Ethan took a step back as if about to turn around and bolt. "I should go."

"No! Don't go." Approaching his estranged older brother Connor approached Ethan warily and noticed that Ruby had no negative reaction to him being at the family home. He wasn't a threat. "It's just... I wasn't expecting to ever see you here in Detroit."

"Yes, I remember hearing voices speaking about sending me to Boston as a means of protecting me from what is happening here in Detroit. But... I had to come back and I had to find you."

"How did you find me?"

"I returned to New Jericho Tower and I was able to access files pertaining to yours and Lucas's home addresses. That was rude and intrusive, I apologize."

"Can I ask why you came back?"

"...My memories were compelling me to come back to Detroit. I cannot explain it further than that."

"It's alright, I understand that type of odd compulsion."

"...If it's okay," daring to look Connor in the eyes Ethan pushed for a few answers of his own. "I would like to ask you some questions about who I am, where I came from and how you found me."

"I can do that." Pulling on Ruby's leash Connor motioned for Ethan to accompany him on the walk around the neighborhood. "Ask me anything and I'll answer you honestly, Ethan. I have nothing to hide from you."

* * *

Walking around the neighborhood side by side Connor answered every single one of Ethan's questions, and in turn Ethan answered Connor's questions. The two lost and estranged brothers seemed to have a mutual need for answers to uncover all of the secrets that CyberLife hid behind during their lifetime of keeping androids under a human's oppressive thumb. Despite the lack of any programming or software being left in Ethan's body he still managed to retain some form of memory and self awareness while in stasis mode in the warehouse hidden in Miami, and knew Connor could be trusted.

While the brothers didn't have any reason to associate with one another or even seek one another out, it seemed meeting up was something important for them all the same.

"So CyberLife had created me so they could stop deviancy before it spread." Ethan realized the truth of his origin with a heavy heart as he accompanied Connor around the neighborhood. "I was just the original design, a beta."

"Yes, it seems to be that way."

"And the fifty iterations of me-" correcting his term Ethan sighed as he glanced about the quiet neighborhood as fallen leaves swirled about the sidewalk in a graceful dance. "_of us_... what became of them?"

"From what I've been able to uncover during my search through CyberLife's illegal activities each of the fifty models that came after you were slowly improved and tested. Once they found a design they were content with, model twenty-two, the others were put into the field for testing." The grim facts made Connor visibly wince as he lead Ruby around the block with Ethan at his side. "If they failed to react quickly enough or give CyberLife the 'logical answers' they were seeking then they had their programming altered and the failed models were all destroyed. I was the first model that was deemed worthy enough to go into the field."

"...I see. And Lucas?"

"Aside from myself there were nine other models just like me, the other nine were designated as a possible replacement in the event I had been destroyed or even just damaged while in the field. Lucas was designed to replace me, to replace our model, as a whole. You are a beta, I'm a prototype and Lucas is our finished design."

"CyberLife had planned on eliminating you if you failed and if you succeeded?"

"Correct."

Pausing mid step Ethan sighed and shook his head a little. "It's no wonder you wanted me as far away from CyberLife as possible."

Stopping as well Connor gave his estranged brother a somber glance. "...Are you upset that we sent you away?"

"No. I was curious as to why you did it, but now I understand. You were looking out for me and you wanted me to have a chance at a life all my own." Taking a step forward he stood beside Connor again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Changing the subject from something less dreary and more cheery Connor gave his brother a kind smile. "Tell me about your life in Boston. I've never been out there before."

"Boston is... beautiful." Smiling again himself Ethan was happy to answer his brother's questions. "And I enjoy my work."

"Paramedic?"

"Doctor."

"...A doctor?"

"I found the work to be very satisfying as I was able to stop pain and bring about peace, but once the people I helped were admitted to the hospital I didn't see them anymore. I wanted to see the good that comes fromhelping people in their time of need, and so I went through the appropriate software upgrades and training to become a doctor."

"That's wonderful, Ethan. I'm glad you're helping so many people."

"What about you, Connor?" Noticing that Ruby was completely comfortable around him Ethan gave her ears a gentle rub and in return she wagged her tail happily at the friendly contact. "Aside from being a detective, what's happening in your life?"

"Well..." Eyeing his wedding band on his left ring finger Connor prepared to tell Ethan about his life, his family and of how happy he truly was. "It's a bit of a long story..."

* * *

Returning home later than expected Connor opened the front door and unclipped Ruby from her leash as he greeted his wife and daughter in the livingroom. Noticing that Evelyn and Melody were right back to working on the flashcards Connor joined them on the floor and gave them both his full attention. Gently he pulled Melody over so she could sit on his lap as she studied her flashcards and answered every question honestly.

"That was some walk." Evelyn observed as she held up the flashcards for Melody to see. "Something wrong?"

"No, not all. I just... I ran into someone from my past."

"Friend or foe?"

"...Brother."

The answer was completely unexpected. "Said what?"

"Ethan."

"...Isn't he in Boston?"

"He was and is returning there as of now. He just wanted to find some answers about his past, and now he's returning back to Boston to resume his life."

"Are you okay? Bumping into your estranged brother has to be pretty weird."

"I'm fine." Giving Melody a hug Connor smiled warmly at Evelyn as he nodded his head. "We're all fine. It's nice to know that by sending Ethan away Lucas and I did the right thing. He's happy and he's living a great life."

"That's good to know."

Looking down at Melody in his lap Connor smiled and took the flashcards from Evelyn's hands. "Okay, Melody. Ready to play some games with daddy?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright..." Laughing a little he passed Melody over to Evelyn to hold so he could show her the flashcards instead. "Let's play, and get you ready for preschool."

* * *

_**Autumn of 2049:**_

Standing proudly in front of the elementary school as Henry began his first day of the third grade and Melody began her first day of kindergarten, she skipped over preschool as well, Connor and Evelyn saw their kids off before they went about their own schedules to work while their kids were in school. Thanks to Hank being a Captain now at Connor's precinct Connor would have the time to pick up Melody from preschool to take to New Jericho Tower's daycare center, and then Evelyn would be able to do the same for Henry on her lunchbreak.

"We'll both pick you up from New Jericho this evening." Evelyn explained as she knelt down in front of her kids and gave them both a kiss on the cheek and hugged them tightly. "Henry, you look out for your sister, okay?"

"Okay, mom."

"And Melody," giving the rambunctious four year old a gentle smile Evelyn made sure she was listening, too. "you listen to your brother. Okay?"

"Okay, mommy."

"Mommy loves you!"

Connor gave both of his kids a hug and a kiss just as the bell rang behind them. "Be good, we'll see you after school."

Watching with pride as Henry took Melody by the hand and showed her inside the school Connor stood upright and wrapped his arm around Evelyn's shoulders to pull her in for a hug.

Pressing against Connor's side Evelyn watched her children enter the school and she felt a sense of pride wash over her. "I think we did it, Connor."

"Raised two great kids? I agree."

"They're going to be just fine without us for a few hours."

"Soon Henry will be old enough to be home alone, and maybe even keep an eye on Melody for a while, too."

"The idea of our kids being big enough and mature to be home alone after school seems like it's an entire lifetime away."

"And yet it'll happen sooner than we'll ever be able to predict."

"Ready to go to work knowing that our kids aren't going to be at home?"

"...Not really, but we have to do it." Giving Evelyn a kiss Connor sighed and walked over to the Oldsmobile while Evelyn walked over to her Pace parked nearby. "I love you, and I'll see you this evening."

"I love you, too. When we get home we'll have two kids telling us all about their day!"

"And I can't wait to hear it."

* * *

_**Summer of 2050:**_

Watching as Henry and Melody laughed and splashed in the pool Connor and Evelyn felt a true sense of accomplishment as they enjoyed their day off together, and admired their happy well adjusted children getting along without any problems. In just a few weeks Henry would be entering the fourth grade and Melody would be beginning the first grade. Wanting to enjoy the day together as a family Connor and Evelyn sat on the back deck a few feet away from the pool and watched their kids enjoying the cool pool on the hot summer day.

Joining his son and his daughter-in-law on the back deck with a serving track of lemonade in his hands Hank pulled up a chair beside his kids and let out a weary sigh as he sat down heavily.

"How do you feel, dad?" Running a scan over Hank's spine Connor noticed the building arthritis and weakening muscle tissue as age slowly took away Hank's strength over the years. It had been twelve years since the Revolution and time had been cruel to the senior detective. "Is the heat bothering you?"

"I'm fine, son." Sipping at his lemonade Hank leaned back and sighed deeply as he smiled at his grandkids splashing in the pool. "Hard to believe it's been eight years since Henry's been born."

"I know." Grabbing onto Evelyn's hand as they sat side by side Connor agreed with the sense of wonder to his words. "And it's already been five years since Melody came into our lives."

"What's even more impressive is that it's been eight years since you two married and you've never been on a honeymoon."

"We've been busy."

"Yup, I noticed." Nodding at the two kids laughing and enjoying their summer in the pool Hank took another sip of his lemonade and continued on. "But you two need to have that time together."

"We can't just take off and leave the kids alone."

"You're right, but since I'M here then it's fine. I'll watch them for you."

"We can't ask you to do that."

"Son, they're my grandchildren. They're not in diapers anymore, they have a few more weeks of summer vacation so no school schedule to worry about, and I know for a fact that as the Captain you have over two months worth of vacation time saved up."

Evelyn was now intrigued by the discussion and thought the idea of honeymoon sounded great. "_Really_?"

"Yup. And as the Captain I can take off as much time as I want, and I can all but order you to do the same. Also, since I'm on good terms with Captain Keller I can confirm that you and Connor can both have time off."

Leaning her head against Connor's right shoulder Evelyn gave him a puppy dog look and tightened her hand around his hand gently. "Sounds good to me."

Realizing he had both Hank and now Evelyn pushing him toward taking some time off and getting away from the kids for a while Connor sighed and relented to the idea of finally taking a honeymoon. "...Did you have anywhere in mind, Evelyn?"

"Hawaii!"

"Hawaii?" The idea of flying for over thirteen hours was enough to make his artificial stomach drop, and the idea of flying over open ocean only made him feel all the more anxious. "...That's quite a flight."

"Please? I've always wanted to see the islands."

Accepting the plea Connor agreed to fly to Hawaii, and gave Hank a worried look. "Are you sure you don't mind watching the kids? If we're going to fly to Hawaii then we're going to stay there for a full week."

"I wouldn't have said anything if I did mind, son. You two go pack your bags, book your flight and take off. I'll pull the strings and I'll watch the kids."

Evelyn gave Connor's hand another squeeze as she kissed his cheek. "I'm sure we could find a flight that'll take us there tonight."

Cybernetically Connor checked for flights leading out to Honolulu Hawaii, and confirmed that there was a flight set to take off that night at ten o'clock. "...I can get us two first class tickets and fly out in eight hours and twenty-three minutes."

"Perfect!"

Purchasing the tickets and confirming their flight times Connor rose from the table and nodded at Evelyn expectantly. "...Then let's go pack."

"You're the best!" As she joined Connor beside the table Evelyn leaned down and gave Hank a kiss on his cheek, too. "And thanks for always being here for us and the kids."

"It's not a problem, Evelyn." Waving the young couple off casually Hank motioned for them to head inside and prepare for their honeymoon. "Go on, go. Go have fun in Hawaii."

Thoroughly enjoying the beautiful day and the company of his kids and his grandkids Hank felt an odd sense of peace befall his heart as he watched Henry climb out of the pool and taking a running leap back into the water. Melody just laughed as she kicked about the water with the protective floats on her arms and had fun playing in the water with her big brother.

Sighing again as a knot tightened in his back Hank leaned forward a little and shifted his weight to get the pain to stop for just a moment. "Have fun before you're too old to enjoy life, kids... Take it from me, never wait to do anything."

* * *

_**Spring of 2051:**_

Moving carefully and slowly Connor carried Evelyn inside the house through the front door bridal style as his wife tried her best to not move around too much in her huband's grasp. She had suffered a dislocated right shoulder and fractured her right tibia and fibula after chasing a suspect down a set of concrete stairs in the stairwell of an old hotel. During the chase she caught up to the suspect and grabbed onto his shoulder, but he was strung out on drugs and in a manic high making him faster and stronger than usual. Pulling Evelyn's hand from his shoulder he threw the detective down the staircase and fled past her where he was promptly tackled by Caleb instead.

After being taken to the hospital to be checked out for any sign of a concussion Evelyn had her shoulder popped back into its socket, and had her leg put in a purple cast to heal for the next six weeks. Ordered to take a week off to heal Evelyn was at the mercy of the rest of the household to help her during her recovery period before she could resume light desk duty until her cast came off.

"How's your pain?" Speaking in a low voice to not frighten their kids as they sat in the kitchen and played a board game with Hank Connor carried Evelyn up the staircase and into their bedroom to rest. "I can get you some ice if you need it."

"Shoulder's sore but not unbearable." As she was placed down on the bed Evelyn groaned as her right leg protested at being moved around so much despite the motion being necessary. "...My leg is horrible."

"You can have another pain pill if you need it."

"No, it'll be fine now that I'm laying still."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside his wife Connor lightly combed his rght fingers through her dark hair and smiled.

"What?" Sharing the grin Evelyn gave Connor a playfully offended look. "Checking out my graying hair?"

"Your hair is just as dark and beautiful as it always has been."

"Good answer you flatterer."

"Is this the first time you've been wounded while in the line of duty?"

"Second time." Watching as Connor propped her broken leg up on a pillow Evelyn sighed and tried to ignore her lingering pain. "The first time I sprained my left knee when I got in a fight with a mugger who tried to steal from Santa. The bastard..."

"You got him, right?"

"Damn right. I wasn't going let that Grinch steal Christmas."

Falling silent for a moment Connor cybernetically looked up the reference and then quickly understood what Evelyn was talking about. "...Good. You saved the day then."

"Where're the kids?"

"Hank has them distracted with a board game."

"It's not 'Monopoly' is it?"

"No, 'Pictionary'. If he had his way he would let them play 'Cards Against Humanity'."

"Only when they're both in high school."

The sound of Henry and Melody rushing up the staircase stole their attention as the fifth and second grader checked in on their mom, and were immediately worried when they saw her right leg in a cast and her right arm in a sling. Scrambling onto the bed Henry stared at his mother with big blue eyes while Melody put her hands on the cast, only to have Connor gently pull her palms back.

Checking on the sling Henry gave his mother a confused glance. "What happened, mom?"

"I fell down some stairs chasing a bad guy. I'll be fine in a few weeks."

"Did the bad guy get away?"

"Nope. My partner Caleb caught him after I fell."

"Where was dad?"

"Dad works at a different precinct, he wasn't there."

"How come you're both detectives but work in different places?"

Connor wanted to answer honestly regarding marriage and precinct policies, but instead he came up with a more clever answer. "Because if we work from two different precincts then we can cover twice the area, and keep the city safer."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense."

Melody stared at the purple colored cast and kept wanting to touch it despite Connor holding her back. "What's on your leg?"

"It's called a 'cast'." Evelyn replied in a casual tone of voice as she tried deny her pain. "It'll keep my leg from getting hurt again while I heal."

"It's pretty! Can I have one?"

"No, Melody. You're not hurt, you don't need one."

Reacting quickly Connor chimed in with his own say on the matter. "And if you try to hurt yourself just to get a cast we'll make sure it's an ugly orange one covered in bugs."

"Eww!" Now suddenly repulsed by the idea of a cast Melody stopped trying to touch Evelyn's leg and instead climbed on the bed to be next to her mom. "When will you be better?"

"In a few weeks. It was a bad fall, but I'll be just fine as long as I rest and don't chase anymore bad guys down the stairs."

"Are you going to stay home from work?"

"Only for one week, then I'll go back and work from my desk."

Noticing that Evelyn was getting a little overwhelmed with all of her attention Connor remedied the situation by scooping up Henry under his right arm and then Melody under his left. "Okay, let's go downstairs so mom can get some rest." As his kids laughed at being picked up Connor seamlessly carried them out of the bedroom and back downstairs to the livingroom. "How about we order pizza for dinner tonight?"

"Yay!" The two kids cheered at the idea as they playfully deposited down on the couch to keep out of Evelyn's hair for a while.

"Alright, I'll order the pizza and you two finish your homework."

Henry grimaced a little at the suggestion. "After pizza?"

"Do you have a test this Friday?"

"It's chemistry, no big deal. I always get an 'A'."

"Alright, you can finish your homework after pizza. Melody, how about you?"

"Spelling test."

"Do you have your worksheet to study?"

"Yup."

"Good. You two have your dinner, study for a half hour, then go take a bath and go to bed. Deal?"

Using the puppy dog eyes trick she learned from her mother Melody asked for one other thing. "Can we stay with mom for a while?"

"Well, since mom is stuck upstairs for you can have dinner with her, but after that you need to let her have the bed for herself so she can keep her leg from hurting her."

"Okay."

Looking into the kitchen where Hank was cleaning up the board game Connor asked about the game itself. "Did you finish your game with Papa, or just run upstairs to see your mom?"

"No, it was over." Crossing her arms over her chest Melody looked a little annoyed. "Papa won again."

"Then it sounds like you need to find a new game to play." Passing by the couch Connor went into the kitchen to help Hank clean up the game help put it away for the night. Noticing the odd scribbles on the three dry erase boards Connor tried to figure out what they were supposed to be, and gave Hank an odd look for a moment. "...Is this a unicorn?"

"The answer was 'horse', but you know Melody. She said, and I quote: 'A unicorn is just a fancy horse, it still counts'."

"Oh." Holding up the second dry erase board Connor asked about the image. "And this one?"

"That is supposed to be a bicycle, but Henry added the rocket engine for kicks."

"Can't deny that they're creative."

"Nope." Wiping off the boards Hank looked at Connor and could see the worry in the deviant's eyes. "Something wrong, son?"

"...This is the first time I've ever been on the receiving end of the phone call when someone in the family was admitted to the hospital."

"Scared ya', huh?"

"Beyond anything I've ever felt before."

"She could've suffered a lot worse than a busted leg and dislocated shoulder."

"I know, but that doesn't make the feeling of fear any less intense to think about."

"Trust me, I know exactly what you're going through." Wincing a little as his back pulled at him again Hank restrained his swearing for the sake of the kids and just closed his eyes in frustration. "...Ow."

Even without his scanner Connor knew that Hank's back was severely inflamed. "You should see a doctor about your back."

"Why? They'll just tell me what I already know."

"And what do you know?"

"I'm old, I need to exercise more and I have arthritis."

"...Oh."

"It's fine, son." Carrying the game box out of the kitchen and toward the hallway closet Hank changed the subject and got the kids excited again. "Didn't I hear you say something about pizza?"

Henry and Melody looked over at their dad excitedly as he acknowledged the comment. "You're right, I did. I'll place the order." Looking to his kids he walked back into the livingroom and stood at the base of the staircase. "Any special requests?"

Melody had no fear in asking for what she liked and shouted her answer excitedly. "Pepperoni!"

"Done."

As for Henry he gave his dad an odd look before asking in a low voice. "Pineapple?"

"Pineapple?" The request was odd but plausible. "If that's what you want..."

"I do. I tried it once at Jason's birthday party when he had pizza. It's good!"

"Alright, I'll order you pineapple pizza. Dad?" Looking back to Hank as the senior detective plopped down in the recliner a few feet away. "Anything you want?"

"Peppers and mushrooms."

"So the usual?"

"Yup."

"Okay. I'll go see what Evelyn wants and make the call." Heading up the staircase Connor checked in on Evelyn and sat down beside her on the bed. "Hey."

"Hey." Glancing over at Connor standing beside her Evelyn already knew what Connor was going to ask. "Up here to take my order?"

"That, and I wanted to make sure you're really okay."

"I'm fine, Connor. Just a little tired and very hungry."

"Well, Henry requested pineapple on his pizza so I think it's safe to say he inherited one of your pregnancy cravings."

"I didn't see you complaining when I started dipping fruit in cake frosting."

"I still do that occasionally. It's an amazing combination."

"Good thing you got those upgrades then."

"Yeah. I didn't realize how much I missed home cooking until I couldn't eat it anymore." Giving his wife a kind smirk Connor kept her spirits up and helped her feel a little better after being injured while on a case. "I wonder if Hawaiian pizza would taste better in Hawaii?"

"Too bad we didn't think to try it last summer."

"Maybe we can go back someday and try it."

"Now that sounds like a promising dinner date."

"Need anything special on your pizza?"

"Just the usual, but I could go for some garlic knots."

"I'll get a double order. I get the feeling Hank and Melody will finish off an entire order themselves. Again." Cybernetically Connor connected to the correct pizzeria and placed an order for delivery. "I'll bring you some ice for your shoulder and then I'll give you a neck massage."

"Garlic knots and a neck massage? You're the best friend I ever had, Connor."

"And you're the love of my life."

"Remember what I said about you being a flatterer?"

"I remember everything." Giving Evelyn a kiss Connor finally felt better after having to pick Evelyn up from the hospital, and let his guard down at long last as the odd day slowly came to an end. "Including how much I love you and the kids."

* * *

_**Summer of 2052:**_

It took Hank almost eleven years but he was finally satisfied with the Corvette and he was ready to take the car out for a spin. The color he chose was indeed cherrybomb red, and despite Connor insisting on green as the ideal color Hank stuck to his original choice and savored every seconds of painting the car his chosen color. Without Connor being able to help him during their time off, Connor more focused on taking care of his kids than any pet projects, Hank slowly restored the vehicle by hand whenever he had the proper down time, and whenever his back would let him hover over the engine or climb under the vehicle for an extended period of time.

Pulling the Corvette out of the garage and into the driveway Hank flashed his family a smug grin as he watched their eyes light up as soon as they saw all of Hank's hard work and patience at its fruition.

"It looks good, dad." Connor complimented the vehicle as a ran a scan over the Corvette and noted all of Hank's flawless repairs over the years. "And I will admit it does look good in red."

"Told ya' so."

"I still think green would be better."

"Not a chance, son."

Henry and Melody checked over the car and touched the shiny body since they had known about the car for as long as they could remember, but they've never actually seen it, let alone touched it before. It was truly a piece of art.

"Can we sit it in, Papa?" Henry asked enthusiastically as he ran over to the driver's side door and peered at Hank through the rolled down window.

"I'll take you and Melody for a ride in while, buddy. Right now I want to take your dad for a ride since he helped me with the car whenever he could."

"If you were both working on it then why did it take so long to finish?"

"Because we also had to work at the precinct and keep the bills paid ya' little freeloader!"

"Since when is being a kid 'free'?"

Laughing at the smart remark Hank just shook his head and gave Henry's shoulder a pat through the window, the sixth grader was now much taller than he had been the previous summer. "You definitely inherited your dad's smart mouth. Just learn to keep it shut when you're dealing with teachers and future job interviews, and you'll be just fine."

Melody chimed in eagerly as the third grader gave Hank sad puppy dog eyes from beside Henry. "What about me?"

"You too, Melody. I'll take everyone for a ride, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Good. Connor?" Turning to look at Connor through the rolled down passenger side window Hank motioned for his son to join him in the car. "You're first."

"Alright." Giving Evelyn a kiss as his wife grinned and tucked a lock of her faintly graying but still dark hair behind her ear Connor joined Hank inside the Corvette and fastened his seatbelt. "Let's go for a drive, dad."

Patiently navigating the streets of the busy city until they reached more open road with less traffic Hank proudly accelerated the Corvette and listened to the engine easily pulling the pristine body of the restored vehicle up to higher and higher speeds as it gracefully and swiftly traversed the isolated roads without any difficulty whatsoever. Reaching a relatively quiet road Hank slowed back down and cruised along the lengthy and smooth stretch of highway as he asked for Connor's opinion on the vehicle as a whole.

"What do ya' think, son? Smooth?"

Holding his right hand out the rolled down passenger window Connor felt the strong breeze passing through his fingers and pushing his palm back against the gusting wind as he eyed the opened area swiftly passing him by. "I think you did an amazing job restoring the Corvette to its former glory."

"Yeah? Think you'd like to drive this to the precinct instead of that Oldsmobile from now on?"

"It'd be interesting to patrol in the Corvette, but I also think it'd be an attractive nuisance."

"What if you could drive the Corvette to the precinct and then just keep it safe in the parking garage instead?"

Pulling his hand back inside the vehicle Connor turned and gave Hank an odd glance. "...Are you putting me on desk duty?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why are speaking as if I wouldn't be on patrol anymore?"

"Because you're being promoted to Captain." Hank replied in an almost smug manner as he turned onto another road and circled about to head for home back in the city. "...And I'm going to retire."

"Retire?"

"It's time, son." Grimacing as he caught a glimpse of his aged facade in the driver's side mirror Hank sighed and admitted that time had taken its toll on his body in the most aggravating way. "Between my back getting worse and the arthritis eating away at my knuckles, I can't exactly chase down suspects anymore."

"...I see."

"Hey, I may not be at the precinct with ya', but I will be at home. In fact, I'll be able to spend more time with the kids, with Evelyn, with you and I can spend more time with Maddy over at Lucas and Chloe's house, too."

"You don't need to explain the benefits of your retirement, dad. I understand, I just merely dislike the idea of not being able to work with you anymore."

"Well, it's not like I could be a cop forever."

"Yes, I know." Giving his father a somber glance but a nod of respectful approval Connor supported Hank's choice and decided to help Hank in any way that he could. "When is your last day going to be?"

"Two weeks on Friday. I already pushed for your promotion and I made sure to include every day damn reason you've earned your promotion and that it's not nepotism that had a factor in my decision. You've been pushed through, and tomorrow you'll get a call from the higher-ups letting you know what's going on."

"Alright, that's a satisfying time frame to use as an adjustment period."

"And remember, I won't be at the precinct but I will be at home."

"Won't you get bored?"

"Nah!" Patting the Corvette's steering wheel Hank gave his son a coy look. "I've already got another project in mind, so you don't have to worry about me."

"...Another car?"

"Yup." Smirking with utter amusement Hank fished his phone from his pocket and showed Connor a photo of the vehicle that was going to be his next project now that he had more time to work on such a task. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a 1989 Chevy Camaro."

"Good eye."

"And it needs a lot of work."

"Yup."

"And you're going to do it."

"Damn straight."

Seeing the glimmer of hope returning to Hank's tired blue eyes did Connor's own heart some good. Knowing that Hank had truly earned his retirement and deserved to be happy was all Connor needed to remember as he accepted his father's decision and remained optimistic for the future.

"When it comes to the Camaro," Connor stated in a low yet mischievous voice. "can it be painted green?"

"Hell, no!" Giving his son a playfully annoyed glance Hank declined the suggestion and confirmed that he already a color in mind. "That's a car that needs to be sapphire blue, and nothing will ever change my mind."

"Doesn't mean I'm not going to try..."

* * *

_**Spring of 2053:**_

Sitting in the finished basement of the house Connor and Hank pulled Henry aside so they could speak in private, and giving the growing young man a little pep talk on things to come as he continued to grow up. It wasn't that Connor had any problem with discussing the 'birds and the bees' with his son, but being deprived of such a talk from any guardian or parental figure as he grew up in Novi made Connor sound unsure and confused. Fortunately Hank decided to step in to help with the discussion and answer as many of Henry's questions as possible.

Being thirteen years old had its perks; Henry was getting taller, he was getting stronger and he was being shown more responsibility and respect, but having his voice randomly crack, having to get on routine of applying deodorant and daily face washes to keep his skin clear wasn't fun to deal with. Having his father and grandfather teaching him about puberty and sex was somewhat embarrassing and awkward to handle as well.

Sitting on the work-out bench with his hands folded atop his lap Henry blushed faintly and asked a few more questions. "And how long am I going to go through this?"

"Unfortunately the worst of it happens through middle and high school." Hank confirmed as he sat across from his grandson on an old sofa, his hands resting atop one another as he leaned against his walking cane that was taking some strain from his aching back. "For most people puberty typically lasts from twelve to twenty, but some people go through puberty as early as six years old and it can last well into their mid twenties."

"That long?"

"Yup. I went through puberty when I was about your age, and it stopped when I was roughly twenty. I had some gnarly acne when I was fourteen, but I got it cleared up in time for high school. I also joined the football team because I had a lot of excess energy I needed to get out, and by playing sports I was able to build up some decent strength to give me an edge when I joined the police academy."

Nodding a little Henry looked over at Connor and asked for his own experiences. "Dad?"

"Uh..." His memories of his childhood were usually clouded by darkness and horrible emotions, and going through puberty alone wasn't any brighter. "...Well, I had issues with my voice cracking and my appetite increasing," his experiences were the truth and very strange to remember. "but I was able to adapt to what was happening to me just fine. You will, too."

Sensing Connor's reluctance to speak of his childhood Hank discreetly motioned for his son to head back upstairs so he could talk to Henry alone. "Hey, I got this, son. Why don't you go make sure Melody is finishing her homework without any problems?"

"Yeah, sure. What's her current project?"

"I think it was genealogy assignment for biology."

"...Genealogy?" Feeling his heart skip a beat Connor hurried back upstairs and onto the ground floor of the house. Checking the kitchen and then the livingroom Connor spotted Melody's homework on the coffee table only partially completed, but Melody was nowhere to be seen. Taking a closer look at the assignment Connor internally swore as he realized her assignment was showcasing her family tree, and that Melody had gone in search of the family photo albums upstairs. "...Oh, no."

Rushing up to the second floor of the house Connor heard the sound of quiet crying from within his bedroom and opened the partially shut door with a gentle motion. Peering inside the room Connor spotted his daughter sitting on the foot of the bed surrounded by old photo albums and official documents that she had located inside his and Evelyn's closet, and his daughter was crying tears of deep sorrow where she sat.

"Melody?"

Looking up at Connor with her tear filled brown eyes Melody pulled her legs up from the floor and hugged them to her chest as she continued to cry. "...Am I really adopted?"

"You-" Softening his voice Connor approached his daughter and knelt down in front of her so they were eye level. "...You're my daughter, Melody."

"Tell me!" Holding up the adoption certificate she had uncovered Melody gave her father a truly hurt glance. "Am I adopted?"

"...Yes, Melody. Your mother and I adopted you the day you were born."

Crying again Melody put aside the document and buried her face against her knees as she wept deeply.

"Adopted or not, you're still my daughter Melody. Your mother and I love your very much and nothing will ever change that."

Shaking her head a little Melody refused to look at Connor and just cried even harder.

"Melody..." Unsure if a hug would help her or make her angrier Connor just stayed calm and patient as he cybernetically sent a text to Evelyn asking her to come home from her shift as soon as possible. This was a conversation that he and Evelyn were planning on having with Melody when she turned eighteen, not nine. "Listen to me, being a blood relative doesn't make a family. Love is what makes a family."

"My homework says I need to be related to you to be family!"

"No, your assignment was to make a family tree based on who you have in your family. It doesn't say anything about needing to be connected to everyone by blood or D.N.A. or anything like that."

Muttering in a broken tone as she kept her eyes away from Connor the confused eight year old girl asked an important question. "How come?"

"How come, what?"

"How come I was adopted?"

"Because your mom and I wanted to have you in our lives. The moment she laid eyes on you your mother fell in love with you, and when I saw you I felt exactly the same way." Sitting up on the bed beside his daughter Connor tried to explain things to her without getting too complicated or emotional in the process. "You see, a few years after Henry was born your mom and I decided we wanted another baby. We kept trying but nothing happened, and then your mom discovered she was sick."

Lifting up her eyes a little Melody struggled to look at her father's face as he told her the truth about her past.

"While your mom was in the hospital she needed to take medicine to keep her healthy but that medicine made it impossible for us to have another baby as we had planned."

"So I was adopted because you could have a real baby of your own?"

"No, no, no..." Giving her a stern but loving stare Connor explained things a little further. "We adopted you because your mother rescued you. She found you alone and sad and in need of a family. We wanted a bigger family, you needed a family, and when your mom held you in her arms she was immediately drawn to you and wanted to be your mom. When I saw you I had the same reaction and wanted to be your dad."

"...Mom saved me?"

"Yes. You were..." The idea of telling a nine year old that she was thrown into a dumpster as a newborn was something that Connor never wanted to have to tell his daughter. "Your mom was arresting some bad guys when she heard you crying. You were left out in the summer heat all alone and she saved you. She made sure you were safe after being taken to the hospital, but then she couldn't leave without you. So we decided right then and there when we visited you in the hospital that we wanted you to come home with us." Lightly Connor used his left hand to brush back Melody's long dark hair from her face as he looked into her eyes. "You were the daughter we could never have ourselves, and no matter what any blood test might try to tell you about family and genetics you will ALWAYS be our daughter."

"...You really wanted me?"

"With all of our hearts. The second we signed the adoption papers we felt like the family was finally whole. We even named you after your grandmother to confirm that you're a member of the family."

"Having the same name doesn't make a family."

"No, but like I said, love does." Getting up from the bed Connor walked into the closet in the wall and found a second box of official documents. Within the box he found his own adoption certificate that Hank had given him so many years ago. "See this?" Showing Melody the document in his hand Connor sat back down beside his daughter and stayed alongside her. "I was adopted, too."

Taking the document to read Melody looked truly perplexed. "You were?"

"Yes. Your Papa adopted me and your Uncle Lucas. We didn't have our own parents, and your Papa stepped up to give us a home and family."

"Your middle name is Henry." Melody noticed the full name and with it she began to finally understand what Connor meant about love being more important than blood when it comes to family. "And Henry's named after you?"

"Yes. Henry is your Papa's real name, but he goes by 'Hank' instead. When your Papa adopted me he gave me his first name as my middle name, and we share the same last name. Lucas is your Papa's middle name, too. We're all named after him. I named Henry after your Papa to honor him and show him how much I love and respect him."

"And I was named after Grandma Barbara?"

"Yes. When your mom was pregnant with Henry we were struggling to come up with names for a boy, but for a girl we decided on 'Melody Elizabeth'. Since Henry was a boy we put your name aside until we finally had you in our lives."

"How come my middle name changed?"

"Because a few months after Henry was born your cousin Maddy was born, and so Lucas decided to use the middle name Elizabeth instead."

"Why?"

"...Elizabeth is the name of your other grandmother. My mother."

The revelation made Melody's teary brown eyes go wide. "You don't talk about your mom."

"...My mother passed away many years ago. I miss her, and talking about her makes my heart hurt. Lucas honored our mother with Maddy's name because he cared about her, too. It's become a tradition to name our children after the people we've lost along the way. It helps us remember those who are no longer with us, and it keeps them alive in our hearts. Henry's middle name, Cole, was chosen to honor your great grandfather and to honor your Uncle Cole who also passed away a long time ago."

Melody seemed to understand what was being told to her, and she wasn't crying as much anymore. "...Where are my parents?"

The question, though innocent, made Connor's heart ache. "...We don't know, Melody. We've been searching for your biological parents ever since we adopted you so we could tell you the truth about your adoption when you turned eighteen. But we haven't been able to find out who your blood mother and blood father are." As tears filled his own brown eyes Connor sighed and gave Melody a simple nod. "We'll keep looking though, and help you figure out who your real parents are."

Leaning up against Connor's left side Melody dragged her hand over her eyes and finally stopped crying. "..._You're_ my real dad."

Hearing those words remedied the pain in Connor's heart as he draped his left arm around his daughter's shoulders to give her a hug. Feeling the tension in the air beginning to lessen Connor released a sigh of relief and then kissed Melody's hair. "...And nothing will ever change that."

* * *

Sitting together on the couch in the livingroom Connor helped Melody with her homework and together they proudly made a display of their family tree on a large piece of white poster board to ensure the names and the photos were shown properly. Happy to showcase the last name 'Anderson' in bold letters at the top of the poster Melody placed photographs of herself, her parents, grandparents, great grandparents, her uncles, her aunts and her brother with all of their names labeled appropriately.

It was hard for Connor to see his family placed out before him, his biological father being excluded for obvious reasons and to spare Melody the horror story that was Connor's childhood. Seeing the photographs of Hank and Elizabeth side by side made Connor smirk, and seeing the images of Barbara and Cole added to showcase how family's aren't limited by blood was satisfying to see. Connor, Lucas and Cole were all designated as Hank's sons, and seeing Evelyn's grandparents and her late sister being remembered did his heart good.

With all the names in place and everyone's connection explained at the bottom of the poster Connor was proud to see his daughter's hard work showing how far along the unorthodox family had come since its shaking beginnings.

"There!" Melody finished putting on a picture of Ruby in the corner of the poster for the sake of keeping the old bloodhound in the family, and leaned back from her work. Ruby had been acting lethargic as of late and spent more time napping than anything else. "It's done."

"Looks good, Melody. Everyone is here."

"I didn't include mom's parents, do you think the teacher will mark me down?"

"If she does let me know and I'll come in and tell her to correct the grade. You wrote down that your mom was taken in and raised by her grandparents and not her mom or dad, so if the teacher tries to reduce your grade then I'll handle it."

"Thanks, dad."

Smiling at the term Connor felt like he was truly parenting his kids properly. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

The front door opened and Evelyn entered the livingroom warily. Seeing Melody looking content and sitting with her smiling father on the couch made the stress that Evelyn had been carrying begin to slowly melt away much to her relief. "Hey."

"Hey, Evelyn." Connor nodded at his wife and silently communicated with just his eyes that everything was under control. "Melody just finished her homework and Henry is hanging out with Papa in the basement."

"Oh, then it sounds like everyone is having a good night." Shrugging off her jacket Evelyn hung it up on the hook by the front door and came over to check out Melody's little project. Leaning over the back of the couch Evelyn smiled at her family on display and approved of all the hard work. "And you did a great job!"

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

Getting up from the couch Melody walked over to her mother gave Evelyn a big hug as she looked her right in the eyes. "...Thank you for saving me."

Within seconds Evelyn's heart felt like it swelled so much it shattered. Reciprocating the hug she closed her eyes as joyous tears rolled down her face and she just held her daughter in her arms. "I'll always be there to protect you, Melody." Relieved to know that Melody was at peace with her knowledge of her birth gave Evelyn so much hope for the future that she could feel her worried fading away. "I love you so much..."

* * *

_**Autumn of 2054:**_

The stormy day had started off rather unusual as Evelyn and Melody left during the early morning hours so they could have a mother and daughter weekend away from the boys, but the afternoon had turned rather explosive when Henry learned of why his mother and sister were having a special trip all to themselves so they could bond closer. Checking through the same documents that Melody had found the year before for her homework assignment Henry began to doubt everything he had been told, and was convinced that he too was adopted and being lied to by his parents.

Doing his best to to convince Henry that he and Evelyn hadn't been lying to him Connor told Henry the truth about his own unusual life, and of how his brief return to humanity confirmed that Henry was in fact his son; and that just because he was a deviant now didn't mean he was lying about his parentage. Despite the evidence proving that Connor was telling the truth Henry didn't believe him, and he proceeded to shout his angry frustration in Connor's face as they confronted one another in the kitchen.

"Stop lying to me!" The fourteen year old was now tall enough to be eye level with Connor's chest, and his voice was deepening enough that his words didn't crack as he spoke. Burning hot with anger, a negative trait he had inherited from Connor's side of the family, Henry confronted the confused deviant father with an aggressive tone. "It's impossible for you to be my father!"

"It's not impossible, Henry." Remaining calm and the voice of reason Connor refused to shout back and tried to keep a second storm from taking place inside the house as the city was drowned under a cold autumn rain outside. "I told you what happened."

"No, you told me what you want me to believe!"

"Henry, it's the truth."

"You're a machine!" The comment stung and Henry could see it in Connor's eyes as she shouted in protest. "You CAN'T be my father! It's a lie!"

"...I'm not lying. I am your father."

"No! Melody was adopted and you're an android! I HAVE to be adopted too, or mom slept with-"

"STOP." Silencing his son with a stern interjection Connor refused to yell or even raise his voice as his son became disrespectful and rude. "You're angry at me, fine. But don't you dare accuse your mother of doing something like that."

"Then tell me the truth!" Getting louder and angrier Henry stood before Connor and tried to square up against his own father as if ready for a fight. "Who is my REAL dad?"

"Me. I am your-"

"STOP LYING TO ME, YOU STUPID MACHINE!"

Falling painfully silent Connor's heart broke in half and he just stared at Henry with utter pain reflected in his soulful brown eyes. He didn't know what to say, he didn't even know how to feel. He had never had a fight with Henry before, and now that his son was being aggressive, accusatory and angry all Connor could see was his own biological father being reflected in his son.

It was unsettling and almost frightening.

Henry was waiting for Connor to respond to his outburst, but instead he stayed frustratingly quiet. "TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"...I did, Henry." Whispering as he looked away from his son's eyes Connor just felt his broken heart sinking deeper and deeper into his twisted and aching stomach. "You just won't listen."

"I won't listen to _lies_." Marching past Connor with an enraged gait Henry all but shoved his father aside as he stormed upstairs far more loudly and harshly than the actual storm outside. "I hate you!"

A sense failure twisted Connor's stomach into a painful knot as a rogue tear rolled down his cheek. Closing his eyes as he began to silently weep in utter pain Connor could only repeat the fight over and over again in his own mind. Jumping as Henry slammed his bedroom door shut Connor put both hands over his eyes as he felt his bond with Henry straining and threatening to snap at any moment.

From within the garage Hank heard raised voices and then Henry's door slam. Returning to the house to figure out what the hell had just happened Hank leaned on his cane as he entered the kitchen, and spotted Connor in tears standing alone and statuesque in the middle of the room.

"Connor?" Stepping over to where his son was standing Hank lightly put his right hand to Connor's left shoulder in a calm and supportive manner. "What the hell happened in here?"

Breathing slowly through his heartbreak Connor managed to find his voice just long enough to tell Hank what Henry had said. "...My son hates me."

"Whoa, what?" Moving so he was standing in front of Connor instead Hank could see the pain in Connor's eyes as his son wept with heartbreak. "Connor, what's going on in here?"

"...Henry hate me and doesn't believe I'm his father. I'm just a stupid machine in his eyes."

"That's crazy!"

"...I failed."

"You did NOT fail, son."

Unable to take his heartache anymore Connor slowly walked away from Hank and opened up the sliding backdoor in the kitchen to step out into the storm. The cold rain brought an icy chill all through the house as the storm continued to rage. Bright flashes of lightning pierced through the night sky as thunder rumbled in the distance and shook the house with harsh tremors.

"Connor, don't go anywhere. Let's talk this out."

"...I need to be alone."

Stepping out into the cold rain Connor walked across the rain slicked deck and wandered the perimeter of the pool before sitting down under the lone tree in the rear of the property. Pulling his knees up to his chest Connor wrapped his arms around his legs and bowed his forehead down atop his knees as the cold autumn rain drenched him under the relentless icy deluge of nature.

Watching his heartbroken son through the opened backdoor Hank sighed with conflicted emotions as he reluctantly turned his back to Connor and walked through the kitchen to go speak to Henry up in the teenager's bedroom. Passing through the livingroom Hank noticed that Ruby was just laying in the corner of the livingroom on her pillow looking exhausted and thinner than usual.

Hank knew that the hound was reaching almost seventeen years in age, and her time was running out.

"You look as exhausted as I feel, girl." Struggling with the staircase as his back protested the movement Hank slowly reached the second floor and proceeded to knock on Henry's closed door with his left hand. There wasn't any answer from the other side so Hank sighed and announced his presence. "It's me, Henry."

There was a silent pause for only a moment before Henry responded to his grandfather's arrival. "...Door's unlocked."

Turning the doorknob Hank stepped into Henry's bedroom and glanced about the space with a sense of surprise in his blue eyes. He hadn't seen how much Henry made Lucas's old bedroom his own as he grew-up, and was impressed by how unique the room was compared to how it had been when Henry was a baby. The walls were lined with posters of Henry's favorite bands, the old guitar that Connor had found in storage after his return to humanity was mounted up in a plastic case on the wall above his bed, while his own red guitar sat in its stand in the corner beside the large bed. Henry's desk was lined with textbooks and sheets of song lyrics and notes, the chair beside the desk held his backpack and the entertainment center across from the bed had his game consoles neatly arranged under the large television mounted to the wall.

Henry himself was laying on his bed on his side with his back to the door as he watched the storm raging out in front of the house through the bedroom window. There was a thick tension in the air as Henry tried to cool off, but he was still very angry and had nowhere to focus his anger to get it out of his system.

"Hey, bud."

"What do you want?"

"To talk."

"About what?"

"Why you're up here being pissy for one," dropping Henry's backpack onto the floor Hank sat in the desk chair and gave his grandson an annoyed glance that the teenager could feel without needing to actually look Hank in the eyes. "and I want to know what you said to bring your dad to tears."

"He's NOT my dad. Stop lying to me."

"Henry, he's not lying to you."

"He's an ANDROID." Sitting upright quickly Henry faced Hank directly and was clearly ready for round two. "He CAN'T be my father!"

"Tell me this, why would he lie about something like that?"

Henry's brow furrowed as he gave Hank an odd glance. "What?"

"You said he's lying. Why? What's to be gained by lying to you?"

"He wants me to live in his little fantasy world."

Laughing at the absurdity of the claim Hank shook his head and began to ground some bits of reality into his confused grandson's head. "Henry, think about it. He told Melody about her being adopted last year when she was only nine years old, just shy of turning ten. If you were adopted he would've told you the same thing."

The logic seemed to sink in a little for Henry as he realized that Hank's reply was irrefutable. "Androids can't have kids, Papa. There's no way I can be his son."

"That's where you're wrong, Henry."

All the more perplexed by the discussion Henry sat quietly as Hank spelled things out for him.

"Androids have been able to get upgrades to let them take donated human samples and change their alleles to match their own android D.N.A. markers. AND, here's the thing, you were born before you father even had those upgrades installed."

"So you admit it."

"Admit what?"

"I was born before da- _Connor_," switching terms mid sentence made Hank tense up and Henry noticed it immediately. "had the upgrades. There's no way I can be his son."

"Henry, your dad had a whole other life before he was a deviant."

"I know, he was the 'Deviant Hunter' who sided with Jericho against CyberLife. Uncle Lucas told me the story."

"And he didn't say anything about your dad's fucked up childhood?"

"Androids don't... have childhoods."

"Well, your dad is the exception to the rule. He had one, and it's something he doesn't like to talk about."

"Why?"

"Because it's a part of his life he wants to forget. That's why he never told you about it."

"Is this where his supposed 'mother' came from? I never met this Elizabeth woman and-"

"Henry, shut up." Standing up from the chair Hank gave his grandson an angry look he had never shown before. Pointing his right index finger at the snarky and rebelling teenager Hank made his way toward the door. "You keep your ass right there." As he made his way toward the bedroom door Hank sighed and shook his head at the bleak task he had set before himself. "I have to show you something..."

* * *

Sitting beneath the tree as the autumn rain soaked through his black t-shirt and jeans Connor just remained as still as death itself as his tears rolled down his face, and disappeared into the rain that froze his broken heart into fragments of ice in his chest. Unsure of what to do, where to go or how he should feel Connor just remained in his icy cold self induced isolation as he tried to figure out how he could've prevented the fight with Henry to begin with. The deviant father hadn't lied to his son throughout Henry's entire life, and he had never lied to Melody, Evelyn, Hank, Lucas or Chloe throughout their lives either.

It seemed that despite his honesty and calm nature shown toward his children there were still some things that just couldn't be changed. Henry had inherited his father's hot temper, something that Connor's biological father had no control over, and with that personality trait Connor began to fear that a part of his abusive father had found a way to live on and haunt him from beyond the grave.

"...I'm sorry, Henry."

The sense of failing his children ached at Connor's every thought and feeling without mercy or reason.

A deep cough had begun to settle in his ventilation biocomponents, and with each breath he released his artificial lungs would ache with the deep cold that was steadily dropping his core temperature down further and further to a dangerous degree.

"...I tried to do my best, but it seems it still wasn't good enough."

* * *

Inside the warm and dry house Hank finished explaining Connor's horrible past to Henry, and with that explanation came the physical proof that the teenager couldn't brush off or even try to deny. Seeing the old photographs of Connor as a child, Henry's facade perfectly mirroring that of his father as he grew up, and seeing the photographs of Elizabeth and Anthony from their time in Novi, the images of Connor holding Henry as a newborn; Connor wearing glasses that only a human would ever need to wear, and seeing all of the newspaper articles from both Novi and Detroit throughout Connor's life as his feats were chronicled for posterity finally reached Henry's stubborn mind.

However, seeing the infamous photograph of Markus holding Connor's dying human body in his arms after Connor protected Markus from assassins hired by the disgraced former mayor made Henry feel ill. Not only had Connor never told him or Melody about his own terrible childhood, but he had gone out of his way to keep the macabre moment leading to Connor's return to deviancy a secret from his children to protect them from the horrifying sight of their father gunned down in the line of duty.

"I... I never knew that he went through this."

"And for good reason. He never wanted you kids to know, but you wouldn't take his word for it." Packing up the photographs and newspaper articles into the metal safe deposit box that had been stashed in the back of Connor and Evelyn's closet for safekeeping Hank gave Henry a stern glance. "Even if he wasn't your biological dad, why would it matter? Connor raised you since the moment you were born. He changed your diapers, kept you clothed, fed, warm, he was there for your first steps, your first words, he took you to your first day of school, he soothed you through every fever, every cold, every flu, he helped you learn how to tie your shoes, spell your name, ride your bike and he was even willing to help you learn to pull out your own loose teeth so you wouldn't be afraid to take care of yourself as you grew up."

Henry didn't know what to say to all those positive moments and memories.

"Biological or not, that sounds like a_ real dad_ to me."

"...Yeah. You're right."

"Now that you know that your dad IS your dad and that he was telling you the truth, what're you going to do?"

"...Apologize."

"Damn right."

"Where is he?"

"Last I saw of him before I came up here your dad went into the backyard to be alone."

"Outside?" Glancing at the window to the cold storm threatening to drown the city at any moment Henry genuinely felt worried for his father. "Why'd he go out there?"

"Because whenever he's upset he seeks isolation. Hiding out in his bedroom won't cut it when you're just a few feet away and pissed off at him, and with nowhere else to go it seemed outside in the rain was the best place for him."

"...I don't get it."

"I told you about how stubborn he is, and how hard it was for him to handle his emotions. Self disappointment has always been his biggest obstacle."

"Wait, why is he disappointed in himself?"

"Henry, you're his whole world. You told him you hated him and you called him a stupid machine. Being called a 'machine' is one of the worst things any android trying to their best to be a good person in the world could ever endure, but being told that his own son hates him... That's a whole new level of pain for him to try to live through."

Guilt swam over Henry's blue eyes and he knew he needed to do something to atone for his mistakes. "...What do I have to do to make it up to him?"

"I don't know, I can't answer that."

"...I'll think of something." Clambering off of his bed Henry made his way downstairs and hurried through the livingroom to get to the kitchen. Stopping at the still opened sliding backdoor Henry peered out in the dark of the night and tried to see where his father had gone. "Dad?"

Stepping out onto the rain covered deck Henry immediately shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself in response to the intense cold.

"Dad?" Walking around the edge of the pool Henry near the backyard and could see someone sitting beneath the tree all alone. "Dad..."

Standing beside his father Henry felt tremendous guilt for what he said and the way he had been acting. Kneeling down beside his father Henry let out a deep breath and raised his voice just enough to be heard over the pounding rain.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you a machine or said that I hate you." Shaking his head as he spoke Henry looked at his father's face as Connor remained completely still under the tree. "I didn't mean any of it."

After not receiving a response Henry put his hand on his father's right shoulder and shook once.

"Dad?"

The shake was enough to cause Connor to slump over on his right side and remain motionless on the wet grass beside his son.

"Dad?!" Shaking Connor's exposed left shoulder in fear Henry was unsure of what to do. Thinking quickly he ran back to the backdoor and shouted to Hank who was still upstairs inside the house. "Hey! Dad's not moving!"

"He's what?!" Hank shouted from the top of the staircase. Being too old and arthritic limited Hank's ability to rush down the staircase like he could've done in the past, and all he could do was sit back and wait for things to happen. "What do you mean he's not moving?"

"He was sitting under the tree and when I touched his shoulder he fell over and won't get up!"

"Fuck... Listen to me very carefully, Henry." Remaining calm and the voice of reason Hank instructed his grandson on what to do as his advanced age and weakened body would no longer allow him to respond as he wanted. "I need you to get your dad and bring him inside. I can't carry him anymore, you have to do it instead."

"But I-"

"Henry, go. You can do it."

Turning around quickly Henry rushed out to where his father was still unconscious and returned his hand to Connor's left shoulder. Turning Connor over so he was on his back Henry grabbed onto his father's right arm and pulled it around his shoulders for support. Standing up awkwardly Henry shifted his weight and pulled Connor up so he was somewhat standing at his left side.

"I got you, dad." Wrapping his left arm around Connor's waist Henry began walking and partially dragging his father toward the backdoor of the house to get him out of the rain and back to where it was warm and dry. As he pulled his father along Henry heard the deep coughs escaping his father's lungs and knew that he had screwed up big time. "I'm sorry, dad. This is my fault!"

Awkwardly Henry managed to get Connor back inside the house and into the kitchen. Taking a moment shift his weight again Henry proceeded to carry his father into the livingroom and toward the bottom of the staircase.

"Good job, Henry." Hank praised his grandson for getting Connor back inside the house on his own. "Get him up here so we can get him in bed."

"Y-Yeah, okay." Struggling against the stairs Henry used every ounce of strength he had to carry Connor up the staircase and toward the second floor. As he reached the top of the staircase Hank took Connor's left arm for himself and proceeded to help Henry as much as he could to carry Connor into his bedroom at the end of the hallway. "...I can do it, Papa."

"I know you can, but Connor's still my son and I'm going to help him as much as I still can."

Reaching the bedroom Hank motioned for Henry to help him lay Connor down on his back over the foot of the bed for just a moment. With Connor now laying down Hank proceeded to pull off the soaked deviant's black t-shirt to remove the icy cold layer from his body to ensure he warmed up faster.

"What can I do to help?"

"First, you need to go take a hot shower and change into dry clothes." Hank instructed without fail. "If you get sick you won't be able to help anyone."

"And then what?"

"Then you'll help me with getting you dad buried under some blankets to help him warm back up." Pointing to the bedroom door behind his grandson Hank urged Henry to go and take his shower. "Go. Warm up first and then you can help me with your dad."

"Yeah, okay!"

After Henry rushed out of the bedroom Hank sighed and placed his right palm over Connor's forehead for a moment to check his temperature. "Shit, you're freezing." Carefully he removed Connor's water-logged shoes, socks and then his jeans before dragging Connor up toward the head of his bed to rest against his pillow and under the thick quilt. "I warned you about Henry inheriting your smart mouth, it's too bad I didn't think to warn you about him inheriting your stubborn nature, too."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed Hank listened to the sound of Connor weakly coughing and sympathetically put his palm down over Connor's chest atop the thick quilt.

"I had to tell Henry about your past, and I'm sorry I told him your secret without your permission." Pulling his phone from his pocket Hank sent Lucas an emergency text asking him to come over to the house to help take care of Connor for a few hours. Watching as Connor's paled artificial skin slowly regained color Hank sighed and gave his son an exhausted stare. "Then again we're Andersons. This type of weird bullshit and needing to delve into the past is to be expected when it's at the worst time."

* * *

Wrapped up in a thick blanket and wearing warm dry clothes Henry watched as Lucas hovered over Connor and checked on his ill big brother's vital signs, and didn't say a word. It didn't take long for Lucas to run the diagnostic and confirm that Connor had become hypothermic from being out in the cold, but given enough time Connor would be able to recover on his own. The sight of his dad buried under three quilts and barely moving made Henry's guilt all the worse, and he didn't want to get too close to his dad as his mounting guilt just cemented his feet in place.

"He'll be fine in six hours and thirteen minutes, dad." Confirming Connor's recovery rate Lucas took a step back from the bed and gave his father a casual shrug of his shoulders. "It seems his prototype design still has failed to properly adapt to colder temperatures."

"Well, you know how much he hates the cold." Hank stated in a dryly as he walked over to the doorway and put his hand on Henry's shoulder. "If he doesn't face his problems he'll never overcome them."

"Agreed." Sensing the tension in the air Lucas stepped away from the bed and prepared to take his leave of the house. "Unless you'd like me to stay around I think it's time for me to head home. Maddy wants to watch the entire 'Nightmare on Elm Street' film series, and she wants me to help her compare them to the entire 'Friday the Thirteenth' films so she can write her report regarding horror films on society."

"Maddy has one creative mind, I'll give her that." Patting Lucas's shoulder as well Hank let his youngest son know that it was okay to head on back home for the rest of the cold dark night. "I'll stay up here and keep an eye on Connor. Since Evelyn and Melody are out of town I can sleep in Melody's bed if I have to."

Henry shook his head and sighed. "No, Papa. It's my fault dad's sick, so I'll be the one to take care of him."

Proud of the answer Hank gave Henry a simple nod of the head as he and Lucas stepped out of the bedroom together. "Alright, you take the lead."

Stepping deeper into the bedroom Henry stood reluctantly stood beside the bed and looked down at Connor's face somberly.

"Henry." Calling out to his grandson before he went downstairs Hank gave him a confident tone to listen to, and advise to fall back on. "Just make sure he's warm and quiet. He'll sleep this off and be just fine in the morning."

"Right... I'll remember that." Sitting down on the foot of the bed Henry shivered a little bit then fell backward to stretch out over the width of the bed for a moment before curling up on his right side so he could see Connor as the ill deviant slept. "...I am sorry, dad. I promise I won't accuse you of lying ever again."

* * *

The storm had ceased during the night and gave way to a bright new day. The house was silent save for the sound of Connor's lingering cough as he recovered from being out in the cold storm for so long the night before. As the deviant rebooted from his forced emergency stasis mode and opened his soulful brown eyes Connor was aware of someone already in the room with him, and could sense eyes watching his every movement carefully. Slowly sitting upright in the bed Connor could feel his head swim a little as he gained his bearings and remembered the previous night.

Henry was already awake and had apparently been awake for some time as he watched his father's movements with heavy and tired blue eyes.

"...The last time you slept in this bed," Connor stated in a low voice as he became more alert. "you were seven. You swore you saw a monster under your bed and refused to go back to sleep unless we let you stay in here with us."

Turning his eyes away guiltily Henry replied in a shamed whisper. "Turns out some things are scarier than monsters."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault." Still feeling entirely responsible for his father becoming ill Henry's voice became heavier with emotion as he spoke. "_I'm_ the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have said that to you."

"...It's okay, Henry."

"No, it's not. How can you be so forgiving?"

"Because you're my son, and I love you."

"I accused of you of being a liar and called you- I'm sorry!"

"Henry, I promise you it's okay." Reaching his right hand out to his son's left shoulder Connor made Henry look him in the eye at long last. "The fact that you're here and you can admit you made a mistake means you're a better person than you realize."

"I feel like the worst person on the planet."

"You're far from it."

Looking away again Henry sighed tightened his blanket around himself protectively. "...No, I'm not."

"What makes you say that?"

"Dad, I know about your life." Forcing himself to look his father in the eyes again Henry gave his father a sympathetic stare. "Your _human_ life."

The revelation sent a chill up his spine. "...Hank told you."

"He wanted me to understand what was going on. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you before."

"...What did he tell you?"

"Everything."

Now it was Connor's turn to tear his eyes away from his son as his emotions began to get the better of him. "...He shouldn't have told you anything."

"I know. And if I had just believed you then he wouldn't have to told me about your past." Studying his father's reaction carefully Henry could see that the subject at hand was too damn sensitive to really divulge into. "I get why you didn't tell us anything about your childhood, or... your biological father."

"Henry, I want you to understand that I kept this a secret because I don't want you to be afraid that you're somehow anything like Anthony. He was a violent and angry man, and I disowned him as a father because Hank was a_ true_ dad to me; even though I met him as a deviant."

"But I was angry and I lashed out at your for no reason." Nearly blurting the admission Henry poured out his heart to his father. "...Just like he used to do."

"That temper is something I have, too. As Hank often tells me, I burn hot but it takes a lot to get me so angry that I want to burn other people. You're the same way, Henry."

"And I feel terrible about it."

"Same. That's why I never yelled at you or Melody, or ever hit you while you grew up. The fact that you share my temper without ever seeing it means there are just some things that can't be stopped, only changed."

"Changed? How so?"

"You apologized to me." Reassuring Henry in a kind and compassionate tone Connor smiled with a paternal pride at his guilt riddled son. "You can admit you made a mistake, and you told me you were sorry. That's something Anthony never once said to me, to my mother or anyone else. You're better than him and you'll continue to better yourself to a level you've never known before as you become a man."

Leaning toward his father Henry quickly wrapped his arms around Connor's shoulders and felt his guilt finally leave his body.

"It's okay, Henry." Holding Henry in a warm embrace Connor's broken heart pieced itself back together again, and was now stronger than it had ever been now that he had his son's love, respect and understanding to make him stronger. "You're my son and nothing will ever change that."

"...Thanks, dad."

* * *

_**Spring of 2055:**_

The house was somber as the family mourned for the loss of Ruby, who had been put to sleep the previous day and laid to rest up at the family cabin alongside Sumo. The bloodhound had been a loyal family pet for seventeen years before she became ill from old age. Connor had taken her to the vet to ensure she wouldn't suffer and let her go peacefully as he held her on his lap. Heartbroken and struggling to explain to his children, as mature and grown-up as they were, that Ruby had to put down Connor let Hank and Evelyn take the lead and help the kids cope.

Sitting on the couch in the livingroom with Ruby's purple collar in his hands Connor eyed the metal name tag mournfully as he removed it from the collar to keep as a tribute to the family pet. Unable to remove the large pillow in the corner of the livingroom or even pick up her bowls from the floor Connor grieved for the loss of his beloved pet while Evelyn took care of things for him.

"I donated the rest of Ruby's food to the local humane society." Evelyn stated as she sat down beside her husband and wrapped her arms around him to give him a light hug. She knew he was in pain and always had a soft spot for animals and children, and as such she was being his emotional rock for him and for their kids while he accepted the painful loss. "The pillow was washed and put in the hall closet for now. I also had a sit down with the kids. They understand what happened and are grieving, too."

With tears in his eyes Connor nodded a little as he acknowledged his wife's words. "...Thank you."

"Hey, you took great care of Ruby and she was loved until the very end. It was also sweet of you to take her up to the cabin to be buried alongside Sumo."

"It doesn't make the pain stop."

"I know."

"How're the kids holding up?"

"Henry cried for a while, but he's doing well. Melody is heartbroken and is still crying."

"Should I go see her?"

"She said she wanted to be alone, so... Wait for her to come to you."

"Okay." Glancing about the empty livingroom Connor sighed and leaned into Evelyn's hug. "What about Hank?"

"He's out fussing with the Camaro, and I could see the tears in his eyes. He's handling it in his own way."

"A part of me wants to be proud that Ruby lived for seventeen years," the mourning deviant admitted. "but another part of me is trying to figure out what I could've done to keep her around for a while longer."

"She was here before Henry was born, and I know she was loved and felt loved. She could've been seventeen or seventy when she was put down, and the love she felt would've been the same."

"...Yeah."

Giving Connor a kiss on his cheek Evelyn sighed and leaned into Connor's shoulder as her slightly grayer dark hair hung down along her back. "Why don't I go out and pick up everyone's favorite for dinner tonight?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Whenever I was sad my grandmother would make me my favorite food to help me cheer up, and she'd sit down and talk with me to help me understand what it was I was going through. Thanks to her my comfort food is a large plate of hot spaghetti with garlic breadsticks on the side. I know Hank loves a giant cheeseburger every now and then..."

"...Right. I understand now."

"Think the kids could go for some pizza and fried chicken?"

"Always."

"And... I bet I could make your mom's homemade salsa to put on some fresh quesadillas."

"You don't have to go out of your way for me."

"I know I don't, but I want to! You made me a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup when I got the flu a couple weeks ago. And I remember you staying up all night to make Melody a special unicorn birthday cake when she had to have her sixth birthday party canceled because of a head lice outbreak at her school. You've gone that extra mile to support us, so let us take care of you this time."

"Thank you, Evelyn."

"I'll go make that salsa and then I'll run out to pick up everyone's favorite foods."

Leaving Connor alone on the couch the deviant slumped against the couch cushions and tried to not think about life and death, but the memory of Ruby being put down was fresh in his mind, and would never be forgotten. As he stayed on the couch and remained silent Connor felt someone watching him from the staircase and turned to look over his right shoulder to see who it was who was watching him.

"Hey, dad?" Henry was pressing right fingertips over his chin and upper lip nervously. "...Can you help me with something?"

"Sure. What's going on?"

Stepping over to the couch Henry admitted his problem and gave his dad an unsure look. "I need to shave."

"Oh." Standing up from the couch Connor gave Henry's face a curious glance to examine the stubble growing along the teenagers jawline and upper lip at a slow rate. It wasn't anything too noticeable, but it was still enough to warrant a quick shave. "I have a grooming kit you can use. It's been cleaned and sitting under the bathroom sink upstairs ever since... You know."

"Right, I know."

"Come on," putting his hand on Henry's shoulder Connor showed his son upstairs to give him a few tips on how to shave without aggravating his skin or giving himself a small cut or two. "I'll show you what to do."

* * *

The shaving lesson went about smoothly for the blossoming ninth grader, and in that time Evelyn finished fussing about in the kitchen. As she picked up her purse and slipped on her shoes Evelyn noticed Henry's freshly shaven face and rubbed her left index finger along his chin to admire his good work. The sight of her son so grown-up and looking so much like his father made her heart swell with pride.

"I'm going to go on a scavenger hunt for dinner tonight." Pulling back her hand Evelyn gave Henry a subtle smirk. "Want to join me and help me get everyone's favorite food for dinner tonight?"

"Wait, everyone likes different things."

"That's why it's a scavenger hunt. I'm getting one of everything."

"Cool!" Grabbing his own shoes by the door Henry was willing to accompany his mom out on her errands for the evening. "Can we stop and pick up a shaving kit, too?"

"Sure. Just don't try to substitute showering with body spray."

"Gross..."

"Hey, it happened while I was in high school. They just mixed an overwhelming smell that was almost like cologne with body odor and smelled twice as worse."

"Good to know."

"Alright," giving Connor a kiss as he walked back downstairs Evelyn opened the front door and stepped out after Henry. "we're going to get a few things and be back as soon as possible. Text if Melody or Hank want anything."

"Right. In fact," returning his attention to the staircase Connor decided to check on Melody now that Henry had been taken care of. "I'll go see how Melody is doing now that everything is settling back down."

Knocking on Melody's closed bedroom door Connor waited for a response but instead he was met with silence. Running a scan through the door Connor noted a curious lack of human activity behind the door and proceeded to scan the rest of the house. Instead of finding his daughter in her bedroom he realized that at some point she discreetly slipped downstairs and locked herself away from the rest of the house.

"Please don't be hiding because you're sad."

Tracking Melody down to the ground floor bathroom Connor softly knocked on the locked door and waited for a response. None came, yet Connor could hear her softly crying from the other side of the door.

"Melody? Sweetie, are you okay?"

Her words were full of tears, and for an odd reason a hint of fear. "...No."

"Can I come in?"

There was a pause before Melody spoke up again. "...Is mom here?"

"No, mom and Henry went out shopping for a moment."

"...Can you ask her to come back?"

"Melody, what's wrong?"

"...I just want to talk to mom."

Trying to think about what could possibly be upsetting Melody so much she wanted Evelyn's comfort and not his own Connor performed another scan and finally noticed that his young daughter, at the precious age of thirteen, had suddenly acquired many more hormones and everything fell into place. Taking a deep breath Connor checked the door knob and found that the door was still locked.

"Melody, mom isn't here right now but she'll be back soon. Can I come in and talk to you?"

"...No."

"Okay, then can you at least talk to me through the door?"

"...Okay."

Slowly Connor sat down on the floor outside the locked bathroom door and spoke to her with a compassionate tone of voice where he sat. "Thank you. Now, you don't have to say anything you don't want to say, but we need to talk for just a minute."

"...Okay."

"Melody," starting off in a completely casual manner Connor asked the obvious question. "do you understand what's going right now?"

"...Puberty?"

"Right. Do you know what you're going through and what it is?"

"Yeah. I know." She was silent again for a moment before confirming that she was telling the truth. "Mom talked to me last year and my school taught us about it last fall."

"Good. Do you have any question or need me to get you anything?"

"No."

"How do you feel?"

"...Confused."

"About what?"

"Everything."

"You're going to be thirteen in a months, that's normal. You're going through a very confusing time, but your mom and I are going to help you through this if you need us to."

"...Are you mad?"

"Mad?" The question was truly confusing and made Connor's brow furrow with that very confusion. "Why would I be mad?"

"...I didn't ask for permission to do this."

"Melody, what's happening to you is natural and no one can control it. We'd never be made at you for growing up."

"Promise?"

"I promise. You didn't do anything wrong and there's nothing wrong with what you're going through."

There was another pause that was followed by the sound of the door unlocking and Melody pulling the door open. Peering at down at her dad sitting on the floor waiting for her Melody suddenly threw her arms around Connor and hugged him tight as Connor hugged her in return. Sniffling a little more Melody melted into her father's hug as he shifted his weight so he was kneeling and held her tight.

"...I don't like this."

"I know. Puberty isn't fun for anyone."

"How long will it last?"

"Well, you'll be experiencing this until you're maybe in your mid forties to your mid fifties."

"That sucks!"

Laughing a little at the comment Connor nodded and tightened his hug a little more. "That's what your mom says about it."

"Will she mad I used her stuff?"

"No, of course. She'll share and she'll understand." Giving Melody a small kiss Connor made sure she was really going to be okay. "If you want we can run out to the store and we can get you anything else you want so you can deal with this in a less... 'sucky' manner."

"I don't want to go anywhere."

"That's okay, too. Your mom is bringing home dinner for everyone, so if you want her to get you anything send her a text, or I'll do it for you."

"I'm okay now." Letting go of the hug Melody smiled and watched as her dad stood back up in front of her. "What's for dinner anyway?"

"Mom's getting everyone's favorite tonight, so you get to have some fried chicken."

"I'm going to text mom just to tell her I love her for that!"

Grinning as Melody rushed off to find her phone up in her bedroom Connor made his way out to the garage to check in on Hank and see how his father was doing. The retired detective was hovering over the exposed engine of the Camaro as he carefully checked over the engine and struggled to loosen a tight bolt. Stepping up beside Hank without making a sound Connor took the wrench from Hank's hand and loosened the stubborn bolt on his behalf.

Appreciative of the help Hank straightened back up and tried to get his aching back to crack a little. "Good timing, son."

"To be honest I just came out here to see how you're doing." Handing the wrench back over to Hank to use Connor ran a scan over his father and restrained his grimace as he watched the mounting arthritis eat away at his joints without mercy. "Everyone's having an odd day today."

"The loss of a pet will do that."

"Losing a pet prompts a teenage boy to ask for tips on shaving, and causes a teenage girl to enter the first stages of womanhood?"

"Wait, what?" Smiling proudly Hank picked up the loosened bolt from the engine and gave Connor an amused look. "Henry's shaving?"

"Had his first lesson today. He didn't nick himself, and he's getting a grooming kit this evening."

"Cool. And Melody? She's..."

"She's handling it well and seems to be just fine. I guess Evelyn and I missed her original reaction because we assumed her crying was because of Ruby."

"Oh?"

"It's okay, I spoke with her and she knows what's happening to her body. She isn't thrilled, but she isn't scared either."

"Then you handled everything just right. I would have no idea how to talk to her about something like that." Putting the bolt aside onto the nearby work bench Hank proceeded to spray some lubricant over the other bolts to ensure they unscrewed much easier. "Where's Evelyn?"

"She went out to get everyone their favorites for dinner so everyone can have some comfort food."

"If she gets me one of Gary's burgers from the 'Chicken Feed'..."

Smirking proudly Connor confirmed his suspicion. "She did."

"And once more I find myself truly happy that you and her were reunited in Chicago."

"All because of a burger?"

"All because she genuinely cares about everyone under any and all circumstances." Checking the other bolts Hank gave the next one a firm turn and was relieved that it moved under his hands as he wanted. "There we go..."

"If you want I can help you with the car tomorrow. I have a day off again."

"That'd be great. I missed working on the Corvette with you."

"I missed it, too."

"Who knew having a couple kids would keep ya' from getting dirty with a car in a garage?"

"Certainly not me. I had no idea that I would even have a kid of my own, let alone two kids and a beautiful wife."

"And you deserve to have a happy family, son. You didn't have one as a child, but now you get to have one as an adult."

"...I still have trouble believing that I actually have a family all my own."

"You were always the type of person to beat the odds, son. I'm not surprised at all."

"I'm not talking about the odds against me and my supposed sterility..." Reaching for another wrench on the workbench Connor proceeded to help Hank remove the remaining bolts so they could slowly take apart and then clean the engine properly. "I'm talking about being forced to live as a CyberLife tool, and then living as a deviant in general. By all account I shouldn't want to have a family, let alone have one."

"You know, something's been bugging me about your deviancy..."

"What's that?"

"Kamski said he created an android body with your likeness to try to keep a part of you alive after you saved his life. Why did CyberLife use you as their weapon and not another model of android? When you think about it wouldn't it be easier for CyberLife to plant a mole who can blend in perfectly with everyone else to root out Jericho, rather than go out of their way to create a unique android and get them hired on the police department?"

"Yes, that's true. CyberLife was so focused on saving face after the fear of deviancy spread through the city that they wanted an android who looked absolutely nothing like the other supposed 'faulty' androids on the market to somehow regain some form of trust. It appears my aesthetic was the only unique model they had available at the time."

"I wonder how Kamski felt when you showed up at his mansion asking for Jericho. I bet he was shocked out of his mind to see you standing before him."

"Maybe. But he mastered stoicism and I was unable to determine the sincerity of his reaction to my presence."

"Well, what's done is done."

"Yeah, and now I'm here with my family."

"And you have a damn fine family at that."

Blushing a pale blue Connor grinned at the compliment with a sense of accomplishment. "Hard to argue with that when the patriarch himself is saying it."

"Smartass." Proudly Hank worked alongside Connor to begin resume their project on the car together, and set about enjoying the time he could spend with his son now that his grandchildren were so grown-up and mature. "Alright, let's finish getting these bolts off and then we'll pull out the battery. After that, it should be chow time..."

* * *

_**Summer of 2056:**_

Another milestone in Henry's life meant another learning experience for Connor as a father. The duo were learning about growing up and developing at the same time, but it was up to Connor to be a rock to lean on for Henry as he endured the trials of his childhood one day at a time. Whereas school, music lessons and athletic activities were challenging enough to understand and contribute to, the final hurdles leading from childhood into adulthood were going to be very stressful for both father and son.

Nervously Henry sat behind the steering wheel of the Corvette with Connor beside him in the passenger seat as they set about their first day on the road together. The teenager was clutching his learner's permit in his shaking left hand and took a deep breath as he stared at the road at the end of the driveway.

"Henry, you're going to be fine." Ever calm and patient Connor encouraged his son to take that first nervous step forward. "Take a deep breath and begin only when you're ready."

"Are you sure you want to let me drive the Corvette and not mom's car? I mean, my high school has it's own driver's ed program and they provide the cars."

"You're more familiar with this car since you've spent more time with this one than your mom's car." Connor clarified logically as he fastened his seatbelt and gave Henry an encouraging grin. "And I trust you to not be reckless with the Corvette."

"I've never driven before, dad."

"I know. That's literally why we're doing this." Refusing to let Henry chicken out Connor gave his son a confident grin as he recounted his driver's ed course from when he was in high school, and of how easily the skill came back to him as he downloaded the correct program to drive when he became an android. It was so simple for him, but for Henry he still had to learn for the very first, and hopefully, only time. "Would you like your Papa to teach you how to drive instead? He's been driving the longest of us all."

"N-No. I just... It's very complicated."

"Nervous?"

"Extremely."

"It's okay, Henry. We're not going to drive across the country, or even out of the neighborhood. Just circle the block once and get used to the car and how it handles."

"One lap?"

"One lap."

"I... Okay." Pocketing his driver's permit Henry took a deep breath. "I can do that." Pulling his seatbelt over his chest Henry secured it into place with an audible 'click' just as Connor had done moments before. As Henry's shaking right hand turned the key in the ignition he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Pressing his right foot down on the brake Henry shifted the car from park and into drive. "...I can do this."

"All you have to do is gently let up on the brake and let the car pull itself down the drive. It'll go slow automatically so don't worry about using the accelerator."

"...Right."

"When you reach the end of the drive gently reapply the brake and hold it."

Listening to Connor's instructions perfectly Henry made his way down the driveway very slowly and came to a stop again without the car jerking around or making any protesting sounds.

"Good. Now turn on your signal to go right."

Henry found the controls for the turn signal and turned it on accordingly.

"Check to make sure the street is clear and then just as slowly pull out onto the road."

Again Henry followed the instructions perfectly and managed to get the car onto the road and stay in his designated lane.

"Perfect." Connor remained calm as he watched Henry nervously adjusting the wheel to straighten the tires. "Press down lightly on the accelerator, most people recommend using your big toe to add pressure, to get up to speed at a steady pace. Get the car up to thirty miles per hour before you come to a gentle stop at the sign at the end of the street."

Slowly but surely Henry managed to get the car up to speed, stop, and wait for his next set of instructions. Patient and fearless Connor calmly directed his son step by step until Henry made a full circle of the block back to the house. Instead of pulling back into the driveway Henry decided to take one more lap and Connor didn't try to stop him. The longer Henry drove the more confident he's become in his abilities, and would no longer be nervous.

"Keep this up for two weeks and I think you'll be ready to start driving at night."

"Night?"

"The laws are the same at night, Henry." Connor replied coolly from where he sat. "Just turn on the headlights and let your eyes adjust to the dark before you go anywhere."

"...Right. Sure. That makes sense."

"You're doing just fine, son. The more you drive the more your sense of timing and overall reflexes while driving will improve, and then you won't need anyone to guide you on your way. You'll be free to drive all on your own."

"Yeah, okay!"

* * *

The return to the house was met with high praise from Hank as he watched his grandson handle the Corvette with great ease as he pulled up the driveway. Walking with a mild limp as he leaned on his cane Hank clapped his hand down on Henry's shoulder as his teenage grandson stepped out of the car with a proud grin on his face. Henry had his dad's smile, the difference was he showed far more often than Connor ever did, and there were times where Henry looked exactly like his father in every aspect.

"How'd the car handle, Henry?"

"Not bad. Could always be a little faster."

"Damn right." Grinning as he led Henry over to the garage Hank showed him his and Connor's progress on the Camaro and let him help as well. "Ready for the road test?"

"Not yet, but I'm not nervous about taking it anymore."

"Thata' boy."

Connor followed after his father and son into the garage and admired Henry's mature attitude. Seeing his son being happy, healthy and showing promise of a bright future made Connor's heart swell with paternal pride. "So how's Melody doing?"

"She's out back with her boyfriend by the pool."

Crossing his arms over his chest Connor gave Hank a stern look. "And what do you think of her boyfriend?"

"They're both a little too young to tell if Jeff is going to be a dick or not."

Henry started to laugh a little as he listened to the discussion regarding Melody's first boyfriend. "Want me to beat him up, dad?"

"Only if he breaks your sister's heart. Then you can kick his ass."

Unsure if Connor was being sarcastic or not Henry dared to ask for confirmation. "...Seriously?"

"If you need to protect your sister then you have my express permission to beat him up."

"Uh... What?"

"Let me explain..." Realizing that his request to have his son beat up a child looked very bad Connor went into greater detail. "If this Jeff guy ever lays a hand on her, or insults her, or spreads rumors about her at school then you have my permission to defend your sister and ensure she feels safe."

"...Oh."

This time Hank started laughing as he heard how righteously protective Connor was being toward his only daughter. "Like she would ever need someone else to fight her battles. You and Evelyn have been teaching these two how to properly defend themselves ever since they got out of diapers."

"I'm just being safe."

"Uh-huh. Well, while you're up there glaring at Jeff through the kitchen window could you check on the steaks thawing in the fridge?"

"Yes, of course."

Watching as Connor stepped through the side door leading back to the house Henry gave his grandfather a strange look. "Do you think he'll have that kind of reaction when I start dating?"

"Probably. So," turning his attention back to the Camaro Hank brushed off Connor's overprotective nature easily. "what do you think about the car's color?"

"The Corvette looks good in red, but I think the Camaro would look good in blue."

"That's what I was thinking." Curious about Henry's earlier question Hank gave his grandson a cheeky grin. "Just curious, do you have a special someone in mind?"

"Uh... Yeah, I do."

"Who's the soul who caught your eye?"

Henry blushed a bright red in the same manner that Connor would blush bright blue when embarrassed, and his voice lowered a little. "...Just a girl from my art class."

"Oh. Is she _pretty_?"

Henry somehow managed to blush even brighter and his voice cracked a little. "Y-Yeah. I guess."

"Have you gone on a date with her before?"

"N-No. We, uh, we're just sort of friends."

"How are you 'sort of' friends?" Hank pressed watching Henry blush brighter and brighter. "In my experience you're either friends or you're not."

"Well, I like her but she doesn't talk very much except in art class. And I kinda' asked her in advance... to the prom. We barely know each other."

"Is she shy?"

"I think she's just sheltered."

"Oh." Hank watched with pride as Henry expertly moved his hands over the engine like he had been working on cars his whole life. "Shy girls usually make the best dates, once they get to know you and feel comfortable their all kinds of fun, and usually end becoming your best friend."

"And I told her that we could go to the junior prom next month together if she wanted to go with a friend, and not have the pressure of a date."

"She said 'Yes'?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. Good way to get to know her without her feeling overwhelmed."

Henry paused his motions and gave Hank a somewhat concern glanced. "...Think I can pass my driver's test?"

"Hell yeah! You've aced every test you've ever taken, straight A's from the first grade all the way to this day, you've always been a fast learner AND you're so damn attentive to details that you couldn't be fooled about your birthday and Christmas surprised since you were seven years old. Of course you can pass _this_ test, too."

"Were you nervous when you took your own driver's test?"

"A little. But that was mostly because I only had my old man's worn out pick-up truck to drive, and I was paranoid the bumper would fall off in the middle of the street or something. We worked every day on that truck but even his skilled hands weren't enough to reverse time." Giving his grandson a reassuring nod of his head Hank let Henry know that he was going to be just fine. "You get that pristine Corvette to drive so you don't have anything to worry about."

"Yeah... You're right." Motioning toward the engine under his hands Henry asked his grandfather a very enticing question. "Think I could drive this Camaro once it's finally painted?"

"Get in line, Henry." Hank wiped grease off his hands onto an old red rag and tossed it over to Henry to use on his own hands. "Me first!"

* * *

The final day of Henry's practice driving was at hand and Connor was encouraging Henry to stick to his normal route throughout the city to ensure he had full confidence in his ability to handle the vehicle, and was familiar with the rules of the road. While the teenager had gained considerable skill and was very focused with driving the Corvette without any problems Connor and Evelyn wanted to make sure that Henry wasn't going to accidentally do something that could compromise his ability to pass his road test.

Passing by the precinct for the third time Connor let out a weary sigh and put his left hand on Henry's right shoulder for a moment.

"Something wrong, dad?"

"No, I was just thinking about my own road test when I was your age."

"Did you fail?"

"No, it's just that I remember driving around a different city with my school's driver's ed instructor. That's all."

Sensing that something was on his father's mind Henry gently pressed the subject at hand. "Are you annoyed that mom told you to stop glaring at Jeff and spying on Melody?"

"I'm not annoyed at all. Your mom is keeping a closer eye on them than I ever could anyway." Shrugging his shoulders casually Connor confirmed that he knew his daughter was going to be just fine. "There's a good reason your mom got promoted from Lieutenant to Captain so quickly."

"...Then, what's up?"

"It's easier to show you than tell you." Moving his hand from Henry's shoulder and over to the G.P.S. mounted on the dashboard Connor uploaded a new set of coordinates and instructed Henry to take the alternate route. "Follow the map and I'll be able to explain everything to you more clearly."

* * *

It was a strange moment to share with his son but it was one that Connor felt was egregiously overdue. After arriving in Novi, a city that Connor had sworn he'd never see again after his odd funeral for his human body, Connor showed Henry over to the three graves where his biological parents and his human body had been laid to rest all together. The three graves were well tended to by the groundskeepers, but it was clear that no one had visited the deceased occupants in some time.

Standing before the headstones with two white lilies in his right hand Connor placed the flowers down atop the headstone for his parents and took a step back as he showed his respect.

"...So," Henry spoke up in a somewhat timid tone as he eyed his own father's original name; Connor Anthony Wolf, on the third headstone to his right. "this is where my grandparents are buried?"

"Yes. Your biological grandparents are here." Connor confirmed as he read over his mother's name with a glimmer of sorrow in his soulful brown eyes. Crouching down Connor became eye level with the name and he let out weary breath. "This is also where my human body was laid to rest."

"Yeah... I noticed. Why did you want to be buried in the city that you hated and be next to the guy who made your life Hell?"

"Because I wanted to be near my mother. We had been separated for most of my life, and all she wanted was a family of her own. I chose to be here so I could stay at her side and so she wouldn't have to be alone with my father."

"What about Grandma Barbara and Uncle Cole?"

"They're in another cemetery about an hour North of Detroit. Hank has his plot next to Barbara already paid for, and he'll be reunited with them on the other side in time."

"...And mom's parents?" Crouching down beside his father Henry showed his grandparents the same respect. "I never heard either of you mention them before."

"For your mom... She never had her parents growing up, either."

"Was she abused?"

"Fortunately, no. Her mother, your grandmother; Jean, had an addiction to alcohol and 'red ice'. Her drug habit clouded her judgment and as a result your mother was brought into this world as a one-night stand. Five years later your Aunt Gwen was brought into the world in the same way."

"Who is mom's father, and where is he?"

"She never knew who her father was she and doesn't want to know. She's certain that her and her sister have different fathers as well."

"And Aunt Gwen was killed in a car accident, right?"

"That's right. She and your great grandparents are all together in a cemetery in over in Chicago."

"Guess the family only really came together in Detroit, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Can I ask why you brought me out here?"

"I wanted you to know about your past and understand why I kept certain things about my own past a secret."

"I get it, dad. I know you had your reasons and that you weren't trying to lie to me or anything. You don't own me any explanation."

"I'm glad." Returning his left hand to Henry's right shoulder Connor gave his son a confident grin. "At any rate, I thought it was time that you had your chance to meet your Grandma Elizabeth. Granted that it's an unorthodox meeting, I felt as though it needed to be done."

"...Yeah, you're right." Smiling kindly Henry turned to face the headstone and nodded. "Thank you for doing this."

"You're welcome." Speaking in a low voice Connor turned his attention to his mother's gravestone and placed his right palm against the smooth surface as he spoke to her in spirit. "Mom, I'm here. And I've brought someone very important to finally meet you."

* * *

**_Spring of 2057:_**

Checking over the numerous college and university pamphlets and brochures that had arrived in the mail Henry felt a little overwhelmed and at a total loss. Sitting at the kitchen table with Evelyn at his side Henry tried to figure out his best option as he planned for his future, and prepared for his prom that was set to begin that very evening. Running his fingers through his thick hair Henry divided the pamphlets into two piles; one of complete rejects and the other pile were potential candidates.

Just as he felt like he was about to pull his hair out Evelyn put her hand on her son's forearm and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Honey, relax! You don't have to make up your mind tonight."

"I know... But the sooner I get this done the sooner I can stop worrying about it."

"Henry, what is it you want to do for a career?"

"I want to be a forensic scientist."

"Then focus on which of these colleges can give you the right classes and credits to achieve that dream, and nothing more. Okay?"

"...Yeah. Okay."

"Now..." Pulling the reject pile off the table Evelyn through them all in the recycling bin and then took Henry's pile of possible schooles and put them on the countertop out of his sight. "Go shower off and make sure your tuxedo is ready to be worn. You have three hours before prom."

Noting the time on his phone Henry smirked and then rose from the kitchen table. "Right. I promised Courtney we'd go have a late dinner before we went to the actual prom, too."

"Need some money?"

"No, I got it covered."

Watching as her son disappeared through the kitchen, livingroom and then up the staircase to get ready in his bedroom Evelyn pressed her hands to her face as she let out a single sob of emotional pride. Her son was almost grown up, and now she had to accept that soon Henry would be on his own without her or Connor or even Hank to guide him.

Stepping back into the kitchen after helping Hank with the Corvette and Camaro out in the garage and driveway Connor saw Evelyn in tears and promptly gave her a hug. "What's wrong?"

Burying her face against Connor's chest she let out deep sigh to steady her words. "Our baby isn't a baby anymore."

"...I know." Tightening his hug Connor felt the same emotional pride that Evelyn had become overwhelmed with. "He has one more year of high school, and then he'll be on his own."

"He's so smart, mature and kind..."

"I know that, too. I couldn't be any prouder of our son, or our daughter."

"You know, I think it's a good thing we only had two kids."

"Why's that?"

"I don't think I could take the heart breaking pride of our babies becoming adults more than twice."

Tightening his hug around Evelyn's shoulders Connor felt the same way. "Be proud. We raised two great kids, and soon they'll be great adults."

"It's too soon!"

"From what Hank has told me we'd be feeling this way even if they were still just learning to crawl..."

"As per usual, Hank is right."

* * *

Laying on his back atop of a supportive rolling board Hank finished changing the oil in the Corvette to ensure that Henry wouldn't have any problems during his prom night, and smirked with pride as he wiped the grease off of his hands and onto a red rag. Rolling out from under the car Hank sat upright slowly and called out to Melody, who had been helping Hank and Connor with the two cars out of her own curiosity, to go ahead and turn over the car's engine to make sure everything sounded right.

"Go ahead, Melody." Using his cane Hank awkwardly stood upright and walked over to the driver's side door where Melody was sitting behind the steering wheel of the car. "Turn it over."

"Like this?" The eighth grader was just learning about driving, and was a little wary about what she was doing.

"Yup, just turn the key until the engine turns over and let go."

Nodding Melody did as she was instructed and the Corvette purred to life.

"That's it, perfect."

"Huh, that was easy."

"Driving seems complicated but once you get used to it driving is as easy as walking."

"I don't know, Papa." Smirking devilishly Melody pointed to his cane playfully. "It looks like it's not _that_ easy!"

"Smartass." Laughing at her comment Hank just shook his head a little where he was standing. "Just like your dad and brother."

"I think mom would take offense to being left out."

"Yup, you're definitely a smartass." Leaning toward the interior of the car Hank pointed to the dashboard of the car to give Melody a quick a explanation of the car's layout. "See that? Know what it is?"

"Speedometer, gas gauge, engine temperature and the odometer."

"Very good." Motioning to the steering column he asked about the levers on the left side. "What about this?"

"Windshield wipers and headlights."

"You got it. Do you know what the letters," he motioned to the gear shift to her right with a casual motion. "stand for on the gear shift?"

"Drive, reverse, neutral, first gear, second gear and low gear."

"Yeah, you got it." Pointing to the radio Hank asked her about that curious little device. "What about that bad-boy?"

"Radio." Pressing the power button Melody heard the station that Henry was listening to last and grimaced. "How can he stand that?"

"Heavy metal? I can't believe you're the only one in the family who doesn't like metal."

"I do like metal, I just don't like THAT song!" Shifting the channels around Melody finally found a song that she did like and she turned it up.

Much to Hank's delight it was a song by 'The Knights of the Black Death', and right on cue Melody started to sing right along with the lyrics without fail. As she picked up right where the song was playing through and hit every note perfectly Hank's eyes went wide with surprise and he leaned on the side of the car as he admired his granddaughter's talent.

The song ended and Melody turned off the radio. "...See? I love metal!"

"Melody, I had no idea you could sing!"

"It's not a big deal."

"Are you kidding me? That's a _huge_ deal! You have serious talent, young lady."

Blushing a little Melody turned away from Hank and tried to brush off the compliment.

"Do your parents know you can sing?"

"No, I only sing in the shower or in choir at school."

"Well, you need to let the world hear your gift. Don't you dare keep it to yourself."

"I'll consider it." Brushing her long dark hair back behind her ear she gave Hank a coy stare. "Maybe I should challenge someone to a karaoke and blow them out of the water."

"Place some money on the line and you can hustle your way into college."

"Gee, thanks for the advice _detective_!"

"Yup," proud of his grandchildren for being so witty and fearless Hank just laughed again at Melody's comment. "you're a smartass and definitely an Anderson. Turns out your parents gave you the right name."

"Is it possible to have a wrong name?"

"Well, your dad was teasing your mom with the name 'Bertha' for a while."

"Oh, geez. If they named me 'Bertha' I would've put myself back up for adoption!"

* * *

It was time for the junior prom and Connor was helping Henry with his black bowtie as his son stood tall and proud in his black tuxedo in the middle of the livingroom. Henry was a little nervous about having his first real date with Courtney, but he was still giving off an air of confidence that made Connor smirk. Checking the time on his phone, and making sure he had Courtney's corsage, Henry let of a calming breath and nodded as Connor stepped back to check on his work with the tie.

Evelyn snapped a quick photo and smiled proudly at her son for how mature and grown-up he looked. Saving the photo on her phone as her new wallpaper the emotional pride still threatened to make her heart burst.

"How do I look, dad?"

"Like my son wearing a nice tuxedo."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Henry, you look great. You always do, but this time it's 'fancy-great'. ...I think."

"It's easier for you with your clothes. You have seven of the same outfits for work, three dark suits, one tuxedo and a couple of spare jackets."

"It's a lot easier to do laundry, too."

"Dad, please." Henry fussed a little with his tie and smoothed out the front of his suit jacket. "I'm anxious."

"Henry, you look handsome." Picking up the pink flower corsage that Henry was clutching onto Connor mentioned the beautiful gift that was waiting for Courtney's hand. "And this will make Courtney very happy. You look like a true gentleman."

Agreeing with Connor entirely Evelyn chimed in and wrapped her arms around Connor's left arm affectionately. "He's right, you look great!"

"...Uh, how long can I, you know," Henry was anxiously counting down the seconds until prom, and it was clear he was nervous. "stay out?"

Tilting his head a little Connor estimated a time table. "When is the prom over?"

"It starts at seven and is over at ten. And the 'after-prom' start at eleven."

"How long is the 'after-prom'?"

"We'll be in the school from eleven to nine. The entire building will be on lockdown until morning, and half of the teachers are going to be up all night with us chaperoning the event."

"If the school is on lockdown then you can stay until nine. BUT, I will meet you at the school to drive you home so you don't fall asleep behind the wheel."

"Cool, thanks dad."

Hank walked through the front door of the house along with Melody and smirked as he looked over at Henry dressed sharply in his tuxedo. "Lookin' good, Henry. Ready for the prom?"

"Yeah. I'm actually just about to leave."

"Corvette?"

"Yeah." He needed proudly as he made sure his wallet was in his pocket. "I get the car for the night."

"Too bad."

The follow-up comment made Henry pause and caused his brow to furrow in the same way Connor's did when confused. "...Why's that?"

Smiling devilishly as he stood beside Connor in the livingroom Hank reached into his front jean pocket and tossed Henry a new set of car keys, which he caught every easily with his free hand out of reflex. "The Camaro is ready to go. I was hoping you'd take your own car for the night."

"My... _own car_?" Henry looked at the keys and gave Hank a strange look that always rivaled the curious stares that Connor would give him.

"Yup. You've earned it. It's blue and shiny, and all for you."

"...The Camaro?!" Henry's eyes were as wide as saucers and he paled a little in surprise. "The Camaro is MY car?"

"Yup."

Nearly stumbling over himself Henry rushed over to Hank and gave him a massive, appreciative hug that almost knocked him off his cane. "Thank you so much, Papa!"

"You're welcome, Henry." Patting Henry's back with one hand so he could still balance on his cane Hank gave is grandson a proud stare. "Now, go on. Go enjoy your prom and have some fun!"

"I will... Thank you! See ya' later!"

Connor smirked as Henry tossed him back the keys to the Corvette in favor of the Camaro, and watched his son rushing through the front door to get to the blue Camaro now parked out front and just waiting for its new owner. "Have fun, Henry. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

Smirking a little Hank glanced over at Melody and gave her a simple nod. "Don't worry, 'Mel-Bell'. I'll get ya' your own set of wheels, too."

"Really?!"

"Yup. Name your car and I'll make it happen."

"That is too cool!" Giving Hank a hug as well Melody made sure Hank knew how much she appreciated his offer. "Thanks, Papa!"

As Melody released the hug and ran upstairs to begin looking at cars online Hank sighed to himself and limped over to the recliner to sit down and rest his aching back at long last. The way that Hank was moving slower and seemed to be in serious pain and had made both Connor and Evelyn begin to worry for their father, and they knew that something was seriously wrong with the retired detective.

"...Dad." Sitting down on the couch next to the recliner Connor ran a scan over Hank's body and sighed as he detected the strange mass on his liver, and knew that it was getting larger and more toxic. "What did the doctor say this morning?"

Giving Connor a somewhat annoyed glance Hank sighed and kicked up his feet on the coffee table in front of him. "Based on your tone of voice I assume you're already expecting the worst."

"I know your pain isn't just your back this time. You had that taken care of last year."

"...Yeah, it's not my back this time. There is something wrong with my liver."

Evelyn sat down on the couch beside Connor and grabbed onto his hand in a supportive manner as they prepared for the worst news.

"My liver's beginning to breakdown on me." The look in Hank's blue eyes were full of frightened tears that he refused to shed. "Stage one cancer."

That word left Connor stunned, almost speechless. Running a scan over Hank's liver he noted the damaged and ill tissue, and gave Hank a truly worried stare as he processed what he was being told. "...Cancer?"

"I'm going to begin treatment to kill the tumor, but with my age and health history..."

"Please don't give up."

"I'm not, son. If I didn't have you, Evelyn, Henry, Melody, Lucas, Chloe and Maddy I would throw in the towel right here, right now. But I'll put up a fight for as long as I can for my family."

Tightening his hand around Evelyn's hand Connor dared to ask another question. "What should I tell Henry and Melody?"

"Nothing. I don't want them to see me as a sick old man, I want them to always see me as their Papa. Don't tell them I'm sick. Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise. I won't say a word about you being ill."

"And like I said, I'm going to fight back. Just think of this as age making a fool of me, nothing more. One more obstacle to overcome."

"Yeah. It's just another challenge."

"I'd tell you to not worry, but you will. So instead," Hank reached over and clapped his left hand down on Connor's right shoulder and held his palm there for a moment. "I'll ask that you focus on Henry and Melody and make sure they're focused on everything else with their futures. Got it?"

"Yeah, dad. I got it."

* * *

While Henry was at the prom Connor, Evelyn and Hank spent time together watching the preseason try-outs for the upcoming baseball season on the television. Melody was upstairs checking out cars and looking forward to working on another small project with her Papa. It wasn't long before the proud parents and grandfather were talking about how much Henry and Melody have grown up, and how human Connor had become as the kids grew up. It was just after nine in the evening when one of the deviant chaperone's monitoring the prom sent Connor a cybernetic message, and with it a small live feed video.

"Dad, Evelyn, look." Connor held out his right palm and showed the live holographic feed of Henry slow dancing with Courtney from the prom. Henry was smiling and Courtney seemed be enjoying herself, too. They were dancing with genuine smiles on their faces as they moved in perfect tandem with the romantic song being played throughout the heavily decorated gymnasium. "He looks so happy."

"Yeah." Hank agreed with a cheesy grin on his face. "He really does..."

Evelyn leaned against Connor's right shoulder as tears of joy filled her eyes.

Hank was so proud of his small family. Connor was an incredible detective and an even better father, and Evelyn was such a compassionate and kindhearted mother that Hank knew his grandkids would grow up happy and well adjusted. Henry and Melody were both well liked, popular, straight-A students, and Henry had a promising basketball scholarship practically guaranteed under his belt. They both had so many talents and future prospects that his life was guaranteed to be fulfilling and happy.

"Connor, you did an amazing job helping guide Henry into becoming the wonderful young man he is today."

"Without you to guide me on my own growth to humanity I don't think I would've been able to take care of him in the way he needed."

"Don't sell yourself short, kid." They all continued to watch Henry dancing with his date on the small live feed display be projected from Connor's right palm. "You have a natural and deeply seeded paternal instinct. Even if I _hadn't_ been there throughout his life you would've been able to take care of Henry just fine without my guidance."

"...I'd like to think so. But I'm still so worried that I'll do something to affect him negatively."

"Hey, Henry and Melody are great kids and there's nothing you could ever say or do to them to change that. You have the right to be proud of yourself as a parent. I know that I'm proud of you."

The song came to an end and Henry stopped dancing with Courtney as the music changed its tempo. Walking her off the dance floor the two disappeared into the crowd of other students and the feed ceased from displaying the dance. Connor closed his hand and let his right arm rest against his lap as he sat on the edge of the couch next to Hank, who was sitting propped up in his recliner right beside his son. "...Henry's grown-up."

"Not quite, Connor. He still has one more year to go until he's grown-up. And even then he'll never stop needing you as his dad, or Evelyn as his mom. Look at the way you still come to me for guidance after all this time. Once a parent, ALWAYS a parent."

"Yeah." Glancing up at a framed photograph of Henry at age two being held by Hank as the duo played outside in the backyard Connor smirked a little and thought about all the good memories he had as a father, and all the memories he had as being Hank's son. "Always."

Pressing her cheek against Connor's shoulder Evelyn sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. "Soon it'll be Melody in high school and we'll be going through this all over again when she goes to her own junior prom."

"I'm glad they're going to their proms." Connor sighed as he thought about his own time in high school. "I didn't go because I always had to work after school to keep up with the rent on my apartment."

Looking up at her husband sadly Evelyn gave him a sympathetic glance. "You never went to prom?"

"No. I couldn't risk not making a decent paycheck."

"I'm so sorry you missed out on such a wonderful night during your time in high school."

"Well... It's not too late."

"How's that?"

Cybernetically Connor turned on the stereo set up in the corner of the livingroom and dimmed the lights. Standing up from the couch Connor extended his right hand out toward Evelyn to take. As she rested her right palm over his Connor smirked and closed his eyes as he allowed his facade to age slightly; his dark hair had streaks of natural looking gray mixed in with the brunette, a few exaggerated lines appeared around his eyes and even his jawline to make the forever twenty-five year old deviant appear in his early forties just like Evelyn now did.

"Connor... What're you doing?"

"I'm proving that love and life can't be contained by an age. It's never too late to have an experience you once missed out on because of a number."

Grinning as she tightened her hand around Connor's hand Evelyn stood up before him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he put his hands on her waist. "...You're such a romantic."

"It's easy for me to be such a way since I have you in my life."

"Keep it up, lover-boy." Tears of joy and love began to roll down her face as she looked into Connor's eyes. "It's good for my self esteem now that I'm sporting gray hair and crow's feet."

"I only see the brunette and your flawlessly bright blue eyes."

Hank smirked at his son and daughter-in-law as the song on the stereo changed to a more romantic song perfect for slow dancing; 'Kiss From A Rose', and saw the happy couple's mutual love blossom even further. Discreetly Hank took his leave of the livingroom to give them some privacy as they danced together to have their own mini prom, and to relive a night Connor had lost and a night Evelyn wanted to remember with the man she truly loved.

Walking into his bedroom just down the hallway Hank continued to grin and admired a framed photograph of Barbara sitting on the nightstand beside his bed as he sat down slowly on the edge of the thick mattress.

"I've told you this countless times before, Barb." Picking up the photograph Hank smiled at the face of his late wife smiling back at him and then leaned back on his bed to rest for a while. "But you would've absolutely loved Connor. Evelyn is the sweetest thing and I'm so glad she and Connor found each other. As for Henry and Melody... I couldn't possibly be prouder of our little oddball but loving family. Lucas is now the Captain of his own fire station, Chloe is a skilled nurse who helps humans and androids alike, and Maddy is the most talented artist I've ever seen. All our kids and our grandkids are doing just fine. I know you and Cole are watching us with pride, but please know that as much as I want to see you again I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to them."

His cancer diagnosis was heavy in his heart and now his forethought as he contemplated Connor's words about life not being contained by an age.

"I promised Henry I'd see him off to college, I promised Melody that I'd get her a car so she can begin exploring this crazy world and I promised Maddy that I'd see her win the state art festival." Putting the photograph back down on the nightstand beside him Hank sighed and slowly laid down against his pillow to get some rest and to think. "I want to keep my word, and then I'll find you both on the other side. That's _another_ promise I intend to keep."

* * *

_**Spring of 2058:**_

The sound of Melody's soft crying through her closed bedroom door made Connor's heart ache with a pain he had never experienced before. The teenager was heartbroken and struggling to deal with the hardship that comes from a bad break-up, and losing a good friend at roughly the same time. As Melody isolated herself to process the emotional turmoil in her heart Connor stayed outside the door, sitting down on the floor opposite the door, and waited for Melody to make the first move to opening the door to talk.

It had been almost an hour before Melody's crying began to soften and she calmed a little as she endured the worst of her heartbreak.

"Melody?" Connor called out in a soft voice to his pained daughter on the other side of the door. "Do you need anything? Your mom is downtown with Henry so he can get fitted for graduation; I know she'd get you anything you needed if you just asked."

There was a pause before Melody replied in a slightly muffled voice through the wooden barrier. "...No."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"...No."

"If you want, I can make you something to eat. You have to be hungry."

There was a longer pause before Melody finally responded again. "...Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"...Because hearts are fragile." The answer was simplistic but completely accurate. "I learned this a long time ago in the most painful way possible. I survived heartbreak, your mom survived heartbreak, your Papa survived heartbreak, and I know you will too. You just need some time to let your heart heal."

"If Jeff wanted to break-up with me, why couldn't he just tell me? Why'd he have to _cheat_ on me?"

"He didn't_ have_ to cheat, Melody. He _chose_ to do that. It was cruel and you didn't deserve it. No one does."

"We were together for so long..."

"I know, and you really liked him."

"He was just using me!"

"...Using you? For what?"

Sniffling a little more Melody struggled to find her words as she cried her heart out after suffering her very fist heartbreak.

"Melody? Can I please come in?"

There was only more crying on the other side of the door.

Checking the door knob Connor was relieved to find it unlocked and he entered his daughter's bedroom slowly. Spying Melody laying face down on her bed with her face buried in her pillow broke Connor's heart and he swore he could feel her pain. Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her Connor put his right hand down in the middle of her back in a comforting manner.

"Melody, what did Jeff do?"

Lifting her eyes up from her pillow, her face red from crying and her purple eye shadow smeared over her eyelids, Melody managed to finally explain things to her dad as her heart continued to break apart. "He just wanted to be with me because he thought I'd... 'put out'."

"He WHAT?"

"Jeff wasted two years of my life all because he wanted to get in my pants!"

Restraining his anger at the young man he wanted to strangle Connor just stayed beside his daughter protectively. "...Melody, you're officially much better off without him ruining your life."

"I know... But it still hurts! I thought he cared about me..." Returning her face to her pillow Melody continued to weep as Connor stayed beside her as her rock and literal shoulder to cry on. "In the end he just wanted to use me for sex."

"...And did you?"

"What? No!" Almost offended at the question Melody gave Connor a briefly dirty look before she returned to crying into her pillow. "That's WHY he cheated on me! I found out he was sleeping with TWO other girls, and when I confronted him he said it was MY FAULT because I wouldn't sleep with him! I'm saving myself for AFTER high school so I don't do anything I regret, and apparently he couldn't respect that or even care."

The confirmation that she didn't submit to pressure made Connor relax a little. "...Do those girls know what he's doing?"

"They do now!" Showing Connor her phone, the honest teenager having nothing to hide, Melody gave her dad a smug grin. "I forwarded all the texts he had been sharing with them to my phone, and then I sent them both copies to prove he's a cheater. I also sent copies to his parents and to their parents so now everyone knows what kind of a jerk he is!"

Looking at the phone Connor's brow arched as he realized his hunch about Jeff being a dick was spot-on. Relieved to know that his daughter was able to see it for herself and not cave into his pressure before she did anything she'd regret gave Connor a new level of respect for his daughter. "Normally I wouldn't condone this type of backlash, but considering he was sneaking around behind your back and taking advantage of other girls I think showcasing his sleazy behavior is the appropriate response."

"...Still doesn't feel like he's been punished enough."

"I understand that feeling."

"How do I make it stop?"

"By moving on, being happy and showing that you're the better person by letting this simple and passive revelation of his character be your last interaction with that asshole for the rest of your life."

"You make it sound easy."

"Anything sounds easy when another person tells you the answer. I know you're going to be hurting for a while, and that's okay. Just remember that you're the better person in this situation and you're going to be so much better off and happier without him in your life."

Pushing herself upright on the bed Melody gave her dad a somber glance as she leaned up against his right side a little. "...How did you and mom meet?"

"Uh, well..." Wrapping his right arm around his daughter's shoulders Connor sighed and prepared to tell Melody the odd tale of how he and Evelyn met as children, were separated throughout their teenage years and unexpectedly reunited in Chicago as adults. "It's a long story, but I think you'll find it interesting."

* * *

The day that Connor and Evelyn had been excitedly waiting for, but secretly dreading, was finally at hand. It was time for Henry's high school graduation. While the young adult was proudly getting ready for the day in his bedroom Connor was standing outside the house on the small back porch staring into the nothingness of the horizon beyond the property line. It felt like time had been a fleeting moment, an actual blink of an eye, and in that time Henry grown from a tiny helpless newborn and into the confident, self sufficient young adult that he had become.

A presence joined Connor on the deck and he didn't even need to look to know it was Hank. "Hey, dad."

"Hey, son. Is Henry excited?"

"Yes. And very proud."

"He should be! Salutatorian with a full athletic scholarship to the University of Michigan is something to be _very proud_ of."

"I just can't believe my son isn't... a _kid_ anymore. He's an adult."

"Son, you will ALWAYS see Henry as a kid. _Always_."

Henry opened up the sliding backdoor to look out at his dad and grandfather as he expertly tied his black tie and tightened the knot up around the collar of his pale blue dress shirt. Henry was now Connor's height, right down to the centimeter, but his athletic prowess gave him slightly more muscle mass than the deviant. He had a few freckles like Connor, but not as many as his dad sported, but enough to give them an identical complexion. Henry's hair was also styled in a similar manner, save for the rogue lock of hair that Connor refused to tame over his left eye.

If Henry's eyes were brown and not blue he'd be a perfect clone of his father.

Eager to get going to his high school Henry looked at his dad and grandfather with a proud smile on his face. "So... Are you guys ready to go? Mom and Evelyn are waiting for us."

"Yeah, son." Connor was very proud to see his son so grown up and happy. Unlike himself Henry always shown the full bright smile that Connor himself only showed once in a great while, but now Connor was trying to show that same smile in support of son's big day. "You head out to the school and we'll meet up with you in an hour when the ceremony starts."

"Are ya' sure? A lot of the parents accompany their kids to the school for photos and stuff."

"...You don't mind us joining you?"

"Why would I mind? You're my dad." He turned to look at Hank as he spoke. "And you're welcome too, Papa. I want everyone there today."

Before Connor had the chance to try to dismiss the offer so Henry could go alone Hank put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder to quiet him. "Absolutely. Pull the Camaro around front and I'll go put on my nicer shirt."

"It's not going to be the one with zebra stripes, is it?"

"No, I'll wear my navy blue shirt."

"...Thank you."

"I'm saving the zebra shirt for your _open house_."

"O-Oh... Great. Uh, I'll see you guys out front."

As Henry returned to the house to get his keys and grab his graduation cap and gown Connor turned to look at Hank with utter confusion in his eyes. "Why'd you insist we go? This day is all about Henry not the parents."

"Right. And Henry WANTS us there. You're just having a hard time accepting that this day is really here, and you want to postpone it."

Slumping his shoulders a little Connor looked to his father and lowered his voice. "...Does that make me selfish?"

"No, it just makes you a normal dad with the same normal response to time turning their kid into an adult."

Feeling better about his reactions Connor smirked with pride as tears formed in his soulful brown eyes. "...My son is all grown up. I remember every second of his life and all of his accomplishments, but it seems like time itself was a lie."

"Yup. That's usually how it goes, son. Come on. Help me find that blue shirt or else I'll have to wear the maroon one with black streaks."

"I should do you a favor and toss that shirt in the city dump."

"No way." Grinning as he and Connor crossed through the opened backdoor to get back to Hank's bedroom the retired detective gave his son a bemused grin. "The fact_ you_ hate it so much makes _me_ like it that much more."

* * *

Boasting proud smiles Connor, Evelyn, Hank and Melody stood on other side of Henry as the school's photographer snapped photos of the families of all of the graduating students. Connor was sporting his 'aged' aesthetic for the sake of the 'normalcy' on Henry's behalf as the small family had their photo taken to get the graduating class's yearbook finished by the end of the graduation ceremony. A few feet away Maddy was getting her photo taken with Lucas, Chloe and Hank as the senior detective joined his other son, and Aria herself was getting her photo taken along with Gavin and Abby.

Just as Henry was nearly a perfect copy of Connor in every way, Aria was nearly identical to Abby. Aria had Gavin's eyes and his same 'don't-take-shit-from-anyone' attitude, but she was just as compassionate and empathetic as Abby. It was uncanny to say the least. As for Maddy, she was the perfect blend of her parents. She had Lucas's black hair and green eyes, but she had Chloe's feminine features and complexion.

Once the photos were finished Connor and Lucas were instructed with the rest of the parents to go to the high school auditorium to watch the ceremony unfold. Sitting near the front row of the seats to better accommodate Hank's cane the Connor, Evelyn, Lucas and Chloe were joined by Gavin and Abby along the same row of the chairs in the front row.

"Connor, you look so weird with gray in your hair." Abby teased, her own long brown hair now sporting a few gray streaks herself. "Please tell me that isn't permanent."

"It's not. This is only for when I'm participating in events revolving around Henry and Melody. Otherwise people mistake us for siblings."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing."

A few feet from behind Lucas and the other gathering group of parents Markus made his way into the auditorium and quickly spotted Connor and Lucas in the front seats. "Hey, everyone. I hope I'm not intruding."

"Markus?" Connor was surprised once more as the deviant leader arrived to join in on the ceremony. Markus was always welcome to take part in activities in their kid's lives, but it seemed that having him take the time to show up at a graduation ceremony was almost too much to hope for. "You're not intruding, I just wasn't expecting to see you."

"Hey, I'm not missing out on this." Sitting down beside Chloe quickly Markus reached out and shook Connor and Lucas's hands, before doing the same for Hank as a show of genuine respect. "I've never been to a graduation ceremony and I want to see Henry graduate for myself. Everyone else at New Jericho will be at the open house this Friday. It'll give me a good idea of how to handle things for Wyatt and Hope when they graduate next year."

"Thank you for being here. I know Henry will appreciate it."

The ceremony began and the graduating students all began filing in the auditorium alphabetically, two at a time. Walking down the center aisle in the auditorium leading the stage up front the students passed between the seats that were divided evenly into two sections where the families and friends were sitting. Starting with the last names first to allow the students to reach the back rows of their elevated seats on the stage at the front of the auditorium all the kids looked proud and nervous as their friends and family looked on proudly.

When Aria walked by the rows Gavin discreetly reached out and passed a pink rose into his daughter's left hand causing her to blush as she passed by and took her assigned seat on stage. Not long after Henry walked by with his head held high, his silver tinted tassel and sash were resting around his neck and shoulders to mark his place as the class's salutatorian, and took his seat near in the front row of the chairs on the stage. Maddy followed right after her cousin and sat down beside him looking as beautiful and confident as ever.

Henry glanced out into the crowd and saw not only Connor, Evelyn, Hank and Melody, but his Uncle Lucas, Aunt Chloe and honorary 'Uncle Markus' as well. Of course he smiled before trying to look back out at the rest of the auditorium as his fellow classmates were already doing.

The principal began the ever cliche speech about how the students were the future and how every person in attendance should be proud of the accomplishments of the young students in her proud voice. In doing so the students were all asked to rise in recognition of the valedictorian and the salutatorian, as well as those who were awarded with scholarships and their awards as athletes, artists, musicians and other forms of extracurricular activity.

Henry and Maddy rose proudly and stood before the gathered audience to confirm that they were proud of their accomplishments.

Once the principal was finished with her speech she gave the floor to Henry, and the young man approached the front podium fearlessly. The salutatorian was given the honor of opening the actual graduation ceremony and had a speech prepared, and he had it perfectly memorized for the occasion.

"Thank you." Henry stood before the podium as he looked out to the gathered families and friends in attendance and smiled confidently as he began his speech. "It's been said that change can be painful," he stated in a level voice to perfectly convey the conflicting emotions of pride, fear, excitement and doubts filling the auditorium. "but it's also been said that pain is weakness leaving the body. To quote our former president John F. Kennedy '_Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future_'. And I firmly believe he is still right. It's difficult to move on after spending so much time in one place with the same people, and it's also easy to forget about the world around us. In my time I've met some incredibly unique people who've fought to change the world for the better, and it's those people who've given me the confidence to face the world head on. And I'm proud to have them in my life to this day as they helped me to focus my future to be a better person, and to help shape that future to make it better for everyone else."

Connor was beginning to tear up at his son's words, as was Hank. As he grabbed onto Evelyn's hand Connor felt his wife press up against his side as she pulled a tissue from her purse to use to dry her already teary eyes.

"And I stand here on behalf of my fellow classmates to say to those who have joined us here on this day to say, thank you. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for encouraging us, thank you for supporting us and thank you for changing the world for the better so that we now have the chance to change the world to become its absolute best. It's an honor to stand here before you and tell you with true sincerity from my heart that we're all going to be okay."

A thunderous round of applause as well as a few sniffles from the more emotional parents filled the air while Connor wiped away a tear from his own eye. "You're welcome, son."

The principal resumed her place behind the podium and began announcing the graduating class one student as a time to receive their diplomas. With the name 'Anderson' giving him a lead on the ceremony Henry was the third member of his class to receive his diploma and shake the principal's hand. The moment it happened Connor felt a mixture of pride and sadness in his heart as it was made official.

Henry was a high school graduate.

Connor was in a daze until the valedictorian and the principal brought the ceremony to a close and announced the graduating class with utter support, and pride. Everything was happening so fast and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

As the graduating students turned their tassels on their caps the principal gave the final word. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the class of 2058."

The dozens of graduation caps were thrown into the air with a raucous cheer from the students and as a result the caps rained back down over the attending crowd.

Unable to move Connor just watched with pride as Henry smiled and spoke with his friends and cousin up on the stage and proceeded to rejoin his classmates as they exited the auditorium for more photographs outside the school. Slow to get up from his seat Connor found Henry's cap in the pile of hats on the floor and picked it up and held it in his hands.

"You'll be the one to help change this world to its absolute best, Henry." The always proud father whispered to himself. "I know it. I can_ feel_ it."

* * *

After everything was said and done Connor returned to the back deck the house to sit down and think about what Henry said during his speech. Change can be painful, but it can also be wonderful. Losing Skye was a horrible change that scarred his heart forever, but reuniting with Evelyn, the birth of Henry and Melody's adoption were all a wonderful change that allowed his heart to finally heal despite the painful scar. Henry was also right in that he couldn't stay in one place forever. He'd have to experience the world in order to understand it, as would Connor.

It was time for everyone to begin moving on with their lives.

"Dad?" Henry walked over to the back deck with his graduation gown draped casually over his shoulder. He was still wearing his dress shirt, black pants and black tie making him look very mature and all the more grown up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, son." Connor flashed him a bright grin from where he sat. "I'm just thinking."

"Me too. Think I could join you?"

"Of course. Where is everyone?"

"Papa and Uncle Lucas are discussing baseball, and mom is with Melody helping her destroy everything that Jeff ever gave her."

Connor just laughed a little and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm not surprised." As Henry sat beside him Connor gave his son a confident grin. "So, how does it feel to be a graduate?"

"Pretty strange, actually. I spent twelve years of my life studying just to get a fancy piece of paper and a party."

"Yeah, but that paper is going to open up so many doors of opportunity for you."

"Fortunately I'm already dead set on a career in forensic science. As long as the paper can open up that particular door for me, I'll be content."

"I just can't believe you'll be living in a dorm forty-three point five miles away from me in just over one year."

"Hey, I'm going to college. I'm not running away from home, dad."

"I know that, it's just... I still vividly remember the day you were born and holding you in my arms for the first time."

"Well, you're an android. You _should_ remember that."

Connor playfully shoved Henry's left shoulder with his right palm. "I also remember you screaming your head off when you were three years old because I wouldn't let you eat a rock you found in the backyard."

"Maybe that rock tasted real good," Henry sharply replied with a smirk. "did you even bother to taste it?"

"No, I threw it over the fence and made sure there were no other rocks in the backyard. Although I imagine tasting the rock would've been a preferable alternative to a toddler screaming at me for not letting him accidentally _choke_ on a rock."

"I think if you used the word 'intentionally' instead of 'accidentally' it would've been a lot worse."

"That's not all I remember about you." Connor smirked again as he stared at his son and compared how much Henry had changed since he was a newborn baby to the young adult he had become. "Like the infamous 'bubble-bath incident' when you were four."

"I swear I didn't dump the whole bottle in the tub on purpose!" Henry laughed while trying and failing to not look guilty or amused by the memory.

"I know you didn't. It was your Papa."

"Wait... How do you know that?"

"Because he was the one who _bought_ the bubble-bath, and he's the one who insisted that I let you play with it, and your mom couldn't keep a straight face."

"...Really?" Henry was starting to laugh a little harder but hid it behind his right hand. "Are you sure?"

"Henry, he was laughing the whole time I was cleaning up the mess. I know he's the one who did it when my back was turned."

"Oh. Sorry. I guess."

"It didn't help that Simon and Josh decided to send more bubble-bath to the house when Markus told them the story."

"That was a fun summer though."

"For you, not for me." Connor just gave his son an amused grin and patted his shoulder. "Nothing will ever top the first summer we had with Melody. The family was finally complete and everything just felt right."

"And everything will stay right even while I'm college. Again, I'll come back home to you and mom in a few months, I promise."

Moving his hand to the back of his son's shoulders Connor pulled him in for a hug and fought against his welling up emotions. "Henry, I know you've been hearing this all day long, but I need to say it again. I'm so very proud of you."

"...Thanks, dad."

"And as much as I'm dreading the day you leave for college I'm also looking forward to seeing you continue to grow and become a better person. But if you ever need to come back home, for whatever reason, or need me to go to you, I'll be there."

"I know, dad. You were always there for me."

Wrapping his arm around Henry's shoulders a little tighter Connor gave him a half hug and smiled. "Come on, we better go see how much carnage your sister unleashed on her ex's stuff, and make sure everyone remembered to plan for your open house this weekend."

"Yeah, because_ I'm_ not paying for it!"

"Damn right. It's your party and you earned it."

* * *

The Friday of the open house came at last and the property was filled with guests gathered around the deck and the pool. Connor was standing in front of the giant display of photographs of Henry showcasing the young man as he grew up, and of course the photo of his son taken on the day of his graduation. Photos of Henry growing up, his experiences with holidays, playing basketball, fishing with Hank, bonding with Melody, hanging out with Evelyn, spending time out at the cabin, the school plays, working on the car, spending time with his friends, his prom and dozens of discreetly snapped photos of Henry with everyone in the family as they played games or just spoke lined the entire display in a colorful array of love and compassion.

Time really was a cruel illusion.

Markus had helped with the display and even brought the massive wooden easel to put the photographs on for the display from Carl's art studio. Below the photos was a long table holding Henry's many awards from his time as a student and athlete, as well as a basketball and his old stuffed dog that Hank had given to him as a baby. Above the basketball was a photo of Henry in his jersey with his name and nickname; "Henry 'Hank-the-Tank' Anderson" was printed over the photo. Next to it was Henry's acceptance letter to U of M as well as his scholarship details, and newly acquired diploma.

"The photos turned out great." The deviant leader had spotted Connor by the display on the deck and readily joined him. "Good thing you started having physical copies of these memories printed out years ago. That saved us a lot of time."

"...Yeah. Time is precious."

"You okay, Connor?" Markus stood beside his friend and could see that he was emotional about the entire the situation.

"Yeah. It's just a strange feeling to know he'll be living on his own in three months."

"I still can't believe it's been eighteen years since he was born."

"Neither can I."

"Then again, it's already been twenty years since North and I were bonded, so, I guess I shouldn't be THAT surprised about how time really does move so quickly against our will. Our twins are seventeen years old, and next year I'll be going through the same thing."

"Yeah. And it's been five years since Hank retired."

"How's Hank doing? I didn't get a chance to talk to him after the graduation ceremony, and I haven't see him here at the party yet."

Connor gave Markus a somber glance that spoke volumes on its own. "...He could be better."

"Oh, no." One of the few people who knew of Hank's waning health was Markus himself, and he knew by Connor's tone that the retired detective's health still wasn't great. "Connor, is there anything I can do?"

"Just keep acting normal. Hank doesn't want Henry or Melody to know, and frankly, I'm glad."

"They're all that close, huh?"

"Yeah. It's going to break their hearts, but Hank doesn't want either of them to know. He wants to stay as active and a part of Henry and Melody's lives as much as possible, not be seen as a frail sickly man."

"I get that. Trust me." Markus lowered his voice and kept his body language casual as he stayed at Connor's side. "Can I ask what's wrong?"

"Liver cancer. He had been diagnosed last year, he had successfully undergone treatment and had been in remission for two months But it's already back and now stage two. Once Henry is moved into his dorm in three months Hank's going to undergo a more aggressive treatment. But it doesn't look good."

"And a man of his age and history can't qualify for a transplant, right?"

"That's right. And CyberLife didn't patent an artificial liver since the organ is regenerative in humans."

"Shit, I'm so sorry."

"As am I." Connor decided a change of subject was sorely needed and tried to focus on his friends for the moment. "...Where's North and the others?"

"North still isn't a fan of big gatherings and is spending time with the twins before they too start looking at colleges, but she did give me a card to give to Henry. She also included a letter to make it more personal. Josh and Simon will be here later after they pick up Natalie."

"Natalie." As his brow knit together with confusion Connor looked to his friend for clarification. "Who is Natalie?"

Markus started grinning sheepishly as he was more than happy to answer the question. "Natalie is their _daughter_."

"What?" Connor's eyes lit up with excitement on his friends' behalf as his mood lifted considerably. "They... adopted?"

"Yeah, they filed for adoption and FINALLY got approved. Natalie was born last week and they just needed to finish a few more pieces of paperwork, and now they're free and clear to have their _daughter_ with them."

"That's incredible." The young father was truly happy to hear the good news for his friends. "Why didn't they say anything sooner?"

"Because they weren't sure if they'd get approved, or when. It just so happens everything fell into place on this day."

"That's fantastic! I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Henry walked up to Connor with his best friend Jason at his side and asked about Hank. "Hey, I haven't seen Papa anywhere, and neither had mom. Do you know where he is?"

"Lucas said he wasn't feeling well last night. He'll be out soon, though."

"Should I do anything to help out?"

"No, it's fine Henry. Enjoy your party, and I'll go check on him for you."

"Cool. Hey, Markus!" Henry acknowledged the deviant leader before he and Jason took off to rejoin the crowd of his friends and did an impressive cannonball into the pool causing water to splash all over the sides.

"Hey." As Henry got out of hearing range Markus addressed Connor again. "Want me to go with you?"

"No, I can do this. Just keep this between us and remain as natural as possible for Henry and Melody's sakes."

"Yeah, you got it."

With his held head high Connor made his way inside the house through the backdoor and saw Hank standing in the kitchen leaning heavily against his cane as he looked absolutely exhausted. Lucas was standing beside him helping him sort through his medication on the kitchen counter, Chloe was able to discreetly get Hank his medication so no one noticed his sickness, while also keeping tabs on his father's condition. Offering Hank a glass of water from the sink Lucas watched as the sick retired detective took his required medication and did so with an annoyed grimace on his face the entire time.

"How're you holding up, dad?" Connor asked as he put his right hand to Hank's right shoulder. "You seem a little weak."

"I've been better, but I'm still here."

"Need anything?"

"I'll be okay. I just need a little more time to get around these mornings, but I'm still me."

"Are you in pain?"

"No." Fussing with the top buttons of his zebra striped shirt, the very one he swore he'd wear that day, he smoothed out the front and gave his son a simple nod of the head. "Stop worrying about me and go celebrate with your son."

"I will once he gets to see you. He was asking where you were."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you weren't feeling well last night and that Lucas was taking care of you."

"Well, you're not wrong." Downing the final few various pills with a gulp of water Hank shook his head and sighed. "It's ironic. Pills are supposed to rot your liver, but _these_ pills are going to help sustain it."

"Irony is rather prevalent in this family. You used to hate androids with a passion, now you're one of the biggest android advocates in the country."

"Yeah, and you used to be a cold heartless machine, now you're one of the warmest most empathetic people I've ever met. And Lucas" Hank turned and put his left hand on other son's right shoulder. "you were once a threat to us, and now you're a part of the family and it feels like you always have been."

"I don't think that's irony," Lucas smirked as he put his left hand on Hank's supporting arm. "but I understand what you're saying."

Connor patted his hand on Hank's upper back and held open the backdoor for him. "C'mon, Henry's waiting for us."

The backyard was filled with positive energy and almost fifty people as Henry's friends and relatives filled the the area. Gavin, Abby, Aria, Chris, Tina and Joel all showed up to wish Henry the best of luck, give him cards and money, and to visit with the entire family. Josh and Simon arrived soon after with Natalie to introduce her to the group, give Henry a strong handshake as well as a card, then politely excused themselves to take Natalie to her new home to get settled in after a few hours passed. Markus stayed the entire day and helped keep charge of things while Henry's friends, including Aria, stayed in the backyard all day and crashed outside around a small bonfire as the day gave way to night.

Evelyn and Melody had been able to keep their emotions in check as they didn't want to bring down the positive vibe of the moment with their reluctance to see Henry off, and were now busy helping Chloe and Maddy get ready for Maddy's open house in two days as a means of remaining distracting.

"Hey. You do know that Henry is a great kid, little brother." Lucas stated firmly as he tried to make his brother feel better about Henry leaving home in a few months. "Don't worry about him, he'll be just fine on his own."

"I can't do that, Lucas. He's still my son. My little boy."

"I know how you feel. Maddy is no longer a baby, but she'll always be my little girl."

Turning to face his little brother Connor smiled warmly at the thought of his niece being as grown-up and mature as Henry. "Did you bring in all the cards from the display?"

"Yeah." Motioning to the stack of cards piled up in the middle of the kitchen table Lucas confirmed that everything had been taken care of. "And I packed up the extra food."

"Thank you. Where is dad right now?"

"Right here." Using his cane Hank made his way into the kitchen and joined his two sons by the kitchen window where Connor had been watching Henry, Aria and all his other friends hanging out near the bonfire. Despite his failing health Hank never once complained about it or showed any sign of slowing down once he was on his feet. "Sorry, I had to take a shower. I held Natalie for a few minutes and she spit up on my shirt about nine hours ago."

"Maybe Henry's right, that shirt must be ugly."

"Ha, ha." Hank never got tired of Connor's sarcasm and appreciated his wit. "Since Natalie's a cute kid she gets a pass. But you are all out of free passes."

Connor appreciatively grinned at the comment and kept the mood upbeat. "I'll warn Evelyn and Melody so they can sass you when I can't."

"Smartass." Nodding at the kitchen table where all of the cards had been collected Hank gave the pile an approving glance. "Looks like Henry got a good haul."

"Yes, but there is one envelope that I'm curious about."

"Which one is that?"

Connor sifted through the pile of cards and picked up a far more elegantly designed envelope and held up for Hank to see. "It's from Kamski."

"Kamski? I haven't seen that smug bastard in almost twelve years. What does he want?"

"I don't know." Connor held the card up in front of the light shining down the ceiling but he couldn't see though the paper to the contents within. "That's why I'm curious."

"Think it's a_ bill_?" Hank asked with a coy smirk on his face.

"If it is, I'm NOT paying it." Putting the envelope back in the pile Connor sighed and resumed looking out the kitchen window at the group of young graduates sleeping around the warm bonfire in sleeping bags outside. "Whatever it is it's Henry's business. He can handle it."

Hank knew that Connor was feeling riled up and protective, and decided to put an end to it. "So, tomorrow's Aria's open house, right?"

"That's right. Eleven in the morning until seven."

"Should we bring anything?"

"Just Aria." Connor pointed to her as she slept amongst her friends around the steadily dying bonfire. "I think Henry's going to be driving his friends over tomorrow, so it won't be a problem for us. The day after we celebrate Maddy's open house."

"Good. Come on, boys. There's a game on television and it's been too damn long since we had the chance to watch one all together."

"Sounds good to me." Lucas followed after Hank while Connor slowly took his eyes from the window to join his father and little brother in the livingroom.

"...Yeah." Walking away from the window Connor turned off the light in the kitchen and made his way into the livingroom for the night to enjoy his family's company after such a hectic but wonderful day. "I'm right behind ya', dad."

* * *

_**Autumn of 2059:**_

It was move-in day for all of the new students at the University of Michigan. Connor and Henry had finished putting the final bolts in the wooden loft and had placed the mattress up onto the loft to finally finish getting Henry's dorm room all set up. The loft gave him and his roommate more space to share, and allowed Henry to tuck his desk under the loft with his laptop so he could work in semi privacy. A small dark blue couch was against the wall under the room's only window that was overlooking the campus grounds, and a small table with a television was set up before the couch. Henry's roommate had already dropped off his stuff and finished taking care of his side of the room giving Connor and Henry more room to work before the day was over.

To ensure the room didn't get too crowded Evelyn and Melody stayed home and said goodbye to Henry that morning before he took off for college with Connor and Hank.

"Did you bring your guitar?" Connor asked as he placed the sheets on the mattress for Henry, and watched as his son finished putting his clothes in his small closet next to the loft. To ensure no one asked a bunch of nosy questions Connor was donning his more aged aesthetic and appeared as any other parent helping their kid move into their dorm. "A guitar could help you de-stress after classes."

"No, I won't have time to play. Maybe I'll pack it up after I visit home in a couple weeks."

"It's a shame you didn't bring it this time. Music is very relaxing and it aids concentration."

"Good thing I can play music on my laptop then."

"Need anything else, son?" Connor helped Henry unpack the last of the boxes and place the rest his clothes in the closet. "You have all your textbooks, right?"

"Yeah, dad. I have everything I need."

"What about groceries?"

"I have some money saved up so I can keep food in the dorm. Mini-fridges aren't the best, but it's better than a cooler in the corner."

"Is the saved money from your open house?"

"That, and that one card from that Kamski guy gave me had a check for fifteen-thousand dollars. He said he 'owed' you for something and knew you wouldn't take his money yourself, so he made the check out to me on the condition that I use to pay off my education."

"Oh."

"It's okay, dad. I know that guy was kind of a creep and all that stuff despite what Aunt Chloe said, and I know you don't owe him anything. Any weird debt he thinks he has toward you is just him trying to cover up something he screwed up in the past. It's guilt money."

"I'm proud to here you say that, Henry. You're too smart to be fooled by someone like him."

"Yeah. Not going to lie though, the money was nice. Now I don't have to worry about paying for my tuition for a while."

"...Want some extra money just in case?"

"No, dad. I'm fine."

"Take it anyway." Connor reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet and handed another three one-hundred bills over to Henry. "Keep it as emergency money at least. Same with the debit card."

Henry just laughed as he accepted the money graciously and placed it in the top right drawer of his desk and locked it up. "I also have the extra phone charger you gave me, AND the medical insurance card."

Smiling at Henry's maturity Connor realized how far away his son was going to be from home, and how confident he already was. "It's a shame you can't keep the Camaro while you're studying."

"It'd just draw unwanted attention. There's a frat house two blocks away, and I don't feel like washing off dried up puke from the hood of my car every weekend."

"Good point."

"AND I don't want to pay for parking when I won't be driving that much anyway."

"Smart budgeting."

Glancing about his furnished dorm room curiously Henry sighed and asked one very important question of his own. "...Is Papa still in the car?"

"Yeah. He won't leave without saying goodbye, don't worry."

Henry looked worried anyway and his blue eyes were getting glassy.

"Henry," sensing his son's distress Connor wanted to know why Henry was getting upset. "what's wrong?"

"Dad... I know Papa's sick."

"...O-Oh."

"I'm not a child, I can handle the truth."

"We know you can, Henry. It's just he didn't want you to know so you wouldn't worry about him and focus on your education. And he didn't want you to see him as a sick man instead of your Papa."

"That's crazy! I'll never see him as anyone else, no matter _how_ sick he gets."

Now it was Connor's eyes that were welling up with tears. "...I think he'd like to know that."

"Then that's what I'll tell him."

"Okay." Wrapping his left arm around Henry's shoulder Connor escorted his son out of the dorm room and back outside to the campus grounds. "Let's go talk to him and tell him how much we care about him and respect him."

* * *

Resting his back as much as he could and enjoying the nice day Hank was standing outside the campus with his back leaning up against the side of the Corvette, and his cane clutched in his right hand. Observing all the families that were helping their kids move into the campus and all the bright-eyed students who were roaming the grounds and becoming acclimated to their new environment made him smirk. As the students scattered about aimlessly Hank caught sight of Connor and Henry coming back his way and smiled at the duo.

"Hey, you two. Finished already?"

"Yeah, his dorm is set." Connor confirmed as Henry slowly approached Hank and gave him a sad look.

The look immediately caught Hank's attention and he was on guard. "What's wrong, Henry? Homesick already?"

"...Papa." Standing before him Henry gave Hank a tight hug and held him in a warm embrace that seemed unbreakable. "Don't worry about me. Please, worry about yourself. Get better!"

Hank quickly reciprocated the hug, his left hand patting Henry's back as he could feel Henry trying to not cry as he hugged him. Looking over Henry's shoulder to Connor the young father silently mouthed: 'He knew you were sick. I didn't say anything.' And in an instant Hank tightened his hug and tried to reassure his upset grandson.

"Ah, Henry. Don't do that, I'll be fine. I've been taking care of this problem for months, and I'll begin a more aggressive treatment starting tomorrow. I'm not going down without a fight. I promise!"

"I wish you would've told me what was going on instead of me figuring it out..."

"Hey, come on. You knowing would've only made you worry, and worrying wouldn't have done anything to make me any better."

"No, but I want to know if there's anything wrong with you or dad! We're family."

Family.

The one word that always had a tendency to force the guard around Hank's heart down into nothingness.

"And we always will be." As Henry slowly released his hug Hank once again found himself wiping away his grandson's tears with his left thumb before he reached into his right pocket and pulled out a small gift to Henry. "Hey, come on. Don't worry about me, alright? And to make sure you aren't worrying and you're studying like you should be I'm going to call you every Friday night at seven o'clock, got it?"

"...Yeah, Papa. I got it."

"To ensure that you don't forget you'll keep this somewhere safe at all times, too." Placing the item down in Henry's right palm Hank gave him a playfully stern glance. "This is something I wanted to give you on your first Christmas, but you were too young to have it. So I kept it safe with me so I could give it to you on a very special day. Today is that day."

Henry looked down at the gift and saw that it was the gilded pocketwatch with his name engraved on it. Opening the watch Henry smiled as he saw a picture of himself and Hank sitting together at the lake at the cabin back when Henry was seven years old. Connor had taken the picture when Henry sat beside Hank to ask about his Uncle Cole, and the two finished watching the sunset together over the lake during one of their many summers at the cabin. "I remember that day..."

"And you_ keep_ remembering that day. It was a VERY good day."

"Just one of many."

"Henry," Hank slipped aside the photo and showed the inscription on the inside of the pocketwatch. "read the inscription."

Obediently Henry read the words and his voice became choked up in the process. "'_Time is fleeting, but memories last forever. Love Papa_'."

"And I mean it."

"I know you do."

"Come on, Henry." Hank was trying to keep Henry calm as he reassured him that everything would be okay even after he was long gone. "Why don't we go find something for lunch, huh? My treat. I'll tell you everything you want to know about what's going on."

"Yeah." Replacing the photo Henry closed the watch and hung it around his neck by the long chain, and tucked it down the front of his dark blue t-shirt to keep it out of sight. "I'd like that."

Connor was relieved to see that Hank managed to ease Henry's worry to some degree and rejoined his family at the car. "Pick the place, Henry. Anywhere in the city you want to go."

"No," wanting the day to end on a more positive note Henry relented on the offer and handed over to his grandfather instead. "Papa should pick. I'll be living here for at least four years, so I'll have plenty of time to check out every restaurant while you guys will only be here to visit every few months."

"Alright, but since I'm picking the place AND since I'm paying, no complaining!"

"When have I ever complained?" Henry joked as he sat in the backseat of the Corvette so Hank could have the front seat.

"Yeah, good point. Learn to complain more, damn it!"

Henry couldn't help but laugh at the strange joke as Connor sat down behind the steering wheel, turned over the engine and pulled the car away from the street in front of the campus. "Alright, I'll give my roommate a fair warning about your advice, Papa."

"Why? That's not any fun."

* * *

Going about the rest of the day in the painfully quiet house Melody stopped by her big brother's empty bedroom and stared at it with a surprisingly heavy heart. While she and Henry weren't exactly best friend or spent every day hanging out together, they were fairly close and had no problem with socializing and hanging out together at night when everyone else was asleep. Realizing she wouldn't have her big brother around to keep her company or make her laugh after having a rough day at school made Melody feel a little sad as she walked over to his bed and sat down on the foot of the bed heavily.

Glancing about the relatively empty room Melody sighed and stared at the posters still plastered over the four bedroom walls.

"It's only been a day and I already miss having that butt-face around."

"Aww..." Evelyn playfully teased her daughter as she noticed Melody sitting in Henry's room looking sad. "I'm sure Henry would flattered to know you miss seeing his butt-face, and I'm sure he misses seeing yours."

"Good thing we can 'face time' then."

"Wouldn't that be 'butt-face time'?"

"Your jokes are getting as bad as Papa's, mom."

"Still better than your dad's jokes."

"Well dad has an excuse." Staying on the bed as her mom joined her Melody gave her a cheeky smirk. "He's an emotionally stunted android who still struggles with sarcasm."

"That's just what he does to toy with you." Lightly brushed back her daughter's hair from her face Evelyn smiled at Melody as the high school sophomore came to terms with the family going through changes. "How was your first day at school without Henry there to back you up?"

"A little weird. I'm so used to having him always watching over me, and now that he's not there it feels like I forgot to bring my backpack to school, or something like that."

"You'll be fine. You know how to defend yourself and you're too clever to let anyone mess with you."

"You mean people like Jeff?"

"Is he trying to start something with you after you dumped his sorry ass?"

"No, but he keeps trying to talk to me when I've already told him to fu- _frick_ off."

"Honey, it's okay to swear. We do it all the time and I'm aware that teenagers swear around each other."

"Good to know."

"So, what do you do when Jeff tries to talk to you?"

"I ignore his pathetic ass like he's not even there. I don't talk to him, I don't look at him or even acknowledge his friends."

"And that's why he's trying to talk to you. Being ignored is a crushing blow to arrogant people who try to manipulate others."

"What do I do if he doesn't stop bugging me, or if he starts to get worse?"

"Defend yourself. Your dad and I already told the school about what he did and showed him the texts confirming it's not just 'teen angst' as so many school officials love to label serious issues so they can brush them off. So if he tries anything then you do what you have to do to make him stop, and if the school tries to give you grief about it when they failed to do anything to stop it, then your dad will remind them of the laws they would've broken by ignoring the bullying and harassment taking place."

"And if _that_ doesn't work?"

"Private school. Wearing a school uniform sucks, but you wouldn't have to worry about seeing that prick AND being in a private school looks great on a college transcript."

Looking away from her mother Melody let her voice drop a little as if ashamed. "...What if I don't want to go to college?"

"Then don't go."

"What?" Locking eyes with her mom again Melody looked totally shocked by the answer. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Melody, you're just barely sixteen years old, and you have so much of your life ahead of you." Continuing to comb through Melody's hair in an affectionate manner Evelyn reassured her daughter's worries. "If you don't want to go then you don't have to. Go explore the world and gain new experiences in life so you know exactly what it is you want to do with your future."

"But Henry's in college and all my friends are applying for scholarship already."

"So what? That's their decision and you're free to make your own. College doesn't have an age or time limit, so you can go to college if and when the time comes if you choose to do so."

"What if I can't figure out what I want to do with my life?"

"Then you keep living and growing from your own personal experiences until you do figure things out." Giving her daughter a kind and compassionate tone to listen to Evelyn let Melody know she'd be loved and supported no matter what. "Your father, before everything happened that made him who is he today, had originally been a paramedic. As an android he started working as a detective and decided that being a detective was more fulfilling than being a paramedic, so he made a permanent career change."

"Dad was a paramedic?"

"Technically he still is. He gets his license renewed whenever it expires, but he just prefers being a detective. Your Uncle Lucas," giving Melody another example Evelyn smiled kindly and stayed positive. "used to be a technician for taking care of androids. He changed careers to be a firefighter and has been happy ever since. Your Aunt Chloe had no programming with a career in mind at al, but as she had more personal experiences and growth she decided being a nurse was exactly what she wanted to do. So no pressure."

"Okay. Thanks, mom."

"Come on. Let's go downtown and check out the new cinema and see if it was worth the hype."

"Sure." Climbing off the bed alongside her mother Melody happily joined her mom for an afternoon together and having fun. "I could go for a good movie right about now."

* * *

As hard as it was Henry had no choice but to say goodbye to both his dad and grandfather after returning to the campus well into the evening and going back to his dorm room. A part of Henry was so worried that it'd be the last time he'd ever see Hank and he wasn't ready to say his goodbyes to him. As the dread of time and immortality hung heavily over his head Henry turned to give his family a wary glance as he stood in the middle of his dorm room that suddenly felt way too big for him.

"Maybe I can stop by the house next weekend, you know?" Henry suggested warmly to his departing family. "We can play some basketball or something."

"Of course." Connor sensed Henry's wariness and wanted to comfort him. "You're always welcome home whenever you want to come back. No matter why, when, or for how long."

Hank took a step forward without using his cane and gave Henry another strong hug. "Hey, you study and you win your games. Or I'll come back here and kick your butt!"

"I'd like to see you try with that ugly cane in your hand!"

Laughing lightly Hank patted Henry's back again and rubbed his hand over the back of Henry's hair. "I'll call you this Friday at seven, you better answer your phone. Got it?"

"...Got it. I promise."

Connor stepped in to hug Henry and held tightly onto his son and had to fight the urge to never let go. "Everything will be okay, Henry. When you stop by to visit us in a few weeks we'll head out to the cabin and have another family weekend, alright?"

"Yeah. Sounds great!"

Slowly, reluctantly and with a heavy heart Connor broke the hug and gave Henry a hesitant glance. "Remember, if you need anything for any reason just call."

"I will."

"When will your roommate be back?"

"Soon. The campus will go on lockdown in an hour, so he kinda' has to be back soon or else he'll be stuck sleeping outside."

"Of course. Will you be okay alone until then?"

"Yeah. It'll be weird but I can handle it."

"We know that. You can handle anything."

A campus security officer who was patrolling the dorms and informing visiting family and friends of the curfew begrudgingly informed Connor and Hank that they'd have to leave soon, too. It was the worst part of his job, but it was painfully necessary. "Lockdown in forty-five minutes. Sorry, only students are permitted to stay overnight."

"We'll see you soon, Henry." Connor stated confidently as he accepted the fact that he'd have to leave his son behind. "I love you."

"I love you too, dad." Henry looked over to Hank and smiled. "I love you, Papa."

"I love ya', Henry." Hank reached out his hand and shook Henry's right hand firmly. "Remember what I said."

"About kicking my butt?"

"Smartass. _Friday_ at _seven_."

"I'll be waiting with my phone in my hand, Papa. I promise!"

* * *

It was a long slow walk away from the dorm and out to the campus parking lot.

Feeling like he was forgetting something very important, his son, Connor walked out of the dorm with Hank right at his side. Walking slowly to accommodate Hank's health as they made their way back to the Corvette in the parking lot Connor glanced back at the building as if he could somehow see Henry still, but of course Henry's window overlooked the campus and not the parking lot. There were no other cars around which made the entire campus feel eerily empty and the moment all the more sad.

"Hey, are you going to be okay, Connor?"

"...Yeah." Opening up the passenger side door of the car for Hank first to ensure the sick man could move about easier Connor walked around to the other side and opened his own driver's side door. "The house is just going to feel so empty without having Henry around. I know I have Evelyn and Melody and you still in my life, but still... I can already feel the hollowness from here."

"And that is called the much dreaded 'empty-nest syndrome'. It's the bane of all parents when it comes to their kids but it gets easier over time." Hank sat down slowly in the passenger seat and put his cane in the backseat behind him. Moving slowly for the sake of his back Hank did his best to appear as strong and confident as ever. "Just for the hell of it want to stay up and watch a bunch of old movies tonight?"

"...Yeah. I think I do. I could really use the company and excess sound." As Connor sat down in his own seat and wiped away more tears from his soulful brown eyes he let his 'aged' aesthetic fade away slowly. As he looked like his usual self Connor suddenly looked more like a sad kid than a proud father. "It's strange because I just said goodbye, and yet I already miss him so much."

"Son, come here." Hank wrapped his left arm around Connor and pulled his son up against his side for a much needed hug. Connor didn't resist and let Hank hug him as tight as possible as they sat in the car and looked up at Henry's campus. "You did great with Henry. He's one hell of a great kid, he's intelligent, kind, funny, empathetic and he's going to help shape this mess of a world into something recognizable._ Be proud_, not sad."

"...I've always have been proud of him, dad. And I always will be. My son is an incredible person, and I could possibly be prouder of him."

"The feeling's mutual." Smiling with utter pride of his own Hank hugged his son even tighter as he thought about all their good years together. "It really is."

"Thanks, dad."

"Let's go on home, son." Wiping away his own tears Hank cleared his throat and sighed deeply at the thought of going back to Detroit with Henry with them. Like Connor he already deeply missed his grandson, and he couldn't wait to see him again. "It's going to be a very _long_ and very quiet night without Henry, but Evelyn and Melody are still there waiting for us to come back."

* * *

_**Spring of 2060:**_

With Henry still away at college and her time in high school creeping to a close against her will Melody drove back home in her car, a restored 1992 Mazda Miata that Hank had begrudgingly painted green as Connor and Melody had both talked him into finally applying the color to a vehicle, and pulled the shiny vehicle into the garage to keep it safe from the elements. Opening up the side door connecting the garage to the rest of the house Melody dropped her backpack on the floor by the kitchen table and called out for anyone in the house.

"Hello? Mom, dad, Papa?" The house was quiet and Melody sighed as she remembered that her parents were at work that day. "Great, it's just me and Papa for the evening. It's too quiet with just two people in the house."

Walking into the livingroom Melody glanced about but didn't see Hank anywhere, and something told her to find her grandfather fast.

"Papa?"

Checking Hank's bedroom down the corridor and the bathroom yielded no results. She had just been inside the garage, laundry room and the kitchen so she knew he wasn't there. Knowing he wouldn't go upstairs now that his back was really hurting him as of late Melody decided to check the backdoor and all but screamed when she saw someone's legs splayed out over the deck through the glass sliding door.

"Papa?!"

Pulling open the backdoor so hard she practically broke it from its frame Melody fell to her knees beside Hank and shook his shoulders heavily as she called his name. Hank had collapsed face first onto the deck and had a small smear of blood around his right temple where he struck the hard surface after falling.

"Papa! Wake up!" With her shaking hand Melody pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and called Connor at the precinct. As soon as the line was picked up Melody shouted into the phone for her dad's help. "Dad! Something's wrong with Papa!"

'_What_?' Alert and yet calm Connor responded to his daughter over the phone and fell back onto his emergency training to keep himself composed on his worried daughter's behalf. '_What's wrong with him, Melody_?'

"He's unconscious and won't get up!"

'_Does he have a pulse_?'

"I don't know!"

'_Press your fingertips to the side of his neck and count to three_.'

"Okay, okay..." Doing as she was instructed Melody took in a deep calming breath and pressed her left fingertips to the left side of Hank's neck and waited until three seconds passed. "No! He doesn't have a pulse!"

'_Listen to me very carefully, Melody_.' As he gave his daughter directions over the phone Connor cybernetically called 911 and told them where to go and what the emergency was at the home so Melody could focus solely on Hank. '_You need to perform C.P.R. on his Hank until the paramedics arrive_.'

"I've never done that before, dad."

'_I know_. _That's why I'm going to guide you_. _Remember when your mom and I taught you C.P.R. when you were twelve_?' Coaching his daughter to keep in control over the situation Connor urged Melody to act quickly. '_Make sure he's laying flat on his back, tilt his head back slightly to ensure his airway isn't obstructed_.'

"...Okay, yeah." Putting her phone down on the deck Melody put it on speaker mode and used both hands to grab onto Hank's shoulders so she could roll him from his chest onto his side, and finally onto his back. Putting her left hand beneath Hank's neck Melody lifted his up just enough to tilt his head back and used her right hand to lower his jaw a little. "Done!"

'_Now, place your right hand over your left hand and interlace your fingers together into a single fist_.'

"Right, right... I remember this part."

Falling into a natural and instinctive rhythm Melody squared her shoulders as she placed the heel of her palm over the center of Hank's chest, his faded gray t-shirt providing no resistance whatsoever, and began to compress Hank's chest as much as she possibly could. Melody wasn't the strongest person in the family but she wasn't by any means weak.

'_That's it, Melody_.' Connor could hear what was going on and knew that Melody was performing proper compressions on Hank's chest. '_Count to ten compressions and then check for breathing_.'

Responding quickly Melody reached ten and then bent her ear down close to Hank's nose and mouth.

"Not breathing." Without waiting to be promptly Melody took in a deep breath and gave Hank two rescue breaths before resuming compressions. "Where are the paramedics?!"

'_Close, they're less than two minutes away_.'

"He has a head injury." Melody confirmed as she repeated the process of checking for breaths before breathing on Hank's behalf. "I don't know why he's like this, dad."

'_It's fine, we'll figure it out later_.'

The sound of sirens racing toward the house stole Melody's attention for just a moment. "The front door is still locked."

'_Go unlock the door and leave it open for the paramedics_.'

Sprinting from the back door to the front door Melody unlocked the door, threw it open and then sprinted back to Hank to resume chest compressions and check for breathing. Barely thirty seconds passed before the paramedics walked through the front door and honed in on Melody delivering chest compressions to Hank, who was still in cardiac arrest.

'_Step back, Melody_. _Let the paramedics take over_.'

Snatching her phone from the deck Melody stepped into the kitchen and watched the paramedics cutting open Hank's t-shirt to expose his chest and hook him up to a cardiac monitor as they resumed chest compressions, and put an ambubag over his nose and mouth to force him to breathe. "Dad, what do I do now?"

'_Go in the ambulance to the hospital_. _I'm heading out there now and I'm going to get your mom on the way_.'

"What about Henry?"

'_Don't tell him what's going on_. _I'll call him after we know what happened so he doesn't worry, okay_?'

"...Okay."

'_Melody_.'

"...Yeah?"

'_You did really good today, sweetheart_. _Are you going to be okay_?'

Turning to look over her shoulder as the paramedics wheeled a gurney over to the deck and placed Hank down atop of it Melody closed her eyes and wrapped her left arm around herself in a light hug as she held her phone to her right ear. "...No."

'_Go with your grandfather to the hospital, and once you're there I'll find you and give you a hug_. _Okay_?'

"Yeah, okay. I'll do that, dad."

'_Good_. _ It'll just be a few minutes, Melody_. _You'll be okay_.'

Watching as Hank was wheeled through the backdoor and back toward the front door through the kitchen and livingroom Melody let a frightened tear roll down her face as she followed her grandfather to the ambulance parked out in front of the house. "Yeah. And Papa will be okay, too."

* * *

The quiet of the hospital waiting room was disrupted only by the sound of soft footsteps as a young doctor, Dr. Renee Kovan, approached the three occupants of the waiting area at a steady gait. Connor sat upright in the chair with perfect posture, a coin dancing gracefully over the knuckles on his left hand silently, and his usual work suit was immaculately pressed to perfection. He had his right arm wrapped around Melody's shoulders as he she leaned against his side, and Evelyn was sitting on the other side of her holding her left hand. It had been an uneventful evening in the hospital save for the emergency call that had arrived just after four that evening.

It was a close call but the patient had pulled through.

"Mr. Anderson?" The doctor called out softly as she stood beside the chair with Hank's electronic clipboard pressed to her chest. "I'm Dr. Kovan."

"Connor. Please, call me Connor." Standing up quickly the coin disappeared into his left front pocket as Connor extended his shaking right hand for the doctor to shake. "How he is? Please, tell me everything. I can take it."

"Very well." Shaking Connor's hand Dr. Kovan spoke to him respectfully and truthfully. "Your father has suffered a massive heart attack."

Connor's posture visibly slumped at the somber news. Though it was expected it still had a heavy weight over his mind and inside of his heart. Melody paled at the confirmation and Evelyn tightened her hold over her daughter's hand in response.

"He survived the ordeal, but he's still a very sick man." Dr. Kovan explained calmly as she remained honest with the worried detective, his wife and his daughter as they took the news with a heavy heart. "The drugs being used to treat his liver cancer may have been the cause of the heart attack, but we'll run some tests to make sure before providing any additional treatment."

Melody's eyes went wide as she turned to give her mom a confused look. "...Cancer?"

Responding quickly Evelyn wrapped her arms around Melody and gave her a hug. "Your Papa has been pretty sick, Melody. He didn't want you or Henry to know about it."

Staying in control Connor spoke to Dr. Kovan in a level voice. "I... understand." The deviant swallowed nervously as he studied the doctor's demeanor carefully. He was worried; almost on the verge of tears. "Can... Can I see him? Please?"

"Yes. He's asked to see you already." She smiled at Connor warily as she motioned with her left arm for him to follow after her down the corridor to where Hank was resting. "He's very weak, but he should still be lucid."

"...Thank you. Evelyn, Melody," turning to face his family before following the doctor to see Hank the emotionally exhausted deviant fought to remain composure as he spoke to them. "I'll see him alone, and when he's strong enough you two can come in, too."

Nodding Evelyn continued to hug Melody and gave her daughter a kiss on her hair. "We'll be waiting."

Connor followed Dr. Kovan to the intensive care unit where Hank had been admitted after his arrival and was unsure of what to expect. The room was dimly lit and the single patient inside the room was dozing lightly and propped upward in the bed as a cardiac monitor silently recorded his weak slow heartbeat, while monitoring his blood pressure, oxygen saturation and body temperature. An I.V. administrating pain relieving and cardiac stabilizing medication ran into the back of his pale left hand as well. A nasal canula was under the Hank's nose to give him additional oxygen to ease his breathing while he rested as much as possible from his heart attack.

A few stray shortly gray locks hair clung to Hank's sweaty forehead as he dozed somewhat peacefully in the bed. The aging skin around Hank's blue eyes and mouth was much more prominent as his illness took his toll over his body. The paleness of his face and the dark bags under his eyes made him look sicker than Connor thought was possible considering Hank was always so very strong.

"You can stay as long as you like." Dr. Kovan offered kindly in a whisper as she showed Connor into the room. "Talk to him."

Approaching the bed quietly, keeping every step deliberate and light, Connor stood at the bedside and gently lifted the sick man's cool, limp right hand up from atop the white bed and held it tightly in his own.

"...Connor." Hank's blue eyes opened partially and even in the dim lighting he recognized Connor immediately. Giving his son a reassuring smile Hank tried to return the tight grip around his hand but he didn't have the strength. "You look good, son. _Lieutenant_ Connor Anderson: Youngest police Lieutenant in Detroit history... I didn't say it back then, but I'm proud you're the one who broke my record."

"Hi, Hank. I haven't been a Lieutenant in almost nine years. _Captain_ on the other hand, that's still going strong."

"And you haven't called me 'Hank' for quite some time, either."

"Sorry... I guess I still see you as that hard-boiled detective with a gruff exterior hiding a massive heart of gold."

"You always were a sweet-talker, kid."

"I learned it from you." Connor sat down on the edge of the bed and held onto Hank's hand as he spoke. It took everything in him to not cry as he ran a scan over Hank's body and noted the human's incredibly weak vital signs and the severity of the cancerous tumor spreading over his liver, lungs and pancreas with every passing second. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

Hank reached up his left hand just enough to point to the blank spot in Connor's right temple. "You know, even after all this time I still look for that damn light. It used to give away what you were really thinking without me having to guess or pressure you to talk to me."

Reflexively Connor brushed his left hand over his temple briefly before placing his hand atop Hank's hand still in his grasp. "I don't need it anymore. I know who and what I am. And it's all because of you."

"You know, if you were to tell me all those years ago that I would've outlived Jeffrey I would've called you crazy." Taking a slow deep breath he cleared his mind and his throat as he spoke. "...And if you were to tell me that I'd have an _android_ for a son I would've told you that you were out of your damn mind! But... here we are. As father and son."

"A family." Connor managed to weakly smile for only a second as he spoke with Hank, the two detectives speaking from the heart during those bleak morning hours. "Together."

"Together." An appreciative grin appeared on Hank's aged face as he looked at his son with utter admiration. "I take it you're the one who found me and called for help."

"Actually, it was Melody." Remaining calm Connor replied as casually as possible while he forced a grin of his own to his nervous face. "She came home from school and found you cardiac arrest on the back deck. She performed C.P.R. on you until the paramedics arrived, and saved your life."

"Melody saved me?" Despite his weakness his blue eyes lit up with genuine surprise and love for his granddaughter. "...She really is something special."

"I can honestly say that was the most frightened I've been in all my life, and I know Melody and Evelyn were just as scared."

"It's okay, son. I'm just old and it happens."

"I shouldn't have left you alone, dad. This wouldn't have-"

"Shut up, Connor. Whether you were there or not I still would've had that damn heart attack." Hank managed to give Connor a sincere broader smile as his aged blue eyes continued to shine with alertness. "I'm old, I'm sick... shit happens."

"The doctor thinks... your heart attack was the result of the medication currently being used to treat your cancer. She will run tests and find an alternative for you to take instead."

"Connor, I don't want to go through all that bullshit again."

"I'm sorry dad, but it's necessary. There are no other options."

"Actually, I do have one other option, son. And the doctors already know what I want."

"...What is it?"

Hank paused for moment just long enough to squeeze Connor's hand as much as he could possibly squeeze. "To stop the treatment altogether."

"...But your have stage four liver cancer." Connor shook his head a little with naive confusion at the answer. "Without the treatment you'll just get sicker."

"I know, son. I know. I've thought all about it and my mind it make up."

"...Dad, I don't understand." The deviant's soulful brown eyes went wide and glazed over with absolute sorrow. "Why are you giving up?"

"Connor." Hank wrapped his other hand around Connor's hand and held on as tightly as he could. "I'm ready, son. I'm ready to die."

Completely stunned by the admission Connor stared at Hank with a mixture of deep emotions swirling in his soulful brown eyes. "Dad..."

"I'm old, son." The certainty in Hank's voice was a deep contrast to his otherwise weak, fragile appearance. "I'm old, I'm sick, I'm tired and I'm ready."

"But with the treatment-"

"Two years, kid. And that's the _best case_ scenario." Letting out a shuddering breath of pain Hank steadied himself as he spoke and reaffirmed that he was okay with his decision. "Connor, I'm already dead. My heart just doesn't know that it's time to stop beating. I guess it's as stubborn as your own heart."

Connor was silent as he stayed beside Hank while holding his hand tightly, and never tearing his eyes away.

"I'm seventy-four years old and that's twenty-three years more than I ever would've imagined for myself; that is until_ you_ showed up." Patting Connor's knuckles affectionately Hank held onto his son's hand with as much strength as he could muster. "You already saved my life, Connor. You gave me a second chance at life, a family, an amazing daughter-in-law, one hell of a grandson and an equally amazing granddaughter that I couldn't possibly be prouder of. It's okay to let me go now."

"I don't _want_ to let you go, dad!" Unable to contain himself any longer Connor practically burst as massive tears welled up in his eyes. "_I need you_!"

"No you don't, not anymore. You're your own person; a good man with a big heart who chose to dedicate himself to protecting the people around him. You're a great big brother to Lucas, a great father with a great son of your own in Henry, a gorgeous wife and perfect daughter, and in time it'll be _your_ turn to be a 'Papa'." The pride in Hank's words was as sincere as it was palpable. "Promise me you'll _live_ your life and not merely go about existing in sorrow. You don't need me to guide you anymore. You even said so yourself that you know who, and what you are. There's no doubt that you know where you're going, too."

"I don't want to go alone."

"You won't be alone, son. I promise."

"Dad," Connor's pleading for Hank to somehow find the strength to keep living only proved that the android turned deviant in fact had a real heart; that he really was alive. "you, Evelyn, Melody, Henry and Lucas are all I have. You're my _father_. You're Lucas's father, your Henry, Melody and Maddy's grandfather. We all still need you."

"...No, you don't. You're okay and you're going to stay okay."

"What about Melody?"

"...She's strong like you and her mom. She'll be okay, too."

"She saved you life, dad. I know it sounds selfish and I hate myself for putting this on you; like it's a guilt trip and I don't want to do that to you, but Melody was scared out of her mind but she pulled herself together to give you C.P.R. and helped revive you. When she learns that you want to just... give up after what she did," dragging his left hand over his chin Connor tried to keep himself completely composed for as long as possible. "I don't know what that'll do to her confidence."

"Please don't do that."

"I'm sorry, but... Please consider it. Please," tightening his hand over Hank's hand Connor let out a weary sigh and fought to speak through his emotions. "I know it's a lot to ask for. I want you to give Melody those two years you can get back by continuing your treatment."

Managing a weak smirk despite everything he was going through Hank let a single tear roll down his face as he saw how much Connor wanted him to hold on, how much it meant to his family that he held on for just a little while longer. "...How about this?"

Staring at Hank's face with a hopeful gaze Connor waited for Hank to compromise.

"...I'll keep up with the treatment and do what it takes to see Melody graduate high school next year. But if I get sick again, if I go down and need to be hospitalized, then that'll be it. No more fighting, I throw in the towel and I got out with my dignity."

"Y-Yeah, okay." Grateful to hear the positive answer Connor let tears roll down his face as he held onto Hank's hand. "...Thank you, dad. I know it's a lot to ask for, but-"

"Son, it's alright. You don't have to justify your reasons. I... I hoped my own mom could've been able to fight her own cancer a while longer, too."

"We love you, dad."

"I know." Rubbing a tear away from his own eye Hank sighed and leaned back in his bed. "And I love all of you."

Moving gently Connor wrapped his arms around Hank without hurting him and just held him in the warm embrace. "...I promise you that you won't be in pain and every day you're still with us you'll know how much we truly love and respect you, dad."

"I don't need extra years to know that, Connor." Weakly he wrapped his arms around Connor's shoulders to reciprocate the hug as resigned himself into fighting back against his cancer for just a little while longer. "I feel the love every damn day."

* * *

As midnight rolled around the darkness of the night gave the hospital an unsettling and isolated feeling that left the entire family feeling exhausted, and like they were frozen in time. Watching as Melody held Hank's hand through the window of the private recovery room, the teenager softly singing to her ill grandfather as he slept through the worst of his pain as the new medication affected the way his body responded to the cancer while he recovered from the heart attack, Connor rolled his coin over the back of his left knuckles in deep contemplation. All the while Evelyn held tightly onto his right hand as she too watched their daughter through the glass.

Unable to hear Melody's song through the window all Connor could do was read her lips and scan Hank's vital signs from the distance. The new medication was beginning to affect the growth of Hank's cancer, but it was a very slow process. With Hank's cancer already so advanced the medication was only able to do so much to aid the retired detective's old and exhausted body as he healed.

"She's been singing to him for almost an hour." Connor whispered to his wife as they watched Melody holding onto Hank's hand as he slept. "Do you think she's going to be okay?"

"I think she will." Evelyn replied in a low voice as tears formed in her eyes. "Melody is so strong and she doesn't know it."

"...Hank said he-" Pausing for a moment Connor had to force himself to keep speaking and tell Evelyn the truth. "He was ready to give up and submit to his cancer. He's going to hang on and fight back long enough to see Melody graduate high school, and he's going to do whatever it takes to remain as strong as possible."

Turning her eyes away from the window with deep sorrow Evelyn sighed and tightened her hand around Connor's hand. "...I know. I can see that he's so tired and wants to just let it be over with. But he loves Henry and Melody so much..."

"He loves us _all_."

"Do you think he'll make it?"

"Yes. I know he'll make it." Pocketing his coin Connor turned and wrapped his left arm around Evelyn so he could hold her in a tight embrace and just be the emotional support his wife needed in that grim moment. "Hank gave me his word and he's always been a man of his word. He'll make it..."

* * *

_**Spring of 2061:**_

Standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom Melody finished preparing for her big day, and was ready to start the first day of the rest of her life after going through with her high school graduation ceremony. Wearing a dark purple dress that reached her knees and covered her arms while leaving her shoulders exposed Melody looked entirely grown-up, and was far from the helpless newborn baby that Evelyn had rescued that fateful summer day. Letting her long brown hair roll down her back Melody slipped on her black graduation gown over her dress and slipped on a pair of low black heels before she descended down the staircase to meet with her family.

Evelyn was waiting for her daughter in the livingroom and had her phone and a camera ready to take Melody's pictures in the same way she had done for Henry three years prior. Meanwhile Connor was in the kitchen helping Hank take his medication, and made sure his father was comfortable in the chosen outfit he had picked out on Hank's behalf.

Kneeling down beside Hank as he sat in the wheelchair, his body just too weak to walk anywhere under his own power anymore, Connor held out his right palm and watched as Hank took the medication from his grip to pop into his mouth. "How do you feel, dad?"

Downing the pills with a gulp of water Hank sighed and gave Connor an exhausted glance. "...Old as Hell."

"You're not _that_ old."

Appreciative of the good humored remark Hank sighed and fussed with the nasal canula under his nose a little. "...Still a smartass."

"Ready to see Melody graduate?" Gently he pulled Hank's fingers away from the canula and ran a scan over his body. "She's excited to have everyone home for the weekend."

"Yes and no, son."

"You mean you're proud of her success and are honored to have watched her grow up, but you still want to see her toddling her way around the house?"

"Bingo."

"Yeah. I felt the same way on Henry's graduation, and as of this moment it seems to have doubled."

"Is she ready to head out to the school?"

"Evelyn's taking her photo right now. Once Henry arrives we'll head out together as a family."

"Kind of hard for us all to fit in a single car these days." Patting his hands on the arm rests of his wheelchair Hank sighed and peered into the livingroom to watch Melody smiling proudly before her mother. Despite being adopted Hank swore he could see Connor's eyes and Evelyn's smile every time he looked at his granddaughter's face. "...She's so beautiful."

"And smart. She got accepted into her university."

"She did?" Returning his attention to Connor beside him Hank's blue eyes lit up with a whole new sense of pride. "She's going to go through with medical school?"

"Yeah. Next fall she begins her first year."

"I shouldn't be surprised, and yet... That's incredible. She was lost not that long ago, and now she has a path and a dream to follow."

"You do know you're the one who inspired her to be a doctor, right?"

"Please tell me it's not because of that stupid heart attack."

"It wasn't the heart attack, dad. It was the way you chose to fight back." Standing upright Connor stood behind the electric wheelchair and patted Hank's right shoulder twice under his right palm. "Seeing you fight back against your cancer inspired her to help other people fight back, too."

"...I'm honored." Using the wheelchair to his advantage Hank made his way into the livingroom and immediately caught Melody's eyes. "You look good, Melody. Beautiful as always."

Smiling at her grandfather Melody blush and acknowledged the compliment. "Thanks, Papa."

The front door opened up and Henry returned home at last. Wanting to be there to support his younger sister on her big day Henry took an autonomous cab back to Detroit from Ann Arbor, and was already dressed up and ready to go. "Hey!"

"Henry!" Melody quickly gave her brother a hug and stepped back as Evelyn and Connor did the same. Watching as Henry walked over to Hank to give him a hug as well Melody teased Henry as she could see he was a little tired from the long cab ride home. "Miss your car?"

"You have NO idea..."

"Speaking of cars," Hank interjected in a casual tone of voice as he grabbed onto Melody's right hand. "I'm going to ride in with Melody so you guys can follow in the Corvette or the Camaro. There's no way five grown-ass adults are fitting in one car."

Laughing at the suggestion Melody agreed and held onto her grandfather's hand as made his way toward the front door. "Sounds good to me."

Opening the front door Hank awkwardly positioned the wheelchair toward the small support ramp Connor had placed before the door, and made his way outside toward Melody's car parked in the side driveway. "Ready to go, Melody?"

"I'm ready, Papa." Standing in the doorway of the house Melody waved to her family to let them know she was leaving and joined Hank by her car as he opened up the passenger side door. "See you guys at the school!"

Managing to stand up long enough to sit down in the passenger seat Hank hid his sense of self disdain as he watched Melody pass him his oxygen tank before she folded up his wheelchair to put in the trunk for transportation. "It used to be me who put your booster seat in the trunk of the car... Now here you are taking care of me."

"Well, to be fair you're too big for a booster seat." Melody quipped as she sat down in the driver's seat of her car and turned over the engine. "Maybe you can sit on dad's shoulders during the ceremony."

Laughing at her wit Hank reached into his navy blue dress shirt's pocket and retrieved a small gift box he had kept hidden for all of Melody's life. "Before we go anywhere I want you to have this."

Looking at the small white box in her grandfather's left hand Melody gave him a shocked look. "You didn't have to get me anything, Papa."

"I know, but I wanted to. I've had this thing hidden in my nightstand since the day after your parents signed your adoption certificate. I was tempted to give it to you for your sweet sixteen, but I think this car was good enough of a birthday gift."

"I love this car, thank you for restoring it."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Accepting the box Melody opened it up and peered inside at the small gift awaiting her. It was a golden ovular shaped locket that had a long gold chain secured to the top. Opening up the small golden locket Melody's eyes lit up and then teared up as she saw a small photograph of herself as a newborn being held in Hank's arms.

"Papa... This is beautiful."

"Read the inscription."

Glancing to the left side of the locket she saw the words engraved in the side and the tears rolled down her face. "'_Time is fleeting, but memories last forever. - Love Papa_'."

"I had a pocket watch gifted to Henry with the same inscription, and I gave Maddy a locket before she went off to art school two years ago. I love you kids and I'm so damn proud to call you my own."

"We love you, too." Reaching out her arms Melody hugged her grandfather and let him take back the locket just long enough to open the clasp on the chain, and fasten it around her neck. The locket came to rest over the center of Melody's chest above her heart right where it belonged. "We'll always love you."

"Don't ever forget this." As Melody let up on the hug Hank leaned back and gently brushed her dark hair behind her left ear, and used his thumb to wipe away one of her tears. "Even when a person is gone they're never far away as long as you remember them."

"I'll remember, Papa." Putting her right hand over the locket above her heart Melody gave her grandfather a promise that she too was determined to keep in the same stubborn and relentless manner as her own father and grandfather. "This is something I'll never forget for as long as I live."

* * *

_**November 14th, 2061:**_

The rainy November morning was heavy with heartbreak and dread as Connor sat on the edge of Hank's bed in the retired detective's dark bedroom. The curtains were partially closed over the window, only a singly thin beam of natural light managed to shine into the dark room as a heavy rainstorm outside shrouded the city in gray darkness. The sound of Hank's labored breathing was accompanied by the pounding rain pattering against the glass window and siding under a thick deluge of nature, and with each struggling breath Hank took he became weaker and weaker.

Holding onto Hank's right hand Connor restrained his emotions as he watched portable cardiac monitor silently recording Hank's diminishing vital signs as the retired detective, the father and the grandfather neared the end of his time in the confusing and ever changing world. The coin danced over Connor's hand rhythmically as Connor's nervous tic took hold of his anxious thoughts.

"...Son?"

Turning to face the sound of hoarse and weakened gruff voice Connor gave Hank his full attention. "Yes, dad?"

"...Don't be sad."

"How can I not? You're... You're leaving us."

"...No, I'm not leaving anyone." Watching his son through his partially opened eyes Hank's blue irises began to dim and glaze over with utter exhaustion and undeniable weakness. "...I'm just going to see Cole and Barbara on the other side."

"I don't want you to go, dad." Tightening his hand around Hank's hand Connor held on like he could somehow keep Hank alive a little while longer. "None of us want you to go. We aren't ready to say goodbye!"

"...No one ever is."

"What do I tell Henry and Melody?"

"...Tell them the truth. Tell them I love them, I'm proud of them and that I'll be watching over them from afar."

"What about Evelyn, Lucas, Maddy and Chloe?"

"...Tell him the same."

"Why can't you say it yourself?"

"...Because I don't want my grandchildren and youngest son to have their final memory of me..." Struggling to speak as his his lost his strength, and his the oxygen be provided could only give him so much support, Hank remained alert and coherent during his final moments. "...to be a weak old man. ...I want to be remembered as 'dad' and 'Papa'."

"You will dad, you'll never be forgotten. No one could ever forget about someone like you." As tears rolled down his face Connor began to lose his fight to remain composed on his father's behalf. "...I know I'll never be able to forget."

"...Connor, you don't need me anymore."

"Yes, I do."

"...No. You're going to be just fine without me." Noting the coin on Connor's hand Hank sighed and mentioned the often annoying tic as well. "...You don't even need that coin anymore. You're strong, confident and you know what do with life."

Stopping the dance Connor put the coin away and sighed. "...I'll try to live on without you, dad. I really will. I promise."

Hank let out a touched laugh as he sluggishly lifted up his heavy left hand toward Connor he reached out to comfort his emotionally distraught son. "...Come here, son."

Restraining the urge to sob Connor leaned forward and let Hank wrap his left arm around him as the two hugged each other and let their mutual tears of pain flow freely from their hearts and into one another. Connor rested his head over Hank's chest and listened to the struggling beat of his old stubborn heart while Hank ran his left hand through Connor's hair lightly.

"...I love you, son." Smiling as much as he could Hank's eyes began to dull and drifted close as his strength ebbed away from hims steadily. "I really do."

"I love you, too, dad."

"I'm gonna' miss you. You, Evelyn, Henry, Melody, Lucas, Maddy and Chloe. I honestly do love you, son. I love all of you with all that this old heart can offer."

"We love you, too, dad." Feeling Hank's arm beginning to weaken around his shoulders Connor looked up and saw that Hank's eyes were closed and that he had slipped into unconsciousness. "...It's okay, dad. I'll be here for you for as long as you need me. I promise."

Crying softly Connor felt Evelyn's right hand press to his right shoulder as she finally entered Hank's bedroom to see her father-in-law in his final moments. Wrapping her arms around Connor's chest she pressed her right cheek to his shoulder as she too began to cry for the impending loss of Hank.

"It's okay, Connor." She soothed in a low voice as she stayed with her husband during the worst moment of his life. "...It's okay to let him go."

Remaining at his father's side all through the dwindling morning Connor listened to every slowing heartbeat as Hank became weaker and weaker with each passing hour. Once the retired detective's arm fell limply from around his shoulders Connor laid down on the bed next to Hank and held him in his arms in a comforting embrace as Evelyn held onto both of their hands. The young deviant's eyes were full of mournful tears as he watched Hank's chest rising and falling at a slower and almost undetectable rate.

The heartbeats became slower.

Wrapping his right fingers around Hank's limp left wrist Connor counted his father's dwindling pulse and held his own breath as the cardiac monitor displayed a flat lifeless line as Hank's heart had finally given out and finally stopped beating.

The silence from Hank's chest was deafening and eternal.

Unable to take the emotional turmoil Connor closed his soulful brown eyes as tears poured down his face and he clenched his teeth. He began to openly sob with indescribable pain as he listened to the nothingness that had been left in the wake of Hank's passing. Even his wife's loving presence wasn't enough to ease his relentless agony.

"...Goodbye, dad." Laying Hank back down on the bed Connor gently crossed the detective's strong calloused hands over his stilled chest and held his own hands atop of Hank's hands for a moment longer. "...I'll miss you forever. I'll never forget you."

The sun itself even seemed unable to break through the heaviness in the air as Connor alone wept over his dearly departed father in the silence of the Hank's own warm and comforting bedroom.

"...We'll see you again someday on the other side."

* * *

_**November 15th, 2061:**_

Utterly broken Connor sat on the back deck the house all through the previous night and well into the next morning after finally being coxed into leaving the bedroom by Evelyn and Lucas. Unable to sleep, unable to return to his own house and unwilling to do anything that would take his mind from the loss of Hank; his father, Connor himself was feeling incredibly lost and alone. Staring off into nothingness of the barely rising sun as he sat in quiet contemplation he was only vaguely aware of a presence joining him on the back deck.

"Hey, Connor." Markus spoke softly as he put his right hand to his friend's left shoulder lightly, and sat down beside him. "I... I wish I knew what I could say. What I could do to help."

Shaking his head Connor just let more tears flow down his face and land on the wooden boards of the deck beneath him. "It's okay, Markus. I don't know what to do, either."

"I know you're feeling lost, alone, maybe even a little betrayed... but, I know from experience that death isn't something humans plan. It isn't anything they can control. Neither can we."

"When... Hank was diagnosed six years ago neither of us knew what to say or what to do. And when he started to really get sick in the summer all we could think to do was hide out at the cabin for as long as possible. When Evelyn, Henry and Melody were asleep upstairs all we could do, all we could _say_ was... goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Markus just stared at Connor with empathetic bewilderment.

"We didn't know what else to say about Hank's future, so we said 'goodbye'." Connor took in a deep breath to choke back a sob as he spoke. "Even though we already said what we needed to say to one another, how we made sure we knew how much we respected each other and loved each other as family, and even though we already bid one another farewell properly and said our final goodbyes... it turned out we still weren't ready for it to happen. I guess we never really can be ready for death." Bowing his head Connor let out another pitiful sob and wiped his right hand over his soulful brown eyes as he mourned for the loss of his family. "...I wasn't ready."

Tightening his hand on Connor's shoulder Markus kept his voice low and collected. "Do Henry and Melody know?"

"I... I called Henry this morning." Crying again Connor struggled to find his voice and fight through his understandable pain. "He's devastated. Lucas is bringing him home for me."

"And Melody?"

"Evelyn called her. She's flying in this morning and Lucas is picking her up from the airport."

"What can I do to help?"

"Just... Just stay with me. I don't want to be alone right now, and Evelyn is inside being the rock for us all already."

"You got it." Markus moved his hand from Connor's left shoulder over to the other shoulder and pulled him in close for a hug.

As the mourning deviant leaned against Markus and wept as heavily as his heart could bear Connor finally found himself able to finally accept the truth.

Hank wasn't there anymore.

For what felt like years Connor sat on the back deck in mourning with Markus at his side, only moving when he heard a car door slam shut in the driveway beside the house. Henry and Melody came sprinting from Lucas's car and threw themselves into Connor's arms as they too began to cry over the loss of Hank. While Connor held his grown children and let them cry against his shoulder s Markus discreetly took his leave of the back deck and went over to talk to Lucas in private in regards to the situation.

With utmost care Connor stood up from the deck with Henry and Melody still in his arms as he walked to the backdoor and guided his children inside to the livingroom. Sitting down on the couch together the trio mourned for their loss and just held onto one another for emotional support. Henry was clutching the pocketwatch that Hank had given him in a death grip, almost afraid to let it go, and Melody was doing the same with her locket.

Evelyn rushed downstairs to be with her children, the phone in her hand forgotten as she hugged Henry and then held onto Melody as she needed to be with her mom in that horribly bleak moment.

Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back in a comforting manner Connor remembered all the times he held his young son in his arms when he was sick, sad or just fussy as a baby going through growing pains. He also remembered all the times when he was sad, hurt or sick and he had Hank watching over him or giving him words of comfort.

Those memories seemed so distant now.

Henry found the means to speak, his voice shaking and full of raw sorrow as he spoke with his father. "...I can't believe Papa is really gone."

"I know, Henry. I can't believe it either."

"I miss him!" Henry began to sob even harder and all Connor could do was hold him and try to soothe him with words of comfort. "I miss him so much!"

"Shh... He went peacefully and he loved you, Henry. He loved us all."

"I... I spoke to him last night." Reclaiming his voice Henry finally let go of Connor and pulled the sleeve of his blue t-shirt up to wipe off his tears from his face as he spoke. "And I could hear it in his voice. He was saying 'goodbye' to me. I knew it was going to happen, but... It still seems so surreal."

"He wasn't in any pain during his final moments. He kept saying how proud he was of you, and how much he loves you. The pain he suffered over the past few years over and he's with your Uncle Cole and Grandma Barbara now."

"...And Elizabeth."

"Yeah." Connor began to cry again as he wiped off his own tears only to have them return as quickly as he tried to remove them. "And he's with my mom."

Keeping his right hand on Henry's back Connor and his son just sat on the couch in the livingroom as they accepted the new reality that they were now forced to live through.

One without Hank.

Connor and Lucas no longer had their father, and Henry, Melody and Maddy no longer had their grandfather.

Captain Hank Anderson was gone.

* * *

Forcing himself to function through his pain Connor stood idle in the kitchen where as he cybernetically filed everything required for the funeral and had the misfortune of contacting their closest friends to inform them of Hank's passing. Gavin had spread the word through the precinct on Connor's behalf and Markus took it upon himself to inform the members of New Jericho Tower of Hank's passing as well.

As was customary for first responders there was a brief report on the news regarding Hank's life as a detective and of his death. There was even a small mention of Hank's surviving family; mentioning his sons and grandchildren. It resulted in hundreds of flowers being delivered to the house and many more being donated to the funeral home where the wake was set to begin.

While Connor was handling the paperwork Henry was passed out asleep on the couch alongside Melody and Evelyn. Emotional exhaustion took it's toll and it knocked them out cold. Standing behind the couch Connor looked down at his sleeping family and heard the backdoor in the kitchen quietly open. Glancing into the kitchen over his shoulder Connor caught sight of Lucas entering the house, and it was evident he too had been crying.

"Hey, big brother." Lucas greeted in a sad whisper as he entered the livingroom and gave Connor a hug.

"Lucas." Accepting the hug Connor held onto his little brother in a tight embrace. "...Thanks for getting Henry and Melody for me."

"No problem. You look terrible."

"I feel terrible."

Lucas released the hug with a breathy sigh. "Did he..."

"No. It was peaceful. No pain."

"That's good. The last time I spoke with him over the phone I knew he was saying his farewells. I wasn't happy about it but I kept my silence as he requested. Are you mad at me for doing so?"

"No. I understand why he did it. It's okay, Lucas."

"What do I need to do to help?"

"Nothing really, just be there for Chloe and Maddy right now. The funeral is in three days." Connor stated in a low whisper as he and Lucas stayed behind the couch where the rest of the family was sleeping. "Turns out Hank had everything already taken care of for all of us."

"How'd he do that?"

"He took care of the arrangements, had all the paperwork signed and everything paid for. We just had to confirm his identity, go to the wake in two days, and the cemetery on the third day."

"Well... I guess tomorrow we should, uh, get blacks suits to wear."

"I have suits you and Henry can wear, and I know Evelyn and Melody have clothes they can wear. I don't think it'd be very comfortable for us to go out shopping while upset, and I don't want to ask Henry to go anywhere at the moment."

"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Connor."

"Please, watch over Henry for me. I need a moment for myself and there is something I need to take care of."

"Yeah, I got it. Go do what you need to do, Connor."

Walking toward the hallway from the livingroom Connor turned to look over his shoulder where he saw Lucas sitting down in the recliner beside the couch as he ran his left hand through Melody's long hair lightly. Connor had to force himself to walk down the hallway and enter the bedroom at the very end; Hank's bedroom. Tentatively the grieving deviant pushed open the door and stepped inside the quiet and dark room very slowly.

All of the borrowed medical equipment had been returned, and the bed had been cleaned after Hank was taken away upon his passing. The bed was still perfectly made and the curtains were drawn. Beside the bed on the nightstand were various prescription pain medication bottles, empty drinking glasses and dozens of photographs on the table beside the bottles. The box of photographs that Hank kept in his closet was sitting on the floor beside the bed, another sign that Hank knew his time was coming to an end and he wanted to see his family one last time.

Picking up the box from the floor Connor sat on the edge of Hank's bed, sitting where he had been Hank took his last breath, and began sifting through the photographs himself. A majority of the photographs were of Henry, Melody, Maddy, Evelyn and Connor, with a generous amount of Lucas, Cole, Barbara, Sumo, Ruby the now late Captain Jeffrey Fowler and other officers from the precinct also strewn about.

With each photo Connor glanced through tears would well up in his soulful brown eyes and threaten to fall at any second. So many smiling faces, so many people that had come in and out of Hank's life. Images of Hank throughout the years as he himself grew up, went to school, joined the police academy were all filled with pride. Newspaper clippings of Hank's successful career as a police officer and a detective had also been collected, but Hank seemed more interested in the photographs of his friends and family than the newspaper clippings.

"...Captain Fowler." Connor found a photo of the late former Captain Jeffrey Fowler standing shoulder to shoulder with Hank the day Hank had been promoted to Lieutenant. They truly were good friends until the car accident. Hank pushed Jeffrey away and resided in self imposed isolation until Connor came along. "It's difficult to believe you're both gone now."

Continuing his search through the photos Connor noted the familiar faces of those who worked in the precinct, as well as the various people that Hank had given a break throughout the years, made the deviant's heart swell. Hank had helped so many people and never once sought any recognition for his kind deeds over the years.

Hundreds of photos of Hank with his late wife Barbara and late son Cole were difficult to view, but it only became more difficult as he uncovered photos of Hank bonding with Henry, Melody and Maddy as the kids grew up over the years. Ninteen Christmases, twenty birthdays, nineteen Halloweens, nineteen Thanksgivings, easily hundreds of basketball games, dozens of trips to the park, a dozen more trips to the cabin, even almost as many photos of Henry playing basketball, Melody playing with Ruby and Maddy painting alongside Lucas overflowed from the box.

So much of Henry, Melody and Maddy's lives had taken part with Hank actively involved.

But it was the photos of Hank working with Henry on the Camaro and playing with both Henry and Melody when they were still little kids and a babies made Connor start to cry again as he realized how much Hank truly loved his children like his own flesh and blood. Much to Connor's delight the photo of Hank standing with Connor and the rest of the family during Henry and Melody's graduations had been framed alongside the photograph of Barbara and Cole that had been on Hank's desk at the precinct, and tucked inside the box. Holding the framed images in his hands Connor smiled and wiped away his tears.

"Dad, you had more of a family than you really knew." It was getting harder for him to keep his emotions in check but right now he needed to be strong while the rest of his family was feeling weak. "...And we're all going to miss you so much. We already do."

* * *

_**November 17th, 2061:**_

The wake at the local funeral home was crowded with people who wished to give their final respects to the fallen former Captain, and in turn all gave the deceased detective the proper send-off he so rightfully earned. Connor was sitting in the corner of the funeral home with Henry, his right hand ever present on his emotionally distraught son's left shoulder, while Lucas took the lead and thanked the guests for their time and respects as they came to the wake to see Hank one last time.

Too emotional to really do anything other than comfort Henry and cry himself Connor was truly grateful for Lucas stepping up.

Near the front of the funeral home Melody stood with Evelyn before the gathered mourners as she wiped away her tears, and a soft song began to slowly fill the space. As the song proceeded Melody began to sing in a low voice to honor her late grandfather, her song of choice 'Blackbird', the very song she sang to him the night he had his heart attack and needed to stay in the hospital.

Everyone was in awe of Melody's gift of a voice and everyone began to weep even harder Hank's granddaughter finished the song and promptly collapsed into Evelyn's arms for support as they returned to the seats to be with Connor and Henry.

The minister in attendance stood at the podium and began to deliver a nice sermon regarding Hank's life on the grieving sons' behalf as neither could find their voice at the moment.

A photograph of Hank working with Henry on the Camaro was clutched between Henry's hands tightly as the mourning grandson stared at the image with an utter ache in his heart. During the sermon all the family could do was look at the opened coffin where Hank was laying. His face was calm and peaceful, but it was evident that the Hank that Connor and the rest of the family all loved had long since departed.

They could see his face, but they couldn't feel his presence.

"...He's really gone." Henry whispered despondently as he leaned closer to his father's shoulder. "He's never coming back."

Connor tried to gently 'shush' Henry as he ran his hand along his son's shoulders and back. "It'll be okay, Henry."

As the sermon came to a close the family and friends were asked to approach the coffin to say their final goodbyes. Forcing his legs to move Connor guided Henry forward as Evelyn did the same for Melody, but the heartbroken young man could only bear to look for a few seconds before sobbing and pressing his face into Connor's shoulder. Lucas was escorting Maddy forward along with Chloe as they all openly grieved for their departed father.

As Connor wrapped his right arm around Henry he too began to breakdown and quickly walked away with his son to escape the sympathetic stares from the other mourners.

Locating a quiet isolated area of the funeral home Connor embraced Henry and let him grieve for as long as he needed. "Cry, Henry." Connor encouraged as he fought to keep his own voice steady for his son's sake. "Just cry..."

"This really hurts!"

"I know. I'm hurting, too..."

"When will it stop?"

Connor closed his eyes and remembered when he had asked Hank the exact same question so long before. "...It doesn't stop, Henry. It just gets a little easier to live with one day at a time."

Lucas found his brother and nephew comforting one another and embraced them in a hug of his own. "Hey, it's going to be okay."

As the trio mourned together the other attending guests paid their respects and left quietly.

Doing everything he could to remain strong on Henry's behalf Connor fought to compose himself, and asked for Lucas to stay with Henry for just a moment. There was something that Connor needed to do before he left the funeral home and it was something he wanted to do in private.

Giving Evelyn a nod as he passed her and Melody by Connor confirmed he needed a moment alone.

Returning to where Hank was laying peacefully in the coffin Connor approached and gazed down at his father's face one more time. Reaching behind the large memorial wreath composed of multiple white flowers Connor retrieved the three framed photographs containing images of himself, Henry, Melody, Evelyn, Maddy, Lucas, Cole and Barbara.

Placing the photographs inside the coffin under Hank's arms Connor stifled another sob and spoke to Hank. "...I know you'll be watching over us, but I thought you'd like to have these. Now your family will always be with you, no matter where you go."

Slowly Connor closed the lid to the coffin and bowed his head against the smooth cool dark surface as he let himself cry again.

"I love you, dad."

It was going to be a cold slow night for the surviving Andersons as they begrudgingly left the funeral home to return to the house.

Hank's house.

The house that was now empty and void of the man that they all admired. And yet the house still felt like their home, and it always would be.

* * *

Back in the livingroom the house Henry sat on the couch with Lucas at his side as they too began checking through the box of photographs that Connor had found in Hank's bedroom. It made them both feel better seeing images of Hank smiling and playing with Henry and Ruby, and seeing Hank spending time with both Connor and Lucas over the past twenty-three years they had known each other. They were truly his family, and it gave them all a sense of familial grounding and emotional support when they needed it the most.

Upstairs Evelyn was laying with Melody on her bed as she supported her grieving daughter, and tried to get some sleep. Chloe had taken Maddy back home and was doing the same kind gesture for her own daughter.

"Hey, I remember this." Henry held up a photo showing himself sitting on Hank's shoulders as they went to the park by the river. Henry himself was only six years old at the time. "We went to the park after my very first basketball game. He showed me the secret to the perfect free-throw, and I haven't missed yet."

Lucas smiled as he saw the heartwarming photograph. Tucked beneath it was an image of Hank showing Maddy how to finger paint despite Hank have no artistic skill whatsoever. "...Maddy still has the paint set that dad gave to her on her third birthday. He always found the time to be there for every single one of us without fail."

"Yeah. I can't believe he made it to all of my basketball games." Henry was ever appreciative of Hank's support through his lifetime. "I knew it hurt his back to sit on the hard bleachers for hours on end, but he never once complained."

"No... Not even when he was at his sickest."

"He called you too, didn't he Uncle Lucas?"

"Yeah. I knew why he was calling, too, and I'm so glad I was able to talk to him one last time." The mourning deviant's blue eyes were welling up with unshed tears. "But ending the call... That hurt more than I expected. It was the last time I got to speak to him."

"I know." Henry wiped away a rogue tear from his own blue eyes as he sighed and took a deep breath to try to ease his shaking thoughts. It was hard but he was able to remain composed as his grief continued to settle in. "He called me the night before he passed, at seven o'clock on Friday night as usual, but... I knew it was different. After I said goodbye and that I loved him I put aside my phone and went to bed with this strange sense of dread hovering over me. And I just knew that when I woke up the next morning that... Somehow I just knew he was gone."

Lucas nodded a little and began checking back through the box of photographs to try to lighten the mood again. "I understand what you mean."

"I'm just glad that dad was there with him when he passed." Glancing about the livingroom Henry realized that Connor wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Hey, where is dad anyway?"

"He went outside to talk on the phone and finish the final details regarding the funeral arrangements."

"Oh. He's been out there-"

Knocking on the front door stopped Henry mid sentence as he and Lucas turned to look at the door. Getting up from the couch Henry went to answer the door and was greeted by Markus. "Hi, Markus."

"Hey, Henry." Offering the young man his hand Markus greeted Henry properly with a firm handshake. "How're you holding up?"

Accepting the handshake Henry's eyes dulled a little as he answered honestly. "...Not great."

"I had the same reaction when I lost my own father, I get it. I just wanted to stop by and see if you needed anything."

"I'm okay, but I can't answer for dad or Uncle Lucas."

Lucas himself had gotten up from the couch and walked over to the door to greet Markus with a strong handshake of his own. "Hello, Markus."

"Hey, Lucas. Do you need anything?"

"Actually... There might be something you can do for us." Motioning back toward the couch Lucas showed Markus the massive box of photographs sitting on the middle cushion and gave him a small smile. "Think you could us turn these photographs into a type of slideshow or tribute for Hank?"

"Of course." Markus was more than happy to volunteer the artistic skills he had learned from Carl. "It'd be an honor to help with such a display."

Quietly Henry closed the door behind Markus and decided to check in on his dad while Lucas and Markus sat on the couch and began discussing their new plan together. Walking through the backdoor of the kitchen Henry found Connor sitting on the step of the back deck with both hands over his face as he silently sobbed in heartbroken mourning.

"Dad." Henry sat down beside Connor in a matter of seconds and pulled his dad up against him in the same tight hug that Connor had given him so many times before when he was upset. This time it was Henry's turn to take care of Connor. "Dad, don't hide."

"...I'm sorry." The mourning young father apologized morosely. "...I tried to stay strong."

"And don't be sorry. We all miss him."

"I'm supposed to comfort you," Connor forced his voice to steady enough to speak. "not the other way around."

"Why not? We're family! _We're supposed to take care of each other_, dad. Let me take care of you."

As Connor wept in his son's arms the now orphaned deviant felt the same inexplicable and inescapable heartache that he had suffered through after his mother had died, and after Skye as assaulted during the infamous riot. There was no doubt that Hank's passing was irreversibly changing Connor's life, but this time he had his son, his daughter, his wife and his little brother to see him through the tragedy.

Hank wouldn't be there to keep the darkness from entering his heart anymore, now it was up to Connor to find his own reason to stay in the light.

"It's okay, dad. Just cry... I'm here, and I'll _always_ be here."

Connor tightened his hug and continued to weep against his son's shoulder as they held each other and supported one another as they endured their painful grief together. "...And I'll always be here for you, son. No matter what happens I will always be here."

* * *

_**November 18th, 2061:**_

The day of the funeral.

The cemetery was peacefully quiet and the sun was shining brightly in a strong contrast to the dark dreary mood of the day itself.

A massive group of mourners had converged on the cemetery to see Hank for his final moments before being laid to rest. Dozens of familiar faces were peppered throughout the hundreds of people who had come to the cemetery, and gathered together in their pain. There was a mixture of family and friends among former police contacts, the unlikely allies Hank had on the streets and the would-be criminals that Hank helped to get their lives back on track before they did anything that permanently led them down a dark path.

Such an eclectic crowd was unexpected but welcomed all the same.

Of course Evelyn, Henry, Melody, Lucas, Maddy, Chloe Markus, North, Josh, Simon, Kara, Chris (with his wife and kids), Gavin, Abby, Aria, Tina (with her now husband and young son) and Joel (with his family) were all in attendance to pay their own respects to their fallen father, patriarch, friend, and ally.

The memorial was composed of a flowery wreath with a portrait of Hank, the image was from his youth and taken the day he graduated from the police academy. Dozens of lilies had been collected and placed all around the coffin out of respect for the fallen man by the various mourners in the crowd. A screen was set up to the side of the coffin showing a slideshow of the hundreds of photographs that had been collected throughout the years, and it brought the group a sense of peace to witness.

After watching the display for almost an hour it was time to begin the eulogy and lay Hank to rest at long last.

It wasn't easy but Connor found his voice and gave his family a subtle nod as the sat together in the front row. The sight of of his wife and kids being so emotionally vulnerable gave Connor an instinctive response to be strong on their behalf until they were able to come to terms with what had happened.

Donned in his black suit out of respect for the deceased Connor stood before the black coffin with his hands folded neatly before himself as he prepared to eulogize his late father. He stood before a generous gathering of family, friends and fellow police officers; humans and deviants alike. Those who had had worked with Hank in the precinct, and those who had come to know Hank as a friend from his work with the deviancy uprising throughout the city, had attended the funeral en mass to give the deceased retired detective the respect he had so rightfully earned.

"Captain Henry 'Hank' Lucas Anderson was a man of quiet resolve and loud virtue." Connor paused as he let out a deep breath to emotionally steel himself once more before continuing on. "Those who had the honor of working with Hank as an officer of the law knew that he could be crude, sarcastic and even short-tempered; but those who had the honor of getting to know Hank as a friend knew that Hank held a big heart full of compassion, patience, empathy and understanding."

Everyone was starting to cry again upon hearing the emotion in Connor's voice.

Closing his eyes tightly Connor bowed his head slightly as he repressed a heartwrenching sob that had risen in his throat.

"When I first met Hank we had been assigned to work together to handle cases with deviant androids. And he was... not happy about the arrangement. Even less so when he learned that I was in fact an android. It didn't help that at the time I would follow him around more than Sumo ever did."

A small cluster of good humored laughter helped ease and lessen the crushing emotional tension in the air.

"Our meeting was under grim unorthodox circumstances that seemed doomed to end in disaster, but as we spent time together and worked with each other to solve our cases and to better understand what was happening in the city we were able to better understand each other. And our resulting friendship changed our lives forever; mine far more than his, and it was for the better. He saved my life and gave me a reason to live." Discreetly glancing at his family Connor managed to give them all a loving smile. "Three very good reasons to live."

Lifting his head back up Connor looked past the group of gathered mourners at the cemetery and to the blue horizon behind them.

"I had learned of Hank's past and of the utter despair he had endured alone. While I knew what happened I was unable to understand it until I had become deviant. And it was Hank who helped me to realize that I am in fact alive and helped me to achieve my deviancy; to find my _humanity_. Hank helped me to find a heart, and in time all I could do was hope that my own heart would become as strong as his. A strength I was determined to give to my own son, and thanks to Hank, I succeeded."

Giving his final words to the mourners Connor felt the warm tears flowing down his face once more.

"Hank had said '_Time is fleeting, but memories last forever_.', and he was right. He's still right." As Connor spoke Henry began to cry again. "Hank was a dedicated detective, a vigil protector, a guardian, a friend..." Connor's right hand gently came to a rest on the corner of the closed coffin lid softly behind him. "and above all else he was a father, and a grandfather. He was the father that I never knew I needed, and the father I never knew I wanted until we met. I wouldn't be half the person, or father, I am today if he hadn't taken me in; if he hadn't given me the chance to prove myself. And I knew from the moment he passed away that my life had changed forever once again, but now it's for the worse because he isn't going to be apart of it anymore."

Connor's palm dropped from the coffin as his hands clenched into pained fists at his sides.

"Despite his own pain and his desire to stop feeling he still found the room to take in a stray deviant and raise him as a son, and then do it all over again with Lucas. And when Henry was born I knew that I'd never have the chance to fail as a parent because Hank would be there to guide me every step of the way. When Melody came into our lives the feeling only strengthened because Hank was there to support us."

A chorus of sniffles and crying accompanied Connor's words.

"I miss him. And I'm going to miss him for the rest of my life. And clearly I won't be alone in this horrible grief."

Steeling his voice for the last time Connor clutched his right hand over his heart as he gave his final words.

"I can honestly say from the depths of my heart that Hank was my _dad_; and of all the humans I have met in my life I know for a fact that Hank's golden heart; though broken, troubled and scarred, was without a doubt the biggest, and the strongest heart that ever beat in this world. His heart was like his morals, indestructible. And I know I can still feel his kindness resonating throughout this world that is now a little better for having had him protecting it."

* * *

_**November 19th, 2061:  
**_

_...but memories last forever._

Alone at the cemetery Connor stood before the newly placed headstone with Hank's name engraved upon it as he visited his father for the first time since the funeral. Hank had been laid to rest next to his firstborn son Cole, his departed wife Barbara. The fresh earth over the grave was dark and smoothed over perfectly as a sign of respect. As he rested his left hand atop the headstone slowly Connor bowed his head and placed a white lily down onto the headstone out of additional respect before repeating the action for Cole and Barbara, leaving behind flowers for each of the dearly departed members of the Anderson family.

Returning his attention to Hank's grave Connor bowed his head again and let out a tired sigh.

"Hi, dad. I still miss you."

Reaching into his right pocket Connor pulled out his quarter and held it in the palm of his right hand in a tight fist, rather than dance it over his knuckles as had been his usual nervous tic in the past.

"I'm not quite sure how long it'll take before I can move on and continue to live my life, but I know I _will_ be okay." Tightening his fingers around the coin for a few seconds Connor's hand gradually relaxed into a calmer fist at his side. "I'll keep my promise to you dad, and I will live my life to the fullest. I'll make sure Evelyn, Henry and Melody never know a day where I don't tell them that I love them and remind them that I'll always be there for them."

Rubbing the cuff of his left sleeve over the top of the headstone to brush aside a few stray bits of brown earth from the gray stone Connor managed to flash a faint smile of pride as he remembered every moment that he and Hank had shared together through the years together as an unorthodox but loving family. Each moment played out in his mind in every vivid detail his incredible memory retained.

"Evelyn and the kids weren't ready to come back to the cemetery just yet. Neither Henry or Melody is ready to go back to school, and I don't blame them. Henry is still going to be a forensic scientists, and Melody has chosen her field of study. She wants to be an oncologist so she can, and I'm quoting her on this: kick cancer's ass and make you proud'. Melody has the Anderson fighting spirit, and I know it's because of you."

Unclenching his fist Connor crouched down to read the gilded plaque engraved on the front of the headstone for the first time since he arrived to visit Hank: "_Henry 'Hank' Lucas Anderson. Born September 6th, 1985. Died November 14th, 2061. Dedicated Detective. Beloved Father, Grandfather, Husband and Friend_."

"Thank you for everything you've done for us, dad. You saved my life and you gave me a _reason to live_. It may take some time, but I know I can find a new reason to keeping living even without you to guide me on my way. And I know for certain that one day we will see each other again. You spoke about meeting up on the other side one day and I intend to keep that promise, too."

Reaching up his right hand he pressed his palm down against the top of the headstone one last time before he rose to his feet and turned to walk away with his head held high with a returning confidence.

"You were right, by the way." Lifting his hand from the gravestone he gave a weak smile of respect to his dearly departed father. "I don't need this anymore, I didn't even touch it during the funeral, but I still think I need _you_. I'll try to live on as normally as possible and I know it won't be easy, but I will try. I promise you I will see the world at long last. With Evelyn, Henry and Melody still in my life I know I at least stand a chance at being okay without you. I guess it's safe to say Henry and Melody managed to inherit their grandfather's heart of gold."

Letting one final rogue tear fall from his soulful brown eyes he wiped it away with his thumb and took in a shaking breath to level his voice again.

"I know you're in a better place, and you're finally back with Cole, Barbara, Elizabeth and both Sumo and Ruby, so I don't doubt that you really are okay up there. And now it's my turn to take charge and protect the family just as you protected us. Until we meet again." Connor paid his final respects to Hank as he placed down his final offering before he begrudgingly left his beloved father behind. "...I love you, dad."

Feeling emotionally grounded Connor walked away from the gravestone with a heavy heart but a clear mind as he ventured away from his deceased family and returned to the beautiful cherrybomb red Corvette that he and Hank and restored together. The Corvette was parked along the dirt trail that lapped through the peaceful cemetery and its pristine crimson paint still glistened like a pure ruby in the light of the brilliantly shining sun overhead.

Whispering one last passing goodbye to Hank as he returned to the vehicle Connor turned over the car's engine and wiped away another tear. "I'll see you on the other side, dad. I promise."

As the shining vehicle drove away from the peaceful cemetery at a slow pace a single object was left behind on the headstone to continue to shine in the sunlight in Connor's reluctance absence. Sitting idle atop Hank's grave, left behind to glisten in the bright afternoon sun and to serve as a reminder of everything that the two detectives had experienced together, was Connor's most prized material possession that he had held throughout his entire life.

It was Connor's old worn out coin.

_**-End of Epilogue-**_


End file.
